Chapter 19:
Happy Ending
THOSE WHO HAD RECEIVED invitations were gathering at Leitch’s manor. Entering the venue, Flum was relieved to see that everyone was dressed like normal.
“Phew, thank God. I was wondering what I’d do if everyone showed up in formal clothes.”
“I thought you seemed fidgety, Flum. You were that worried about it?”
When Ink cackled with laugher, Eterna let out a soft chuckle. “You’re surprisingly cowardly.”
“A simple country gal like me is totally overwhelmed by a party like this.”
“You have a point… This is so fancy, I can’t help but be nervous.”
“I’m the same as Flum and Milkit, so I guess we’re coward buddies.”
Flum and the others had left home by carriage, but they stopped at the royal castle on the way to pick up Cyrill. The venue was already being set up, with sumptuous dishes lined up on the tables. In fact, the staff were still busily carrying plates around, which meant there was more to come.
“To provide such large Ohgles… I suppose I should have expected no less from Leitch.” Gadhio, who had approached the group from behind, looked at the fruit on the table.
“Oh, Gadhio! What, are they that expensive…?”
“I’ve heard stories of adventurers who, after finding some, used the money to buy a house in the Central District.” If Kleyna said that, then it must have been true. They could feel Leitch’s enthusiasm for this party.
“Daddy, Mommy, can I eat too?”
“Of course. You can have as much as you like.”
“Yay!” Gadhio gently patted Hallom’s head with a fatherly look. Hallom screwed up her face, as if he was tickling her, but then she saw something and froze.
“There’s someone even huger than Daddy!” Her gaze was fixed on Herrmann. Naturally, Ottilie and Henriette weren’t far away.
“You Royal Army folks all came as well! Huh? Wait, what about Werner?”
“I suppose that means you haven’t seen him either, Flum. I wonder where in the world he’s gone?” Henriette had thought he might just be late to the party, but…
“We called his house, but no one was there. So we thought he might’ve come here ahead of us.”
“He’s an impatient man…”
But judging by Henriette and Herrmann’s words, that wasn’t what was happening here. Flum was growing worried. However, Ottilie laughed it off.
“Fu fu, do not worry about it. I’m sure it’s not like Werner has suddenly turned into a moody fellow. We still don’t know what he was really doing during the incident with Necromancy, right?”
“Now that you mention it, no…”
“Even when we were together at the Demon Lord’s castle, he would disappear from time to time.”
“And then he’d reappear before you knew it. I think you’ve experienced it before, Flum, Cyrill.”
In other words, she was saying that this was just like before. There was no point in worrying about it.
“Why are you standing still around the entrance? Hurry and come inside!” Y’lla had just appeared. At her urging, Flum and the others entered the party venue.
“You were invited too, Y’lla?” Flum asked while she was forcefully pushed forward.
“What? Is it bad that I came?”
“It’s that you just don’t seem to have any connection to Leitch, I mean.”
“He invited Slowe. Obviously, that meant I was coming too. We’re a pair.”
“Where’s Slowe then?”
“The king can’t exactly afford to be out making merry, so he stayed in the castle. Which is why I’m representing him in his stead.”
“Your position is as mysterious as ever…”
Flum thought being the king’s representative sounded quite important, but all she could pick up from Y’lla was a lighthearted mood that said, “I’m gonna eat some yummy food!” The venue had large tables lined with food and separate tables for individuals. It was a standing party, but chairs were provided at the tables. Flum, Milkit, Eterna, Ink, and Cyrill were around the same table.
“Mmm, it seems incredible. I wish Nekt could’ve come too,” Ink said as she sat down at the table.
“Nekt’s become a lot more energetic over the past few days, too.”
“I think that Origin’s influence being weakened played a significant part in that, because she was even being cheeky with me.”
“So she wasn’t just doing it to a stranger like me, but to you too, Flum? Well, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, then.”
Flum and Cyrill had already visited Nekt. Though Nekt was hurt by the loss of her older siblings, she had become well enough to tease Flum about her relationship with Milkit.
“It sounds like things are going to be really lively if we start living together.” Milkit smiled as she said that. Nekt, who had no relatives, had nowhere to go back to. Once her treatment was complete, she would probably live at Flum’s house, where Ink was.
As they were talking about this, a figure approached the table.
“A new roommate joining the home of the hero who saved the world… This is a very interesting conversation indeed.”
“Welcy, you finally made it!”
“I wanted to at least pop in and say hi to you and the others, Flum, but I’ve been busy with my reporter job.”
“I’m sure you’d make a killing writing articles about us.”
“Oof, that’s a hard sell, Eterna. The royal capital’s in ruins, so no one’s reading the newspaper now.”
“Then why have you been busy?”
Welcy had a dejected look on her face as she answered Ink’s question. “I’ve been distributing papers for free…because I believe that when the royal capital is rebuilt, I can snatch a share of the market away from the competition!” She clenched her fists tight at the end of her statement, her resolve burning bright. “So anyway, I’m gonna go say hi to the others. See you later!”
With a wave and a goodbye, she hurriedly raced off toward another table.
“It looks like she’s pushing herself really hard.”
“Yeah, she’s putting on a cheery face and trying to act like everything is okay.”
“You think so too, Eterna, Cyrill?”
“It…looks like she still hasn’t been able to make up with Leitch yet.”
“It’s difficult. They’re brother and sister—can’t they just say ‘I’m sorry’ and be done with it?” Even Ink, who was building a family-like relationship with Nekt, couldn’t turn a blind eye to the situation, or dismiss it as someone else’s problem. She could hear Leitch’s voice giving instructions from the kitchen. The soft female voice must have belonged to his wife, Foiey.
Normally, Welcy would have joined in to help with the preparations, but there was an awkwardness between the siblings that was proportional to the size of the rift in their relationship. For Flum’s part, she felt indebted to Leitch, so she wanted to help with getting them to make up. But…
“I think it’s less that this is a problem for Welcy and more that Leitch can’t forgive himself. It may be difficult to resolve unless Leitch actually wants to be forgiven by his little sister.”
When would he break free from this intense self-loathing? It seemed a little too difficult for Flum and the others, who were essentially strangers, to help with that.
“Well, I suppose there’s no point in us getting depressed about it ourselves.”
“Yeah… Oh, hey, that reminds me. It looks like Sara didn’t come after all, huh?” Flum looked around, but there was no sign of the gluttonous little girl.
“She must really have gone to the Demon Lord’s castle with Neigass.”
When Milkit said that, Flum remembered the time Sara visited her house a few days ago.