A momentary rest
◇ ◇ ◇
Two days had passed since Marius, the brother of Sophia and the newly appointed Count of Cloudel, had officially rejected the marriage proposal that had been arranged for her. With that, Sophia had gained her freedom.
To begin with, the marriage proposal itself had been rather strange. It seemed that Sophia had been repeatedly told by her parents to "fulfill her duties as a noble."
In this country, it is only upon graduating from the Noble Academy that one is truly considered a noble. However, nearly all noble children are enrolled in the academy, so this rule had become more of a formality. This meant that Sophia, who hadn’t graduated from the academy, wasn’t considered a true noble, even though she was the daughter of one.
To strip Sophia of her noble status while still imposing the responsibilities of nobility upon her was nothing short of unreasonable.
Speaking of strange matters, the reason why Viscount Emert sought Sophia was also unclear. The members of the group Twilight Moonbow, including Sophia, had been featured in the newspaper in the past, so it was possible he had some prior knowledge of her. But the use of threats involving the flooding of the labyrinth to force the engagement left a strong sense of discomfort.
Despite the lingering unease, I had been helping with some follow-up tasks when I received word that Luna, Log, and Carol from Twilight Moonbow had arrived in Dal Ane.
Upon hearing this, I immediately led the three of them to the room I had been given and informed them, along with Sophia, that her situation had already been resolved.
"Ugh, I really pumped myself up to come all the way to Dal Ane, but then I get here and it’s already all settled!" Carol pouted as she complained.
"I'm sorry for making everyone worry," Sophia said, bowing her head apologetically.
"No way! If Sophia’s okay now, then it’s all good! I’m just glad you didn’t run off or anything!" Carol said, quickly putting her arms around Sophia for a hug.
Sophia’s face was buried in Carol’s generous chest, and she was gasping, "It’s… it’s too tight..." It was a scene that left me, as a man, unsure how to react.
Log, too, blushed and looked away.
"Hehe, that’s right. Just being able to confirm Sophia’s safety was worth coming to Dal Ane," Luna said softly, watching the interaction between Sophia and Carol with a gentle smile.
"I’m sorry for making everyone worry. But looking back, I think it gave me a chance to reflect on myself. And now, no matter who my partner might be, I can honestly say I want to continue being an adventurer with all of you," Sophia confessed after being freed from Carol's embrace.
"I’m so glad to hear that. I can’t imagine Twilight Moonbow without you, Sophia. Welcome back," Log said warmly.
"Yeah, I’m home!" Sophia replied with a smile.
I felt a sense of relief as I looked at everyone from Twilight Moonbow smiling together.
What I did this time was minimal, and most of the credit goes to Selma and Marius. Given how I had acted so confidently in front of Sophia, there was a bit of embarrassment that I hadn’t resolved the situation myself, but in the end, as long as Sophia could smile, that was all that mattered. My tiny pride didn’t concern Sophia in the least.
"By the way, how did you all know I was in Dal Ane right away?" Sophia asked the three of them.
"That’s thanks to big Lu-nee’s great effort! She tracked down where Sophia was, and then rushed here in a hurry!" Carol said, proudly.
"I wouldn’t say it was anything that impressive, but I did discover a new possibility for my abilities. Thanks to that, I was able to figure out that Sophia was heading to Dal Ane. I suppose this event turned out to be beneficial not only for Sophia, but for me as well," Luna explained modestly.
"Is that so? Lu-nee, thank you," Sophia said gratefully.
"Hehe, you’re welcome," Luna smiled.
"So, you shared senses with a fairy through an expanded interpretation of your ability, right? I wonder if there’s some hidden power in my own ability, Shadow Manipulation… but I can’t think of anything," Log pondered.
"An expanded interpretation of an ability, huh? For me, I feel like Telekinesis has more possibilities, but I can’t think of anything either," Luna added.
"Hmm, Master, you expanded your interpretation of Gravity Manipulation to replicate Mana Convergence, right?" Carol asked, suddenly bringing the topic back to the subject of ability expansion.
"That’s right. I guess mine might be a bit of an exception, but having someone nearby with the Mana Convergence ability really helped me understand it," I replied.
The "exception" I referred to was how I had mistaken my ability for Mana Convergence at first.
Now that I think about it, I still don’t understand why I made that mistake. And even now, I can’t quite explain how I’m able to perceive mana with Gravity Manipulation. From that perspective, I suppose I haven’t fully understood my own abilities yet.
"Does it make it easier to imagine things when you have a good example close by?" Log asked as he noticed I was lost in thought about my abilities.
"I’d definitely say it helps. But still, abilities depend on imagination. Having an example might even limit your thinking sometimes. In the end, I guess it all comes down to chance," I explained thoughtfully.
Expanding on one’s abilities isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires a deep understanding of your own power, and then seeing it from a different perspective to uncover things you hadn’t noticed before. At least, that’s what my grandfather always told me.
"That’s true. If I hadn’t had the strong desire to find Sophia no matter what, I might not have come to this expanded interpretation myself. I guess this, too, was a matter of chance," Luna mused.
Luna, hearing my words, seemed to reflect deeply on what had happened back then.
Sophia and Log, too, appeared to be lost in thought about their own abilities after hearing the conversation.
However, it was precisely because of this that none of them noticed.
Carol, in stark contrast to the other three, muttered softly with an unusually self-deprecating expression, "Fate and feelings, huh? Neither of those have anything to do with me."
Carol recognized her ability as a curse. While there must have been times when her ability helped her, the feeling of it being something to be loathed likely overshadowed any positive aspects.
Little by little, Carol's outlook on herself and those around her has started to change. As for me, I believe this change is moving in a positive direction.
But the issue is not as simple as that. It seems like it will take some time before things truly improve in this regard.
At this point, what I can do for Carol is to watch over her, and offer advice when she asks for it.
I believe this is something Carol herself must find the answers to.
"—Changing the subject, do all four of you have time tonight?"
Since the conversation had wound down, I asked the four of them about something I had thought of earlier.
"I don’t have any plans. Carol, Lu-nee, and I don’t have anything on the schedule. We pretty much came to Dal Ane on a whim," Log answered my question, and Carol and Luna nodded in agreement.
"I don’t have any particular plans either," Sophia added.
Once I confirmed that none of them had any plans, I spoke up.
"That’s good. I was originally going to plan this after we returned to Tutril, but since everyone is here in Dal Ane, it works out perfectly."
"Hmm? Works out perfectly?"
"Well, it’s already March, right? That means Carol is now an adult. So how about we celebrate Carol’s coming of age by going out and eating something delicious?"
"Oh! That’s right! I’m fifteen this month! I’m officially an adult now~!"
It seemed Carol had just remembered that she had turned an adult, and her excitement immediately skyrocketed.
With that, the three of them agreed to my idea, and although it was sudden, we decided to celebrate Carol’s coming of age.
The coming-of-age celebration was filled with laughter from start to finish.
The war between the Kingdom and the Empire is now just around the corner.
Since leaving Tutril, there had been moments of relaxation, but I hadn’t been able to fully let go of my worries. However, today I was able to spend a joyful time with Twilight Moonbow without any concerns.
Tomorrow, I’ll give a detailed report on the labyrinth’s progress to Her Highness Princess Lucila, and then Fuuka, Haruto-san, and I, along with the members of Twilight Moonbow and Selma, plan to return to Tutril.
Right now, I’m looking forward to resuming my role as an explorer for Night Sky Silver Rabbit and tackling the Great Labyrinth again.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Doctor, it seems the Cloudel family suddenly wants to cancel the engagement with Viscount Emert."
Ruelia and Frederic, siblings with reddish-beige hair and strikingly similar faces, arrived at the church’s base near Dal Ane. They called out to a man in a red robe who appeared to be working on something.
The man, called Doctor by Ruelia, Oswell, stopped his work and turned to face the siblings.
"...That’s no laughing matter," Oswell said, his mood plummeting the moment he heard Ruelia's report.
"We don’t make jokes about something like this," Frederic responded in his usual languid tone. "Oh, by the way, the labyrinth we were trying to flood has already been cleared, and it seems to have lost its functionality."
Despite Oswell's furrowed brow, Frederic showed no signs of hesitation and relayed the news that the labyrinth had been cleared and was no longer operational.
"Well, I guess I misjudged a few things. But, didn’t we set some pretty strong monsters in that labyrinth? It shouldn’t have been something a random group of explorers could clear. Do you know who did it?"
"Yes. According to reports, it was Selma Cloudel."
Ruelia answered Oswell’s question, and upon hearing the name, Oswell's eyes widened in surprise.
"Selma Cloudel, the S-rank explorer, known as the 'Greatest Enchanter on the Continent'... that Selma?"
"Yes, the very same. Actually, it’s quite the talk around here that she came to Dal Ane with the princess of the Kingdom. Didn’t you know?"
"Well, no. I’ve been too busy preparing for my next experiment, so I’ve only been getting updates from your reports lately."
"Always the same with you, Doctor. You really love using people for your experiments, don’t you? What exactly are you planning to do with that girl, Sofia?"
Frederic asked with curiosity.
"Obviously, it’s for an experiment to help me achieve my goal. You see, abilities tend to be inherited across generations..." Oswell began to speak eagerly.
"Though there are exceptions, people who develop abilities generally don’t have any relatives within three generations who also possess them."
Oswell continued, clearly enjoying the topic.
"And Sofia Cloudel doesn’t fit this rule. For both sisters to have abilities is clearly strange. That’s why, it’s possible that the Cloudel bloodline contains the traits I’ve been searching for in the family I need. That’s why I absolutely have to get my hands on her!"
Oswell raised his voice with excitement, but the aura he emanated was deeply ominous.
Before him, the siblings began to visibly display their fear, a deep-seated terror toward Oswell that had been ingrained in their subconscious since childhood. Despite their best efforts to suppress it, the fear was starting to surface.
Although they had become able to interact with him casually over time, the fear instilled in them during their youth was not something that could be easily overcome.
Oswell was obsessed with capturing Sofia.
In an attempt to avoid friction, he had tried to use the Empire's nobility to acquire Sofia, but that plan had failed.
Both siblings shared the same understanding.
There was no way he would give up here. The next step would surely involve more straightforward and brutal methods. They also knew that they would likely be chosen as the ones to carry out those plans.
"Anyway, dragging this out any longer is a hassle, don’t you think? You both agree, don’t you?"
"…Yes. I agree with you, Doctor," Ruelia responded, managing to steady her voice despite the tremor in it.
Frederic, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.
"Mm, mm. You two really are excellent pawns... Well then, let’s get started. Ideally, I’d like to secure not only Sofia but also Selma, if possible."
Not wanting to stay any longer in front of Oswell, the siblings quickly distanced themselves and began preparing. As Oswell had called them "excellent pawns," they understood without waiting for further instructions how he planned to secure Sofia and the others.
"Now then, it’s my turn to get serious. The war between the Kingdom and the Empire has already begun, and soon Beria will start moving... Once that happens, I won’t be able to focus on experiments. But before that, I’d like to conduct at least one more experiment."
In the empty space, Oswell muttered with a dark smile on his face.
The malice of Doctor Oswell McCloud of the Cyclamen Cult was about to engulf Dal Ane.
——.