As soon as they finished their contract with Gold Nine, everything began to proceed in a flash.

The employees who had come with Allie began to take charge of everything, including the mine, in an orderly fashion, and among them was the remodeling of the county estate.

"Thank you. You don't have to worry about the county estate..."

"Ah, no. It was a construction you were going to do anyway, right? We're not doing it for free either."

Allie was a tremendous merchant. He had thought about renovating the county estate someday, but he had not intended to proceed with it like roasting beans in a lightning fire.

But Allie quickly brought in a construction company under Gold Nine and proceeded with the remodeling of the county estate.

Of course, she did it at a cheaper price than other places, but she never did it without getting paid.

"Ah, do you by any chance know about the red boars?"

The Count, who was watching the construction, remembered what Aman had said and quickly asked her.

"Yes. I do."

"Then do you also know how to chase away the red boars?"

"Yes. Why? Are you worried about the red boars?"

Allie asked indifferently, tidying up the hangnail on her fingernail.

"Yes. I'm really worried. They're ruining all the farming that our territory's people are doing."

"Yes. Well, I'll take care of it."

"Is that really true?!"

"It's easy to solve, but it costs a little money. Is that okay?"

Allie smiled brightly and made a circle with her index finger and thumb, jingling them.

The Count, who had flinched for a moment at the sight, soon nodded his head.

He had received that large sum as a contract fee, so he could do this much for the people of the territory who had suffered so much.

"Yes. Of course."

"Okay. Then well! Tell me where you need it. Ah, and mana stones are needed. It doesn't have to be high-grade, even low-grade is fine, so our trading company will choose and install them."

"Installation..."

"We're going to put electric magic on the mana stones and make something like an electric fence. When the boars approach, it will go 'chijijijik'!"

Allie made a sound of electricity crackling and then drew a line across her neck with one hand.

"T-then if the people of the territory get hurt..."

"Ah, that only activates on wild animals. There are no boars among the people of the territory, right?"

"..."

"Are there?"

The Count's head was spinning. When he talked to Allie, he would easily get caught up in her eccentric pace.

As if he were possessed by something.

"No... there aren't."

"Okay. If you're worried, just tell me a few tired animals. We can make it activate only on them. But it costs a little more money?"

He had lost. There was no way to win against her business acumen.

The Count just nodded his head slightly, having lost even the will to speak.

"Then just tell me where to install it. I'll install it in a jiffy!"

"Yes... thank you."

"What's there to thank me for? I'm getting paid for it."

Allie winked one eye.

***

Lucas and Nella had finished preparing to leave for the academy.

"Then contact me anytime."

The improvement in the county estate's situation could be seen just by looking at the crystal balls that were packed in Lucas's and Nella's luggage.

The county estate was becoming so wealthy that they could buy not just one, but two expensive crystal balls and put them in the children's bags.

"Yes. Don't worry."

"Right, you take good care of Nella. Nella, you have to listen to your older brother too."

Nella, who had nodded her head slightly instead of answering Blaine's words, held Lucas's hand tightly.

"Now, and take this."

Count Cibie handed Lucas a pouch. It was a pouch full of gold, not even shillings.

"If you're short, just tell me anytime."

"Thank you."

The Count's expression was triumphant. Lucas, who was watching him, began to feel a wave of emotion.

'This poor house is finally...'

It was just the other day that the children had come to visit, and at that time, the family had been struggling just to prepare a meal.

But with the one mine that Aman had given them, they had suddenly become incredibly rich.

Blaine, who hugged Lucas and Nella once each, did not cry for some reason.

Blaine, whose eyes would well up with tears just at the thought of the children leaving, was seeing them off with a smile.

It seemed that money was indeed good. The thought that she could visit the children anytime and communicate with them anytime seemed to have made her tears disappear.

"Then, please take good care of the children."

"I wonder if our children are bothering the professor..."

"Haha, not at all. I think it will be a fun trip thanks to them."

It was a great relief that the children were not going to the capital alone. But he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the thought that he was always indebted to Aman.

"Ah, and this..."

Blaine handed Aman a small box.

"What is this?"

"It's a small token of our county's sincerity."

Count Cibie answered instead.

When he opened the box, there was a small pendant inside. A large, exquisitely crafted mana stone was embedded in the pendant, which was the size of a child's fist.

Large and small gems were densely embedded around the mana stone, boasting the height of splendor.

'...Allie's taste, I see.'

The corner of Aman's mouth twitched as he looked at the pendant. It was clear that the Count had asked Allie to make the pendant.

"T-thank you. You don't have to give me something like this..."

"Not at all. How much have we been indebted to Professor Aman? We can give you tens, no, hundreds of these."

"Haha, you don't have to go that far..."

Aman, who smiled awkwardly, closed the box and carefully put it in his pocket.

Such a pendant was useless to Aman, a dragon, but wasn't it the sincerity of the Count and Countess?

And such a splendid pendant! It was burdensome to even wear it anywhere.

"Then I'll be going."

"I'll be going. Father, Mother."

Blaine, who hugged Lucas once, kissed his forehead lightly.

"...Goodbye."

"Oh my, Nella. Goodbye? You should say 'I'll be back'~"

Blaine, who gently chided Nella for the farewell she had mumbled, hugged the child tightly.

"I love you. My daughter."

"Yes... M-mom."

"Sob! Nella... thank you, thank you."

It finally burst. At the word 'mom' that Nella had uttered for the first time, Blaine's tears finally burst.

Blaine, who had been in a tearful storm for a long time, looked at the direction the carriage had left for a long time, until the carriage was out of sight.

"Let's go in. It's getting cold."

"Yes... I want to go and see the children soon."

"Let's do that."

The Count, who wrapped his arm around Blaine's shoulder, kissed her cheek gently.

***

Aman and the children, who had stopped by the village of Oriha and spent a day, hurried to prepare to leave again.

The group, who had had a simple lunch at the inn, got on the carriage.

"Nella, are you okay? You're not hungry?"

"...Okay."

From the moment she had left the county estate, Nella had not been able to eat anything.

Aman had even used healing magic, thinking that she might have gotten motion sickness from the long carriage ride, but her condition did not improve at all.

"Hmm... then drink some water."

"...Okay."

Nella's condition was so bad that she could barely answer.

As soon as she got on the carriage, her complexion began to turn pale, and as they left the village and entered the forest path, she kept clenching and unclenching her hands, as if her hands and feet were numb.

"Haa... haa..."

Nella eventually began to gasp for breath, as if she couldn't breathe well.

"Nella, Nella!"

"Stop the carriage!"

Lucas, who was urgently calling Nella's name, and Aman, who was stopping the carriage.

Nella's complexion was not just pale, but ashen. Her hands were cold, and her rough breaths were hot.

Aman and Lucas, who had urgently stopped the carriage and taken Nella outside, diligently massaged the child's hands and feet.

Aman was diligently casting healing magic on Nella, but there was no sign of improvement.

Nella was gasping for breath and was now even muttering nonsense.

"Please... save me... save me... I'm sorry..."

"Nella, Nella! Get a grip!"

Lucas's hands were busy as he diligently massaged the child's hands.

"I... found it... the doll... I found it... please believe me..."

"It seems this is not a physical illness..."

Aman, who was watching the frantically muttering Nella, opened his mouth.

"Please... save my mom... please... please..."

Only then did Lucas raise his head and check where he was.

He realized his mistake. This was the forest path where Nella had been found.

The forest path where Nella, who had watched her mother die, had walked aimlessly with her small feet to survive.

Nella was a child who had temporarily lost her speech due to a mental shock. To have brought such a child back to this forest path, her mind could not be sound.

"Put the child to sleep. Aman."

As Aman's magic wrapped around the child's body, her rough breaths gradually began to subside.

"...I shouldn't have brought the child this way."

"That's what I'm saying. My thoughts were short."

Nella, who had fallen asleep, was still in pain, frowning and letting out occasional groans.

"It seems better to let her sleep all the way."

"Right. And find out what happened to Nella's lost family."

"Yes. I understand."

Aman carefully held Nella and got on the carriage.

They would arrive at the academy in about half a day.

Aman, who carefully tucked Nella's sweat-soaked bangs, looked at the child with pity.

The terrible thing she had experienced at a young age was eating away at the child's mind.

"You poor child..."

Aman swallowed a bitter breath and let out a small sigh.

***

Lucas, who had arrived at the academy, entrusted Nella to Aman and headed straight to the O'Neil Duchy.

He knew that someone from the O'Neil family had come to visit.

He also knew that his father, Cibie, had forgiven his old friend, Duke Cirus O'Neil, and that the two people who had met after a long time had talked about their past lives all night and had reconciled.

Lucas did not like Duke Cirus very much. In Lucas's eyes, he was just a pathetic human who had betrayed his close friend, blinded by power.

But what could he do? His father, Count Cibie, had forgiven that pathetic human and had accepted him as a friend again.

Lucas, who stood in front of the O'Neil Duchy, informed the guards of his identity and requested to see Skir.

Not long after, the main gate opened, and he could see Skir walking from a distance.

"Lucas. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to let you know that I'm back. Although we'll see each other at the academy now."

In fact, the reason Lucas had come all this way was to check on Skir's condition.

If what he had heard from Aman was true, Skir's head would be complicated because of his older brother, Stun, who had left home.

His prediction was not wrong. Skir's expression was ambiguous, as if he was not sure whether he was happy to see Lucas or not.

"Thanks. Are the Count and Countess well?"

Even if he was still a child, a noble was a noble. As if he had been thoroughly taught to hide his expression since he was young, Skir showed the composure to ask about the county's well-being first, even while giving a bitter smile.

"Right. They're doing well, thanks to you. What about the Duke and Duchess?"

"Ah, my father has gone to the imperial palace... and my mother is a little unwell. If it's okay, can I greet them next time..."

"Of course. Don't worry. I just came to see if my older brother is okay."

"...Thanks."

At the word 'older brother' that had come out of Lucas's mouth for the first time, Skir, who had noticed that he knew everything, just nodded his head and did not say anything else.

"When are you planning to return to the academy?"

"...I was planning to go in time for the level test."

"Let's just go together now. With me."

"..."

His eyes reddened at Lucas's words.

Although Lucas was four years younger than him, he always felt like an older brother for some reason. Sometimes, it felt as if a hundred-year-old man was sitting inside Lucas.

"Let's go. Older brother."

"...Right. Let's go."

At Lucas's urging, Skir bit his lower lip once and then smiled sadly.

(End of Chapter)