"Miss Rose has been acting weird since she met Mr. Yanagi."
Darga said to Moi in a low voice, and Moi nodded.
"Yes, she has always been quiet and clingy to Mr. Yanagi."
"Have those two been like that before?"
"They weren't this close before but are very close brothers, and it has become a topic of discussion among the maids. As expected, the two of them have been very close since the day they parted. I think there was a change in her heart."
"Maybe they both feel lonely after break up."
"I think their bond is probably beyond anything we could have imagined. It seems like they're talking about countless things just by sitting and looking outside without saying a word...''
"I guess Miss Moi saw that, too."
"Oh, so did Mr. Darga see it that way, too?"
"Yes, just for some reason. I feel sad that they're just talking to each other silently. Even though they were able to meet each other, they haven't spoken a single word since we got on the ship."
"I think so too. Is there anything I can do to cheer her up?"
"I don't know. I don't have any experience with it, so I don't know. But I will watch over it with as much care as possible."
"I see."
Yanagi sits in the front seat with Rose, and Darga and Moi sit far back. For some reason, the atmosphere made it hard to get near those two. The brothers had been separated for about half a year, and met by chance in Escodria. But Darga was told that even though the two were brothers, they were not blood-related. However, their bond is so strong that they seem like real siblings.
Yanagi was level 3 before Darga when Darga with Rose and Moi left the village. After Rose had trained with Miraiya for about a month and a half, she received a gift and letters from Yanagi. That's when Darga noticed Yanagi had reached level 4. Moreover, when Darga heard Yanagi had even defeated a giant thunderbird, Darga thought he had grown considerably. And now, Yanagi who appeared in front of Darga, is level 5.
Normally, the warrior level does not rise quickly. It takes a lot of effort to move up one level. Darga himself is currently level 8. It took him decades to get to this point. He acquired everything through work, training, experience, and knowledge. He has worked hard to become what he is now. Darga wasn't a genius like Rinka, so all he could do was make steady efforts. But he thinks that's fine. He is who he is today because he worked hard.
But Yanagi's case is unusual. No one, even geniuses, had ever reached level 5 this quickly. The young man named Rocco who appeared in Yanagi's letter was probably a level 5 or more of Black Ops. Division from the beginning and was purposely acting as a level 3 warrior to keep an eye on Yanagi. Rocco may think Yanagi has been judged to be a difficult target for surveillance, so he is relieved of his duties and sent back to Level 5. Darga is curious how Yanagi managed to get to this point in just a few months.
"Would you like some tea?"
Moi, sitting next to Darga, handed him a small cup of tea.
"Yes, I love to."
Darga likes this tea. The tea is called flower tea, and it has a faint sweetness that makes it very relaxing. Moi, the spirit of flowers, makes it for him. If possible, Darga wants to drink this tea all the time.
If it becomes a product, he can buy and drink it in any town, thought Darga. But still, there are about six months left, so just being able to drink this delicious tea every day makes him feel happy.
"Thank you, Miss Moi."
When Darga thanks her, Moi smiles. She is a very devoted person who works with them as Rose's maid. She was just like a mother, Darga thought to himself. However, Darga had never felt the love of his biological mother. When he was a child, he was abandoned and was lying on the roadside, dying, when Dalgodas picked him up and brought him to his mansion. At Dalgodas's mansion, he was given food, a place to live, and even trained as a warrior. From then on, Darga decided to follow Dalgodas wherever he went, whether on the battlefield or even to another world. Darga had never thought that actually, he had come to another world.
However, he had not decided what kind of life he would have. So Dalgodas gave the privilege to Darga, to decide how he wanted to live, so he took a job as an escort or mercenary to see the world. With a decent income, he can survive on his own. However, he was told by Dalgodas every time that he was still 'useless'. Perhaps this is because, as Rinka said, he doesn't protect other than the client. His life was so focused on work that he never thought about it. Darga sometimes looks at people of the opposite sex and thinks, "They're cute, they're pretty, they look good'', but he couldn't develop any other feelings for them.
..until he accepted this assignment.
"It looks like we'll arrive at the village quay soon."
Darga's thoughts were interrupted by Moi's voice.
"That's right. Now, I'll call out to Yanagi. Miss Moi, please check our luggage. I'll carry it later."
"Alright."
Darga left his seat and called out to Yanagi and Rose sitting in front of him.
The reason why Darga calls Yanagi as 'Yanagi' and Rose as 'Miss Rose' is because Rose is in the position of Darga's client. Yanagi left the mansion some time ago, became a warrior, and is now Darga's junior, so Darga thinks it's okay to call him 'Yanagi' only. Yanagi agrees with that. But Rose is different. Darga's duties include protecting Rose and being a martial arts instructor. That's why Rose has the highest priority.
The ship arrived at the quay. The sun was almost setting, and the surroundings were getting dark. Darga and Yanagi loaded the purchased goods onto the carriage parked at the port and headed for the mansion. Darga is driving a carriage, and Yanagi is sitting next to him. Rose and Moi are sitting on seats inside the carriage.
"Yanagi, may I ask you something?"
Darga called out to Yanagi.
"Yes, what is it?"
"How did you go from level 3 to level 5 in six months?"
Darga can't help but worry about it.
"I just kept hunting."
"Hunting?"
"Yes. After hunting every single ferocious beast and bird every day, a person in charge of a higher level contacted the upper management. They said it would be strange for such a strong person to be at level 4. I single-handedly defeated giant thunderbirds and fire bears that even the level 6 team couldn't defeat. Some people said I was at the level of a monster, so I never stopped getting into trouble. I was attacked many times. Well, I took revenge.''
"Huh."
"Therefore, to reduce incidents caused by jealousy and grudges, many people said it's necessary to uplift the level to a suitable level. It is natural for a level 5 warrior or higher to have such abilities. As a result, I got my freedom."
Yanagi said as he looked ahead.
"That's amazing. What's behind that, is it because of Miss Rose?"
"Yeah. Even I don't understand why I was trying so hard to leave the village and to go to see Rose. I guess I want to see her..."
"That’s why you purposely worked to Escodria."
Darga is steering the horse while saying so.
"Hahaha, that's amazing as expected, Mr. Darga. Can you see it?"
"It’s a role analysis."
"I see."
"So, now that you two finally met, how do you feel?"
"I'm so happy that I can't even put it into words...I've always been alone and endured a lot of things. Since I was little, I have been worried about what other people thought of me because I was the son of a lord. It was the first time that I turned into a demon in front of people with the demon blood that I had hidden for a long time, and from that day on, no one would pair up with me, calling me a monster. Sometimes I would get calls from top teams. We participated in hunting, sightseeing, and subjugation together, but due to differences in abilities, some didn't get along well."
"I see."
"In that life, Rose was the only one who looked at me and wasn't afraid even when I became a demon god. She accepted me as I was, without any problems. I'm just close to Rose. And for some reason, I feel a sense of peace. I don't know how to convey this feeling, I've never felt it before..."
Yanagi said it matter-of-factly.
"I see. I'm sure your feelings for Miss Rose are connected to her strength. I don't know how those feelings will lead in the future, but I will do my best to help Miss Rose, even in a small way."
Darga said with a smile. However, Darga is concerned about the feelings growing between Yanagi and Rose.
"Thank you, Mr. Darga."
Yanagi bowed his head.
"It doesn't matter if it's magic training or training to improve physical strength, I know that even my father and I won't be able to handle that training against Rose."
Yanagi said in a small voice. Darga tilted his head in confusion.
"What?"
"Close combat training, right?"
Yanagi said in a low voice, and Darga nodded with a wry smile.
"Did you notice?"
"Yeah."
As a warrior, Yanagi fully understands what kind of training is close combat training.
It is training to face the pain that has come to you. Know the pain, endure it, and act on how to defeat the opponent.
"I'm trying not to let Miss Moi behind me hear it. Her feelings for Miss Rose are just like a mother."
"Mr. Darga is also like Rose's father. I'm grateful."
When Yanagi said that, Darga laughed.
"What? This is also my role."
The carriage entered Miraiya's mansion. After getting Moi and Rose off the carriage, Darga carried the luggage to a separate room. Then he put the carriage in a stable and let it rest.
While Moi took care of Rose's bath, Darga and Yanagi headed to Miraiya's main mansion. After greeting Miraiya, Darga and Yanagi get down to business. Rinka is sitting next to Miraiya in the form of a cat.
Yanagi took something out of his bag. It appears to be several pieces of paper. He gives the paper to Miraiya and says those papers belonged to one of the thieves who robbed a merchant where Yanagi was working as a bodyguard. Yanagi thought it was like a magic circle of a technique he had never seen before, so he consulted Miraiya.
"This is a technique for summoning thunderbirds."
Miraiya answered without hesitation.
"And this is a summoning technique that can be done without magic, as long as you have a magic stone."
"Is a magic stone a device that seals magical power into a stone and activates it when used on top of this technique?"
When Yanagi asked, Miraiya nodded.
"That's right. Well, the magic stones of the Morg are malicious, but they are powerful. Ordinary magic stones created in nature do not have that much magic power. And this technique requires a considerable amount of magic power."
When Darga said that, Miraiya also nodded.
"Does that mean that the Morgs have something to do with this matter?"
When Yanagi asked, everyone calmed down. Darga saw the misery of the war with the Morgs. Many people died, including men, women, adults, children, the elderly, and the sick. After being summoned by the Dragon God, the place where he and his master landed in this world was the battlefield itself. Some fellow victims came with him. However, Dalgodas was still strong. Although he was an old general, his power was unmatched. In an instant, the situation was reversed. The Morgs retreated and proposed a peace treaty. Darga thought it was a joke, but at the time, the country had just lost its king and desperately needed even a little peace. To recover, even a temporary peace treaty was necessary. However, many years passed without the next king being decided yet. The Dragon God chooses the king, so no one has a say in it, but Darga is screaming in his heart that he wants the Dragon God to choose wisely.
And if they have something to do with this matter, there is a possibility that war with the Morgs will break out again.
"There is a possibility, but I can't say anything now. Rinka, maybe you should report to Lord Dalgodas and the Black Ops."
"Okay."
Rinka nodded.
"I'll get you the paper for this technique, Yanagi. I need to look into it in more detail."
"Yes. That's why I came to you."
"Oh, even if we don't have this, you'll still come, right? For Rose."
Miraiya laughed and looked sharply at Yanagi.
"Definitely, yes."
"You don't deny it. It's not cute."
"At least praise me for being honest."
Miraiya laughed at Yanagi's answer.
"Well, it's almost time for dinner. Please take a bath first. I'll cook this meat. We'll all eat it later."
"What?!"
Rinka heard Miraiya's words and immediately changed into a human form.
"I'll cook. I'll never let Miraiya cook."
"Oh, Rinka, you're so kind♪"
"No, it's because I don't want to die yet."
Darga thought to himself as he watched the interaction between the two. What is the meaning of eating food cooked by Miraiya, people will die..?
Darga advises Yanagi to take a bath for now. Rose and Moi must have already finished bathing.
When they returned to the detached mansion, the two had finished bathing and were drinking tea. After letting Yanagi take a bath first, Darga took his last turn.
After finishing, the four returned to Miraiya and enjoyed a lively dinner.
After dinner, Darga and the others returned to the detached mansion and tried to decide on a place to sleep, but Yanagi said it would be fine on the carpet in the living room. He was planning to stay for about two nights, and Rose was overjoyed when she heard that.
"I'm going to go to wash the dishes."
Moi rolled up her sleeves around her arms and left the mansion. It was already dark, so Darga decided to go with Moi. Also, Darga thought it might be a good idea to make time for the two siblings to hang out together.
When they returned, they found Rose and Yanagi were already fast asleep on the carpet. Yanagi lay down so soundly that Darga wondered if he was exhausted. Next to him, Rose was also sleeping soundly. Rose seemed to have brought her pillow and blanket. Their hands are clasped together in front of their faces. The two of them were sleeping face to face, looking very happy.
Darga went outside and sat on a bench in front of the outhouse. After a while, Moi also came out and sat next to Darga. She called out quietly.
"Miss Rose was crying when she took a bath earlier."
"What's wrong?"
"I think she was confused."
"What do you mean?"
"She said that her feelings for Mr. Yanagi were growing and she didn't know what to do. She said that there was something in her heart that she couldn't control and that she wanted to be by his side forever.''
When Moi told the truth, Darga became worried.
"What's your answer, Miss Moi?"
"I answered that it was love. Then Miss Rose understood that the feeling was love for her brother. Because they were brothers who had been separated for a long time, it's the feeling she had been holding back until now.''
"Is that so..."
Darga nodded in relief.
"But··."
Moi thinks about her words for a while.
"But?"
"I thought, this is more than love, it's affection..."
"Affection?"
"Yes. And it makes me sad."
It was certainly sad, Darga thought. Even if there is no blood relation, as long as they are brothers on the family register, no more relationships between men and women are possible. Moreover, since Rose is such a small figure, makes it even more impossible. But Darga thought that her small body probably contained the soul and spirit of a woman. Her thoughts and behavior make Darga think she is an adult woman. Perhaps Yanagi's feelings for Rose are also the same.
Even Darga, who doesn't know much about love, can understand it. Darga thought that he could understand this sadness.., the feeling of being tightened somewhere in his heart.
"What should we do about those two sleeping in the living room?"
"We can't leave them alone, right? As a father, I have no choice but to sleep in the same living room."
"I see. So, as a mother, I have no choice but to sleep next to my daughter."
Darga was surprised by Moi's words. Moi got up and went inside, saying she would get her pillow and blanket. Darga told Moi to turn off the light and go to sleep first.
When he was outside thinking about things for a while, Rinka appeared. Rinka went into the room and left after a while.
"What was that?"
"As you can see, sleeping together on the floor."
"..."
"What do you think? Would you join us?"
"No, thanks. There's someone else who's going to sleep with me."
Hmm! Rinka snorted and started walking briskly.
Darga entered the room and laid his head on his pillow, which Moi had placed on the carpet. The image of Moi's sleeping face that he saw instantly was stuck in his head.
"As expected, I'm feeling out of sorts..."