CH 417

“We’re about to arrive illuminate!”

“Kuoon♪!”

“We made it home without incident. Well, I don’t think there’s anyone or anything that can handle this group of people. “

–Looking back at the back of the wagon, Basleigh-sensei muttered in astonishment. We were on our way straight back from Sandiola, near the mountain where Fath-san lived, and as Makina had said, we were only a few hours away.

“Hmm ……”

“? What’s up, Retzel?”

Retzel muttered a few words on the back of the truck, and I turned from the driver’s seat and called out to him. I thought he was asleep because his eyes were closed all the time, but it seems he was awake.

“No, it’s nothing …… is what I’d like to say, but the circumstances have changed a little bit.”

“Circumstances ……?”

“Yes. I’d like to think it’s not a premonition, but it seems that the town of Gust has been attacked.”

“What!? A-Are they okay!”

“Kuoon!?”

“It’s a town I couldn’t do anything about, so don’t worry about that. They turned away the Gospel’s Descent.”

When Retzel said this while adjusting the position of his glasses, Makina let out a sigh of relief. As soon as Ash, who was suddenly hugged, rushed over to me, Retzel continued talking.

“I was expecting that Erekhim would fail, the work of the Gospel’s Descent would be made public, and the Reflexion Kingdom would be brought up in a defensive battle. However, now that Akzeryus is involved, it seems that the Founder Apollos is going to launch a full-scale attack on Reflexion. At this rate, he’ll probably kill everyone in the town of Gust.”

“Akzeryus ……”

“Basleigh-sensei? Do you have any idea when that would be?”

I was curious about Basleigh-sensei, who suddenly narrowed her eyes and muttered the name Akzeryus, but I listened to Retzel as he shook his head in response to my question.

“Even I don’t know that far ahead. And there is no certainty that what I have “seen” will really happen, or that it has happened. The future is not certain, so my being here with you must have changed the future a little. If I had stayed in the town of Gust, Akzeryus would not have come.”

“Then you should have stayed in town until the commotion was over. Isn’t this going in the wrong direction?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to have Lars-kun to owe me, but I didn’t want to raise any suspicion about my existence, so I think it’s a good thing that the townspeople took care of it alone.”

Apparently, it would be difficult to make a move when the Founder’s eyes are on Retzel when it comes to the fact that he was there and didn’t help, and that wouldn’t be a good idea.

Either way, if he wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have known that the town of Gust was in trouble, and we might still have been in the middle of the Sandiola’s mess. If I think about it that way, he might be right ……

“It’s no use thinking about it. First, we must report to His Majesty the King.”

“You’re right ……”

“Kuoon?”

“It’s nothing, Ash-kun.”

“Kuoon♪.”

Basleigh-sensei, who was still acting strangely, held Ash in her arms and rubbed her cheek. I don’t know what she’s up to, so I’d better keep my guard up.

“But is it safe for Retzel to enter the royal capital? I don’t want to be captured at the same time as having an audience.”

“Since we’re here and the knights, I think we can get through. Retzel isn’t much of a fighter himself. However, I guess it would be difficult for Reiss and Irumi.”

“Why?”

Reiss tilted her head back at me, but the answer came from Basleigh-sensei. 

“It’s because we have to consider the possibility that the story is a lie. We didn’t trust you completely, Reiss-chan. Your potion affects a wide range of people, so it’s only natural that we would be concerned for His Majesty’s own safety, right?”

“You don’t trust your lovely former student?”

“I guess it depends on what happens next. Unlike Makina-chan, we can’t easily trust someone who is working with the people of the Gospel’s Descent.”

Reiss smiled wryly. Then Makina asked Basleigh-sensei.

“Did you eat something bad, teacher ……?”

“I didn’t, though!? I said something serious, and this atmosphere is the result! What do you think I am?”

“Well ……”

“Right ……”

“Well, you’re teacher, after all?”

“I’m sorry for talking about something so serious!?”

Basleigh-sensei yelled as she looked at me, Makina and Helena, who was riding with her.

“Well, jokes aside, anyway, you’re a group that’s trying to kill the ex-King, like hostages.”

“Kuku …… It’s the prince’s life we’re after, don’t get me wrong.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!? That’s what I hate about you!”

“Ha-ha-ha.”

I don’t know what’s fun, but Retzel is laughing hysterically with his arms crossed.

Now, we have to carry things out carefully. ……. I think as I look at the Illuminate gate coming into view.

But before that, there was one fun thing waiting for me.

◆ 　 ◇ 　 ◆

“It’s unusual for Doctor to make jokes.”

“Is that so? I’ve always been this way. And I felt nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic, is it?”

“My family was a normal, really normal family. I had a father, a mother, an older sister and a younger brother, but we were close. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we laughed a lot …… Just like this.”

Laughing, Retzel reminisced about the past. It was the only thing that seemed good to him, something he could never forget.

“You’ve come a long way since I met you.”

“Well, it was life or death for me. I didn’t know why you picked me up. And neither does Reiss.”

“…… Well, I’m fickle. Even if I enjoyed watching people die, but somewhere within me, I also wanted to help. I guess I’m a doctor too.”

“I …… don’t want Doctor to die, though.”

“Please don’t say that. I don’t want to take care of Irumi and leaving me alone. Please let me die first.”

After saying that, Retzel closed his eyes and became silent again. Irumi let out a sigh and looked at Retzel.