Chapter 54. Filia's Return to Farming

Crack, crack.

Every time Ian took a step, the sound of dry branches breaking could be heard. Now, as the insects that herald the arrival of summer sang loudly, he wiped the sweat from his brow and called out to Beric.

“Beric, are you sure this is the right way?”

“…I think so?”

“I think so? Is that what you call an answer….”

“It’s right, it’s right. Look, there’s a black rock. Yeah, it’s right.”

There was no path in this remote forest. They had to walk on foot, and it had already been hours. It felt like they had crossed the border of the estate.

Beric, that guy, must have had his side wound not fully healed, yet he looked as if he had completely recovered. It seemed the rest he had taken, calling it treatment, had been effective.

“We definitely need to hide, right? No one would be able to find us easily, right?”

Amidst the surroundings colored only by nature, a sudden unfamiliar color caught his eye. Far away, a light purple skirt was hanging on a branch. Beric flicked his hand and shouted that he had found it.

“Here it is. Great!”

Beric led the way, parting the grass with his sword. After walking a bit along the steep ridge, they reached a flat area. An old cabin stood there, with a small field tilled in front of it.

“To think you found such a place.”

“Quite a while ago, an old woodcutter lived here. He came to sell wood and somehow lost his way back due to a mental breakdown. The tavern owner once told me that if it’s true, there should be a house nearby. But I didn’t have a house or anything.”

The cabin looked like it might fall apart with just a little wind. However, the warmth felt in various places indicated that someone was living there.

“Is anyone there?”

Beric looked around, searching for Filia. Since the kettle was boiling, she couldn’t have gone far. Ian also slowly inspected the cabin, checking if there were any more red herbs or Sylasque.

‘None here.’

The luggage brought from the village didn’t seem very much. After all, what could she have had to bring?

“W-Who is it?”

At that moment, a trembling voice came from outside the door. Ian opened it and immediately faced a woman with golden hair and green eyes, just like him.

“Ah!”

Filia, seemingly caught off guard, threw the flowers she had been holding and embraced Ian tightly. So tightly, it was hard to believe such strength came from her small, frail body.

“Ian! Ian!”

“…Have you been well?”

“Ian! Ah! Thank you! Thank you!”

Filia covered Ian’s face with her hands and wept uncontrollably. It was a natural reaction to see her child, whom she had feared might never return, right before her eyes.

“Ian… What exactly happened? Huh?”

Filia still looked beautiful. More like a sister than a mother. He smiled affectionately and smoothed her disheveled hair.

“It’s a long story, Mother. Let’s sit down and talk.”

“Have you eaten? Are you well-fed?”

“Just look at me, do I look well-fed?”

Beric replied with a sigh and pulled out a chair. Filia’s complexion was also good. Ian murmured, looking at the neat and tidy house.

“I’m glad the forest life suits you.”

“At first, it was tough, but staying in that semi-basement… waking up to the morning sun and the cool stream are quite pleasant. If you just wander a bit, there are all kinds of fruits.”

Ian patted Filia’s hand, comforting her. She burst into tears again, moved to finally see her son with her own eyes after all the effort to disguise herself.

“Mother, I have something to tell you.”

“Anything. My child.”

Ian smiled sadly. She didn’t know that her angelic son was actually Emperor Ian. A strange feeling welled up inside him.

“Derga’s banner has been broken, but there are still many things left to do. People are coming down from the center again.”

“Is that so….”

“I plan to follow them and go back to the center later.”

Tsk. Beric clicked his tongue while pouring tea, seeing the despair settle back on Filia’s face. Her eyes were moist, but she waited for Ian to finish speaking.

“I can’t be sure if I can stay with you or not.”

“Even so….”

Even so? What was she trying to say?

Filia looked at Ian with tears in her eyes.

“Even so, if you want, you can see me, right?”

“Of course.”

“And it won’t be dangerous?”

“It won’t be.”

“Then that’s enough. I’m fine. Actually, I don’t even want to go down. I’m so satisfied with this forest life. As long as you’re alive and living the same time, that’s enough.”

As a mother, how could she have a different heart when her child had chosen this path? She was just grateful that he had returned alive.

“If things settle down quickly, you’ll be able to live freely. It won’t take long. Before I leave, I’ll set up a place for you in the village.”

“I’m fine, Ian. I really am.”

Derga was dead, and Ian had returned alive.

It felt like asking for more would invite divine punishment.

“I have one more thing to ask.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“The red pot you gave me in the park.”

The red flower called Sylasque, which never withered, and a necklace of jewels buried beneath it.

“Do you remember where it came from?”

“Of course. Wasn’t it the payment I got from a merchant caravan?”

“A merchant caravan?”

When Ian asked, Filia seemed surprised. How could she not remember something that wasn’t so long ago?

“It was a pretty big caravan. I don’t remember the name, but they said they were short-handed, so you went along. The caravan leader gave you a generous reward and the pot.”

“Do you remember anything more specific?”

“Hmm… Ah! There was a very distinguished person in the caravan. M, M….”

Filia’s throat seemed to tighten, and she frowned, tilting her head as she tried to recall that day.

“M… something. Anyway, I remember you were incredibly happy that day.”

“I see.”

Though not certain, it was clear that the owner of the Sylasque and the jewels was related to that mysterious caravan. Given its size, there must be someone in the village who remembers it.

Ian stood up, as if satisfied.

“Leaving already?”

“I have some work to catch up on.”

Filia couldn’t hide her disappointment. The tea hadn’t even cooled yet. Ian felt a bit sorry and added,

“I’ll send you some chickens through Beric. It might get lonely living here alone, so try raising them.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!”

“If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Ah! Ian, do you need the gulla seeds?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Ian hesitated. Filia walked to the inner storage room and brought out two large burlap sacks.

“You said to collect gulla seeds when you have time. I have two more sacks outside.”

The sacks were filled with seeds about the size of cherry tomatoes. There must have been hundreds. It seemed she had dug up all the gulla in the area.

“Where are the gulla without the seeds?”

“I threw them over the cliff.”

Beric, too, was amazed. Collecting so many useless gulla seeds was one thing, but for a woman to do it alone was unbelievable.

“You must have a talent for gardening.”

“I had a lot of free time after meals, so it became a pastime.”

Indeed, Filia had gone into hiding before Ian crossed the border. Though he had been too busy with events to notice, several months of peaceful, albeit lonely, time had passed here.

“Do you need them?”

Filia asked cautiously, carefully observing her son’s expression. She had collected them as he had asked, but his lukewarm reaction worried her.

“No, Mother. You’ve done a remarkable job.”

Ian tied the sack’s opening and smiled at Filia. Just a casual suggestion, yet she had remembered and acted on it. Filia smiled brightly, as if receiving a reward for her son’s praise.

“The timing is perfect.”

“Really? That’s great.”

The summer, when farmers sweat in their fields. But they were using their strength elsewhere due to the village reconstruction. Besides, the crops planted in spring had all been trampled by boots.

“Mother, actually, this gulla is edible.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“There’s no poison in the seeds. You can fry them, bake them, or boil them.”

Was Ian joking? Filia examined his face, but he didn’t seem to be. Beric, too, narrowed his eyes and asked Ian.

“Are you delirious from the heat?”

“Even raw, they taste good.”

Ian, instead of answering, popped a seed into his mouth. Filia and Beric gasped and rushed to him.

“Oh, Ian!”

“Spit it out! Spit it out! What are you doing?”

Crunch, crunch.

But Ian chewed the seed without any trouble, savoring its nutty flavor. He gauged the number of seeds in the sack and gave instructions.

“Beric, you’ll have to work hard.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“From your use of formal speech, I see you’ve figured it out.”

“You want me to move these… down?”

“Yes. Secretly, without anyone knowing. Hide them in the mansion’s storage.”

“Ha….”

Crunch.

Ian, answering thus, ate another gulla seed. Filia, unsure of what to do, and Beric, lying on the ground in frustration, suppressing curses.

Ian smiled and confirmed that the former Bratz estate was clearly visible far below the ridge.

* * *

Meanwhile, Romandoro, dispatched as a reconstruction expert and advisor, was frowning, his gaze fixed outside the carriage. He desperately wanted to jump out and return to the capital.

‘I’m going to go crazy. Really.’

The distance to the border was one issue, but the situation at the site was far from ordinary. Setting aside the battle among citizens, the biggest problem was—

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, my back is just aching.”

The biggest issue was his companion, Sir Molin from the administration. Though not his direct superior, he was certainly higher in rank and position than Romandoro. Molin had come along to help Romandoro adapt to the border, but it would have been better if he hadn’t.

‘Prince Marib is really too much. How long has it been since I returned from the temple’s earthquake reconstruction? Why am I here… Sigh… I want to go home…’

Moreover, Prince Marib had secretly ordered him to monitor and report on Molin’s activities. He already wanted to return to the capital, even before they arrived.

“What do you think of the former Bratz estate?”

“Hmm? From Captain Erica’s report, it seems quite bad. I don’t know how the cleanup is going, but it would be fortunate if we don’t get stoned when we arrive.”

Romandoro muttered, almost complaining.

Currently, only Sir Molin knew that Ian and the Qianli were stationed in the Bratz estate. If this were to be known, the palace might send a large force, turning it into a rebellion base, which would be disastrous.

“I hope we won’t be surprised when we get there.”

Molin turned his head, recalling the old Bratz. He then fiddled with the letter from Erica in his pocket.