Chapter 294 – Reunion at Dusk

A short while after Ashley replied to Kennel, my communication device received a call this time. It was from Father. He wrote that he’d arrive at Termwills by evening.

I’d thought they would stay overnight in the Barony of Silun before coming… but since they’d contacted us in advance, they must have prepared everything in the Barony of Silun as well.

Still, it’s a bit of a forced march, but perhaps both Father and Kennel are feeling somewhat impatient.

“Father says he’s coming. Should we go meet them partway?”

Even though it’s a dragon palanquin, since they’ll be traveling at night, we should provide an escort of sorts… It would be more reassuring if we went to meet them.

…Yeah. Let’s take the dragon palanquin too, and all go to meet them. It probably doesn’t warrant sending an airship. That would attract too much unwanted attention.

“Let’s prepare the dragon palanquin. Lindwurm is in the house’s inner courtyard, right? We need to go meet them.”

“Understood.”

“Then, please allow me to accompany you on Saphir as well.”

Saying this, Elliot also stood up. Of course, there was no reason to refuse. Elliot probably wants to meet them as soon as possible too.

“Well then… we’ll be going for a bit. Father does have a mansion in Termwills, but I don’t think he’s contacted that place yet… So he’ll probably come to my house instead.”

When I said this, Old Sigmund nodded.

“Hmm… I’d like to think quietly for a while, so I’ll wait in Termwills. You be careful too, young man.”

“Yes. I’ll leave Caduceus here with you.”

Caduceus, who had taken the form of a cat, was being held by Valentina.

Now then. First, I need to go home. Lindwurm… has been playing with the Carbuncles in my house’s inner courtyard. While taking Lindwurm with us, I’ll tell Cecilia and the others to prepare for hospitality.

After contacting Father and the others via the communication device, we depart from Termwills. If we head along the road toward the Barony of Silun, we should be able to meet up. As long as we periodically exchange our general location and rest timing with Father via the communication device, we shouldn’t miss each other somewhere along the way.

Since I’m serving as escort this time, I’m not riding in the dragon palanquin but instead moving while mounted on Lindwurm. Elliot is also riding Saphir, flying alongside the dragon palanquin.

Balor, who has bird-like legs, is perched on my shoulder. I don’t know what he thinks about moving on Lindwurm, but he keeps blinking his eyes while looking around at the scenery.

As we move through the sky above the road, Elliot spoke.

“When Camilla was little… she was the kind of girl who would swing a sword around.”

His voice sounded nostalgic. Probably because she comes from a knight’s family.

“Could it be that you learned to handle a sword because of her influence too?”

“That’s right. I also trained together with Camilla. Even after being told I had talent for magic at my study abroad destination. As a lord, I sometimes wonder if I should have focused solely on water magic. Thinking about it that way, you could say Camilla protected my life.”

…Yeah. Because she trained with the sword since childhood, she was probably able to fight valiantly on the ship.

There is the part about her catching the attention of Zadias and Ragnar because of that, but all of that is because Elliot spent his childhood with Camilla.

As we advanced while talking with Elliot and letting the wyverns and Saphir rest… around the time the evening sun began coloring the surroundings, I saw a dragon palanquin approaching from afar.

Using Light Magic to magnify the view… it’s definitely Father’s dragon palanquin. The Gartner County family crest is painted on it.

“…That Technique is quite convenient.”

“I’m discussing with Alfred about turning it into a magic tool. It would probably be useful even if equipped on an airship.”

With this Technique, you can grasp the other party’s appearance from a greater distance.

As we approach the dragon palanquin, Father shows his face from the other side.

“Hello, Father.”

“Theodore. I’m glad we could meet up.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Hmm. I’m just glad you look well.”

I exchange words with Father like this.

“Is Camilla-san with you too?”

“Hmm. And it appears Lord Elliot is accompanying you as well.”

Father said this after looking at Elliot mounted on Saphir. As Father who’s also acquainted with Ashley, he seemed to recognize Elliot at a glance.

“Pleased to meet you, Count Gartner.”

“Likewise, Lord Elliot.”

Elliot’s expression is somewhat stiff. He definitely seems nervous.

“…It’s unsettling being up in the sky. I’d like to lower the dragon palanquin and talk, if that’s alright?”

Showing some concern about the inside of the dragon palanquin, Father said.

Camilla and Kennel are probably behind him too… but they probably can’t push Father aside to show their faces from the window.

I scan the area, looking for a suitable place to land the dragon palanquin.

“Understood. We can probably land the dragon palanquin over there. Lindwurm.”

I say, having Lindwurm guide the wyverns pulling the dragon palanquin.

When Lindwurm calls out, the two dragon palanquins slowly descend to an open area beside the road.

Elliot and I land on the ground first, followed by the dragon palanquin carrying Grace and the others, then the dragon palanquin carrying Father and his group in that order.

Then the dragon palanquin’s door opens—and a woman emerges from inside.

She appears to be in her early twenties, or perhaps even younger. From Elliot’s stories, I’d imagined her to be an active person… but she’s slender with a somewhat unhealthy pale complexion.

“Camilla.”

Elliot calls her name. Called by her name, Camilla opens her eyes wide and stares intently at Elliot’s face.

“…Elliot… Truly—”

With an emotionally overwhelmed expression, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, Camilla runs to Elliot and clings to him as if throwing herself into his chest.

“I’m so glad…! Truly, so glad…! Welcome back…!”

“…I’m home. I’m sorry. I took so long to return.”

Elliot says while holding Camilla. After embracing for a while, they separate, though it’s unclear who moved first. As the evening sun dyes the surroundings red, the two face each other holding hands.

“You’ve… grown taller.”

Looking up at Elliot, Camilla shows an expression that looks like she might burst into tears any moment, yet still happy—a mixture of various emotions.

“…Yeah. When we last met, you were the taller one.”

“You have a scar on your face…”

Camilla frowns as she touches Elliot’s cheek.

“I feel bad toward you, Camilla, for having gotten such an injury.”

Though Camilla had teary eyes, she gave a wry smile and shook her head.

“You came back… alive. That’s what makes me happy. Does it… hurt?”

“No.”

For Elliot, who lived wearing a mask… this scar seems to be the sole proof that he and Benedict are the same person.

He said that the human relationships he built in Silvatoria might be useful for both Verdgar and Silvatoria in the future. So he’ll leave it as is. Elliot had said that. Still… he might have been anxious about showing it to Camilla.

“I got injured while fighting… It seems I hit my head at that time. After that, I’d lost my memory all this time.”

“I see… So that’s what happened.”

“I made you… suffer because of me.”

“Father also got injured six years ago and stayed home ever since… So I… couldn’t bear the thought of going to someone else, and I stopped going out much.”

“I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“No.”

It seems that her feelings for Elliot, combined with worry for her father, made Camilla put down her sword. That’s probably why she gives the impression of not being very active.

When I glance over, I see Kennel watching that scene while wiping tears with a handkerchief. Next to him, a man who appears to be Camilla’s father is also standing, squinting as if looking at something dazzling.

Ashley too… while tears moisten her eyes, she smiles gently, with Grace and the others staying close to her.

When our eyes meet, they smile at me. I quietly return the smile.

“I’m home, Kennel.”

Elliot calls out to Kennel, who had been watching the two from a slight distance.

“Welcome—back, Lord Elliot.”

Kennel bows deeply with tears in his eyes.

Once Camilla and Kennel have calmed down, Elliot speaks.

“Lord Theodore over there is the one who saved me. He restored my memories.”

At these words, the gazes of Camilla and her father, along with Kennel’s, gather on me.

“For bringing Elliot to us—I don’t know what to say. I can’t find the words… to express my gratitude.”

Camilla says. I quietly bow in return.

…Yeah. Since it was so sudden, I was worried about how things would turn out… but it seems there’s nothing to worry about regarding their relationship.

Bathed in the final glow of the setting sun, the two stood quietly side by side.