CH 70

I decided to go to the Tower of Trik after the discomfort in my hips and waist diminished.

The day after I accepted Rodo, I couldn’t even get up.

I knew it’d be hard, but was it more than I imagined because his stuff was big?

In the end, we ended up staying at the inn for two nights.

We then went home leisurely with many breaks but it still hurt.

The next day, when Rodo headed for the barracks, I went with him, but I couldn’t walk by myself.

I went home and cooked lunch using the rest of last night’s shopping, but like last night, I cooked while floating with magic.

Rodo’s lap is stiff, but it’s better than sitting in a stiffer chair.

Maybe I should bring a cushion, but I feel like it’ll be too obvious…

…it’s not like I can’t endure it and can’t say such a thing.

On that day, I stayed with Rodo, and even during training, I stayed by his side while floating using magic.

But from the next day onwards, I told him that I want to go to the Tower of Trik to learn chanting from Ruu.

Rodo told me that it’s okay to be slower, but I want to do what I wanted faster.

────

──

The chants seemed different from the words they usually speak, and I’m not even at the level of grasping its meaning.

It’s like learning a new language from scratch.

Even now, I’m completely unable to speak it.

But even in such a state, it’s difficult to learn a new language from scratch.

I want to communicate with Rodo, and I didn’t want to make a mistake, so I did my best.

But this time, it’s a magical chant.

It’s meant to reduce the consumption of magical power and I don’t think it’s necessary for me since I don’t even know how much my magical power decreased.

I might need it later, but I still don’t feel the urgent need.

Perhaps because I thought that way, I can’t remember the words even after a long time.

Even if I say it as Ruu said it, it didn’t work because I don’t understand the meaning.

It’s necessary to have some understanding.

However, I’m originally not that smart, so I can’t cram it in even if I stuff more.

And if I think that this is refraining me from studying as a healer…I want to run away.

But though I said that, I still studied.

However, there seemed to be some meaningless words in the chants.

It’s like the “Abracadabra” spell in my original world.

…so I can’t understand the meaning.

This might take some time.

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──

One day.

As usual, when I’m having lunch in the cafeteria in the Third Corps barracks──

A stranger came in.

He’s wearing a sword and looked like a soldier, but who is it?

He looked around the dining room and then headed for us.

There’s Rodo next to me as usual, so does he have something for Rodo?

When I tried to look next to me──I was picked up and put on someone’s lap.

Then hugged just like that.

…as expected, does Rodo know him?

“Why didn’t you come to Megerard to report your marriage?”

He, who said so from the beginning, looked very moody.

But Rodo said it wasn’t compulsory…was it different?

The reason for stopping is, I don’t have to think about it.

Is there some kind of penalty?

“Kou, being seen, don’t like. Rodo, forced, no, said.” (I don’t like being a spectacle. Rodo said I don’t have to.)

When I said the reason why we returned midway, the eyes that were looking at Rodo turned to me.

This…he looked quite angry.

“Captain Rodokiaus is an Akinist. When an Akinist gets married, he’s only obliged to report to His Majesty. …but since he went to the other towns, why didn’t you come to Megerard?”

…so, he’s angry that we went to other towns but didn’t go to Megerard alone?

I want to say that’s fair, but…is it something I can say?

“Kou, said, Uriesto, when I was there. Endure, I said, but told, no need, so, home, went. …Megerard, support, go, greeting, try, I thought. Greetings, I didn’t go, I’m sorry.” (I said that when we’re in Uriesto. I said I can endure it but was told I don’t have to. …I was thinking of going to greet when I go to Megerard for a support mission. Sorry for not giving my greetings.)

We came back two days after that.

I don’t have to say why I couldn’t move.

“Apologize, no. Home, decided, Rodo. Kou, not bad.” (You don’t have to apologize. I’m the one who decided to go home. Kou is not bad.)

Rodo stroked my head with a smile.

After that…he glared at the other person.

The one being glared at…became pale.

As expected, is this person also afraid of Rodo?

“Did you come all this way to say that even after knowing that it wasn’t compulsory? Don’t make Kou feel guilty. If you have a complaint about me, please do it in writing.”

I am fascinated by Rodo’s eyes angrily looking at the other person.

His vertical pupils are the same as nyanko.

It’s usually rounder, but when he gets angry, it gets thinner.

Rodo wouldn’t get angry at me, so I can’t see it that much.

As soon as he faced me, it’s no longer vertical pupils.

The only time he’d direct that kind of eyes at me is when we do it.

I wonder if it comes out because of instinct.

…so wasteful.

I want to see more.

(Right, Megerard is the neighboring town in the opposite direction to Omileo, right?)

I’m not good at geography.

I’m confident that I can’t even say all the prefectures in Japan.

Regarding guessing the prefectures, I’d always evade it.

The reason I didn’t get lost was that Rodo is always walking next to me.

When I was in Japan, I often walked with my smartphone to look at the navigation system.

In this world, the map is vague and there’s no navigation system, so of course, I’d get lost.

The range I could walk alone is limited.

If I want to go somewhere, I can’t do it without Rodo.

“Rodo, Megerard, next time, go?” (Rodo, are we going to Megerard next time?)

“Support mission, go.” (Once we receive a support mission, we’ll go.)

There seems to be no use for now.

“Kou Serafine. Rodo’s magician. Nice to meet you.”

When I went down from Rodo’s lap and introduced myself, he got scared of Rodo and lost composure.

“You’re a good boy, polite. I’m Eyrin Doordleg (eirin doaadoreguda), Captain of the Fourth Corps. If it’s hard to pronounce, Rin is fine.”

Seems like everyone knows my age for some reason.

I’m just a child because I’m in a world where anyone below 100 is recognized as children.

I think that’s why many people here treated me like a child.

Moreover, many seem to like children, so wherever I go, I’m spoiled.

This person──Rin, also seems to like children.

There aren’t that many children, even though they’re all long-lived people.

This is probably because many people only gave birth to one or two children in their lifetime.

Moreover, when they humanized, they looked like an adult.

Although they’re not recognized as adults until they’re about 100 years old, they’d humanize and get a job before 20 years old.

…as usual, it’s an incomprehensible custom.

“I knew you didn’t mean to insult Megerard. Others are also looking forward to seeing you. Will you say hello again at that time?”

“Yes.”

Seems like he’s a good person.

He felt older than Rodo…

In this world, I don’t know his age based on his appearance.

“Rin, how old?”

I was wondering, so I asked.

“I’m 384 years old.”

“…”

He’s older than I expected.

“Children, have?”

“Have, why? I’m already an adult and married.”

“…children also, have children?” (Does your children also have children?)

“Not yet.”

I thought he’s already a grandfather but he wasn’t.

But when I think about the fact that my father-in-law and mother-in-law have not yet become grandparents, it’s a sign of an Akinist’s low fertility.

Rodo also said that they’re already very old when they had him.

It’s said that it’s already a miracle to conceive an Akinist in their lifetime.

(…can I give birth to Rodo’s child?)

I don’t know what my lifespan would be like, but if I were in Japan, I wouldn’t have much time.

Will I become an old man in this world?

…I don’t know yet.

Maybe if I grew older, I’ll somehow understand it?

But do I have to look at my face every day and look for signs of aging?

Until now, I’ve never been concerned about such a thing.

I didn’t like my feminine face so I didn’t look in the mirror that much.

Before I knew it, I grew taller and my clothes became tight.

“Kou? What happened?”

“Hn? …nothing.”

I seemed to be dazing around and Rodo looked at me worriedly.

“Rodo’s child, want, just thought.”

The moment I said that, the people around me went crazy.

(What?)

Did I say something strange?

I don’t know how long my life is, so I just want to have a child sooner.

If I have children, Rodo might not die after me.

After all, I don’t want my favorite person to follow me when I died.

──there’s also the desire to see a child Akinist.

…but, why are these people giving me astonished looks?

Is it bad to covet having Rodo’s child?

The King said it’s good to have more Akinists.

…rather, why is Rodo surprised?

Feeling alone, I tilted my head.

──explanation, please.