8 - The Youngest is Hiding a Lot
Episode 8
“Don’t touch it.”
“Huh?”
“I know it looks pretty… but it’s poison ivy.”
Leviathan Uncle furrowed his brow and pulled me far away.
“Sibelita Herb.”
“Ah, this is…”
I was about to correct him but stopped.
Avelita and Sibelita.
The two herbs, even their names were similar, had similar appearances. If you looked closely, everything was different…
‘I guess that’s how it looks to ordinary people.’
The biggest difference was the blue magic surrounding the flower.
That’s why wizards never get confused, but it’s difficult for non-wizards.
Unless they are very knowledgeable about herbs.
“Don’t touch it carelessly. Something terrible will happen.”
I withdrew my hand and nodded obediently.
Well, it’s not exactly what I need right now…
“Your Excellency, the barracks are ready!”
“Let’s go.”
Uncle held out his hand. I took his hand and turned around.
“Wow.”
Before my eyes, rows of plausible tent houses were spread out.
“That was fast.”
Knight Uncles were moving busily between them.
“One, two, one!”
A muscle show was taking place everywhere.
They look like ordinary muscle men, but they are all high-ranking knights who have made a name for themselves in the war.
“As expected of Northern men…”
I nodded, admiring quietly.
“You’ll be like that soon too.”
“Uwoong……. Huh?”
“Jebert is a knight family. To stay in the Jebert family, you must become a knight. You are no exception.”
Oh, what a bolt from the blue.
“It would be better for you to build up some strength in the North.”
I need to hide my strength, but I’m a pretty strong wizard…
I imagined my future for a moment.
Running around the Training ground with a body like paper, vomiting, swinging a sword hundreds of times, vomiting, shooting a bow a million times, vomiting…
‘Vomiting ending…’
How is that different from destruction?
“I don’t know what you’re imagining, but your expression is something to see.”
“Uh-huh. I’m a weak child whose emotions show on my face. I’m not good at hard things.”
“Only at times like this.”
“I’m not gooood……”
“It won’t work even if you say it cutely.”
Uncle lightly pinched my earlobe.
“Don’t worry.”
He lifted me up, and my arms and legs dangled like a doll.
Inside his neatly curved eyes, I met his sparkling purple eyes.
“First, I’m going to do something about those weak arms and legs.”
It sounded like a witch’s whisper to fatten me up and eat me.
“I’ll train you properly in the North.”
“Please don’t say that with an evil smile…”
I think I’ve chased after a villain disguised as a hero.
* * *
While the villain was out checking the campsite, I ran away to Lord Leon.
“Uncle, are you okay?”
“I am fine.”
Lord Leon was sitting on a rock, taking off his top.
Even in this situation, he was folding his clothes neatly, maintaining perfect angles… Hmm, somehow there’s something about him that makes people tired.
“It’s hard to say you’re fine when your whole body is colorful.”
Red, yellow, blue…
How could you endure that?
The worst was his shoulder, which looked like it had been hit hard by something.
“Ugh, how did you ride a horse with that shoulder? And I insisted on you giving me a ride without knowing…”
I sighed worriedly, looking at the swollen wound.
“I’m sorry, Uncle.”
Lord Leon seemed flustered and fidgeted a little.
“Th-This… is my fault. It’s not your fault.”
“But.”
“Don’t… make that face. Honestly, I could carry someone like you for a whole month.”
“I don’t really like that… Ugh! Wait!”
I blocked my nose at the sudden unpleasant smell. It was because of something Lord Leon had taken out.
“Igo moyak?”
“…? It’s just ointment.”
“Memseh goyake!”
“It doesn’t smell bad.”
Leviathan Uncle, who had approached unnoticed, ruffled my hair and laughed.
No way!
He’s using such an old-fashioned bruise ointment!
There are many ointments these days that don’t smell and are effective. Of course, only in the Archmage Kingdom!
“It’s cold, so stop playing around and go into the tent.”
Uncle wrapped a thick cloak around me.
“Ugh… Okay.”
I quickly got up.
It was because Lord Leon had started applying the ointment to his body like a pig rolling in a mud field.
He said he wasn’t in pain.
He must be in a lot of pain.
“I have to go see if there are any monsters around Uncle. Stay here quietly and rest in the meantime. Don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes!”
After putting me directly into the tent, Uncle disappeared on horseback with the dark knights. Thanks to the blazing fire, the inside was a little warm.
‘Hmm.’
I hesitated without taking off my cloak and moved quietly.
To where the Avelita Herb was.
“I didn’t know I’d need it so soon.”
I picked some herbs and put them in my cloak pocket.
I returned to the tent, washed them in clean water, and separated the stems, leaves, and flowers. Then, I ground them finely with the flint I found nearby.
‘Was this the mixing ratio for this kind of ointment?’
I estimated while looking at the bruise ointment I found in Uncle’s luggage.
Herbal medicine is also one of the basic skills of a wizard.
I was thinking of upgrading the function of the ointment with this herb.
‘It would be better if I infused it with magic…’
Wouldn’t that look suspicious? After all, if I presented an ointment that heals injuries in one day.
I quietly collected and mixed only the herb powder.
It was at that moment.
Somewhere, there was a crackling, sizzling noise.
[ …are you there? ]
A sound like a modern radio frequency.
I stopped stirring the ointment and raised my head sharply.
“……”
The surroundings were silent. Only the sound of the tent swaying in the desolate wind.
What is it? Is it my imagination?
I tilted my head and focused on making the ointment again.
[ …! …! ]
The noise started again. It was louder than before.
“Could it be.”
I carefully touched the tip of my ear. There was a small Magic Circle behind my right earlobe.
A size that would look like a dot or a scar at first glance.
The Oath Seal.
But it wasn’t me who made the oath.
It was me who ‘received’ the oath.
“Khalid?”
I traced the pattern and spoke softly.
Then the noise stopped. Soon, as if the frequency had been matched, a clear and distinct voice followed.
[ Master! ]
‘Khalid, is that you?’
I closed my eyes and focused on communicating inwardly.
Khalid was a child I met on the battlefield.
I only saved him once, but he called me master and followed me around.
But we ended up parting ways when I went to Canalan Canyon.
[ Do you know how worried I was because I couldn’t read your magic until now? ]
Khalid snapped quietly.
[ I couldn’t feel you. Anywhere. ]
The oaths of wizards are somewhat extreme, so when you share an oath, each other’s magic becomes intertwined like a rope.
Thanks to that, you can easily check simple communication or each other’s life and death like now…
That means you have to carry a very annoying tail for the rest of your life.
[ Where are you anyway? ]
‘I’m…’
[ Ah, Bamilron. ]
Khalid didn’t give me a chance to answer.
[ Just wait there. I’ll be there soon. ]
‘What? How are you going to come? It’s far from here!’
[ You’re surprised. How cute. ]
‘What did you say?’
[ Next to your ear. Press it well. I can’t hear you. ]
I pressed my earlobe again.
‘How are you going to come? Weren’t you at the southern end of the continent?’
Khalid only laughed softly.
[ Where can’t a runaway wizard go. ]
Ah, come to think of it.
He was the wizard who ran away from the Archmage Kingdom before me. To be exact, Khalid’s pregnant mother hid her pregnancy and fled the kingdom.
And secretly gave birth to Khalid somewhere on the continent.
So Khalid was an unregistered wizard of the Archmage Kingdom.
[ See you soon. ]
‘No, that’s not it. If you get caught, I’ll also… Hey. Hello? Cal!’
The connection was cut off before I knew it.
No matter how much I called, there was no answer.
‘Khalid? Khalid!’
It seemed that he had intentionally cut off the magic circuit. That means again.
He blocked me!
That impudent Khalid Liork!
“Just you wait.”
I gnashed my teeth. I’ll bite the back of his hand when I see him!
* * *
Late at night.
Leon Shuzelke was about to enter the barracks after finishing his inspection of the campsite.
“Uncle, Uncle.”
Leon stopped walking.
A small hand stretched out from the left side of the tent. His feet moved involuntarily at the fluttering gesture.
“……”
There, a child who barely reached his waist was smiling and holding his hands behind his back.
His blue eyes, shining in the moonlight, and his fluffy silver hair were striking.
The back of his head was very crooked, as if it had been cut somewhere…
‘It looks very soft…’
Leon remembered the small head that had been shaking in front of his chest during the day.
He remembered being shocked by the feel of the chest feathers of a white lark he had met in the forest sometime ago.
‘Is it that kind of feeling?’
He had to stiffen his body several times to avoid reaching out.
“Are you feeling better?”
The child suddenly asked. His red cheeks were bulging.
While he was choosing his words, Rubian exclaimed, “Ta-da!” and held out something hidden behind his back.
“A gift!”
“…What is it?”
Leon accepted it absentmindedly. When he opened it, it was a translucent ointment with powder embedded in it.
“Ointment?”
“Yeah. The smell was so bad that I ground some flowers nearby and put them in.”
Leon chuckled.
Is this what a child’s idea is like?
If the ointment smells bad, just cover it with the smell of flowers.
‘But somehow it smells a little fragrant?’
He had been using bruise ointment like breathing, so he was used to the foul smell.
More than that, he couldn’t understand why he was giving it to him.
Leon looked down at Rubian.
“Why are you giving me this…”
“Thank you for giving me a ride on the horse earlier.”
A clear voice spoke clearly.
Leon Shuzelke was ignorant of children.
But at least he felt that the child in front of him was somehow a little different from the children he had seen in the capital.
The children in the capital were just cheerful.
The laughter of the children running around the central square was like the sound of bells.
That was his pride.
The pride of protecting that smile.
Rubian in front of him came into view again.
“I won’t be a burden. Don’t worry.”
No little child spoke with such a firm voice.
At least as far as he knew.
Leon was regretting what had happened during the day.
He wondered if he had been a little harsh, even though he had said it himself, and he regretted it. But he didn’t know how to choose his words or how to say them nicely.
He had been wandering around the battlefield for 10 years.
It was natural that the way of communication would change.
‘Even though I said such nasty things…’
To hear the words thank you.
“You know. The war is over.”
How did he know that he was still clinging to the war?
Leon suddenly felt thirsty.
He felt like he had to make up for his mistake earlier.
This time, more beautifully, well.
“I’m… well.”
“……?”
“I didn’t think you would be a burden.”
What burden could something like cotton candy be?
More than that, what I wanted to say was… I just wanted a small and soft child like you to be in the peaceful capital, like the other children running around the square like foals,
“So what I mean is…”
I wanted you to smile like that.
“Ha……. It’s difficult.”
But he couldn’t say anything. Leon just decided to say it bluntly.
“I was sorry, and thank you.”
Rubian had a face that seemed to understand everything.
“Okay!”
Leon involuntarily reached out and stroked his round head.
At the clumsy touch, Rubian pursed his lips like a bird and smiled.
It felt like a warm breeze was blowing from somewhere.
Indeed, as expected, it was an incredibly soft sensation.
* * *
After Lord Leon recovered to some extent, the journey resumed.
There was no obstruction in the resumed procession.
The Knight Uncles had somehow obtained a new carriage. It was a carriage with huge windows that made it feel like all sides were open.
I gradually became accustomed to riding in the carriage.
It seemed that Lord Leon had a somewhat regretful expression whenever I spent more time in the carriage… Surely not.
Anyway, we arrived after driving for several more weeks.
In the Jebert Duchy!
