Homecoming

It had been five days since they left the Royal Capital.

The mood on the road was somewhat gloomy. Ruby was like a little mushroom wilted by frost, spending most of her time trudging silently at the front of the group, her red curls seemingly robbed of their usual luster. Whenever a monster was foolish enough to blunder into their path, she blasted it to bits with magic a good deal fiercer than usual, then marched on in a huff, leaving scorch marks in her wake.

Several times, Himmel tried to break the tension, only for Heiter to stop him with a look. Eisen remained silent as ever, though his gaze occasionally drifted to Ruby's tense back. Frieren and Lowell followed at a distance, enjoying a peace untouched by the mood.

"Human family relationships are so complicated," Frieren remarked flatly, looking at Ruby's back, from which resentment seemed almost ready to pour forth in tangible form. She was carefully unwrapping a piece of toffee she had bought at a Royal Capital sweet shop the day before, the wrapper rustling in her hands.

"Mm." Lowell glanced at the gradually changing scenery on either side of the road. The fields were becoming more orderly, and the distant mountains had softer contours. They had clearly entered the lands of some great noble. "We're almost there."

Sure enough, in the afternoon, a magnificent estate appeared at the far end of their view. White stone walls wound around it, and its wrought-iron gates were shut tight. A banner embroidered with an intricate unicorn crest hung above the gatehouse. The guards at the watch post spotted the party from afar, especially the familiar, awkward red figure at the front, and one of them immediately turned and raced inside to report their arrival.

The party stopped in front of the estate gates. Ruby came to a halt and glared at the closed iron gates, unconsciously grinding a pebble under her toe as though competing with it.

Before long, hurried footsteps came from inside the gates. The iron gates were yanked open with a creak.

A tall, middle-aged man in a dark purple velvet coat appeared in the gateway. His hair was impeccably combed, with traces of gray at his temples, and his stern features bore a faint resemblance to Ruby's around the eyes and brows. His chest rose and fell slightly, and his breathing seemed quicker than usual. The instant his sharp eyes fell on Ruby, they lit up involuntarily, flashing with a barely concealed mixture of surprise and delight.

But that light lasted only an instant.

Almost immediately, Grand Duke Grendel forcibly suppressed every outward sign of emotion. He quickly set his face and frowned, returning to his customary severity and dignity, as though that moment of feeling had been an illusion caused by the sunlight. He cleared his throat, and his deep voice took on a deliberately reproachful tone:

"Hmph. So you do remember to come home?"

Ruby had been a little nervous and at a loss, but his stiff tone immediately brought her stubbornness to the fore. She puffed out her little chest and lifted her chin high, trying to look as though she didn't care. Her voice came out somewhat shrill as she deliberately raised it.

"I was just passing by! You think I wanted to come back, you stinky old man?!"

"Is that any way to speak to your father?" A gentle but somewhat anxious female voice came from behind the grand duke. A woman in an elegant lake-blue gown hurried out. She was beautiful and bore a strong resemblance to Ruby; the years seemed to have been especially kind to her, adding only a touch of gentle grace. This was Ruby's mother, Lady Margaret. She first cast her husband a mildly reproachful glance, then hurried forward and swept Ruby into her arms, stroking her hair and back with loving concern. "My little Ruby, let Mother have a look at you... You've lost weight, and you're a little tanner, too. You must have had a hard time out there?"

Ruby struggled a little in her mother's arms, but she was far less defiant than she had been with her father, and her voice dropped to a muffled murmur. "No... I'm fine."

Lady Margaret studied her daughter closely, her eyes reddening a little. Only then did she seem to notice Himmel and the others behind Ruby. She quickly released her daughter and spoke graciously. "You must be my daughter's companions. Thank you for your efforts on the journey. Please, come in."

Her gaze lingered briefly on Frieren's pointed ears and on Himmel, with polite curiosity but even more gratitude toward those who had looked after her daughter. Her invitation was sincere and warm.

Dinner was arranged in the estate's ornate, somewhat empty dining hall. A snowy white cloth covered the long table, and silver candlesticks glowed warmly. The dishes were exquisite, and thanks to Lady Margaret's efforts to guide the conversation, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than it had been at the gate. She kept putting food on Ruby's plate and gently asking about what she had seen on her journey. She also deftly steered the conversation toward Himmel and the others' mission, expressing her respect and support for the hero's party.

Then a servant brought out a lava cake drizzled with hot chocolate sauce and garnished with nuts, placing it in front of Ruby—it had been her favorite dessert as a child.

Ruby paused as she cut into the cake.

Grendel wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin and spoke as if in passing, though his gaze rested on his daughter's lowered lashes. "The kitchen's new pastry chef used to be the head chef at the Moonlight Terrace in the Royal Capital... The flavor should be fairly authentic."

Without looking up, Ruby scooped out a spoonful of the cake's center, chocolate sauce flowing from it, and put it in her mouth. The rich sweetness and slight bitterness melted on her tongue. It was the taste she remembered. Her chewing slowed, and the anger on her face seemed to fade a little, but she still refused to give ground.

"...It's passable."

Grendel raised his wineglass and took a sip, saying nothing more. But the old butler standing nearby keenly noticed his master's fingers relax almost imperceptibly around the stem of the glass.

Lady Margaret smiled and said to Ruby, "We knew you might come back, so we had the kitchen prepare it especially. Your father kept mentioning it, saying he didn't know whether it would taste as good as it used to..."

Ruby glanced at her father and saw him cutting into a piece of steak, his eyes fixed straight ahead as though he hadn't heard. She murmured, "Thank you," then lowered her head and silently ate her cake.

After dinner, Grand Duke Grendel invited Himmel to his study. Lady Margaret took Ruby by the hand, saying she wanted to talk with her. Ruby hesitated, but followed her mother upstairs.

Frieren and Lowell were given a guest room. It was spacious and comfortable, with a view of a tranquil garden behind the estate.

Frieren stood by the window, looking at the carefully trimmed but somewhat stiff flower beds in the moonlight. Suddenly, she said, "It's different from that woman's garden."

"Mm." Lowell sat in an armchair by the fireplace, leafing through a gazetteer of the territory that he had picked at random from the room's bookshelf. "It's too neat. It lacks a little wild charm. Flamme was very good at that."

Just then, someone knocked softly on the door.

Lowell got up and opened it to find Ruby standing there, holding a heavy, thick book wrapped in dark blue velvet. It looked quite old. She still wore a somewhat reluctant expression, but a sly light flickered in her eyes.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat and looked past Lowell, straight at Frieren in the room. "Lady Frieren, may I bother you for a moment?"

Frieren turned, her green eyes resting calmly on her.

Ruby entered and carefully placed the book on the round table in the center of the room. She undid the velvet wrapping, revealing the ancient cover beneath. It bore no title, only an old staff outlined in intricate silver patterns. Even after all these years, the gem set in the staff's tip still shimmered faintly in the lamplight.

"This is..." Frieren's gaze fell on the image of the staff, and a fleeting, almost imperceptible ripple passed through her usually impassive eyes. She involuntarily took two steps forward.

Ruby caught Frieren's slight reaction. The corners of her mouth rose almost imperceptibly before she quickly suppressed them and spoke in as casual a tone as she could manage. "This is an old book from our family's collection... Supposedly, it's a manuscript left behind by a very ancient great mage. It seems to contain some... obscure magical principles and ancient magical script." As she spoke, she quietly watched Frieren's expression. "I heard that great mage was called... Flamme?"

The name "Flamme" was like a spell, bringing Frieren to a complete stop before the table. She reached out and brushed a finger lightly over the staff on the cover, her touch as gentle as if she were touching a butterfly's wing. On her face, usually so uninterested in everything, there now appeared a look of concentration and anticipation.

Ruby saw it and rejoiced inwardly, finally presenting the real bait. "The writing and symbols in this book are so old that there's a lot I can't understand... Lady Frieren, you're so knowledgeable. Would you like to... study it together?" She paused, then added as though she had just remembered, "I also have copies of some supposedly just as ancient magic scrolls in my room, collected from all over..."

Frieren looked up and, for the first time, truly focused on Ruby's face. Her gaze was no longer as indifferent as usual, but appraising, her keen interest piqued. She didn't answer at once, instead looking down at the magic book again, her long white lashes trembling slightly.

Several seconds passed before she spoke softly in her characteristic, even tone:

"...All right."

Lowell, standing by the door, witnessed the scene and quirked his lips helplessly, giving Ruby a you really know what you're doing look. He knew Frieren all too well. Her obsession with magic and ancient knowledge was one of her few weaknesses, especially anything connected to Flamme. She clearly wanted it, yet she had to play coy. You've really gotten devious, Frieren. Still, the girl Ruby had hit the bull's-eye precisely.

Ruby caught Lowell's look and pursed her lips in slight embarrassment, though she was more excited that her plan had succeeded. She hurriedly said to Frieren, "Then... shall we go to my room now? The books and scrolls are all there!"

Frieren nodded and followed Ruby, who picked up the book, toward the door with hardly a moment's hesitation. As far as she was concerned, the journey to defeat the Demon King could apparently make way for this magic book, suspected to be Flamme's manuscript, for the time being.

Lowell watched the two leave and shook his head gently. "I'm afraid it won't be so easy to leave now," he murmured to himself.

Outside, behind a warmly lit window in the estate's main building, Lady Margaret stood watching from afar as her delighted daughter led Frieren toward her tower. A gratified smile appeared on her face.