Chapter 80
“This is the pen and contract you need when negotiating. Your Grace, you like coffee, right?”
“Thanks.”
“And Little Miss, milk…”
“It’s Billishia.”
When I gave him a pointed look, Agasa nodded with a nervous expression.
Of course, not everything he said was wrong.
“Just give me the milk.”
I crossed my legs and frowned.
“Yes, Miss Billishia.”
Soon, I heard the clattering sound of tea cups being placed around the desk where I was sitting.
This is a small conference room.
It was a place where Cassis, the head of the Vallois family, visited when making important contracts or negotiating, and he brought me here.
From Dad’s perspective, it was undoubtedly more important than any other negotiation.
His jaw was tense, as if he was preparing for more serious negotiations than Vallois’ coal mining or weapons business.
Of course, I was nervous too.
I bent my upper body at an angle to make my face look as scary as possible.
“Does accepting puberty mean allowing me to go to the Free State?”
Dad closed his mouth for a moment and slowly leaned against the backrest.
Contrary to his relaxed attitude, the eyes staring at me were as sharp as arrowheads.
“I’ll put a condition.”
“…Condition?”
“Even if I just close my eyes and allow it, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s dangerous.”
“T-Then…”
I became rabbit-eyed.
“…Are you giving me permission?”
“First of all, Agasa and Lisa…”
“Thank you!”
I felt like Dad was roughly giving permission, so I hugged him.
“Dad is the best in the world! There is no other dad like this!”
“…Only in this case?”
He stopped at the sound of my cheering and burst into laughter.
Either way, my head was already full of happy circuits.
‘I should take Titi with me and show it around the world. After going to the guild, I can go to a restaurant with my brothers…’
I was already planning my trip, but suddenly my gaze went up.
He sat me down on his lap and observed me carefully for a while.
“…Haa.”
Does he regret allowing it?
There was a shadow on Dad’s face.
No matter how much he looked at me, it was clear that he was reminded of a baby who didn’t know anything about the world when he saw my wriggling face.
“First of all, Agasa, Lisa, and the escort knights will follow you unconditionally.”
“Of course!”
…There will probably be about 50 escort knights, right?
50 people were enough to attack a small village, but Dad might have thought that was a small number.
“If you’re really worried, you can bring 100 escort knights.”
I gave him a generous offer and nodded.
“Are you going to war? You will only take 10 people.”
10 people? There are fewer people than expected, though?
“From the Black Panther elite unit.”
“…!”
My mouth dropped open at the decisive decision.
The Black Panther elite unit was a group of high-quality personnel active in surprise raids during emergency wars.
Since only about 5 people were deployed in a war, putting twice as many people on my trip was almost like a waste of manpower.
But Cassis rubbed his chin as if he didn’t even like that.
“And according to Agasa’s judgment, if there is even the slightest problem, you will come back immediately.”
“…Alright!”
“I’m going to tell the twins too. When you arrive in the Free State, make sure to take Kai with you. Understand?”
Of course, of course!
It was always like that when Agasa reported my daily routine, and it was nice for me to see my brothers for the first time in a long time.
I nodded and grinned at the basic details.
“…”
Somehow, the staring gaze continued.
“…Well, these are the basics…”
“!”
I was startled as my legs dangled on his lap at his unusual tone of voice.
… If it’s basic, it means that the main topic is separate.
He quickly wrote something on the piece of paper and held it out to me before I could even open my mouth.
“…This.”
“Cheek kissing, which was allowed only until the age of 13, will be extended to the age of 17.”
I jumped up.
“17 years old? You’re adding 4 years?”
Seven years ago, the cheek kiss pledge started when Dad proudly asked me to kiss him on the cheek as a birthday present.
At the time, once it started, word spread and everyone, whether Lisa or Agasa, asked me to kiss their cheeks.
In the end, I was exhausted and announced my intention to become independent after the age of 13, and although it was a difficult choice, Cassis understood.
But do that annoying job for 4 more years?
“Why, you don’t like it?”
Just as I was embarrassed and putting off answering, a sobering question followed.
Suddenly, I raised my head and saw Dad resting his chin and looking at me leisurely.
“If you don’t like it, you can go on the trip later.”
As if I’m going to get beaten.
“…No, I like it, though? I really like it, you know?”
As I forced a smile to show off, long, straight fingers pointed to my cheeks.
“Then from now on.”
The corners of Dad’s lips turned up.
‘…I think something went wrong.’
I didn’t like it for some reason, so I looked at his handsome face and threw my lips on Dad’s cheek as if I was headbutting him.
“Aaakh!”
“Receive lots of love from your daughter, Dad. Thank you for allowing me to travel.”
I ran away in a hurry to avoid being caught.
After that, Dad never asked me to kiss him on the cheek unless it was absolutely necessary.
It was natural.
Because I gave him a year’s worth of cheek kisses all at once in the conference room.
***
Time passed quickly and it was the day of the trip.
An airship landed in front of Nelsman Port, which leads to the Free State.
The airship was taller than the five stories of most buildings and was as big as Mount Epheris of the Rolls Empire.
“…Wow, this is my first time seeing a magic airship in my life.”
“How many people can it accommodate if it’s that big?”
“…By the way, is there a flag on the airship?”
“If it looks like a black panther, isn’t it Vallois?”
“Vallois? Vallois is really coming?”
As the carriage rolled smoothly through the crowd of people, gazes poured in.
I thought it was a quiet road trip.
It was like declaring war on an unexpected trip abroad.
“Wow, it’s really Vallois!”
“As expected, the three major families are different. They’re going abroad by taking an airship.”
“If it’s that big, does it mean they’re moving in large numbers for a meeting between the Rolls Empire and the Free State?”
No.
It’s just a free trip for a 12-year-old.
“…”
I got off the carriage and opened my mouth.
On the way to the airship, flags with black panther symbols were fluttering in all directions.
People naturally flocked to the open road.
I felt like I was a famous actor in a theater company.
“No matter how first-class the ship is, it probably belongs to the Free State, so I can’t trust those snobbish bastards.”
…So you airlifted the airship, father.
I stared at the giant airship with bleary eyes.
The total number of people going to the Free State was only 18.
However, the airship that Dad prepared was a huge airship that could accommodate 300 people.
It contained Dad’s wish to return as early as possible to cover the distance that only takes two days from the Rolls Empire to the Free State.
But did the onlookers not expect it?
Agasa, who was overwhelmed by the larger crowd than expected, quickly turned his head.
“Since the surroundings are noisy, let’s say goodbye inside the airship.”
Cassis, who wanted to delay saying goodbye to his daughter as long as possible, let out a, tsk, sound and growled.
“…Tsk, it’s extremely noisy.”
With that one word, the surroundings became quiet as if they had been put into silence.
Dozens of people with a 180-degree field of view turned into rabbit eyes.
Only then did Cassis, sighing in satisfaction, hold my hand and start walking.
“H-Huwaaaa!”
The child, frightened by his ferocious force, burst into tears.
A sad sound was heard in the heavy silence.
Seeing as there was no one to comfort the child, the child clearly had come out to see it alone.
“…One more will be added to the 100 bad rumors about Vallois.”
Cassis frowned, bewildered by Agasa’s words.
“I was talking to myself. I had no intention of making the child cry.”
‘But the villains and the airship. And even a child’s crying’
This was an article that would have appeared on the front page of Rolls Times.
Vallois already has a bad image, but if such a provocative article comes out, it’s like pouring oil on a fire.
‘We can’t do this.’’
“Dad, just a moment.”
“…Billie?”
Eventually, I released my hold on his hand and approached the child.
“What is this?”
“…Whoo…”
“It’s sparkling?”
The child stopped crying when he heard the word ‘sparkle’ and looked at me with amber eyes.
For now, I was successful in stopping the child crying.
I sighed in relief and took off the brooch I was wearing on my dress.
It was a brooch in the shape of a black panther, the symbol of Vallois.
“Are you scared of this?”
“…Hic, hic… No.”
“Isn’t it just pretty?”
“…Sniff… . Yes.”
The child who had been staring at the brooch for a long time nodded.
“Then be nice.”
I carefully wiped the brooch with my handkerchief and handed it to the child.
“W-Whoa…”
As I grinned at the positive response, the child’s earlobes turned red.
“Then, goodbye.”
After finishing my work, I held Dad’s hand.
Behind me, people were whispering quietly as if they were surprised, along with a child’s exclamation.
Hmm, alright.
‘The villains and the brooch. And even a child’s laughter.’
The title on the front page of Rolls Times will change to this.
‘Fufufu.’
I hummed because it felt good.
“…You’ve grown bigger than me.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Cassis looked down at me as if it was somehow awkward and scratched the back of his neck.
I don’t know what it was, but he seemed to be deep in thought due to my actions.
***
The airship, which was soaring like crazy, maintained its position at the appropriate altitude.
I lay down on the bed and opened the newspaper.
An ominous article was making headlines.
[The Twin Axes Guild rose to 19th place in popularity. Despite 45% of the workforce voluntarily discharged the company, the nomination rose by one level.]
“…Even the reduced workforce is voluntarily discharged?”
“Beep?”
Titi, who was watching, imitated my surprised voice like a mirror.
I gave Titi a quick look and looked through the article.
The workforce decreases, yet the popularity ranking increases?
Something smells.
“Hmm, but if they’re ranked 19th in popularity, they won’t have any trouble making a living, yet 45% of voluntary discharge…”
I was just flipping through the newspaper and lost in thought.
“I think we’ll be there soon.”
His blue hair blew here and there in the sea breeze.
“Aga?”
“Yes, Little Miss. We will arrive soon.”
Agasa stroked his hair as if familiar, and gazed at the horizon.
At the boundary between white and dark blue, a huge continent emerged through the clouds.
‘…That is the continent of the Free State.’
I swallowed hard.
Where the smelly Twin Axes Guild is located.
Where my older brothers study hard.
…And maybe, where Sian is.
Unknown stories were waiting for me on that unknown continent.
My heart was pounding.
“First of all, we’re gradually lowering the altitude of the airship, so please hold on to the handle on the wall.”
“Titi, do you understand? Hold on me.”
“Beep-!”
As I bowed down, the excited Titi grabbed my shoulder and clung to me like a cicada.
As promised by Dad, I took Agasa’s words as if they were orders.
He laughed at my model student-like attitude.
Thudㅡ
“…?”
Agasa’s blue eyes shook slightly as he was hit by something flying out of the air.
Agasa’s shaking appearance felt like slow motion.
“Aaaah!”
There was a terrible scream from the airship.
