The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 36

On the Train

He had a strange dream.

It was a dream where his mother returned—a bittersweet dream he hadn’t had often since his regression.

His mother, who had returned home, warmly embraced him.

He was incredibly happy, yet for some reason, tears started to fall.

…But somehow, his mother’s body felt strangely cold.

And for some reason, it was awfully stiff, almost like it smelled of the wooden floor…

“…Ugh…”

As he was tormented by a dream, uncertain whether it was a good or bad one, Leo naturally woke up.

He had fallen asleep next to the cold bed on the wooden floor. It seemed like he had dozed off while caring for someone.

“…I’ve become quite soft.”

[It’s probably because you’ve been rubbing up against a soft body all the time.]

Instead of an alarm clock, Leo was greeted by the Sage’s cheerful sarcasm. Normally, he would have been annoyed, but today, for some reason, he didn’t feel angry.

It was probably because a good night’s sleep had relieved his fatigue.

<…Did you see my dream?>

[Whatever dream you had, it must have been a good one. If you had such luxury and didn’t have a good dream, you would be…]

The conversation felt somewhat off, but the meaning was clear enough, so Leo nodded.

[…Ha… I see. It was a good dream, then.]

The Sage sighed in resignation, his voice now resigned as if he had given up. This kind of eccentricity had become so familiar that Leo neither questioned nor challenged it.

“Miss Aria is…”

Ariasphil was sleeping soundly, having twisted the bedsheets and blanket entirely around herself, like a carefree country maiden in this rural house.

If Leo had gotten caught up in that sleep talk, he would have probably rolled off somewhere as well.

“…She must have been really tired.”

Her clothes were slightly disheveled around her stomach and chest. It would have been difficult for that to happen unless she slept quite roughly.

“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep like that.”

Leonardo averted his gaze from her and carefully adjusted the blanket to cover her properly.

[You look just like a husband in a newlywed home.]

[…Just don’t respond. I’m getting an inflammation in both my corneas and eardrums.]

The Sage was irritable from the early morning. More puzzling was why the villagers and everyone else could only think in that direction.

“…I still have some time.”

When he checked the clock, he saw that he had about three or four hours to spare. He could have breakfast, say goodbye to the villagers, and still have plenty of time to catch the train.

“Well then…”

Leonardo walked towards the kitchen and tied on the apron that was hanging there.

The kitchen apron clearly showed his determination to put his skills to the test.

***

Aria’s eyelids trembled. As various sounds resonated, she couldn’t help but wake up.

The sound of a light being turned on, oil sizzling as eggs fried, water boiling.

In addition, a soft humming weaved these sounds together into a harmonious melody.

“…Leona…rdo…?”

Even in her still drowsy voice, her faithful knight quickly responded.

“Did you wake up, miss?”

Before her as she woke was love.

The pure source of affection smiled at her.

A lovely man who filled the air with the fragrance of a delicious breakfast.

“…Uh… you’re drooling. Are you okay…?”

The drool running down the corner of her mouth must have been from hunger.

It was definitely not because of her desire for the sight of ‘Leo in an apron.’

However, ‘Leo in an apron’ was cute, endearing, and lovable. Denying that truth was impossible.

“You must be really hungry. Let’s eat first.”

Relieved by Leo’s obliviousness, Aria discreetly wiped away her drool of desire.

“Please try it. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s good for replenishing nutrients.”

Aria’s eyes sparkled with delight. The breakfast spread out on the table looked like a gourmet meal made just for her.

“…Did… did you make all of this yourself?”

“Yes, since it’s morning, I didn’t think it would be right to ask for help.”

Aria prided herself on having tasted all kinds of delicacies. With the Reinhardt family’s wealth and status, they could have chefs from around the world at their beck and call.

But she now realized:

That was the shallow thinking of a frog in a well.

“…Aren’t you going to eat? It’s going to get cold.”

No chef could replicate the care and affection put into this meal by that lovely person.

“…I’ll enjoy it…!”

As Aria put the food into her mouth, she thought, this wasn’t food—it was love.

‘…And this is a bit…’

He woke her up in the morning, tied on an apron, and shared a meal with her…

‘It’s like we’re newlyweds…!’

No one would doubt it if they were told they were a newly married couple.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s delicious! I wish I could eat like this every day…!!”

Aria abruptly closed her mouth, flustered. Her words made it seem like she was dwelling on yesterday’s reckless “marriage fantasy.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste. It makes me feel a little proud.”

Leo’s cheerful response eased Aria’s worries, but the embarrassment still lingered.

“…About yesterday…”

Barely managing to swallow her food, she started to apologize.

“I’m sorry for saying those things on my own… It must’ve been an uncomfortable topic for you…”

“No. I was actually thankful that you said that.”

“Huh… What? Hiccup…!”

Aria let out a loud hiccup, caught off guard by his unexpected response.

For a moment, hope crossed her mind—perhaps Leonardo had entertained a similar thought.

“You were trying to help me save face in front of the village chief, right? Thank you.”

At that moment, Aria was unaware that the Sage was mentally cursing up a storm. Not knowing that was likely a blessing for someone as pure as her.

“…Oh… I see… Yeah…”

However, Leo’s response was undoubtedly a curse, both for her and for himself.

***

“You’re leaving already? You don’t visit often; why not stay a bit longer?”

Dean suggested with a sly smile, showing his fangs. It seemed that the villagers all shared the same opinion.

“Well, the main reason I came here was to get the Magic Tower’s permit, so I can’t stay long. There are too many uncertainties.”

“Then have a safe trip. Get that permit quickly.”

Leo chuckled and nodded.

Meanwhile, Chief Anus approached on behalf of the villagers.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer.”

“Even if you stayed longer, you’d just be eating our food. You’d better get going.”

Despite his words, Anus extended his hand toward Aria.

“You said you’re going to the Magic Tower as well, right?”

“Huh? Yes, though I’m not going for magic…”

In the outstretched hand was a small note. If the envelope had been a bit nicer, it could have easily been mistaken for a letter.

“Give this to someone named Physis Natra. He owes me a favor, so he’ll surely treat you well.”

“…Ah, thank you.”

Aria expressed her gratitude, thinking about both this gesture and the events of the previous night.

“Now, get going. My knee’s aching like it’s been struck by lightning.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll follow your orders.”

Perhaps due to a sort of fondness even within the harsh words, Leo maintained his smile and gave a polite bow. Aria also gave her farewells to the villagers as courteously as she could before following Leo.

“Leonardo!”

At that moment, Anus called out to Leo in a voice as loud as a train whistle.

“If you make that young lady cry, don’t ever come back to this village! I don’t remember raising such a good-for-nothing!!”

Without turning around, Leo replied.

“Yes! You’re the one who raised me, Grandma!”

With that, Leonardo walked away.

[Look at your face turning red. You must be really happy, huh?]

“Shut up.”

[Well, that’s why you got hit by lightning on purpose, right? The plan was always to get sympathy points and be called ‘grandson,’ wasn’t it?]

It was both a relief and a shame that Aria couldn’t hear this conversation.

***

Back at the train station, the crowd was as overwhelming as ever. If they hadn’t bought first-class tickets, they would’ve been swept away by the human wave and left adrift for quite a while.

“Car 401… here it is.”

The compartment they were boarding was Car 401. Beyond the door, two seats were arranged facing each other.

[So, did you guys rent out an entire compartment? Last time, it was just the two of you in there.]

That had indeed been the case last time. But that was simply due to good luck.

The Sage nodded in understanding and floated by the window next to Leo. Leo and Aria sat side by side, waiting for the train to depart.

“Is this the place?”

While they waited, another passenger entered Car 401.

“Oh, hello?”

She appeared to be a girl around their age, her bright smile leaving a strong impression. She carried a large suitcase that seemed slightly too big for her small frame.

Leo and Aria nodded politely, shifting their legs to give her space to pass.

“Thank you.”

The girl struggled to lift her suitcase onto the overhead shelf. Unfortunately, her stature was much too short to reach the height of the shelf.

“Let me help you with that.”

Unable to watch any longer, Leo stepped in and helped her stow the luggage. The girl smiled brightly and said,

“Thank you.”

“…”

Leo hesitated for a moment before responding with a similar smile.

“You’re welcome, my lady.”

The girl’s smile grew even more radiant at the word “lady,” while Aria’s face turned slightly red.

Though it looked like the same reaction, the emotions behind them were entirely different, clashing and creating friction.

“Where are you two traveling to?” she asked.

“It’s not exactly a vacation, but we’re heading to the Magic Tower,” Leo replied.

The girl responded with a bit of exaggeration.

“The Magic Tower is a really popular destination for couples! There are lots of magical artifacts and enchanted restaurants nearby that people love!”

At the mention of “couples,” Aria’s expression seemed to relax slightly. If the girl continued to misunderstand, Aria wouldn’t have any reason to feel troubled.

“Haha, we’re not a couple. We’re just close friends.”

But Leo unnecessarily twisted that relaxed expression back into a frown. Aria’s face started to flush with irritation.

“I see. Well, trips with friends are nice too.”

The girl chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. That laugh made Aria’s fist instinctively clench. If she could be certain it was a mocking laugh, she wouldn’t hesitate to throw a punch.

“And what brings you on this train, miss?” Leo asked.

Aria found it irritating too. How could he call this little girl a “lady”? Whether in spirit or body, Aria herself was far closer to being a proper lady.

“Oh, my friends invited me. They wanted to catch up after a long time.”

“Is that so? How kind of you to make time for them.”

What was so kind about that?

At most, they’d be indulging in some frivolous entertainment. Describing it as indulgent or extravagant would have been more accurate.

“Hehe, thank you.”

As he watched her laugh, Leo suddenly stood up and approached the girl.

“Leo…?”

He moved his face closer to hers.

“Um, why all of a sudden…?”

Leo carefully removed a small petal from her hair.

“It was on your head. I’m sorry about that.”

“Oh… thank you.”

“No, I should thank you. It was nice to see such a lovely petal.”

Now Aria felt anger at the girl and betrayal toward the knight she had trusted. Her clenched fist tightened even more. Although she hadn’t channeled any aura into it, a punch from her would certainly knock out a tooth or two.

“My lady, if you don’t mind, could you turn your cheek toward me? I’m really sorry, but I need to check something.”

“Oh, is there something else on my face?”

The girl, not suspecting anything, offered her cheek.

At this point, Aria’s anger and sense of betrayal had reached their peak. Her fist…

Crack

The fist shot out with a sharp sound. Judging by the noise, it might have fractured the nose or cheekbone, possibly even breaking the jaw and knocking out some teeth.

But no—it wasn’t Aria who had thrown the punch.

“It’s just easier to hit this way.”

Leo’s fist had indeed collided with the girl’s face.

Except, calling her a “lady” was no longer appropriate.

The skin on her face began to melt like clay, revealing the rough, stubbly features of a small man underneath.

“Damn it, I was hoping I was wrong.”

Leo muttered quietly, glaring at the train robber who had been disguised as a young girl.