"I was attacked."
Few days after repulsing the attack by Father Fukumi and former Holguin. Aldis secretly traveled to the royal capital to meet Moore.
"Your mercenary is hurt?"
Moore speaks out after seeing Aldis's face showing still scars.
The church may have moved faster than Duke and Moore had expected. Despite being heretic, he would not have expected that he would use such a massive force.
The same goes for Aldis. He did not expect to send troops into the Caucasus forest until he would take the risk of his life.
"I admit that I was careless. It would be that kind of attack."
"No way to do that ..."
When Moore hears from Aldis how to fight monks who do not live on his own, Moore looks like a bite of a worm.
Aldis, on the other hand, is never calm.
The enemy that has been attacked has been successfully destroyed. However, as Father Fukumi last remembered, the Church announced that it was Aldis's abuse when it learned of the return of the subjugation squad. In addition, the priests and their followers went to persuade them to repent, not the troops, and they said that Aldis responded to the association with peaceful contact with slaughter.
It was clearly unrealistic, yet maliceful distortion.
But no one can point it out. No one, other than the parties involved, can testify, is no longer alive.
People who had been on hold until now have begun to blame all at once. Public opinion was trying to reject Aldis as a foreign body. In a blink of an eye, Aldis discovers the power of the Church and the foolishness of the people who are dancing with him, and utters one of his goals for Moore who may have a similar feeling.
"There is a student named Kirill at Mariures Academy. I want you to take care of it."
Aldis no longer had the option of staying in the Caucasus Forest. Given the influence of the church, no matter where you go, it will not be the same as before, but indeed you should leave the area around the Royal City. Shameful I'm sorry that I didn't make use of any experience I had left from Tria, but it would have been unavoidable if the safety of my twins was a priority.
The only concern is Cyril. Few people know the connection between Aldis and Cyril, but probably the church and the Marquis Holguin are informed. Perhaps it was transmitted to the prince of Tria.
If the Ardis and others disappeared, there was a danger that the breach would be directed to one student, Cyril. Aldis appreciated Cyril's power as such, but may not be able to defend himself from church pressure or the power of the aristocracy. It would be encouraging if Moore and the Duke of Nilesteria would be the backers.
"Where are you going?"
Asking Cyril for another person is equivalent to saying that Ardis himself is leaving the royal capital. Moore learns and asks where to go.
"go west"
Moore nodded with a convincing face, as if he had predicted Aldis's answer.
"Yes, that's the case no matter where you go, but it's certainly better to the west, because in some cities the goddess religion is thin."
The northern Republic of Bronshell, like the Kingdom of Nagras, has a strong wind hit against twins. In addition, there is a strong tendency to be male-female and feminine, making it not a comfortable country for Nere and twins.
The Armenian Empire, which borders in the southeast, is obviously the opponent of the previous war. Aldis, who has defeated many nobles on the battlefield, is an unbeatable enemy for them. If you do poorly, you may be able to drive Aldis out of the kingdom with more hostility.
The inevitable destination is the West City-State Union. The city-state union is, as the name implies, a close association of city-states. Each city has its own uniqueness, and some may be tolerant of twins.
I was worried about the extent to which the church's accreditation, which follows wherever I went, had a negative effect. There are not only people who hate unconditionally because of twins in the world. The eaves do not stand out because of the absolute existence of the goddess and the concerted pressure of the huge organization of the church.
There are people like Kiriha, an inn who took care of him in Tria, and Kirill, who yearn for his sister's twins. It would be bad to think too optimistic, but I wanted to think that everything was not an enemy.
"You'll never be behind anyone, but ..."
Moore is impatient to speak.
"As expected, it is difficult for a husband to reach out for support abroad."
"I'm not going to take care of that."
The duke's help would be of great help if it were in the kingdom, but it would not be as effective as the city-state alliance.
"……sorry"
"It's not something you care about. I asked for Minerva and Cyril."
Aldis replies to Moore, who seems apologetic.
"I'd like to leave it, but it's heavy to soothe the honest lady. Would you like to meet me once before leaving the Imperial City?"
The active Duke may be annoying the new guard commander who is usually in front of him. Aldis returns a rarely apologetic expression to Moore's begging words.
"Bad, but I really can't afford it. Nere and her twins are injured. I can't afford to come to the Imperial City and see you right now."
"I guess so ...
"I don't think it's bad for Minerva. I wasn't able to guide my sword magic in the end, and I couldn't get started with sword magic.
"Is that it? Isn't this something ... I'll tell you more?"
"It's probably Minerva who isn't very involved. It's better to keep your swordsmanship in your hands."
Moore sighs a little at Aldis's words.
"It's more of a story now, and even a young lady can't be convinced."
"... Don't tell Minerva that you've met me this way?"
"I can't say that I can take myself and make a noise."
Ardis smiled for a moment, wondering what it would be like to be a noble daughter.
"The problem is what to do ..."
Aldis, who entrusts Moore with a follow-up, thinks of a girl who is stuck in a magical exploration while walking down the city wearing a hood. According to Rona, she was called "Red Osprey" from the surviving organization.
Strangely, even though Aldis is hiding herself in a hooded garment like this, she finds herself and sees her. He says, "I judge by the smell." But Aldis is skeptical that this is possible even though he is not a dog.
When Aldis purchases snacks at a street stall, he enters the low traffic street. When I beckoned when the people were gone, the girl who was following from behind approached with a trot.
"Look, today's lunch."
"... Thank you"
Rona seems to have nothing but feeding, but for Aldis this girl, like Filia and Liana, was an oppressed child to reach out to. Aldis looks at the girl as she looks at the girl wearing a sandwich.
"not enough"
The girl who finished eating in a flash is blurred. He seemed used to being quite close to Aldis, and now it's a little conversational. He seems to be allowing Aldis a heart enough to spill his intention.
"Do you eat me too?"
When Aldis presents an untouched pinch of bread, the girl's movement stops for a moment while obediently receiving it. A girl staring at the bread in her hand looked up at Aldis.
"okay?"
"Oh, no problem, I can eat later if I go home."
The girl who heard it immediately swallows the bread. Aldis looked at the scene with nostalgic feelings.
Once when Aldis was a member of the Mercenary Corps. It will be more than 15 years ago.
"Well, the leader had picked up the kid."
"I'll do it again. That person also likes things."
One day, as an apprentice, he was finally being recognized as a full-time mercenary, and one day, old mercenaries in the troops were drinking and drinking, but Aldis heard that it was irrelevant. . I knew it wasn't a stranger until Grace Grace suddenly pushed my two children.
"Huh? I take care of these guys?"
"Yes. Take care of you and Lou."
Grace brought two children who have not yet grown up before Aldis. If you ask, it is like a brother and sister.
"Why am I ... we are? We are mercenaries, not teachers. Is it a job to fight?"
"Why do you want me to pick you up, but don't want to pick up another kid?"
Grace asks a questioning expression. As Grace himself picked himself up, Aldis had no word to say.
"No, I don't say that ..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were ungrateful."
Grace runs away with a lamenting gesture.
"... I feel gracious"
Grace hit the back of Aldis reluctantly and with a real smile.
"Yeah, yes. If you're grateful, just pour those benefits you've received on them."
There is a boon to Grace. He picked up Aldis who had nowhere to go, and had them grow up so far, even though they couldn't be used as a force. That's why Aldis finally wanted to fight with Grace and help him with his own recognized sword.
"But it's Grace who picked me up and raised me. These kids have nothing to do."
"I can't do that."
Grace, who suddenly becomes a gentle face, speaks as if he would advise.
"Oh, Aldis. Humans don't know when they will break up. Especially we are mercenaries. We can easily die in the next battle. We cannot always give back to those who have benefited. That's why I don't want to be a person who feels the benefits I take for granted and is good at it, and it's best to return the benefits to the person who received them, but Aldis. Yes, so where do you think the benefits should be returned? "
Aldis responds immediately to an unexpected question.
"I don't know."
"Think of it, Aldis. Are you okay? You can return the benefits you lost to the generations that follow you, and those who benefited from you will give back to the next generation. This is how the world goes around, and at least someone will be saved with it, and unless someone breaks, my will will take over. Do you not waste what you did? "
"But Grace is not a dead person. I am in front of me now."
"Good, because I'm telling me to do that."
Aldis at that time can't tell Grace's feelings. Grace, who became the leader of Aldis with an unsatisfactory look, spoke another reason.
"Well, that's one of the reasons I've just said, but I don't need a mercenary to just think about myself. It's better to be transferred to a troupe, it's like an assignment for you and Lou who graduated from the apprenticeship.
"Is there no veto right?"
"Do you accept or leave our company? Are there options?"
Aldis taps.
"I see. You should take care with Lou, right?"
"Yeah. It's your good thing to be honest. I've asked you. I'll work hard. It's up to you to grow up straight or to bend up."
With that said, Grace turned away and Aldis sighed. I looked at the two children who waited calmly to look to reality.
"How old are you?"
"I am eleven"
"……Eight-year-old"
Unlike his immediate brother, his younger sister, who took a while to answer, is now afraid of Aldis. Both of them wear tattered clothes and their limbs are as thin as bones and skin. If the trained Aldis is concerned, it is likely to break easily.
"Do you want to cook for the time being? Or are they all there?"
Aldis decided that there was no training in this situation, so she consulted with Rochelle and decided to shelve herself before she decided to do so. He takes his brother and sister together to receive a meal, sits at an appropriate place and starts eating.
Meals for brothers and sisters were also prepared, but this is a mercenary corps. A group of humans fighting in exchange for reward and food. Of course, there are few meals given to children outside the field. The sibling was given only one loaf of bread and a glass of soup. Aldis, on the other hand, has three bread soups, plus sliced meat from roasted livestock and boiled root vegetables.
The glance of my sister, who quickly flattened a given piece of bread, turned to the plate. As you can see, the body is not well nourished. You won't be able to fill your stomach with just one bread and one soup.
"No good"
In a hurry, his brother forced his sister's face toward himself. He was afraid that he could buy Aldis a disappointment.
In that figure, Aldis repeats himself when Grace picked it up.
"I guess that would be enough. Eat this too
Grace At that time, Grace said so and divided his food.
Oh, Aldis notices.
Sure, Aldis had received it from Grace. His thoughts and aspirations with a slice of bread. As usual.
When she remembers, Aldis splits the bread into two pieces, sandwiches the sliced meat between them, and hands it to her brother and sister.
"……okay?"
My sister asks me, horribly looking up at me.
“Eat it for good.
As soon as he hears the words, the siblings cling to the bread without saying thanks. Seeing that he was eating intently, Aldis felt that he could understand a bit of what Grace was saying.
In front of her, a girl wearing a pinch of bread and a sibling who Aldis was taking care of overlapped.
I remember my brother and sister who once longed for my brother, and at the same time, hatred and anger for the madman renewed. Shaking his head and forcing his thoughts into his chest, Aldis looked back at the girl in front of her.
The girl in front of her would be some older than her brother and sister. But this girl is too biased. Even though he knew of battles and stealth, he felt like a young child who had floated away. It may be because he was raised intentionally to hinder his growth.
"It's up to you whether they grow up straight or bend up and bent"
Grace's words come to mind. If your mind is not distorted, you still have hope. Even if I knew it was superfluous, I argued that it was Grace's influence that made me want to do something.
"Listen while eating"
To a girl who responds with eyes while chewing bread, Aldis offered an idea.
"I have a request for you. If you can ask me, I'll let you eat today's supper as much as you want."