They took us back on the Moonlight Ship. I wanted them to fly us all the way to the castle on their surprisingly powerful jellyfish-powered boat, but they refused to let the cat out of the bag on one of their biggest secrets.
“Ahh…home at last. Hmm? What’s this?”
I went through the gate to the front of the main tower. When I looked around there, I found the barracks, residential buildings, and main tower all surrounded by scaffolding, with dwarves and laborers hard at work.
Most notably, the main tower was covered with a large cloth that rendered it almost invisible. I’d thought the upper courtyard construction was supposed to be mostly complete.
“Welcome home, Master Margilus!”
“You must be tired!”
“Mmm.”
While my head was still tilted to the side in consideration, everyone from the castle came out to greet me. As I started talking about the trip, they kneeled.
“Umm, everyone? While I was gone…” Feeling their gazes, full of respect and trust, I thought I had to say something meaningful. But I couldn’t find the words.
“M-Margilus? What are you doing back so early?!”
Beyond the kneeling soldiers and servants, I heard a familiar angry voice, coming from a blonde sorceress. Her blue eyes were open wide with excitement. She looked equal parts surprised and angry.
“I came home, Clara.”
“Uh, well, this…”
She looked to me, then to the construction, and back to me again, her face bright red.
What was it?
When I’d departed, I hadn’t known how long the trip would take, and I’d said it would probably be a month or two. Even so, why was she complaining about me coming home early?
Could it be…? I thought of those insecticide commercials back in Japan. The song goes that the husband works hard and makes money and has to leave the house.
No, it couldn’t be that. I wasn’t even a husband.
“Clara? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Er. No, not really… It’s nothing. Welcome home.” Clara waved her hands around to avoid my question. There was something, though. It was there written on her red face.
“Be honest. Is there a problem?”
“I told you it was nothing. And I’m busy now, so I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, wait…” As usual, I was powerless to stop her.
Clara spun on her heel. Her blonde hair fluttered as she jogged away.
“What in the world was that?” I looked around me. That’s when I realized that everyone in the castle had watched that whole exchange.
“Ahhh…”
“Poor Clara…” For some reason, all these people who adored me were taking Clara’s side. Particularly the women. I got the feeling they thought I was to blame for something.
“Umm, Geo… Er, Mister Geo?” It was the one and only Mora, in her maid’s uniform, pulling on my sleeve as I looked up to the sky.
Mora gestured that I should lean down, so I did and she whispered in my ear.
“Clara was reforming the castle while you were away, and she planned to greet you with a coat of arms.”
“Coat of arms?”
“The coat of arms for you and the castle! She said you need it for diplomacy. A letter came from Elisabel asking about it. You can’t make the right impression without one!”
In other words, it was my personal mark. My lordly signature.
Indeed, it wasn’t so strange that I would have something like that as lord of a territory. Actually, I needed one.
But since I’d come back before the coat of arms was finished, it wasn’t her mistake. She shouldn’t be upset about it…
“Ugh. That’s not the problem.”
“Huh?”
Mora was frowning at my response. I looked at her adorable face, and then something came to me. “That’s it. Mora, thank you. You saved me.”
“Huh?!”
I didn’t know exactly why I was doing it, but I stroked Mora’s hair over and over. For some reason, I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward her. “You’re always saving me.”
“Umm, Geo! I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re wrong. You need to go. I mean I’m happy, but—”
“Margilus!” While I was talking to Mora for the first time in what felt like forever, Clara’s voice interrupted us. At some point, she’d ended up at the top of the tower.
“What’s wrong, Clara? You don’t have to feel bad…”
“Feast your eyes on this!” As Clara yelled out from the roof, she kicked the fastener of the cloth that was covering the tower. The cloth caught in the wind and peeled away from the roof.
“Stars…and a book?”
On the wall was a beautiful engraving of the coat of arms. The pattern was a shining polar star and an open book.
“The guiding star…” Suddenly, I realized Lade was next to me.
“It is the star of hope shown to those who are lost in the dark.” Reyha was naturally already behind him.
“It is the guardian star that gives wisdom to wanderers and adventurers like us who have no home,” Sedam explained, standing next to Lade.
“A star of power! The wrath of the heavens to purify all evil! This is our Castle Getaeus’s coat of arms!” Clara put both hands on her hips and puffed up her chest as she called out. She was like a heroine out of a book. Hey, that’s my coat of arms.
“You really took the look of this place to the next level…”
“Geo, this castle gives us all hope!”
Mora looked up at me as I patted her on the head. Her small hands, which grabbed the hem of my robes, were getting more scabbed each day. Mora and my other companions…they never found hope only in my powers. The people of Sedia will gather here with me and face the daemons. That is hope.
“Margilus,” Ild said to me. “Say something.” He looked gravely serious.
Maybe it was because of the adventure I’d just finished within the realm of the daemons’ spirit…but I grew awfully sentimental.
My friends thought that coat of arms suited me. I was so glad that everyone trusted me. I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
“Y-yes…I should.”
The soldiers, servants, dwarves, Schultz clan, warrior clan, students, and dark elves had all gathered. They applauded and cheered. In ten years, the third brood event might come. What could I do until then?
My face felt heavy. The proper, inspiring speech just wouldn’t come. Tears running down my cheeks, I spoke the words that rang truest in my heart. “Thank you, everyone…”
I didn’t know what was right. But I would forge ahead, nervous and trembling. As long as I was here with my friends, my story would continue.