What does that mean?

The cold air brushed against his cheek.

Leaning against the carriage window, Khalid let the passing scenery drift into his eyes without really seeing it.

The ancient royal palace...

Relics of that distant past, now dismissed as little more than myth or legend, lay buried across the continent like treasure.

Far more remained undiscovered than had ever been found.

The Delcan Ruins were one of them.

Either way, if we’re going to find Rubian’s magic formula, I’ll have to go all over the place anyway. I should look into this too.

He decided he would have to pass the information to Allen in secret as well, then swallowed a short sigh.

Instinct told him it would not be easy.

Just then, a familiar crackle came from somewhere nearby.

[ °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Kal! Want to switch seats? You alive? ]

The moment he heard that clear, bell-like voice, the unrest inside him settled.

It felt as if a soul that had been floating loose in the air had finally put down roots.

...I am curious about my past, and uneasy about it.

For the first time, Khalid thought:

But I’m still me.

So even if he could not learn all of that past right away, he was no longer as anxious as before.

At least here, it felt as though it would not matter what kind of being he was.

She would say so.

Rubian would.

And Duke Zebbert too...

“Boy, what are you smiling so wistfully about?”

...And maybe even this tiresome old man.

The realization made his heart feel a little lighter.

“Ah, seriously. Stop touching my hair...”

“You insolent little—!”

[ ...Hello? Mr. Khalid? At this point, I’d appreciate a clear answer on whether you’re ignoring me or you blocked me. ]

The carriage rolled on slowly toward the place it was meant to return to.

*****

Whooo. The wind blew.

“What is that?”

“What is what?”

“Hell?”

“My territory... Hey, don’t tease Dad.”

Dad tapped me lightly on the head, careful not to hurt.

“Hehehehe.”

There it was, far below in the distance—the red stone mountains!

Zelox, the Zebbert territory!

“Waaah! It’s winter again!”

By the time we traveled here from the capital, the season had changed quickly from autumn.

There was no need to hurry, so the family had taken their time, stopping here and there along the way like wandering travelers before finally reaching the North.

It had been noisy, crowded, chaotic as always—

and because of that, cheerful and fun!

And at last, home.

Sir Leon handed me a white fur muffler, just like when I first came to Zelox.

I poked my head out over it.

“Your Grace, word has come from each of the allied nations that they will attend next summer’s Round Table. As for the agenda His Majesty the Emperor proposed, I imagine they’ll all vote in favor.”

“I see. And the Magic Kingdom?”

“Quiet. And a message bird just arrived. From a man named Allen.”

Allen!

My eyes went round.

Allen was the owner of the mercenary company Dad had acquired.

It did sound like a name I’d heard before...

Maybe it was just common.

Though for a company owner, he did seem to handle a lot of fieldwork himself...

Well, anyway.

Dad bent down and read the letter with me.

“Wow, that was fast.”

It was news that they’d found the place containing the second formula.

“The second one is... Casalia?”

“Hm. Looks like Dad’s going on another business trip.”

I stuck out my lower lip, looking a little gloomy.

“...Dad, I think maybe I should—”

“Duck lips.”

“Don’t do that!”

Chuckling, Dad folded the letter and tucked it away.

“Children don’t go on business trips. They go on picnics.”

His big, hard hand closed firmly around mine.

“But if you want to read the magic circle, you need a mage there...”

Dad grinned and jerked his chin ahead.

“Look over there. A stationed mage is sprawled out on the wall snoring away.”

“Huh!”

Sure enough, Asha was visible where he pointed, tiny as a speck.

She was nodding off in her chair.

“She’s... a nice girl, though...”

“She looks unbearably bored. I should take her on the trip.”

“Ugh...”

Even though I’m the one who’s actually supposed to go.

“But if you ever need my help, just say so... I’ll roll all the way there if I have to.”

Dad looked down at me for a long moment, then set his hand on top of my head.

“But you’ve gotten taller, Ruby.”

There could not have been sweeter words!

My shoulders sprang right up.

“I know! The top of my head reaches all the way to Khalid’s nostrils now!”

“...Did you really have to put it like that?”

But my shoulders, which had lifted in delight, drooped again almost at once.

“But maybe that’s why the shoes Mom gave me don’t fit anymore. My feet are packed tight in them...”

“That is exactly what would make Rosetta happiest in the world. She says you’ve started appearing in her dreams wearing those shoes.”

“What.” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Isn’t that a good thing?

Dad grinned mischievously and rubbed my head all over.

Ah, everything’s dry now, so it’s turning staticky!

“When we get back, buy five hundred pairs of shoes. Change them out every time your feet grow.”

My brow wrinkled at once.

“What if the territory collapses because we waste money like that? I’d rather stay comfortably rich...”

“Really? Then a hundred pairs.”

Dad and I kept up our ridiculous conversation as we passed through the gates of Zelox.

The seasons were passing.

Each season that went by piled up neatly inside me, turning into height, and laughter, and memories.

The first time I traveled this road toward Zelox, it had felt like a dark tunnel where I could not see even an inch ahead.

I had always been frightened and anxious, never knowing what might leap out at the end of it.

But now I knew.

I knew what was waiting for me at the end of this road.

“My lady! Welcome home! Did you have a good trip?”

A place where warm, unchanging love waited.

Our home, where my family was!

“I’m homeeee!”

It had been a long journey back.