"What's wrong? Adventurers should eat more heartily!"
"Grandpa!"
"I've actually become quite hearty..."
"Compared to the beginning, yes."
The four of them sat around a large dining table, enjoying the dishes that the servants kept bringing.
As the head of a large trading company, he would naturally have servants. It was a complete mystery how Judge, having grown up in this environment, could create such amazing dishes.
Insigh was picking on Lizel for eating too politely, and Judge was hastily trying to calm him down.
Insigh's unusual behavior was a form of retaliation because Judge had been talking about Lizel so much during his stay, but Lizel, unaware of this, simply thought it was strange but accepted it as something that might happen.
"Insigh, you recommended Gil's sword, right? What about me?"
"With a body that can't even properly swing a sword, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? If you're going to fight, there's no better way than using a gun like you do now."
"Is that really the case?"
"You're doing something far more difficult than swinging a sword so casually... You have a really strange mind."
With a gaze like he was looking at something unusual, Lizel smiled and took a bite of salad.
Judge tilted his head at Insigh's words. Unlike Insigh, who had knowledge of adventurers, fighting methods were outside Judge's area of expertise.
"Mind?"
"Oh, are you curious? Judge said that his gun control is magic manipulation, right? Only a handful of mages can do that kind of magic manipulation."
"Then, then Lizel is incredibly amazing...!"
"Ugh, hmm... Well, that's true. But that magic manipulation is like assembling a model while reading a book, not alternately, but completely simultaneously."
Faced with such a dazzling gaze, Lizel gave a wry smile. Insigh said that it was more difficult than wielding a sword, but conversely, with someone as skilled as Gil, it seemed that the latter was actually more difficult.
What Lizel was doing involved some familiarity, but swordsmanship couldn't be faked; it was a testament to his honed skills.
Lizel couldn't possibly defeat the underground dragon alone, but Gil could easily defeat it (after a good fight, but practically unscathed), so the difference in skill was incomparable.
When this was added, Judge's gleaming gaze also turned to Gil, who was silently devouring his meat. Gil made a displeased face and shivered slightly.
"Don't glare at my grandson!"
"Your true nature is showing, old man!"
Gil's supposedly mellowed personality seemed to revert to its past self for a moment.
He cleared his throat to cover it up and continued his explanation.
"But what he's doing is fixing the gun's position, controlling the recoil, and even pulling the trigger with magic. It's like reading four novels simultaneously."
"?"
"It's not just about being able to look at them simultaneously. He has a brain that can process the information of four novels at once, that's why I'm saying it's crazy."
Judge didn't understand how amazing that was, but he understood that it was incredibly impressive.
Lizel didn't know if he was being praised or criticized; he didn't know which meaning to take from the phrase "crazy brain."
After finishing their lunch, which was served generously amidst such casual conversation, afternoon tea and small cakes were brought out.
"Ah, I'll go prepare for departure. Please take your time."
"You're not going to have dessert with your grandfather on your last day?!"
"I only ate lunch with you because you said so, Grandpa...!"
With his usually unreliable eyebrows furrowed tightly, Judge stood up from his seat as if he had made a firm decision. It seemed the servants had been informed beforehand, as only three servings of dessert were prepared after the meal.
Insigh's shoulders slumped in disappointment, and his large frame seemed to shrink slightly.
"Hmm... I used to be able to extend his stay by two days with this trick. They're quite thorough, aren't they?"
He was clearly a repeat offender; there was no room for sympathy.
Gil's cold gaze and Lizel's resigned look were directed at him, but Insigh's steely heart deflected them all.
Insigh looked at Lizel, whom he suspected was the reason for the thoroughness, and saw him politely accepting the tea and cake that had been brought to him.
The man whose beloved grandson had been constantly talking about "Lizel-san" during his stay was far more aristocratic than he had heard; even the gesture of thanking the servants seemed out of place. He looked far more suited to simply receiving the service as a matter of course.
He had been worried that his grandson might have been taken advantage of because of how attached he was, but Judge's change hadn't gone in a bad direction at all. Considering it was thanks to Lizel's nurturing yet indulgent approach, he supposed he could accept it.
"Hey, take this."
"Yes, yes, but it's a shame to waste it."
"I can't eat what I can't eat."
Speaking of changes, Gil had changed too, he thought, watching him push a piece of cake towards Lizel.
It would have been unthinkable when they first met a few years ago, that "the Single-Stroke" would team up with someone.
And it wasn't that he had been asked and reluctantly agreed; he was willingly with him. His well-honed merchant's eye had no doubt about that.
Thinking that there were few people who could influence those around them to this extent, he met Lizel's gaze as he was already eating his second piece of cake.
"Oh, speaking of which, I have a favor to ask."
"Huh?"
"Could you hand this over for me?"
A piece of paper folded into quarters was offered to him, and Insigh reached out and took it.
When he unfolded it, he saw what looked like a network of passages drawn all over it.
After examining it closely, Insigh's eyes widened.
"Something like this circulating would be bad, wouldn't it?"
"This... this is the underground passage of Marcade, isn't it?"
The most clearly drawn passage was familiar, indicating Marcade's main street.
Overlapping it, faintly drawn in a crisscrossing pattern, were the underground passages Insigh was referring to.
The circles marked in various places indicated entrances and exits, and Insigh recognized several of them, allowing him to realize they were underground passages.
Only the lord and a few heads of major merchant families who knew the true identity of the lord who had been involved in Marcade's development in the past knew about the existence of these underground passages.
If something like this were to circulate, it would certainly be a huge problem. After all, some passages led to the lord's mansion, and others allowed entry into Marcade without going through the gates.
"Hand it over to whom?"
"To Count Shadow. You know him, don't you, Insigh?"
Insigh glared at Lizel, who smiled and took a bite of cake, wondering how much he knew.
No one knew that Insigh knew about the lord's existence.
Not even Judge.
The other major merchant families who knew Shadow also kept their mouths shut, publicly stating that they had never seen him, just like everyone else. It was understandable that Insigh would be wary of Lizel, who had seen through their deception.
Even in his old age, the merchant's gaze was sharp, piercing Lizel.
"Please don't glare at me like that; getting the map was purely by chance."
"By chance?"
"It was tucked inside a book I won at an auction. It was inserted like an illustration in a very old book, so I suppose to anyone else, it would have just looked like a meaningless page."
Lizel took a book out of his pouch and showed it to him.
As the name "World's Oldest Mystery" suggested, the cover was worn, but the condition was relatively good.
Lizel thought that it seemed books were used to hide things in every world.
He knew it was an underground passage because he understood the style of underground passages from his original world. The escape routes essential for royalty existed in the royal castle where Lizel had worked.
Of course, he had checked whether there were actual entrances and exits while sightseeing in Marcade.
"The reason I thought you knew the lord was because I was certain your family had pledged allegiance to the current lord's family for generations."
"Oh, let's hear the reason."
"Because it was written in the book. It said your trading company also played a part in the development of Marcade."
"Why do you carry so many books around...?"
Insigh said that's why he didn't seem like an adventurer, and Gil agreed with him on this point.
Sulking that it was just a hobby, he reluctantly put away the book he had just taken out, "The Founding of Marcade."
"So, just because my predecessor cooperated, you think I'm still cooperating?"
"Yes, without a doubt."
Lizel, with a teasing smile on his lips, narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke.
"Judge is a very loyal and good boy. It's impossible that you, who raised him, wouldn't be the same."
"...Hahaha!"
Insigh laughed loudly, as if releasing a surge of pleasure. Hearing the genuinely joyful voice, Judge quickly poked his head out, but apparently deciding that they had become friends, he returned to his preparations with a relieved expression after Gil waved him away.
Insigh raised both hands in surrender, still chuckling, and finished his tea.
"What? If you know Shadow's name, did you meet him?"
"Yes, he treated me to dinner."
"You probably conned him into it, didn't you?"
"Hahaha! Against Shadow?!"
They seemed to be quite close, judging by how casually he referred to Shadow by name.
He was considerably older than Shadow, so to Insigh, Shadow was probably like a child.
There was no hint of reproach towards Lizel in his genuine amusement at the mention of being treated to dinner.
"Understood, I'll definitely pass on this map."
"Thank you."
"Should I tell him your name too, Lizel?"
"As you like. But if you do, he'll definitely make a sour face."
"That won't do, I'll definitely tell him."
He seemed to have a rather good personality.
It was almost impressive how Judge had grown up so pure and honest under his grandfather's influence.
Perhaps it was a case of learning from a bad example. He had even apologized to Gil for his grandfather forcing the greatsword on him.
Lizel watched Insigh fold the map of the underground passage, and with a slightly inquisitive, naturally upward glance, he asked:
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask."
"What is it, you cute little thing? It suits you quite well, I'll grant your request."
"At this age, that's a bit... No, thank you. Gil."
When Lizel called out to Gil, who was sitting next to him, Gil, who had been listening to the exchange with his elbow propped up, leaned closer. Lizel was asking something in a low voice so that Insigh couldn't hear, and he nodded slowly.
Basically, Gil never objected to anything Lizel did, as long as it didn't put Lizel in danger.
In front of Insigh, who was complaining like a child about the secret conversation, Lizel laid out several items he had taken from his pouch.
"Hmm, dragon scales... quite large, aren't they? Judging by the shape, it's not a flying dragon, but an underground dragon. They're a beautiful jade color."
"As expected."
"What about these?"
"I'd like you to buy them. I want you to advertise them widely and sell them."
Although it was only a few of the many scales, they were undoubtedly spoils of war from a monster that Gil had fought and killed.
Lizel had confirmed with Gil earlier that it would be a problem to give them to Insigh without Gil's permission, which was the content of the "secret conversation" Insigh had mentioned.
Insigh looked at the scales, tilting his head, saying that Lizel didn't seem to be in need of money, but Lizel affirmed it.
"I obtained these just yesterday by hunting an underground dragon in the 'Crystal Ruins'."
"Well, with Gil around, I'm not surprised. Hmm, the boss of the Crystal Ruins was quite tough, but not as tough as a dragon, was it?"
"It was like a hidden boss in a hidden room. So this morning I provided the guild with an updated map and information."
"Oh, I see... You understand the impact of things very well."
Lizel nodded, confirming that Insigh had understood everything without him having to explain it all.
Lizel had provided the guild with information about the hidden room.
The information, including the fact that Lizel is an E-rank adventurer, will spread quickly.
While there aren't any reckless adventurers who would dare challenge a subterranean dragon, there are always people who doubt others' success.
There will undoubtedly be a considerable number of people who think that an E-rank adventurer is making up stories for fame, that the reason no one challenges the subterranean dragon is to cover up the lie, and that the scales submitted were purchased somewhere else.
That's why Lizel wants to ask Insigh to release multiple subterranean dragon scales simultaneously and publicize that the subterranean dragon in the Crystal Ruins truly exists.
While it's hard to sympathize with those who doubt and then suffer the consequences, the Crystal Ruins are an important tourist destination in Marcade.
It's the only place where you can see inside the labyrinth, and many people travel from afar specifically for that reason.
If the labyrinth becomes filled with adventurers who meet their demise due to their own recklessness, it would become a major problem.
This proposal might seem like it's for the benefit of those reckless adventurers, but if someone were to say that it's indirectly accumulating favors with Shadow, Lizel wouldn't deny it. Nor would he affirm it.
"Hmm, I'd be overjoyed if you offered them to me for free as a token of our newfound acquaintance,"
"How much of an acquaintance are we talking about?"
"You're a shrewd one, aren't you?"
In other words, Insigh grinned at Lizel, who was asking how much he would do for him.
Lizel was the one making the request, but the tables had quickly turned, and Insigh felt a sense of excitement and exhilaration, like a business negotiation, for the first time in a long time.
He never thought he would feel this way about Lizel, who was still young enough to be considered his grandson—proud and envious of the grandson who had caught his eye. Insigh, who seemed to have awakened his inner businessman, looked as if he had become younger, his face, which usually didn't show any signs of having grandchildren, now looked even further removed from old age.
Seeing his smile, which was so genuinely joyful that it even felt ferocious, Lizel relaxed his shoulders and smiled gently.
"Well, this time we'll sell them properly. Otherwise, when Insigh-san uses the pretext of 'scales brought by an adventurer who defeated an underground dragon in the Crystal Labyrinth,' it would be a lie."
Considering the purpose of this trip, the effect would be diminished if they didn't sell them under that pretext.
Insigh dispelled his (business-like) aggressive atmosphere and sighed regretfully.
"Well, it can't be helped... Judge! Could you come here for a moment!"
"Grandpa, I'm almost finished with the preparations..."
"Judge-kun, I'm sorry, but could you help me for just a moment?"
"Yes!"
"What a difference!"
Ignoring the complaining Insigh, Lizel asked Judge, who had quickly arrived, to appraise the scales.
Judge, who tilted his head at Lizel's offer to give him some as well, figured out on his own that these were scales from an underground dragon that Lizel and Gil had hunted themselves.
He calmed Judge down, who was half-crying as he checked if they were injured or safe, and managed to get him to start the appraisal.
The size, quality, color, and luster were all top-notch. Since it wasn't a single reverse scale, the value was lower, but on average, each scale was probably worth about ten gold coins.
After stroking Judge's hair, who had meticulously detailed the appraisal results for each scale, he returned to his preparations, looking a little embarrassed.
"We should set aside a certain amount for something... but with this much money, I'm starting to think we could go on another expedition."
"We know what kind of attacks to expect this time."
"But I don't want to go through that intense experience again, so we need some kind of countermeasure..."
"Excuse me for interrupting, but aren't you going to accept the payment?"
Suddenly, a tray of gold coins was presented on the table.
They thanked him and accepted the coins, putting them into their wallets. The coins disappeared as soon as they were put in, making it easy to forget how much money they had, but Lizel remembered everything, so it wasn't a problem.
Gil, however, seemed to have no idea how much money he had, but after hunting such high-level monsters, he probably wouldn't run out of money anyway. Lizel, being a noble, naturally had little concept of money, but Gil was also quite oblivious to monetary matters.
"Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting..."
"Are you finished preparing?"
"Yes...!"
Judge, who had been going back and forth between the room and the stairs, finally poked his head into the room, slightly out of breath.
He had probably been loading up the magic tools and other items that Insigh had prepared. Some things didn't fit in the trunk with the spatial magic, so he might have also procured some labyrinth items here.
Judge was a merchant, after all; even though he came to Marcade to visit his grandfather, he wouldn't leave without doing any business.
Knowing Judge, there wouldn't be a problem with seating space, but Lizel wondered if there would be enough space to sleep as they stood up.
"Oh, Judge, are you leaving already?"
"Grandpa, thank you for the three days."
Insigh's face softened immediately upon seeing Judge, lacking the dignified air of a great merchant.
The contrast with the serious, businesslike face he had just shown was striking, and thinking this, they stood up to leave the room so as not to interrupt the family conversation.
But the moment they reached for the door, they were called back by none other than Insigh.
"Please take care of my grandson."
"Even without you asking, he's already a fine merchant. On the contrary, I'm grateful that you've granted such a presumptuous request from someone you've only just met."
"It's a request that benefits my grandson, Judge, so I don't consider it presumptuous at all."
Insigh, with a surprisingly youthful face for his age, smiled faintly, truly looking like a grandfather worried about his grandson.
Lizel understood that Insigh wasn't asking about that particular matter, but he replied playfully and expressed his gratitude. Insigh shook his head with a sincere expression, and then nodded slightly in return, also expressing his gratitude.
Lizel smiled one last time, bowed his head, and finally left the room.
"Why don't you stay one more day! Sleep one more night with Grandpa!"
"I'm going home now!"
Hearing the voices clearly through the closed door, Gil sighed heavily and muttered, "He's still just a damn old man."
Half a day after leaving Marcade, they were still enjoying a luxurious dinner while looking around the carriage, which now contained more items.
Most of the things Judge had acquired were stored using spatial magic, so they didn't take up much space, but the labyrinth items and other things that couldn't be stored with spatial magic had definitely increased.
Since it was unthinkable that Judge, who was so considerate of Lizel, would make the carriage cramped, it was probably Insigh who had given them various things before they left.
"But I wonder if Judge and Gil will be able to sleep side-by-side tonight?"
"S-sorry, my Grandpa...!"
"I'll sleep sitting up, so it's fine."
"Why don't you two cuddle up and sleep together? It would be funny."
"Then you sleep with Judge and use his arm as a pillow, and I'll do it."
Gil snorted in response to Lizel's teasing remark.
"It's fine to do it, but being on the receiving end..."
Lizel laughed playfully, while Judge's face turned pale and then red.
In reality, they didn't have that much luggage, and although it would be narrower than before, two men could sleep side-by-side without being too cramped or having to touch each other.
Judge finally realized he had been teased and started to fluster, but as soon as the meal was finished and they started cleaning up, he began to move with remarkable efficiency.
His movements were still incredibly lively, a stark contrast to before.
"Is it okay if I go first again today?"
"Yes."
They talked by the campfire, glancing at Judge who was diligently laying out mats in the carriage.
Since the first night watch, Lizel had consistently volunteered to stand guard first, but on none of the nights had they been attacked by monsters. Was it the monster repellent working, or was it because of the good choice of campsite that Gil had selected?
Lizel sat down in the comfortable chair that Judge had prepared and looked up at Gil.
The book he held in his hand was one he had bought in Marcade. Initially, he had sometimes become completely engrossed in reading, but now he could read while still properly performing his duties.
"You should lie down and rest properly."
"It doesn't make much difference whether I'm sitting or lying down."
It was true that he could sleep even while sitting.
For Gil, he could even get enough sleep for physical recovery while standing. Of course, it wasn't enough for complete fatigue recovery.
However, he understood the importance of resting properly when he could, so he agreed to Lizel's words and headed towards the carriage.
In the carriage, Judge had completely prepared for sleep, fluffing up two pillows and placing them side-by-side on the mat, and preparing blankets. Perhaps because of their earlier conversation, the pillows were conspicuously far apart, almost touching the walls on either side.
"...Hey, if I sleep next to this guy, you'll be sleeping with your arm around him too, right?"
"My situation is much more difficult, isn't it? At least hug Judge-kun while you sleep."
"Huh? Wait, that's tough for me either way...! You're not serious, are you?! Right?!"
The two childish adults enjoyed teasing Judge, who gave them the expected reactions, making him truly fun to tease. Of course, they wouldn't actually do it, as it would prevent Judge from sleeping.
Judge prepared a side table and warm tea for Lizel, which he seemed to have acquired in Marcade, and Judge timidly climbed into the carriage, saying goodnight.
Since no screams came from the carriage, Judge probably managed to avoid being teased any further by Gil.
Lizel looked at the teapot placed beside him and smiled, thinking what a truly considerate person he was.
Some time passed after the two went to sleep, but it was still far too early for a shift change.
Lizel lowered his gaze to the book illuminated by the flickering light and reached for the cup beside him.
The tea had cooled down somewhat, and its aroma had faded, but it was still welcome to his dry throat from being near the fire.
He was about to add more firewood to the crackling flames when he felt a slight unease, but he didn't stop his movements and naturally reached for the firewood.
Lizel couldn't sense the presence or killing intent that Gil spoke of, but he was sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, a skill honed in aristocratic society.
Whether the other person held goodwill or hostility towards him. Whether the current conversation had triggered a sensitive point or eased their guard. Even though the other person was also a noble and hid their emotions, Lizel could sense them and adjust his response accordingly.
The unease Lizel felt was a change in the atmosphere of the forest. Slightly off the main road, not at a designated rest stop for carriages, but in a clearing near a stream, somewhat deeper in the forest.
The visibility wasn't great, but the area was open and easy to defend, an ideal campsite where any monsters appearing would be immediately noticeable.
The moment Lizel threw more firewood into the fire and leaned back in his chair, a faint creaking sound came from the forest to his left.
"...Hmm?"
A metallic clang echoed.
One was an arrow flying from deep within the forest; the other was not the metal gun Lizel had instinctively brought out to intercept the arrow's trajectory, but a knife thrown from the carriage.
Lizel closed his book with a snap, placed it on the side table, and turned to look at the carriage.
"Were you sleeping properly?"
"I was sleeping, I tell you."
"What about Judge?"
"He's sleeping. Even if he wakes up, he won't come out."
Gil, who had silently disembarked from the carriage, was now standing in front of the rear door.
The door, which was always kept slightly ajar at night, was now closed, and this hushed conversation wouldn't reach Judge.
As Gil said, the sensible Judge probably wouldn't open the door even if he woke up, understanding that he couldn't do anything in a fight. There's no point in having a bodyguard if the person being protected doesn't understand how to be protected.
"Bandits?"
"Arrows like that are either from humans or goblins."
"Goblins don't appear around here, so it must be night bandits or something."
As they exchanged whispers, a faint, sharp sound, "Kiri-ri...", echoed from deep within the forest.
This time, however, there were multiple sounds. Gil, without losing his composure, muttered a small curse about the cheap bows being used.
The moment Lizel quickly hid behind Gil, arrows with sharp tips flew towards them at incredible speed, almost faster than the sound of the wind they cut through.
The tips of the arrows didn't even come within millimeters of Gil before they were knocked away by a sword that had been drawn seemingly out of nowhere.
Immediately afterward, Lizel's gun fired towards the forest.
The number of shots fired was the same as the number of arrows that had flown, and they were fired in the exact same direction.
Lizel, peeking out from behind Gil's shoulder, had fired with such accuracy that the bullets traced the path of the arrows in reverse.
There were four shots, but only three groans of pain reached Lizel's ears.
"Huh, did I miss one?"
"No, the direction was right. They either dodged, were incredibly resilient, or died instantly."
"They might have dodged. Their movements are a little too coordinated for mere bandits."
Lizel casually rotated his wrist, and the gun, which had been pointing at the forest ahead, now pointed behind them.
He fired several shots into the silent forest, the bullets scraping against the surface of the trees.
From the forest, where there should have been no one, a voice shouted, "We've been discovered!"
"I was just probing a little."
"If they were experienced, they would have stayed silent. The ones behind us aren't that skilled."
"So Gil will handle the tough-looking one in front... Oh, but maybe they're gone already."
"Huh?"
As if they had given up on hiding, figures suddenly emerged from both the front and the back of the forest, making rustling sounds.
There were eighteen people in total. Three of them were bleeding from their shoulders, so they were likely the archers that Lizel had shot earlier.
Lizel glanced around at the people who had surrounded him and smiled.
"They ran away, huh? Were you guys used as pawns?"
"Hah... Try running away with the boss here, and you'll be killed."
"I think it's the same either way if you're going to die."
"Any way of dying is better than being killed by the boss. I don't think I'll be killed by a pretty boy like you! Our 'Forky Gang' won't be destroyed as long as we have our boss!"
"...The boss's name isn't Forky, is it?"
Ignoring Lizel's retort, the men simultaneously attacked Lizel and Gil.
Those with bows nocked their arrows, and those with swords prepared to charge into the fray, attempting to shoot Lizel and Gil before they could react. However, Lizel's gun was faster, shooting the archers in the head.
There was no way to take them back alive anyway, and if their words were true, they would only be killed if they tried to escape with their injuries. This was faster.
A man who tried to attack Lizel without regard for the consequences was stabbed in the heart by Gil, who stood behind Lizel, without even turning around.
"If you scream, Judge will notice."
"He's already awake, isn't he?"
"I mean, it'll scare him."
Stepping away from the area where the blood splattered, Lizel looked at the carriage with a concerned expression.
Gil clicked his tongue, and with a series of flashes that were only audible as sounds, the arms and necks of several men who had raised their swords rolled onto the ground. The unusual sight of an attack that felt weightless yet severed an opponent's head with a single swing was truly worthy of the name "Single-Stroke Style."
Lizel, constantly covering his blind spots while repeatedly firing his gun, marveled at his own prowess in close combat as he put a hole in the head of the last remaining bandit within his sight.
Immediately afterward, it seemed Gil had also finished off the last one. A sigh of relief could be heard.
"We should move to a different location; monsters will be drawn here."
"...I'll move the carriage. You go inside and get some sleep."
"Isn't it too early for a change of shift?"
"It's your job to spoil him, isn't it?"
Lizel nodded in understanding at the exasperated words.
Leaving the rest to Gil, who was going to reattach the horses to the carriage, Lizel quietly opened the carriage door.
The outside scene, where the fire had already been extinguished, would likely be invisible to Judge.
The equipment, made of the finest materials, showed no dirt or even the smell of blood. Thinking how fortunate that was, he put away his removed shoes using spatial magic.
He probably wouldn't be going outside again today, no matter what happened; he would leave everything to Gil.
"Judge, we're going to move a little."
He gently spoke to Judge, who was huddled tightly in a blanket.
Meeting his gaze, Lizel saw eyes full of tears slowly looking at him.
The carriage began to move slowly. Gil had started moving.
"That must have been scary. You were so patient and waited so well, you're a good boy."
He slowly lifted his hand to wipe away the tears that were about to spill. The hand offered tentatively, as if gauging the other's reaction, would be withdrawn subtly if Judge seemed frightened, so as not to cause any guilt.
Judge saw Lizel's outstretched right hand lightly brush against the hair covering his face, and instinctively squeezed it tightly.
He confirmed that Lizel had smiled and tilted his head slightly, then his face crumpled.
"I-I'm so glad you're safe...!"
"It's alright, neither I nor Gil are hurt."
With his other hand, he wiped away the tears overflowing from Judge's eyes.
He then stroked his cheek, ran his hand through his soft, tousled hair, and gently patted him to calm him down.
Judge buried his face in Lizel's shoulder, whimpering.
The forehead rubbing against him and the hair brushing his neck each time tickled, and Lizel continued to stroke his hair, chuckling softly.
The hand gripping his was trembling slightly, and Lizel couldn't tell if it was from fear or worry.
"Come on, let's sleep soundly until morning. Can you sleep?"
"...Just a little."
His heart was still pounding, and he didn't feel sleepy, so Judge shook his head slightly.
His forehead, still buried in his shoulder, was warm, and although he probably wasn't completely sleepless, Lizel squeezed the hand holding his back.
He tucked the hair on the side Judge was leaning against behind his ear, and while stroking his soft hair, slowly lowered his palm down his back. Despite being curled up, his back was broad, and he stopped his hand when it reached the area behind his heart.
The sound of his heart, which seemed to reverberate even to his back, gradually became quieter.
"Lie down. You can keep holding my hand."
"I'm sorry, I'm so useless..."
"Judge, you've done everything you needed to do."
He smiled at the still-tearful eyes and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.
He covered Judge's eyes with his palm, feeling the trembling eyelashes tickle his hand.
"Close your eyes and good night."
He stayed in that position for a while, and after confirming that Judge had started breathing regularly in his sleep, he quietly removed his hand.
His sleeping face was a little troubled, not exactly peaceful, but he seemed to be sleeping soundly.
Judge had been a traveling merchant for many years, so he must have had similar experiences before, yet he was so shaken this time. Was it because he was so worried?
The carriage stopped with a slight jolt, but Judge didn't wake up.
"...He's asleep."
"Excuse me, I'll leave the rest to you."
"It's alright, you should sleep too."
He smiled at Gil, who had opened the door slightly to check on them, and Lizel also slowly lay down.
His hand, held tightly in a large hand, couldn't be pulled free, and he didn't intend to pull it free anyway, so he skillfully covered himself with the blanket using his free hand.
Gil, who watched this series of actions, let out a small sigh and muttered that he was spoiling him too much.