Chapter 42

Taking the advice, I indeed... made it Chapter 2.

Please take care of me ^ - ^

By the time Aiden arrived at the familiar streets of the capital, it was already morning, and the number of people coming and going had increased.

This was the first time he had come to the city in the morning.

The busy people moving around, the pleasant smell of the bakery.

And occasionally, knights on horseback would gallop past at incredible speeds.

Something must have happened, he thought, as the city square, which was slightly bustling, came into view. Aiden then proceeded down the familiar street.

Without hesitation, Aiden reached the store he was aiming for.

It was a place his family occasionally visited. Cynthia had said she liked the stew here.

"——Ira!"

Seeing a child cleaning in front of the store, Aiden called out.

Ira's black hair, which reached her shoulders, gently swayed as she looked for the source of the voice. Eventually, her aqua-blue eyes met Aiden's, and they widened.

"Princess!?"

Ira threw down her broom and ran to Aiden.

"What's going on? Where are your father and mother?"

"I need... I need your help."

"Huh?"

"Marie is gone. She disappeared suddenly yesterday evening. Everyone is looking for her, but they can't find her. Please help!"

"Marie... the baby?"

The last time they visited, she couldn't even walk, Aiden thought.

"She's not a baby anymore. She's two years old now. ——Sorry, I came in a hurry."

"No, ——you want me to see with my own eyes, right?"

Ira is Aiden's friend. Despite their different social statuses, they always played together when Aiden visited the store. Ira's parents referred to Rias as their savior, though Aiden didn't know the full story. They had a relationship that was more than just customers, and Aiden considered Ira one of his few commoner friends.

Aiden and Ira played together several times, and Cynthia encouraged Aiden to be friends with her, regardless of their social differences.

At one point, Ira whispered to Aiden while looking at Cynthia.

When Aiden was three years old.

"——There's a sister in your mother's belly."

"What? No, there isn't."

Saying it was strange, Aiden laughed, and Ira giggled.

"I can see things like that. It's a secret, okay?"

"Is it a baby?"

"It's not just babies."

Ira revealed this secret with a joyful expression, around the same age as Aiden is now.

After that, Ira found Aiden's lost precious brooch and predicted the weather.

To Aiden, Ira was a mysterious girl.

There were many people who used magic in the duke's mansion, so Aiden thought it was normal.

However, he recently learned that those who could use magic were mostly nobles and were rare, and that the ability to see such things was not a form of elemental magic.

Aiden didn't understand why such a mysterious ability would be in a commoner, especially a girl from a store he frequented, but as a child, he didn't know much.

He thought it was just one of those things.

If Ira could see such things, maybe she could find Marie's location.

Since Ira had said it was a secret, Aiden came alone.

Ira pulled Aiden to a slightly secluded spot.

"Is the princess missing? That's why it's been so noisy since this morning."

Aiden nodded weakly.

"It's my fault... I said I didn't know Marie."

"Did you have a fight?"

"Y-Yes..."

Ira tilted her head slightly, then patted Aiden's shoulder.

"Then you should go get her and make up quickly!"

In a bright voice, she said, "Wait a moment," and went back into the store. Ira then came out with some supplies.

"——We'll have to walk a bit. Is that okay?"

"Um... do you... know where?"

"Probably. I have a feeling."

"Will you... come with me?"

"Of course! I'm older, after all. I told my parents I'm going to school, so it's fine. Let's go!"

Ira took Aiden's hand and started walking.

The anxiety that had filled Aiden's heart began to ease.

He felt that if he went with Ira, Marie would surely be found.

"Is Marie okay...?"

"She'll be fine."

Even without any evidence, just hearing Ira say it made Aiden feel it would be okay.

"Okay..."

Ira led Aiden to an underground passage. The waterway also served as a path. As they entered the darkness, Ira lit a light.

"We'll stand out if we leave the city as children, so we'll go out through the underground waterway."

"Okay."

Unlike Aiden, who had never left the mansion alone, Ira was amazing.

She pulled him along confidently, leading the way.

Ira must have the map of the capital and other places memorized.

"You're amazing. You know so much, Ira."

"Usually, I can't see this clearly. But when I hold hands with you, Princess, I can see clearly. I've always been able to, so I'm sure I won't make a mistake."

It wasn't just about her ability, but Ira seemed to be talking about something special.

"What can you see?"

"Hmm... what you, Princess, desire?"

"Me?"

"Maybe you're a special person. That's why what you desire is clear to me."

Aiden was skeptical about this.

He thought Ira was the special one.

After all, she had such beautiful, glass-like eyes that could see so many things.

The underground waterway was roaring with water due to the rain. They passed through a narrow fence and continued on.

Aiden kept up with 9-year-old Ira's pace.

It would get dark if they just walked in silence, so Ira occasionally started a conversation.

"So, why did you have a fight?"

"…I don't know. I thought I hated her."

"Hmm. ——I don't have a sister, so I don't understand, but my friends often say their sisters are annoying and in the way."

"That's not... true."

Aiden said this and suddenly looked down.

"That's not... true... until now."

"Really?"

"Because Marie loves me so much. Since she was little, she would stop crying when I held her. Not even Father could do that. Her first word after 'Mom' was 'Brother.'"

She was fluffy and cute. He had decided to protect her.

"She would hold onto her favorite snacks, which she never wanted to share, and give them to me when I came back from training. She would wait and hold them, even though she wanted to eat them so badly."

Lena had told him that Marie would open and close her hand repeatedly, looking at the snacks longingly.

"When I got hurt, she would cry, and when Mother scolded me, she would go and scold Mother. Marie loves me so much..."

"Even if she loves you so much, you still had a fight."

"Marie wanted to play... that's all."

Tears welled up in Aiden's eyes, and he swallowed hard.

"Mother said that when Marie acts spoiled, it's because she feels safe with me. She knows it's okay to be spoiled because I love her. ——So I decided to be a brother she could feel safe with..."

He shouldn't be crying.

Tears started to fall.

Ira, who had been listening silently, took a handkerchief from her bag and wiped his tears.

"There, there, it's okay. You'll see the princess soon. Then you can make up with her."

Usually, Aiden was the one who comforted others, but being comforted by Ira felt a bit embarrassing and ticklish.

Ira then took out a candy from her bag.

"Here, eat this to cheer up, and let's go?"

Aiden nodded, being led by Ira's hand.

The taste of strawberries spread gently in his mouth.

After walking for a few hours and emerging outside, they found themselves in a relatively calm area by a river.

Squinting in the bright light, Ira looked around and pointed ahead.

"Hmm... this way, I think."

They continued walking. The path was more like an animal trail, and the grass was as high as their waists, making it difficult to walk.

Occasionally, Ira would suddenly change direction, sometimes returning to the original path.

When Aiden asked what was going on, Ira said she wasn't sure herself.

"I feel like we should turn. I always follow my instincts in situations like this."

Following her zigzag path, they eventually reached a slightly open clearing.

At first, Aiden thought Marie had gotten lost.

Marie often ran away without the adults noticing.

Perhaps she had said she needed to use the bathroom during a break in the rain and then wandered off and got lost.

But when Aiden saw the clearing, he realized it was different.

Several adults were sitting around a campfire, eating.

They were unfamiliar faces, with scars and bad attitudes.

Next to them, Marie was inside a box, asleep.

Aiden and Ira quietly observed the scene.

"Hey, they're not here yet?"

"The knights are everywhere, so it's taking time."

The mist was thin due to the rain from the previous day.

"Damn it. If they don't hurry, the kid will wake up."

"Just put her back to sleep."

"Shut up, if she starts crying."

There were three men, and they seemed to be waiting for something.

"——Well, if they don't show up in an hour, we'll move to a different location. We need to get away from the capital."

"What about the buyer?"

"Don't worry, they have golden eyes. There are plenty of people who would pay a lot for her."

"True."

The men's crude laughter echoed.

"What should we do...?"

Aiden couldn't handle a sword properly, and the dagger at his waist was no use.

After thinking for a moment, Ira looked around.

"The mist will get thicker soon, and we won't be able to see. I'll make some noise over there. Can you take the princess and run back the way we came during that distraction?"

"Wait... Ira, that's dangerous."

"I'll be fine. Once we get to the waterway, the entrance is only big enough for children, so we'll be safe."

Indeed, the exit of the waterway had an iron grate, and children could just barely fit through.

Thinking about the waterway's fence, Aiden felt he could do it.

"Let's meet up at the waterway. Okay?"

Aiden nodded firmly.