Chapter 401: Off to the Eastern Lands

Fabienne looks at me with a sticky smile. I feel as if I can see the flames of jealousy behind her. No, that’s not true!

“Fabienne? Uh, this isn’t a trip for fun, you know?”

“Of course, I understand. The epidemic has already subsided, and I know there’s no urgent need to make magic potions.”

“Then why?”

I’m trying my best to smile, but my hand still hurts from her grip. My smile is probably stiff right now. Since no one is stopping Fabienne, it seems like they’ve decided to hear her out first.

Even if the area has been pacified, it’s still a place where a monster outbreak happened. What does she plan to do if something happens?

“The eastern lands are lacking in magic potions, aren’t they? If that’s the case, then the more potion makers, the better. I can also make magic potions by your side, Julius-sama.”

Ugh, the intensity of Fabienne’s gaze is overwhelming. She’s serious about coming along. I glanced at my father for help, but he closed his eyes and folded his arms in thought.

That’s a no-go. My mother… she looks troubled, but her lips are curved into a small smile. She looks like she’s enjoying this, as if she’s watching something heartwarming. Alex-niisan has the same expression.

“First, let’s consult with Baron Amber. If he grants permission, then Fabienne can accompany you. Is that acceptable, Julius?”

“Understood.”

If my father has decided, I won’t object any further. Fabienne herself wants to go, and honestly, I also want to respect her wishes. Most importantly, I don’t want Fabienne to hate me.

“Fabienne, if you come with us to the eastern lands, you must stay by my side at all times. If you’re close, I’ll protect you.”

“Y-Yes, I understand.”

My future wife, the cutest in the world, blushed and looked down in embarrassment. That should settle things with her. Now for Mira. I turned to look at Mira, and as soon as our eyes met, she jumped at me.

“Mira, you’ll stay behind with Rosalia.”

“Kyuu!”

Whoa, she’s clinging to me tighter than ever! Even her claws are digging in! What do I do? Fabienne and Rosalia tried to soothe her, but she refused to listen. She really doesn’t want to be separated from me.

I already confirmed back in the royal capital that I can transfer magic power to Mira even from a distance. If something had happened, she would have flown back to me immediately. But there were no reports of any disturbances from the Heine Household.

So, even if I go to the eastern lands, it shouldn’t affect Mira in any way. But seeing her so desperate broke my heart. She must have felt lonely, even if she didn’t show it. I patted her head once and turned to my father.

“I’ve decided to take Mira with me this time. We don’t know how long the restoration work in the eastern lands will take.”

“In that case, I’ll go too!”

Rosalia raised her hand. My father, mother, and Alex-niisan all frowned. They clearly don’t intend to let her go. When they asked me, they had neutral expressions, but now they’re looking quite strict. Are they secretly happy to have a troublemaker out of the house?

“That makes sense. Last time, when Julius was in the capital, Mira sometimes looked lonely. Take her with you. However, Rosalia, you cannot go.”

“Why not?!”

Rosalia protested loudly, but our parents didn’t budge an inch. Of course, they care about her, but whether she understands that is another question.

Besides, having Rosalia join our group wouldn’t be practical. The main focus of this mission is magic potions.

On top of that, we’d need more guards, increasing the burden on the Mulan Marquisate. No matter how I look at it, it’s impossible. Mira, on the other hand, can just stay by my side. I can completely delegate her care to myself.

One thing or another happened, but preparations to head east were progressing rapidly. In the meantime, we received an “OK” from the Amber Baron family. They asked me to take good care of Fabienne.

Is this really fine? Even though we’re engaged, an unmarried man and woman will be spending time under the same roof, you know? Well, I suppose this just means they trust me that much. Besides, we’re still children. They probably assume nothing will happen.

Fabienne and I are also making preparations. We made as many beginner and intermediate healing potions as possible to ensure that things would be fine even in our absence for a while. The magic potions we had been supplying to the trading company have been put on hold until we return.

It’s a blow to the trading company, but Alex-niisan seems to have accepted it as an unavoidable situation. He put up a sign at the store explaining the reason for the suspension so that customers would understand.

Finally, the preparations were complete. I made sure to tell Mira not to leave my side. Thanks to that, she now sticks with me in the bath, in bed, and even in the restroom. …I have some mixed feelings about this, but I’ll just have to deal with it.

The vehicle prepared for us was a covered wagon used by the knight order. Naturally, it was water-repellent. Noble carriages are fine within city limits, but they’re unsuitable for rough roads. Covered wagons, which are less prone to breakdowns and easier to repair if they do break, are the best choice for travel.

“Take care on your journey.”

“Yes. As a member of the Heine Count’s family, I will fulfill my duty properly.”

“Good. Lionel, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, sir! Leave it to me!”

Lionel saluted sharply. Fabienne, dressed as a traveler, looked tense. Wanting to reassure her, I, also dressed as a traveler, took her hand. Seeing this, Fabienne spoke to me in a small voice.

“Julius-sama, you seem quite used to this attire. It doesn’t look out of place on you at all.”

“Right? I was just thinking that this suits me better, too.”

We chuckled together. Rosalia, who had been sulking the whole time, finally accepted the situation when I promised to share plenty of stories from our journey once we returned. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing. I had also entrusted her with overseeing the greenhouse currently under construction and asked her to prepare the necessary magic tools in advance if needed.

Rosalia seemed enthusiastic. She pounded her chest confidently, saying, “Leave it to me!” With that, I was sure things would be fine.

Waving both hands at our family, we set off for the eastern lands.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter