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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Treasure Yourself
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Arep wore an expression of utter agony, as if he himself had been the one injured.
Ardores spoke to him.
"Why do you want to learn the sword?"
"To become a knight."
"Why?"
"I have to protect the young lady. That's my duty."
"That was just something Nini said on her own. You don't need to protect her. Arep, you're free to live as you please."
"No!"
Arep shouted.
For the first time, the usually mild-mannered boy bristled and raised his voice.
Instead of being surprised, Ardores continued to listen to Arep's outburst.
"The young lady is still little, smaller and younger than me, but she's the one protecting me. So I have to protect the boss! I'm her subordinate!"
"Nini has plenty of people to protect her, even without you."
"S-still!"
Before he knew it, tears welled up in Arep's red eyes.
No one knew what made him so frustrated and wronged, but Arep sniffled and stubbornly insisted that he had to be the one to protect her.
He desperately clung to the duty assigned to him.
"I have to protect her! I must!"
"Arep."
"So I'm going to get strong! I have to be the one protecting the young lady. No other beast can...!"
"Arep!"
A pair of large hands gripped Arep's shoulders firmly.
Arep gasped, sucking in a breath.
Only then did he realize he'd been yelling without even breathing. He choked on the sudden influx of air and coughed for a good while.
Ardores patted his back.
"You alright?"
"Y-yes..."
Arep answered with a light cough, still clearing his throat.
"Sorry about that. I was just testing you for a moment."
"A t-test...?"
"To see how much you truly treasure Nini."
"The young lady is more precious than me!"
Arep answered confidently.
His phrasing was a bit awkward, but it meant she was more precious than his own life.
Yet Ardores shook his head.
As if he'd gotten it wrong.
"The one you should treasure most is yourself."
"Why? I'm just a trash-like orphan."
"Because Nini likes you. She likes you very much—a great deal."
"......"
Arep's soft cheeks flushed pink.
He knew Nibelria liked him, but hearing it confirmed from someone else's mouth made him so happy he felt like he could float away.
"Hehe..."
The smile spreading across his face was utterly innocent.
Ardores watched Arep fondly, then spoke once more.
"So, you need to treasure yourself. Don't call yourself a trash-like orphan anymore."
"But everyone says..."
"Who?"
Ardores asked sternly.
"Who in this Dayamor mansion would dare say that to you?"
"Uh, no one."
Arep hurried to reply.
Since coming to live in the Dayamor mansion, he'd never once been called an "orphan." No one had cursed at him either.
On the contrary, they called him "young master Arep."
They spoke to him kindly, using respectful titles and his name.
They taught him patiently in gentle voices, praised him generously when he did well, and comforted him warmly when he made mistakes.
They greeted him in the mornings with "Did you sleep well?"
And at night, "Sleep well."
"...I like it here."
Arep loved the Dayamor family.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he wiped away his stray tears with the back of his hand.
And silently vowed never to call himself an orphan or trash again—those awful words.
In truth, it made Arep very sad whenever he referred to himself that way.
"We like you very much too."
Ardores smiled kindly.
Full-blown summer had arrived.
"Hot."
Nibelria summed up the season in one word.
"Too hot."
Even a little movement brought sweat beading on the child's skin.
And children's naturally high body temperatures only made the heat worse.
"It's hot, right? That's why you must wear your sun hat so your face doesn't get burned."
"Dether, make the sun go away."
Nibelria spoke in a more listless voice than usual, weak from the heat.
"Even I can't do that. I doubt the Magic Tower Lord could either."
"The Magic Tower Lord is pretty useless anyway. Severely lacking."
"You're the only one who treats the great Magic Tower Lord like he's worse than the neighbor's dog."
Dether had dressed her as coolly as possible while protecting her delicate skin from the sun—and her final touch was...
"There, wrap this handkerchief around your neck, and we're done."
It was a handkerchief that stayed cool for eight hours straight.
A magic tool handmade by that amazing Magic Tower Lord himself—and personally "acquired" by Ardores.
Stolen goods brimming with grandfatherly love.
As soon as she wrapped the handkerchief around her neck, life returned to Nibelria's weary face.
"Cool!"
"The Magic Tower Lord made it. It'll keep you cool for eight hours, so no problems while you're out."
"The Magic Tower Lord is useful after all!"
"He's far more impressive than you think, young lady."
With all the preparations finally done, Nibelria headed out with Dether.
Today, they were visiting the old Flower Farm—now the planned site for a pharmaceutical company—to meet the witches.
"Grandma and Grandpa going too?"
"They left ahead. They know some people from the war days, so they went early to catch up."
"Grandma's friends with the witches."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"Nini saw before!"
In the carriage, Nibelria sat in the middle seat between Arep and Solles.
"Oh? You guys have the same ones!"
Nibelria spotted that Arep and Solles were wearing identical handkerchiefs around their necks.
"The Magic Tower Lord made these."
"Yeah, super cool, right? You feel it too, Nini?"
Solles asked as he gently removed Nibelria's hat.
Arep watched Solles's every move carefully, committing it to memory so he could do the same for Nibelria later.
With her hat off, Nibelria declared,
"Gotta praise the Magic Tower Lord."
"Haha! Means you're cool now, huh? He nailed it."
Solles deftly interpreted her words.
"I'd like to thank the Magic Tower Lord properly when we meet him."
Arep said, fiddling with the cool skin on his neck.
"Arep knows to say thank you when he's grateful. What a good boy."
"Even adults struggle with that sometimes."
Kaleo and Seletrina praised him splendidly, and Arep blushed shyly.
Seeing this, Nibelria shot her arm up high.
"Me too! Nini'll thank the Magic Tower Lord!"
"Really?"
Kaleo beamed proudly.
"Not super grateful, but I'll say it anyway. Nini's the boss."
"Say it with sincerity. It's thanks to him you're cool."
The carriage left the capital and headed for the outskirts forest.
Azel's fairy-tale nightmare cottage was long gone.
The buildings had all been demolished, and the fields plowed completely flat anew.
Large and small tents stood in their place.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, Nibelria bolted straight for the tents.
But Arep grabbed her hand first and stopped her.
"Oh."
Solles, who had been ready to chase after her, quietly admired it. Arep was starting to predict Nibelria's actions too.
"Young lady, you could get hurt running."
"Won't!"
"Still no. They said at kindergarten you can't run in unfamiliar places. You have to go with adults everywhere."
"Arep's a nag now..."
Even so, Nibelria obediently stayed by Arep's side.
Arep secretly sighed in relief.
He'd worried she might shake him off and run, but she listened right away.
Though her lips did pout.
In that moment, Solles put her hat back on.
"You've finally arrived."
Just then, Muniel and Ardores emerged from the largest tent.
They were dressed far more roughly than usual.
Muniel wore what looked like a decades-old work dress with a frayed cloak, while Ardores sported a shirt patched at the elbows and pants worn thin at the hems.
"Grandma! Grandpa!"
Nibelria jumped up and down in fierce welcome.
Arep's arm flailed wildly alongside her, like a reed in a storm.
The catnip-high racket made Muniel and Ardores burst out laughing.
"Come greet the Great Witch. She's been looking forward to seeing you all."
"Great Witch?"
Solles muttered to himself, and Muniel explained,
"The leader of the witches, the great one who communes with the earth."
As soon as they entered the tent, a thick herbal scent washed over them.
It came from the dried flowers and medicinal herbs scattered inside. Baskets and mysterious crates lined the walls like fortifications.
Nibelria struggled to remove her hat again, and Arep helped from the side.
With it off, she announced,
"Kindergarten rule: No hats indoors!"
"What fine manners you have."
A voice like sturdy timber rang out.
Only two people were inside the tent.
One was Azel. She smiled warmly at Nibelria and the children.
The other was a very small elderly woman.
She was the owner of that powerful, resonant voice from moments ago.
"This is our Great Witch, leader of the witches."
Azel introduced her.
"But we can't tell you her name. That's our rule."
"The Great Witch is the only one who can communicate with the earth. Just knowing her name..."
Muniel started to add, but the Great Witch cut in smoothly.
"Why make it sound so grand? Flattery has its limits."
Even amid her deeply wrinkled face, her eyes shone brilliantly.
They were warm and radiant, like sunlight filtering through lush forest leaves and blue skies.
