The Begaritt Continent.
That continent lay across the sea from another.
The destination, the labyrinth city of Laplace, was inland on the eastern side.
There were two routes to reach the continent.
The first was to travel to Eastport, a port town on the edge of the Central Continent in the Dragon King Kingdom, and take a ship from there. You would enter the Begaritt Continent from the east.
It was somewhat of a detour, but a safe course.
The second was to board a ship from a port town in the Asura Kingdom and enter the Begaritt Continent from the north.
This route required crossing the continent, making it somewhat dangerous, but it would save a considerable amount of time.
Taking positions into account, the first route would take eighteen months.
The second, about twelve months.
Even if I found a more efficient way to travel, there was no chance of making a round trip within seven months.
In other words, I wouldn't make it back for the birth.
That wasn't my only concern.
This time, I would be going directly against Hitogami's advice.
Knowing that guy, he might have anticipated me rebelling.
But going directly against him — that was a different matter entirely.
To put it in perspective, it would be like choosing not to go to the Shirone Kingdom when I first arrived on the Central Continent.
I wouldn't meet Zanoba, and Lillia and Aisha would remain captive.
Though in that case, the timing would have been different, and I wouldn't have met Orsted.
If that had happened, where would I be now?
I probably would have reached the refugee camp without major issues.
And I probably would have slept with Eris and then parted ways.
Maybe about ten years later, I would have learned where Lillia and the others were, and felt regret.
That's right — he told me I would "feel regret."
Both his previous advice and this current one, he said I would regret it.
Perhaps the timing didn't matter.
If I went to the Begaritt Continent, I would regret it.
I didn't know what kind of regret it would be.
I could imagine a few possibilities.
Perhaps... I would lose something.
My right hand. My left hand.
Or perhaps Paul or Zenis...
No, I should stop thinking too deeply about this.
Either way, if I didn't go, I would spend another year or two in a daze.
And then news would arrive that someone had died, and I'd be berated by a beaten-down Paul or Geese.
Possibilities were endless.
I had no choice but to go.
Even knowing I would regret it.
---
First, I decided to talk to Elinalise.
If I told Sylphie and she cried, my resolve might waver.
I wanted to steel my resolve by telling the people around me first.
I called Elinalise to an empty classroom at the school.
When I told her I was going to the Begaritt Continent, she made a bitter face.
"Listen, Rudeus, I told you to stay, didn't I?"
"Yes, but..."
As I faltered, Elinalise spoke.
"For all we know, that letter might just be Geese jumping to conclusions."
"Jumping to conclusions?"
"As you probably know too, Rudeus, that man sometimes acts impulsively on a hunch without confirming important details."
Well, that did sound like something he would do.
Geese was the type to keep the truth to himself and work behind the scenes.
"There's certainly a possibility that's the case this time too. He might send another letter in about a month saying, 'I take it back — Zenis is safe.'"
"I considered that possibility too."
That I'd arrive only to find Paul and the others had already resolved things.
That we'd miss each other.
That possibility certainly existed...
"But come to think of it, it's strange that Geese knew where I was, isn't it?"
"...Huh?"
"We decided on our address and sent the letter a year and a half ago. Even if Geese had been on the Begaritt Continent for over half a year, how did he learn our address to send the letter?"
Travel alone took nearly a year. Letters took a correspondingly long time too. It wasn't like we were exchanging emails on portable devices. Even a special express delivery would take over six months.
The timing didn't add up.
If Geese had come with Elinalise and then immediately split off to head to the Begaritt Continent, maybe. But how could someone who'd been on the Begaritt Continent the whole time know where we were?
"Most likely, Geese met up with Father and the others first. He learned my address from them and sent that express letter."
"Then why was the sender listed as Geese?"
"Geese acting on his own, or perhaps Father's pride."
"Pride..."
Elinalise rested her chin in her hand, thinking.
Paul had written in his letter to me to leave the rest to him.
That might have made it difficult to ask for help outright.
Elinalise looked at me.
She thought about it for a while, going "hmm."
In the end, she nodded.
"...I suppose there's no helping it. Let's go together, then."
I didn't know what internal struggle she'd gone through.
But Elinalise said it with a wry smile.
As if she'd known all along it would come to this.
The two of us would go to the Begaritt Continent.
That was settled.
---
One hour later.
"Right then, let's decide on the route immediately."
Elinalise went back to her room and returned with a large map.
She must have prepared it in advance for the journey.
The two of us put our heads together and peered at the map.
It was a simple map showing only the shape of the continent and the locations of mountain ranges — no detailed roads or towns marked.
Elinalise must have researched the routes in advance over the past few days.
The general location of Laplace and key waypoints along the route were marked with notations.
Just as I'd expected, there were two routes.
"First of all, we want to reach Laplace as quickly as possible."
Elinalise pointed to the shortcut — the northern entry route.
"But the northern route is dangerous, isn't it?"
This route was dangerous. The path was unknown, and it required crossing a perilous continent.
I was fairly confident in my ability to fight monsters, and I had no concerns about combat strength.
That said, unfamiliar territory was still scary.
"If I recall, Rudeus, you can speak the Fighting God language, yes?"
"Huh? Yes. Not natively, but..."
"Then you just need to hire a local guide and guards."
"Good point."
Following Elinalise's seasoned traveler advice, the route was decided in no time.
After that, we laid out the general flow of the journey.
First, purchase horses in this town.
Keep luggage to the bare minimum for the trip to the Asura Kingdom. Too much baggage would slow us down.
Travel light to maximize distance.
Swap horses along the way and push hard to the port town of Asura as long as our stamina held out.
Once we reached the port town, we'd stock up on equipment and supplies there.
Food in particular — we couldn't be sure we'd find adequate provisions on the Begaritt Continent. Prices in Asura were high, but food was reliably available.
Once ready, we'd board a ship to the Begaritt Continent.
Hire a guide at the port town.
Depending on the situation, hire several guards too.
Elinalise would handle the negotiations. I'd serve as interpreter.
With the guide's help, we'd traverse the Begaritt Continent to Laplace.
There, we'd rendezvous with Paul and the others and resolve the problem.
Then return the same way.
"I've traveled to Asura many times, so that part is no problem.
The question is sorting out what to bring to the Begaritt Continent..."
We couldn't bring everything we wanted.
A horse cart would be convenient, but the Begaritt Continent was supposed to be desert terrain.
There was probably some other means of transport — something like the lizard beasts from the Demon Continent.
My guess was camels.
"I'll handle that part with my experience."
"My, aren't you flattering."
"I'm not flattering you."
I'd been an adventurer for about five years myself.
But compared to a veteran like Elinalise, I was barely a rookie.
I'd be relying on her quite heavily.
"We both have decent stamina, so we can handle some fairly grueling travel."
"True."
Elinalise would be fine — the question was how far I could push myself.
I'd been keeping up my training, but I didn't want to be the one dragging behind an experienced traveler like her.
I thought I'd be okay, but...
"They breed long-distance horses around here, so that works out nicely."
The goal was to reach Asura within two months.
I didn't know how long the sea voyage would take, but let's estimate one month.
Neither of us had been to the Begaritt Continent, but it was supposedly harsh terrain, so I'd budget half a year for crossing.
...That was eight months one way.
Faster than I'd initially thought.
Using magic might shorten it further, but an amateur's half-baked ideas could backfire and waste even more time.
I wanted to arrive with certainty.
We went through everything else we needed to watch out for along the way, one item at a time.
Elinalise really was the seasoned professional.
She made sure there were no gaps between our understanding, no misunderstandings or disagreements during the trip.
No pointless arguments that would waste an entire day.
She checked every small detail, one by one.
"The issue is..."
Finally, Elinalise pressed her chin and looked troubled.
I thought everything was settled — was there still something?
"My curse, Rudeus."
"Ah..."
If she didn't have intercourse with a man, she would die.
If we traveled casually, it wouldn't be a problem — she could find a willing partner in whatever town we stopped at.
For a long journey, tagging along with a party would also be an option.
But on a rushed trip, there would inevitably be times when it simply wasn't possible.
"..."
"............"
We both fell silent.
There was a solution.
I could be the one to take care of it.
I was a man, after all.
Things were different from when Elinalise and I had formed a party before I enrolled in the university.
If she asked me to, I could probably bring myself to do it.
But I didn't want to betray Sylphie or Cliff.
"During the trip, Elinalise and I won't sleep together."
"Right, we won't."
"Along the way, we'll use a brothel or something. Let's make that the rule."
No fooling around with each other during the trip.
We needed to be clear about that.
Otherwise, we'd end up slipping into it gradually.
"Oh, by the way — what about that magical artifact? The one that weakens the curse's effects?"
"If I bring that up, Cliff would..."
"You haven't told Cliff?"
Was Elinalise planning to leave without telling Cliff?
That was too harsh on him, wasn't it?
"We need to tell Cliff."
"But I..."
"Leave it to me. It won't end badly for him."
We headed to Cliff's office.
---
Cliff's office.
When Cliff saw us, he came over with a beaming smile, showing off the magical artifact as always.
"Look, I've improved it and made it smaller. Now you can wear it for long periods without chafing..."
"Cliff-senpai, do you love Elinalise?"
I cut him off and asked bluntly.
Cliff stared at me with a blank expression.
"Of course I do."
He looked at me like I'd just asked if he'd eaten breakfast today.
Impressive.
"Will you continue to love her no matter what?"
"Obviously. I love Rise. You know that, don't you?"
"That's what I wanted to hear."
I explained the situation.
The possibility that my family was in danger.
That my father had deep ties to Elinalise, and I wanted to go help him.
That the trip would be long.
That during this time, Elinalise would likely need to have intercourse with other men.
And various other things.
"..."
As I spoke, Cliff grew quieter and quieter.
Then he murmured softly:
"...So I'd just be a burden if I came along."
That was exactly right, but it was a difficult thing to answer.
It wasn't me who answered — it was Elinalise.
"That's right. Honestly, Cliff, you wouldn't have the stamina for it."
Elinalise usually would have softened the blow more.
But this time, she said it clearly and without cushioning.
"I see..."
Cliff's gaze dropped, frustration written across his face.
That gesture pierced my heart.
What must he be feeling?
If we set off on this journey, Elinalise would need to have sex with other men.
No matter how much her heart belonged to Cliff.
No matter how much he understood the curse.
It had to be painful.
"Hey, Elinalise, maybe Cliff-senpai should come along after all. He can use barrier magic, and his Divine Strike is advanced-level. He might not have the stamina, but I'm sure he'd be useful somewhere..."
"No, it's fine, Rudeus.
Last time we adventured together, I was a burden too.
If I went on this trip, I'd only be in the way."
As he said this, Cliff placed the magical artifact in my hand.
"Rudeus."
"Yes?"
"Take care of Rise."
Honestly, I'd expected him to make more of a fuss.
But as always, Cliff understood his own limitations better than I gave him credit for.
"Rise."
Cliff turned to face Elinalise.
Then, stretching his slightly shorter frame upward, he gently pulled her into an embrace.
"Cliff..."
The two of them held each other tightly.
"Rise. When you come back, let's have a wedding.
The curse hasn't been lifted yet, but let's buy a house together and live together.
I've been putting it off, and that's what made you anxious, isn't it?
That it was all just words."
"Oh, Cliff — but I'm a terrible woman. This time too, I was actually planning to leave without telling you."
"The wedding will be a Millis ceremony — is that okay?
I know you're not a Millis follower, but..."
Did Cliff intentionally ignore Elinalise's words?
Regardless, that was what Elinalise needed to hear.
Just his words alone had brought her to tears of overwhelming emotion.
"Oh, Cliff... I love you! More than anyone else in this world!"
Elinalise tackled Cliff to the ground.
I left the office somewhere around the point where Cliff's upper half was stripped bare.
From here on, it was their time.
Best to remove the intruder.
Though seriously, Cliff — making a marriage promise was a sure way to make someone anxious.
---
After that, I went around visiting the relevant parties.
I wouldn't be back for a year and a half.
Depending on what troubles arose, it could take two years.
Two years was a long time.
I needed to handle all the farewells properly.
First, I went to the staff room.
To Genas.
I needed to take care of the administrative procedures first.
He was working energetically as always, surrounded by stacks of documents.
"Hello, Vice-Principal Genas."
"Oh, if it isn't Rudeus. It's been a while.
I heard you conducted a large-scale experiment at the Seven Stars building."
"Yes, with Zanoba and Cliff's help."
"I see."
The story of that experiment had reached Genas too.
Information like that got around more than you'd expect.
"So, what brings you here?"
"I'll be away for about two years, and I'd like to handle the paperwork for that."
"Two years?"
"I've gotten rather busy, you see."
"I see..."
He didn't press for the reason, which was just as well.
"Understood. I'll file the leave-of-absence paperwork. When you return, please come see me again."
"Will a two-year leave really be okay?"
"For an ordinary student it wouldn't be ideal, but for a special student, it can be approved as an exception."
For a normal student it would probably mean expulsion.
"Thank you very much."
"Don't mention it — that's what the special student system is for."
"Then, would it be possible to also arrange a leave of absence for a person named Elinalise? She's not a special student, but I'll be hiring her as a bodyguard due to my circumstances."
"I see... understood. I'll see what I can do."
Genas readily agreed.
I was grateful for that.
I thanked Genas and left the staff room.
---
Right after leaving the staff room, I ran into Linia and Pursena.
The two of them spotted me, raised their hands, and came over.
I told them I'd be away for about two years as well.
"I see... it'll be lonely, nya."
"Two years means we'll have graduated by then. We won't be able to see each other anymore."
That realization hit me.
They were sixth-years — in two years they'd graduate.
They'd be returning to the Great Forest.
Missing that farewell would be lonely.
"That's right..."
Come to think of it, Hitogami had told me to take these two as well.
In about two months, when their mating season arrived, that scenario would play out.
I looked at them carefully.
"What's nya? Do I have something on me?"
Linia.
Distinctive features: twitching cat ears, a swaying tail, healthy thighs.
Her bust was also large — a D or E cup, maybe.
Beastfolk were all well-endowed, so she was probably average for her kind.
She gave off the impression of a healthy, well-endowed girl.
She'd probably put on a feisty show in bed too.
"*sniff sniff* ...Boss, you're not thinking something like 'if I won't be able to see them again, maybe just once,' are you?"
Pursena.
Distinctive features: soft dog ears and a plush, curvy body.
Among beastfolk, dog-types seemed to be on the larger side too — I'd guess F cup.
I'd groped her a few times, and they were incredibly soft.
Being buried in her embrace had to feel wonderful.
"My apologies. The other day, someone advised me that once these two entered their mating season, I should just push them down. That's what came to mind."
"For real, Boss? Were you actually in the mood, nya?"
"Even when we tried to seduce you, you wouldn't bite, so I thought you hated us."
The two of them took it in stride with grins on their faces.
Having children with them.
And according to how Hitogami had put it, Sylphie wouldn't object.
Maybe because she was pregnant, or maybe because things settled down after an inevitable confrontation — I didn't know which.
But becoming happier was a convenient outcome for me.
I'd pledged fidelity to Sylphie, but I was still a man.
I was attracted to them, even if slightly.
A harem was a man's dream, after all.
Taking them as concubines and having a foursome with Sylphie.
That future had been on the table.
"Linia, Pursena."
"Yes, nya."
"Yes~?"
When I called them, they looked at me with a hint of tension.
"Let's stay friends."
They both broke into grins.
They shrugged and poked me in the ribs from both sides.
"...Can't be helped, nya. Boss is the lonely type, after all."
"We'll stay friends with you. If you betray us, we won't forgive you."
I shook hands with both of them.
Come to think of it, this might have been the first time I'd shaken hands with them.
Female friends.
You always hear that friendship between a man and a woman is impossible.
But even with a bit of sexual desire mixed in, friendship could still exist.
What mattered was the distance between people.
"Let's meet again. I don't know if it'll be ten years or twenty."
"That's right. In ten years, we'll be running things, so you'd better grovel properly, nya."
"We're going to conquer the Great Forest!"
As they declared their ambitions, I said, "I pray I don't get overthrown," and parted ways.
If luck was on my side, we'd meet again.
---
I arrived in front of Nanahoshi's office.
How should I bring this up?
She was the lonely type.
Behind that prickly attitude of hers lay an enormous amount of "I'm lonely."
Being away for two years.
That meant her research would stall.
The time until she could return would be pushed further back.
Naturally, she'd try to stop me.
She'd come up with all sorts of reasons.
She might even threaten me.
What if she said, "If you leave, I'll kill Sylphie"?
She probably wasn't that far gone — but still.
"Haa..."
I took a breath. Knocked once.
"Come in."
After waiting for a reply, I entered.
Nanahoshi looked up from her desk and regarded me.
"What? You're here at an unusual time."
"I'm actually here to deliver some unfortunate news."
"Unfortunate news?"
Nanahoshi looked puzzled.
Well, no matter how I phrased it, the outcome would be the same.
I'd just say it as it was.
"I'm leaving on a journey. My family's in trouble.
To Laplace, the labyrinth city on the Begaritt Continent.
Round trip — approximately two years."
"...What?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Nanahoshi kicked her chair back and stood up.
She braced her hands on the desk and stared at me with a blank expression.
"........Begaritt... labyrinth city Laplace... two years...?"
She repeated my words as if chewing on them.
"I said I'd help, and I'm sorry about this. But I have to go."
Nanahoshi's eyes widened and she drew a sharp breath.
Then she sat back down hard in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
"Two years..."
"When I get back, I'll continue the research properly."
"...Two years."
Nanahoshi crossed her arms and said nothing except "two years."
Nothing more.
She didn't try to stop me. She didn't throw a fit.
She just stared at the ceiling as if thinking about something.
Five minutes passed in that manner.
An incredibly uncomfortable silence.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
There was nothing else to do.
She surely understood that I was only helping out of goodwill.
She wanted to ask me to stay, I was sure.
But she was holding back.
I turned on my heel.
"Wait."
That voice stopped me.
Honestly, I didn't really want to have this conversation.
I knew she'd try to stop me.
But it was probably better to talk properly.
I thought that and turned around.
Nanahoshi was pulling a booklet from the bottom drawer of her desk.
She flipped through it and opened it to a specific page, showing it to me.
"Look at this."
I peered at it as instructed.
A fragment of a map was pasted into the booklet.
The map looked familiar — it was of the area around this town.
Though the scale was a bit large.
At the top of the map, "N1" was written in large letters.
In the forest to the southwest, there was a red X mark.
Above the X, "B3" was written.
"What is this?"
"............"
Nanahoshi was clearly hesitant.
Whether she should say it or not.
But in the end, she spoke.
"It's a map marking the locations of teleportation magic circles around the world."
Teleportation magic circles?
"Huh?"
I looked at the booklet again.
The notation "B3."
Could this be...
"A teleportation magic circle to the Begaritt Continent."
"You're..."
Come to think of it.
Come to think of it, Nanahoshi had said she'd traveled with Orsted.
Apparently using the teleportation magic circles scattered across the globe to hop from place to place...
"You said you didn't remember the locations..."
That was right. Nanahoshi had said she didn't remember where the teleportation magic circles were.
"Orsted made me promise not to tell anyone.
At the time, I said I couldn't remember them anyway, so I couldn't tell even if I wanted to..."
But she'd recorded them just in case.
Buying maps secretly in each location, or drawing them by hand.
Casually extracting place names from Orsted.
Remembering nearby towns and approximate positions...
Not from memory, but from records.
I flipped through the booklet.
The quality was rough.
Where she couldn't buy a map or hadn't even reached a town, the entries read things like: "Mountain visible to the left. Probably three days east, cross one river, then two more days."
The letters represented continent names, and the numbers appeared to indicate the order they'd been visited.
N for northern Central Continent.
S for southern Central Continent.
W for western Central Continent.
MT for Demon Continent.
ML for Millis Continent.
No entry for the Heaven Continent, apparently.
And B for Begaritt Continent.
Where she didn't know which continent it was, letters like X and Y were used.
It was a volume that spoke to Nanahoshi's effort and dedication.
"I've definitely heard the name Laplace. I remember — from the bazaar near this teleportation circle, it's about a month north. So it should be correct."
"A month... you say..."
I flipped back to the previous page.
From the Ranoa Kingdom — the magic city of Sharia, to the forest in the southwest.
With this map's scale, it was hard to tell — maybe about ten days of travel?
Could be closer.
From there, use the magic circle to reach "B3's" location.
I turned the page.
"B3" was on the previous page.
From "B3's" magic circle to the nearest town — about a week.
So one month from there meant...
Forty-seven days.
Round trip: ninety-four days.
A round trip in just three months.
If I could wrap things up in a month there...
Four months.
I'd make it.
I'd actually make it.
For Sylphie's delivery.
I wouldn't make it for Linia and Pursena's mating season, but that was beside the point.
"But are you sure? You were told to keep it secret."
"I struggled with it, but you've helped me quite a bit during this time.
But I'd prefer you don't spread this around.
Teleportation circles are forbidden magic — if word gets out, the government will move to destroy them immediately."
If they were destroyed, Orsted would lose one of his means of travel.
The one who'd get in trouble for spreading the word would be Nanahoshi. Or me.
Orsted...
Just thinking that name sent a shiver through me...
I wouldn't tell a soul.
"Thank you, Nanahoshi. This helps a lot."
"I just want you to come back quickly."
She said that and gave a little huff through her nose.
Tsundere was a pain.
I picked up the booklet and bowed deeply.
Then I turned to leave, spirits high.
"Oh, I forgot to mention — on the first page, there's a description of landmarks for the ruins where the magic circle is, and instructions on how to dispel the concealment magic. Make sure you read it."
"Got it. I owe you one."
"I'm just returning the favor."
I smiled wryly at Nanahoshi's words and left the office.
---
Then I returned to Elinalise.
I could get back quickly.
Great news. She'd be happy too.
The travel plan would need to be revised too.
A month and a half.
Maybe I could even bring Cliff along after all.
Of course, I'd easily make it back for Sylphie's birth.
My mouth loosened into a grin.
I smacked my cheeks a few times to recompose myself and opened the door to Cliff's lab.
The next instant, a Renaissance-style Venus flew into my field of vision.
"I'm sorry, Rudeus! I've decided — I simply can't go!"
Elinalise was a mess.
Her model-like figure was draped in nothing but a blanket in a scandalous arrangement.
Elinalise's Niagara Falls of a bust and her slender, well-proportioned body were almost artistic.
But there was nothing artistic about what I was seeing.
It was just plain erotic.
Though honestly, art wasn't really my thing.
I'd probably just think it would make a cool and sexy figure.
Cliff was in the corner of the lab, posed like a pharaoh.
A mummy.
His face looked blissful.
That was much more artistic, actually.
You could title it something like "Between Sex and Death."
"I can't stand being apart from Cliff for two years!
Even knowing it's wrong, I'm not going!"
Women were creatures who lived by emotion.
That thought flitted through my mind.
"Besides, if you're going, Rudeus, there's no need for me to force myself, is there?
I still have issues with Paul, you know?
He probably doesn't want to see my face either?
If you're going, protecting your newborn niece is my job!"
"..."
The image of the woman who'd dramatically declared "Leave the rest to me and wait" was nowhere to be found.
Utterly spineless.
She must have been enjoying some incredibly pleasant paradise in her mind these past few hours.
"I see. Well, I did just find a way to make the round trip in as little as three months..."
"What!?"
Elinalise froze mid-motion.
"What did you say?"
After confirming that Cliff was asleep, I whispered to Elinalise.
"Actually, Nanahoshi..."
"Ah — no, not the ears, that tickles!"
"Listen seriously."
"I-I was joking."
I showed Nanahoshi's booklet and gave her an overview.
I also told her that Nanahoshi had made me swear to keep it a secret.
Elinalise flipped through the booklet, unable to hide her shock.
"Only this many days..."
"Yes. With this, I can make it back for Sylphie's delivery."
"...It works."
One and a half months each way.
Not a long journey at all.
The look in Elinalise's eyes had changed.
This was a "if those are the numbers, then I'm in" look.
"Well, in that case, there's no problem. I'll go after all."
Her mind had changed. How pragmatic.
But yeah, two years really was too long.
"If it's only a month and a half, it's physically feasible to bring Cliff-senpai along too."
"...No. We'll leave Cliff behind."
"Are you sure?"
"If Cliff found out about the teleportation circles, he'd blab about it."
No, Cliff-senpai wasn't that kind of person.
Probably not, anyway.
But he was also the person most likely to let it slip accidentally among everyone I knew.
Hmm. Large groups were definitely a bad idea.
The more people who knew, the easier it would be for the secret to spread.
But if this was truly a crisis, I wanted to bring capable people along.
A small, elite team.
Someone like, say, Ruijerd.
There was no one more reliable than him.
He was taciturn — he'd never leak word of the teleportation circles.
Or perhaps Badigadi.
A thousand-year-old being might actually know about the teleportation circles already.
He seemed to know about Orsted too, so telling him probably wouldn't cause problems.
Well, neither of them had been around lately, so I couldn't ask.
That left no one else I could bring.
Zanoba didn't seem very travel-hardened either.
...Actually.
If we ran short on hands over there, I could always go back and fetch someone.
Right now I was being cautious because it was an unknown road.
But once I'd traveled it once, bringing someone along wouldn't be that hard.
I'd have to explain the teleportation circles, but necessity overruled caution.
The round trip was three months, but conversely, that meant I could guarantee reinforcements within three months.
"For now, let's just the two of us go."
"We'll finish up quick and come back quick."
Thus, Elinalise's momentary lapse in judgment was resolved.
---
Finally, I told Sylphie.
I gathered Sylphie, Aisha, and Norn in the living room at home.
I began.
"I'm going to save Father and Mother."
Sylphie murmured a small "What?" and a look of unease crossed her face.
She looked caught off guard.
But she quickly shook her head and nodded with a serious expression.
"Okay. I understand. Leave the house to me."
"I'm sorry I can't keep my promise to not suddenly disappear."
"You are keeping it. This isn't sudden at all."
Sylphie smiled bashfully.
But that smile had a slightly forced quality to it.
No matter what she said, she was shaken too.
I felt a pang of guilt.
"So, how long will it take? About two years?"
"No. Actually, with Nanahoshi's help, I'll be able to use a teleportation magic circle. So I think I can be back before the birth."
I told her about the teleportation circles.
If I didn't tell Sylphie, who would I tell?
"What!?"
Sylphie looked at me with wide eyes.
And then, sure enough, she looked worried.
"Teleportation — is that safe?"
We'd both struggled with that teleportation incident.
It was natural for those words to come up.
"I'm not sure. But Nanahoshi seems to have actually used one, so I think it should be okay."
"O-okay."
Sylphie still looked uneasy.
I pulled her close and whispered in her ear.
"It'll be fine. I'm definitely coming back."
"Yeah."
"Sorry."
"No."
Entrusting someone with what came after — that too was proof of trust.
I also spoke to my maid-uniformed sister standing behind Sylphie.
"Aisha."
"Big brother..."
Aisha looked even more worried than Sylphie.
"Can I count on you?"
"I think... it should be fine. I've learned properly from Mom how to take care of pregnant women."
"If you think it's not working out, ask someone you trust for help.
Don't try to do everything alone. You're talented, but you're still inexperienced.
Ask an experienced adult to help."
"Y-yes."
Aisha nodded.
I was still a bit worried, but there was no helping that.
Nothing in life was perfect.
"Norn."
"Yes!"
"If you feel like Aisha or Sylphie are overwhelmed, quietly lend them a hand.
Just listening to them talk or vent is fine.
You know what it's like to suffer mentally, don't you?"
"Yes! Brother!"
"And don't neglect your studies!"
"Yes!"
Norn seemed fired up.
I hoped she wouldn't get so worked up that she started fights with Aisha.
Now then, what else was there?
What should I say?
"...Oh, right. Before I go, shall we at least decide on the child's name?"
I intended to come back.
But there was always the possibility of the worst case.
At least getting the naming out of the way would be wise.
What should we name them?
This world seemed to favor dramatic-sounding names, so maybe something in that vein?
If a girl — Cielle, or Sion.
...If a boy — Nero, or Wallachia.
No, no, this wasn't a game.
Let's see — a child of Rudeus and Sylphie.
If a boy — Sieg, or Sirius?
If a girl — Lucy, or Lulucy?
Maybe too simplistic.
I should probably ask Paul about naming conventions in this world.
I glanced over and the three of them were all wearing odd expressions.
"Wh-what's with the name talk, Rudy..."
"Big brother, why are you saying stuff like that?"
"Brother..."
They all looked anxious.
Aisha even had tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Had I said something strange?
In this world, was there some taboo about naming a child before it was born?
"If you name the child before you leave on a journey, you won't come back..."
Sylphie's face was full of worry.
I was apparently the only one who didn't know about this world's death flags.
Ah, no — wait.
I remembered.
Come to think of it, there was a scene like that in the legend of Perugius.
One of Perugius's companions, the Fire Emperor-class magician Flow Star, "the Lucky Man," had named his child before departing for war in case he didn't return.
And he'd given the child his own name.
Flow Junior.
But Flow Star lost his life mid-battle.
He was defeated by the Demon King Rainel Kaiser while thinking of his son.
That son went on to inherit his great father's name and grew into a splendid magician.
That was how the story went, though I'd heard he actually fell on hard times in reality.
Because this anecdote was so well-known, naming your unborn child before a journey was considered bad luck.
It wasn't as though Flow Star died because he'd named his child, but still — people were superstitious.
"...Maybe we should wait for now?"
"M-maybe..."
"But I want to help pick the name... just in case..."
"Don't say 'just in case.'"
"Sorry."
After all, it was my first child.
The reality of it hadn't fully sunk in yet, but I wanted to at least choose a name.
"*Ahem.*"
Aisha cleared her throat.
She apparently had a plan.
"Big brother. How about this.
When the child is born, you'll call them Rudeus Junior.
And when big brother comes back, that's when you'll give the child a proper name.
Like the Northern God Karlmann, you can make 'Rudeus' the middle name."
Rudeus Junior.
In this world, giving your son the same name wasn't that unusual.
If I named her Lucy, she'd be Lucy L. Greyrat.
That wasn't bad.
There was something embarrassing about doing the same thing as a legendary figure, but...
Apparently everyone did it, so.
Hmm?
Wait — if the child was a girl, and I didn't make it back, what then?
Would she be Rudeus Junior for life?
Would she resent that name?
Would she grow up to be the kind of girl who got teased about it and screamed "What's wrong with Rudeus being a girl's name?!" and attacked the teaser?
No, no — surely she wouldn't turn out to be some kind of mad dog.
...Yeah, as long as I came back, it'd be fine.
"Understood. We'll do that. Sylphie."
"Yes."
"...Um..."
I wanted to say something to Sylphie.
But the words wouldn't come.
At a time like this, anything I said sounded like it could become an omen of something bad.
"Sylphie."
I stood in front of Sylphie and placed my hands on both her shoulders.
"What..."
She understood.
She closed her eyes, tilted her chin up, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and trembled slightly.
It wasn't the first time, but this was probably the first time she'd looked at me with such reverence.
I glanced at Aisha — she was leaning forward, watching intently.
Norn had her hands over her eyes but was peering through her fingers.
I gave both of them a quick wink.
Norn snapped her fingers shut.
Aisha, in return, batted her eyelashes at me.
What a noisy bunch.
Did they really want to see a kiss scene that badly?
Well, for an occasion like this, I'd let it slide.
I leaned in and kissed Sylphie softly.
While listening to Aisha's small squeal of delight...