CH 53

A Reunion

Two weeks had passed since the training started.

Halfway through it, the season was a complete picture of summer.

The sky overhead was an astonishing blue color with dazzling, shimmering white clouds that seemed to suck you in. The temperature was high again today in the royal capital, heated by the glaring sun.

Across the road, a flickering heat haze could be seen. Even the air she breathed in was hot, and she felt like an ingredient being cooked on an iron plate.

Summer in the royal capital was incomparably hotter than in a village deep in the mountains.

It wasn’t until the second month of summer that the heat really kicked in, so Sheila was beginning to feel downcast.

“Still, it’s surprising. I can’t believe you have such a weakness.”

“How can you be so calm when it’s so hot, Cody? I’m melting.”

During a patrol, Cody chuckled at Sheila who was walking unsteadily.

She knew she had to pay close attention to the surroundings, but she couldn’t help but get distracted.

“I didn’t realize how hot it was in the royal capital….. It’s so hot and humid, so different from the mountains.”

“You said that Denan Village is in the northeast direction, right? It must be cooler than here. I grew up in the royal capital, so I’ve gotten used to it.”

Looking at her friend who was dressed so tightly in his stuffed collar uniform, she felt that it was hotter here than in the royal capital. Sheila’s own uniform was unbuttoned to the chest, as was the case with a minority of the corps members.

Zola, for example, tied his upper garment around his waist and casually wore a shirt. If it weren’t for the borrowed uniforms, Sheila would have imitated him without worrying about wrinkles.

“What should I do? If it’s like this, it’ll be too late to deal with anything that happens…..”

Days had passed since the incident, and Isaac, who had completely regained his usual self, laughed.

“I’d tell you to get a grip, but it can’t be helped if you’re not used to it.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best to get used to it….”

It didn’t occur to her boiling self that he was the one who had been so downcast just a short while ago.

Isaac had come back to the store on the holiday immediately after that. He hid under the counter to avoid being seen by her, but she knew that he bought additional painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines. The next day at work, he seemed somewhat depressed, which bothered her a little.

Who was Isaac fighting against at that time?

She still didn’t know the details, because he vaguely blurred them out whenever he mentioned where he had been injured.

The fact that they were being misled might’ve something to do with the disappearance case. Since there were restrictions on information for students at the academy, they might not be able to openly confide in us. Realizing this, she stopped asking him about the case.

After proceeding along the patrol route without incident, they came to a large plaza with a fountain.

The area around the fountain was crowded, just as it had been when she first strolled around the capital.

There were street performers, bards with lutes, magicians, and even fortune tellers. However, on this day under the blazing sun, the thing that attracted the most people was probably the large fountain.

She was terribly envious of the children playing around with their clothes soaking wet.

“You can’t mix in with them, okay?”

Cody, noticing the envious look in her eyes, nudged her ahead of time. Sheila’s lips twitched.

“I know, I’m in the middle of work….”

“It’s not because of work, okay? I’m just saying, you’re fifteen now, you shouldn’t be playing in the fountain.”

“What? But I’m not even an adult yet?”

“――Then, Sheila, imagine the dormitory leader, half-naked and playing in the water, in the circle of those children.”

With his benevolent smile, Cody gently tapped her on the shoulder, and Sheila thought of Axe playing with the children.

Growling muscles, wheat-colored skin bouncing off the water droplets, and a sultry smile. The heat was enough to make one wonder if it was raising the temperature of the royal capital.

It was easy to imagine how he would imprint the splendor of muscles on children who were still young, and then recruit them in an incomprehensible way to join the Muscle League.

It was a sight that made it impossible to envision anything but a disastrous future.

‘If the dorm leader is left unchecked, the Kingdom of Steitz will be destroyed. It will probably be turned into a muscle kingdom or something…..’

Sheila hung her head down.

“Don’t make me imagine something even hotter……”

“But you know how bad it looks to those around you, right?”

“Even so, I think the dorm leader is in a different category from the general public……”

Looking down at the boys who were grumbling with tired faces, Isaac chuckled.

“Hey, hey. That’s a rude reaction when you’re talking about someone’s brother.”

Cody smiled back at him.

“I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to imagine you as someone who wouldn’t do it too.”

“….. Cody, that’s not an apology.”

She knew through training that Isaac wasn’t the kind of person who would call him rude for something as trivial as this, but Cody was bolder than usual with a terrifying smile on his face, and even Sheila, who had been considered as a problematic child, worried about him.

As they were about to pass by the fountain, engaged in idle conversation, a voice echoed through the plaza, as if the bustle of the crowd had been overpowered by the noise.

“Sister!”

The little girl running from the fountain, drenched in water, looked somewhat familiar.

She had light brown hair and bright blue eyes, but she recalled that when she met her, her eyes were moist with sadness.

“――Abby?”

“Sister, long time no see! I missed you so much!”

The girl jumped at her in her wet clothes, but Sheila was grateful to feel the coolness. She was rather worried that the girl’s body was getting cold.

As she was looking for something to wipe her with, a woman holding a towel rushed over to her.

“I’m very sorry! This child is soaking wet….”

The fact that she had prepared all the towels probably meant that she was Abby’s mother. The woman offered a towel, and Sheila wrapped Abby in it.

As she wiped the girl dry, her mother waved her hand in a panic.

“Oh dear, you don’t have to do that. My child can wait until later….”

“It’s alright. Rather, I was lucky because I was able to cool off thanks to her.”

While she was talking, she continued to scrub and wipe Abby’s hair. The girl seemed to be enjoying herself and let out a high-pitched laugh.

Abby smiled through the towel at Sheila.

“You know, I got to meet my mom right after I got lost. Sister, thank you so much!”

“….. You’re welcome.”

Her heart was so touched that she couldn’t find any more words to say.

At that time, Sheila could hardly do anything, but in this way, she was able to restore the smile of one girl.

Even if it was just a little, she was able to help someone.

‘This is what the Patrol Corps does.’

Protecting the smiles of the people living in the city. That was entirely different from the work of the Imperial Knights, which existed only to protect the royal family.

Even though it was called training, she had always felt doubts about not being able to choose the workplace she wanted to go to. However, she felt like she understood the significance of its existence for the first time now.

She could understand the work if she just listened to the job description. However, this training program was provided so that she could learn the essence of the job through actual experience.

Someone suddenly muttered from behind Sheila.

“….. ‘Sister’?”

She returned to reality at once and turned around awkwardly, her eyes met Hyderion’s brown-colored eyes.

This was bad. She had become so accustomed to the way Abby called her that she forgot to correct her that she was a man.

“T-this girl, no matter how many times I correct her, she still can’t remember it. I’m really having a hard time. Ahahaha…..”

She laughed a dry, fake laugh. It was a relief for Sheila that the airheaded Dilliam spoke up in a situation that was inexplicably going to be awkward.

“This cheeky monkey couldn’t possibly be a woman!”

He sounded so decisive, that Sheila, who was feeling desperate, followed suit with his remarks.

“Yes, yes. If a wild boy like me were a girl, all the monkeys in the world would be females.”

She didn’t even know what she was talking about. However, this self-deprecating remark seemed to be effective, as Hyderion’s gaze also diverted.

“Hey you guys, let’s go.”

Zola was about to return to the patrol route. Sheila also stood up in a hurry.

“I’m sorry, I’m at work right now, so I have to go now. Abby, don’t get separated from your mother this time, okay?”

“Yes! I won’t follow anyone anymore either.”

Sheila was about to turn away, but Abby’s reply gave her a strange feeling of discomfort.

It was like they were having a seemingly smooth conversation, but they had completely different perceptions.

She observed Abby’s appearance once again.

Her eyes were big and round. Her light brown hair, though damp now, looked blonde in the sun. Soft cheeks. Her beautifully shaped lips.

Suddenly, Zola’s voice resounded in her head.

“Many of the children who are kidnapped are good-looking children…..”

There was a question that had been stuck in her head for a long time.

It was possible for a child who was preoccupied with something to be separated from their parents, but there was never anything in the area where she was that would attract a child’s attention.

So, why did Abby let go of her mother’s hand?

Could it be that only then was there something that piqued her curiosity?

…… Just to get Abby’s attention.

Sheila sat back down and put her hand on the girl’s thin shoulder.

“Let me ask you something. What do you mean you won’t follow anyone anymore….?”

Abby reluctantly replied, even though her face looked like she had been caught doing something mischievous.

“When I got lost, there was an uncle selling beautiful hair ornaments and ribbons. He said he didn’t want any money for them, so I got scared and ran away, but then Sister called out to me.”

‘A clue was finally found.’