＜Infinite Dendrogram＞

□ Count Calcheratan residence and study

Behind the Countess of Culturatan's mansion, Azrite and the Countess were discussing it in the Countess's study.

"So we're going to explore that monument."

"Yeah. I want to find out what that facility is for as soon as possible"

Materials given by the Countess. That's what Azrite said as she glanced over the information she had obtained so far since the < ruins > were found three days ago.

"There's not much exploration going on in the hall with a new crystal."

"Yes. They have a lot of monsters ahead of them from there. Something about a mechanical monster."

"I wonder if it's the kind of [golem] that is often deployed to. What's your name?"

Typically, the name appears above the monster's head.

That's how this world works, and that's why Azrite also asked......

"That's what they say the name falls apart..."

When Azrite scrolled through the material questionably, it did contain information that a machine named [Little Goblin] or [Tealwolf] had emerged.

Also, when I defeated him, he stayed there without disappearing.

"I wonder what that means... Or maybe it has something to do with the formation of < ruins >. I'll look into it, including that."

"Yeah,... thank you"

"You don't have to thank me, you don't have to bow your head. I just do what I have to do. I am the one who wants help to save the kingdom from the danger of a resumption of war with the Empire."

I caught a glimpse of Azrite's determination, arguably just as sad in the eyes behind the mask, to say so.

"Then again, to the < master > people..."

"I'm not going to use them for war, Countess."

"But if you're with me,"

"He hh!... he's only asking you to cooperate with the investigation. War is... another story."

Azrite, who roughed up his voice for only a moment and quickly calmed down, said so as he shifted his gaze to the dossier to delude somewhere.

"Really?"

The Countess looked kindly at such azurites somewhere.

"But you trust him."

"Chi, no! It's not trust!

Azrite dyes her cheeks slightly visible from under the mask to deny the Countess's words.

Then she said this, whispering unknowingly herself.

"It's just... he owes me a lot. So I accepted his proposal for cooperation. …… that's all."

The Countess was smiling and watching Azrite say so blushing.

◇ ◇ ◇

□ [Saint Knight] Ray Sterling

Mr. Berdolbel's performance continues, greatly delighting the children.

Still, I really have a lot of kids.

"Today is a tea party day once a month, inviting children from two orphanages in the city," according to a servant.

If you look at it, the number of children exceeds fifty.

"Are there many orphans?

"Yep... especially many children in situations where they lost their fathers in earlier wars and their mothers also mourned them for some reason"

... I see, war here too.

The owners of the lefties and Shirley's father, who we talked about yesterday, also participated in the war as militiamen. Aside from the knights, the damage seems to be enormous.

"Are there indoors, too?"

Apparently the venue of the Tea Party is not only a garden, but also a hall connected by a garden and a single door.

Tables, chairs and sofas are available indoors, and children who seem tired in the sun are cooling inside.

I went inside because I was a little concerned about the interior of the hall.

Flowers are also used indoors in luxurious ceramic vases, making the interior calm and gorgeous.

The hall walls are lined with portraits.

Probably chronologically arranged the contemporaries of history, but there was the particular power and intimidation of the portrait, and some of the children looked at it with horror.

The portrait at the far end of the line, possibly the newest, was not as interesting as the others.

Three figures are depicted, not one of the masters.

It's a young man who seems to be in his twenties and thirties and a woman who looks a little younger than that, and then a baby with a woman in her arms.

A good look at the woman's face was the face of the Countess, though young.

"What about this portrait?

"About thirty years ago, this is a portrait of Master Zelmina at a young age. … it is the husband and young lady who are drawn together"

Asking a servant in the hall returned such an answer.

Zelmina, that would be the name of the Countess.

It just felt like something heavy was caught in the voice of that response.

"Is something wrong?

"... Shortly after this portrait was painted, my husband and young lady passed away"

"It's..."

"Excuse me. Anything more about your two deaths..."

"No, I'm sorry I didn't hesitate to ask you this,"

Apparently, Countess Calcellatan is the person who has cut this earthly realm by herself after the death of her husband and child.

"It's because of those circumstances that I'm burning to take care of an orphan."

"Maybe..."

Or maybe there's some reason why we've been gardening gardens and cities for over thirty years.

Then a few minutes later, Azrite and the Countess showed up in the hall.

The children, who have noticed the Countess, are rushing over, thanking her mouth, smiling and talking.

I also found out beside him that he must be loved so much.

◇

Then a tea party with the Countess was held with me and Nemesis, too, on the grounds that they were "collaborators of Azrite".

The place was a balcony upstairs with a view of the garden, where it was still decorated with grass flowers.

From the garden you can hear Mr. Berdolbel playing.

Every time I finish the song, I get requests from the kids, and I know very well that they really seem to enjoy playing it.

It was just indescribable that animated songs and famous movie BGMs were starting to mix up in the playing songs step by step.

The Tea Party, which the Countess also shared, began with Azrite being thanked for cooperating, and the main thing was to be given information on the internal structure that was coming up from the Explorer of the.

However, there was also a paragraph in those stories, and Nemesis asked questions around the beginning of the public discourse.

"Why are you inviting the orphanage kids to the garden tea party?

You wanted to know the answer to the question you had in the hall. The Countess answered that question without one disgusting face.

"Inviting children is to distract me from my own loneliness. I also had a son named Emilio. But while I was lying down, a monster attacked me on an outing with my husband..."

…………

"Emilio is gone before he can run around like those kids... just look at the healthy kids and my heart will heal"

The Countess looked at the children in the garden with tender eyes.

"Besides, this garden is the same. My husband used to garden in his hobby beside working as a diplomat in the kingdom. Surrounded by grasshoppers, you can remember that guy. The tree in the middle of the garden was replanted when he was alive."

The Countess said inviting the children and keeping the garden were all to distract the loneliness of losing their families.

That's sad, but I don't think I can do it either.

I was just looking into the Countess's eyes looking at the children in the garden and realizing that there was one.

"... odd-eyed?

Left and right eye shades slightly different.

The Countess had blue eyes on her right and green odd eyes on her left.

You noticed my whining, the Countess faintly laughed and said:

"These eyes are commonly found in the Count Calcellatan family. So did my son."

"Really?"

"Yeah.... actually, that's why I invite travelers to tea parties"

"Odd Eye, why invite?

What does that mean?

"My husband and Emilio were attacked by monsters......, my husband's body was not found Emilio's body when he returned. It was a baby, so maybe it didn't stay. But maybe someone helped me and I live somewhere...... I still have those thoughts."

…………

"So he's asking the traveler," Did you see a young man with eyes like mine somewhere? "... Thirty years ago, I've given up half of it."

That's what the Countess said, laughing like tired.

To such Countess,

"... it may be unlikely, but if it's not zero, I think we should continue"

That's what I said.

"If you give up unconvincing, … I think it will be a remorse that goes on until more later"

That's just a statement of what I think.

It may not have been a good word for me to say that I just met him today.

But I don't mind if they think it's a tip-off.

If I gave up, I thought that would be the Countess's regret... because I meant it.

"... right. Yeah, you're right. My mother, I can't give up on her alive."

It's just that the Countess seemed to affirm my words.

"Thank you, Mr. Sterling. Really, you're right."

"No......"

Along with answering that, I was slightly curious about "rumors... what rumors".

Hopefully it's not a bad review like a feminized senior.

"That's right, Mr. Sterling. Haven't you seen someone with these eyes somewhere? I think it's over thirty now..."

"Right, I wish I'd seen it, but the Countess is the first person I've met with Oddeye in Tian..."

Then you're pretty much there, Oddeye.

Because, like Juliette, there are people who stick it out and turn it into an odd-eye when making out.

But having seen the Countess's eyes in Tian,... is that it?

Speaking of which, the color of your right eye is similar.

"If it's about my eyes, naturally. Because my mother has the blood of the Count Calcellatan family."

That's what Azrite replied to my whine.

"Oh, I see"

And indeed Azrite's eyes (...) are very similar to the Countess's.

However, the color of that guy's (...) eyes looked exactly the same.

"... but you're not"

He had blue eyes.

◇

Then we left the Count's mansion for the Tea Party.

"... thanks, Ray"

Leaving the Count's mansion, Azrite said so.

"What's the sudden matter?

"It's about the Countess. After thirty years of searching, I couldn't find my son, and he seemed pretty tired. But you pushed your back from the bottom of your heart, so you'd feel a little better."

Oh, you mean that.

"I just said what I thought, and I'm not thankful."

"Mm-hmm. Ray talks too much about what he thinks. The basket in the bathroom last night..."

I seal Nemesis's mouth trying to run the story after he woke up from yesterday's [stun].

I don't want you to dig that up because I was embarrassed later because I said too much what I thought.

"Well, fine. Anyway, we're finally next, right?

"Yep. Let's head on over,...?

Soon after he starts walking to a mountain, Azrite stops like he realizes something.

I was followed, too, and when I looked ahead of Azrite's gaze, there was someone there I knew.

"Dr. Mario...?

There stood the archaeologist Dr. Mario.

Over the fence surrounding the Count's residence, he seemed to be looking at the garden.

The act of peeking into a garden with a large number of children can be suspicious together.

But I could see how he looked at the garden... even over a thick lens with no eyes in sight, with deep thoughts.

It's as if, yes, you're trying to remember something.

"... oh, Ray, with you, not your daughter Sun, Masenker"

Ever, you notice me, Dr. Mario talks to me.

"Ooh, who's your black, little lady Sun, Death?

"Oh, it's my nemesis."

"Uh-huh. But what a frigid way to talk, my lord"

"Well said, Mars! Ha-ha-ha."

Dr. Mario is just like last night, a cheerful way to talk intonation like an inch foreigner.

But why not?

I feel somewhere different from yesterday.

"You, why were you stealing a look at the garden?

And, in some thorny stuffing, Azrite asked.

In contrast, Dr. Mario apologized as he bowed his head.

"Sumi Masain. It was a stunning garden, so I was distracted, Masita. Manners violated, sorry Death......"

"... yes. If you keep taking a peek, the Constitution will catch you."

"Ooh, that's scary Death. Let me walk away immediately, Mars."

That's what Dr. Mario says. Turn your back on the garden and walk out.

Azrite stares at its back.

But I...

"Does Dr. Mario know the Countess?

On Dr. Mario's back, he was throwing words like that.

Nemesis and Azrite look surprised at my questioning.

I don't know exactly why I said that word myself.

If you insist, what you heard at the tea party at the Countess earlier and what I saw last night (...) is what caused it?

My question may not make sense to Mario.

But Mario stopped his leg...... after a little silence.

"No. I'm sure it doesn't matter"

That's what I said, he left.

Something I could only see a little inside the lens when I left

Exhausted eyes as well as yesterday and... those eyes.

That was a very similar blue color to the Countess' right eye.

To be continued