"I remember that monsters appeared more frequently. Also, because the forest was located in a basin and greatly affected by the climate, it had a slightly different tree species than the forests beyond the mountain."
"Then what about this side? Was there anything special here? Looking at the map, the path leading here seems strangely straight."
"They say this place used to be a holy place. I don't know what it was, but there were visitors, and the path was probably built at that time."
After a while, the two were standing together in front of the map, talking.
At first, Callion was taken aback. It felt awkward and strange that Erna had spoken to him, and that she had spoken to him purely to ask a question, without any ill will.
'Well, it seems like you're the type of person who can't stand being curious.'
One of the new things about Erna that Callion had discovered over the past few days was that whenever she had a question, she would become obsessed with finding a solution to it.
Just like the last time she was stuck in front of the map trying to find the Forest of Irigis, whenever she came across something she didn't know in the documents, she would rush to her room and get a related book or material, and search and search until her curiosity was satisfied.
'Are all wizards like that?'
As a knight, it was a behavior he couldn't quite understand. A swordsman shouldn't overthink. Too much thought takes time to make a decision, and that decision could be life-threatening. That's why Callion was the type to let go of any doubts he had, then revisit them later when he had more time. And honestly, he didn't even try to understand everything. However, Erna acted as if the world would crumble if she overlooked even one thing.
'You're quite the tiring person.'
He wondered if that was why she was so sensitive.
And now, as he conversed with Erna, Callion realized that her personality wasn't necessarily all bad. Erna's questions and doubts continued to swirl. As they did, Callion's own puzzlements began to unravel, one by one. He realized that what he had initially thought were multiple problems stemmed from a single issue, and he finally came to terms with them.
It wasn't just Callion who was surprised by this unexpected side of her. Erna was also taken aback by this unexpected side of Callion.
'Hey... you're more conversational than I thought?'
When they were busy nitpicking in the conference room, their conversations rarely lasted more than ten sentences. Usually, the words "pumpkin" and "worm" would slip out of their mouths, and the conversation would end there.
But not today. The information about the Forest of Irgis she'd heard from the wizards during the day had piqued Erna's curiosity.
"It was a fascinating place. It was just an ordinary forest, but there were traces of a tremendous amount of magic in a certain spot. Doesn't that mean some immense magic was cast there in the past?"
A truly immense magic. At those words, Erna recalled the ancient magic that once protected Hessengard. If the Forest of Irgis could provide a clue to finding that magic...
'I need more information.'
That didn't mean she could rush straight to the Irgis Forest. But she was dying of curiosity. Then she remembered that Callion remembered where the Irgis Forest was.
She asked him a question because she needed immediate information, regardless of whether he was Callion or not. He stared at her for a moment and then began explaining in more detail than she'd expected. Furthermore, he answered all her other questions with what he knew.
Of course, she knew this was related to official duties, and as a Grand Duke, he was answering faithfully. Still, Erna felt strange. Few people would answer her barrage of questions so promptly. He simply told her what he knew, never revealing his own thoughts. But that was enough. In fact, it seemed to make the conversation more enjoyable.
Erna glanced at the paper on the table. Unlike her, who mostly stayed at the Grand Duke's castle, Callion wandered outside. As a result, he knew every nook and cranny of Hessengard far better than she did.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Erna stopped Callion, who was returning to his desk after finishing his explanation. Then she quickly grabbed the piece of paper on which she written her questions and spoke.
“Let me ask you a few more questions.”
Callion didn't say no. Among the things Erna had written down, there were some that she was particularly interested in.
After that, the two continued their conversation for a long time, not in their respective seats, but in front of the map. Of course, the occasional "This pum... no" or "What are you talking about? This worm... no," would slip out, but they kept the conversation going. And for the first time, even though the agreed-upon time had passed, they remained in the room, seemingly oblivious to it.
"Ha."
Callion twisted his neck back and forth. Every time he turned it, a cracking sound was heard. He moved his head and turned his shoulders several times, but his mind remained blank.
'I got caught up in this yesterday, so what is this?'
As he answered her questions obediently, Erna, as if she saw this as an opportunity, stood in front of the map holding a piece of paper with something written on it and asked him all sorts of questions.
"What's going on here? Is there a reason the road is this way? I thought this town was closed 50 years ago, but do people still come and go? Did the knights notice anything when they visited this area?"
Callion felt as if he were a map answering her questions. Yet, he did answer them. Erna wasn't simply asking out of boredom; she was asking questions related to the documents Vanessa had brought and the work she needed to review.
Besides, Erna muttered her thoughts out loud while listening to him.
“Then it must have disappeared during the war ten years ago... If I can still sense something there, could it be traces of some other magic than the lethal magic used back then...? But it doesn’t seem like land is worth it.”
She'd said it was a habit, he guessed. She muttered something she did alone, but he couldn't understand why she kept mumbling in front of him. But as she listened, her curiosity grew, and eventually, Callion spoke again. By the time they both came to, the dawn sky was brightening in the distance.
Because his usual schedule was so disrupted, Callion had been feeling dazed since morning. It was only natural, since he hadn't slept. So, when he left the training of the knights to Cedric, both Cedric and the knights looked at him with serious expressions.
“Your Highness... Are you in any pain?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m just dazed because I couldn’t sleep until dawn.”
At his reply, the knights returned to their seats, saying that a man like his sword could do anything. But not Cedric.
“You didn’t fall asleep until dawn...”
"I just had something to do. Anyway, I'll leave today's training to you, so do as you please."
At his command, Cedric nodded vigorously.
“Don’t worry. And if you feel tired in the future, just let me know.”
"Huh? No, that's not going to happen. Something just happened yesterday."
Cedric's face became serious at his answer.
"No, you can't. You have to do what you have to do. I think it's right to forget about trivial matters and focus on what's important."
“...?”
Callion didn't know what on earth Cedric thought he was doing that kept him awake, but Cedric's expression was incredibly determined.
Even though he'd entrusted Cedric with the job, that didn't mean he could take a nap. He was always awake and moving during the day, so sleep wasn't easy. And with visitors arriving in the afternoon, he couldn't even find time to rest.
Finally, after dinner at the Knights', he returned without a proper rest. He went to his room, washed, and changed clothes. He yawned several times during the process. And when he returned to his room, the tension had eased, and he fell into a deep sleep.
'But today...'
Callion looked at the calendar. Today was the sixth day of the week. It was the day he had set aside to try to have a successor. If he fell asleep and missed the deadline, Erna wouldn't be able to come out. More importantly, she'd look at him with pity, asking, "How dare you do something like this?" Just imagining that made him squirm with irritation.
So, Callion desperately fought off the drowsiness that was creeping up on him and waited for 10 o'clock.
As 10 o'clock approached, he became anxious again.
'Is it possible?'
A week ago, he'd tried, but the sight of Erna crying after drinking had made him get out of bed. He wasn't a pervert who got horny at the sight of a crying woman, and more than anything, the thought of holding a drunken, delirious woman was something he really didn't like.
When the clock finally struck ten, Callion jumped up and walked to the bedroom door.
'It seems like things have gotten a little better, though.'
Was it because of what they talked about yesterday, or was it because he's still in a daze? A week ago, standing in front of this door felt terrifying and repulsive, but today he felt only a little annoyed, not as hopeless as he did then.
Callion thought that perhaps today might be possible. At least, if Erna didn't pick a fight with him like yesterday.
Creak. He opened the door and entered, habitually glancing at the sofa. Erna seemed to like it there, always rolling around there. But the sofa was empty.
"Then what about this side? Was there anything special here? Looking at the map, the path leading here seems strangely straight."
"They say this place used to be a holy place. I don't know what it was, but there were visitors, and the path was probably built at that time."
After a while, the two were standing together in front of the map, talking.
At first, Callion was taken aback. It felt awkward and strange that Erna had spoken to him, and that she had spoken to him purely to ask a question, without any ill will.
'Well, it seems like you're the type of person who can't stand being curious.'
One of the new things about Erna that Callion had discovered over the past few days was that whenever she had a question, she would become obsessed with finding a solution to it.
Just like the last time she was stuck in front of the map trying to find the Forest of Irigis, whenever she came across something she didn't know in the documents, she would rush to her room and get a related book or material, and search and search until her curiosity was satisfied.
'Are all wizards like that?'
As a knight, it was a behavior he couldn't quite understand. A swordsman shouldn't overthink. Too much thought takes time to make a decision, and that decision could be life-threatening. That's why Callion was the type to let go of any doubts he had, then revisit them later when he had more time. And honestly, he didn't even try to understand everything. However, Erna acted as if the world would crumble if she overlooked even one thing.
'You're quite the tiring person.'
He wondered if that was why she was so sensitive.
And now, as he conversed with Erna, Callion realized that her personality wasn't necessarily all bad. Erna's questions and doubts continued to swirl. As they did, Callion's own puzzlements began to unravel, one by one. He realized that what he had initially thought were multiple problems stemmed from a single issue, and he finally came to terms with them.
It wasn't just Callion who was surprised by this unexpected side of her. Erna was also taken aback by this unexpected side of Callion.
'Hey... you're more conversational than I thought?'
When they were busy nitpicking in the conference room, their conversations rarely lasted more than ten sentences. Usually, the words "pumpkin" and "worm" would slip out of their mouths, and the conversation would end there.
But not today. The information about the Forest of Irgis she'd heard from the wizards during the day had piqued Erna's curiosity.
"It was a fascinating place. It was just an ordinary forest, but there were traces of a tremendous amount of magic in a certain spot. Doesn't that mean some immense magic was cast there in the past?"
A truly immense magic. At those words, Erna recalled the ancient magic that once protected Hessengard. If the Forest of Irgis could provide a clue to finding that magic...
'I need more information.'
That didn't mean she could rush straight to the Irgis Forest. But she was dying of curiosity. Then she remembered that Callion remembered where the Irgis Forest was.
She asked him a question because she needed immediate information, regardless of whether he was Callion or not. He stared at her for a moment and then began explaining in more detail than she'd expected. Furthermore, he answered all her other questions with what he knew.
Of course, she knew this was related to official duties, and as a Grand Duke, he was answering faithfully. Still, Erna felt strange. Few people would answer her barrage of questions so promptly. He simply told her what he knew, never revealing his own thoughts. But that was enough. In fact, it seemed to make the conversation more enjoyable.
Erna glanced at the paper on the table. Unlike her, who mostly stayed at the Grand Duke's castle, Callion wandered outside. As a result, he knew every nook and cranny of Hessengard far better than she did.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Erna stopped Callion, who was returning to his desk after finishing his explanation. Then she quickly grabbed the piece of paper on which she written her questions and spoke.
“Let me ask you a few more questions.”
Callion didn't say no. Among the things Erna had written down, there were some that she was particularly interested in.
After that, the two continued their conversation for a long time, not in their respective seats, but in front of the map. Of course, the occasional "This pum... no" or "What are you talking about? This worm... no," would slip out, but they kept the conversation going. And for the first time, even though the agreed-upon time had passed, they remained in the room, seemingly oblivious to it.
***
"Ha."
Callion twisted his neck back and forth. Every time he turned it, a cracking sound was heard. He moved his head and turned his shoulders several times, but his mind remained blank.
'I got caught up in this yesterday, so what is this?'
As he answered her questions obediently, Erna, as if she saw this as an opportunity, stood in front of the map holding a piece of paper with something written on it and asked him all sorts of questions.
"What's going on here? Is there a reason the road is this way? I thought this town was closed 50 years ago, but do people still come and go? Did the knights notice anything when they visited this area?"
Callion felt as if he were a map answering her questions. Yet, he did answer them. Erna wasn't simply asking out of boredom; she was asking questions related to the documents Vanessa had brought and the work she needed to review.
Besides, Erna muttered her thoughts out loud while listening to him.
“Then it must have disappeared during the war ten years ago... If I can still sense something there, could it be traces of some other magic than the lethal magic used back then...? But it doesn’t seem like land is worth it.”
She'd said it was a habit, he guessed. She muttered something she did alone, but he couldn't understand why she kept mumbling in front of him. But as she listened, her curiosity grew, and eventually, Callion spoke again. By the time they both came to, the dawn sky was brightening in the distance.
Because his usual schedule was so disrupted, Callion had been feeling dazed since morning. It was only natural, since he hadn't slept. So, when he left the training of the knights to Cedric, both Cedric and the knights looked at him with serious expressions.
“Your Highness... Are you in any pain?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m just dazed because I couldn’t sleep until dawn.”
At his reply, the knights returned to their seats, saying that a man like his sword could do anything. But not Cedric.
“You didn’t fall asleep until dawn...”
"I just had something to do. Anyway, I'll leave today's training to you, so do as you please."
At his command, Cedric nodded vigorously.
“Don’t worry. And if you feel tired in the future, just let me know.”
"Huh? No, that's not going to happen. Something just happened yesterday."
Cedric's face became serious at his answer.
"No, you can't. You have to do what you have to do. I think it's right to forget about trivial matters and focus on what's important."
“...?”
Callion didn't know what on earth Cedric thought he was doing that kept him awake, but Cedric's expression was incredibly determined.
Even though he'd entrusted Cedric with the job, that didn't mean he could take a nap. He was always awake and moving during the day, so sleep wasn't easy. And with visitors arriving in the afternoon, he couldn't even find time to rest.
Finally, after dinner at the Knights', he returned without a proper rest. He went to his room, washed, and changed clothes. He yawned several times during the process. And when he returned to his room, the tension had eased, and he fell into a deep sleep.
'But today...'
Callion looked at the calendar. Today was the sixth day of the week. It was the day he had set aside to try to have a successor. If he fell asleep and missed the deadline, Erna wouldn't be able to come out. More importantly, she'd look at him with pity, asking, "How dare you do something like this?" Just imagining that made him squirm with irritation.
So, Callion desperately fought off the drowsiness that was creeping up on him and waited for 10 o'clock.
As 10 o'clock approached, he became anxious again.
'Is it possible?'
A week ago, he'd tried, but the sight of Erna crying after drinking had made him get out of bed. He wasn't a pervert who got horny at the sight of a crying woman, and more than anything, the thought of holding a drunken, delirious woman was something he really didn't like.
When the clock finally struck ten, Callion jumped up and walked to the bedroom door.
'It seems like things have gotten a little better, though.'
Was it because of what they talked about yesterday, or was it because he's still in a daze? A week ago, standing in front of this door felt terrifying and repulsive, but today he felt only a little annoyed, not as hopeless as he did then.
Callion thought that perhaps today might be possible. At least, if Erna didn't pick a fight with him like yesterday.
Creak. He opened the door and entered, habitually glancing at the sofa. Erna seemed to like it there, always rolling around there. But the sofa was empty.
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