Chapter 51

“I can do it. No, I have to do it this time!”

Even while cutting back on sleep and training late into the night, Riana clenched her teeth.

Magic isn’t something you perform, it’s something you desire.

And Riana had never stopped dreaming, not even for a moment.

Because there was a reason she accepted her father’s proposal to learn magic and help the Vanguard.

***

“Mom, mom! Is brother not coming again today?”

“Yeah, it seems like he won’t be coming today.”

“Ah, why~ He used to come often to have meals together. He even ate your food well. So why isn’t he coming suddenly these days?”

Balthazar’s wife, Riana’s mother, gently stroked Riana’s head as she pestered about why the guest wasn’t coming.

“Do you want him to come to our house? What’s so good about him?”

“Yeah! He’s really nice to me.”

“Hoho, he’s kind to everyone, not just you, Riana.”

“Still! He’s my favorite after dad!”

“Really? What about your two brothers and the other uncles?”

“Ugh, they just annoy me. The uncles are too much like uncles!”

“I see what you’re saying. But,”

Riana’s mother spoke in a somewhat bitter voice, trying to reason with Riana.

“Leave him alone for a while. Everyone needs some time alone sometimes.”

“Time alone?”

Riana blinked her eyes.

“Yeah. He went through something sad recently.”

“Gasp, something sad? What happened?”

“Hmm, how should I put it?”

Though the persistent questions were annoying, seeing Riana’s eyes well up with tears at the mention of his sadness, she couldn’t just brush it off.

“Riana, does dad always come home late?”

“Yeah. Sometimes he even brings tasty snacks.”

“Right, that’s true. But what if dad suddenly stopped coming home?”

“Dad, not coming home…?”

Riana froze in place, imagining a situation she had never even thought of before.

And the tears that had been welling up in her eyes overflowed, streaming down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Riana’s mother was startled and quickly shook Riana’s shoulders to snap her out of it.

“Riana! If, if! I was just asking what if, it’s not real!”

“If, if…”

Riana wiped her tears and snot on her sleeve and sniffled as she answered.

“I’d be so sad.”

“Right? That’s how he feels now. People he was close to went out and didn’t come back. So he needs some time to sort through that sadness…”

“But that’s weird!”

Riana interrupted her mother, shaking her head vigorously.

“The sadder you are, the more you need someone to comfort you warmly. Right?”

“That’s a good thought too.”

“I’m going!”

Riana shouted and rushed into her room, busily preparing something.

“Riana? Where are you going at this hour?”

“I’m going to see brother! I’ll go and comfort him!”

“It’s too late. The sun’s down and it’s cold. You should go when the sun’s up tomorrow.”

“No!”

Riana firmly shouted at her mother, who was trying to dissuade her.

“Brother is sad right now, right?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then if I don’t comfort him now, it’ll be too late. You said if you don’t treat a wound properly, it leaves a scar. Whether it’s a wound on the body or the heart. Right?”

“……”

The unfiltered truth from a child’s mouth.

Riana’s mother could only nod at Riana’s resolute voice.

“Wait a moment.”

Riana’s mother also busily moved around, following Riana.

She filled a bottle with food and warm drinks that could be taken along and packed them into a basket.

“Ugh, it’s heavy…!”

“Oh dear, did I pack too much? Should I take some out if it’s too heavy?”

“No! The sadder and harder it is, the more you need to eat well. And I can carry this much!”

Riana, ready to brave the cold outside, struggled to lift the basket full of food.

“I’m off!”

Despite the fierce blizzard, Riana, who had grown quite accustomed to life in Kresnik, was determined.

And the will to comfort him pushed her forward, step by step, through the blizzard.

“Hello!”

“Oh my, how did you get here? Come in quickly!”

A unit’s accommodation in the Vanguard.

The sentries were startled when little Riana appeared through the blizzard.

Not knowing why she was here, they quickly brought her inside the warm accommodation and brushed the snow off her.

“Now tell me. How did you get here?”

“I came to see brother.”

“Brother? Is there a member in our unit who has a sister living in Kresnik…?”

“Wait a minute. Look at her. Who does she resemble?”

“Huh? You’re right!”

“I’m Riana. Balthazar is my dad.”

“Gasp, gasp…”

Though just a child, the fact that she was the daughter of their revered superior made the members straighten their posture unconsciously.

“So, who is this brother you came to see?”

“Come on, you don’t know who she’s talking about? It’s obviously the Captain, who often goes to the Commander’s house for meals.”

“Uh, but the Captain is now…”

At the mention of the Captain, the members’ expressions darkened.

“Is brother having a hard time now?”

“Yeah. There was a battle recently. But the people who were supposed to come to help didn’t arrive on time, so we suffered heavy losses. Eight members of our Black Iron Vanguard alone… Ouch!”

The member speaking was hit hard by another member standing nearby.

“Watch your words, there’s a child here!”

“Oops, right. Anyway, the Captain hasn’t been eating and has been holed up in his room since then. So it’s not a situation where he can meet with a smile. We’ll take you back, so go home today.”

“……”

Riana’s eyes narrowed.

“Take me to him.”

“But it’s not a good situation to meet him.”

“He’s not eating, right? If the Captain isn’t eating, can you just leave him like that, or not?”

“Ah, no…”

“Here.”

Riana pushed the basket in front of the hesitant members.

“I’ll take responsibility and make him eat. So let me see him.”

“…… Alright, we’ll even ask you to do that.”

Knock knock-

Riana knocked on the door, but there was no answer from inside.

But Riana wasn’t the type to just go back like that.

She carefully opened the door and peeked inside.

In the quiet room, a man sat slumped on a chair with torn leather here and there.

Riana slowly approached him.

‘Normally, he would have noticed by now.’

Even when she tried to sneak up on him to play pranks at home, he would notice the slightest sound and counterattack.

“Kairon brother.”

“Huh…?”

Kairon, who had been lost in thought with his head down, looked up in surprise.

“Riana…?”

“Yeah. I’m here, brother.”

Riana put down the basket and tightly hugged Kairon from behind.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“…… No, not at all.”

“Not at all? Your voice has no strength. Here!”

Riana forcefully handed Kairon a piece of bread.

“Eat quickly. Tears from hunger hurt more than tears from being full.”

“I don’t have an appetite.”

“I braved a blizzard to get here. Eat for my sake!”

“…… You’re right. Thank you. You went through a lot.”

Kairon started eating the bread Riana handed him.

Though his movements were slow, Kairon managed to finish one piece of bread over a long time.

“I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Me neither. It’s the first time I’ve lost so many precious comrades.”

“…… I don’t like seeing you like this.”

Riana clenched her teeth and lightly punched Kairon’s shoulder.

“Hang in there, brother. And wait a little longer.”

“Wait for what?”

“I’ll grow up quickly and become your strength.”

“Haha… That’s still a long way off. And this place, Kresnik, is for people whose lives have hit rock bottom. Someone like you, with a bright future, shouldn’t stay here long.”

“No! There are people who endure for a long time and eventually leave. What’s wrong with me wanting to do what I want?”

“Alright, alright. I’m grateful for that sentiment. I hope your thoughts change later.”

Kairon, receiving Riana’s passionate comfort and eating the food, began to shake off his gloom, even if just a little.

But the worry and sadness were too deep to shake off quickly.

Kairon managed to eat two pieces of bread but couldn’t finish the third.

He put down the bread and hung his head again.

“Brother, poor our Kairon brother.”

Riana didn’t push further.

“Hang in there, brother. I’m on your side. I’ll keep my promise to be your strength. You have to hold on until then, okay?”

“Riana…”

With her small, thin arms, she warmly and tightly hugged Kairon, who had hung his head.