The journey went smoothly.
The biggest concern was Mint’s sleep schedule, but we managed to handle it through sheer force. Essentially, we had the lizard carriage go on even while Mint took root and slept. Then, we’ll just have her rush up to us again when she wakes up at daybreak.
Of course, we didn’t leave her alone. We took turns accompanying her, spending the night by her side. With body-strengthening magic, it was easy to catch up by running through the forest, and the fairies are there to guide us, so there was no risk of getting lost. It was actually quite fun, taking turns carrying Mint or having races with her.
It seems that as Mint grows a bit more, her rest periods in her bud form might become shorter. The way she sleeps and eats in that form might just be a temporary phase due to her being so young.
In any case, after exactly one week as planned, we arrived at the city of Sidera just as the sun was setting on the seventh day.
※※※
Waiting to greet us were Grandma Seralinde, Noah, and Parker.
「Grandma!」
「Oh my, Mint, welcome!」
As soon as she saw her, Mint ran over, and Grandma crouched down to catch her in a warm embrace. The sight of Mint nuzzling her cheek with happiness was heartwarming.
「Sui!」
「It’s been a while, Noah.」
Karen and I were also welcomed by Noah and Parker-san.
Noah gave me a strong hug. Being a handsome guy, it always looks picturesque when he does stuff like that… Me? I probably just seem a bit dazed.
「Parker, your magic hasn’t gotten rusty, has it?」
「Not at all. I’ve been training properly… though I can’t deny I’ve been away from actual combat for a while.」
Karen and Parker playfully bumped their fists together.
「When did you guys get here?」
「Yesterday. The mansion is ready for you whenever.」
「Thanks, we’ll be imposing on you then.」
During our stay, we were planning to stay at their mansion. Noah and his group had been away from Sidera for almost three months, but even in their absence, they’d hired people to maintain the place properly.
「Oh, Cu Sith-sama… Chocola-dono! I’m relieved to see you’re as healthy as ever. It’s an honor to meet you again!」
「… Bark…」
「Parker, stop it. You’re making Chocola uncomfortable.」
Parker’s exaggerated reactions to Chocola, the Cu Sith, were just as intense as ever. Well, I respect individual or even species-wide beliefs, but Parker-san, in just a couple of weeks, you’re scheduled to enter the forest with Chocola, you know?
You might want to start getting used to it, or it could cause problems…
Ignoring his fiancée entirely, Noah spoke to mother.
「Welcome, Heavenly Bell-dono! I believe Mother contacted you before I returned here…」
「Yes, I’ll be relying on you during my stay, Noapp. Don’t worry about Fauntia. It’s just some casual chatter between mothers.」
Incidentally, the ‘contact’ was about me.
Apparently, the news about the stollen had reached the capital somehow, and the Queen, shocked, had contacted mother through a communication crystal. Well, the stollen is probably quite an excellent high-calorie portable food, so I think it might become very popular eventually. It’s only natural that she’d want to know what I was up to.
「I’ll make a stollen tonight and gift it to you. Feel free to send it to the capital.」
「Really? Thanks… Sorry for the trouble.」
「I won’t disclose the recipe, though.」
「Of course. Mother has no intention of turning it into a business. She just wants to see something that might become widespread in the future. …And to tell you the truth, both mother and aneue are eager to taste your pastries.」
「That makes me happy. Maybe I should send it by regular mail then. By the time it reaches the capital, it’ll have settled and should taste even better.」
「Haha! Sending fresh pastries by regular mail? That’s not something a sane person would do… You’re really amusing.」
Noah laughed, patting my shoulder with genuine joy.
Seeing his face so genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart was a nice change.
As I was feeling quietly sentimental about this, mother approached, gently nudging Mint forward.
「Hey, this way.」
Mint had an unusually serious expression.
Taking a deep breath, she stood in front of Noah and the others, straightened her posture, and said:
「Nice to meet you. I’m Mint! Sank you did for us!」
She gave them a polite bow.
「It’s ‘thank you for all you did’, right? Noah, Parker, this is my daughter.」
Mint, looking nervous, faced Noah and Parker, who smiled gently as they crouched down to meet her at eye level.
「Oh, so this is the little girl from back then. You look healthy, and that’s great. I’m Noapp. Call me Noah.」
「I’m Parker. Nice to meet you, Mint!」
「Noa, Palkul… Parker!」
Mint beamed at the introduction, her usual friendly nature returning. She took a step closer to Parker, tilted her head slightly, and said:
「Parker ears, like Chocola’s!」
—That was the perfect thing to say to her.
「…! Oh, what a sweet little girl! That’s right, you see, the werewolf species is said to be the closest to the ancestral Cu Sith! Aww, Mint, come here! Do you want to touch my ears?」
「Whoa… Can I?」
「Of course! Here, go ahead!」
「….Hey, Karen, isn’t touching a beastkin’s head supposed to be a special act?」
「Hmm, normally it is, but it’s a hassle to think about, so let’s just leave it alone.」
「Harsh.」
Mint played with Parker’s ears, while Parker happily lifted her up. Well, if they’re enjoying themselves, I guess it’s fine.
「Shall we head to the mansion? Lady Heavenly Bell, please stay with us tonight. It would be wonderful to spend time together as a family.」
「Well, Your Highness, thank you for your consideration.」
「Ha ha, please, no more ‘Your Highness’. I’m back here as an adventurer, after all!」
From the great gate connecting the forest to the city, a wide street stretched straight ahead.
Encouraging Pochi, who was pulling the lizard carriage, our group proceeded forward.
The sun had completely set, and though the moon was out, it was still quite dark. However, street lamps were lit on both sides of the main street, and dim light spilled from the windows of the houses lining the road.
Walking next to Karen, I asked her a question.
「By the way, how do these street lamps work?」
「These are magical lamps. They use a wick woven from the fur of a magical creature called a fire mouse and burn oil infused with magic. They emit a strong light and burn very slowly, making them perfect for street lamps.」
「And do people light them manually?」
「Hmm. Someone in charge goes around lighting them in the evening.」
「I see… I didn’t know that.」
I had never really paid attention to it before.
Of course, I was aware of the street lamps, but I never thought about the technology behind them or the people involved. I hadn’t considered how this city operates on a daily basis.
Even a single light has a human touch.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in a place where streetlights came on automatically at night that I never realized this until now.
Now that I think about it, it was the same on Earth. There were people who developed the lights, manufactured them, installed them, maintained them, and produced electricity. Behind every light that illuminates our path, there’s someone there.
Human life thrives even on this chilly autumn night.
「Shall we take a walk around the city tomorrow, Chocola?」
「Bark, bark!」
For the first time in a while, we’ll put on the leash.
For the first time in a while, we’ll stroll through the city.
Taking our time, leisurely, as we enjoy the sights.
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