April 5, the day Autumn departed for Kyokoku.
“You’re all coming with us…?”
Nadeshiko was surprised to see everyone gathered at Yamato’s front door—the Teishu airport.
They all wore suits or plain clothes to blend in with the crowds.
Airports were a special place where they could be in a large group without drawing much attention, but people still glanced their way.
None of them could possibly know that this country’s Summer, Autumn, and Winter were about to leave the country.
“It’s been a long time since we last met, Lady Autumn. It’s an honor to guard you.”
The captain of the Special Agent squad from National Security, Tsukihi Aragami, greeted Nadeshiko with a mix of nervousness and excitement on her face. She’d looked after Autumn during the incident in summer.
Tsukihi had been raised in a household that revered the gods incarnate, and she had pursued religious studies in university. She was both strong and smart, so Rindo and the other Guards were comfortable letting her watch their backs.
The members of her squad had also guarded Archer of Twilight Kaguya Fugeki for a long time, so they were warm to the gods incarnate. They had even overseen security at the Summers’ wedding.
“Captain… It’s an honor to have you guard me…”
Nadeshiko looked up at Tsukihi with sparkly eyes—it was as if she were looking at a superhero.
Tsukihi maintained a serious expression for a while, but then a smile broke across her face. The small Autumn had softened her at their first meeting, and now she was experiencing the same effect once again.
The other members of her squad also seemed to be thinking about how adorable their country’s Autumn was.
“Well now, let’s get on moving. It’ll be a long trip. If our esteemed Agents need anything, please ask me or my team.”
With Tsukihi’s command, the group walked through the airport toward the private jet.
Feeling uneasy, Nadeshiko followed the adults.
Agent of Summer Ruri Hazakura noticed her agitation and walked up to her side. “Nadeshiko, it’s okay.” Her smile was like the sun.
“But Lady Ruri,” Nadeshiko said nervously, “you have to prepare for manifesting summer…”
“There’s still time until Rikka, and we’ve got Ayame and Renri. They can take care of it. Maybe they’ll even do better without me!”
Despite the cheery attempt at reassurance, Nadeshiko knew she was lying.
Preparations for manifesting a season were far more involved than just doing some paperwork. You had to exercise, practice the ritual song and dance, check security plans, run evacuation drills, and more.
“…But isn’t Kyokoku dangerous…?”
Nadeshiko was prepared to sacrifice herself so everyone else could be safe, if it came to that.
But Summer and Winter wanted to share the hardship, and that left her feeling guilty.
“That’s why,” Ruri said with a serious look on her face before beaming again. “We can’t let Autumn go alone. Right, Lord Rindo?”
Rindo was grateful, but he was still unsure if this was the right choice. He gave a vague nod.
Nadeshiko looked up at Rindo, who was on her other side. “Did you know they were coming?” she asked.
He had big bags under his eyes; he was clearly run ragged.
“They asked me just the other day…”
She could hear the fatigue in his voice.
“We didn’t know if they would come, even then. We got permission from Kyokoku only late last night. I thought it would be impossible to get everyone ready for the trip, but everyone worked hard to get here in time…”
Now that he mentioned it, Summer and Winter did look a bit sleepy. They’d had to rush from Enishi and Iyo to Teishu; just getting here for the departure was a journey in and of itself.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if they’d be here by the time we left, so I didn’t want to disappoint you. I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t meant to be a surprise; the other Agents had only managed this by the skin of their teeth.
Nadeshiko was worried about Rindo’s health. He had been dealing with this Kyokoku issue for a while now.
“It’s okay, Rindo. I know that you did all this because you were worried for me. Thank you…”
“Nadeshiko…”
For a retainer, gratitude from his lady was an honor. The words alone could alleviate his exhaustion.
But before the warmth between them could grow too much, a bucket of cold water was thrown across them both.
“Kyokoku’s gonna be busy with the reception, but I don’t care if we cause them trouble,” Agent of Winter Rosei Kantsubaki stated coldly. Spring was busy manifesting the season as they spoke, so Rosei was in his natural unfriendly mode.
“Jerk…,” Ruri whispered, but Rosei ignored her.
“Lord Rosei…” Nadeshiko turned around to speak to him.
“What is it, Nadeshiko?” His voice softened; he was relatively nicer to the young Autumn.
“Lady Hinagiku’s spring…”
Don’t you want to watch it until the end? she wanted to ask.
Everyone in the Four Seasons knew about Winter’s affection for Spring. Even Nadeshiko.
She couldn’t hide how surprised she was to learn that Rosei Kantsubaki had prioritized this over Hinagiku Kayo’s spring.
Rosei knew what Nadeshiko meant even though she hadn’t finished her sentence, and he shook his head.
“I’d like to be here for all of it, but she has my escorts with her. The manifestation should end soon if things go according to schedule. And the last spot is in Enishi, Winter’s territory. I already sent everyone I could from the Town and told them to guard Spring even after the manifestation. Sakura knows the people in the Town of Spring, so they should be fine. And if we don’t stop the mutual aid system, things will be hard for all four Seasons. In the end, this is for Spring, too.”
“B-but…”
“Nadeshiko, you shouldn’t have to worry about this. You’re still young.”
“…Okay.”
Nadeshiko hung her head, and Rosei lowered his eyebrows.
“Just so you know, I’m not trying to put you down, or Mr. Azami. I’m the leader among the Seasons, so I’m the one who should have been dealing with this anyway. It’s wrong for you to feel bad about it.” Rosei glanced at Itecho. “It’s my Guard’s fault for turning them down. That’s why Autumn has to deal with it.”
Itecho sighed. “…Rosei, it was the right thing to do at that point.”
Like a child unaware of a parent’s devotion, the lord was unaware of his retainer’s dedication.
“Any Guard would do the same.”
Itecho had turned down the request because he cared about Rosei. It stung to be blamed for such a choice.
But that didn’t matter to Rosei. “Maybe, but we’re Winter.”
“I know what you’re getting at, and you’re right. In the end, this is a problem we have to deal with. I was caught up in analyzing the bigger picture and was late to act because of it. I apologize for that. But we ultimately made it in time.”
The Guard of Winter Itecho Kangetsu was commended by all. It was rare for him to be one step behind another.
Itecho was also aware that Winter would have to deal with this matter.
Winter was the pillar of the Four Seasons, bearing the brunt of the responsibility.
For that reason, as he said, he had tested what the other side would do.
First, he turned the request down. If Kyokoku backed off, then that would be great. If they insisted, Yamato would at least get the upper hand against Foreign Affairs and Kyokoku for arranging the trip.