Youngest 079

Episode 79

“For now, leave the Eosia matter to them. If any new information comes in, notify me immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Borbel bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Leviathan called for Adolf.

“Bring me Rubian’s adoption papers.”

“Here they are.”

He completed the complicated documents with meticulous care.

Rubian was his daughter. Whatever past she carried no longer mattered.

His pen paused a moment at the section regarding the child’s nationality.

“Adolf, what about the matter I told you to take care of?”

“It’s all settled. It was a village called Marinevesta in southern Babylon.”

Leviathan nodded and filled in the final blank.

“I’ll need to speak with the Emperor.”

He quickly ordered a carriage prepared.

As he hurriedly reached for his coat, something rolled across the desk—a small glass vial that had been sitting off to one side.

Adolf snatched it before it could fall. It was tied with a worn blue ribbon.

“What is this? Oh—there’s a bloodstain on the ribbon…”

Leviathan regarded the vial for a moment. So that was still here, in the office.

“It’s something that aided me on the battlefield.”

A vial containing traces of Dark Beasts. Whenever he tracked those traces, he always found a mark of the Dark Mage.

Whoever had sent it remained unknown.

“Sir, the carriage is ready.”

Leviathan slipped the vial into his pocket and strode out.

‘Ruby is my daughter.’

His grip tightened around the documents.

With this, Rubian would become, in every respect, a true Zevert princess.

A cherished child who, within his own domain, would receive stronger protection than anyone.

What mattered was her present and her future.

“I come to pay my respects to His Majesty.”

Standing before the grand doors, the attendant caught sight of Leviathan’s face and bowed hastily.

---

“So why—cough—couldn’t I reach you on Ipson Mountain, anyway?”

I was sharing snacks with Khalid in the greenhouse.

A sip of warm milk soothed my scratchy throat. Hazel had gone to fetch some candied fruit good for a cold.

As Khalid poured more milk into my cup, he replied,

“My mana wasn’t in good shape then. That makes it tough to communicate with you.”

“What? Were you hurt? What about your bracelet?”

“I was wearing it.”

He lifted both wrists. The golden rings clinked, making their presence felt.

The bracelet with three intertwined rings wasn’t an ordinary magical device.

I’d found it in ancient ruins while wandering the battlefield, and had inscribed a magic circle into it for Khalid. His still-growing body wasn’t yet able to manage his abundant mana.

The bracelet stored mana inside like a vessel, and when released, the power flowed back into the body. A simple mechanism.

“So then why was your mana so unstable?”

At my question, he rubbed his forehead with a mildly troubled look.

“Psychological reasons, I guess.”

“Huh?”

“When I’m afraid and anxious, sometimes it gets like that.”

I tilted my head.

“What were you afraid of? Okay, the situation was tense, but there were adults around…”

“That’s not it.”

He fell silent for a while. Then at last, in a rather brusque murmur, he spoke.

“Everyone always said it’s easier the second time.”

“Eh?”

“Running away and ditching someone. The first time is hard, but after that, it gets easy.”

“Ditching… What? Who told you something like that!”

His clear eyes fixed on me.

“The mercenaries who abandoned their wives and ran. They’d always say it, like it was nothing.”

I was at a loss for words.

Really now.

What kind of things had they been telling a kid? I’ll end up losing all my friends at this rate!

“Don’t hang out with those misters anymore!”

“They’re not in this world anymore anyway.”

Well, at least there’s that.

Sighing deeply, I picked up a cookie topped with strawberry jam. So, to summarize…

‘He was afraid I’d leave him behind again.’

So much so that he couldn’t control his magic.

Realizing that, I couldn’t help but notice how, with his head ever-so-slightly bowed, he looked like a puppy caught in the rain.

Ugh. That makes me feel so guilty.

Resolutely, I munched the cookie and schooled my face to seriousness.

“All right, Khalid. I’ll make a vow.”

“A vow?”

“Wherever I go, I’ll always tell you first.”

His sharp eyes narrowed, clearly skeptical.

“I mean it! I swear it on this strawberry cookie!”

“…You solemnly eat the symbol of your vow?”

Gulp.

I swallowed and forced a laugh.

“I internalized my vow. Here, you have one too!”

As I pushed a cookie toward him, Khalid reluctantly took a bite.

“We’ve promised. If you break it…”

His remark trailed off.

As he hesitated, I jumped in.

“If I break it, um… then I’ll cut ties with you!”

“…”

“Just imagining it hurts, doesn’t it.”

“I want to spit my cookie back out.”

“What?”

“It really wouldn’t be hard. My stomach hurts after hearing that kind of talk about cutting ties.”

“Hey!”

I jumped up, watching Khalid smother his mouth and flop weakly onto the table.

“How can you say something like that so lightly…?”

His voice came out slightly shaky.

“Hey, are you crying? Going to throw up? What are you doing?”

I bent over and peered at his face, but couldn’t see well. He turned away, as if annoyed.

“Oh, c’mon.”

“Are you mad? Why?”

“I’m not mad—I’m sulking…”

“Huh? Then are you crying? Are you?”

“I’m not crying!”

“Your face has gone pale.”

“So cancel that whole cutting ties thing.”

“Fine. I cancel, I cancel.”

Squatting under the table, I replied quickly.

At the sound of my cancellation, Khalid’s handsome face emerged from where he’d hidden it behind his arms. His pout and flattened cheeks looked oddly cute.

“Aww. Scared of hearing ‘cut ties,’ are we?”

Tsk, tsk.

I laughed and ruffled his hair.

I even reached to poke that bun-like cheek, but Khalid sprang up as if struck by an arrow.

“W-Why are you touching me so much today? Grabbing hands, and now this…?”

Am I?

But…

“Nothing wrong with it—is there a reason you’re so put off?”

He’s the one reacting so sensitively today.

My now-empty hands felt oddly awkward. Of course, I couldn’t see the way his neck was flushed bright red.

“Keep a bit of distance, please.”

“Come on, why should I keep my distance?”

Wait.

No sooner had I spoken than I went rigid.

‘Come to think of it… Me…’

I cautiously raised my arm to my nose. Sniff sniff.

“Could it be…?”

Suddenly feeling stubborn, I thrust my face forward. Khalid instantly backed away.

…Look at that.

I stepped closer again.

He edged away once more.

‘What? At first, I was just kidding—’

A wave of hurt crashed over me. Still rooted to the spot, I bit my lip hard.

“You’re such a mean one, Khalid. What do you really think of me?”

“How do you expect me to answer that all of a sudden? It’s obvious!”

Khalid started to say more, then abruptly closed his lips. The flush had spread all the way to the crown of his head.

What? Has someone turned him upside down?

Just then, a large shadow loomed up behind the boy.

“Khalid, you little brat, so here you are!”

With a booming voice, someone grabbed Khalid by the scruff of the neck.

“How long do you plan on skipping training— Huh?”

A familiar voice. A familiar silhouette!

“Grandpa!”

I spun around, delighted.

But something was wrong. Usually he’d come right up and assault me with his whiskers, but today…

“C-c-c-c-cow…”

He just stood there, frozen, still holding Khalid by the collar.

“A cow? Moo—are you talking about cows, Grandpa?”

“My cow’s…”

Did he hurt his hand?

“My swee…”

“I have no idea what you’re saying, Grandpa…”

I mustered my courage—and reached out to him. But Grandpa stepped back, as if he’d seen a ghost.

Wow, the two-step backpedal combo.

At this point, there was no mistaking it.

“So it’s because of me, after all…”

“Ru—Ruby?”

All I did was skip a bath because I was sick.

“So you think I stink!”

Even so! Is it really necessary for everyone to avoid me this much?

“Waaah! That’s so unfair! Goodbye, everyone!”

I’m off to bathe—thoroughly!