The Returnee Wants Peace

She looked closely, thinking it might be an illusion, but it was real.

Her features were more mature than she remembered, and her height had subtly increased as well. The length of her hair remained the same, which was confusing, but it was clear that a considerable amount of time had passed.

‘How long has it been exactly? Surely it hasn’t been more than a year?’

It was also puzzling that her body felt too light for that to be the case.

There wasn’t a single part that felt stiff, and all her joints moved smoothly without any creaking.

Except for the fact that she still had no muscles, she was in top condition.

Just then.

Click-

The door opened carefully, and Berri entered with a tray.

On the tray was a basin filled with a colorful liquid and a dry towel. Seeing this, she immediately understood what had happened.

‘…Elixir. While I was asleep, Berri must have been maintaining my body with elixirs.’

Berri, concentrating on not spilling the basin, hadn’t noticed that she had woken up.

Rosha stared at Berri intently.

Her one and only personal maid had also changed a lot in the time she hadn’t seen her.

Her hair, which used to be close to a bob, had grown longer and was tied in a round bun, and her gait and mannerisms had become much more refined. And her expression too…

“Kyaaaa!”

…She was about to say it had become calmer.

Berri, making eye contact with her, dropped the tray. Rosha quickly stopped the basin that was about to spill on the floor in mid-air.

It was a quick action to not waste a single drop of the expensive elixir.

As if her time in the Trial of the Sacred Relic hadn’t been in vain, her magical power moved smoothly and delicately like it was her third hand.

“M-M-Miss!!”

“Yes.”

“When, when did you wake up? Are you feeling alright? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

An expression as if she had seen a ghost.

Just a moment ago, she thought Berri had changed a lot, but when she opened her mouth, it was exactly the same as before, which made her smile.

“Not long ago. I’m fine. You must have taken good care of me, thank you.”

“Uhuhu…”

As if the tension had been released, tears poured from Berri’s eyes.

Rosha quickly gestured for Berri to hold the basin, but she seemed too overwhelmed to understand the gesture. Berri, wiping her eyes, rushed to Rosha and hugged her tightly.

Oh, oh… hey, it’s going to spill!

Seeing her cry as if a dead person had come back to life, Rosha couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

By this point, one question arose.

Rosha, patting Berri’s back until she calmed down, asked casually as her tears subsided:

“So, how long was I asleep for?”

* * *

Everything in Rosha’s room in the estate remained the same.

The carpet, the desk, the chair – everything was exactly as she remembered, with nothing changed.

Rosha put down the quill she was holding and leaned back in the chair, letting out a sigh.

“Haah…”

Three years had passed. It was unexpected.

No wonder her appearance seemed a bit different. Come to think of it, this face was one she had only seen around the age of twenty in her previous world.

‘…I feel like I only stayed in the Trial of the Sacred Relic for about half a year.’

Looking at the blue window’s message, it was certainly that way.

The Trial of the Sacred Relic has ended.

-2nd Record: 174 days 5 hours 24 minutes 03 seconds

Part of your memory will be sealed for the fairness of the next trial.

The next trial…

Anyway, although part of her memory was said to be sealed, she had written down everything she could recall about the trial’s content on paper so as not to forget.

Rosha, scanning the papers scattered on the desk, then examined Hildor.

The old-era pistol that had gone through the Trial of the Sacred Relic.

Its appearance had certainly improved. Unlike before when it looked shabby, the silver barrel now shone with elegant decorations.

Normally, she would have wanted to test its performance right away, but not now.

“…”

She looked in the mirror. Berri hadn’t noticed, probably because she was crying so much, but her eyes had changed to a brilliant golden color.

Even with just half a year, such changes had occurred.

What kind of situation were the people here in after three years had passed?

‘…But Cedric is safe, so Berri must have gone to call him.’

She felt like she was going to die of anxiety.

Earlier, thinking it might be better to face it head-on, she had considered asking Berri about the situation. But fearing that something might have happened to someone she knew, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

In the end, she had no choice but to wait quietly in her room until Cedric arrived.

It was then.

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, a familiar object caught Rosha’s eye.

It was the small notebook she had once used to exchange written messages with Froy, like real-time chatting.

‘Froy…’

Rosha stared at the notebook neatly placed on the desk for a while, then opened it as if reminiscing.

The first short text from when they were testing the notebook could be seen.

-Is this how it’s done? Oh, it really works?

-I told you it would. You didn’t believe me, but now you believe after trying it yourself?

-(~_~)

Smiling slightly, she turned to the next page, where the messages they had exchanged during the time they were separated due to the sixth trial continued.

It was about the state of affairs in the capital and the situation on this side.

‘That’s right. We did this back then.’

Rosha, tracing the drawings scattered throughout with her fingertip, flipped the pages.

As far as she remembered, there hadn’t been any written exchanges after this, but strangely, it was densely filled with elegant handwriting.

…What’s this?

-The cold winter has passed, and spring is approaching. It’s already been a fortnight since you fell asleep.

-Princess Illien Marcia has declared that she will postpone her coronation until you wake up. It’s not at all helpful for the Empire, but I think it’s fine nonetheless.

It was like… a letter addressed to her.

As if telling her what had happened during that time, various stories unfolded in Froy’s slanted handwriting.

The Princess’s coronation was held only after half a year had passed since the Emperor went missing, and Heres, who had finally entered into magic after much effort, was elevated to Marquis Lycaon.

The Trials continued, and a magic academy was newly established in the capital.

The content, written chronologically like that, ended with:

-I received a call from God. They say there’s a way to find you. I hope we can meet this time.

There was nothing more after this sentence.

‘…What happened? What about after this?’

Looking at the hastily scribbled writing, she suddenly felt anxious. She felt she needed to find out where Froy was right away to feel at ease.

At that moment.

With the sound of someone running breathlessly down the corridor, the door flung open.

“Rosha!”

Cedric, catching his breath while gripping the doorknob, met her eyes.

As if holding back surging emotions, he bit his lower lip hard, then strode over and hugged her tightly.

“Rosha, my sister. I’m so glad. That you’ve woken up…”

He looked quite haggard, as if he had been through a lot of emotional stress. She had heard three years had passed, but he looked even older than she expected.

…By the way, where was Cassis? She thought he would come with Cedric.

“Cassis went to resolve a Trial.”

“Huh? Trial?”

“Yes, don’t be surprised and listen carefully. This is already the twenty-eighth Trial.”

“…What?”

“Cassis is with Koko. It should be ending soon… Anyway, he’ll be back shortly.”

Her head was spinning.

For three years to have passed, the progress of the Trials seemed quite fast, but it wasn’t an incomprehensible situation.

Just then.

A knight opened the door with a knock and poked his head in, shouting:

“Count! We just received news that the Trial’s rift has disappeared. The second young master is said to be safe with only minor injuries.”

“Is that so?”

Cedric smiled happily. However, Rosha focused on a different part.

“…Count? Why are they calling you Count? What about grandfather?”

The knight, finally noticing Rosha in Cedric’s arms, screamed in shock.

Regardless of that.

She looked seriously at Cedric’s face, which was gradually becoming clouded.

…No way.

Rosha’s heart sank as she sensed something.