A point in time

Making our way through the grass path as the sound of the river echoing from afar continued getting louder and louderーtinkling as we headed deeper into the forest.

I tilted my head, trying to confirm whether the sound I was hearing was correct. “A river by chance…? In front of us.”

Astrid’s ears moved, locating the source of the sound.

“Oh, it is in fact a river, Mistress Eilise. I’d say it’s perfect for us to take a rest? We’ve been traveling for a week.”

“Sure, we can take a break till we get back on course.” I agreed.

Moments later, the line of trees eventually endsーIn front, stood a massive river, stretching wide enough to fit two ships. Swimming here didn’t look possible due to the strong wavesーSo teleportation is an option to get around.

As our shoes touched the coarse yellow sand, I separated myself as they approached the waters, and summoned a chair in the sand, sitting down as my pent-up exhaustion relieved.

Marieka turned to me, placing her hands on her hips. “I didn’t know you carried a chair!?”

“....Only for convenience.” I smirked.

Astrid kneeling on the edge of the river stood up. “ーFISH! Just wait a minute guys, my primal instincts are taking effect.”

She unsheathed her sword and lunged it straight in the water, her clothes soaked in the process before taking it out of the river, resulting in four fishes being skewered onto her blade.

My expression shot up. “That’s some accuracy, Astrid! I’m pretty impressed. Those fishes are no slouch, they’re slippery to catch.”

Annaliese beside her kneeled close to the water, narrowing her eyes to take a closer look, and underneath were multiple groups of fishes all moving at high speeds, few were atop the river and few at the bottom.

“Woah… They really are fast.” Annaliese jolted.

“Those are called Martian Fishes, they’re just like magical wolves or any other animals that possess mana. These fishes are really quick and have the tendency to swim in a zigzag whenever they slow down, they swim together during cold seasons to keep themselves warm.”

Hearing this, Marieka turned around and immediately approached the river, kneeling beside Annaliese.

“WWWOOOWWW!!! There’s so many!! And they’re all so quick! If I blink I’d miss one.”

I scoffed, complimenting Astrid. “Your instincts are great. Maybe if we run out of food supplies, could we ask you to handle the hunting?”

She smiled, straightened her posture, nodding.

“Of course!! It’s my specialty after all!”

That’s quite reassuring! More efficient if Astrid does it, as I’d probably do more harm than good…

Suddenly, a ripple of mana came back to me. Behind me, a few kilometers away… Wait.

….I recognize this person! He’s here?! In the Imperial Vascht…??!!

Jumping from my chair, I sprinted towards the forest. Marieka caught a glimpse of me and raised her voice. “Eilise! Where are you going?”

“Somewhere! Don’t follow me! I’ll be back,” I sprinted along the grass path.

⇔ ⇔ ⇔ ⇔

Passing by the trees and wandering off to a location beyond the path, finally, I stopped short behind a tree. Hiding myself for a minute, taking a deep breath before stepping forward.

Arriving in a forest clearing, in front of me was a man facing a tomb, kneeling on one foot… I slowly approached the man before kneeling beside him.

It took moments before he finally noticed me. “Oh young miss… You must be from around the village…? Do you happen to know of him?”

“Yes. I do.” I replied.

He nodded, smiling almost bittersweet.

“Eheh… I’m just glad he was known by a few… It’s sad how he ended up…” The man exhaled, before asking me. “What’s your name miss? How’d you meet him!”

I removed the hood of my cloak, revealing my white hair and sea blue eyes to whom he was familiar with.

The man was frozen before realizing who I was, he stood up and saluted in an instant. “Y… YOUR GRACE!! I… I APOLOGIZE! I COULDN’T RECOGNIZE YOU AT FIRST!!”

I waved my hand, assuring him it wasn’t a big deal. “No need for formalities, Officer Franz Fischer. You’re already retired.”

He recoiled. “Y… You remember my name…? Your grace?”

“I remember every division that I supervised, especially Officer Hans Schmidt.” My expression shifted, frowning. “…The only ones to ever suffer casualties, were including him...”

I paused, continuing as my tone began changing.

“Out of everyone, he was the one risking his life the whole time. And I couldn’t do anything…..” My brows furrowed.

I glared at him.

“Officer Franz, are you disappointed in me for not being able to save him…? Even though… I had the power to do so…?”

He kept his posture, obeying the same formality he had drilled in his memory despite retiring.

“...No, Ma’am! I wouldn’t dare to think that…” He turned to the tomb. “There was nothing more Your Grace could’ve done in such a situation… This dumbass wanted to be a hero… He really was a great man, I’m sure he’d be happy as hell to die knowing he saved a life… It’s not your fault, your grace… It’s impossible to avoid any casualties.“

I clenched my fist, resenting myself.

During that time, I thought I had been studying my role enough to fulfill it flawlessly… And yet… I failed…

Curling into a ball, I felt the need to blame my own actions.

The other pointed hats are perfect, have never made a mistake and never suffered casualties. And yet here I am… It was only that his highness was kind enough not to announce this publicly… Most likely to keep my image.

I stood up and summoned a bouquet of flowers, gently placing it atop his tomb. “I hope that he’s at peace now…..”

He nodded. “He’s out there resting elsewhere, perhaps… Your grace. A long and peaceful one…”

I paused, before giving him a warning.

“.....I don’t want to give Nixie any more problems. Mention none of this and keep this to yourself, Officer Franz Fischer. I’m sure you’ve already heard of my disappearance before you arrived here…” 

I faced him, placing a hand on my chest. “As the pointed hat of the kingdom of Ryven… I thank you for your service…”

Shaking in joy, he immediately saluted in response, holding his tears. “YES!!! THANK YOU… YOUR GRACE!!!”

“Stay safe, I’m happy to have met you again, two years later.”

I turned around and walked away from the tomb, making it out of the forest and rendezvousing with the grass path. What felt like minutes of talking, became an hour.

But as such… It was a bittersweet reunion. However I’d need to return back to the river.

I have to be back before they ask questions…

Suddenly, I halted, announcing myself without turning. “Astrid, even if you suppress your mana, I can still see you… Don’t tell me you followed me all the way here?”

The tree rumbled before Astrid fell down from it, landing on the ground.

“I don’t even think anyone can hide from you, Mistress Eilise.” She exhaled.

Shaking my head, ensuring here that there’s still a possibility. “You can, a year ago that is… Where’s Annaliese and Marieka? Did they follow? Or was it only you that came here?”

Astrid shrugged. “I left them! The truth is I only arrived now. So I don’t know what you’re up to!”

“That’s good. Let’s head back shall we?” I smiled, continuing forwards.

Astrid tilted her head, before quickening her steps to match my pace.

“May I ask the reason why you’ve wandered here? Mistress Eilise…?” She placed both of her hands behind her head.

Without turning, I placed an index finger to my lips.

“.....Unfortunately Astrid, I can’t tell you.”