“Omo, you are leaving already?”
“What to do, I’ve gotten attached to Akshonmom.”
“I know, right? I also feel really sad.”
While each holding their hoes tightly, the members of the Mom Cafe had tears in their eyes. The oldest and somewhat gruff member of the group looked into the distance and said:
“Are you going far?”
When a normally gruff person expresses sadness, the impact is quite large.
The members’ tears grew thicker. Sniffle sniffle.
I spoke as if to comfort them:
“Umm, it’s not far. Don’t be too sad. I’ll be right back soon! Haha. Come to think of it, you heard the news, right? The public fields at the Evanror viscounty have been expanded.”
Then, the member who is usually in charge of creating the atmosphere spoke in an animated tone:
“Omo, of course! How can the Viscountess have such a kind heart? I didn’t know about it until now.”
“Ahem. I know, right? I thought she just farmed every day and didn’t have much interest in us. Come to think of it, I heard that the Lady is also leaving the mansion this time?”
“Oh my, she’s leaving just like Akshonmom. What to do, it’s so sad. As the fields grow, the amount you can take will increase as well. Sigh.”
I scratched the back of my head.
“It’s okay. Anyway, my family is just me and the baby. We don’t eat much.”
“Still, you can sell what’s left over.”
“Haha.”
I diligently picked weeds among the Mom Cafe members, who quickly returned to their originally lively atmosphere.
Since I’m going anyway, I decided to enter the Shiaster duchy right away.
This is because the land has to be prepared for rice farming.
I have to do irrigation. The land has to be tilled, and fertilizer has to be spread.
Of course, before that, I have to make the fertilizer.
‘There’s a lot to do.’
To safely grow rice by next year, the deadline set by Dazar, and, in addition, to educate the people who will be sent by the imperial family about rice farming.
Even if I have 10 bodies, it won’t be enough.
‘Anyway, the life of a farming nerd addicted to farming….’
I can make money while being a nerd like usual. I can use that money to educate Axion….
Also, wouldn’t the female lead Vanilla be right next to him?
He can take on the position of a childhood friend with whom love blossomed from a young age!
Hehe.
For that reason, I decided to temporarily move to the Duke’s residence with Axion and Carl.
“Well then, I’ll be going now!”
“Sigh, yes. You’ve worked hard thus far. You must come here when you come back!”
“Yes!”
After finishing work and exchanging tearful goodbyes with the Mom Cafe members, I returned to the mansion.
Then, a few days later, after sending the necessary luggage by carriage in advance, I left the Evanror viscounty.
As I was leaving the mansion, I held a note in my hand from the Assistant Butler, Hail.
“Have a nice trip.”
Surprisingly, Assistant Butler Hail was a person from beyond her hazy memories that even Celia herself could not remember well.
‘No, Grandpa. We had an assistant butler?’
‘Sniff. He’s shy, so he usually doesn’t show himself, but he’s diligent with his work.’
‘Is he some type of shadow warrior or what?’
Well, thanks to that, even the butler Carl was able to abandon his duties as a butler and leave the mansion.
Although the reason Carl followed me and left the mansion was largely because of Axion.
‘Sylvesterin won’t come back and say something, right?’
Although Sylvesterin, this body’s older brother, bothered me a bit. Considering the achievements this body has made and since this body naturally showed unusual behavior, it wouldn’t be too surprising if I left my position for a while.
‘Since I left my contact information behind.’
I set up a communication network that allows me to contact Assistant Butler Hail, so things will work out somehow.
Having decided to take it easy, I quickly left the mansion.
* * *
After being shown to the room I would be staying in at the Shiaster residence, I carried Axion and headed towards where Dazar was.
Even though their first meeting sucked, I still felt like I should let him greet his father-in-law.
I headed to the place the servant told me about.
“As a matter of fact, I was putting it off because it was too bothersome to call you.”
Unlike the last time, Dazar was in a vacant lot in the back of the duchy.
The vacant lot was stained red with the setting sun.
He was crouching on that red ground drawing something and stood up when he saw me.
“Did telepathy work?”
“That can’t be.”
“That’s cold.”
Dazar walked with poor posture and his two hands in his pockets.
His shirt was pulled loose as if he was frustrated, his black hair was flowing freely, and underneath, his golden eyes held a bit of madness somewhere.
It was an appearance that you would never think of on a ‘graceful and polite’ Duke Dazar.
“You were going to call me?”
“Yes. I have a little something to do. That.”
He pointed to Axion with his long index finger.
I turned my body so that Axion was out of sight and opened my eyes blearily.
“How can you say that to a cute newborn baby, what a bad character. Tsk. What about my Axion?”
“Abu.”
I realized Axion was calling my name when he raised his perfect hand to my cheek.
I looked askance at him as if my eyes were looking at a villain while holding Axion, who was grasping my cheek, tightly.
Dazar, who was still standing crookedly in front of me with his hands in his pockets, twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Right. That thing in his heart.”
“…Dragon Heart?”
Dazar nodded his head.
“Elston slightly dulled it with magic, but since magic is originally a power that is common with demonic energy, it can’t be completely obscured. It can’t keep up with the sacred barrier.”
“…..?”
You mean, you will place a sacred barrier in Axion’s heart?
He nodded his head as if telling me to follow him.
I followed him as he walked with long strides.
The head of the Shiaster family, who has protected the ‘rift’ for generations, will personally set up the barrier.
When I approached him with a confused look on my face, he spoke in a flowing voice:
“A human child with the heart of the Demon Dragon in him. That’s the number one target to kill.”
“!”
I, who had followed him onto the complicated diagram, opened my eyes wide in surprise.
Number one target to kill?
For a moment, the back of my neck felt cold.
I hugged Axion closely and braced my toes intending to run if I had the chance.
At that time, he took his hands out of his pocket and suddenly said:
“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to kill him.”
I didn’t let my guard down and asked:
“…Why?”
Then he paused for a moment and rolled his eyes.
“Because it’s fun, of course.”
“What?”
What are you saying, this guy.
“It’s fun. A human being whose life is extended by the heart of a Demon Dragon. I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing.”
“……”
Isn’t this person’s life’s purpose all about having fun? A thought like that suddenly crossed my mind as I gazed at Dazar blankly.
‘I don’t think that’s the only reason.’
There seemed to be some different reason.
His somewhat deepening eyes said that.
“Well, it’s a pity but the other transcendental beings won’t think like me. If you stay at the common residence, you will meet them by chance someday. I guess I’ll have to use my hand.”
“Ah….”
Then he bit his thumb with his canine.
In an instant, blood dripped onto the floor.
At the same time, the diagram drawn on the floor began to glow softly.
Connect (結).
As he drew a small symbol with his hand that had blood dripping down, a faint cluster of light radiated from the floor toward Axion’s heart.
“Uwa?”
Axion found the sight fascinating and tried to reach out and catch the light, but it only passed through.
The light that gradually gathered took on a vivid white color and seeped into Axion’s body.
Although he blinked and made a confused expression, he didn’t cry, so it seemed like he wasn’t in pain.
Dazar, who had come a little closer and was blankly looking down at Axion, licked his blood thumb and said:
“The end.”
“Uh…Th-thank you?”
For now, I should say thank you, right?
Although it seems like there is some reason.
But according to Dazar, he might have been killed by the transcendental beings.
‘That figures. In the original novel, it was said that Axion overcame the danger of death several times.’
It was only described briefly, so I don’t know the details, but it’s probably related to the transcendental beings as Dazar said.
‘Because in the original novel, Axion hated the transcendental beings.’
Dazar looked at me with an awkward expression on his face and suddenly called out:
“Oh, also that white thing you made then…..”
“Yes?”
His golden eyes narrowed for a moment before returning to their normal size. He seemed to be troubled.
He rolled his eyes and looked at me, then coughed and turned his head.
“Nothing.”
“?”
Perhaps the reason I feel bad is that I interpreted it as him deliberately making fun of me.
Or is it because this crazy in-law is a very annoying person with a dual personality from birth?
After thinking about it for a bit, I decided to ignore him. Since, for the time being, I owe him a favor.
“You said you need workers, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
He covered the diagram drawn on the ground with loose dirt, then looked up as if he suddenly remembered something.
“Go over there. I’ve told them.”
The place he pointed to was a large building across from the vacant lot. A building with a large emblem engraved on it, showing a brave black hawk spreading its wings.
“There will be trash. Find a couple of those that can be recycled.”
I searched through my memory to remember what that black hawk meant.
It was the Black Hawk,
an order of knights belonging to the Shiaster Duchy, whose prestige is known to everyone in the Quizen empire.
“Trash….?”
Axion lightly slapped my cheek as if to make me come to my senses.
“Abuu!”
The rice really has him hoing quite far. Eh?