The next morning.
　The next morning, the short vacation is over and the day has come for me to leave for school again.

"Let's see. Now you have all your stuff, Seika.

　Looking at the line of carriages, Luft says, "We're not alone.
　We weren't the only ones on the way back. Fiona's group and Glai's platoon escorting them were also with us. We're not only in a cavalcade of carriages, but we can also see soldiers riding their horses in light gear.
　It would be an even safer journey than the one we made to Astiria.

''That's right. ''Thanks, brother.''
Take care of yourself back at the school.
I know.
'And you'll have to decide quickly what you're going to do after you graduate from primary school. I know your father would want you to go on to higher education, but...
Uh, I know, I know...

　I replied with a wry smile.
　I hadn't told Blaise or Luft that I was going to be an adventurer.
　I'm not going to tell them until the last minute. I don't want them to say they won't pay for my schooling or anything.

'And Yifa, take care of yourself. You've been working all week. Have you had a good rest?
Eh, that's all right. Mr. Luft, take care of yourself.

　Yifa says with a hint of a smile.
　All the time they were in the mansion, Yifa had been working on the house, joining the servants and slaves. He didn't have to do that anymore, but he didn't have anything else to do, he said.
　Perhaps he wanted time to talk to those who were close to him. The next time I'll see them, if they come, it will be a long time before I see them again.

'And Miss Mabel. Please come again when you get a chance.
Yes.

　Mabel nodded at me, as if she were reluctant to leave.
　I watched with half-lidded eyes.

　Mabel has been covered in tears the entire time she's been there.
　It's fine that she's a guest, but I was tempted to complain.

Ugh....I wanted to stay here forever...
Is she... is she like that at her parents' house?
I'm playing the cat in front of them and it's kind of tiring.
'This is the place to wear it. How come you were so relaxed in there?
I know what it's like for a girl who wants to marry a nobleman and I want to live like this forever.
'You know, those people who say that are ready to have kids, go out in the social world, support their husbands' work, and that's about as far as they'll go. I don't want to get all over the place like you do!
Why do you have to say such horrible things...
'We're all living on our own. For that reason, let's study hard again when we return to the school.
Ugh....oh no...

　I look down at a teary-eyed Mabel with dismay.
　This girl had this kind of personality. Yifa and Amu are the type of people who start moving even if they are left alone, so it's a contrast.

''Hey Seika!　What the hell are you doing in there!

　Suddenly, Glai's voice rang out.
　The second brother, who had returned from the platoon's carriage, was staring at me with his hands on his hips.

It's time for you to go, what the hell are you waiting for?
Shut up....
I'm sorry, Gry. I had to keep you here.
Okay. So long, brother.
Glei...
''What........you're going to come to the Imperial City once in a while anyway, right?　From now on, though, we'll see each other then.
Yes.

　Fiona popped up from behind Glei and said.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future. Mm-hmm.
...Hey. Don't say anything sinister at this time.
'Uh-huh, it's a joke I say it's a joke. So don't worry.
Oh, well...

　Fiona laughs.
　Or perhaps it was Fiona's own concern that the future would not come when Glai would be killed by assassins.

''Your Highness........''
"Lord Luft. "Thank you for this hospitality, Sir Luft. It has been a great comfort to me before heading back to the capital. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I caused you during your long stay. You will be rewarded for this. Please tell Lord Blaise as much.
Your Highness. We are honored that you have chosen to stay at our estate. I am glad to hear that your visit has been a restful one. I will continue to work hard for the promotion of the estate and the advancement of magic for the Empire.
Mm-hmm. I'd like to borrow your brilliant brother.
"If it's alright with you, my foolish brother, you may use it to your heart's content.
Keh!

　Just then, a red-haired girl peeked out of the window of a nearby carriage.

'Huh?　Are people still not on board?　Should I come down with you?

　I smile a little and raise my hand lightly to Luft and say, "Bye, brother.

I'll see you later, brother. Take care.

　I wonder when I'll see him next.
　I've never thought of this brother as family but I kind of hope I'll get that chance again.


****


　On the way back, the people riding in the carriage were not the same as on the way there.
　Fiona had refused to let me ride in her carriage.
　The two handmaids opposed me again, and Fiona was as stubborn as ever.

　So now I have a smiling Fiona sitting in front of me.
　And since I'd also nominated Glei, it was my second brother who was sitting next to her.
　What is this face?

You don't really talk when you're in a carriage, do you?

　Glai said with a dumbfounded look on his face.
　I replied with a stern look on my face.

I don't want to get drunk with all the unnecessary things I have to do.
'So it's true that you're not very good with carriages. It's been like this for the first two days since we left for work. But even so, it's not too shaky.
'I'm sorry I can't talk to you. I don't want to talk dirty, but I won't cause you any trouble.
Uh-huh, don't mind me.
Yeah, well, I didn't think you had a problem with that.
That's what Yifa said to me two years ago.

　There are things I'm not good at. I'm human, you know.

　And there - I turned my attention to the ceremony that was flying outside.
　The convoy of carriages was approaching a road surrounded by trees on both sides.

'Brother Grye!'
Huh?
'Speaking of which, is Brother Glei allowed to be here?　I'm a platoon leader.
It's all right. That's all right. I've already left most of this up to Lauren. Anyway, I can't command the return trip to the garrison. Besides, I can't disobey a royal decree like this when I'm under the command of Her Highness.
Hmm, you seem somewhat unwilling to do that.
That's not what I said.
But what would you do if it happened?
I know you're leading this large a contingent of men to keep them from coming to you. This isn't a battle. This bodyguard is here to intimidate.
But what if they come?
Don't be a prude. I'll stay here to protect and lead your highness. There's no way I could do that.
'Hmm, that's good then. By the way, changing the subject, how many wild thieves are normal in this country?
A thief?　They vary from a few to a hundred people, but you don't hear about big groups around here.
Oh, yeah?

　I mutter.

"So what's that all about?

　At that moment----a roar rang out in front of the carriage.
　Human shouts and cries, and the crying of horses rose.

''Nah!''
It looks like the empty carriage in disguise has been hit.

　Fiona said calmly in the tense air.
　I smiled lightly and opened the door to the carriage.

"Just in case.

　As soon as he leaped, he grabbed the edge of the ceiling and kicked the floorboards and leapt. He landed on the roof of the carriage as it spun backwards through the air.

''Feng. It's been a long time since I've done such light work.

　Thanks to this, I can see my surroundings better.
　There were also dozens of crudely dressed groups of dozens of people scattered on either side of the road, splitting up on either side of the road.

　Looking ahead, I saw that the wagons that had been disguised as imperial wagons had been crushed by huge rocks.
　There were no high cliffs around it. It's a kind of earth attribute magic.

''Outlier!　"Yellow ball goes to the sixth and Balls is the arrow in the chariot of the eighth!　Left rear row, hit the guy on the roof!　Two, one....

　A voice that seems to come from somewhere, and all the roughnecks around me point a bolt to Fiona's carriage and me at once. It seems that they intend to shoot the person inside with the walls of the carriage.
　But still, what a well-equipped burglar! Oh well.

　The Noh is much smaller than what I have seen in the West, perhaps because of the importance of carrying it around. It's not that powerful.
　This is good enough for me.

"Fire!

　At the same time, the arrows are shot at me splendidly.
　At that moment, I activated the jutsu using the human body floating above my head as the starting point.

《Phase of Yang - the technique of the magnetic flux cloud》.

　A flock of looming arrows.
　They all lurched on their way and flew off in a different direction, avoiding the carriage and me.

　I laughed, the corners of my mouth hanging up in the air.

"Ha, I wonder where they're going to shoot at.

My head....
What?　"We'll take the soft ball to the eight.　"Steelball Reserve, kill the guy on the roof!"

　A few crossbows that were waiting for me were pointed at me.
　But it was the same thing. The arrows all deflected and flew empty into the sky and forest.

I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what's going on.
Hmmm, yeah.

　The IJN's astonished voice makes me laugh and mutter to myself.

　There is a rule that when a metal comes close to the strong magnetic field created by the sun, the metal will turn into a magnet and will always repel the first magnetic field.
　As long as the arrowhead is made of metal, it will not be able to break through the magnetic field of the Magnetic Currents Cloud.

Your head!　Six or seven is a cover too!
We're starting to get a counterattack from the enemy platoon, sir.
Eight!　We have a wizard on the runway!　"Yellow Jade Squad, crush it with your magic!

　In the midst of the group rushing towards us, there was a figure with a staff in hand.
　His mouth is hurriedly chanting an incantation.

''The Yellow sits!　Spirit of the immovable rock, now is the time to fall down and use your fury to hammer the giant rocks!

　A huge boulder appeared far above the sorcerer's head and fell at an angle to me. It's the same one that crushed the carriage at first.
　But it disappeared in mid-air just before it could reach me.

"What!　Warding?
It's so easy to be magical.

　You can nullify anything with such rudimentary wards.

　The enemy's head eyes peeled away as if they were impatient, looking around at the group and shouting.

"Draw your swords, boys!　Leave the wizard guards alone!　It's going to take all of us to get the target inside...

　At that time----a roaring wind blew from inside the carriage.
　It collectively popped several of the wild thieves in front, silencing the group of enemies in an instant.

''Is the crossbow censored?　f*ck, I can finally go wild.

　Glai, who came out of the carriage, shouted loudest while carrying his staff sword.

''You guys!　This is our chance to help the Holy Mother of God!　Who wants a poet to sing of his prowess!

　A valiant battle cry went up from the soldiers, who were crossing swords with the thieves.
　On the contrary, the enemy's spirits were visibly diminished.

　Heh. I'm sure you're able to do the right thing for a captain, huh?

Seika-sama.

　As I was admiring it, I heard Fiona's voice from the carriage below.

'Can you take the enemy alive?'
How much?
The more the merrier. It would be even better if we had an extra head.
I'm sorry, sir.

The Phantom of the Tree, the Art of Vine Binding

　A green vine erupted from the ground all around.
　It wrapped around all of the enemies and then tightened and restrained them into a tree.

　Glai watched the scene of the wild thief gang being captured by the plants with a stunned expression on his face.
　Even the soldiers who had raised their spirits and exchanged sword fights were all stunned by the suddenness of the situation.
　The streets that had been the scene of battle had fallen silent.

　I said to Fiona, who was silent in the carriage, "What do you think?

I don't know. "Well, we've got them all, for now.