Episode 71. Up
Bercheria patted Groovy's back as he cried out loud.
Strangely, she felt as if she was treating Groovy like a younger sibling, just as she comforted Tatiana. Her first feelings were a need to protect him and pity for him.
It was completely different from the complex emotions she felt toward Lacrahan.
She couldn't remember exactly when her feelings began to change, but one thing was certain: from the beginning, she hadn't felt as comfortable with Lacrahan as she did with others. A strange feeling kept surfacing around her.
It was sometimes resentment, admiration, and sometimes anger.
Then, her heart raced and her stomach lurched.
She thought it was because she'd been locked in the tower her whole life that she was experiencing such extreme emotional ups and downs. She also thought it might be because she'd never properly communicated with anyone.
But when Lacrahan spoke of marriage and offered to do what he could, Bercheria faintly realized she liked him.
Perhaps the deciding factor came after hearing Lacrahan's words in front of the library:
"I don't want to falsely swear my love in front of my people. Whether Bercheria is sincere or not, I intend to give my all for this marriage."
"You have too much to bear alone, and it breaks my heart to see you. I want to be there to help you. I want to make you feel a little more reliant on me."
“May I come with you?”
Lacrahan looked at Groovy, who looked uneasy because of his uncanny resemblance to Bercheria, then turned to Bercheria.
When she smiled, he sighed and muttered something faintly.
“Indeed.”
It was a day full of confusion.
Empress Lawrence was enjoying brunch with her maids.
Although the weather had been quite chilly lately, the sun was warm and she was enjoying spending time outdoors.
Moreover, without the annoying Emperor’s mistress or the Emperor who enjoyed nagging, she felt at ease.
“Your Majesty!”
As the chatter grew louder, one of the Emperor’s servants came running in search of Lawrence.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty. I heard that Princess Kelita has just woken up.”
Lawrence put down the fork she was holding and jumped to her feet.
“Where? Where is Princess Kelita right now?”
Lawrence trotted after the servant.
Kelita, whom he had assumed had gone mad after emerging from the portal, still hadn’t woken up.
She was extremely worried about her condition.
Lawrence spotted Kelita standing before her and hurried toward her.
“Princess Kelita.”
Kelita, standing with her hair neatly combed, didn’t smile at Lawrence.
Lawrence hesitated before Kelita politely lifted her skirt and bowed.
“How have you been, Your Majesty, Empress Lawrence?”
“Princess Kelita. Uh, uh... are you okay?”
Kelita looked up, as if thinking for a moment, then nodded, her face still expressionless.
“If you’re asking if I’m crazy? Yes, I am. Don’t worry.”
Kelita reached out and gave Lawrence a gentle hug, then spoke in a calm voice.
“I have some work to do today. Can I come back later?”
Lawrence swallowed hard and nodded.
“You may do that. Of course.”
Watching Kelita turn away after thanking her, Lawrence gritted her teeth invisibly.
Bercheria, Lacrahan, and Groovy with the wild dog following behind.
Lacrahan, who had been trying to move stealthily without being noticed, suddenly found himself crossing the outskirts of the northern forest with two guests.
“How long does it take to get to the border?”
Lacrahan answered Groovy’s question after estimating the time.
“We’re about halfway there, so I think it should take about a day and a half more.”
“It’s farther than I thought.”
Back when the continent was initially a complex web of small nations. When Periat first united the surrounding nations to form an empire, the kingdoms of Der'Ansis and Contana also proposed negotiations to secure the land they desired.
First, they consulted with the weaker nations to decide which countries they wanted to visit. They then agreed to divide the remaining territories through negotiation.
For everyone's safety, they designated the longest and largest stretch of land previously ruled by barbarians as a buffer zone. They designated the fertile land stretching from the beginning to the end of the continent as the border, and they legislated that anyone crossing it could be killed without warning.
Over time, small villages sprang up around this buffer zone.
These were the areas most likely to suffer the most if war broke out.
They were the farthest from the capital, unable to benefit from its benefits. They were also on the outskirts, neglected by everyone, so commercial development was slow.
Most of the people living in these small villages were either extremely poor or simply sought refuge from the public eye.
No one raised their voices against the lack of benefits, so even Lacrahan naturally neglected them.
Had it not been for the long drought, this place would likely still be forgotten in his memory.
"It's not that far to walk, is it?"
Groovy laughed, scratching his head.
"I've only ever lived in the dungeon, so I don't really know where to go. I don't even know where anything is."
Bercheria, who was walking alongside him, answered.
"Me too. Living in the tower, I've lost my sense of distance, so I still have trouble picturing things like direction and distance."
Bercheria and Groovy locked eyes and smiled.
Wham!
Lacrahan was about to sneak in and walk when a quick-witted stray dog latched onto Bercheria's side.
The stray dog, following Groovy, seemed to have been raised by humans before, and it was surprisingly cute.
But what was truly absurd was that it showed its charms only to Bercheria, never to anyone else.
That's why males, whether humans or dogs...
Lacrahan was growing increasingly dissatisfied.
"If you continue down this path, you'll find a small valley. There's a shallow cave there, so I think we should stay there for the night."
Bercheria and Groovy nodded simultaneously at Lacrahan's words.
Lacrahan chuckled at the resemblance between the two, and he couldn't help but laugh.
The castle must be in chaos right now, searching for him, but the comforting thought was that no one would have guessed he was headed to the border region.
For Lacrahan, it was a completely useless destination, and even Timothy likely hadn't anticipated it.
"I think it would be best to split here. If you keep going straight along this road, you'll reach the valley I mentioned. With your back to the valley and looking to the left, you'll see a large sycamore tree. Behind it, you'll find the entrance to a small hidden cave."
"Yes, I will take responsibility and escort Lady Bercheria there."
Lacrahan ignored Groovy's energetic reply and sat beside him, trustingly looking at the stray dog brushing its ears.
It felt uneasy to leave Bercheria in charge, but it was unavoidable if we were going to get food.
He couldn't behead, drain, and fillet his prey next to Bercheria, who bestowed a protective aura upon all life on this land.
Lacrahan at least didn't want to seem like a savage to Bercheria.
"Then, I'll see you later."
Bercheria patted Groovy's back as he cried out loud.
Strangely, she felt as if she was treating Groovy like a younger sibling, just as she comforted Tatiana. Her first feelings were a need to protect him and pity for him.
It was completely different from the complex emotions she felt toward Lacrahan.
She couldn't remember exactly when her feelings began to change, but one thing was certain: from the beginning, she hadn't felt as comfortable with Lacrahan as she did with others. A strange feeling kept surfacing around her.
It was sometimes resentment, admiration, and sometimes anger.
Then, her heart raced and her stomach lurched.
She thought it was because she'd been locked in the tower her whole life that she was experiencing such extreme emotional ups and downs. She also thought it might be because she'd never properly communicated with anyone.
But when Lacrahan spoke of marriage and offered to do what he could, Bercheria faintly realized she liked him.
Perhaps the deciding factor came after hearing Lacrahan's words in front of the library:
"I don't want to falsely swear my love in front of my people. Whether Bercheria is sincere or not, I intend to give my all for this marriage."
"You have too much to bear alone, and it breaks my heart to see you. I want to be there to help you. I want to make you feel a little more reliant on me."
The heartfelt confession, something she'd never heard before in her life, thrilled her so much that she couldn't sleep. These words resonated more deeply with Bercheria than words like "I love you" or "I like you." They were words that would do their best. They were words that wanted to lighten her burden. They were words that made her feel reliant on him.
Even if she didn't fall in love with him, it felt like he would enrich every day of her life.
Someone wanted to care for her this deeply.
That fact alone made the wounds of his mother's abuse seem to be healing.
"Grooby."
So, she thought it would be good to help Groovy, too. Not only did they look similar, but how could their lives be so similar? It was heartbreaking. Even if they were born with blond hair and golden eyes, wouldn't they be able to live an ordinary life?
It wasn't a curse.
"I understand. So don't be too sorry."
Grooby burst into tears at Bercheria's consolation.
Bercheria, who felt like a true brother, sincerely comforted Groovy.
After all, Emperor Gerard was an enemy of Bercheria, so she felt the need to protect Groovy.
Of course, she would need to discuss this with Lacrahan.
"Hey. Get away."
Lacrahan suddenly placed a hand between Bercheria and Groovy, pushing him back slightly. He then looked down with cold eyes.
"It's rude of you to be so harsh."
To me.
As Lacrahan looked at him with sincerity, Groovy abruptly stood up and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I got too emotional. And I’m sorry, Lady Bercheria. We’re not even that close.”
Lacrahan looked at Groovy with a slightly more forgiving expression.
Still, it was fortunate that he was a polite young man.
However, his face hardened again at Bercheria’s words as he rose from the stone he had been sitting on.
“We are close friends, yes.”
Bercheria met Lacrahan’s gaze and spoke again.
“Lacrahan.”
“...Yes.”
“Since Groovy is being chased by Emperor Gerard, shouldn’t he move with us now?”
Lacrahan raised an eyebrow.
No.
“Actually, I think having even one more person might be beneficial to both of us right now.”
“Well.”
I don’t think so.
“Besides, did you hear that Groovy alone filled up all the mana needed for the portal?”
At Bercheria’s words, Groovy suddenly took on a solemn expression and drew out all the mana within him, showing it to the two.
Even if she didn't fall in love with him, it felt like he would enrich every day of her life.
Someone wanted to care for her this deeply.
That fact alone made the wounds of his mother's abuse seem to be healing.
"Grooby."
So, she thought it would be good to help Groovy, too. Not only did they look similar, but how could their lives be so similar? It was heartbreaking. Even if they were born with blond hair and golden eyes, wouldn't they be able to live an ordinary life?
It wasn't a curse.
"I understand. So don't be too sorry."
Grooby burst into tears at Bercheria's consolation.
Bercheria, who felt like a true brother, sincerely comforted Groovy.
After all, Emperor Gerard was an enemy of Bercheria, so she felt the need to protect Groovy.
Of course, she would need to discuss this with Lacrahan.
"Hey. Get away."
Lacrahan suddenly placed a hand between Bercheria and Groovy, pushing him back slightly. He then looked down with cold eyes.
"It's rude of you to be so harsh."
To me.
As Lacrahan looked at him with sincerity, Groovy abruptly stood up and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I got too emotional. And I’m sorry, Lady Bercheria. We’re not even that close.”
Lacrahan looked at Groovy with a slightly more forgiving expression.
Still, it was fortunate that he was a polite young man.
However, his face hardened again at Bercheria’s words as he rose from the stone he had been sitting on.
“We are close friends, yes.”
Bercheria met Lacrahan’s gaze and spoke again.
“Lacrahan.”
“...Yes.”
“Since Groovy is being chased by Emperor Gerard, shouldn’t he move with us now?”
Lacrahan raised an eyebrow.
No.
“Actually, I think having even one more person might be beneficial to both of us right now.”
“Well.”
I don’t think so.
“Besides, did you hear that Groovy alone filled up all the mana needed for the portal?”
At Bercheria’s words, Groovy suddenly took on a solemn expression and drew out all the mana within him, showing it to the two.
Lacrahan forgot the situation just now and let out a sigh of admiration.
He'd hidden wizards from Emperor Gerard countless times before, or helped them escape across the border, but he'd never seen anyone this skilled. He hadn't even realized humans could store so much mana.
It was truly remarkable.
"What do you think? It seems incredibly useful, doesn't it?"
“Well,” said Groovy.
He'd hidden wizards from Emperor Gerard countless times before, or helped them escape across the border, but he'd never seen anyone this skilled. He hadn't even realized humans could store so much mana.
It was truly remarkable.
"What do you think? It seems incredibly useful, doesn't it?"
“Well,” said Groovy.
“We’re going to a village near the border. We’ll decide what to do next there.”
Groovy blinked and then asked Lacrahan.
Groovy blinked and then asked Lacrahan.
“May I come with you?”
Lacrahan looked at Groovy, who looked uneasy because of his uncanny resemblance to Bercheria, then turned to Bercheria.
When she smiled, he sighed and muttered something faintly.
“Indeed.”
It was a day full of confusion.
***
Empress Lawrence was enjoying brunch with her maids.
Although the weather had been quite chilly lately, the sun was warm and she was enjoying spending time outdoors.
Moreover, without the annoying Emperor’s mistress or the Emperor who enjoyed nagging, she felt at ease.
“Your Majesty!”
As the chatter grew louder, one of the Emperor’s servants came running in search of Lawrence.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty. I heard that Princess Kelita has just woken up.”
Lawrence put down the fork she was holding and jumped to her feet.
“Where? Where is Princess Kelita right now?”
Lawrence trotted after the servant.
Kelita, whom he had assumed had gone mad after emerging from the portal, still hadn’t woken up.
She was extremely worried about her condition.
Lawrence spotted Kelita standing before her and hurried toward her.
“Princess Kelita.”
Kelita, standing with her hair neatly combed, didn’t smile at Lawrence.
Lawrence hesitated before Kelita politely lifted her skirt and bowed.
“How have you been, Your Majesty, Empress Lawrence?”
“Princess Kelita. Uh, uh... are you okay?”
Kelita looked up, as if thinking for a moment, then nodded, her face still expressionless.
“If you’re asking if I’m crazy? Yes, I am. Don’t worry.”
Kelita reached out and gave Lawrence a gentle hug, then spoke in a calm voice.
“I have some work to do today. Can I come back later?”
Lawrence swallowed hard and nodded.
“You may do that. Of course.”
Watching Kelita turn away after thanking her, Lawrence gritted her teeth invisibly.
***
Bercheria, Lacrahan, and Groovy with the wild dog following behind.
Lacrahan, who had been trying to move stealthily without being noticed, suddenly found himself crossing the outskirts of the northern forest with two guests.
“How long does it take to get to the border?”
Lacrahan answered Groovy’s question after estimating the time.
“We’re about halfway there, so I think it should take about a day and a half more.”
“It’s farther than I thought.”
Back when the continent was initially a complex web of small nations. When Periat first united the surrounding nations to form an empire, the kingdoms of Der'Ansis and Contana also proposed negotiations to secure the land they desired.
First, they consulted with the weaker nations to decide which countries they wanted to visit. They then agreed to divide the remaining territories through negotiation.
For everyone's safety, they designated the longest and largest stretch of land previously ruled by barbarians as a buffer zone. They designated the fertile land stretching from the beginning to the end of the continent as the border, and they legislated that anyone crossing it could be killed without warning.
Over time, small villages sprang up around this buffer zone.
These were the areas most likely to suffer the most if war broke out.
They were the farthest from the capital, unable to benefit from its benefits. They were also on the outskirts, neglected by everyone, so commercial development was slow.
Most of the people living in these small villages were either extremely poor or simply sought refuge from the public eye.
No one raised their voices against the lack of benefits, so even Lacrahan naturally neglected them.
Had it not been for the long drought, this place would likely still be forgotten in his memory.
"It's not that far to walk, is it?"
Groovy laughed, scratching his head.
"I've only ever lived in the dungeon, so I don't really know where to go. I don't even know where anything is."
Bercheria, who was walking alongside him, answered.
"Me too. Living in the tower, I've lost my sense of distance, so I still have trouble picturing things like direction and distance."
Bercheria and Groovy locked eyes and smiled.
Wham!
Lacrahan was about to sneak in and walk when a quick-witted stray dog latched onto Bercheria's side.
The stray dog, following Groovy, seemed to have been raised by humans before, and it was surprisingly cute.
But what was truly absurd was that it showed its charms only to Bercheria, never to anyone else.
That's why males, whether humans or dogs...
Lacrahan was growing increasingly dissatisfied.
"If you continue down this path, you'll find a small valley. There's a shallow cave there, so I think we should stay there for the night."
Bercheria and Groovy nodded simultaneously at Lacrahan's words.
Lacrahan chuckled at the resemblance between the two, and he couldn't help but laugh.
The castle must be in chaos right now, searching for him, but the comforting thought was that no one would have guessed he was headed to the border region.
For Lacrahan, it was a completely useless destination, and even Timothy likely hadn't anticipated it.
"I think it would be best to split here. If you keep going straight along this road, you'll reach the valley I mentioned. With your back to the valley and looking to the left, you'll see a large sycamore tree. Behind it, you'll find the entrance to a small hidden cave."
"Yes, I will take responsibility and escort Lady Bercheria there."
Lacrahan ignored Groovy's energetic reply and sat beside him, trustingly looking at the stray dog brushing its ears.
It felt uneasy to leave Bercheria in charge, but it was unavoidable if we were going to get food.
He couldn't behead, drain, and fillet his prey next to Bercheria, who bestowed a protective aura upon all life on this land.
Lacrahan at least didn't want to seem like a savage to Bercheria.
"Then, I'll see you later."
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