What followed was a string of flimsy excuses.
“Riersha said she prepared everything herself, with great care. And since it’s just a treasure hunt, there’s no reason anyone would get hurt…”
“You don’t actually believe that, do you? Have you forgotten how you used to tear through that forest?”
“…”
Of course he remembered.
Risideon had always had a fondness for battle games, and on the days he joined in, the forest restoration crew would complain they were being worked half to death.
“And you’re well aware of what kinds of traps have been set up in there, aren’t you?”
Risideon lowered his head even further.
That was true. The forest was riddled with all manner of traps and mechanisms.
It was precisely why Riersha’s training had been limited to the clearing in front of the forest.
If it were truly nothing more than a game, why would it be called a battle game?
The forest had been crafted with painstaking precision to suit the nature of the Arachrene bloodline.
“So you’ll allow it, yes?”
Only Riersha, blissfully unaware of any of this, sat with her face bright and full of anticipation, waiting for an answer.
Pernoa gazed at her expectant expression for a long moment, then rose from his seat.
“…I need some air.”
“I’m going with Daddy.”
Riersha was quick on his heels before he’d even taken a step.
Before long, she was trotting happily alongside him, her face radiant with joy—completely oblivious to the dark, churning worry burning inside Pernoa as he tried to figure out what to do.
“What—”
Pernoa let out a sound of mild exasperation, yet without thinking, he shortened his stride so she could keep up.
All the while, his thoughts drifted back to the forest—a place he hadn’t set foot in for years.
First things first, I’ll need to have every dangerous trap cleared out.
That was the most urgent matter. If Riersha stumbled into one of those traps while wandering around, there would be real trouble.
She had fulfilled every condition he had set, which meant he could hardly go back on his word now.
So the only thing left to do was make the forest as safe as possible before she ever stepped inside.
“I made the treasures myself!”
“You must have really wanted to do this.”
“Teacher Ian said I can play with my brothers now!”
“Ian Charlotte said that?”
Riersha nodded vigorously. With Ian’s praise raining down on her every day, her confidence had been climbing steadily higher.
Despite her cold first impression, Ian Charlotte turned out to be a wonderfully warm and patient teacher.
She listens to my worries and explains everything in a way that’s so easy to understand.
And this time, she had even given Riersha all the information she needed to make the battle game possible.
Not even Sona had ever done something like that for her.
As Pernoa watched Riersha smile her bright, unclouded smile, his eyes narrowed slightly.
She’s progressing even faster than the reports suggested.
There was nothing better than growth that stayed within a normal range.
But Riersha’s development had been following a completely different trajectory compared to every other child of the Arachrene bloodline.
Growth that came too quickly could just as easily become a poison to her.
How is this even possible?
Pernoa’s crimson eyes flickered quietly. Riersha was a child who had lived her entire life without ever knowing what mana was.
It was strange—strange that a body only recently awakened could already wield its abilities with such ease.
Handling mana and manifesting an ability were two entirely different things.
Riersha’s adaptability was advancing at an alarming speed.
“In my assessment, Riersha is a genius. Perhaps because she is so young, her imagination is especially vivid—and that seems to help her use her ability quite naturally.”
“I could already tell my daughter was a genius just from the reports.”
“Yes, of course. But as you’ve no doubt gathered, her ability extends well beyond bubble-making.”
The reason Riersha had only been making bubbles was simply because that was the shape she found easiest to produce. Spheres had always been the simplest form to conjure.
“Recently, she made a bear doll to play with. Who’s to say she won’t eventually create something far larger?”
“…”
“Four years old is too young to fully comprehend how dangerous one’s own ability can be. …Might I suggest pausing her ability lessons for the time being?”
“No. That won’t be necessary. The others are just as dangerous in their own ways, but they’ve learned to manage themselves.”
Though he had turned down Ian Charlotte’s suggestion, Pernoa was no less troubled for it.
He understood that when Ian called it dangerous, it wasn’t merely a matter of she might accidentally hurt someone nearby.
What Ian had in mind was the Imperial Palace.
The palace grounds were encircled by a barrier woven from ancient magic.
If it ever came to light that the Arachrene family harbored someone capable of breaching that barrier…
They would not sit idle.
Riersha would become a target of the Imperial family in an instant.
At the very least, until the child could protect herself, everything regarding her ability needed to be kept from the outside world.
There was, in truth, one more reason Pernoa couldn’t afford to stop the lessons.
If Riersha, who had awakened without issue, suddenly ceased her training, it would raise questions—and those questions would inevitably come with interference. Whether he liked it or not, Riersha’s ability would be dragged into the open.
“Daddy!”
“Hm?”
As they stepped outside the manor, warm sunlight spilled over them.
Pernoa turned at the sound that broke through his thoughts. Riersha was looking up at him with puffed-out cheeks.
It seemed she had only just realized that Pernoa wasn’t exactly thrilled about any of this.
“Say yes.”
She planted both arms wide apart, blocking his path with an air of solemn determination—and the sight of it was so unbearably endearing that the hard line of Pernoa’s expression softened, just barely.
“I was wondering who put the idea in your head. So the culprit was Ian Charlotte.”
“Teacher has nothing to do with it!”
“Oh, she has plenty to do with it.”
When Riersha came to Ian’s defense, Pernoa drew the line clearly.
Letting something slip to the child had no doubt been Ian’s way of telling him to look into it and make the decision himself.
He looked down at Riersha, still standing firmly in his path.
“All right. We’ll have the traps cleared and the forest checked over. You can do it one week from now.”
“Yay—!”
Riersha let out a burst of joyful delight.
A breeze swept through, and her pink hair swayed softly in the wind.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice drifted to her ears from somewhere nearby.
“Wow. My heart hurts.”
Riersha turned toward the sound.
Who is that?
Four people stood watching from a short distance away, each carrying a distinctly different air about them.
She had a feeling she already knew who they were.
These must be the Legion Commanders who had been summoned by Pernoa.
Riersha didn’t look away. She stared back at them with open curiosity.
They’re Sona’s friends.
That single thought crumbled every wall of wariness inside her, and she broke into a wide, brilliant smile.
The Legion Commanders all flinched at once.
“Hello.”
“…”
“Sona’s friends.”
Riersha gave a cheerful wave, and a faint smile crossed Pernoa’s face.
It wasn’t a bad thing to see—Riersha, who had once been so guarded, beginning to warm up to the world.
The commanders exchanged glances with Pernoa, silently asking for permission.
When he gave a small nod, Aska stepped forward first.
“Hello, Lady Riersha. My name is Aska.”
“Mm, hi.”
“Could I… perhaps hold your hand, just for a moment…”
“Hm?”
Riersha looked down at her own hand in puzzlement.
Before he could make sense of it, Aska was shoved aside, and a white-haired woman stepped forward with a graceful, unhurried manner.
“Lovely to meet you, Lady Riersha. I’m Milia—Sona’s closest friend.”
“…You’re Sona’s closest friend?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
Milia made sure to emphasize that point—that she was the one closest to Sona—without letting it slip through the cracks.
She knew that Riersha adored Sona, and she intended to be the first one to earn favor.
Sure enough, Riersha’s eyes lit up with interest.
