It’s always a pleasure to catch up with an old acquaintance, especially when that person is someone with whom you’ve shared memories over the years.
“You’ve always been like this. Do you know what the most common complaint was whenever someone was asked what was the hardest part? They said it was because of you running them ragged. I’ve never heard anyone say something like that to someone who wasn’t even the training officer.”
“…The nobles were scheming-”
“If it were only the nobles, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. The fact that you managed to unite both nobles and commoners, something even Garid couldn’t do, makes you quite remarkable.”
“They’re just exaggerating…”
“Exaggerating? No way. Do you think everyone else is like you? How many times have I told you that not everyone is as brilliant as you are?”
“Ugh… enough with the nagging…”
…But this is really tough.
They say people tend to become more annoying with age. Maybe that’s why this lecture is hitting me harder than it used to.
I can’t believe all of this nagging started just because I mentioned I was teaching someone.The long, soul-sucking scolding finally ended when Aeron cleared his throat and reached for his cup, leaving me dazed. It felt like my spirit had been drained by something scarier than any physical attack. As I sat there, dazed, Aeron cleared his throat again and asked,
“…So?”
“…Yeah?”
“The person you’re teaching, is he a man?”
“…Huh? Well, no, she’s a woman. Why?”
I tilted my head at the random question that seemed a bit out of place after such a long rant.
I answered, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he was asking that.
“That’s a relief… no, wait, that’s not right. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. There are a lot of weird people out there, you know.”
“…?”
What exactly is he thinking?
He seems to be seriously contemplating something, but it feels like it’s not something worth getting to the bottom of.
“What does she do?”
“…What do you mean, what does she do?”
“You know, what’s her job? Her hobbies?”
“Hobbies?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Are you thinking of hitting on her?”
People’s feelings can be unpredictable, sure, but even so, it’s a bit much to be interested in someone you’ve never even met, isn’t it? Especially considering the age gap between Aeron and Joanie… hmm…
I don’t know Joanie’s exact age, but judging by her mannerisms, it’s clear she’s younger than me.
Meanwhile, Aeron is over fifty.
Sure, Aeron looks younger than his age and is much better-looking than most men his age, but still, isn’t it a bit off?
“Uhh…”
…Well, even if they hit it off, it’s not like I can stop them.
Some women do like mature men with a bit of charm. Maybe Joanie is one of them.
“I’ll cheer you on.”
“…Are you thinking weird thoughts again?”
Unfortunately, since Joanie and I have never had a deep conversation about our preferences, I can’t help much, but I can at least cheer them on!
I clenched my fist in a show of support, but Aeron didn’t seem too pleased.
“Canaria. You can be a bit naïve sometimes. I’m just trying to see if this person is trustworthy. What if she has bad intentions?”
“…Naïve?”
…Me? Naïve?
If Eric were here and heard that, he’d probably say, “Vice-Captain, are you losing your mind?”
And then, in return, he’d probably get kicked by Aeron and roll around the training field.
“Alright, let me ask you this. How did you end up spending time with her?”
“She gave me something to eat.”
“……she gave you something to eat?”
“Yeah. After I saved her from the Cockatrice, she started bringing it to me every day as a form of repayment. She brought it to the mountain where I live.”
“Hmm….”
Aeron looked rather serious for a moment.
“It’s not impossible to understand. But… has she ever shown any strange behavior?”
“Strange behavior…?”
“Has she ever touched you inappropriately or looked at you with bad intentions?”
Touched me inappropriately or looked at me…?
…Too many times to count?
She would hug me whenever she felt like it, pat my head, hold my hand. Even if she never looked at me with ill intent, there were times she made strange laughter.
As I started listing the things that came to mind, Aeron’s expression, which had been calm as he listened, gradually darkened. By the time I finished speaking, his face had contorted into something like a malicious demon.
“…That person.”
“Oh, her name is Joanie.”
“Right. That Joanie. Is she here right now?”
“Yeah. Joanie is part of Liberi too.”
“…I see.”
Aeron got up from his seat.
I spoke to Aeron, who suddenly seemed to be getting ready to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to meet this Joanie.”
“Why are you taking your sword?”
“Oh, I’ll be needing it. You know as well as I do, there’s no better tool for pest control.”
“….”
Like hell you need it.
I sighed.
“You’re overprotective, Aeron. I’m not a child.”
“….”
“If it was something really inappropriate, do you think I would’ve let it slide?”
Aeron looked like he was about to flip over because of a small prank. If I had just let things go, he would have killed someone already.
Despite knowing my real age, Aeron treated me like a child who had no clue about the world.
Perhaps my words had an effect because the murderous aura around Aeron slightly calmed down.
He plopped back into his seat with a tired voice.
“If this were back in the day, I would’ve pinned you down and given you a good spanking.”
“Ew, that kind of kink?”
“I’m talking about how you stress me out with your jokes….”
“Ah, you caught me.”
“You never even tried to hide it in the first place.”
After learning how to properly use a sword and practicing for years, I surpassed Aeron’s strength.
But even knowing I had grown stronger than him, Aeron’s overprotectiveness didn’t stop.
Ever since I became the captain, though, he rarely showed that side of him.
Along with Garid, Aeron was one of the few people who worried about me.
Ah, now there are three.
“Well… Seeing you joke around like this puts my mind at ease.”
Aeron’s voice had fully returned to his formal tone, and his mood was back to normal.
“I was worried you’d pick up a sword and storm the Empire, but it seems I don’t have to worry.”
“What do you even think of me?”
“Anyone who saw you back when you were the captain would think the same.”
“Hmph.”
From overprotection to exaggeration?
“Well… I guess I was a bit sharp back then.”
“No one would call reducing someone to a pulp just ‘a bit sharp.’”
“That was to be expected.”
I spoke firmly.
No matter how upset you are, you don’t just beat someone that badly for merely irritating you.
He crossed the line, so it was justified.
Sensing that I had no intention of backing down, Aeron shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, at least it doesn’t seem like you got tangled with a truly bad person. But just in case, be careful. She might suddenly try to hug you or put her hands on you.”
“…Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“That wasn’t a joke?”
Holding hands, hugging, and petting.
“Even just this morning, it happened.”
I’m not exactly the most feminine person out there, and having grown up in a sweaty knight’s order devoid of any trace of femininity, I didn’t really know, but… don’t women generally enjoy that kind of skinship?
It seemed like they did in my previous life, but could it be different in this world?
Upon hearing my words, Aeron stood up again.
“Aeron?”
“….”
“Hey, Aeron?”
“….”
“Hmm.”
Yep, this is hopeless.
I nodded, realizing that Aeron was now in a state where any form of communication was futile.
Sorry, Joanie. I couldn’t protect you.
But hey, you’ll be okay since you can resurrect, right?
…….right?
***
“….”
“….”
Slurp.
Nom, nom.
The atmosphere in the drawing room had dropped even colder than the chilly northern air outside.
In the stifling silence, the only sound in the room was the soft munching of Kana as she nibbled on her snack.
“This is delicious.”
‘…How can you even eat right now?!’
Joanie wanted to shout at Kana in frustration, but she couldn’t, and that was her greatest regret.
If she did, the man sitting across from her, glaring at her with terrifying eyes, would surely not let it slide.
‘How did it come to this?’
All she had wanted to do was find Kana after wrapping up her performance review, which she had waited so long for…
But suddenly, she was brought to this drawing room by a man who had appeared alongside Kana.
Well, “brought” might be putting it mildly—his aura had been so threatening that it was more like she was dragged here.
“Is your name Joanie?”
“Y-Yes!”
A deep, low voice—often described as a “cave voice”—that was quite pleasant to listen to.
Normally, Joanie would have liked this kind of voice, but right now, it felt no different from a tiger’s growl, and her body stiffened in fear.
Seeing how tense Joanie was, Aeron threw out a question.
“Why did you do that?”
“W-What?”
The abrupt question caused Joanie to stutter and question him back, but the man didn’t reply.
Even Kana, who continued to busily munch on her snacks, seemed uninterested in clarifying anything for her.
‘Is he Kana’s acquaintance…?’
If he was a friend of Kana’s, then he must be a fellow member of the knight’s order, right?
Desperately racking her brain, Joanie cautiously asked, “Were you in the same knight order as Kana?”
“…Did she also tell you she was part of the order? Yes, I’m Aeron, the former vice-captain of the Crimson Aegis.”
“Hiiieek…!”
A pathetic squeal escaped Joanie’s mouth.
He’s an even higher-ranked person than I thought…!
…Wait a minute.
‘Is there any reason to be startled?’
The man standing in front of her was the vice-captain.
Kana was the captain.
Given how much time she’s spent with Kana, is there really any reason to freak out just because the vice-captain showed up?
Thinking that, Joanie lifted her head confidently.
“….”
‘…Eek!’
The moment she met Aeron’s piercing gaze, she quickly looked down again.
She understood that Aeron had been Kana’s subordinate, but why on earth was she dragged here to face such a glare?
As she pondered this, a scene from a drama suddenly popped into Joanie’s mind.
It was that classic moment where a boyfriend meets his girlfriend’s father for the first time and nervously asks for his daughter’s hand.
Isn’t this the same situation, just with reversed genders?
Joanie felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
“Um, may I ask what your relationship with Kana is…?”
“I don’t know how Kana feels about me, but I consider her a niece, almost like a daughter. I’ve known her since she was very young.”
“Ah, I see.”
For the first time, Joanie managed to get a clear answer out of Aeron.
But even though it made sense, she didn’t exactly feel happy about it.
So, this man named Aeron was very close to Kana.
Not as dear as the father Kana always longed for, but much closer than most other people could ever hope to be.
With that, the conversation fell into silence again.
Feeling like she might suffocate if this kept up, Joanie mustered the courage to speak.
“So, what exactly did you want from me…?”
“I heard you laid hands on Kana.”
“…Pardon?”
“You held her hand, hugged her, and stroked her, right? Is that correct?”
“Well, yes, but I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding…”
One wrong word here, and I’m dead…!
Sensing death inching closer, Joanie frantically searched for a lifeline, her eyes darting around.
Glance.
“….”
But what she found was a rotten rope.
The only person who could help her in this situation—Kana—was avoiding Joanie’s gaze, turning her head away.
Kana tried her best to appear natural, but Joanie could sense the awkwardness in her movements.
‘Kanaaaa…!’
I treated you so well, and now this is how you repay me?
If you were upset with me, you could’ve just said something! Isn’t this way too much, trying to get me killed like this…?
Joanie inwardly shed tears of blood, feeling utterly betrayed by the one person she trusted most.
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