Chapter 57

* * *

The next day.

Today was the day before I was to enter the training facility.

"Alright, it's starting now! The final boss, the Emperor, is waiting! I can't afford to make a mistake at the training facility, so I need to be on my toes!"

I steeled my resolve and began packing my bags.

Jetti, who was helping me, suddenly pulled something out of her bosom.

A letter from Princess Lala?

Jetti whispered in my ear.

"This is a gift from our boss. She asked me to give it to you. It will be quite useful at the training facility."

"Oh, I see."

I put Riko's letter in the front pocket of my bear bag.

"Ugh. How can I live without my lady? I can't, I can't!"

"Jyun, are you really crying? I'm not going to die…."

Is this how a mother feels when sending her child to the army?

Seeing Jyun sobbing made me feel bad too. When I hugged and patted her, she cried even louder.

"Hey, be quiet."

Then a brusque voice rang out.

It was Oscar, lounging in a chair.

"What are you doing during study time?"

"Ahem. I'm sorry, Master of the Magic Tower. I'll leave now."

"Good work, Jyun, good work."

Jetti and Jyun left the room, tears streaming down their faces.

I glared at Oscar disapprovingly.

"Why did you chase them away! I finished all the problems for today!"

Oscar, who had jumped up, approached me as I was packing my bag.

He crossed his arms arrogantly and looked down at me.

"What's the volume of a rectangular prism with dimensions 3, 4, and 8?"

"96."

"What's the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides 2 and 4?"

"2 root 5."

"What's the area of a circle with a radius of 12?"

"144 pi."

Oscar finally nodded approvingly.

"At this rate, you'll really graduate from the training facility in a month?"

"It's just a hassle…."

I grumbled and continued packing my bag.

"Here, a gift."

"Huh?"

Oscar suddenly held something out to me.

It was a bracelet.

A pearl chain with a large heart-shaped crystal in the middle.

"I designed it myself."

Oscar looked proud.

I burst out laughing at the sight of it dangling in front of me.

"It's completely childish!"

"Want a beating?"

Thump, Oscar bonked me on the head.

"Ow, why did you hit me!"

"Give me your hand."

Oscar put the bracelet on my wrist.

Hmm, it's not as bad as I thought when I actually wear it….

"This is a magical tool."

"Really? What kind of magical tool?"

"You'll find out when you get to the training facility. Take good care of it. That's all for today's lesson."

Oscar waved his hand dismissively.

Ending the lesson 40 minutes early. Maybe Oscar is a good person after all.

"Thank you, teacher! Have a good day!"

I slung my bear bag over my shoulder and dashed past Oscar—

"……?"

—Thud, my bag strap was caught and lifted.

"What is it?"

"Why are you crawling out so eagerly?"

"I'm going to play with a friend."

"Who's your friend?"

"Chesi."

"……"

Oscar looked at me with a strange expression and slumped back into his chair.

"I take back what I just said. Sit down and study more."

"But, that's not fair."

"Here—"

"A man with one mouth shouldn't speak two words?"

"My mind—"

We can't communicate. It feels like talking to a pesky younger brother.

I had no choice but to grumble and put my bag down, sitting back at my desk.

"Hey."

"What?"

I glared at Oscar, frowning.

"Do you like him?"

"Who? Chesi?"

"Yeah."

"…? I like him? He's my best friend."

"Besides being a friend."

Oscar drew a heart on a blank piece of paper.

…What, really.

"Why are you curious about that?"

"Are you eleven? You're so young. But you still like him?"

"……?"

I can't understand the intent behind the question at all.

"Chesi is four years older than me."

"……"

Oscar stared at me intently.

I stared back, not backing down.

Finally, Oscar, who raised the white flag first, leaned back in his chair and muttered.

"I can't believe it."

"What's your problem?"

"I have no problem."

"But you do?"

"Open your book. Let's study."

Oscar opened the book. I clenched my trembling fists tightly.

"Ouch, you're scary. What, are you going to hit me with that pillow?"

Oscar chuckled.

I really hate him….

* * *

The next day.

The day Lirys was to enter the <Imperial Ability Training Facility>.

As soon as a ray of sunlight hit the window, Enoch Rubinstein sprang up.

"Ha."

He had tossed and turned all night, worried about his daughter, and now dark circles under his eyes showed it.

Looking to the side, his daughter was still in dreamland.

Her plump cheeks, like dough, were pressed into the pillow.

Enoch smiled softly at her adorable face and got up to prepare.

Washing up, changing clothes….

It was just another day, but his heart felt heavy.

"Princess, it's time to wake up."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

He didn't really want to wake her. More accurately, he didn't want to send her away.

"Ugh."

After a couple of dry washes, Enoch carefully lay down next to Lirys.

Her small, sleeping form still smelled like a baby.

'How can I send this little one away…'

Enoch bit his lip and gently placed his finger in Lirys' small palm.

Her short, chubby fingers gripped his finger tightly in her sleep.

"Kuk kuk."

He kissed her cheek, and Lirys' closed eyelids fluttered.

Seeing her drowsy eyes slowly open, Enoch quickly picked up Lirys' favorite stuffed animal, Tossun.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a storytelling tone.

"Lirys, the sun is saying hello! Tossun is already up, but Lirys is still in dreamland?"

"…Hehe."

Rubbing her eyes, Lirys sat up and hugged Tossun.

Enoch smiled.

"Did you sleep well, princess?"

"Yep!"

Lirys, hugging her stuffed animal, smiled with her messy hair and hugged Enoch.

"Ugh."

His daughter was always cute, but she was the cutest right after waking up.

She had grown more mature than her age, but…

"I had a ghost dream…."

"Huh. A ghost?"

Is it because she's still groggy in the morning?

She seemed exactly her age.

"What did the ghost do? Did it try to eat Lirys?"

"Umm…."

"Then? Did you run away?"

Enoch, with Lirys on his lap, held a brush and asked.

Lirys, still rubbing her heavy eyes, nodded.

"But I got caught… But then Dad came and caught them all with a stick…."

"Ahaha! Is that so?"

Enoch chuckled as he brushed Lirys' hair.

"Today, I want a rabbit…."

"Rabbit ears?"

"Umm. A sad rabbit…."

"A sad rabbit! I like it."

Droopy ears, tied in two braids.

Enoch, skilled at braiding, turned Lirys around to face him.

"My, you're so pretty. Our daughter is an angel, an angel."

"Today, I'm going!"

Lirys grinned and stretched her hands up into the air.

"……"

Enoch's smile froze.

What could be so good about being away from Dad?

Lirys, who had been excitedly packing her bags since yesterday, was even more excited on the day of her entry.

"Princess, can you really manage without Dad? Can you wash yourself, eat, and sleep alone?"

"Yep!"

"……"

"Ah, no. I just mean, I'll be brave and come back."

"Haah."

After Dad sighed deeply, Lirys started to subtly gauge his reaction.

'Really, she's so brave, but I'm the one who's a mess.'

From the moment he first held her as a newborn, Enoch had never been apart from Lirys for a long time.

At least a month. If her grades are poor, she might stay longer.

No visits allowed.

Can I really be apart from Lirys for over a month….

"Dad."

"Uh-huh."

Lirys sn