Chapter 83
Heros was in a very unpleasant state.
It was because he had been captured and brought here while on his way to another desert where a Blue Dragon might be.
Normally, he would have ignored it and continued on his way, but this time, the matter was too serious for that.
It was because another chimera had appeared in a place adjacent to the capital.
Heros stood in front of the bisected body of the chimera, frowning.
He recalled the bomb terrorism that had occurred when a chimera appeared a few months ago.
He felt utterly uneasy.
At that moment, a resounding shout came from behind Heros.
“Oh my God! Goodness! How can this be! Why is it so big!”
“…….”
Ah.
Heros, who knew the owner of that voice, tightly closed his eyes.
He had ended up meeting the person he did not want to meet.
“It has been a long time, Your Excellency! You remember me, right? Yes?”
The highest person in the organization called Guardian, the Chief Guardian.
He had somehow approached closely and was speaking to Heros.
Heros sighed so quietly that it was inaudible and looked at him.
The bright, sparkling eyes and fluffy mustache that did not match the rugged body were always fascinating no matter how many times he saw them.
“I remember. ……What was your name again?”
How could he forget this face?
However, the face was so intense that he always forgot the name.
Heros felt slightly embarrassed.
“It’s Blyde.it seems about time you remembered my name.”
“……I sometimes forget my children’s names too.”
“You would never be a good father.”
Blyde said with a boyish smile that did not match his large build.
“There was another one at the back gate, and I came after dealing with it.That one wasn’t this big, but it had magical abilities.”
“There was one like that before too.”
“Yes.So, just like the previous chimera incident, I think this one is also the work of wraiths.”
It meant that the black magicians, who had been quiet for a while, were rising again.
Heros narrowed his brows upon hearing Blyde’s words.
“It’s just a matter of stopping them.”
“I thought the same, but…….”
Blyde said with a deliberately serious expression.
“It’s not just a matter for the capital.”
He took out a magic map from his pocket.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary map with the empire drawn on it.
The difference from a general map was that dark marks repeatedly appeared and disappeared.
“These are the regions where chimeras have appeared.”
There were easily over twenty.
Blyde looked down at the map and drooped the corners of his eyes.
“If we fail to stop this in time, how many casualties will there be……!Ah, just imagining it brings tears to my eyes. Ishouldn’t cry…… Ah, wait a moment. Ahh!”
“…….”
Heros familiarly handed over a handkerchief.
At first, he was surprised by the crying appearance, but after seeing it several times, it was no longer surprising.
With such a large build but sparkling eyes, it just looked like the tears of a cow.
“Thank you, thank you. Heuk!”
It wasn’t given to blow his nose, but…….
Heros resolved not to take back the handkerchief.
“Heuk, anyway, if we don’t stop those guys, innocent lives will be sacrificed.”
Blyde stared at Heros with reddened eyes.
“Will you help us?”
Heros could not answer easily.
In the past, he would have gladly said he would help, but the situation was different now.
He had just left home to find the dragon.
Since it was by the emperor’s order, he could not easily change his destination.
“There is a separate order from His Majesty.…However, if I see traces of chimeras on my way, I will step in.”
“……Yes! Thank you!”
He had almost felt sad thinking it was a refusal upon hearing only the first words.
But fortunately, since he was helping, it was worth shedding tears of joy.
Tears welled up again in Blyde’s eyes.
Heros said with a disgusted expression upon seeing that.
“Stop, stop crying.”
Heros handed over a spare handkerchief.
Blyde blew his nose loudly into the handkerchief again and sniffled.
“I’m really so grateful. Yes. In accordance with Your Excellency’s great will, I will also tell our kids to take good care of the young lady!”
A slight strength entered Heros’s previously languid eyes.
“Now that I think about it, the Guardians are at the training center.”
“Yes.
That’s correct.”
“I believe Rache is there too.”
“……Ah!”
“Take good care of Rache as well.”
“……!”
“You can push Daphne even harder.”
Goodness.
Blyde was truly startled.
It was because he had never imagined that Rache’s name would come out of Heros’s mouth.
Seeing that he was asking to take good care of Rache, it meant he considered Rache a true child.
Blyde’s eyes grew hot again.
“Yes.
I will…… definitely take good care of both of them!”
No.
He said to push Daphne.
Heros concluded that Blyde was a person with whom communication simply did not work.
***
Hero Training Center.
After eating dinner, a separate notice came down that the time remaining until the 10 o’clock roll call was free time.
So the children gathered in small groups at the lounges on each floor’s landing.
“Today was really intense.”
“This is the first time in my life I’ve been awake for so long. My feet have no feeling.”
“Aren’t we going to die of muscle pain tomorrow?”
The children were massaging each other’s legs and exchanging trivial talk.
Cilia crossed the lounge without even glancing at such children.
And spotting Daphne sitting leaning against the innermost wall, she quickly approached.
Daphne had her eyes closed.
Cilia tilted her head but spoke anyway.
“Hey.what are you doing. Are you sleeping?”
Only then did Daphne slowly open her closed eyes.
She had been in the middle of mana circulation practice.
Ttehing.
“It’s called mental training, you idiot.”
“You’re saying the same thing back because I called you stupid earlier, right?”
“Hmph.”
Cilia snickered.
When she first saw Daphne, she thought she was a crazy psychopath with a personality disorder as the rumors said, but upon observing, she was just a crazy psychopath.
So she felt a bit cute.
“We’re going to play a card game, want to join?”
Daphne opened her eyes wide.
She looked surprised.
“What is a card game?”
At that question, Cilia was also surprised.
How can someone not know a card game?
Is she seriously asking?
Cilia’s eyes wavered.
“……You don’t know poker?”
“I don’t.”
“That’s strange.”
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Cilia scratched the back of her neck.
She wondered if nobles perhaps considered card games vulgar and didn’t play them, but soon shook her head.
Her uncles had said that nobles also like gambling, and there are many who go bankrupt from it.
Nobles don’t only do noble things.
Since Daphne was still young, she thought it possible she didn’t know card games.
Having finished her thoughts, Cilia opened her mouth again.
“Well, they probably didn’t teach you at home. Then shall I teach you?”
She didn’t know what was being taught, but Daphne nodded for now.
“Okay. Then let’s go. Everyone’s gathered.”
As Daphne stood up following Cilia’s words, she suddenly wondered.
“The card game you mentioned, does it mean playing with several people?”
“Yeah? It’s a game, so it’s no fun with just two.”
“…….”
Daphne’s face brightened in an instant.
“Thank you.”
She suddenly grabbed Cilia’s hand.
“Playing with everyone was my wish.”
“Uh……? You’ve never played before?”
“Yeah.I didn’t. I was always alone.”
“…….”
Daphne did not notice Cilia’s distorted expression and jumped around excitedly.
It was because the wish she had always made before sleeping when she was a calamity had come true.
“Thanks to you, my wish is coming true. Good! I’m happy!”
Daphne smiled brightly and ran ahead, and Cilia stared down at her hand that Daphne had held.
“…….”
Damn it.
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