Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 150 : Liwol Smiled.

"Skir?"

Lucas, who had returned home a day late, first looked for Skir.

"Well, he said he'd be here in a few days? Something must have come up at home."

Pola answered.

"Really?"

Until now, whenever vacation started, Skir would briefly stop by the duchy and then come straight to Sitata with them. The Duke and Duchess had expressed their disappointment, but as time passed, they chose to come to Sitata instead.

Because of this, the Count's estate was always bustling with guests during the academy's vacation.

'He must be busy.'

He knew that the central nobles had been incredibly busy since the emperor's death, so he didn't pay it much mind.

The Rodrigo County had nothing to do with it. This was because the perception that the Rodrigo County was just a merchant family with a title had already been established within the empire.

"Oh, son!"

Cibie, who spotted Lucas from afar, called out to her son in a loud voice.

"Oh, dear. How unseemly."

Blain chided her softly at that, but Cibie paid no mind and smiled brightly.

"Father."

As Cibie came running towards him with short steps, Lucas also quickened his pace to preserve his father's dignity, at least a little.

"Yes. When did you arrive? The children said you might be gone for several days!"

"No, sir."

"Oh dear. Your face has become half its size, my son."

Blain grabbed Lucas's face and turned it this way and that, examining it.

"Is the work at the Mage Tower that busy?"

"Ah."

He knew Aman had made up some excuse for his absence, but he didn't know what that excuse was. But now he saw that the excuse must have been the Mage Tower.

"No matter how busy the work at the Mage Tower is! How could you not answer the crystal ball even once? Do you know how worried your mother and I were?"

"I'm sorry."

It wasn't that he didn't answer. He couldn't.

'How can I answer in a polymorphed form?'

His appearance was different from his current one, but besides that, how could he possibly answer from inside the sea or in front of a furnace?

"Lucas. As you know, our family is no longer the Rodrigo County of old. I'm saying you don't have to work so hard."

"Your father is right, Lucas."

Cibie and Blain's affectionate eyes were on Lucas.

'I feel strangely guilty.'

Meeting their affectionate eyes, a sense of guilt washed over him for some reason.

"Yes. I know. But this is something I'm doing because I enjoy it."

Lucas, who had barely suppressed his guilt, smiled faintly.

"If that's the case, then it's a relief, but... I'm worried you'll harm your body. My son, you're so thin! This won't do. Let's go eat something delicious right away."

In fact, Lucas was more on the sturdy side than thin, but in his parents' eyes, he seemed delicate and about to break.

"Pardon?"

"Hurry! Pola, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you yesterday?"

Lucas flinched at Blain's sharp cry and looked back at Pola.

'Could it be...'

The thought that his mother might be picking on Pola briefly crossed his mind.

"Hehe! No~ I just don't gain weight no matter how much I eat~!"

But seeing the brightly smiling Pola, he realized that thought was an excessive worry.

'Right. It's my mother, of all people.'

At Blain's affectionate chiding, Pola smiled brightly and walked with her arm linked with Blain's.

"You? Didn't I tell you? If you say that elsewhere, you might get beaten up by the other young ladies."

"Hehe. If someone hits me, you'll scold them, right, mister?"

"Of course! Who would dare touch Pola, who is under our family's patronage! At that time, I'll go and just—whack!"

"Yay! Mister is the best!"

As Cibie pretended to roll up his sleeves and shouted, Pola clapped her hands and laughed.

"What about Nella?"

"She'll be down soon. I've been having a headache because of Nella lately."

"What do you mean by that?"

Lucas's brow furrowed again.

'Could she be being compared to Pola?'

Pola was full of charm and easily got along with people. Moreover, she was a pretty, kind, and skilled mage, so the Count and Countess's praise for her grew day by day.

In contrast, Nella was shy and didn't speak unless it was necessary, so the thought that the Count and Countess might be comparing them suddenly occurred to him.

"Isn't my daughter just so pretty... Marriage proposals are already coming in from here and there, so I'm about to die from it. How dare they try to take my precious Nella!"

Cibie snorted and fumed.

'Right. It's my father, of all people.'

Then the thought that it was an excessive worry came to him again.

"My goodness. Dear. Are you planning to keep Nella by your side forever? If there's a good match, you should arrange it for Nella."

"Hey!! This person. Our Nella is still no different from a newborn, what do you mean a match!"

As Cibie and Blain bickered, he saw Nella coming down the stairs.

"My daughter~"

Cibie, who had been huffing and puffing just a moment ago, cooed and trotted over to Nella.

"Dear! How unseemly."

At that, Blain glanced at the surrounding servants and chided him.

"Yes, Father."

As Nella smiled faintly, Cibie clutched his heart and shouted.

"Ugh...! How can I give such a daughter to someone! I can't!!!"

"Dear!"

"Nella. How about you eat a lot from now on and become even sturdier than this father of yours. Huh? Then the men who are after you might decrease! Of course, in this father's eyes, you will be the prettiest no matter what you look like!"

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere and will live by your side forever, Father."

At that, Cibie's mouth stretched from ear to ear.

"Really? Huh? Is that really true?"

"Of course."

Now Cibie was even wiggling his bottom with joy.

"Dear. Did you hear? Nella says she'll live here forever!"

"My goodness. What a doting fool!"

A broad smile also bloomed on Lucas's lips as he watched them.

***

Pamela, who had come to Rieberk with Liwol, had her eyes wide at the world she was seeing for the first time.

"Look over there. That's the walnut pie shop, the pride and specialty of Rieberk. People from the mainland used to come often to eat that."

Where Liwol pointed, there was a pie shop with a large walnut-shaped sign.

"But now, well, it's hard to see people from the mainland."

"Why?"

"Well... the people of Rieberk are like that. Because this is a region caught in the middle, they've been invaded from all sides since long ago, so they are wary of and dislike people from other regions."

"Ah."

As Pamela's expression darkened for a moment, Liwol quickly waved his hands and added.

"No, no. Miss Pamela is absolutely not an outsider to me. And the people of Rieberk are also changing little by little. Even if they don't like people from the mainland, they don't exclude them much."

At that, Pamela smiled faintly and shook her head.

"It's okay. I'll be living in a deep place with Mr. Liwol. Am I right?"

"Of course. And if by any chance other people harm Miss Pamela, I! This Liwol will protect you."

Liwol was a very reliable person. Moreover, Pamela's probing question could have been a bit uncomfortable, but he showed no sign of displeasure.

"Still, we have to stay here for a few days. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

Liwol had said he would wrap up his life in the city and go deep into the forest. He didn't say why, but Pamela thought there must be a good enough reason.

'It's a good thing for me.'

"Now, shall we go? We have a mountain of things to eat all day."

As Liwol held out his hand like a gentleman, Pamela took his hand.

***

The first day spent with Liwol in Rieberk was truly like a dream.

All the stories Liwol had told on the uninhabited island were true.

"It was really delicious, wasn't it?"

"Yes. It wasn't an exaggeration. It was truly a heavenly taste."

Liwol smiled, looking at Pamela who was now so full she was gasping for breath.

"The grand highlight is still left. I told you last time, right? With this one pineapple ice cream, it feels like everything just goes down smoothly."

"Yes. So we can start again?"

At that, Liwol nodded his head vigorously.

"Huh? You don't believe me, do you?"

"Pfft!"

"Oh oh? I'm telling you, it's true! I ate this pineapple ice cream that day and really started all over from the beginning!"

According to Liwol, Rieberk's prides already numbered around forty-two.

Liwol called one of them, the pineapple ice cream, the magic ice cream that made you able to start everything all over again. It meant it was that excellent for digestion.

"Okay. I believe you."

"Hah! This won't do. Let's go quickly."

As Liwol pulled her hand, Pamela followed him, pretending she couldn't resist.

'It's a relief.'

She had briefly regretted coming here with Liwol.

Was it really a good thing to have trusted him? The thought that it might have been better to have stayed alone and gone looking for Pola someday wouldn't leave her.

But after experiencing today, all those worries had long since disappeared, and a new worry bloomed, wondering if it was okay to be this happy.

"Ta-da! Pineapple ice cream, at your service."

Pamela let out a 'pfft' and laughed at Liwol's playful gesture.

"Please try it. And since we have to start again, don't stop your feet. What was the first one again? Walnut pie, right?"

At Liwol's rapid-fire words, Pamela smiled brightly and took a bite of the ice cream.

"Oh my."

"Right? Right? It feels like starting again, right?"

"My goodness."

This time too, all of Liwol's words were correct. It really felt like she could start all over again.

"It goes down smoothly, right? It makes you wonder if you were really full just a moment ago, right?"

Pamela, with her eyes wide, nodded her head.

"See. I told you so!"

"You're right. It really feels like I can start from the beginning."

"Haha! Now we're in big trouble."

Was he really going to start again? Liwol's feet quickened.

"Help me! Please help me!!!"

Just then, a child's voice came from somewhere.

"Oh my, goodness. Someone must be hurt."

The murmuring voices of the crowd.

"Tsk... tsk, tsk. He must have fallen from the roof."

Where the people were gathered and murmuring, a man lay with his arm twisted strangely and his stomach impaled on a stake.

"Please help me! Please save my dad!!!"

A small child shouting next to his unconscious father.

"Please help me!!!"

The child's cracked voice echoed sharply.

"With a wound like that, there's no hope."

"Ugh. How pitiful. He lost his mother a few years ago, and now he's about to lose his father too."

"That's what I'm saying. The fortune teller must have been right. She said that one would devour its parents."

Pamela, who was listening blankly to the people's words, was slowly walking towards where the child was.

"Let's go."

Liwol snatched Pamela's hand.

"You know you can't. Let's go."

"..."

Liwol knew. That with Pamela's ability, she could save that man too.

But Liwol shook his head firmly, saying she couldn't.

"Let's go. I promised you. That I would protect you."

"..."

Liwol said in a pleading voice. Please don't do it.

'Liwol is right. But...'

Pamela's eyes turned to the dying man. Although faint, he was still breathing.

"Let's go!"

Liwol shouted.

"I'm sorry."

In fact, if Liwol hadn't stopped her, she might have really been able to pass by.

"Pamela. No. Please, let's go."

But when Liwol snatched her hand, saying she couldn't, she thought.

'I wanted to test this person to the very end.'

Now that everything was certain. Pamela's heart was calm and cold.

"I'm sorry, Liwol."

Pamela, who had smiled sadly, shook off Liwol's hand and ran towards the man.

"Pamela!!!"

As Pamela's hand touched the man, leaving Liwol's voice behind, a pure white light burst out.

"Pamela..."

Liwol smiled.

[End of Chapter]