The next day, we gathered again at the Blue Trading Company.
To obtain the highest-grade healing potion, the Grand Master himself had to personally visit the Great Temple.
Using the Investigation Bureau’s telegraph, we contacted the Great Temple, and Mr. Damian arrived with their reply.
The temple, having heard about my dad’s visit, readily granted permission.
However—
“You must leave behind a guarantor. If Master Reytan does not return, I will be in a difficult position.”
At the trading company leader’s request, either I or Theon had to stay behind at the Blue Trading Company.
“I’ll stay.”
“Theon? A ten-year-old shouldn’t be left alone without a guardian!”
“I’ll be his guardian. I can stay at the 17th Branch a little longer.”
“Ohh.”
Having a guardian with official authority was reassuring.
For that reason, Theon decided to stay in Goldport with Mr. Damian.
The guest room provided by the Blue Trading Company was quite comfortable—much more spacious and luxurious than my room at the Stone House.
While looking around the room, I said to Theon,
“You can rest well here~ But you’ll have to do your training back at the Stone House!”
“………”
Theon couldn’t lie to me, so he remained silent. His face was filled with unease.
“Theon, Theon.”
“Yeah?”
“This is for you.”
I handed him a healing potion that I had requested from the Blue Trading Company’s manager.
“Dad said he’s buying it for you! It’s a mid-tier potion, but if you apply it, your wounds will heal faster.”
“………”
Theon had been using an ointment prescribed by the Count Travel family’s physician, but its effects weren’t enough to keep up with the rate at which he was getting injured.
He really needed a proper healing potion.
“This is too expensive.”
“Yeah! So just use it until your calluses fully form! Dad said that if wounds heal quickly, your palms will become tougher.”
But Theon probably wouldn’t use it. He would think the healing potion was too valuable to use on himself.
So, I opened the bottle in my hand and applied it to Theon’s palm.
As expected, the effect was noticeably better than regular ointment. The wound had already healed enough that the raw, red skin was no longer visible.
“Since it’s only mid-tier, the wound won’t disappear instantly, but it should be completely healed by tonight!”
“…Thanks.”
Theon, staring intently at his palm, then walked over to his belongings and brought something back.
It was a familiar paper bag—the one he had bought from a street stall at Goldport’s shopping district yesterday.
“This is my gift to you.”
“Huh? Really? You’re giving this to me?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing special.”
Theon, giving me a gift?!
My heart pounded as I opened the paper bag. Inside was a ribbon used to tie hair—light green, matching my eyes.
“Wow! It’s a perfect match with your tie today, Theon!”
“My tie?”
“Your tie is green too. It’s a bit darker than this, but still.”
Theon mumbled in a small voice that he hadn’t noticed, but I ignored him and held out the ribbon to him.
“Tie it for me.”
“Me? I’ve never done it before.”
“But still… The person who gives the gift should be the one to put it on!”
Theon hesitantly fumbled with my hair for a long time. He twisted the ribbon, tied it, untied it, and tried again. After what felt like forever, he finally stepped back.
I quickly ran to the mirror.
“Oh.”
My hair was tied into twin ponytails. Theon, looking at the uneven ribbon ends, hesitantly said,
“You should just undo it and ask someone else—”
“No way! I love it just like this!”
“It’s a mess.”
I dodged Theon’s hands as he tried to fix it and ran away.
A ribbon given by Theon, tied by Theon himself.
“I don’t want to take it off~”
As I was running, I suddenly bumped into someone—it was Dad, who had just entered the room.
“Ahhh!”
“Berry, you need to watch where you’re running. Look, are you okay?”
“Yes! Dad, look! Theon tied this for me!”
“Theon?”
“Uh, well—!”
As I proudly showed off my hair, Theon desperately tried to stop me.
Oh-ho. Such a strong reaction? That was rare for Theon.
Dad and I exchanged a quick glance.
We both had the same thought—this was too good an opportunity to tease him.
“Dad, I heard there’s a photo studio nearby! Should we take a picture together with Theon?”
“Great idea. Let’s go, Theon, Berry.”
“W-Wait, Teacher—!”
“What is it?”
“A-Are we really going like this…? Berry’s hair…”
“Berry’s hair? It looks cute.”
“Yeah! It’s cute!”
“Theon, you’re not saying my daughter’s hair looks weird, are you?”
At Dad’s words, Theon looked at my messily tied hair and slowly shook his head.
With Theon blushing in the middle, Dad and I took as many pictures as we wanted.
***
It took two days by carriage to travel from Goldport to the Great Temple. During that time, it was just Dad and me.
“So, Berry.”
“Yes?”
“What’s this talk about Blue Trading Company stocks that Cerberus mentioned?”
Ah, so the time had finally come to explain.
I decided to tell him what I had found out while he was investigating the company for investment opportunities.
“You remember how the trading company leader visited Uncle Hevant? Asking him to invest?”
“Yes.”
“Well, apparently, Butler Cerberus overheard their conversation. When I went to submit my assignment, he asked me if I could check with you about whether it was a good idea to invest in Blue Trading Company stocks.”
“…Why is he asking me that?”
“Well, Mr. Cerberus thinks Dad is a top-tier investor! He believes the information you provided led to the downfall of Ink Company’s stock.”
Dad frowned at my words.
“Ink Company? …Ah, that.”
He muttered as if something came to mind.
Although the matter with Blue Trading Company’s stock was practically settled, it was important for Dad to know that Mr. Cerberus had a favorable impression of him.
‘That way, Dad can use this information when he needs it.’
My uncle’s involvement with Blue Trading Company and my grandfather’s private meetings…
Unlike my past self, who had lived in the small world of Stone House until the age of sixteen, things were different now.
Dad and I were increasingly entangled with the Count Travel family.
‘Since we never know when we might clash with our relatives, it’s best to have as many tools at our disposal as possible.’
Sigh. If it weren’t for my illness, I wouldn’t have to worry about such things.
[You were sick? But you’re fine on the Travel Count’s land?]
“Yes. I think Grandma Julia had the same illness. That might be why Dad can’t leave this place.”
[Did Quartz have such a disease? Nothing comes to mind immediately, but I’ll try to figure out what could be causing it!]
Even Aqum didn’t know the exact cause.
I had braced myself for a scolding when I told Dad about my meeting with the butler, but surprisingly, he just warned me to report such incidents immediately next time.
Relieved, I started chatting away beside him.
“Uncle Damian was so cool! I’ve never seen a Grand Master before, except for you, Dad! That means there are Grand Masters chosen by the Holy Sword of Light and the Fire Sword too, right? Are they close to you as well?”
“Berry, why are you calling Damian ‘Uncle’?”
“Because he’s Uncle Brown’s friend! He told me to call him that!”
“…Berry.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know what we call something like that?”
When I looked up, I saw Dad’s face filled with disbelief.
“Utter nonsense.”
“Oooh…”
Dad gave me a firm look and said sternly,
“Call him Mr. Damian.”
***
“Well, well, I see we’re meeting sooner than expected.”
And just as Dad had said, here was yet another adult playing tricks.
Upon hearing that Dad and I had arrived in front of the Grand Temple, the Grand Priest himself had come out to greet us, accompanied by several priests.
“I apologize for the sudden visit.”
“There is no need for apologies. Since it belongs to Master Reytan, granting access is not an issue. Berry, have you been well?”
“Yes! Grand Priest G—”
“Don’t call the Grand Priest ‘Grandpa.’”
For a moment, I remembered my grandfather’s warning.
“Grandpa, how is God Aubawth doing?”
But my grandfather wasn’t here right now—so it was fine!
The Aubawth Church was one of the three major religions in the world, with followers not just in the Hayshal Empire but across many nations.
And calling the head of that church ‘Grandpa’ was a privilege only a clueless seven-year-old could get away with!
You’ve got to act all buddy-buddy while the Grand Priest is still smiling kindly at you—*strike while the iron’s hot!
Just as the Grand Priest chuckled at my greeting…
[Ack! That’s terrifying.]
Aqum shuddered from inside my pocket.
🍓; *Take advantage of the moment before the chance slips away.
