Leave a comment
Three years had passed. 1
The incident from three years ago; Sir Shioni, an inspector issued by the Royal Capital, and Rahal, a Highlander that accompanied him, lost their lives during an inspection in the city Ymir. However, the position of Ymir and its lord Marquis Wilford was protected and unchanged.
Another inspector was sent by the Royal Capital after that and he brought no Highlander with him. After investigating the details of the case, it was judged that the city Ymir was innocent.
It was not hard to imagine that there were efforts made by Eris and Raphael behind the judgment.Within the last three years, Inglis had intensified her training.
Rafinha usually kept her company, mainly training her own archery with Inglis.
The day after they reached the age of 15…
A wagon was parked outside the outer gate of the city Ymir.
Standing there were Inglis and Rafinha, their parents who came to see them off, the knights of Ymir and the residents of the city.
「Rafinha, take care. Make sure to get along with Raphael in the capital. And pay our gratitude to Ms. Eris if you meet her.」
「Yes, Father. I will write to you as soon as we reach there. Big brother Rafa rarely sends us any, perhaps because he is busy, so I will be the one updating our situation in his stead.」Rafinha, who was hugging her father with a smile on her face, had grown quite mature at the age of 15 in Inglis’ mind.
She was now beginning to show her womanly appeal, and with her bright personality on the table, her charm was overflowing.
She grew up to be quite the beauty that would warrant a second glance if you ever passed by her on the street.
At the age of 15, Rafinha was going to officially enroll in the Knighting School in the Royal Capital. Since Inglis enrolled together with Rafinha, she was going with her.
Today was the day of departure.
On the surface, Inglis was just a Runeless, a person who was not granted a Rune.
A Runeless could not be a formal Knight of the nation, at most they were allowed to become an apprentice knight.
However, it was possible to enroll in the Knighting School even without possessing a Rune, since there was also a course opened for private squires.
Although the courses she would receive were different from formal knights such as Rafinha, there were also a lot of common grounds in academic lectures and martial arts training itself.
Plus, since they would live in the same dormitory, their livelihood wouldn’t change too drastically.
「I ask you again, Inglis. I leave Rafinha in your care」
「Yes. You don’t need to worry.」
As Inglis nodded in affirmation, Marquis Wilford whispered in her ear.
「If there are any bugs swarming around her, swat them away for me, okay? This child of mine is brimming with curiosity, after all.」
「Roger. You can leave that to me, Lord Marquis」
In Inglis’ opinion, Rafinha was still too young to have a lover, anyway.
Rafinha might be Marquis Wilford’s beloved daughter, but for Inglis, she was akin to a granddaughter she never had.
「Well, I’m sure those bugs will come to you instead if you’re next to her. Either way, I’m relying on you.」
Whereas Rafinha’s cuteness was one that would invite second glances, Inglis’ beauty was one that would easily enrapture anyone in just a moment.
Her silvery hair that gleamed like moonlight and her ruby-red crimson eyes only appeared more refined as time passed, while her supple skin only grew more feminine.
She still looked more mature than her actual age, even at the age of 15, her appearance suggested that she was 18. 2 By now she had already become an unrivaled, impeccable beauty that couldn’t be disproved by anyone and anything.
「But to have a daughter this beautiful, doesn’t that invite a lot of concern as her father? Right, Ryuk?」
Claimed Marquis Wilford to her father, Ryuk, who also went to see the two girls off.
「It may be presumptuous of me to say this as her father but what you said is true. No matter where I brought her, she never even once brought shame to me, which actually made me feel troubled instead.」
「It’s alright, it’s alright! We can just make Glis the future marchioness!」
Said Rafinha with a smile. 3
「Hm. If it’s Inglis, even that introverted son of mine couldn’t be helped but be entranced by her.」
「……If so, arrogant as I may sound, the future of Ymir would be bright indeed. Of course, this is left to how young master Raphael wills it.」
「Yeah, yeah! If it’s Glis, then that’s for sure!」4
The trio merrily chatted away.
Apparently, her close relatives had placed an expectation on her for growing up so beautifully.
「Wait a minute… everyone, please calm down.」
What about my opinion……!?
Inglis couldn’t help thinking that.
It wasn’t that Raphael was a bad partner, it was simply impossible for her to marry a man. 5 Just imagining it sent shivers down her back. After all, her mind was still that of a male.
Marrying a woman would be more ideal for her.
For the time being, Inglis coughed to gain control of the room.
「I am a squire who serves Rani. As I am accompanying her to the Capital in order to learn more of what I can do for her, I don’t intend to waste my opportunity there.」
Right after her proclamation, their mothers rushed over, out of breath.
「Rafinha!」
「Inglis!」
Each of them carried a large bundle under their arm.
「Mother!」
「Mother!」
「「Sorry for the wait! Here is your lunch!」」
The two mothers’ lines synchronized perfectly.
Each brought a bundle enough for a grown man’s three days worth of provision.
Those were clearly beyond mere lunchboxes but for Inglis and Rafinha, that amount was normal.
The two of them ate several times more than a normal person. 6
This didn’t apply to only the two of them, but also Raphael, Selena, as well as Irina. Their mothers’ appetites and metabolism had been inherited by their children.
Therefore, when the two families got together for a family meal, what one would see was the sight of two grown men dazed at the amount of food wolfed down by the females.
「「Thank you very much!」」
Looking at their daughters’ smiles, the two mothers hugged them with eyes full of tears.
「Take care of your body…… treasure Lil’ Glis as much as you can.」
「You two will always have each other, okay? It may prove difficult but don’t let go of each other.」
When she thought about it, in her past life as King Inglis, she was born as the only child of farmers from a poor village, and her parents had passed on by the time she reached the age of eight.
Compared to that, these 15 years of her life as Inglis Eux was blessed with her parents’ love and her surroundings, as she was allowed to practice as much as she wanted without any major inconvenience.
As for the rest of the coming years, she would venture out to the big wide world and further polish herself in battles.
She believed that in the Royal Capital where a lot of people and information gathered, it would be possible to meet a tough opponent. After all, information regarding such opponents would surely spread around the population.
And if the country mobilized the students from the Knighting School for emergency affairs, she might be able to stand on the front line.
With these anticipations of hers, she and Rafinha left their hometown Ymir, all the while expressing her gratitude for their parents.
「We’re off!」
「Thank you for taking care of us, we’re off! Everyone, take care!」
Whilst waving their hands to the people seeing them off, the wagon began to take off.
Inglis was the one holding the reins while Rafinha was sitting next to her.
After her parents’ figures fully vanished from her sight, Rafinha sniffled.
Goodbyes were always such sad affairs and she couldn’t stop the tears brimming in her eyes.
「Come on, Rani. Don’t cry. The hard part is still ahead—」
Inglis wiped Rafinha’s tears with her fingertips.
「Y, yeah… you’re right. I have Glis with me too. Thanks. Okay, let’s eat our lunch now~𝅘𝅥𝅮 I’m starting to get hungry!」
Rafinha immediately took out the lunchbox from the roofed wagon behind them.
「Ah, not fair! You know I can’t take my hands off the reins……!」
「Here, I’ll feed you 𝅘𝅥𝅮 」
Rafinha thrust a sandwich into Inglis’ mouth.
「Dh-, dhank yhou….. nomnom. Idh ghoot……」
Although it was just a sandwich, it was still her mother’s cooking, one that she wouldn’t be able to relish in again for a while.
She should enjoy it while it lasted.
Behind the two girls who were enjoying their lunch, the fortified city of Ymir gradually faded into the distance.
