Farewell (8)

Amidst the sounds of groaning all around, Leonardo lowered his sword and stepped down from the platform. The knights, who specialized in close combat, withdrew, and those with ranged weapons lined up in front.

Raul, who had been crouching like a thug, swiftly stood up and took his place.

"Now, I'll take over from here. Spearmen, forward!"

The troops with polearms were focused on synchronization, so unlike Leonardo's trial, which had been conducted like extreme endurance training, they prioritized following orders to form ranks at the right time. Raul didn't even raise his voice, yet his command was clearly heard, reaching far.

"Shields up!"

The spearmen, arranged in a circle, raised their shields to form a wall. Then, with a single synchronized movement, they bent their knees and braced themselves firmly. They looked like a porcupine with long, sharp quills.

"Prepare to fire!"

Within this human barricade, there were those who specialized in long-range attacks. That's where I belong as well. As the spearmen shifted slightly to create a clear line of sight for the sharpshooters, I saw something.

Leonardo, holding a large shield filled with fabric and covered in brass on the outside.

"Aim for the moving target."

…The moving target was Leonardo? This is insubordination!

And then, Leonardo stomped the ground like a buffalo.

"Fire!"

Whoosh!

Dozens of bolts shot from the crossbows and landed heavily in the dirt floor of the training ground. It was a fierce scene, but surprisingly, only a few arrows actually hit. The other knights, who hadn't anticipated that Leonardo was the moving target, were thrown off and missed the timing.

Raul, after confirming that the shields in his team were properly painted with colours, scolded the teams that were slow.

"Red team, your response time is too slow! Blue team, get your timing in sync with your neighbour!"

And as for my arrow…

Ah, there it is. The yellow ribbon tied at the end to mark it. Since it was a test, each person tied a colorful ribbon to the end of their arrow to distinguish it and wrote their name on it.

I was in the yellow team, so it's the yellow ribbon. And I had written "Isaac" in large letters.

Fortunately, the shield was hit properly and the arrow sank quite deeply into it.

"Are you planning to hesitate even if a monster charges at you in real combat? Reload!"

Raul shouted, raising his voice.

"Fire!"

…And so, the subtle act of insubordination, using Leonardo as the target, continued until every arrow had been fired. 

Leonardo, his shield now covered in arrows like a porcupine's back, had the knights separate the arrows by colour. Suddenly, his gaze stopped in front of one bundle of arrows. He quickly lifted his head, looking around, and our eyes met directly.

'Busted.'

I gave a slight smirk and lifted my helmet just enough. Leonardo's face went from bright to pale, changing colours rapidly. While the knights were busy, I subtly slipped back, and Leonardo closed the distance in a few quick steps.

"Isaac, did you take the test too?"

"Yeah. Just in case any unnecessary words come up, I needed to make sure I did my part to get into the hunting squad."

"You're still injured, though. Your neck hasn't fully healed, right? You didn't breathe in any dust, did you? And your fingers…"

As Leonardo fidgeted nervously in front of me, I did a few light jumps on the spot to prove that I was fine, and the results were announced.

"The yellow team has the most arrows!"

"If you add these up… the yellow team has the highest score. Congratulations!"

Excited, I put my helmet back on and gave high-fives with the members of my team, syncing perfectly. The knights, beaming with smiles, clapped their hands repeatedly. It seemed like everyone was in high spirits.

While the enthusiastic rookie knights gathered around to tease the others with the lowest scores, Leonardo circled back, looking around without a word. Watching him hesitating silently, I couldn't help but chuckle and raised my hands.

"Did I do well?"

Leonardo, with a slightly brighter expression, gave me a high-five. It was a cheerful gesture.

"Did you practice alone? I could have helped you, you know."

Just as I was about to make a vague excuse, the sound of a loud "Ha!" interrupted me.

"I knew I had teaching skills!"

Raul, holding the bundle of arrows marked with my name and puffing out his chest, ruined my moment. Leonardo immediately focused his gaze on Raul.

…Raul is usually quick on the uptake, but sometimes he can be a complete fool.

You told me to keep it a secret, so why are you the one bringing it up?

"Ah, I see… just the two of you…"

For some reason, Leonardo muttering in a low voice made me uneasy. I quickly added, hoping to prevent him from thinking we had left him out.

"Vittorio was with us too! We just wanted to surprise you!"

"Without me, just the three of you…"

Oh no.

In the end, to calm Leonardo down, we all shared some candied plums together with Vittorio. It seemed food was the way to solve things.

'Pig hippo…'

「What does 'pig hippo' mean?"」

"Nothing at all!"

"?"

***

Finally, the preparations for the hunt were complete.

The knights were reassigned, and the carts were loaded with provisions, blankets, and sleeping bags, stacked neatly one on top of the other. The horses, ready for the long journey, had new horseshoes affixed. The scent of fresh hay and earth filled the air as the iron-clad hooves hit the ground.

And then, the king's messenger arrived.

With the approval of the various lords, the royal decree had been issued to officially begin the grand crusade in the leap year, with orders to gather at the Spine of the Dragon by a certain date. At least this time, the messenger had arrived on time.

"I wonder if it'll be winter by the time we reach the Vernis Mountain Range," Ferdinand muttered as he looked up at the sky.

"I was going to say that if you wanted, I could look after Isaac and the child, Leonardo… but I guess you're going with them, right?"

Leonardo nodded. Ferdinand, softening his tone, added,

"Well, I figured as much. You seemed truly comfortable when you were together. I wish you good luck, Leonardo."

With a big brother's smile, Ferdinand patted Leonardo's shoulder and left. He was heading towards Vittorio, who was teaching how to scale fish, and the noblewomen Celestina and Count Ertinez, who were his pupils.

Vittorio, now unexpectedly a cooking teacher, seemed to find the situation amusing, making a slightly awkward face as he demonstrated how to scrape fish scales off with the back of a knife for the nobles.

I glanced at that scene before asking Leonardo.

"How long do you think it will take to reach the Vernis Mountain Range?"

"Considering the size of the hunt, it'll take at least two weeks."

"That's a long time."

For someone from the modern world, two weeks felt like too much.

"Since we can't carry enough provisions for all those people for two weeks, we'll have to stop for resupply at least once. Long expeditions can take months, so this is about average."

"Ahem…"

Would there be another intermission once we leave El Dante?

Thinking of the previous intermission already made me feel uneasy. The intermission is the break between acts, and it seems to be when the writers' interference lessens, giving the characters more freedom. In those moments, even their free will seems heightened.

I just hope the journey is peaceful.

"Smoke's bad for your throat, so take a rest."

Leonardo, who had been standing guard in front of the hearth, subtly blocked my way with his body, shooing me out. Since I wasn't assigned any tasks anyway, I obediently stepped back. Meanwhile, the three Ertinez siblings, who had finished cleaning the fish, were having their work checked by Vittorio.

Count Ertinez, who had won the highest score, cleared his throat dramatically, trying to appear dignified. It was almost amusing… How did someone like him manage to live for seven years without his children? 

In the midst of the intermission for the fish cleaning contest, Celestina, who had come in second place, quietly approached me.

"Hey, Isaac. You're leaving tomorrow with Leonardo, right?"

"That's the plan, Lady Celestina. Thanks to you, I had a pleasant time in El Dante."

"I also had fun thanks to you."

Celestina smiled, her cheeks stretching from too much laughter, and playfully rubbed them.

"Anyway, there will be a ceremony to send off the hunting party tomorrow."

Ah, that. I'd seen a similar one when Ferdinand and Count Ertinez set off, so I knew what she meant. I nodded, and Celestina leaned in and whispered softly.

"Actually, there are some rules for aristocratic families when sending someone off. It's a matter of noble etiquette, you know."

"Oh dear. I'm not great with those things… Is there a fixed format?"

"Yes, yes!"

Celestina, skipping over the details, sparkled with excitement. Her energy was so overwhelming that I almost flinched. With her gloved hands tightly clenched and her posture brimming with enthusiasm, she continued explaining.

"Isaac, since you're close to Leonardo and you're not just sending him off, but actually going on the expedition together, the proper way to send him off is…"

Celestina leaned in and earnestly whispered the method to me. After hearing her explanation, I was left feeling a bit puzzled and had no choice but to ask.

"…Really?"

"Yes! That's how it's traditionally done between close people."

"I see. I didn't know that…"

"So, Isaac, make sure to do it for Leonardo. He'll love it."

"Mm."

I scratched my cheek, unsure about all this. This world, how should I say it, seems to have many aspects that are more open than what I'm used to.

"Since you've kindly taught me, I'll give it a try."

I nodded, and Celestina beamed with a bright smile, clearly happy that I was willing to give it a shot, before she stepped away. After Celestina left, the next to approach was Count Ertinez.

"Ahem."

He cleared his throat awkwardly, as if feeling a bit embarrassed, and then took something out from his chest and handed it to me.

"This is…"

It was a list.

"In the future, you'll likely meet many high-ranking nobles, and to know who to watch out for and how to handle them, this will be useful. Here's a copy for you to keep."

"Thank you. It must have been difficult to prepare a copy in just a few days."

But why did you entrust this to me instead of Leonardo?

"Leonardo's capable, but I thought you'd be better suited to handle this. You're much more clever than the second one."

Count Ertinez hesitated for a moment before whispering softly.

"Please take good care of Leonardo."

I was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond, and after a brief pause, I finally managed to reply.

"Yes, I'll do my best."

Whether it's the original Leonardo or the current one.

[ persona smiles quietly.]

The night before leaving El Dante was quietly passing by.