The Returnee Wants Peace

A faint displeasure could be read in Froy’s voice.

However, what she felt first was the fishy smell of blood. Originating from his injury, the wound area had been gradually expanding over the past three days, and the smell of blood was also intensifying.

‘Cassis is subtly moving away, so it must be hard to bear. I’m still okay though.’

Although she was doing physical training, Rosha’s senses were still a bit duller than those of an average person.

Of course, Nox was quite different. Even though there was quite a distance, he seemed to have smelled the blood, as his voice became serious.

“…The smell of blood. You told me not to kill, and yet.”

Moreover, he seemed to have a strange misunderstanding.

Clop, Nox jumped down from the horse and lightly stamped his feet a few times. Then, without even looking at the knights surrounding him, he leapt up—

“Oh!”

“Ah, young lady! It’s dangerous!”

He arrived at the 3rd floor terrace where Rosha was in one breath. It was a harmony of agile physique and appropriate magic.

The Aper knights who had been wary of him gaped at his tremendous jumping power.

However, Cassis and Froy, who were beside Rosha, didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Where do you think—!”

Clang!

Cassis quickly struck the terrace railing with his sword, still in its scabbard, which he had drawn from his waist. He had claimed the spot where Nox was about to land first.

Noticing this, Nox twisted his body in mid-air, trying to place his feet a little away from him.

But Froy was there.

“That won’t do.”

As he flicked his finger, a transparent barrier appeared around the terrace, blocking external access. At this, Nox’s aura sharpened even more, and his magical power rose violently.

However.

“…”

Nox glanced at Rosha and used all that magical power to keep his body afloat in the air. It was impossible to shake off the feeling that he was watching for her reaction.

“You saw too, right? I didn’t make any attacks.”

“…Yes.”

“But the man standing next to you is a murderer. How many people must he have killed for the smell of blood to be so deeply ingrained?”

“…”

“Moreover, he seems quite uncomfortable. Wouldn’t I be a better friend for you than that fellow?”

It was quite logical. However, he didn’t seem to know that Froy had been affected by someone’s ability.

Froy, who had suddenly become a murderer, muttered softly:

“This is starting to become unpleasant.”

“Me too. Where did such a thing get attached?”

Cassis agreed as well. He had already drawn his sword about 2 centimeters out of its scabbard.

“…”

Nox seemed to be conflicting over whether to fight or not.

But soon, as if thinking it was okay to kill a murderer, he began to draw up his mana with all his might.

It was truly a powder keg situation.

At that moment, Rosha, who had raised her hand to signal the knights below not to come, spoke firmly:

“Don’t fight. If you fight… I won’t see you again, friend or not.”

It was a forceful statement as she couldn’t explain about Froy’s blood smell. However, she felt certain that speaking like this would be most effective.

“…Alright.”

As she expected, Nox stopped abruptly.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he neatly tidied up his mana. Though his face couldn’t be seen because of the iron mask, he seemed quite dejected.

‘Is it because it’s the early stages? He listens very well.’

However, it was unpredictable when he might suddenly change. Someone like Nox needed to be managed preemptively to prevent him from becoming twisted and potentially meeting as an enemy later.

In the end, this was the only way.

“Froy. Can you lift the ability blocking the terrace for a moment?”

“…Are you serious? He’s a dangerous person who might do anything unpredictable.”

“I know. But it’ll be okay this time.”

Froy seemed to have grasped Nox’s tendencies even from their brief encounter, as he showed displeasure but didn’t outright refuse her request.

Soon, the transparent barrier blocking the terrace was lifted.

Rosha approached Nox, who was crouching on the railing, as if she had been waiting for this.

‘It’s not difficult to praise him.’

Blue eyes resembling the Emperor’s looked at her with expectation. Rosha silently stroked the silver hair falling over the iron mask.

“You did well. Fighting recklessly or killing people is wrong behavior.”

She swallowed the words ‘depending on the situation’ that she was about to add.

Although they were talking like this now, Nox was a knight loyal to the Emperor. It would be better to weaken his fighting power if possible.

“…Yes.”

“Now go.”

“…”

“I said go.”

As Rosha stepped back, Nox reflexively reached out his hand. Of course, it was blocked by Froy’s ability.

“My indulgence ends here, Emperor’s knight.”

Froy, who had pulled Rosha’s hand towards him, spoke coldly.

One of the two Dukes of the Empire. Duke Echerzen.

He was one of the people the Emperor considered a thorn in his side, but because of what Rosha had just said, he couldn’t attack recklessly. Nox glared at the air and Froy for a while.

Just then.

“Sir Nox, what are you doing here? You should hurry to His Majesty. Stop causing trouble at someone else’s mansion.”

It was Count Nigel.

Having heard the news, he had come to the bottom of the mansion after asking permission from the knights, and called out with his hands clasped.

Fortunately, Rosha and Froy had quickly gone inside, so they weren’t visible from that angle.

“…Then I’ll see you next time.”

Nox, who had been looking at Rosha for a moment, suddenly dropped down from the terrace. Soon after, Count Nigel’s voice could be heard lightly scolding him.

“Really, straying from the procession midway. Does this make any sense? Answer me if you have a mouth.”

“…”

“It seems you have nothing to say even if you had ten mouths. Anyway, I sincerely apologize to all of you who had to face such a situation suddenly in broad daylight. Sir Nox usually keeps to himself quietly without saying much, so I was quite surprised when I heard the news.”

He smoothly settled the matter, saying that Sir Nox seemed to have greatly wanted to see Lady Roshanak.

Normally, Cedric would have come out and questioned him thoroughly, but he was known to be sick publicly.

Count Nigel seemed to know this too, as he asked a nearby knight to deliver an invitation with a faint smile on his lips.

‘An invitation? Could it be…’

Rosha leaned against the terrace wall and glanced down. Just in time, she could see the seal stamped on the invitation.

It was the Emperor’s seal.

* * *

Naturally, the invitation contained an invitation for Rosha to the Imperial Palace. It was clear that he intended to question her about returning with the conquest party unharmed.

The problem was that she wasn’t the only one invited.

“Following Cedric and Cassis, even you, the head of the family – inviting all members of House Aper. This clearly looks like a string of hostages, what do you think?”

“Hostages? Cedric and Cassis are children who do their fair share. If anything, I’m the only hostage.”

“Aih, and you’re bragging about that? You should have learned some magic.”

Duke Feriel, who had been waiting on the first floor of the mansion, chided him.

Even so, he was thoroughly defeated by grandfather’s words that he didn’t have even a speck of magical talent.

“…Haah.”

Grandfather, who had dressed neatly for once, soon let out a small sigh. He must have had very mixed feelings coming up from the domain to the capital after receiving the Emperor’s invitation.

Although he didn’t say in detail, he had stated that the Emperor would be harboring resentment over the conquest party matter.

“Safety first, safety second. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go now, children.”

A large carriage sent from the Imperial Palace had been waiting for a while.

The first thing Rosha did after settling into the spacious carriage that could fit ten people was to take out two birds from her pocket and place them on the windowsill.

A white parrot with yellow crest feathers and a black bird that looked similar to an owl. The black bird even had a slight purple sheen in the sunlight, but its belly was pure white.

Cassis, sitting next to her, looked at them curiously and asked:

“I know Koko, but it’s the first time I’ve seen that black fuzzball? Is it a bird like Koko too?”

By ‘a bird like Koko,’ he probably meant a bird that could use magic and speak but had no manners.

Rosha quietly shook her head.

“No, it’s just an ordinary bird.”

“Really? Let me see. This one seems a bit more docile.”

“It… probably won’t like that.”

Cassis reached out his hand, but the black bird slowly retreated as if it didn’t want to be touched, then quickly turned its head away.

At this point, everyone would know that it’s not an ordinary bird.

To tell this story, we need to go back to the day before.