Jared was met by Pfeil after leaving the ducal mansion.
“Yo.”
“Did you settle things with the Duke?”
“Yeah. As soon as the Duke is ready, we’ll drag Cornelia Alway out of the Norland Count Family and capture her.”
“So, that means we’ll settle things with Dolf Ein and the others there, right?”
“Of course. The Duke could be ready as early as tomorrow. Before Dolf Ein causes any more trouble, we’ll end it all so that Cornelia Alway can never lay a hand on Hannelore and Olivier again.”
He even felt like he wanted to finish it immediately if possible, but there was no good in fighting while being impatient. Just as the Duke needed preparation, Jared also needed time to calm his mind.
The thought of fighting Luzer brought anxieties.
It wasn’t just about dealing with the Lightning Element magic, but also his worry about whether he could fight Luzer as he had imagined.
Though their time together was short, he was both a benefactor and an older brother to Jared. It was his honest truth that he didn’t want to fight him if he could help it. However, he also understood that fighting was unavoidable given that Luzer harbored resentment towards him, for whatever reason.
He couldn’t help but wish he could resolve his misunderstanding.
“Are you alright?”
“What’s wrong, all of a sudden?”
Jared, though trying to appear unfazed as if his inner thoughts had been read, couldn’t hide his inner anxiety.
“I don’t have any friends, so I’ve never fought one. However, if I had a friend and had to fight them—it would probably be painful.”
“…Actually, you say you don’t have friends, but weren’t we friends?”
“…Were Olivier and I friends?”
Pfeil looked genuinely surprised, and Jared smiled.
“We had a terrible first meeting, but you saved me many times. Well, I don’t trust you as much as a best friend, but I consider you a friend.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised. I thought you didn’t forgive me.”
“I haven’t forgiven you for targeting Olivier and Hannelore, and I probably never will. But since they themselves no longer care, it’s probably not my place to say anything.”
“…You’re a strange man.”
“I can’t beat you. Despite being from Waalthe, you’re on my side, and you’re even living together now.”
He didn’t want him to leave, but he was bothered by the fact that Pfeil, of all people, wasn’t leaving the mansion. He thought he would leave if he had a mission from Waalthe, but he was still here now.
With Pfeil in the mansion, Jared didn’t need to be constantly by Olivier’s side. He knew Pfeil would protect the people living in the mansion. He trusted him that much.
When he heard he was from an assassination organization, he assumed he was a heartless and cruel person—but the boy he knew, Pfeil, was loyal and kind-hearted.
During the day, he apparently tended to the flower beds with Hannelore, Yeny, and Trane, and sometimes they even baked sweets together.
Pfeil called Hannelore “Hanne-sama,” and it was clear without being told that he looked up to her like a mother. That was why he believed Pfeil being in the mansion and his willingness to protect them.
“That’s true too. It seems that fighting you has changed me somehow. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is unclear—but I don’t dislike myself as I am now.”
“Then it’s a good thing. Isn’t that fine?”
“Perhaps. It would be good to know for sure someday.”
Pfeil seemed to have his own thoughts about his changes. When they first met, he seemed emotionless, but now Jared could tell that he possessed human emotions, even if he didn’t express them.
Jared thought it was proof that they had become closer.
“I’ll go to Rosa now. I need to talk and have my subordinates prepare.”
“Undoubtedly, Dolf will mobilize not just Luzer and the others, but everyone. I would do the same.”
“I agree. If they lose here, they’ll end up with nothing achieved. They’ll undoubtedly throw all their forces at us.”
“That’s why you’re using your subordinates?”
“Yes. If we take down the executives, Dolf Ein is finished. But we can’t underestimate the former members of Waalthe. They are also trained individuals. I don’t know how many soldiers the Duke can mobilize, but it’s faster and will cause minimal damage to pit Waalthe against former Waalthe members.”
Jared agreed with Pfeil’s opinion.
He wanted to avoid the Alway Ducal Family’s soldiers getting hurt if possible. Of course, he didn’t mean he didn’t care what happened to the members of Waalthe, but it was no exaggeration to say that both the Alway Ducal Family and the Norland Count Family had been caught up in Waalthe’s affairs. If so, it was better for those who should fight to fight.
Thinking that no one should get hurt if possible was probably too idealistic.
“Well then, I’ll go to Rosa. I probably won’t be back today. Please tell Trane not to prepare meals.”
“Understood. See you later then.”
Having conveyed what he needed to say, Pfeil disappeared silently before Jared.
Alone, Jared decided to head back to report to Olivier. He was surely worried about him at the mansion by now.
“Finally, you’re alone, Jared-san.”
Jared tensed up as he was addressed.
Before him stood the girl in white who had been with Luzer.
“…When did you…”
Even while talking to Pfeil, he hadn’t expected to be approached so easily. It wasn’t that Jared was careless, but rather that she was more adept at concealing her presence. The evidence was that Pfeil had also left without noticing her.
If the girl had intended to kill Jared, he might have been on the verge of death by now. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
“I don’t know why you’re here, but I’ve been looking for you.”
“Yes, I know. However, I have no intention of fighting. I came to talk.”
The girl, who still retained a youthful air, spoke calmly without fear towards Jared, who was on guard.
“First, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mia. I am Luzer’s current partner.”
