I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

11 – The Place I Want to Leave (7)

After a week, Earl Roxen kept his promise.

Of course, he did not come in person.

And neither did those who had the news. Had they been able to send someone every time, they would have done so by now.

I was curious about what method the Count would use, and the answer was a carrier pigeon.

Should I call it a carrier hawk, since it wasn’t a pigeon but a hawk that came?

The original carrier pigeon was a means of sending information in only one direction. It couldn’t be sent to untrained places either. So, I thought it couldn’t be used.

Perhaps as a solution to that problem, there was a geometrically patterned ring attached to the hawk’s leg.

It seemed like some kind of magic. I knew almost nothing about magic.

Upon receiving the letter and releasing it, the hawk flew off somewhere again.

It seemed that even Sirien was seeing this sight for the first time as his eyes widened in wonder.

No, I’m not sure. Sirien marveled at the hawk flying away, saying it was amazing. But the hawk was a creature that always flew.

However, our main focus was Count Roxen’s letter.

– From Earl Riwoud Roxen.

– I hope you are in good health. The environment is harsh, but I believe that you can overcome it.

– As promised before, I am sending you a letter with news of this place. I’m grateful that I can share good news.

The beginning of the letter was concise by a noble standard.

It seemed to reveal a practical personality as well.

Earl Roxen could be called the steward of Elessia.

In a domain untouched by the Duchess, most administrative affairs, such as the family’s finances, mercenaries, and the management of the Knights, all went through Count Roxen’s hands.

According to what I heard when I lived in the castle , he was said to be a very rational and pragmatic person.

The impression I received was that of a knowledgeable administrator.

He started working when the current Duke of Elessia took over as the head of the family.

Count Roxen was also the Duke’s half-brother. He gave up the family succession early and decided to help the Duke. As a capable figure with a blood connection, the Duke could only trust him greatly.

– There has been a harvest in the past few days.

– We have found and executed the traitors hidden within. His Highness the Duke’s army is advancing smoothly as well. The Demon King Elegos has been pushed quite far back.

– In this way, it seems that your safety can be assured in a short period. It may not even take three months.

The siblings were overjoyed by this letter.

What Count Roxen had conveyed could be called hope. The hope that they would return to the castle soon.

“It looks like we can go back soon!”

The expression of the siblings noticeably brightened.

I was glad that the children were smiling brightly.

In a matter of days, time passed quickly.

With the thought that they would be able to return soon, the siblings spent each day much more lively than usual.

It seemed as if winter had passed during that time. There had been signs of it a while ago, and now the weather had begun to soften.

Though the snow had not yet melted, it was a much more pleasant weather to stroll outside.

Thanks to this, Sirienn began to go out more often.

Today, she said she wanted to go for a walk, and enthusiastically urged me to join.

“I just came in, and I’m tired.”

“Do you want to rest a bit and go later? Want to sit here?”

“Can’t we just not go out?”

“You went out well with Henna not long ago. Why not with me?”

Henna, who was making cookies at a distance, flinched.

I did not have the confidence to withstand the resentment of the two women.

“Fine, fine. My stomach’s full anyway, let’s go for a walk.”

“Alright! I’ll get ready right away. Just wait a bit.”

Sirienn ran upstairs, most likely to fetch a warm scarf or coat.

Seeing her so fond of walks, she sometimes looked like a puppy – a gentle one, loyal to people.

Sirienn returned soon and took my hand.

“Let’s go, walk!”

“Don’t run. You might trip.”

“I won’t fall! I’m not a little kid.”

But of course, you’re still just twelve years old. Hardly an adult.

I held back the words that were on the tip of my tongue.

“Looks like winter is finally ending.”

“It’s not quite spring weather yet, though.”

“But spring is coming, isn’t it? Speaking of spring, I want to visit the garden in the castle. Rehaim is warmer than here, so spring flowers may have bloomed by now.”

Sirienn had also enjoyed walking in Rehaim Castle.

Having a spirited and lively character, she used to go for short walks at least once a day.

Naturally, her favorite walkway was the garden.

While it was difficult for Sirienn to leave Rehaim easily due to her status, the garden was a famous and beautiful place.

The winter garden of Elencia bloomed with flowers all year round, which was one of the few luxuries of the Duchess.

In particular, the central flower garden was renowned for its beautiful colors that bloomed at any time.

However, Sirienn rarely went to the central garden where flowers bloomed in full. Instead, she enjoyed walking around the outskirts of the garden.

The garden was filled with trees that wrapped around the flowers.

Was it a memory from that time? Even now, Sirien was walking around the inside of the deciduous forest. She had said she liked the scent of the trees in this forest.

“We even went on a picnic with delicious cookies and cake. Ah, now I want cake just thinking about it. I shouldn’t be like this.”

“Even if we don’t have cake, we can at least have a picnic, right?”

“Really? How?”

“If the situation outside has improved a lot, we don’t need to save the food in the warehouse. We have enough food now, so taking a day to enjoy ourselves should be fine.”

“That sounds great!”

And so, our picnic plan seemed to be set.

Sirien seemed eager to return to the cabin right away and call Terion and Hena.

The reason her eagerness stopped was because Sirien had one concern left.

“If we start preparing now, it’ll be late at night, right? Would it be better to do it tomorrow?”

“We can just make a big bonfire.”

“Oh my. I didn’t know Rajen could be so smart!”

That’s what I thought after giving it serious consideration.

I wanted to make him pay for his cheeky remark right away, but the excited Sirien was too fast.

Unable to muster the courage to follow her, I trudged back to the cabin.

Inside the cabin, Terion was already on board with the idea.

* * *

Crackle, crackle. The firewood blazed.

The bright crimson flames seemed to spread warmth throughout the world.

As the light flickered in the wind, our shadows danced along with it.

We were already having a boisterous time. So, it was hard to tell if it was us dancing or the wind.

Sirien initiated this picnic, but Terion was the one enjoying it most intensely.

Our dignified young master held a glass filled with orange juice in one hand and shouted.

Naturally, Sirien followed suit.

“We’re going home soon!”

“We’re going!”

“We’re… going…”

Even Hena joined in. Although she was usually shy, she went along with the atmosphere.

The burning fire outdoors had a magical effect on people, stirring their excitement.

While the three of them were shouting with all their might, I took some skewers of meat off the fire.

The grilled skewers gave off a tantalizing aroma of well-cooked meat.

Indeed, when it comes to food, nothing beats meat. Meat never disappoints, regardless of the situation.

“Oh, this one is cooked perfectly.”

“Already? I want some too!”

“Come have a bite. Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Alright!”

Terion also came over, picked out some meat, and Henna carefully selected a skewer as well.

We all gathered around the firewood, laughing merrily.

It was delicious.

The taste of the meat was incomparable to any food from the castle. The ingredients, which were not much different from what we occasionally ate in the hut, felt new and refreshing for some reason.

I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Terion and Sirien swallowed whole chunks of meat, completely forgetting their manners, while Henna showed a soft, surprised smile.

“I never could’ve imagined having this much fun at night while living in the castle.”

“I hadn’t even touched a candle before.”

“I’ve at least held a torch before.”

“Really? How was it? Was it hot?”

“Well, I could feel the warmth if I held it close to my body? It wasn’t that hot.”

Sirien stared at me intently.

It was easy to guess what he meant.

“Even so, I won’t make it for you.”

“I haven’t said anything yet!”

“Just saying.”

We continued to enjoy our night out.

Eating, drinking, singing, dancing, playing pranks, and laughing.

Although there was no alcohol, we could still get intoxicated by the atmosphere.

Terion declared, happily but never jovially, “You guys are truly the most precious to me. You’re my best friends.”

“Am I one too?”

“You’re my sibling, silly. I was talking to Razen and Henna.”

Instead of answering, I clinked glasses with Terion.

Hena, who had seen the two of us, belatedly offered a glass, and even Sirien did not miss this opportunity.

So we toasted twice.

“Even if we leave here, the four of us are special. Because we have gone through the hardest times together, we should share the sweetest moments together as well. So, I have a promise to make with my name on it.”

“That’s right!”

“How embarrassing to say something like that.”

“Young Master, I’m just doing my job…”

“There’s no such thing! If I promise, I’ll do it!”

The four of us are special.

Why did that phrase resonate with me so much?

Even as I spat it out bluntly, it didn’t feel bad.

“Someday, let’s gather the four of us like this again. When we all gather, I will grant each of your wishes. Anything, as long as I can grant it! Because by then, I’ll be able to do much more than now, you can look forward to it.”

“Bro, you know I never forget promises like this, right?”

“I promise with my name on it! I won’t forget it either.”

“Then, I’ll grant you a wish too. I’ll listen better than my brother.”

“We don’t have to compete over things like this.”

It was not a difficult promise.

However, there were more things in the world that did not go as planned than those that did.

There was never a day when this promise was kept.