CH 177.5

–This is the story of Aina when she was still two years old.

It happened on a sunny afternoon, when Lars and his friends were still studying at the academy.

“Fua ……”

Sarge, who was flying down the hallway, saw Marianne coming from the other side and called out to her. Marianne opens her mouth, yawning.

“Oh, Sarge. Aina was crying at night because she didn’t have Sarge to hold her last night, so I didn’t get enough sleep.”

“Auuuu. Sayu.”

Marianne yawned once more while Aina, who was being carried quietly, reached for Sarge. When Marianne sat down on the sofa and Sarge was far away, Aina started to flail about.

“Sayu, Sayu!”

“Kya♪!”

When he lowered his altitude and grabbed Aina’s hand, Aina squealed with delight and waved her arms in the air. Marianne opened her eyes to see what was going on and made an exasperated noise.

“This girl is not afraid of you even a little bit …… Dedite and Lars were not afraid of things when they were about this age too, though …… Ahhh, I can’t …… I’m so sleepy …… I think I’ll take a nap.”

“I guess so …… Yes, Mama’s going to go to bed, so please be quiet, okay?”

“Uu-?”

Aina is placed in a fenced-in crib and sits upright, looking at her mother. Marianne went to bed early after closing her eyes. After a while, Aina got tired of her toys and called Sarge, who was reading a book on the sofa.

“Sayu, sleep.”

When he goes to Aina’s bed, he was immediately held tightly and Aina laughs uncontrollably. I think she likes the rough face of Sarge, and she strokes it with her small palm.

“Big mouth.”

Aina claps her hands, happy that Sarge yawned so loudly. Aina also began to doze off, so Sarge closes his eyes, and sleepiness soon set in.

But this was a bad idea–

The next time Sarge woke up, Aina, who was holding Sarge in bed, had suddenly disappeared. Sarge jumps up and checks his surroundings.

He flew up to the ceiling and shouted, but there was no reply, only Marianne’s sleeping breath could be heard. When he looks around, the door to her bedroom was open, and he guessed that she had gone out into the hallway. Sarge muttered to himself as he descended to wake Marianne.

Glancing at the crib, Sarge noticed.

It’s a tall fence for Aina to climb over, but she can do it if she rides Sarge. Aina went straight out of the bedroom by herself.

“Hmm …… Sarge ……? Let me sleep a little longer ……”

“Zzzz ……”

Raising children is exhausting.

That was the case with her two older brothers, Marianne was especially tired because she did everything herself when she could, instead of leaving it to the maids. This is why Marianne could not get up.

Feeling that he had no choice, Sarge left a note and flew out of the bedroom and down the hallway. He told himself that he couldn’t have gone far and looked around.

It was bad luck, I must say, as they had just retired for their tea break. As Sarge looked at the first floor window, he wondered how he had gotten out and saw Aina waddling around the garden.

As he was about to go out the window with relief, Sarge saw a large snake approaching Aina and charged at it as if it were rolling.

“Shuaaah!?”

The snake was grabbed by Sarge’s legs as he attacked from the sky, and died after being ripped apart by his claws and fangs. It was a non-venomous individual, but Sarge was right, as the bite on a two-year-old child could cause a bacterial infection.

“Butterfly!”

While struggling with the snake, Aina ran out of the garden after the next butterfly that showed interest, and further out. She was wearing socks, but they were almost as good as bare feet, and unlike the garden where the grass and soil provided a cushion, the stony path was prone to injury.

Flying as fast as he could, Aina stepped out onto the street and ran after the butterflies along the school path that Lars and his friends always used.

“Kya♪!”

Just then, a turning point came to Sarge. The old lady on the street stopped Aina in her tracks.

“Oh, where is she from? Oh, dear, you’re barefoot.”

“Uh-?”

When the old lady squatted down and called out to Aina, Aina wagged her finger and tilted her head. And then Sarge arrived just in time.

“Woah, that surprised me!? …… Is that a lizard?”

“Oh, she’s Lars-kun’s sister. Then I’m sure they must have a talking lizard too. He told me about his sister with great joy the last time he came for the request. But why are you here?”

“Sayu ♪”

Aina waved happily as Sarge stood beside her and held her hand to prevent her from running away.

“Well, I guess she’s safe now? Tell Lars-kun he can come and visit me again.”

The old lady waved her hand and went back to her house. After seeing her off, Sarge tried to fly with Aina in her arms. But then Aina looked between the houses and shouted.

“Doggie!”

“Grrrr ……”

He looked down the alley and saw a dog a little smaller than an adult dog growling and looking at him. Is it an abandoned dog? He thought about it, but now he had to get Aina back, so he turned on his heel.

“No-! Doggie, doggie!”

Aina starts crying and gingerly grabs Sarge’s hand, wanting to touch the dog. Sarge approached her alone, hoping that one petting would make her feel better.

“Gau! …… Ku~n ……”

“Wow! There, there.”

“Hyun hyun ……”

The dog, realizing that there was no hostility and that it was no match for Sarge, lowered its posture and quietly let Aina pet it. But then Sarge noticed something.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Doggie is going home?”

“Uon!”

Whether he knew it or not, the forest wolf wagged its tail. She then posed in a prone position and turned her eyes to Aina.

“Woof”

“I’m going to get on the doggie!”

The forest wolf then stands up and walks away with a crisp look on its face.

“Kya♪!”

When I saw Aina clinging to her back happily, he sighed and Sarge landed next to her.

“Woof!”

When I was walking through the town with Forest Wolf, who was quietly following me, people on the street raised their voices.

“Eh, what? A baby is riding on the back of a monster ……?”

“Isn’t that a dragon walking next to it …… Why is it here ……”

“Oh, that’s the one in the lord’s mansion, right? I hear that it’s smart. I think he’s babysitting.”

“I thought dragons were scarier ……”

“So that’s the lord’s daughter ……!? S-Somebody report this!”

“The girl on the back is cute.”

“Auu♪”

After that, Aina became very popular, petting me and giving me sweets. Not knowing why, but she thanked Sarge.

“Ari ato-“

(T/N: Aina said this, that’s why it’s broken words.)

Aina’s lispy voice was also adorable. With Aina on her back, the forest wolf continued up the hill and arrived at the former home of Lars and the others, now the home of Nina and Hauzen.

“What? Huh, Aina-chan!? And Sarge too!”

“Aaah!”

“Woof!”

“Well, It’s a beautiful day …… wait, that’s not it!? Why is Aina-chan here, riding a wolf!”

When Sarge explains the process, Nina exhales, puts her hands on her hips and says.

“Really. You’re spoiling her too much …… Then, when you’re near that forest, go home quickly, okay?”

“Then I’ll go with you until the entrance.”

“Nina, love you!”

“Yes, yes, I love you too. Oh, she’s so cute …… I can’t wait to have kids too ……”

Nina carried Aina from the Forest Wolf’s back and headed for the mountains. Then, when they got to the place where Lars had found Verna, the forest wolf ran out with its tail between its legs.

“Oh, doggie!”

There stood a forest wolf that was more than a size larger, licking and welcoming the child that ran up to it.

“In this way, humans and monsters are no different when it comes to children.”

“Sarge is smart, so that’s what I think too.”

When Nina laughs, Aina puts her fingers in her mouth and looks at Forest Wolf and mutters 

“Doggie’s mama?”

‘Yes, it is! It looks like they get met thanks to you, Aina-chan.”

” “Awooooooooo!” “

The two forest wolves frolicked for a while, then howled and disappeared into the forest. Then Aina suddenly looked like she was about to cry and hugged Nina.

“Mama …….”

“Oh my, you were having so much fun, but when you saw the wolf with her mother, you got anxious, huh. Let’s go home then.”

“Go home …… Go home to Mama’s side.”

“Then let’s go. I hope you won’t make me worry too much.”

“Sayu, love you ♪.”

Aina’s little adventure came to an end, and when she returned home, Marianne woke up, and Roen, who had heard the news that Aina was gone, rushed to receive her in Nina’s arms.

“Mama! Papa! …… Fuah ……”

“Geez, I wonder who you take from …… Thank you, Sarge, Nina.”

“No, I’m just bringing her here, after all. Oh, did she fall asleep?”

Sarge went back to the living room and yawned while laying down on the sofa. Just when he thought he could relax until dinner, Lars came home.

“I’m back, Sarge. What a big yawn. I’m jealous that you’re still sleepy after lounging around at home.”

“? Weren’t you resting?”

Without replying to the wondering Lars, Sarge smiles and closes his eyes.

Sarge was a gentleman who never complained.

So, here’s the intermission!

One more chapter, one that I can only write at this time, and then on to the next chapter!

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

I’m afraid I have too little time ……

“Well, two chapters a day, right?”

This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

“You were just playing when I was doing the work that I was introduced on, though!?”

No, it’s not public right now ……

“Seriously!?”