Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

Cordelia returned to the mansion two days later. Eileen was hoping to see more of the original version of what Lucian had done before her return, but alas, there was nothing more to see.

 

‘At least the Lucian of today isn’t the Lucian of then, so it’ll be okay. There’s no way he’d hurt anyone.’

 

With that thought in mind, Eileen made her way to the dining room with Cordelia. They were greeted by the Duke and Lucian, who were seated first.

 “Duke, you’re early today, aren’t you?” “It’s been a while since I’ve finished work early.” 

The duke was usually a busy man, but lately he had been away on various duties. It wasn’t that he didn’t return to the manor, but the timing was irregular, and it had been nearly a week since they had dined together.

 “Cordelia, did you enjoy the lecture?” “Yes. Thank you for the opportunity.” 

Cordelia nodded, soon to be sixteen, she had grown to the point where one would think she was tall.

 

Her hair was still worn in a platinum knife-cut, and the lines of her face, visible through the bangless locks, were as gorgeous as a painting.

The knight’s well-proportioned body, with just the right amount of muscle beneath her classical elf-like face, added to the mystique.

 

‘My child. She’s so beautiful.’

 

For nearly seven years now, Eileen had been swooning in pure admiration every time she saw her.

 “Have you guys ever thought about traveling?” 

The duke asked in the middle of a calm meal, the children’s eyes widening at the unexpected topic.

 “Travel?” 

The children exchanged glances and quickly became excited. With the loss of Theresia, the Great War, and their constant training to avoid danger, they hadn’t dreamed of traveling.

 “If only we could go!” 

Lucian exclaimed, and the duke summoned Oslo as if in preparation. Oslo, who was waiting, approached and began to explain.

 “There’s a villa owned by the Gaudium in northern Ronsen. It’s not a very bustling place, but it’s a popular vacation spot because of its hot springs and beautiful snowy scenery. There are many quaint little shops surrounding the hot springs district that you might enjoy exploring.” 

‘Hot springs!’

 

Eileen’s eyes widened. In her previous life, she’d been a big fan of public baths. She remembered the warmth of a long, soothing soak in hot water, and her face lit up.

 “I love it!” “I’ve never been to a hot spring before.” “Oh, what about Felix?” 

Felix had left with Rosalia five months ago to study magic and hadn’t been heard from since. Though she knew he was safe from the location coordinates he sent her from time to time, it was still a bit of a conscience to travel without him while he was still training.

 “Don’t worry. I’ve sent him a message, and he’ll probably join us in Ronsen right away. The sun will be turning soon, and he should be back soon.” 

Eileen’s smile returned to her face, and soon they were chattering excitedly about what they were going to do and what they were going to wear.

 “Oh, is the duke coming along?” 

 Eileen asked expectantly, feeling bad about keeping the conversation to themselves, but the duke shook his head slightly.

 “I’ll be hard at work, so have fun.” 

A little disappointed, but accepting, Eileen returned to Cordelia and Lucian’s conversation.

 

The duke finished his meal at a leisurely pace, amidst the chatter of the excited children.

  

***

  “Are the children’s preparations for the trip going smoothly?” 

Oslo asked, his eyes fixed on a mountain of papers, as the duke impassively processed them.

 “Yes, they will depart in two days, as scheduled.” “There must be no disruptions. I don’t want to put the children in contact with that lunatic Herrero.” 

They were not good for education.

 

The scowling duke released the papers and cleared his stiff neck. Oslo handed him a goblet of cool water and said,

“I will be sure to do so.” 

The duke sighed deeply, wordlessly. It was he who had requested an imperial investigator when a demon was found not far from the mansion.

 “If I had known they were going to send the madman Herrero, I would have killed the demon before reporting it.” 

When the Duke’s uncomfortable mood didn’t subside, Oslo spoke up, his voice bright and cheerful.

 “But I’m sure he’s good, isn’t he, since you’ve both been called geniuses since you were in the academy.” “A genius and a geek are two different pieces of paper.” “Still, Master and the ladies are very excited about their first trip. Lady Eileen told me she even bought a tourist brochure.” 

The duke’s brow creased. Oslo, noticing the subtle change, spoke up.

 “It rarely snows in the capital and in these parts, and how delighted they will be to see their first snowfall.” 

The duke imagined children wandering through a field of pure white snow.

 

The first time they see snow in the north, they will be amazed. The snow would be much whiter and colder than they expected, and they would touch it with their bare hands, like little puppies, without realizing that their fingertips were tingling.

 

Just as Theresia had done.

 

He picked up his pen again, feeling more relaxed, and a little bit worn out.

 

There was still a lot of paperwork to be done on the anomalies across the Empire. For the sake of the children’s peace and happiness, he could not back down.

  

***

  “Is it too much?” “Not a bit too much.” 

Eileen fiddled unaccustomed with the ribbons in her hair. She’d heard that colorful winter clothes with ruffles and ribbons were fashionable in the North, so she’d bought them, but she couldn’t help but feel out of place, since she usually wore plain or clean designs.

 

Lucian spoke in a very firm and clear voice.

 “You look very beautiful.” 

He meant it.

 

For every flutter of the white ribbon on her light brown hair, his heart skipped ten beats. Cordelia, wearily watching him wag his invisible tail, walked up the stairs first and held out her hand to Eileen.

 

They were now in front of the public warp gate operated by the tower.

 

“Well, take care and have a good trip. When you reach Ronsen, the butler of the villa and the escort who left earlier will be waiting for you.”

 

Instead of the busy Duke, it was Oslo who saw them off. After exchanging pleasantries, they walked to the gate. A wizard checked their

numbered tags, then called out.

 “Warp to Ronsen Warp Gate in twenty seconds. All non-warp targets, clear the stairs completely!” 

Eileen swallowed hard, feeling nervous for some reason since she had never warped before. She’d seen ghosts, demons, and wizards, but still, the sight of such fantastical elements made her heart flutter.

 “Chew.” 

Star, too, was peeking his head out of Eileen’s handbag, scanning his surroundings frantically.

 

When the time was up, light flashed from the magic circle on the floor. Eileen reflexively squeezed her eyes shut against the intense light, and when she opened them again, they were above the warp gate on Ronsen.

 “Whoa!” 

Eileen exclaimed, excited

by the instantaneous change in scenery.

 “This is amazing!” 

She looked back at Cordelia and Lucian, a look of bewilderment on her face.

 “What’s wrong with you guys?” “Ugh…” “Awww, the damn warp gate.” 

The two of them rolled on the floor, fighting back the rising nausea. The wizard in charge of the Ronsen branch handed them a potion with a familiarity.

 “If you suffer from warp motion sickness, take this.” 

Ah, motion sickness.

 

After offering her condolences to them as they gulped down the tasteless brown liquid, Eileen turned her head at the sound of someone approaching.

 

It was a combination of a middle-aged woman with a pleasant-looking face and a well-dressed middle-aged man.

 

“Hello, I’m Oliver, I manage Gaudium’s villa in Ronsen.”

 

“I’m Jane. I’m from the Knights of Gaudium, and I’m your escort this time.”

 

Eileen was the only one of them who seemed sane, so she opened her mouth with an embarrassed expression.

 “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, we’d say hello, but those guys are in such a state right now. Is there somewhere we can rest?” “I knew they would, so we prepared a carriage enchanted to prevent swaying. It’s only a short ride to the cottage, so you might want to rest quickly.” “We’ll do that then.” 

With Jane and the knight who had followed her at her side, they left the warp gate. As they opened the thick iron gates emblazoned with the sigil of the Tower, a picturesque snowy landscape greeted them.

 “Wow!” “It’s snow!” “It’s so white.” 

Even those suffering from motion sickness were temporarily distracted by the beauty of the scene: a veil of white snow lay on top of the quaint little houses, on top of the tall, shapely conifers, and even on the hats of the people walking down the street.

 “Cold and soft!” 

Lucian and Cordelia, who had grown up in a snowless province, were playing in the snow nearby, their faces full of wonder. Eileen, too, hadn’t seen snow in a long time, and she lightly flicked at the snow on the branches with nostalgia.

 

The tree vibrated lightly in resonance with Star’s excitement as he shook with glee. The trees shook off the snow that had accumulated on them, sending a shower of snow crystals crashing down on them.

 “Ah! hahaha, Star!” 

It was cold, but exhilarating. Eileen was about to pull a prank on Star when A familiar voice called out to her.

 “Eileen!” “Ah!” 

Eileen straightened her bent back and quickly turned to face the voice’s owner. There was Felix, smiling as sweetly as a spring sun.

Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advance chapters!!