At those words, Alexia looked a little surprised.
Even now, Roderick has been mobilizing as much manpower as he can to track down Aila and Byron.
But here they go further.
"Yes?"
“...The fact that he’s not being stepped on like this means he definitely has someone supporting him. So, let’s find that helper.”
To Alexia's question, which seemed to be a puzzlement, Roderick answered with a serious expression.
Of course, it wasn't something that hadn't been tried before.
It's been over ten years since Byron escaped. There's no method they haven't tried.
Long ago, anyone who had even the slightest connection to Byron was thoroughly investigated, and anyone who had been involved in the treason was found and punished.
However, Byron's whereabouts remained unknown.
"...Your Excellency."
Alexia opened her mouth in a dark voice.
"I know, even without you saying anything. It might be a meaningless action. But... I can't just sit still. I have to do something."
Rodrick clenched his fist.
He felt so pathetic he couldn't stand it. He felt so helpless.
Even if it was useless, he had to do something. That way, I could console myself with the thought that I was doing something.
“...”
Alexia didn't add anything else.
Because she could understand, to a certain extent, how Roderick must be feeling.
Around that time.
Byron's party was hiding in a mountain retreat deep in the mountains.
Even the bandits who were accustomed to living in the mountains sought refuge in warmer places to escape the midwinter cold, and it was an empty cave.
Of course, it was a rough place where even carriages did not travel.
In the bitter cold, they had to climb all the way here on their own.
Byron was deeply displeased, for living in a cave would hardly meet his high standards.
But he couldn't complain.
This was because government troops were spread throughout the empire, intent on capturing him.
He didn't know how long he could stay here. He didn't know when he would have to flee again.
‘...Well, is this a good thing for me?’
Aila warmed her hands by the campfire in the middle of the cave, lost in thought.
Of course, being stuck with Byron all day wasn't always a good thing, but it was definitely beneficial to be able to find out what Byron and Cloud were up to without having to eavesdrop.
Aila glanced at Byron across the campfire.
Byron, wrapped in soft fur on a makeshift bed, was still holding a glass of warmed alcohol in his hand, saying he was cold.
And then.
"How on earth did rumors get around that I was seen at the checkpoint? Didn't I clearly tell you to kill them all and silence them?"
Byron suddenly became angry.
It has been one of the recurring complaints for several days.
Aila was worried that it might be discovered that she had saved the soldiers.
If rumors of Byron's sighting had spread, wouldn't it be possible that the rumors of Aila's mercy toward the soldiers would also reach Byron's ears?
But acting suspiciously here would only arouse more suspicion.
She tried to pretend not to care, fixing her gaze on the rising flames.
“...It seems there were survivors.”
“So why do you do things like that!”
Byron slammed his fist on the bed in anger.
"Even so, it'll only hurt your hands."
Even now, Roderick has been mobilizing as much manpower as he can to track down Aila and Byron.
But here they go further.
"Yes?"
“...The fact that he’s not being stepped on like this means he definitely has someone supporting him. So, let’s find that helper.”
To Alexia's question, which seemed to be a puzzlement, Roderick answered with a serious expression.
Of course, it wasn't something that hadn't been tried before.
It's been over ten years since Byron escaped. There's no method they haven't tried.
Long ago, anyone who had even the slightest connection to Byron was thoroughly investigated, and anyone who had been involved in the treason was found and punished.
However, Byron's whereabouts remained unknown.
"...Your Excellency."
Alexia opened her mouth in a dark voice.
"I know, even without you saying anything. It might be a meaningless action. But... I can't just sit still. I have to do something."
Rodrick clenched his fist.
He felt so pathetic he couldn't stand it. He felt so helpless.
Even if it was useless, he had to do something. That way, I could console myself with the thought that I was doing something.
“...”
Alexia didn't add anything else.
Because she could understand, to a certain extent, how Roderick must be feeling.
***
Around that time.
Byron's party was hiding in a mountain retreat deep in the mountains.
Even the bandits who were accustomed to living in the mountains sought refuge in warmer places to escape the midwinter cold, and it was an empty cave.
Of course, it was a rough place where even carriages did not travel.
In the bitter cold, they had to climb all the way here on their own.
Byron was deeply displeased, for living in a cave would hardly meet his high standards.
But he couldn't complain.
This was because government troops were spread throughout the empire, intent on capturing him.
He didn't know how long he could stay here. He didn't know when he would have to flee again.
‘...Well, is this a good thing for me?’
Aila warmed her hands by the campfire in the middle of the cave, lost in thought.
Of course, being stuck with Byron all day wasn't always a good thing, but it was definitely beneficial to be able to find out what Byron and Cloud were up to without having to eavesdrop.
Aila glanced at Byron across the campfire.
Byron, wrapped in soft fur on a makeshift bed, was still holding a glass of warmed alcohol in his hand, saying he was cold.
And then.
"How on earth did rumors get around that I was seen at the checkpoint? Didn't I clearly tell you to kill them all and silence them?"
Byron suddenly became angry.
It has been one of the recurring complaints for several days.
Aila was worried that it might be discovered that she had saved the soldiers.
If rumors of Byron's sighting had spread, wouldn't it be possible that the rumors of Aila's mercy toward the soldiers would also reach Byron's ears?
But acting suspiciously here would only arouse more suspicion.
She tried to pretend not to care, fixing her gaze on the rising flames.
“...It seems there were survivors.”
“So why do you do things like that!”
Byron slammed his fist on the bed in anger.
"Even so, it'll only hurt your hands."
Aila clicked her tongue internally and glanced at Byron's expression.
It was quite a sight to see him blushing and turning red, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of discontent towards him.
Fortunately, it seems that the rumor that Aila deliberately spared them did not spread.
It was unclear whether the soldiers had deliberately kept quiet to protect her, or whether the rumor was so uninteresting that it simply did not spread.
It was a truly fortunate situation for Aila.
“How long do I have to stay in a place like this, anyway!”
"It may be a little uncomfortable, but you'll have to hold out for a while. Those who are trying to capture my lord..."
Cloud answered in his usual calm and honest voice, but Byron, unable to control his anger, ended up throwing his glass on the floor.
“A little? Is this just a little uncomfortable?”
Eating was unpleasant, and sleeping was uncomfortable.
It would be difficult for someone as sensitive as Byron to live in a cave like this.
It was only natural that it would explode like this.
The problem was, this situation wasn't going to end anytime soon. In fact, it could get worse.
Cloud silently picked up the glass that had fallen to the floor.
He quietly placed his glass on the narrow table next to the bed, looked at Byron, and quietly opened his mouth.
"I don't know when we'll have to leave this place, my lord. It would be better to go underground like we did eleven years ago..."
Byron, who was already furious, took off the fur he had wrapped around himself as if he was getting angry at Cloud's words.
But he didn't shout or throw anything.
He just held the thick blanket on his lap with his hands, looking anxious.
The expression on his face was closer to fear than anger.
Fear. What on earth could possibly scare him so?
Eleven years ago, Aila was two years old.
It was 11 years ago at this point, but to her, who came from 6 years in the future, it was a whopping 17 years ago.
It meant that there was no way she would remember.
“That… can’t be.”
Byron spoke bluntly, as if there was no room for negotiation.
"My lord, if we continue like this, it's dangerous. We never know when this place will be discovered."
But Cloud didn't give up and persuaded him.
Because it was such a dangerous situation.
"...There must be another way. Let’s think about it.”
Byron remained stubborn. He gestured at Cloud to shoo him away, as if he didn't want to talk any further. He covered himself again with his fur and shouted.
“Here, bring me some more alcohol.”
He couldn't hold back his anger and poured it all out.
Aila turned her head back to the campfire at the pitiful sight.
Cloud sighed and stepped back, then walked over to the campfire where Ayla was and collapsed on the ground.
It looked like all the energy had been sucked out.
‘...Let’s try to find some information.’
What on earth happened so long ago? Why was Byron so terrified by the word "underground?"
It was an opportunity to find out more information.
Aila feigned innocent childish curiosity and tugged at Cloud's sleeve.
She got used to pretending to be cute after doing it so many times, so it was okay.
“Why are you like that, Miss?”
"Hey, Cloud. Where's 'Underground'?"
Aila lowered her voice and asked in a small voice.
Because if Byron, who was very upset, heard something, there was no way of knowing what kind of sparks might fly.
“Oh, that’s...”
Cloud was lost in thought.
The question was how much to reveal to satisfy Ayla's curiosity without revealing important information.
"Eleven years ago, there were people everywhere, trying to capture us, just like we are now. So back then... We hid in a sewer somewhere."
He also lowered his voice and answered.
It was a dark, damp, moldy place with no sunlight.
“...Of course, it’s a difficult place to endure, but it’s still the perfect place to avoid being tracked.”
Having said this, Cloud remained silent. It seemed he had no intention of providing any more information.
'I didn't get much nutritious information.'
Tch. Aila clicked her tongue inwardly.
Certainly, Byron would never want to go to such a place.
To be honest, Aila didn't want to go to a place like that either.
But she vowed that she would do anything to get revenge on Byron.
Still, it was not something she would be willing to go to, a moldy den full of musty smells.
And then, a little later.
“...Yes! That would work.”
Byron, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, opened his mouth as if something had occurred to him.
"Go to Inselkov. The Count will provide us with a safe haven."
“Yes? My lord. Are you suggesting we leave the country now?”
At Byron's sudden suggestion, Cloud, who was sitting on the floor, jumped up from his seat.
Because it was such a surprising story that it made him jump.
"Yes. No matter how hard they try to find me, they'll be confined to the territory of the Peles Empire. Why not just stay abroad until things calm down?"
Byron smiled and expressed his thoughts, as if he were proud of his brilliant idea.
“...But, it won’t be easy to cross the border.”
Cloud expressed his opinion in a cautious voice.
Especially now, when the Imperial Army is desperate to capture Byron, crossing the border.
"Well, there must be a way. Oh, right. Maybe we should look into shipping."
Since the Inselkov Kingdom was a country bordering the sea, Byron muttered that it wouldn't be a bad idea to enter the country illegally by boat.
And Aila was pretending not to care, but she was listening intently to their story.
Going abroad? It was something she'd never done in her past life.
Since so much has changed, she didn't wonder again, 'Why is this different from my last life?'
She guessed she just found it a little interesting.
'Can I take a boat ride? And...I can see the sea, too.'
In this situation, it was absurd to even expect something like that.
Perhaps as her body grew younger, so did her mind. Aila felt her heart pounding with pleasure.
It was only natural. She'd never been abroad in her past or this life.
And so was the sea.
Byron and her wandered around the empire, seeing a few rivers and small lakes, but never the sea.
“...I will look into it.”
Cloud nodded, agreeing to follow Byron's orders, as Byron's opinion made a lot of sense.
It was quite a sight to see him blushing and turning red, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of discontent towards him.
Fortunately, it seems that the rumor that Aila deliberately spared them did not spread.
It was unclear whether the soldiers had deliberately kept quiet to protect her, or whether the rumor was so uninteresting that it simply did not spread.
It was a truly fortunate situation for Aila.
“How long do I have to stay in a place like this, anyway!”
"It may be a little uncomfortable, but you'll have to hold out for a while. Those who are trying to capture my lord..."
Cloud answered in his usual calm and honest voice, but Byron, unable to control his anger, ended up throwing his glass on the floor.
“A little? Is this just a little uncomfortable?”
Eating was unpleasant, and sleeping was uncomfortable.
It would be difficult for someone as sensitive as Byron to live in a cave like this.
It was only natural that it would explode like this.
The problem was, this situation wasn't going to end anytime soon. In fact, it could get worse.
Cloud silently picked up the glass that had fallen to the floor.
He quietly placed his glass on the narrow table next to the bed, looked at Byron, and quietly opened his mouth.
"I don't know when we'll have to leave this place, my lord. It would be better to go underground like we did eleven years ago..."
Byron, who was already furious, took off the fur he had wrapped around himself as if he was getting angry at Cloud's words.
But he didn't shout or throw anything.
He just held the thick blanket on his lap with his hands, looking anxious.
The expression on his face was closer to fear than anger.
Fear. What on earth could possibly scare him so?
Eleven years ago, Aila was two years old.
It was 11 years ago at this point, but to her, who came from 6 years in the future, it was a whopping 17 years ago.
It meant that there was no way she would remember.
“That… can’t be.”
Byron spoke bluntly, as if there was no room for negotiation.
"My lord, if we continue like this, it's dangerous. We never know when this place will be discovered."
But Cloud didn't give up and persuaded him.
Because it was such a dangerous situation.
"...There must be another way. Let’s think about it.”
Byron remained stubborn. He gestured at Cloud to shoo him away, as if he didn't want to talk any further. He covered himself again with his fur and shouted.
“Here, bring me some more alcohol.”
He couldn't hold back his anger and poured it all out.
Aila turned her head back to the campfire at the pitiful sight.
Cloud sighed and stepped back, then walked over to the campfire where Ayla was and collapsed on the ground.
It looked like all the energy had been sucked out.
‘...Let’s try to find some information.’
What on earth happened so long ago? Why was Byron so terrified by the word "underground?"
It was an opportunity to find out more information.
Aila feigned innocent childish curiosity and tugged at Cloud's sleeve.
She got used to pretending to be cute after doing it so many times, so it was okay.
“Why are you like that, Miss?”
"Hey, Cloud. Where's 'Underground'?"
Aila lowered her voice and asked in a small voice.
Because if Byron, who was very upset, heard something, there was no way of knowing what kind of sparks might fly.
“Oh, that’s...”
Cloud was lost in thought.
The question was how much to reveal to satisfy Ayla's curiosity without revealing important information.
"Eleven years ago, there were people everywhere, trying to capture us, just like we are now. So back then... We hid in a sewer somewhere."
He also lowered his voice and answered.
It was a dark, damp, moldy place with no sunlight.
“...Of course, it’s a difficult place to endure, but it’s still the perfect place to avoid being tracked.”
Having said this, Cloud remained silent. It seemed he had no intention of providing any more information.
'I didn't get much nutritious information.'
Tch. Aila clicked her tongue inwardly.
Certainly, Byron would never want to go to such a place.
To be honest, Aila didn't want to go to a place like that either.
But she vowed that she would do anything to get revenge on Byron.
Still, it was not something she would be willing to go to, a moldy den full of musty smells.
And then, a little later.
“...Yes! That would work.”
Byron, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, opened his mouth as if something had occurred to him.
"Go to Inselkov. The Count will provide us with a safe haven."
“Yes? My lord. Are you suggesting we leave the country now?”
At Byron's sudden suggestion, Cloud, who was sitting on the floor, jumped up from his seat.
Because it was such a surprising story that it made him jump.
"Yes. No matter how hard they try to find me, they'll be confined to the territory of the Peles Empire. Why not just stay abroad until things calm down?"
Byron smiled and expressed his thoughts, as if he were proud of his brilliant idea.
“...But, it won’t be easy to cross the border.”
Cloud expressed his opinion in a cautious voice.
Especially now, when the Imperial Army is desperate to capture Byron, crossing the border.
"Well, there must be a way. Oh, right. Maybe we should look into shipping."
Since the Inselkov Kingdom was a country bordering the sea, Byron muttered that it wouldn't be a bad idea to enter the country illegally by boat.
And Aila was pretending not to care, but she was listening intently to their story.
Going abroad? It was something she'd never done in her past life.
Since so much has changed, she didn't wonder again, 'Why is this different from my last life?'
She guessed she just found it a little interesting.
'Can I take a boat ride? And...I can see the sea, too.'
In this situation, it was absurd to even expect something like that.
Perhaps as her body grew younger, so did her mind. Aila felt her heart pounding with pleasure.
It was only natural. She'd never been abroad in her past or this life.
And so was the sea.
Byron and her wandered around the empire, seeing a few rivers and small lakes, but never the sea.
“...I will look into it.”
Cloud nodded, agreeing to follow Byron's orders, as Byron's opinion made a lot of sense.
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