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Chapter 300

When I conveyed that it would be difficult for me to return home due to certain circumstances to the orphanage, Claire told me to just rest quietly.

For someone typically overprotective like Claire, such a straightforward comment was quite surprising, and honestly, it caught Yeon-woo off guard.

It was a matter that would normally send someone into a frenzy, yet Claire remained so calm that Yeon-woo felt a bit disappointed.

But it was all just a matter of perception. Claire wasn’t unconcerned about Yeon-woo; she had sustained a serious injury and was just wrapping up her duties before coming to check in.

Perhaps it was a good thing to have left the tasks related to the World Tree in her care. It allowed me to buy some time to recover.

“Yeon-woo!!”

“Wow, you’re here…!”

Claire’s voice echoed through the empty dormitory, now vacant for the break. Despite it being soundproof to a degree, it felt as if there were no walls at all.

With her bursting in like a whirlwind, I knew ignoring her and not opening the door was futile; I had to let her in gently.

If it was Claire, she wouldn’t hurt herself, but the cost of any property damage would fall on me.

“Oh, hello, Sister?”

Claire froze as her eyes met Yeon-woo’s, who nervously chuckled. No, it felt more accurate to say she turned stiff.

Claire, scanning Yeon-woo up and down, suddenly burst into tears.

“I told you not to overdo it!!”

“Eek, don’t cry!”

This was a stark contrast to how things were before the regression. Although she hadn’t changed as a person, ten years had clearly made enough of an impact on Claire’s typically overflowing love to expose her emotional side.

Unlike before, when she would silently embrace Yeon-woo or scold him with sorrowful eyes, the current Claire was much more emotionally expressive.

A few minutes later, when Tae-oh, Shar, and Dawn were brought in to calm Claire down, she eventually settled in a chair, but it wasn’t easy to stop the Master once she started crying.

“Actually, I was waiting for you, Sister.”

“Sniff. For me? Why?”

“I might want to see you, you know? That’s not strange, is it?”

Claire sniffled at Yeon-woo’s words and glanced over at Tae-oh and Shar, her expression filled with confusion over the situation unfolding before her.

“Did you hit your head in a fight or something?”

“U-Um, not really….”

“I don’t think that’s something you should even have to hear….”

“If it were the other kids, I wouldn’t be bothered at all, but seeing someone who never asked for help doing this….”

…Have I really never asked Sister for any favors before? I thought I had been a pretty clingy kid compared to others.

Claire shook her head vigorously at Yeon-woo’s mumbled words. If Claire, of all people, was denying that, it really meant I had done everything I could to avoid being a bother since I was a child.

“So, what kind of favor does our Yeon-woo want to ask? Let’s hear it.”

“Could you possibly introduce me to someone in the Kingdom of Daesu?”

Claire’s eyes rolled in exasperation at Yeon-woo’s request.

Most of the time, she would nod instantly to Yeon-woo’s requests, but it seemed anything related to the Kingdom of Daesu was a sensitive topic.

“…Let’s hear your reason first.”

“Um, I need to get a prosthetic leg made, and elves are known to excel in this field. I was hoping you might know a skilled craftsman.”

“A prosthetic leg, huh….”

Claire rolled her eyes cautiously at the mention of prosthetics.

“I do know someone….”

“Then could you just introduce me? I know you have some history with Daesu, so if it’s too much for you, feel free to refuse.”

“Hmm, um…!!”

With her arms crossed, Claire leaned back against her chair, clearly torn. If it was bothering her this much, she could just decline.

Just as Yeon-woo was about to say it was okay, Claire opened her mouth.

“How are you planning to get in? They don’t usually let you in without a permit.”

“I was thinking of using my Master’s name; he’s rather connected, after all.”

“Well, that’s true… but… hmm, no, I mean….”

Watching her deliberate deeply, Yeon-woo thought this could take a while, so he decided to entertain the kids for a moment.

As he moved, Momo scurried over, interested, and Yeon-woo lifted her, placing her in Claire’s arms.

Momo, tilting her head with her silly expression while panting, snuggled into Claire’s embrace. Even while contemplating, Claire gently set Momo on her lap and began to pet her.

With an oddly robotic demeanor, Yeon-woo happily wheeled himself toward the children’s room.

“Alright, I’ve made up my mind…! Huh, Yeon-woo!? Where did you go!?”

This was the sound that echoed a few minutes later.

*

With a serious look, Claire decided to visit Daesu shortly afterward.

Despite Yeon-woo trying to persuade her that it was unnecessary simply to introduce a craftsman, Claire shook her head.

“I want to see my little brother after so long, and let’s be honest, I’d probably get lost if I went alone. The structures in the Kingdom of Daesu are completely different from human ones, you know?”

Considering that the craftsman wouldn’t even meet her if she didn’t show her face, Yeon-woo reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Although he was aware that she had some reasons for cutting ties with Daesu and was running an orphanage in a remote place like Hwangyang, it was an opportunity he couldn’t miss if she agreed to visit Daesu with him.

Merchants might come and go in Daesu, but being invited into the inner circle of the citizens of Daesu meant a completely different level of treatment.

Who knows, he might catch a rare opportunity during this visit.

With that settled, Claire made her preparations before leaving, while Yeon-woo sat there blankly, organizing his thoughts regarding this unexpected plan.

“I have to visit Geumomun and Daesu… It’s busy, so busy.”

If a craftsman guaranteed by the former Swordmaster of Daesu was involved, there was no doubt about his skills. Moreover, Daesu would surely have excellent materials for the wood needed for the prosthetic.

He even entertained the thought of using some branches from the World Tree, but asking to cut some off didn’t seem right.

“Am I really going to ask for something from the World Tree?”

Haha, hoping for the best, he chuckled but thought it was highly unlikely.

In the center of Daesu, the World Tree Igrdals wasn’t a tree from which harvesting was permitted. It was only allowed to be cut down through a ritual held once every few years, except in cases of it breaking through natural causes.

‘So what was Sister’s past?’

Before running the orphanage, she was the commander of the Crescent Moon Knights. Before that, she was the Swordmaster of Daesu, and since the Swordmaster also doubled as the head of the Igrdals Knights, she had held the position of head of Daesu’s foremost knight order.

With her stubborn and overly dramatic personality, it didn’t seem likely that she was one of the fairy nobles, who tended to be way worse than human nobility. Perhaps she was a commoner recognized for her extraordinary talents?

“Do you think Master would know if I asked? Am I actually curious about Sister’s backstory?”

At Yeon-woo’s query, Tae-oh and Shar shot their hands up eagerly. Dawn, who had been sulking seemingly uninterested, noticed the two raised hands beside him and slowly raised his own.

“Dawn, don’t get swept up by the crowd. Walk your own path. We’re headed to find Master, so can you hold down the fort here alone?”

“W-Wait, I don’t want to just stay behind!”

Yeon-woo’s serious request prompted Dawn to lash out. So that was it?

Actually, he had intended to tease him a little but acted oblivious as if he didn’t understand.

Unfortunately, that didn’t fly with Dawn, who glared at him with furious eyes.

“Then let’s go already!! Tae-oh, take Dawn’s hand!”

“Catch successfully!”

“Okay, we’re pushing together, understood, Dawn!?”

“W-Wait, you should open the door!”

If they weren’t careful, they’d run straight into the magically sealed dormitory door. Fortunately, Yeon-woo managed to evade disaster just in time and let out a sigh of relief.

But the trials were far from over. As the kids donned their shoes after opening the door, Shar shouted dramatically.

“Tae-oh! You know what we always do, right?!”

“Confirmed!!”

“Wait, what is it that you always do? Dawn, do you know?”

“No, I have no idea…?”

However, neither Tae-oh nor Shar paid any mind to his confusion. At that moment, Yeon-woo sensed it—the swirling mana emanating from Tae-oh’s body.

He was using magic. Tae-oh’s elemental mana, the shadows were freely unfolding. The kind of mana melting into the air was enough to mock any 5th-level spells.

And in front of Yeon-woo’s eyes, something indescribably dreamy appeared. It was, well, that is to say…

“…A jump ramp??”

Found while riding a car or motorcycle, it urges a compulsion to charge at it; however, he knew he shouldn’t. And yet, why was it that, in a state where he couldn’t control his body, it felt so terrifying?

Thank goodness, there weren’t any incidents where his pants got wet or anything, and beyond the vast sky, the four of them arrived at the Department Head’s Office in the main academy building.

*

“Curious about Claire’s identity, are we?”

As usual, Yuri was sitting at her desk, scribbling away at documents.

The only difference today was that she seemed to be using the method of focusing on thin air. Did she think her training still wasn’t enough?

“Yes. Since we agreed to head to Daesu together, I realized I didn’t know anything about her.”

“Ooh, heading to Daesu, huh? Sounds like a chaotic situation waiting to happen.”

“…Could you stop with the ominous remarks? Why would it turn into chaos?”

“Do you happen to know the current Queen of Daesu?”

“Uh, isn’t it Chloe Wigdre?”

“Yes, that’s right. The Queen has an older sister, and her name is Claire.”

“…Just a coincidence, then?”

“Kehehe.”

Even though it was a laugh devoid of any substantial answer, it felt heavy with meaning; was that just Yeon-woo’s imagination?

“Wow! Sister is a princess!?”

“Not just any princess. She’s known to be thoughtful, kind, and beautiful—the Elven heir apparent.”

Though Shar asked with surprise, Yuri’s light answer carried a significant weight. The very easy conclusion was that Claire had distanced herself from Daesu for a reason.

‘If she stayed in Daesu, people might arise wanting to crown her as the legitimate queen…?’

Perhaps it was better to avoid going, after all??

(To be continued in the next installment)

 

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