Chapter 17 - Think Of Me As A Comrade

Chapter 17 – Think Of Me As A Comrade

The Grand Duke, who they hadn’t been able to contact for a day, went back to his residence.

Kaligo took off his coat and handed it to Redin as soon as he entered his bedroom. “I’m going for a trip.”

With a puzzled face and the coat in hand, Redin asked, “What… do you mean, Your Excellency?”

“I said I’m going for a trip.”

“…Trip?” He stared blankly.

Kaligo called Melanie to bring his suitcase and some clothes. The maid did her work, trembling all the while, and Redin finally came to his senses.

“To where? No, how long will you be gone? This is quite unexpected…”

Kaligo stroked his chin as he watched Melanie packing his clothes. “Are the clothes enough?”

Melanie stood with ramrod-straight back as she answered, “Yes, my lord. However, all of your clothes are thin…”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ignoring how surprised Redin was, Kaligo was busy looking down on his bag while trying to figure out what more he needed. “I don’t know how long it will take, or where I am going.”

“…”

He was asked where he was going; his face was needlessly serious as if he encountered an unexpected difficulty.

“Uhm… it will be a week at most, so try your best not to let the outside world know.”

He didn’t even ask how long they would take. He was afraid that she would change her mind if he asked trivial questions.

“…By the way, Your Excellency.”

“What?”

Alternately looking between Kaligo and his suitcase, Redin continued talking, “Did you know that Kyrian is coming back tomorrow?”

“… Ah.” Kaligo, who already turned his back, looked again at Redin. “Is it really tomorrow?”

“Yes, didn’t you say you’d like to meet him when he arrives?”

‘Hmm’

Kaligo took a deep breath.

Kyrian was rescued alongside Kaligo on the day he was in an accident. As the years passed, the child showed a talent for swordsmanship, catching Kaligo’s attention. Because of this, he was able to receive formal training.

Apparently, he was scheduled to return tomorrow after safely graduating.

“…Just play with him until I get back,” Kaligo said nonchalantly.

He was the least of his troubles.

“Play… with him? Don’t you know how active that child is? I will die, Your Excellency.”

“…”

As Kaligo was busy packing his things again, Redin sighed and said softly, “…I will summon the off-duty knights.”

“That’s better.”

Redin knew that he couldn’t handle Kyrian’s stamina alone. Sparring, sparring, and sparring. He was a monster who could stay up all night training. Redin thought that he should select knights with good physical strength to play with Kyrian on his behalf.

Anyway, about the Grand Duke’s trip… Due to the side effects of the potion, there have been few vacancies in the Grand Duke’s residence… He was worried about Kaligo since Kyrian’s work had been roughly finished.

“By the way, what are you going to do about the side effects? Do you have any countermeasures?”

“Hmm…”

When Kaligo stopped moving and fell into deep thinking, it only deepened Redin’s worries.

The Grand Duke had been making great efforts not to disclose his body’s condition to the outside world. Wasn’t he a Grand Duke who already had a lot of enemies? His health condition was top-secret, and yet recently, Kaligo had been acting without hesitation as if he didn’t care about being found out anytime.

Knowing the efforts he had made in the past until now. Redin’s concerns were only natural. Besides, he was going alone on a trip without a single escort.

“Can you please reconsider, Your Excellency?”

“…”

Kaligo’s head turned to Redin.

“The Grand Duke of the Karhan Empire is traveling alone. You should have four or five escorts by your side…”

“Ah, are you talking about someone who will protect me?” Kaligo raised his eyebrows

Redin’s sigh only deepened. “…It’s not that you don’t know; even a dagger can stab you from behind.”

Heh

Kaligo laughed as if it was a needless worry. “I don’t need someone weak enough to die for me. I have no intention of disposing of the body while on a trip, so don’t give me anyone.”

He wouldn’t be alone, to be precise, but he didn’t want to tell him he would be with Ashia. If he asked questions after that, he would be annoyed.

“Please don’t do that. Wait one more day, then take Kyrian with you when he arrives. Didn’t you train him to keep him by your side?”

“Staying next to me doesn’t mean he needs to stick with me.”

“Then give him a suitable job. Whether it is using his brain or body, else he will lose his mind if his head is just hanging around.”

“Is he a person to be used? Where?” Kaligo laughed silently as he picked up his clothes hearing Redin’s grumbling. “The butler of my family is speaking weakly, is it because you’re getting older?”

“You shouldn’t forget, Your Excellency, that I am younger than you.”

“…If you have time to say things like that, would you like to help me with my luggage?”

“Didn’t you already take care of everything?”

“I’m asking for help since I don’t know a thing.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The two men put their heads together and focused on packing the suitcase. It was a small bag that was less than half of Kaligo’s upper body.

There have been times when dozens of wagons and wagons were used to transport military supplies to the battlefield. But for some reason, filling a small bag in front of them seemed dozens of times more difficult than that.

It was a bright morning.

Unlike the men who spent all night packing, Ashia woke up from her deep sleep and was greeted with a refreshing morning.

“Aww!” She stretched out her legs and arms, simply relaxing, as soon as she got out of bed.

It was a morning like any other – she opened the closed windows and briefly cleaned the storefront. She bought freshly baked bread, fruit, and even fresh milk, then returned. After briefly eating, she changed clothes and opened the door.

There was no need for her to open shop as it was the day she would be going to get the ingredients, but he had said he would come early in the morning.

‘Oh, robe!’

Ashia found the robe she had forgotten to put on and pulled the hood tight. She seemed to be thinking about something, staring at herself in the mirror.

Jingle~

The door opened.

“…You came?”

“Yes.”

Ashia walked over to Kaligo, looking at his suitcase. “What’s that?”

“Travel bag.”

“…”

She sighed and reached out. “Give it to me.”

“…You mean this suitcase?”

“Yes.” Asha snatched the cute-looking bag from his large hand. “Can I open it?”

“Of course.”

She put the bag down on the floor and opened it to see some neatly organized clothes. “A travel bag…” she murmured

Kaligo asked carefully, “Did I miss anything?”

“Um, no. Nothing is lacking. It’s actually too much.”

“…”

“For now, I will move all the clothes inside your bag. I think we can leave the rest alone.” After speaking, Ashia walked to the store door and locked it. “We will be there for a week, and fortunately I have a lot of space. I think I can accommodate Your Excellency with what I had just prepared now.”

Kaligo followed her with his eyes. “It would be a bother.”

“…I decided to think of you as my comrade since the moment we decided to go together. Let’s do well together.”

“Comrade…”

Ashia cleared out his bag. “Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I have eaten.”

“What about medicine?”

“That too.”

Ashia smiled brightly at his answer. “Good job. So let’s get started, shall we?”

“Great.”

When Ashia had finished organizing everything and put the bag on her shoulder, Kaligo took the bag from her hand.

“Ah…”

“I’m not rude enough to make a lady carry a load.”

“…Thank you.” Slightly clearing her throat, Ashia immediately summoned the gate. It was a beautiful gate drawn by the light resembling her eyes. “Come in.”

“Yes.”

Ashia turned to Kaligo and went inside the gate, and so Kaligo also followed her inside.

A lush green forest appeared when the two people came out of the gate. It was obviously the middle of winter in the Karhan Empire, but this place was full of the energy of a spring day.

“You have to follow along.”

“Yes.”

As Ashia took the lead and entered the lush forest entrance, Kaligo also fixed her bag and followed her. He walked slowly behind Ashia, watching her every move. Whether it was because she hadn’t been there for a long time, or whether the plants grew fast, there were no traces of people in the area.

Tough grass grew tall on the ground, blocking footsteps, and even sunlight seemed obscured by the tangled branches overhead.

“Here, even a single leaf or even a single branch like this can be used as a material.”

“…I see.”

Drawing out a dagger filled with magical power, Ashia then cut off the branches, and tall grass blocking the front, making her way. The way she held the danger and slashed the branches was quite absurd.

Kaligo’s eyes narrowed as she stared at her back.