"So... my uncle and I decided to go find him ourselves. I'm not sure, but if he's the wizard who placed the curse on you, he probably knows how to lift it."
"I'm sure of it! The woman with the huge scorpion tattoo on her face. She must have put a curse on me."
As she listened to Roderick's explanation, a memory suddenly flashed through her mind, and she raised her voice involuntarily. The person her father was describing looked exactly like the person who had lifted her curse.
“...How do you know that? You said you didn’t remember before.”
And at her words, Roderick asked with a puzzled look.
If Byron had placed the curse on Aila immediately after kidnapping her, she would have been only two years old. Isn't it odd that she remembers what happened then?
Of course, what Aila remembers is not what happened when she was two years old, but something from her past life.
“...When I hear my father’s words, I vaguely remember something like that.”
Aila, who almost accidentally revealed something from her past life, tried to hide her embarrassment and quickly explained it.
She consoled herself that she hadn't lied to her parents since she hadn't said when it happened.
“Yeah, I see.”
Although he was still a bit dubious, Roderick nodded in understanding. If it happened when she was two, wouldn't she have a vague, if not definitive, recollection? It was even more so if it had been a traumatic event.
Anyway, it was a good thing that he got information from her daughter that Suki Insidio was definitely the one who put the curse on her.
“Yes, then I guess I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, Father. Take care.”
Roderick left a greeting for his daughter and headed toward the entrance to the secret passage. He deftly twisted the statue, revealing a hidden door. He was just about to enter.
“I, father...”
Aila called out to Roderick in a hesitant voice.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Well, then... what will happen to my swordsmanship and horseback riding lessons while Father is away?”
She asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.
While she was taking her successor's lessons, Roderick began teaching her swordsmanship and horseback riding himself, as she found those lessons quite enjoyable.
The Weishaffen family's swordsmanship felt unfamiliar, as it was quite different from the dagger technique Cloud had taught, but it was still fun to learn the basics one by one.
In her past life, she had been so overwhelmed by the etiquette lessons that she hadn't been able to learn swordsmanship from Roderick, so everything felt new to her.
Riding lessons were no different. It was the first time in her life, past or present, that she had ridden a horse alone, and every time she did, she felt incredibly free and refreshed.
And above all, what made the class so good was that the teacher was her father.
Sometimes sternly, sometimes gently. Spending time with her father, who taught her the basics step by step, had become her favorite part of the day.
"Oh, you mean class? I asked someone I trust to take care of it for me. She's a friend who leads the imperial guard... We're like siblings, so she must be like an aunt to you. I'll introduce you before I go."
Roderick replied as if to tell her not to worry.
“Oh, I see.”
Aila answered with a sullen bow of her head. While swordsmanship and horseback riding were fun in themselves, spending time with her father was even more enjoyable. It felt strangely disappointing that her father didn't seem to understand her feelings.
When his daughter pouted, Roderick felt embarrassed and wondered why. Why should she be upset when she heard that classes were proceeding smoothly even while he was away?
And soon, Roderick realized the reason, and his face melted in a way that his usually blunt self would never have thought of.
“...You want to be with me. This father is so stupid that he doesn’t even know how you feel.”
Roderick chuckled, his arms trembling, and caressed his daughter's head. He stroked her so vigorously that the spot on her head became shiny and shiny.
Aila wasn't the only one who enjoyed that time. Roderick was, too.
It wasn't just because she was a daughter, but Aila was also an excellent student. A diligent and eager student, she naturally looked beautiful, but what a surprise, she was also the daughter that he had been longing for.
How could he not be happy spending time with his daughter, whom he would never mind putting in his eye, and doing the things she likes?
"I trust you, Aila. You'll work hard even while I'm away. You will, right?"
“...Yes, Father.”
Whenever she would pout, saying that her feelings were not understood, Aila would quickly feel better when her father stroked her head with a warm hand, and she would smile slightly and nod.
"Of course, no one will blame you if you slack off a bit while I'm away. But don't overdo it. Just do what you can."
Roderick, worried that his daughter, who was diligent and lacked common sense, might overtrain and get hurt or sick, added with a bright smile still on his face.
“Oh, really, you’re acting like a spoiled brat you never used to… I need to go and show off to your mother.”
Roderick smiled and said goodbye, and this time he really walked towards the secret passage.
It was the first time he had seen his daughter, who rarely complained, act like this. It was a shame to keep it to himself.
And Aila, left alone, stood there blankly, mulling over what her father had said.
'I... was being childish?'
She never thought she would act like a spoiled brat to her parents. She was always so busy worrying about what adults thought.
If she adds up the years she remembers from her past life, she's now nineteen. She thought she was past the age of childishness. But now that she thinks about it, what she just did wasn't childish?
Pouting like you don't understand my feelings, even though I didn't say them.
Her nineteen-year-old self seemed to be screaming in shame, but in fact, on the other hand, she was also feeling a bit happy.
It meant that now she had someone to listen to her complaints.
“...Ugh.”
As the forced march continued, Isidore, who had always studied indoors, began to groan strangely. It was only natural that he would tire from constantly trekking through the rugged mountains.
He's already visited three of the six candidates, and they've all been a waste of time.
"Are you very tired? Then why don't you take a short rest? We're almost at the village."
"Oh, no. We need to catch him as soon as possible. I heard the kid remembered the scorpion tattoo. Is now the time to rest because I'm tired?"
Isidore, who seemed to be falling asleep at any moment, shook his head and opened his eyes wide.
Although he was worried that he might be pushing himself too hard, Roderick was also in a hurry, so he hurried his horse and increased his speed.
And when they arrived at a village near their destination, the townspeople showed interest in them. It wasn't a place where nobles and noblemen would often pass through.
Although he disguised himself to hide his identity, he could not hide the fact that he was a nobleman due to his noble appearance and natural elegance.
“Where are you going, Your Excellency?”
“I came here to try hunting on that mountain. How’s it as a hunting ground?”
As Roderick dismissed the villagers, an embarrassed look crossed their faces.
“Are you talking about the mountain in front? You absolutely must not go near that mountain.”
The way he waved his hand and tried to dissuade him seemed to indicate that something was up.
“Why is that?”
"Well, there's a rumor going around that mountain that a terrible witch lives there. It's not uncommon for livestock to disappear and be found dead at the foot of the mountain. The bodies have turned black, as if they've been through something..."
“...Really? I have to be careful.”
Roderick, who had been agreeing with the villager's words, exchanged glances with Isidore. A charred corpse was a common sign of curses and black magic.
Somehow, he had a feeling that this time he had come to the right place.
Leaving the village, they pretended to head elsewhere and turned toward the mountain in front of the village. Halfway up the mountain, they found abandoned ancient ruins. They were sure to find the person they were searching for there.
How far up the mountain did they climb? A small, ancient building appeared before their eyes. The atmosphere was gloomy, as if dark clouds were hanging over the area.
“Then we will guard the retreat, Your Excellency.”
“Yes, please.”
As the knights who had accompanied him left to guard the back of the building, Roderick cautiously walked towards the entrance and drew his sword.
At that moment, Isidore urgently grabbed him and stopped him.
“Stop. You can’t just go.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“It’s a magic trap.”
Although Roderick couldn't see it, traps were laid out along the path to the entrance. When Roderick looked puzzled, Isidore offered to show him, picking up a small rock and throwing it near the entrance.
And as the stone hit the ground, a black flame erupted from the ground in an instant, threatening to burn the intruder to death.
"As expected, this isn't an easy opponent. I think I can destroy it, but it'll take a long time to unravel all those details one by one..."
“How about trying this?”
At Isidore's troubled expression, Roderick calmly gathered his energy and drew his sword. As he swung his sword, a fierce wind blew, and the black flames faintly died down.
“...”
Isidore looked at Roderick with a slightly tired expression.
He knew he was strong, but he never thought he could physically destroy such a well-made magical trap. And in an instant.
Anyway, it was fortunate that things became easier thanks to that.
“Then let’s go.”
"I'm sure of it! The woman with the huge scorpion tattoo on her face. She must have put a curse on me."
As she listened to Roderick's explanation, a memory suddenly flashed through her mind, and she raised her voice involuntarily. The person her father was describing looked exactly like the person who had lifted her curse.
“...How do you know that? You said you didn’t remember before.”
And at her words, Roderick asked with a puzzled look.
If Byron had placed the curse on Aila immediately after kidnapping her, she would have been only two years old. Isn't it odd that she remembers what happened then?
Of course, what Aila remembers is not what happened when she was two years old, but something from her past life.
“...When I hear my father’s words, I vaguely remember something like that.”
Aila, who almost accidentally revealed something from her past life, tried to hide her embarrassment and quickly explained it.
She consoled herself that she hadn't lied to her parents since she hadn't said when it happened.
“Yeah, I see.”
Although he was still a bit dubious, Roderick nodded in understanding. If it happened when she was two, wouldn't she have a vague, if not definitive, recollection? It was even more so if it had been a traumatic event.
Anyway, it was a good thing that he got information from her daughter that Suki Insidio was definitely the one who put the curse on her.
“Yes, then I guess I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, Father. Take care.”
Roderick left a greeting for his daughter and headed toward the entrance to the secret passage. He deftly twisted the statue, revealing a hidden door. He was just about to enter.
“I, father...”
Aila called out to Roderick in a hesitant voice.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Well, then... what will happen to my swordsmanship and horseback riding lessons while Father is away?”
She asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.
While she was taking her successor's lessons, Roderick began teaching her swordsmanship and horseback riding himself, as she found those lessons quite enjoyable.
The Weishaffen family's swordsmanship felt unfamiliar, as it was quite different from the dagger technique Cloud had taught, but it was still fun to learn the basics one by one.
In her past life, she had been so overwhelmed by the etiquette lessons that she hadn't been able to learn swordsmanship from Roderick, so everything felt new to her.
Riding lessons were no different. It was the first time in her life, past or present, that she had ridden a horse alone, and every time she did, she felt incredibly free and refreshed.
And above all, what made the class so good was that the teacher was her father.
Sometimes sternly, sometimes gently. Spending time with her father, who taught her the basics step by step, had become her favorite part of the day.
"Oh, you mean class? I asked someone I trust to take care of it for me. She's a friend who leads the imperial guard... We're like siblings, so she must be like an aunt to you. I'll introduce you before I go."
Roderick replied as if to tell her not to worry.
“Oh, I see.”
Aila answered with a sullen bow of her head. While swordsmanship and horseback riding were fun in themselves, spending time with her father was even more enjoyable. It felt strangely disappointing that her father didn't seem to understand her feelings.
When his daughter pouted, Roderick felt embarrassed and wondered why. Why should she be upset when she heard that classes were proceeding smoothly even while he was away?
And soon, Roderick realized the reason, and his face melted in a way that his usually blunt self would never have thought of.
“...You want to be with me. This father is so stupid that he doesn’t even know how you feel.”
Roderick chuckled, his arms trembling, and caressed his daughter's head. He stroked her so vigorously that the spot on her head became shiny and shiny.
Aila wasn't the only one who enjoyed that time. Roderick was, too.
It wasn't just because she was a daughter, but Aila was also an excellent student. A diligent and eager student, she naturally looked beautiful, but what a surprise, she was also the daughter that he had been longing for.
How could he not be happy spending time with his daughter, whom he would never mind putting in his eye, and doing the things she likes?
"I trust you, Aila. You'll work hard even while I'm away. You will, right?"
“...Yes, Father.”
Whenever she would pout, saying that her feelings were not understood, Aila would quickly feel better when her father stroked her head with a warm hand, and she would smile slightly and nod.
"Of course, no one will blame you if you slack off a bit while I'm away. But don't overdo it. Just do what you can."
Roderick, worried that his daughter, who was diligent and lacked common sense, might overtrain and get hurt or sick, added with a bright smile still on his face.
“Oh, really, you’re acting like a spoiled brat you never used to… I need to go and show off to your mother.”
Roderick smiled and said goodbye, and this time he really walked towards the secret passage.
It was the first time he had seen his daughter, who rarely complained, act like this. It was a shame to keep it to himself.
And Aila, left alone, stood there blankly, mulling over what her father had said.
'I... was being childish?'
She never thought she would act like a spoiled brat to her parents. She was always so busy worrying about what adults thought.
If she adds up the years she remembers from her past life, she's now nineteen. She thought she was past the age of childishness. But now that she thinks about it, what she just did wasn't childish?
Pouting like you don't understand my feelings, even though I didn't say them.
Her nineteen-year-old self seemed to be screaming in shame, but in fact, on the other hand, she was also feeling a bit happy.
It meant that now she had someone to listen to her complaints.
***
“...Ugh.”
As the forced march continued, Isidore, who had always studied indoors, began to groan strangely. It was only natural that he would tire from constantly trekking through the rugged mountains.
He's already visited three of the six candidates, and they've all been a waste of time.
"Are you very tired? Then why don't you take a short rest? We're almost at the village."
"Oh, no. We need to catch him as soon as possible. I heard the kid remembered the scorpion tattoo. Is now the time to rest because I'm tired?"
Isidore, who seemed to be falling asleep at any moment, shook his head and opened his eyes wide.
Although he was worried that he might be pushing himself too hard, Roderick was also in a hurry, so he hurried his horse and increased his speed.
And when they arrived at a village near their destination, the townspeople showed interest in them. It wasn't a place where nobles and noblemen would often pass through.
Although he disguised himself to hide his identity, he could not hide the fact that he was a nobleman due to his noble appearance and natural elegance.
“Where are you going, Your Excellency?”
“I came here to try hunting on that mountain. How’s it as a hunting ground?”
As Roderick dismissed the villagers, an embarrassed look crossed their faces.
“Are you talking about the mountain in front? You absolutely must not go near that mountain.”
The way he waved his hand and tried to dissuade him seemed to indicate that something was up.
“Why is that?”
"Well, there's a rumor going around that mountain that a terrible witch lives there. It's not uncommon for livestock to disappear and be found dead at the foot of the mountain. The bodies have turned black, as if they've been through something..."
“...Really? I have to be careful.”
Roderick, who had been agreeing with the villager's words, exchanged glances with Isidore. A charred corpse was a common sign of curses and black magic.
Somehow, he had a feeling that this time he had come to the right place.
Leaving the village, they pretended to head elsewhere and turned toward the mountain in front of the village. Halfway up the mountain, they found abandoned ancient ruins. They were sure to find the person they were searching for there.
How far up the mountain did they climb? A small, ancient building appeared before their eyes. The atmosphere was gloomy, as if dark clouds were hanging over the area.
“Then we will guard the retreat, Your Excellency.”
“Yes, please.”
As the knights who had accompanied him left to guard the back of the building, Roderick cautiously walked towards the entrance and drew his sword.
At that moment, Isidore urgently grabbed him and stopped him.
“Stop. You can’t just go.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“It’s a magic trap.”
Although Roderick couldn't see it, traps were laid out along the path to the entrance. When Roderick looked puzzled, Isidore offered to show him, picking up a small rock and throwing it near the entrance.
And as the stone hit the ground, a black flame erupted from the ground in an instant, threatening to burn the intruder to death.
"As expected, this isn't an easy opponent. I think I can destroy it, but it'll take a long time to unravel all those details one by one..."
“How about trying this?”
At Isidore's troubled expression, Roderick calmly gathered his energy and drew his sword. As he swung his sword, a fierce wind blew, and the black flames faintly died down.
“...”
Isidore looked at Roderick with a slightly tired expression.
He knew he was strong, but he never thought he could physically destroy such a well-made magical trap. And in an instant.
Anyway, it was fortunate that things became easier thanks to that.
“Then let’s go.”
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