By Zephyria Mika headed for the Yuil Mountains as soon as she graduated.
Most Sword Masters in the Empire visited the Yuil Mountains at least once in their lives. Hundreds and thousands of knights and mercenaries easily came and went in the Yuil Mountains. Moreover, Duke Widrow was a remarkably benevolent man who had greatly cherished and looked after Reni in his youth, so Mikael’s safety could be entrusted to him.
The tales of more Mana and larger monsters in the north of the continent sounded merely fantastical to me, who could not feel Mana, but my son Mikael was a genius who had already become a Sword Master during his academy days. My son, who would now become a Grand Sword Master and a Marquess, was my pride.
The Second Prince, who I thought would be more focused on the succession competition, said he would go with Mikael.
It was amusing and interesting that the Second Prince, who acted like my son’s betrothed, no, son-in-law, no, whatever his role was, was even following him to the Yuil Mountains. According to Reni, the Second Prince had severed a few limbs of the First Prince to prevent him from acting recklessly while he was away, but the more I heard, the more chilling it became, so I didn’t delve too deeply into it.
The ten-year-old Michael was in a frenzy with the fever of an early first love, and the eight-year-old Asdel played house, procuring various reagents to become a wizard. Every day, I checked on the children’s well-being and waited for Mikael’s letters. I comforted Michael, who cried his eyes out saying he missed his brother, by telling him he would soon be of age to enter the academy, and I soothed Asdel, whose hair had burned off from practicing magic, by saying that Young Lady Philodendor’s bobbed hair was also very pretty.
Time flowed by so well.
It was peaceful until the news came that strange monsters had begun to descend.
Felice Withrow, the current Duke Widrow, was like a sister to my wife, Seiren. Seiren primarily exchanged letters with Felice, but that day, a strange bird sang from the morning. Unlike me, who was not accustomed to using Ranunculus, Seiren quickly summoned a knight to listen to the bird’s voice.
The bird, which had a particularly round body, spoke in a hoarse, low voice.
“Listen carefully, Seiren. The monsters in the Yuil Mountains are in an uproar. That’s why the knights who were dispatched are being urgently recalled to the ducal castle. Mikael is currently with the most seasoned knight in the ducal castle, so he will return within a week. I am informing you in advance so you don’t worry upon hearing false rumors, so keep this to yourself.”
“Wait a moment, what do you mean—”
Reni covered my mouth with one hand before I could reply. And with a pale face, she glared at the bird. I, who had belatedly realized that Ranunculus did not allow for two-way communication and merely repeated what it heard, also fell silent.
“I swear upon the Saras River that I will be the first to inform you if anything happens to your son. Then, I will see you again. Your affectionate neighbor, Felice.”
I learned for the first time that Ranunculus could repeat the same message multiple times.
After hearing Felice Withrow’s message repeated three times, Seiren fainted on the spot. Seiren and I kept it quiet, but the news quickly reached the Earldom Ernhardt, only a week’s distance from the capital. The monsters in the Yuil Mountains were acting strangely. Really? Why? Starting from that, rumors grew and turned into anxiety.
Fortunately, Felice Withrow announced Mikael’s survival less than four days later. We were relieved, thinking it was fine since Mikael and the Second Prince had taken refuge with Widrow’s help, but a few months later.
Grimsvein was annihilated.
To accommodate the flood of refugees, all nobles in the southern provinces opened their territories. The capital, which had Eldos Mountain, the central ridge of the Yuil Mountains, looming overhead, was also not safe. In place of my aging parents, Seiren and I moved into the Count Ernhardt’s residence, and my parents and their two children were evacuated to the Duchy of Valentia.
The entire Empire was in turmoil.
Until now, monsters had been stories from another world to me. I had never seen a monster that had left its domain. It was also my first time encountering refugees crying as if they were about to die, so mangled and injured. I couldn’t believe that monsters could overrun human territory.
Still, I worked day and night to fulfill my responsibilities as much as I could. I increased my staff by five assistants and built as many houses as possible on vacant land. The nobles of the southern provinces generally did the same. Some, greedy for more territorial citizens, tried to exploit the situation, but those with a bit more sense tried to secure food first.
Prices skyrocketed.
Meanwhile, Felice Withrow consistently sent Ranunculus.
“Mikael has been sent on a pilgrimage with the Second Prince. It’s partly to create physical distance from the black magicians, and also to prevent any accidents during this chaos. But don’t worry.”
“…It seems monsters are rampaging in the Shatun Desert too. Refugees are pouring in from Philix. Still, don’t worry. We’re in periodic contact, and Mikael seems to be doing well.”
“Mikael has gone missing in the direction southeast of the Temple of the Sun God. It seems he directly confronted a black magician. This is top secret, so I can’t elaborate, but you will hear proper news soon.”
“Mikael has discovered Yulan’s Golden Turtle. Fortunately, Young Lord Kiadris has stepped forward to assist Mikael’s return, so I will inform him to come directly to Widrow. This information will also be relayed to Oscar, so be aware of that.”
Every day passed by in a rush.
All sorts of knights headed north. A long front line crossing Grimsvein blocked the descent of mutated monsters. In place of the knights who lost their lives, a few mercenaries who bravely protected the citizens of the Empire were granted knighthood. Those who narrowly escaped death wailed in pain.
Beneto Loki Sheeran passed away. Lucilla Anti Sierran went missing. Richard Flo Sierran rallied people. Rubel Anti Sierran returned to the capital.
However, Mikael did not return.
During the brief moments alone after finishing my morning duties, I developed a habit of writing letters with a recipient but no destination.
Gilbert, who had been most active in aiding the refugees in the Ernhardt territory, had lost 8kg compared to before the incident, but even in his emaciated state, he always made sure to be there for me during the times I was lost in longing.
“To my beloved son, Mikael.
Spring has already arrived in Ernhardt. You must be twenty now. Michael is very busy preparing for the academy next year, and Asdel keeps lingering by the Saras River whenever he can, wanting to learn magic and Spirit Arts.
It feels like just yesterday you left to resolve matters in the Yuil Mountains without a word, but time without you has passed so quickly that I’ve had no time to catch my breath. Still, the situation inside and outside the county has calmed down a bit.
It feels as though everything will return to how it was if only you would come back.
Mika.
You were always a brave child who could do anything on your own, even from a very young age. But this father simply cannot be like that. Everyone says you are the strongest human in the world, but strangely, in my memory, you are always the baby Mika, small and cute, with just chubby arms.
I miss those days when I couldn’t take my eyes off you, afraid you might fall or get hurt. Even though I know you are stronger than me, I still feel the desire to protect you. No, what does it matter whether I protect you or you protect yourself? If only I could see you before my eyes and hold your hand, I would have no regrets.
Thinking of you, who had such a good appetite, not eating properly and not sleeping, makes food unpalatable and sleep impossible for me. You promised me many times, holding my finger, that you would be filial when you grew up. So please, come home now.
With longing, William Ernhardt.”
The letter I wrote the day before yesterday resembles the one I wrote yesterday, and the one I wrote yesterday resembles the one I wrote today. After sending all my beautiful children far away, it was difficult to manage my lonely heart every day.
Reni cried quite often these days. By day, she was a valiant woman who managed correspondence in the spirit of Valentia and worked to protect the Second Prince, but when she was alone with me, she was different.
It’s going to be okay, it will be okay. We were both tired and weary of exchanging the same words every day. Knowing each other’s hearts better than anyone, we chose to look at each other wordlessly and share our pain by embracing tightly.
After a painful night, a bearable morning would come, and then a sorrowful night would follow.
I placed the newly written letter on top of the letters filling one drawer. Then, I heard a clattering sound running down the corridor from afar. I had experienced something like this before. My heart pounded with a nameless anxiety.
The door burst open. Gilbert stood there with a disheveled face, looking utterly dejected.
“…Viscount!”
“Is it news about Mikael?”
“No, it is not. Asdel… Young Lady Asdel has collapsed!”
“What?”
Why would a child who should be safely receiving private tutoring in the Duchy of Valentia be in this state?
Oscar’s somber voice conveyed the story of Asdel’s illness.
Asdel’s tutor was skilled in handling Magic Artifacts, and Asdel’s escort knight had a daughter of Asdel’s age. While the two middle-aged women watched over her diligently, Asdel roamed Valentia as if it were her own. Oscar, who had seen Asdel become active again after a period of melancholy, did not stop her.
Lately, Asdel has been very interested in Spirits. As the Mana quantity across the Empire has surged recently, many children who have awakened to Mana are able to see and interact with Spirits even at a young age. Oscar explained that Asdel suddenly collapsed while wandering around places where a lot of Mana gathered.
Hearing that the sick child was asking for her parents, I packed my bags without hesitation.