By Zephyria 
“What? Who, what did you say…?”
Frederick’s complexion turned icy in an instant, to the point where it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been chatting amiably with me just moments ago. He looked less like a man of cool reason and more like someone overwhelmed by a shock he couldn’t handle.
“Say it again. That child, Allen… he’s nowhere to be found?”
“W, well…”
The ordinary knight, usually accustomed to Frederick’s easygoing and unaristocratic, cheerful demeanor, trembled as he barely managed to continue. According to his report, Allen had begged his parents, saying he wouldn’t go far and just wanted to look around the vicinity on his own. The two couldn’t resist Allen’s tearful plea that, even if just for a little while, he wanted to be as free as he used to be, rather than being a precious young master constantly protected. How could they refuse after hearing their son’s story of how he had smiled wryly, marveling at the snow and how he didn’t have to worry about his hands and feet freezing right away even when looking at it?
Instead of letting him go alone as he wished, Allen had made a firm promise that he would only go where the knights could see him. Initially, everyone had clearly confirmed with their own eyes that he was only wandering within sight of the knights, but at some point, very naturally, without anyone noticing, Allen had vanished without a trace.
After searching every nook and cranny in an attempt to resolve the matter among themselves, they had failed to find Allen and had come to report to Frederick, the chief of the escort.
“You fools…! You should have reported it immediately!”
Frederick roared like an angry lion, running his hands through his hair.
“Have you reported to Father and Andrew?”
“N, not yet. Only to you, Commander…”
“Damn it. I’ll tell them. Leave only the minimum personnel for escort and put everyone else into the search. It’ll be dark soon. We have to find him before then, no matter what.”
There was nothing wrong with the content of his orders, but Frederick himself was clearly not in his right state of mind. The ordinary knight’s trembling had long since stopped, but Frederick’s trembling only intensified. He shook all over as if he were drunk, repeatedly losing his balance and then straightening up again, as if his legs couldn’t support him properly. Frustrated with his unsightly appearance, he even slapped his knees, which kept buckling, with his own hands.
“A, a horse… bring me my horse immediately. I’ll inform the two of them and then join the search party right away.”
“But, Commander…”
He could barely walk, let alone ride a horse. If he tried to climb onto a horse in that state and enter the rugged mountains, which were not flat ground… even if he was very lucky, he would fall off and break his leg. Or he would break his neck and die on the spot.
The ordinary knight, who knew him well enough, couldn’t immediately obey Frederick’s order and fidgeted anxiously. Frederick, seemingly enraged beyond reason, shouted again.
“What are you doing? Can’t you bring me my horse right now?”
“…That’s enough, Frederick.”
I, who had been standing a step away, merely observing the situation, stepped between Frederick and the ordinary knight. The ordinary knight’s face openly showed relief, as if he had been saved.
“I’ll tell Father and Andrew, so it would be best to deploy the search party immediately. The search party… Sir Kyle.”
“Yes, Archduke.”
“You will take charge of it. You heard what he said? Find Allen and return before it gets dark, no matter what. That’s what you have to do.”
“Understood.”
“Noah! What are you doing…!”
Frederick ground his teeth again as he watched me, who had been standing still, suddenly intervene and start directing the situation as I pleased. The man who had been like a puppy wagging its tail in front of me just a few minutes ago was nowhere to be seen. The current Frederick Hamilton was nothing more and nothing less than a beast, agitated and rampaging after losing something precious.
Smack!
The sound of the clear strike echoed. Frederick’s cheek was slowly turning red, and a tingling sensation lingered in my palm. I had slapped him to bring him back to his senses, but it was surprisingly refreshing. He had slapped my cheek with his large hand many times, but this was the first time I had raised my hand and struck his smooth cheek.
“Y, you…?”
“Get a grip, Frederick Hamilton.”
“Noah, you really… How could you, me…”
“Who’s going to find anyone in this state of disarray? If you really want to find Allen, go somewhere and calm down first. Right now, you’re just a burden to the others. You know better than I do how much a commander who has lost his reason can hinder an operation, right?”
“Ugh…”
Frederick’s face, flushed red and purple, was a mess of anger, frustration, and a hint of shame.
I ignored him and signaled Kyle with a glance. Kyle gave a small bow and immediately took the ordinary knight to where the other knights were waiting.
I was about to grab Frederick by the scruff of his neck and head straight to Father and Andrew when…
“Has something happened, Sir Frederick? The atmosphere seems somewhat chaotic.”
Carlisle, who had said he would go and take care of the dangerous snowballs in preparation for any possible situation, dusted the snow off his shoulders and asked Frederick.
“Ah… Archduke Carlisle.”
It was I who spoke, instead of him, as he seemed unable to make rational judgments. I conveyed the contents of the ordinary knight’s report without adding or subtracting anything. Carlisle listened to the story and nodded as if he understood, looking at Frederick’s uncharacteristic behavior. While conveying the situation as objectively as possible, I had secretly expected that Carlisle, like Frederick, would also show emotional agitation…
“Hmm, I see. I understand. Sir Kyle is in charge of the search, so I will go to Sir Kyle and request instructions. Graham’s knights will also fully cooperate, so please don’t worry too much.”
It was a very rational and appropriate response. He wasn’t trying to forcefully interfere in another family’s affairs by using the difference in their family status, nor was he frantically demanding that Allen be found immediately. But Carlisle’s surprisingly rational and calm attitude… was somehow suspicious for someone whose precious lover, whom he usually treated as if he couldn’t bear to have him out of his sight, had gone missing. …Could it be that Allen’s Sorcery has weakened? If so, what is the reason for the weakening of the Sorcery?
“Thank you for your cooperation. I appreciate it.”
In any case, that wasn’t the immediate problem, so I smiled politely and exchanged appropriate greetings with Carlisle. Then, I grabbed Frederick’s wrist, who had lost some of his momentum, and dragged him away. It was to go to Father.
“We have not found Allen within a 2-mile radius in the one o’clock direction.”
“The same goes for the three and seven o’clock directions.”
Bang!
The knights, who had been moving in groups, were returning one by one to report to Kyle. Frederick, who had been anxiously eavesdropping on the reports from behind Kyle, couldn’t overcome his impatience and anxiety and jumped up, kicking the chair he had been sitting on with a loud noise.
“Tsk… Sit down, Frederick.”
“….”
Andrew, who had been listening to the reports with him right next to Kyle, frowned annoyedly. He clicked his tongue and muttered as if to be heard, How frivolous. It had already been well over five hours since Allen’s disappearance, or rather, his near-disappearance. It was already dark. Around the three-hour mark, the Countess had covered her head and lay down, and Father had begun to sigh, saying it was all his fault. Who would have expected that they would lose their long-lost son again in such an absurd way?
I and Andrew were the only ones in the family who were maintaining their composure. Well, I was certain that Allen wouldn’t be in any serious danger from just a bit of snow… but Andrew’s lack of agitation was quite unexpected. He seemed to have decided that he had to do his part, even for Frederick, who was in a panic and unable to function properly.
“We can’t just stay here like this! We have to go out there right now…! We have to find him, no matter what! He might be shivering somewhere, just waiting for us! Brother!”
Frederick hissed at Andrew, panting heavily. He seemed unable to bear his anger at Andrew, who was just standing still in front of the table and talking, even though a person had gone missing. Perhaps his complaint stemmed from the fact that if Andrew wanted to stand there, he should do it alone, and not punish him as well. Andrew had barely managed to stop him from running out several times already.
“It would be so helpful if you went out there in the middle of the night and disappeared as well. Really… I didn’t think you were this dull.”
Andrew shook his head as if there was no hope and called me. Then, he instructed me to keep a close watch on Frederick so that he wouldn’t go anywhere, and left the makeshift camp. After all, there was no one who could overpower Frederick, and I was the only one Frederick seemed to listen to. I silently nodded.
“No… this is not the time. I have to go right now.”
“Where are you going, Frederick? Calm down.”
“Calm? Oh, Noah. I’m completely normal. I’m as calm as I can possibly be.”
Frederick spoke well, even with bloodshot eyes.
“What should I do, Noah? What if you can’t come back again…”
His hands, gripping my shoulders roughly, were so painful it felt like they would break. He brought his bloodshot eyes, with their burst blood vessels, close to my face and muttered like a madman.
“If something happens to you again because of me… because of my mistake…”
I listened calmly to the madman’s words. I had a near-certain premonition that some information I needed to know would soon come out.