“Ah!”
When we approached the south gate, the soldiers guarding it nearly screamed. One of them yelled that they’d go call someone and ran, while the other bowed as he let us through. Didn’t they need our identification? Were we just being let in because the two knights were in uniform? We passed through the gate while I was thinking that. Then, the soldiers all knelt before us.
“Welcome home! We’ve all been waiting for you!”
Wow! Sir Celes is so amazing getting a reception like this! I looked back at him, and he just smiled gently back.
“They’re welcoming you.”
“What?” I questioned.
Gently plopping his hand on top of my hood, Sir Celes said, “I’m going to say it, too. Welcome home, Lucia.”
“Welcome home, little lady. You did your best. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Hearing them say it brought tears to my eyes. My tear ducts had been going on overdrive since I reunited with Sir Celes.
“Thank you... I’m home!”
We walked towards the castle after greeting the guards, and suddenly, we were surrounded by people.
“Welcome home, Sacred Maiden!”
“We’ve all been waiting for you!”
“You’ve gotta become happy with the Dragonslayer this time!”
I was shocked at the welcome I got before I remembered Miss Bice had told us that a play about us was being performed in Arldat. I wasn’t quite sure of the details, but I could tell they were glad I was home. That said, I was still incredibly embarrassed. I held the collar of my winter hood closed. I was being welcomed by all these people...and that was exactly why I wanted to hide my short hair.
“Ah, they’re here. Look,” Sir Gaius said, pointing.
As I turned towards the direction he was pointing, I suddenly heard a voice calling my name. “LUCIAAAAA!”
I rubbed my eyes, looking again towards the voice I’d wanted to hear so badly.
“Miss Maria!”
She was running full speed towards me, her skirt hiked up. She was nearly pushing through the crowds to get to me.
“Lucia! Lucia, Lucia... Lu-ci-aaaaaa!” Miss Maria sobbed, clinging to my neck and calling my name.
Seeing her again after so long, I couldn’t help but do a double-take at what I was seeing.
“Miss Maria, why!? Why is your hair short, too!?” I exclaimed, hugging her back.
Her waist-length hair had been cut terribly short, just like mine. It was just a little bit longer than what I had — cut to just past her shoulders.
Still crying, she explained, “Eri-kun was saying cutting your hair in this world is a super heavy thing, so I cut mine to show him it isn’t. And if my hair is short too, no one will think badly of yours. We match!”
“That’s why you cut it!?”
“It’s important! I didn’t want you to be the only one hurt! Cutting hair is nothing, you know. In my world, it’s done for fashion. A lot of people have it even shorter! So you should enjoy yours — it’s cute. It’s stupid that cutting hair here means social death. Why should only women suffer because of it?” she said, scowling.
So she cut her hair for me... I was so happy, I put down my hood. My short hair was revealed to all.
The moment the citizens saw my hair, there were sighs and screams all around. I almost looked down in shame, before Miss Maria reached out to me to cheer me up.
“...It really is short, huh. It’s cute, though! But why did you dye it?”
Miss Maria was the second person to say that my hair was cute. I laughed, since her reaction was the exact same as Sir Celes’s, and she laughed back with a cute smile.
“Sir Astorga told me I should do it so no one would recognize me.”
“So it was him! Strangely thoughtful. But that color is nice, too! I’ve never dyed mine, but it’s normal in my world.” She gently touched my hair before hugging me again.
“Welcome home, Lucia!”
While Miss Maria and I were hugging, someone tackled me from the side. Looking up in shock, I saw fiery red hair.
“Eric!”
“Welcome home! Thank goodness you’re alright! Thank goodness you came home!” Eric sobbed as he happily welcomed me home. He’d shot up in height since I last saw him. While he’d been a bit shorter than me during our journey, now it seemed that I was the smaller one.
“I’m home!” I replied. Just as I was about to hug him back, a hand slipped between us, ripping us apart.
“Geez, Captain!” said Eric. “Can’t I at least get a hug now that she’s home?”
“No,” said Sir Celes. “The Sacred Maiden is okay, but other men aren’t.”
“You’re so jealous! It’s just gotten worse since you left, hasn’t it!?”
“Say what you will. I don’t care,” Sir Celes said, flippantly. His arm snaked around my shoulders as Eric argued.
“Welcome home, Miss Lucia. I’m so glad you’re alright,” came another familiar voice.
“Lord Reynard!”
All of my friends were lining up to see me.
“I’m so glad... You’re alive...” Lord Reynard bit his lip, looking up towards the sky. One of his hands held his glasses, while the other covered his eyes. I was shocked to see the normally calm man cry. Thankfully, Sir Gaius went over to pat his head and calm him down.
“Come on, don’t cry, kid.”
“Don’t treat me like a kid, brother,” Lord Reynard replied. Despite what he said, having his brother comfort him worked, and he put his glasses back on like normal.
“Miss Lucia...” Sir Agliardi called my name reservedly. “Welcome home... I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. You were the one to protect us again—”
After hugging Miss Maria once more, I turned towards him. He knelt before me, lowering his head deeply.
“It’s okay. Thank you so much for searching for me,” I said, kneeling so our eyes met. “I was safe. Sir Astorga and Mister Guido saved me. Were you all alright? I’m fine, since Sir Celes and Sir Gaius came for me.”
“You really...” he whimpered, as he lowered his head further.
While I was flustered, not knowing what to do, the citizens surrounding us suddenly went silent. I looked up in surprise, only to see the crowd part, and His Highness — no, His Majesty — King Edoardo had appeared, and was walking towards us.
“Lucia...” The moment he saw me, he looked relieved, almost to the point of tears. As I was surprised at his younger-than-usual look, he ran the rest of the way, and knelt before me, just as Sir Agliardi did.
“Y-Your Majesty!? No, stop! You can’t bow to me, especially in front of people...!”
“No, all of this was the fault of my father and I. Apologizing in front of my citizens is nothing. It’s more important for me to apologize to you.”
“But—”
“All of the city’s people know that you, one of the Sacred Maidens, were hurt by my father and I. Despite all that you did for our world, my father ordered your death to rip you away from the Dragonslayer. The citizens are all aware that I could only stop it by taking the throne. There’s nothing for me to be embarrassed about. What is humiliating is that I couldn’t apologize to you.”
The most important person in the country was lowering his head to me. Why was no one stopping him!?
“Commander. Please, stop His Majesty!” I begged.
“No, I feel the same way.”
“Sir Agliardi!”
The one to save me was Miss Maria, who was just as powerful as His Majesty. “Ed, Fer. Don’t force it when Lucia’s not having it. Stop bowing already. Let’s get back to the castle! Lucia must be exhausted. We’ve gotta let her rest!”
“Maria...”
“Let’s go, Lucia. Everyone’s been waiting for you since Celes sent word you were coming home. There’s tons I want to talk to you about. I’m not letting you sleep tonight!”