At the top of the stairs was a door, and Marius opened it. I peeked out and realized that we were now on the rooftop of the manor. It was more spacious than expected, and there were a few boxes in the corner.
“Oh... Wow...” I murmured.
Countless stars twinkled in the night sky above us. If I’d been told that this was a designated stargazing site, I would’ve believed it. But from my several visits to this manor, I would’ve never guessed that a place like this existed—this space was truly hidden from anyone below. The secret door implied that not just anyone could be here. I examined the wall around the rooftop and noticed that several embrasures had been built into the corners.
“Is this where you fight back during an enemy assault?” I guessed.
“Ding ding ding,” Marius replied. “That box over there contains bows, arrows, and extra bowstrings. If the light’s placed down like this, you’re able to observe your surroundings while making it nearly impossible for those below to see you.”
He was all smiles, but I could only sigh. The back entrance of the manor seemed to have some sort of dangerous trap installed, and now, seeing the roof, I realized that this place could actually become a fortress during times of emergencies. I know that House Eimoor’s a military household, but just what kinds of battles have they endured? They must’ve been quite intense if the family felt the need to construct such an elaborately fortified home.
“And now we can talk without others hearing us, just as long as we don’t yell,” Marius said.
“So, if I shout, will someone rush to my aid?” I asked.
He nodded back. If he’d wanted to speak in secret, Marius’s personal room would’ve done just fine, but here, someone would immediately notice if I raised my voice—though it would take them a while to actually get up here. Guess he just wants to say that he doesn’t plan on hurting me.
“So? What did you want to talk about here?” I asked.
I acted like my usual self, but even I could tell that my voice was strained. The fact that we needed to talk in such a secret place implied how serious the topic was.
“Well...” He paused for a moment before he went on. “Frankly, I want to talk about your house.”
“My house?” I asked quietly.
Marius nodded. “I know that it’s in the shelter of the Black Forest, but it’s not completely safe, is it?”
“Hmm, I wonder...” I replied.
There were deer, wolves, and bears wandering around acting as our natural guards, and I’d also set up traps around the perimeter of our cabin. A small force would probably be wiped out (quite literally) before they could launch a single arrow at us—or so I thought. And while I wasn’t keen on relying on Lluisa (since we shared different perspectives), she might be willing to give us a hand should push come to shove. Still, we weren’t totally safe. When Anne had come to us, she’d waited at the entrance of the path to the forest, so there was room for improvement.
“I’m confident that we could swiftly take down a personal army, though,” I said.
“When you say it like that, it doesn’t sound like a joke,” Marius replied. “Wait, you aren’t kidding, are you? You’ve got that sword, and the Lightning Strike’s with you too...”
I nodded. When it came to pure fighting power, Forge Eizo was pretty high up there, and we were treated as the strongest force in the Black Forest. Rike, Krul, and Hayate might not be able to be directly involved in combat, but Lucy was pretty large now—if she utilized her speed alongside Helen, no one would be able to lay a hand on them. And while those two were the most powerful, the rest of the family was still plenty strong. Even Anne, who was the least experienced in combat, had grown considerably stronger thanks to Helen’s personal training (plus, Anne just had raw strength). We didn’t really have any weak links.
“Then I guess I’m just needlessly worrying,” Marius muttered. “But...”
“You sound awfully hesitant today,” I observed.
He groaned softly before he looked me in the eye. “I’ll give it to you straight. The duke’s faction is snooping around to find your location. I truly believe that the assassins we ran into earlier were just a part of that scheme.”
His claims didn’t come from left field. If I hadn’t expected as much, I wouldn’t have placed nets and clappers around our cabin or prepared a crossbow. Still, this development was coming sooner than expected, and I felt my eyes go wide in surprise.
“I plan on doing my best to prevent that, of course,” Marius said. “But I can’t guarantee anything. So, here’s my idea: After the kingdom and the empire hold the meeting tomorrow, I was thinking your family could go to the empire under the guise of sending the imperial princess back home. Then, you could live a bit of a nomadic life for a while, going here and there to confuse the enemy.”
“Is that why you gave us that pass with those crests?” I asked.
“Yeah. You might stand out if you use it—after all, you’ve got the backing of both the kingdom’s royal family and the emperor himself. But I think any guard who sees it would hesitate to report back to the duke.”
“Did you hesitate like that when you were a guard?”
“Frankly, I would’ve been scared to check you at all. You’re a seemingly normal blacksmith, but you’ve got lots of ladies with you and a pass provided by the royal family and the emperor? I would’ve been so baffled about your social status.”
He flashed a strained smile. It was cruel to force a simple guard to willingly step on a land mine. Obviously, it wouldn’t be a physical explosion, but a political one...
“So? What do you think? No, wait—what do you think is best for your family?” Marius asked. “I know that the Black Forest is important to you guys, but how do you feel about stepping away for a short while? It’s a bit awkward for me to ask now since you got attacked when you left the forest, but still...”
He looked more serious than ever, and I knew he was aware of the magnitude of what he was suggesting. He knew that I’d have to potentially part ways with my family—that I’d have to give a brief goodbye and wander around different forests.
“Of course, we’ll happily cover your living expenses,” he went on, maintaining his earnestness. “And if anything happens, we’ll be on it in a flash.”
I stayed in the Black Forest partly because I needed the magical energy there to forge quality items. If I could no longer do that, I wouldn’t be able to provide a steady supply of goods to Camilo, and I’d quickly run out of funds to support myself. Marius’s offer implied that I didn’t need to worry about money—that I could just spend my time lazing about, making anything I wanted while kicking back.
But...
The smiling faces of my family filled my mind.
“Sorry—no can do,” I finally said, staring straight at my friend. He gave me a forlorn grin as I went on. “I can’t deny that it sounds like fun, though.”
I refused to look away from him. It really did sound like great fun, and it’d be awesome if I could help people wherever I went—ideally using my smithing skills to assist them—while touring the world and enjoying the sights. I’d broaden my horizons with worldly experiences, and going on a little adventure sounded like an exciting idea. If my entire family came along, I’d have no complaints; I was certain that my days would be filled with happiness and joy.
But I just couldn’t take the offer.
“That forest has accepted me,” I said.
Marius must’ve assumed that this acceptance had occurred after I’d wandered into the forest from the Nordic region, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’d come from a completely different world, and the Black Forest had allowed me to call it home—I felt I owed an indescribably immense debt to the land. Leaving for a mere week or two wasn’t much of an issue, though I still hesitated to do so now that I knew about the fairies’ plight. But now that I’d received the title “Protector of the Black Forest,” I couldn’t leave my home for an extended period of time. Especially if I didn’t know when I’d return. In my eyes, that would be extremely ungrateful behavior, and I just couldn’t do it—of course, I couldn’t tell the truth to Marius either.
“I just don’t feel like leaving the forest before I can repay my debts to it.”
Marius let out a small sigh. “Even if you end up alone there?”
“Probably even then.”