Episode 127

The next morning.

I woke up earlier than breakfast time and was walking around the manor.

Walking around again, I realized just how big this manor truly is.

Its layout is different from the Barnast estate, so it feels almost like I’m on an adventure.

When I was at the Barnast estate I could use the smithy from the morning, but there’s no workshop inside this manor.

Well, I can just think of it as resting up my energy for the next round of forging.

After walking for a while I found an area lined with trees.

They seem well tended; even to an amateur eye the trees look well cared for.

They’re lively, and just looking at them feels pleasant.

Some people say objects and tools are alive and others deny that idea, but I believe they are alive.

Because I’ve struck magic iron while conversing with Esrea Magic Ore, that belief has only grown stronger.

These trees lined up here are surely alive as well.

I have to give my all to smithing so I don’t fall behind the gardeners who keep this place up.

As I thought about that and enjoyed the scent of the trees while walking, I heard something like a voice.

I wondered who it was. Could it be a woman’s voice?

Mixed with the voice was the sound of something slicing through the air, as if being swung.

Curious, I headed toward the sound.

Among the dense trees there was an open space with benches and the like.

Maybe it was some kind of rest area.

There, a woman was just swinging a sword.

…Alicia.

Maybe she was airing out the place, or perhaps taking in the cool morning air.

From a window that happened to be open, I watched the outside.

Her movements were like a beautiful dance.

Come to think of it, I’d hardly ever seen Alicia moving like that.

From those movements alone it was clear she had learned swordsmanship as a noble.

There was no wasted motion in her movements.

…Indeed, with that she probably doesn’t need our worry.

She seemed strong enough to easily defeat most opponents.

After moving for a while, Alicia put her rapier-like thin sword back into its sheath and sighed.

Refy, who had been standing nearby, quietly emerged from among the trees and handed a towel to Alicia.

Alicia, who had been wiping sweat, suddenly looked up.

When her gaze turned this way, I heard a short surprised sound, like “Ah!”.

“Faik— Faik? W-were you watching?”

She spoke a bit loudly, but Alicia still looked embarrassed.

I don’t think there’s any particular reason for her embarrassment, but since she was swinging a sword in a relatively secluded spot in the backyard, maybe she didn’t want anyone to see.

“Ah, I was just taking a walk.”

“How long have you been watching?”

“Just now, I guess.”

When I said that, Refy cut in as if to confirm my words.

“Yes. As Faik said, it was just a little while ago.”

After that, Alicia let out a relieved sigh.

“Did something happen?”

“No… it’s just, it’s embarrassing to be seen like that, I guess.”

“Is that so…? But, how to put it, it was insanely beautiful…”

My compliment sounded kind of childish, or something like that.

Still, Alicia smiled happily.

“Really? I haven’t been moving much lately, so I need to ease back into it little by little for the dungeon.”

“Is that so. But you said you haven’t been exercising recently, yet to a layman’s eye you looked quite capable.”

“Really? Maybe because Refy trained me since I was little.”

I was a little surprised at Alicia’s smile as she said that.

“…Since you were little?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes. I’ve been her servant since Lady Alicia was small.”

I wondered how old Refy was now.

I was a bit curious, but would it be rude to point that out?

Servants can be trained from childhood, and if there’s about a ten-year gap between Refy and Alicia, it’s entirely possible.

“Faik, are you wondering about Refy’s age?”

Alicia asked with a wry smile.

Damn! Has it shown on my face?!

“W-well, it’s just—”

“Don’t worry about it. I have an Elf among my ancestors, so my lifespan is longer than most people’s. Well, I don’t have many physical traits, though.”

Refy placed a hand on her chest and spoke with a hint of pride.

Elves, huh.

Elves are famous for longevity.

For example, if there’s even a drop of Elf blood in one’s ancestry, it’s common for their lifespan to be longer than a typical human’s.

Also, Elves often have difficulty bearing children with other Elves, so they actively pair with humans.

Therefore, it’s highly possible that Elves mixed into our ancestry somewhere, and people’s average lifespans have lengthened considerably compared to the past.

“I see… so does that mean Refy already looked about the same as she does now when she was little?”

“No. I’ve grown alongside Lady Alicia since she was little. Lady Alicia is both my mistress and like a younger sister to me.”

…I see.

That might be why she makes rather forward remarks to Alicia at times.

“Even with Elf blood, there are few people you can tell just by appearance. You wouldn’t know until someone tells you.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Oh, but I have a friend whose ears are a bit pointed.”

“Oh? That’s rare.”

“She’s technically my brother’s fiancée, so you might meet her someday.”

“…Sir Rigard’s?”

“Yeah. But since my brother is like that, their relationship… isn’t very good.”

Alicia said that with a wry smile, and I could only return the same.

“I-I see.”

“I’ve seen my brother’s pathetic side often. And he’s got no delicacy, either.”

…Sir Rigard.

I could almost picture the exchanges between Sir Rigard and his unseen fiancée right in front of me.

I’m sure it’s probably the kind of dynamic Alicia has with Sir Rigard…