◈ 499. [Side Story]
Right after the New Year’s festival talks are over.
Hotel Crossroads. backyard garden.
“Hush hush.”
Sitting in the wheelchair, Lily slowly rocked Sid back and forth in her arms. Sid was sleeping peacefully, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.
‘When she was in her stomach, she harassed her like that.’
Lily smiled unconsciously.
‘Why are you so calm after coming out into the world?’
She was like an angel who faded after she was born, perhaps knowing that she tortured her mother severely when she was born.
Thanks to her quiet and dignified nature, Lily, who was physically uncomfortable, was of great help in raising children.
“… .”
Lily recalled the story she had poured out at the conference a moment ago.
‘Carlyle… … .’
Repeating the name of her lover who never returned, Lily peered into her sleeping son’s eyebrows.
The two of them are quietly spending time together.
that buck that buck
Footsteps were heard.
Lily looked back and sighed in bewilderment.
“omg… .”
“… .”
The old king with white beard, who had yelled at Lily at the beginning of the meeting, was there.
After entering the garden, the old king walked straight to where Lily and Sid were. Lily swallowed in embarrassment.
“… .”
The old king approached and carefully examined Lily and Sid before slowly opening his mouth.
“Did you say senior wizard Lily?”
His voice was still sullen, but unlike before, the tone softened a little. Lily replied bewildered.
“yes? yes… .”
“Kuhm… .”
The old king hesitated for a moment, then looked around and spat out reluctantly.
“I want to apologize for my rudeness earlier.”
“… ?”
“I came to apologize for ignoring you as a commoner mercenary.”
As Lily stood there blankly, the old king furrowed his brow.
“Are you not going to accept my apology?”
“Oh no! no! sorry. bewildered… … .”
“Anything else to be sorry about? I am here to apologize.”
But why are you angry… … .
In front of Lily, who shrank in thought, the old king brushed his beard.
“Innate talent is everything that determines a wizard’s realm. I think so.”
“yes? Ah yes… .”
“But you have weak natural talent and you can’t even use your legs.”
“… .”
Are you here to apologize?
Lily was taken aback by the old king’s attitude of dissing right in front of her face. The old king looked directly at Lily.
“However, with a body like that, you can build a major like that. Great.”
“Ah yes… .”
“Did I praise you? thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“okay. There are very few wizards in the world who have been directly praised by me. You can consider it an honor.”
Lily broke out in a cold sweat because she didn’t know what the old man was doing.
Excited, the old king snorted and moved his gaze to Sid in Lily’s arms.
“Can I see the child?”
Lily involuntarily shrank and hugged Sid deeply. The old king shook his head slightly.
“I don’t mean to harm you. Just a moment.”
“… .”
“That’s because there’s something I want to confirm. It will be good for the future of the child.”
Lily tried to refuse to the end. It was then.
“cadet.”
Sid woke up from sleep and opened his eyes wide to face the old king. His eyes were full of curiosity, as if he were seeing something very strange.
Sid struggled and the old king gestured again.
Lily reluctantly and slowly entrusted Sid to the Old King’s hands. The old king held the child with surprisingly delicate and careful hands.
“… You have great mana sensitivity.”
After carefully examining Sid’s small body, the old king finally met Sid’s eyes.
“I’ve never seen talent like this.”
Sid looked at the old king with his big light green eyes and then smiled.
Then the old king laughed out loud.
“… ?!”
When Lily, frightened, rubbed her eyes and closed them, the old king returned to his solemn face.
‘Was it an illusion… … ?’
The old king slowly returned Sid to Lily. For some reason, the touch was dripping with regret, but the face was still strict.
“Actually, it’s because of this kid that I approached you.”
“yes… ?”
“At first glance, you can see great talent. I wanted to check. Oh, of course, the apology I just made was sincere. Please stop misunderstanding.”
Sweeping down his white beard, the old king leaned back.
“Grow well. And if this child wants to become a wizard in the future, come to the Ivory Tower. This ivory tower owner, Diarmudin, will teach you directly.”
Only then did Lily realize the identity of the old king.
The mage tower where the world’s best wizards gathered. In recognition of its power, it is the smallest country in the world that has acquired the status of an independent country with a small tower where only a few dozen people stay.
He was the owner of the ivory tower.
Lily hesitated and asked cautiously.
“Are you serious?”
“hmm?”
“This child is of mixed blood between an elf and a human… .”
This mixed race is treated worse than a slave, let alone a commoner.
It was not easy for Lily to understand that this old man, who seemed to be proud of his status, would teach the lowly treated Sid.
“Did you tell me? It is natural talent that determines the level of a wizard.”
The old king clicked his tongue briefly.
“I am an aristocrat by nature. For most wizards, magic talent is passed down from generation to generation, and nobles often have excellent magic talent. It came naturally.”
“… .”
“But with such an overwhelming talent, such a standard is meaningless. This kid has the potential to be the best of his generation, ignoring all bloodlines. That’s why I want to grow it myself.”
The old king, the lord of the ivory tower, Diarmudin, was an arrogant aristocrat who looked down on the common people. But before that, he was a meritocrat.
At first glance, he had these two seemingly contradictory values at the same time. Lily muttered to herself involuntarily.
‘This is why a wizard is… … .’
Everyone is weird in one way or another. Being herself a wizard herself, Lily thought so.
Old King Diarmudin nodded.
“Don’t worry about tuition. The ivory tower doesn’t have enough room to get something like that from a poor commoner mercenary.”
Although he was saying something expensive, he felt the meaning for Sid anyway.
Lily bowed her head slightly.
“Thank you for that… .”
I don’t know how Sid will grow in the future.
There was no reason not to be grateful that the head of the highest level of the world’s mage tower had said this.
“I have raised children too, but raising children is hard work. Maybe as much as fighting on the battlefield.”
Diarmudin stroked his long beard and turned around.
“I wish both you and the child a blessing. then.”
Then he put his hands behind his back and strode out of the garden.
Seeing the old king walking away, Lily hugged Sid in her arms. Sid was yawning lightly as if he was sleepy again.
“… Baby, everyone is blessing you.”
Not only colleagues, but also many great kings and… … .
– Thanks born.
even to monsters.
Sid was blessed with the birth.
Of course, there will be many more difficult things in the future as well as this blessing. Even if it is.
“You will definitely be happy.”
Lily gently pressed her forehead to the child’s warm forehead and whispered a prayerful prayer.
Promising that he would do even the part of Carlyle who had disappeared.
“Mom… And we will all make it happen together.”
***
A few days after the meeting.
“Whoa.”
When I woke up in the morning and went out to the restaurant, Evangeline and Damian jumped out as if they had been waiting.
“Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year!”
Then, in front of me, it snarled and scattered winter petals.
“… .”
what.
I think I saw this scene last year too.
Anyway, this time I knew what day it was because I had looked at the calendar in advance. I glanced at the calendar hanging on the dining room wall.
January 1st.
Winter rushed forward, and the new year finally dawned again.
At the restaurant, like last year, Lucas and Junior are preparing a meal. The two who found me smiled and showed an example.
“… .”
Reluctantly, I took turns examining these four.
Everyone has grown a lot in one year.
Evangeline grew taller, Damian became a young man from a boy, and Junior improved his complexion beyond recognition.
And Lucas, who had a dangerous blade-like momentum that had a cool look somewhere… … It became more gentle and peaceful.
I smiled at those party members.
“Happy New Year, Yonsuks.”
When I sat down at the table, the chef came out with a pot of steam.
It was a meatball stew that was eaten every New Year’s Day. All the children laughed out loud as if they were excited as they received the dishes the chef was sharing.
I was also smiling on the outside. but.
“… .”
Ader, who served at this place last year, is nowhere to be seen now.
So my heart was heavy.
Ader disappeared after the Battle of the Ecliptic. First of all, according to administrative procedures, it is said that it is a medical leave due to deteriorating health.
‘Where did you go, the director guy… … .’
I’m worried because I can’t see this.
It’s been quite some time since I met an unknown face… … .
‘I should go to the dungeon soon.’
Like the Battle of the Ecliptic, he was too busy with work on the ground, so he neglected to enter the dungeon.
I’ll try to get in there as soon as possible. Meet anonymous and… … I need to find information on what condition Ader is in.
“Seniors!”
I was lost in my thoughts and I was idly cooking and rolling the stew when Evangeline called me.
Startled, I looked over as I splashed some stew.
“Huh huh? what?”
“Look at this. Because you weren’t listening.”
“Uh huh. It is because the lord is so busy with the future of the world and pending issues piled up in the crossroads. We have to understand.”
“Hi, you are very loyal… No, I’m a faithful loyalist.”
I scratched the back of my neck as I alternately looked at Evangeline and Lucas exchanging conversations.
“I’m sorry. I have something to think about… … What were you talking about?”
The answer was given by Damian with a smile on his behalf.
“It’s the New Year’s celebration today, and I was asking if you could afford to play with us!”
“A New Year’s celebration?”
I tilted my head.
Originally, was there such an event on New Year’s Day? Wasn’t it a day to just sprinkle meat stew and go to the temple to pray?
Then Junior continued his explanation in a calm voice.
“Why didn’t you hold the fall festival this year?”
“uh… Then I saw it.”
So many things happened this fall.
Crossroads had to fight a defensive battle, gather forces for the Ecliptic Strategy, and rush to dispatch troops to the Ecliptic.
The emperor New Terra also had all the citizens brainwashed and imprisoned by Fernandez. The Fall Festival was not held.
So, it seems that this year’s autumn festivals all over the empire have gone awry.
“So instead… It’s a bit small to say, but they decided to hold a New Year’s festival today.”
“Eh? Who decided that?”
“I heard that you received approval from the Crown Prince from the Winter Silver Merchant a few days ago? The serenade lady prepared hard.”
The Wintersilver Merchant received approval from me?
‘Come to think of it, it seems that he signed the official document for permission.’
In the first place, the past few days have been ignorantly busy.
He made detailed agreements with the kings and adjusted the amount of troops and military supplies to be conscripted according to the circumstances of each country… … They saw off the departing kings one by one, shook hands, drew commemorative portraits, and… .
It seems that such a payment came up while he was busy without blinking his eyes.
“Anyway, so! How?! Answer me quickly!”
Evangeline asked, scooping new stew into a cleanly emptied stew bowl.
“Can you play with us?!”
The rest of the party looked at me with expectant eyes.
I let out a small sigh and asked cautiously.
“… A festival isn’t another dance festival, right?”
It’s because I don’t want to do a dance show alone in front of all the citizens like last year’s fall festival!
