Looking at the fainted Zirco-san, Buu-san and I smiled wryly at each other. As for Ivan-san, he was crouched down and, for some reason, sobbing…..

What was this chaos?

In the end, everything ended without me explaining anything even if I wanted to when I first teleported them into my room.

Did I messed up the order of what I was to explained?
No, or can I say it can’t be helped?
There was nothing much I could do. It was not my fault.

Since there was no other choice, I summarized everything with Buu-san, the only one still sane. Since we had to report this chain of accidents to the King, there was no harm in making sure we were on the same page.

” The root of [Shadows] were, as expected, in Hattuo. ”

I said as Buu-san nodded.

” I am convinced since this is a human supremacy country as well. ”

That’s right.
We should had suspected Hattuo from the start when we realized the 3 [Shadows] sent to kidnapped me were Beastmen that were wearing [Collars of Slavery]. Or at least included them in the list of suspected masterminds.

Plus……

” …..Are they fighting against themselves? ”
” Might be. Since they attack Ivan-san in his uniform too. ”
” ……No, it might be the [Shadows] trick. ”

I said, changing my mind. If it’s was them, they wouldn’t blink an eye at being sacrifice to jumbled up the investigation of them being friend or foe. This was the conclusion I came to after seeing their methods of doing things.

Yea, the mastermind was completely black.

” …….Even so, the summoned beast. A mystery. It is obvious that Demon was way stronger then Spinel. ”

That’s right.

According to the mana I felt, Demon’s mana chill was a lot stronger then Spinel, who might had mana slightly higher then the norm. Plus, Spinel’s attacks were a lot weaker then Demon’s.

I had thought that since Demon was a battle mania, he might had followed Spinel if he was stronger then him but…..

Even if Spinel were concealing his mana inside him, something seem wrong. Like, somehow….

” Like he was tired…. ”

That one sentence that accidentally got leaked out shocked Buu-san.

” Huh? What tired? ”
” Ah, no. I thought Spinel’s movement looks like he was very tired. ”
” Was it? ”
” Eh, isn’t it so? You did see how he moved right? ”

Was I wrong in thinking he was conscious just now? Looking at my expressions, Buu-san’s stunned expression changed.

” No no no no, he was moving at a speed that I already find it hard to follow! ”

There was nothing I could say at that. Buu-san quickly changed the conversation after he saw how speechless I became.

” But, in that bas.e.m.e.nt where the [Collar Of Slavery] is attached to me…. There are a lot of magical tools lining around. I wonder if there is any connection… ”
” Is that true?! ”

I said, hooking onto his words.
d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it!
To had missed such important evidence… Why was I so impatient, idiot!

Panicking, I teleported back to the hall.

By morning, Zirco-san regained consciousness and even Ivan-san had enough time to recovered from his shock and we began to head back to Elzmu with an additional member.

The floating me.
The nervous Ivan-san.
The staring Zirco-san.
Buu-san was a.s.signed as the driver and it was a nice and relaxing trip back as long as one ig
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nored a few things.

When we reached the royal palace, Father was waiting at the gates.

” ―――― Will. ”

That face, which always had a shining beautiful smile on it, was scarily emotionless and it stopped me in my tracks. I was a little relived he was not shouting.

The sharp eyes, hiding all emotions, pierced through me. It excluded an aura as if commending me to ‘Come here’ but my cowardly legs refused to budged. As opposed to me panicking at my legs, which felt like they were glued onto the floor, Father was slowly making his way towards me.

” Do you know why am I angry? ”

The flat voice came out low.
Even though we were outside, it seem like a s.p.a.ce that only contained the 2 of us.

” .. Because I… went out… on my own. ”

Even I was shocked at how much my voice trembled. Being stared straight on, I can’t even avert my eyes. What am I, a frog?

It was really scary, seeing Father being angry for the 1st time.

Really scary.

It was like I was all alone. The face that I had became familiar with began to warp right in front of me. Like how I felt cold despite the warm and cheerful sun bearing down on me.

This was not like me. Even I knew that.

” That’s not it…..Will. ”

My face paled as I stared upwards at Father and all of a sudden, he hugged me. I had no resistance to the action which I usually struggled against, due to embarra.s.sment. Rather, relief spread throughout my body and my eyes became hot.

…..How uncool.

” Father…. ”
” Why did you go? ”

Happy at finally hearing some form of emotion from Father’s vice, warmness spread throughout my cheeks.

” I.. don’t wish….. for anyone… to be… injured.. ”
” Right? ….I was worried. This is not like you, what happened? You should know this. You are strong, even stronger than me. ”

Father’s voice sounded loud right beside my ear.

” …..But even so. I am really worried. ”

A soft and gentle voice. Ahh, that’s right. I knew that. Father removed his arms and stood up. He sighed. He was my usual father.

” …..Hah, but you did great. As expected of my son. ”

And when I wanted to say something, I found myself trembling like a newborn fawn as big drops of liquid starting tumbling out of my eyes. Father, who had averted his eyes like he was embarra.s.sed, shifted it back at me.

” ……! Will?! What’s wrong?! ”

Noisy.
There was nothing to be fl.u.s.tered about, Father.
I had vowed not to ever cry.

” Will, really, eh, are, are you hurt? Are you in pain? ”

I am fine, idiot.

I strongly rubbed my ‘cold sweat’ away and rushed into Father’s arms.

” ……《ありがとう》. ”
[TN: Arigatou. Come here too, you.]

Ah, there was no helping that what I was thinking had leaked out.
Leaving my stunned father aside, I ran into the gates at full speed.

It was the year when I turned 8.

It was when I was 8 that it seemed like I had a truma without knowing it. Without knowing it, I had amused myself with other things, trying to hide it but… I had been afraid.

Something was s.n.a.t.c.hed away from me when I was 8. Even if she did not care for me, she was still the most important thing to me. My mother. When I thought I had already forgotten all about it, it dragged itself back up on it’s own.

That’s right, this was not like me.
I forgot to look around me.

I had gone too far in not informing my family and getting permission from the King on my own to chase and destroy the fortress of the underworld, the group of [Shadows]. The pain I brought to my family was like I punched them flying while calling them stupid.

I had ran off and raged on my own. Firstly, Hattuo was only a speculation, as well as the speculation that they were aiming for me. It was lucky I got it right this time but something bad might happened if were wrong.

” Hahhh…. ”

I sighed reflexively.

In the end, it was all about my ego.
Thinking about not wanting to lose them too, thinking about wanting to protect them too. Thinking about how important they were to me too, how much I loved them too.

But all of them felt the same way as I did. Not only did I not realized that, I even went and created trouble/worries for them.

d.a.m.n it. How embarra.s.sing.

……To had drool from my eyes at the age of 25!

In the end, I still don’t know what was right or wrong but I had decided to, at least, pay attention to what was around me. I shall pay attention to those whom I hurt as well as those who hurt me.

If something similar ever happen once more, I wondered if I will make the same mistake again. At that time, lets discuss it with everyone.

At the very least, I had decided.
Although there were still some things I don’t know, for now, I want to meet up with everyone.