Reconnecting with an old acquaintance is always enjoyable, especially when they’re someone who shares your past memories.

“You’ve always been like this. Do you know the most common complaint from the others about you? They said they’re exhausted because you drive them so hard. I’ve never heard anyone complain to someone who isn’t even in charge of training like that before.”

“…Those damned nobles—”

“It wasn’t just the nobles, or I wouldn’t have mentioned it. You’ve achieved what even Garid couldn’t—a total integration between nobles and commoners. Quite impressive.”

“They’re just whining…”

“Whining? Do you think everyone else is like you? I’ve told you time and time again, not everyone is like you, and they’re not geniuses either.”

“Ugh, stop with the nagging…”

…Still, this is a bit much.

They say you get more nagging as you age. Maybe that’s why. The lecturing I’m hearing now is even more intense than when I was younger, and it’s making my head spin.

It’s hard to believe all of this nagging started just because I mentioned that I was teaching someone.

The long-winded lecture that seemed to drain my soul finally came to an end as Aeron coughed dryly and picked up his cup. I was dazed from the mental assault, and as he cleared his throat, he asked,

“So.”

“…Yeah?”

“This person you’re teaching—is it a man?”

“…Huh? No, it’s a woman. Why?”

It was such a random question after all that lecturing that I tilted my head in confusion. I answered, but what kind of question was that?

“Well, that’s a relief… No, wait. Just because it’s a woman doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. There are a lot of strange people out there.”

“…?”

What is he thinking? He seems to be mulling over something serious, but I doubt it’s anything I need to know about.

“What does she do?”

“…What does she do? What do you mean?”

“You know, like her job or, you know, her… interests.”

“Her interests?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You’re not thinking of hitting on her, are you?”

People’s feelings don’t always go the way they want, but still—having any designs on someone you’ve never even met? Plus, considering the age difference between Aeron and Journey… hmm.

I don’t know Journey’s exact age, but from her behavior, I’d guess she’s younger. Maybe not as young as me, but definitely on the younger side. Meanwhile, Aeron’s over fifty. Sure, he looks young for his age and is much better-looking than most men, but still—there’s something off about it, right?

“…Hmm…”

…Then again, if they’re both into it, who am I to interfere?

They say some women like a man with a bit of maturity. Maybe Journey is one of them.

“Well, I’ll cheer you on.”

“…You’re imagining weird things again, aren’t you?”

Unfortunately, I haven’t had any heart-to-hearts with Journey about her preferences, so I can’t offer much help. But I can cheer, at least! I clenched my fist with determination, but Aeron didn’t seem particularly pleased by my support.

“Kana, I’m just trying to make sure this person is trustworthy. There are plenty of people out there with bad intentions.”

“…Dim-witted? Me?”

…Did he just call me dim-witted?

If Eric heard this, he’d probably say, “Commander, have you lost it?” and get kicked around the training yard for his trouble.

“Alright, let me ask you this. How did you end up hanging around with this person?”

“She brought me food.”

“She brought you food?”

“Yeah. I saved her from a Cockatrice, and as thanks, she brings me food every day, to the mountain where I stay.”

“Hmm…”

Aeron seemed to take this seriously.

“It’s not hard to believe… But have you noticed anything strange about her?”

“Strange? Like what?”

“Like, does she touch you or give you weird looks?”

Touch me or give me weird looks…?

…There’s too much of that.

She hugs me at random, pats my head, and holds my hand. Even if she doesn’t look at me weirdly, she laughs in a strange way sometimes. As I went through all the things that came to mind, Aeron’s expression grew darker, and by the time I finished, he looked like a demon from hell.

“This person…”

“Oh, her name’s Journey.”

“Right, Journey. Is she here?”

“Yeah, she’s part of Riverie.”

“I see…”

Aeron stood up abruptly. I looked at him, confused by his sudden movement.

“Where are you going?”

“To see this Journey person.”

“But why are you bringing your sword?”

“Oh, I’ll need it. You know as well as I do that there’s nothing more useful for dealing with pests.”

“….”

As if there’s any reason he’d need it.

I sighed.

“You’re overprotective, Aeron. I’m not a child.”

“….”

“If it were anything serious, do you think I’d let it slide?”

It seems like he’s about to go off on someone just because I teased him a little. He knows how old I really am, and yet he still treats me like a kid who doesn’t know how the world works.

It must’ve worked, though, because the murderous aura around Aeron started to fade. He sat back down with a tired sigh.

“If this were back in the day, I’d grab you and give you a good smack.”

“Ugh, is that what you’re into?”

“See? This is what I mean. You’re always joking around.”

“Oh, you caught me.”

“Not like you were hiding it.”

I’d surpassed Aeron’s strength a few years after I’d started learning the sword from him, but even after he knew I was stronger than him, his overprotectiveness never stopped. He didn’t show it as much after I became the commander, though.

Aeron, along with Garid, was one of the few people who worried about me. Well, now there’s a third person.

“Well… I’m a little relieved to see you joking around like this.”

Aeron had finally calmed down, and his tone returned to the polite speech he used in more formal settings.

“I was worried you’d storm the Empire with nothing but a sword in hand. Good to know that’s not happening.”

“What do you think I am?”

“Anyone who saw you back then would think so.”

“Hmph.”

Overprotectiveness followed by exaggeration?

…Okay, maybe I was a little intense.

“People wouldn’t call beating someone to a pulp just for ‘annoying’ you a little intense.”

“Well, he deserved it.”

I stated firmly. I wouldn’t go that far for a simple annoyance. He crossed the line, so I dealt with it accordingly. Aeron, seeing I wasn’t going to back down, shrugged.

“Anyway, it’s good you’re not mixed up with bad people. But still, be careful. You never know when she might grab you or something.”

“…What?”

“What?”

“That wasn’t a joke, you know?”

Holding hands, hugging, head pats.

“She did all that just this morning.”

I wasn’t exactly the girly type, and I grew up in a sweaty knight’s order with barely any women around. So I’m not sure, but don’t women usually enjoy that kind of skinship? It was like that in my past life, but maybe it’s different here.

Hearing this, Aeron stood up again.

“Aeron?”

“….”

“Uh, Aeron?”

“….”

“Yeah.”

This is bad.

I nodded to myself as I watched Aeron, who was no longer listening.

Sorry, Journey. I couldn’t protect you.

But it’s okay, right? You’ll just respawn anyway.

 

"…."

"…."

Sip.

Munch, munch.

The air in the parlor was colder than the northern winds, filled with a tense silence. The only sound came from Kana, who was quietly munching on some snacks.

“Tastes good.”

‘…How can you even eat at a time like this?!’

Journey wanted to shout at Kana, but she could only grit her teeth. With the man sitting across from them glaring daggers at her, yelling wasn’t an option.

‘What… what even is this situation?’

Journey had just wrapped up her long-overdue report and was finally on her way to meet Kana when she was suddenly escorted to the parlor by this man. And "escorted" wasn’t really the right word—he’d looked ready to kill if she didn’t follow.

“So, your name’s Journey?”

“Y-yes, sir!”

A low, rumbling voice that could be described as a cave echo. It was the kind of voice Journey usually liked, but right now, it sounded as intimidating as a tiger’s growl, making her tense up.

Aeron looked at her for a moment, then asked abruptly,

“Why did you do it?”

“Uh… excuse me?”

It was such an out-of-context question that she blurted it out reflexively. He offered no clarification, and Kana, who was happily snacking beside him, didn’t seem inclined to answer any questions either.

‘Is he… Kana’s acquaintance?’

If he knew Kana, maybe he was also part of her order? Journey wracked her brain to figure out who this man could be before asking carefully,

“Were you… part of the same order as Kana?”

“…Did she mention she was part of a knight order? Yes, I was. I’m Aeron, the former Vice Commander of the Crimson Flame Knights.”

“Wha—?!”

A tiny, pathetic squeak escaped Journey’s lips.

So, he was someone important. A lot more important than she expected… wait a second.

‘Why am I so freaked out?’

Aeron was just the vice commander. Kana was the commander. She’d been with Kana for a while now, so it shouldn’t have been surprising to meet her subordinate, right? With that thought in mind, Journey looked up confidently.

“…”

‘…Gah!’

Meeting Aeron’s piercing gaze, Journey quickly lowered her eyes again. She understood he had been under Kana’s command, but why did she have to be here, subjected to this stare?

It suddenly reminded her of a classic drama scene, where the boyfriend meets his girlfriend’s father for the first time to ask for his blessing. The only difference was that their genders were switched.

Journey felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Uh, may I ask what your relationship with Kana is…?”

“Not sure how Kana sees it, but to me, she’s like a niece or a daughter. I’ve watched over her since she was very young.”

“Ah, I see…”

Journey finally got a straightforward answer from Aeron, but she wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.

So, this man is very close to Kana. He might not be as dear to her as her father, whom she always misses, but he’s probably more important than most people could ever be.

With that, the conversation lapsed back into silence. Journey felt like she might suffocate if things stayed this way much longer, so she gathered her courage and spoke up.

“So, what brings you to me…?”

“I heard you put your hands on Kana.”

“P-pardon?”

“You held her hand, hugged her, even patted her head. Isn’t that right?”

“Well, yes, but… I think there’s been some misunderstanding…”

One wrong word here, and I’m done for…!

Journey could sense death looming over her. She glanced around, looking for anything to save her.

Glance.

“…”

Sigh.

But the lifeline she found was a rotten rope.

The only person who could save her in this situation, Kana, turned her head away, avoiding Journey’s gaze. She was trying to make it look casual, but Journey could feel the awkwardness in her movements.

‘Kanaaaa…!’

I thought we had a good thing going! How could you do this to me?!

If you were upset with me, you could’ve said something! Do you have to throw me to the wolves like this…?!

Journey’s heart broke as she realized her trusted companion had betrayed her.