The Viscount cleared his throat lightly and spoke.
"I should like to offer you compensation. Is there anything you need?"
At that, Alex spoke carefully.
"That is... I destroyed a dungeon by mistake, did I not?"
The Viscount waved his hand quickly. He had heard about that from his son.
"It is no matter. There are two more dungeons in the north. Besides, did a goblin shaman not appear in a lowest-grade dungeon?"
The Viscount furrowed his brow as he spoke.
"Having so strange a dungeon at the south gate is the more dangerous thing. There is no telling when a dungeon break might burst out. It was a dungeon that offered nothing but difficulty in managing it."
It was a lowest-grade dungeon that only novice mercenaries entered.
Mercenaries skilled enough to bring down a goblin shaman would never come to a dungeon that paid nothing.
"And when it uses magic no one has ever seen, poison magic and magic that weakens the body, that makes it more troublesome still."
[? Never seen?]
[There's no poison magic or weakening magic here?]
Magic of the sort demonkind or their servants, the black mages, would use was still unknown in this era.
"Do you happen to know anything about those spells, Alex?"
Ethan Kaldis asked, since magic they were seeing for the first time might already be known to a mage.
Alex shook his head.
"No, it was the first time I had seen them as well."
"I see."
The Viscount and the young lord nodded. It really was fortunate that it had been destroyed.
"And besides, is a mere dungeon worth more than the lives of my son and the people of my domain?"
At those words from the Viscount, Alex smiled and went on.
"It is hardly a fair exchange, but you would do well to beware of snow this winter."
"Snow?"
"Yes. An acquaintance of mine is a remarkable mage."
[Ahem!]
"He tells me a great deal of snow will fall on the Kaldis domain this winter."
[I never said that?]
[Ah, that's the story we're going with?]
Alex was already a remarkable mage, and here was an even greater one. Somehow it inspired confidence.
"Understood. We shall take care."
The Viscount nodded.
"That aside, you have still not told me what compensation you wish."
"Please speak freely, Alex."
[Ask for land! Land!]
Urged by the young lord and Two Hundred, Alex spoke.
"I would be grateful if you would give me a small portion of the grassland to the north."
"The northern grassland?"
At Alex's words, the Viscount and Viscountess, and the young lord as well, looked puzzled.
They already knew that Alex and Leo came from Bello Village.
Leaving the village where they had lived suggested they meant to go elsewhere, and yet he asked for grassland rather than money.
"Yes. I think it would help us make a living when we come back."
The Viscount and the young lord met each other's eyes.
So he did not mean to settle elsewhere, but to leave for a time and return?
If so, that was good news.
Even if he was not a mage in House Kaldis' service, having him settle nearby meant they could call on his help.
"As much as you like. Do you have a place in mind?"
At the Viscount's question, asked with private delight, Alex described where the lower-middle-grade dungeon would appear in the 'future'. But since it was nothing but empty grassland, he could not give an exact location.
"Then I shall go and look at it with you tomorrow."
The Viscount and Alex agreed to the young lord's suggestion.
[Development-zone real estate, secured!]
[This is what regression is for!]
While he was listening to Two Hundred's delighted voice, a small voice spoke up.
"Um... if Leo is going... may I go too?"
It was Arden.
"You as well, Arden?"
"Arden, this is a matter for adults."
"...But...."
At his father's and brother's words, Arden's gaze drifted to Leo without his meaning it to.
Recalling how lively her timid younger son had become, the Viscountess asked gently,
"Will Leo be going with you tomorrow, by any chance, Alex?"
At the sound of his own name, Leo, who had been eating cake, opened his eyes wide and round.
Understanding the Viscountess' intent, Alex smiled and asked,
"Leo, would you like to come out north with Uncle tomorrow?"
"I would! I want to go!"
At that, Arden looked at the adults with sparkling, pleading eyes. The Viscount and Viscountess and the young lord laughed at how adorable he looked.
"Then let us take Arden along as well."
"Do not get in the way of your brother's work."
"I will absolutely not get in the way...!"
Arden said, eyes shining.
"In that case, why not prepare a packed lunch for tomorrow?"
Ethan Kaldis suggested that since they were going anyway, they should eat lunch there.
"That sounds fine. The cooking at the inn where I am staying is good, so I will bring some."
At Alex's reply, Leo's eyes lit up.
"Uncle! Can Sophia come too?"
"Who is Sophia?"
"She's my friend!"
Leo answered Ethan Kaldis boldly. Alex added,
"She is the soldier Kane's daughter."
"Ah. That will be fine, then."
When Ethan Kaldis nodded, Leo shot both hands into the air.
"Whoaaa! A picnic!"
"A picnic...!"
Arden, both cheeks flushed with excitement, threw up his hands in the same cheer without meaning to.
[Hooray!]
[A picnic lunch!!]
Somehow tomorrow's appointment had turned into a picnic.
***
After the meal ended,
seen off by a reluctant Arden, Alex and Leo returned to the inn.
"Leo!"
"Sophia!"
Though the evening was rather late, Sophia was there, apparently having waited for Leo.
"How was the viscount's manor?"
"It was sooo splendid! And this big!"
Leo stretched his short arms out wide to show the size. Sophia went Whoa! in wonder, and Hallon and Matthew and the few remaining guests burst out laughing.
"And you know what! They gave us presents too!"
"Presents?"
At Leo's gesture, Alex smiled and opened the box he had been carrying. Inside were beautiful desserts.
"Whoa!!"
"These are really good. Try one, Sophia! You too, Grandpa and Big Brother Matthew!"
At Leo's words, Matthew and Sophia quickly fetched plates and portioned out bits of cake. The owner, Hallon, had no chance to say a word.
"Those two...."
Alex and the guests burst out laughing at Hallon's exasperation.
"Everyone, please enjoy!"
"Us too?"
Small slices of cake were passed to the guests as well. Everyone tried a bite with a delighted face.
"Whoaaa! It's delicious!!"
"So rich and nutty!"
"I think this is sweeter than candy?"
Exclamations rose from all around.
"I'll save this for my mother!"
When Sophia said that, Leo held out his own cake as well.
"I ate a lot already, so give this to your mother too."
"Really? Thank you, Leo!"
Sophia beamed, and Leo smiled brightly in return.
"And you know what. Do you want to go on a picnic tomorrow?"
"A picnic?"
"Yeah. I'm going with Big Brother Arden."
While Leo told Sophia about it, Alex explained to Hallon.
"Hmm. Is it really all right for our Sophia to go?"
House Kaldis were decent nobles, but nobles all the same, and it weighed on him.
"I will look after her well, so please don't worry. And look how happy Sophia is."
At Alex's words, Hallon looked at Sophia. She was already talking excitedly with Leo about what they would do tomorrow.
"All right. I will leave it to you, then. I had better pack a generous lunch!"
Alex laughed at the sight of Hallon squaring his shoulders at the thought of nobles eating his cooking.
***
The next morning.
Alex, awake earlier than Leo, went out to the inn's backyard and checked his condition.
"The circle is fine, and the mana circuit has improved."
[A disaster turned to fortune, is it.]
[Your circle has thickened. And the circuit has widened, if only a little.]
Just as Two Hundred said, Alex could feel that his mana had increased.
[That doesn't mean you can overuse it like that every time.]
"I know. That was a one-time thing."
[A one-time thing?]
[If an enemy like the goblin shaman shows up, can you stay calm?]
"...Hmm."
Alex could not answer. He had no confidence that he could.
[You see?]
[The first thing you need to train is your mind. You should take better care of your body!]
"...You turned yourself into a lich for revenge."
[...Hmm.]
A human and a lich, both of whom had failed to take care of their own bodies for the sake of revenge, fell silent at the same time.
[...All right. Shall we try some magic!]
"Let's."
Both of them decided the last exchange had never happened.
"「Fire」"
A small flame bloomed above Alex's hand. His mind eased at the magic coming out properly.
[Now try it without a chant.]
"Without a chant?"
[Casting with thought alone, without the activation word.]
[Normally only high-circle mages can do it, but you did it when you took down the goblin shaman.]
"Did I?"
Alex scratched his cheek.
He remembered most of the fight with the goblin shaman, but not details like that.
"Do I just do it?"
[That's right. Think the activation word in your head.]
At Two Hundred's words, Alex thought 「Fire」 in his mind and stared at his hand.
A brief silence passed.
"...."
[...Are you doing it?]
"It isn't working?"
[Hmm. Must have been a fluke.]
[Or one of those bursts of strength people get in danger?]
[Well, nothing to be done. Let's try again when you're high-circle.]
Alex agreed.
"Ah, Two Hundred. Could you teach me another spell?"
[Another one? Water magic?]
"That would be fine, but I promised to show the children magic. Isn't there something more impressive?"
[Hmm. There is, but.]
[How about this?]
Alex's eyes lit up at the explanation that followed.
Time passed.
When Alex finished his swordsmanship training, washed off the sweat, and came back to the room, Leo's eyes flew open.
"Picnic!"
[He's full of energy.]
Two Hundred and Alex burst out laughing.
"Ah, wait a moment. Leo."
"Hmm?"
Leo, about to wash quickly and go downstairs to get ready for the picnic with Sophia, stopped at Alex's call.
He hated to say this to a Leo who looked so happy, but it seemed better to say it in advance.
"We're leaving the Kaldis domain tomorrow. So you'll have to say goodbye to Sophia, Matthew, and Master Arden."
"...!"
Leo's eyes and mouth fell open as if struck.
[We're leaving tomorrow?]
[The time has gone by already.]
Everything they had to do here was finished, so it was time to move on.
Alex looked at Leo, worried he might cry.
Leo's eyes reddened little by little, and his lips twitched as though he might sob.
But Leo knew, too.
That to find his mother and father, they had to leave the Kaldis domain, just as they had left Bello Village.
"...Okay! I understand. I'll say goodbye!"
Leo did not cry. With his eyes brimming, he spoke bravely.
[Oh dear.]
Alex felt for him and hugged him tight.
"When we come back, let's play with your friends again, Leo."
"Yeah!"
***
Leo told Sophia and Matthew that they were leaving tomorrow.
Sophia's and Matthew's eyes reddened as well, but perhaps because they lived at an inn where many people came and went, they accepted the parting quickly.
"When you come back, you have to stay at our inn!"
And they promised a new meeting.
"And let's play a lot today! A whole lot!"
"Yeah! Let's! Big Brother Matthew too!"
"Uh, me too?"
Matthew edged backward.
"I-I'm fine."
Nobles were a bit much for him.
"Aww."
Disappointed, Leo and Sophia ate the breakfast Hallon brought while happily discussing what they would do today.
There was certainly a difference between small children who knew nothing and an adolescent who knew something of the world.
***
"The carriage is coming!"
"There's a knight too!"
In the distance they could see House Kaldis' carriage, driven by Butler Norton, and Loren the knight on horseback.
There was a face poking out of the carriage window as well. Arden, the second young master of House Kaldis.
"Big Brother Arden! Hello!"
"...Leo! Hello!"
Ethan Kaldis laughed at his younger brother answering Leo's enthusiastic waving in a voice quite loud for him.
They had only met yesterday, and he had not expected him to be this delighted.
"This is Sophia. And this is Big Brother Arden."
"Hello!"
"Hello...!"
Shy as he was, the pleasure Arden felt at meeting a new friend came through.
"Sophia is impressive."
"She is."
Matthew, who had quietly stepped back, and Hallon too, marveled at Sophia speaking so boldly even with nobles.
"We're off!"
Having said goodbye to the people of the inn, the children climbed eagerly into the carriage with excited faces.
"Kyaaaah!"
At the high dolphin-pitched shriek, Ethan Kaldis muttered something like a sigh.
"I should have brought a second carriage."
Alex, Loren, and Norton laughed quietly.
The carriage soon left the lord's castle and headed for the northern grassland. When the children leaned their heads out the windows, a cool wind came with the swiftly changing scenery outside.
"Ahahaha!"
That alone seemed to be entertainment enough.
"Here it is."
At Alex's word the carriage came to a stop, and the children tumbled out.
"Don't go far. Play here. And be careful."
"Yes!"
Having answered Alex carelessly, the children ran off without a backward glance.
Everyone laughed at the sight.