Richmond’s Parents
Richmond listened to Olgen’s story and was silent for a while.
Perhaps he was having trouble sorting out his feelings.
What I had been wondering about when Olgen spoke was Richmond’s mother.
“Olgen, what do you mean your mother was tied up to that place?”
“Mhm… I don’t understand it either. Mother is still bound to there, and Father is sleeping with her to protect her.”
“So your parents are still alive?”
“They are alive, but it’s no different from being dead, you know?”
Pardon me?
“Richmond created a country, so the settlement was gone, but our Mother went to sleep, because she was still bound to the land over there, and our Father followed her. And since there is no sign of their awakening, they are as good as dead, aren’t they?”
“No, it can’t be the same, right? Rather, what do you mean by sleep? Do dragons ever go into a long sleep, like hibernation?”
“No, we don’t.”
“Then why did your parents go to sleep?”
“I’m telling you, it’s because she’s tied up to that place and can’t leave.”
“They went to sleep because they can’t move while being bound there?”
I don’t understand what Olgen is talking about.
Richmond has been thinking about something for a while now, and he was still holding my hand and not moving…
I guess he’s confused…
“I don’t know why Mother is bound to the land there, and I don’t know why she had fallen asleep. Of course, I have tried everything with Father to free her, but to no avail.”
Olgen seemed to really have no idea, and he popped a bun into his mouth with his eyebrows arched in a confused frown.
“Yummy!” He said as he threw one bun after another into his mouth. Come to think of it, he did say that he was hungry.
“I’ll make you some Udon when we get back to the village.”
“Right! Udon!! Let’s quickly go back Richmond, I wanna eat this Udon in Kanade’s village as asoon as possible.”
“Now, now, we have not solved the problem of Rosso stealing your power yet, Olgen.”
“I’m feeling good now that I have eaten this, so it’s fine!”
That’s because the power of the House Summoning restores the magic power if you eat the food from here.
However, it doesn’t solve the fundamental problem.
If, hypothetically, Olgen’s power was being sucked up by Rosso, then Rosso would still be sucking up his now restored magic power, right?
That means that if Olgen were to continue eating the food here, Rosso wouldn’t lose his magic power forever…
“It’s not fine at all!! We have to do something about him, we don’t know what Rosso is planning.”
“Even if you tell me that… gh, cough! Cough.”
Suddenly, Olgen coughed.
He had a chestnut bun in his hands. It must have taken all the moisture out of his mouth.
“Cough, the hell is this!? My mouth suddenly got dry!? Cough.”
“Chestnut buns are that kind of food. Eat it with a cup of tea.”
“Say that earlier!”
It was during this exchange with Olgen that Richmond stood up and looked down at Olgen.
“Ri, Richmond…? Do, do you perhaps want to eat this!?”
He held up the chestnut bun he was about to eat to Richmond, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want it.
“Richmond…?”
When I called out to Richmond, who was acting differently than usual, he called me “Kanade” and I answered “Yes!” in a loud voice.
“Kanade, you are my mate.”
“Eh?”
I was pulled by the hand and found myself in Richmond’s arms, looking up at his face in a daze, not knowing what had just happened.
“When talking to me, you speak politely, but when talking to the Wicke… to Olgen… you seem quite close.”
“Eh?”
“Hm? Kanade certainly talks causually with me. It’s as Richmond said, respect me more!”
“Richmond didn’t say that, okay!?”
When I interjected at Olgen’s words, the strength of Richmond’s arms around me became a little stronger.
“Olgen. Didn’t I just say that Kanade is my mate? Don’t get too familiar with her.”
“!? I, I got scolded by Richmond…”
“Eh!? Richmond is angry!?”
That Richmond who is kind to everyone?
“Kanade, even someone like me would get angry at those who are flirting with my mate.”
Richmond’s eyebrows furrowed, as if he couldn’t hold his anger.
“Flirting with Kanade!? That’s impossible! Just look at her face!”
“Hey!! What do you mean by that!? Alright, no Udon for you!!”
“What!?”
Richmond was laughing at our ridiculous exchange, and the mood between us had relaxed, as if it were a lie that he and Olgen had been hostile.
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(This is… outside…? Why… can’t I enter—… a barrier? This great me… rejected by a barrier like this…? This must be that lass’ doing…)