‘Rudrick is returning to the North.’
I heard the news through Lord Leona, but later I learned that it was already rumored in social circles.
The Emperor has taken a keen interest in the destruction of the Dark Forest, and plans to send reinforcements to accompany Duke Bouser on his return north.
The news was met with mixed reactions.
‘The Emperor is trying to get Bouser to pay off his debts, He’s trying to create a sense of servitude so that Bouser won’t be able to refuse his favors later,’
Or ‘The forest is indeed dangerously overrun with monsters.’
In any case, it was news that would be obvious to anyone who listened closely enough, so I assumed that Rudrick hadn’t bothered to tell me.
Putting aside my regret that he didn’t tell me beforehand, I figured I’d find out on my own when it was time to return.
But why does he have such a devastated look on his face?
“You…” (Rudrick)
Did he really think I wouldn’t have any idea? With an unnerving sense of foreboding, I tried to slip away.
If only Rudrick hadn’t beaten me to it.
“I’m not going.” (Rudrick)
“Huh?” (Dahlia)
“I’m not leaving.” (Rudrick)
What…?
I looked at him, dumbfounded, wondering what I’d heard.
“Uh… so you’re not leaving? But I thought I heard you were supposed to leave this month…” (Dahlia)
“It’s just what the Emperor wants. I don’t intend to return.” (Rudrick)
“Well, isn’t it still the emperor’s order? If you disobey it, you’ll get in trouble…” (Dahlia)
“Not really.” (Rudrick)
The look on Rudrick’s face as he crosses his arms while saying so makes me think that even a god, let alone an emperor, would not be able to stop him.
Look at that… I went completely blank thinking about it.
With his words, all my plans and efforts had been undone.
‘What, you’re not leaving?!’
No, Sir Leona, who delivered the news, even wiped away a tear as if it were true.
So I really thought we were going to the North, I’d left Jeron in charge of things, I’d promised Hestia I’d come with her, and I even had a hearty farewell with my parents!
“You’re not going?” (Rudrick)
Then what the hell have I been doing all this time?
I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I’d been wasting my time, so I rambled on in front of Rudrick.
“I… I knew you were leaving, and had already organized my affairs and figured out how long I was going to stay there.” (Dahlia)
“…”
“Well, I already mentioned to you that I’m going to the North with you, and I’ve already told everyone…” (Dahlia)
“What?” (Rudrick)
“Huh?” (Dahlia)
For a moment, Rudrik and I stared at each other.
I don’t know whether I said something, and Rudrick doesn’t know what he heard. We just blinked at each other, dumbfounded.
Thud—!
The frozen atmosphere was broken at once.
I glanced in the direction of the sound, startled. Rudrick, for a moment at least, turned his head with a snap.
There, leaning against the door, were the division commanders, layered like sausage rolls.
What the hell are they doing?
Before I could say anything, still not quite grasping the situation, one of them spoke up in a hoarse, panting voice.
“You were going to come with us?!”
✿
Glancing at the division commanders alongside one another, I realized they were all sweating.
All of them, except for one who was out on a mission, were sweating profusely as they stood beside one another.
No wonder. They weren’t just standing there.
They were all ‘laying on their stomachs’ next to the couch where I was sitting, as if they were being punished.
Rudrick was watching them with a piercing glare.
‘What the hell is going on?’
The excuse given by the division commanders was that they were glad to see me at the ducal residence after a long absence.
But I was already in the middle of a conversation with Rudrick, and was only waiting for the right moment to barge in and greet them.
I looked at them with clouded gaze, wondering why they were clinging to the door, for they seemed to be eavesdropping.
Rudrick must have had a similar thought, as he gazed at the division commanders with a hint of disappointment, and finally spoke.
“Get back on your knees.” (Rudrick)
…Thus, the division commanders were dressed in full regalia in front of me.
At first, I thought about interrupting him, thinking that they were knights, the commander of a division, and that it would be too humiliating.
But I quickly gave up when I heard Rudrick’s stern voice and saw them looking at me headfirst on the floor.
But at the same time, it was also a little overwhelming.
Honestly, it’s none of my business if they’re dressed up or not, but it’s still a bit much for them to be standing right beside me.
Especially since Rudrick was just urging me to keep talking with a straight face.
“So, what do you mean by that?” (Rudrick)
“Uh… well, I mean, it’s like…” (Dahlia)
Are we really allowed to talk in this situation?
I squinted sideways to show my annoyance, and the division commanders looked up and spat out their own words.
“You don’t need to worry about us!”
“That’s right! Think of us just like a common piece of furniture!”
“We don’t mind!”
“Right.”
“Yep!”
Of course, their attempts were brushed off by Rudrick.
‘Rudrick is returning to the North.’
I heard the news through Lord Leona, but later I learned that it was already rumored in social circles.
The Emperor has taken a keen interest in the destruction of the Dark Forest, and plans to send reinforcements to accompany Duke Bouser on his return north.
The news was met with mixed reactions.
‘The Emperor is trying to get Bouser to pay off his debts, He’s trying to create a sense of servitude so that Bouser won’t be able to refuse his favors later,’
Or ‘The forest is indeed dangerously overrun with monsters.’
In any case, it was news that would be obvious to anyone who listened closely enough, so I assumed that Rudrick hadn’t bothered to tell me.
Putting aside my regret that he didn’t tell me beforehand, I figured I’d find out on my own when it was time to return.
But why does he have such a devastated look on his face?
“You…” (Rudrick)
Did he really think I wouldn’t have any idea? With an unnerving sense of foreboding, I tried to slip away.
If only Rudrick hadn’t beaten me to it.
“I’m not going.” (Rudrick)
“Huh?” (Dahlia)
“I’m not leaving.” (Rudrick)
What…?
I looked at him, dumbfounded, wondering what I’d heard.
“Uh… so you’re not leaving? But I thought I heard you were supposed to leave this month…” (Dahlia)
“It’s just what the Emperor wants. I don’t intend to return.” (Rudrick)
“Well, isn’t it still the emperor’s order? If you disobey it, you’ll get in trouble…” (Dahlia)
“Not really.” (Rudrick)
The look on Rudrick’s face as he crosses his arms while saying so makes me think that even a god, let alone an emperor, would not be able to stop him.
Look at that… I went completely blank thinking about it.
With his words, all my plans and efforts had been undone.
‘What, you’re not leaving?!’
No, Sir Leona, who delivered the news, even wiped away a tear as if it were true.
So I really thought we were going to the North, I’d left Jeron in charge of things, I’d promised Hestia I’d come with her, and I even had a hearty farewell with my parents!
“You’re not going?” (Rudrick)
Then what the hell have I been doing all this time?
I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I’d been wasting my time, so I rambled on in front of Rudrick.
“I… I knew you were leaving, and had already organized my affairs and figured out how long I was going to stay there.” (Dahlia)
“…”
“Well, I already mentioned to you that I’m going to the North with you, and I’ve already told everyone…” (Dahlia)
“What?” (Rudrick)
“Huh?” (Dahlia)
For a moment, Rudrik and I stared at each other.
I don’t know whether I said something, and Rudrick doesn’t know what he heard. We just blinked at each other, dumbfounded.
Thud—!
The frozen atmosphere was broken at once.
I glanced in the direction of the sound, startled. Rudrick, for a moment at least, turned his head with a snap.
There, leaning against the door, were the division commanders, layered like sausage rolls.
What the hell are they doing?
Before I could say anything, still not quite grasping the situation, one of them spoke up in a hoarse, panting voice.
“You were going to come with us?!”
✿
Glancing at the division commanders alongside one another, I realized they were all sweating.
All of them, except for one who was out on a mission, were sweating profusely as they stood beside one another.
No wonder. They weren’t just standing there.
They were all ‘laying on their stomachs’ next to the couch where I was sitting, as if they were being punished.
Rudrick was watching them with a piercing glare.
‘What the hell is going on?’
The excuse given by the division commanders was that they were glad to see me at the ducal residence after a long absence.
But I was already in the middle of a conversation with Rudrick, and was only waiting for the right moment to barge in and greet them.
I looked at them with clouded gaze, wondering why they were clinging to the door, for they seemed to be eavesdropping.
Rudrick must have had a similar thought, as he gazed at the division commanders with a hint of disappointment, and finally spoke.
“Get back on your knees.” (Rudrick)
…Thus, the division commanders were dressed in full regalia in front of me.
At first, I thought about interrupting him, thinking that they were knights, the commander of a division, and that it would be too humiliating.
But I quickly gave up when I heard Rudrick’s stern voice and saw them looking at me headfirst on the floor.
But at the same time, it was also a little overwhelming.
Honestly, it’s none of my business if they’re dressed up or not, but it’s still a bit much for them to be standing right beside me.
Especially since Rudrick was just urging me to keep talking with a straight face.
“So, what do you mean by that?” (Rudrick)
“Uh… well, I mean, it’s like…” (Dahlia)
Are we really allowed to talk in this situation?
I squinted sideways to show my annoyance, and the division commanders looked up and spat out their own words.
“You don’t need to worry about us!”
“That’s right! Think of us just like a common piece of furniture!”
“We don’t mind!”
“Right.”
“Yep!”
Of course, their attempts were brushed off by Rudrick.
