Chapter 43: Messenger

The mayor summoned us to Brendel’s shop.

Several dodgy people had entered Lentforce before us, but ended up doing nothing that would become troublesome yet; so everyone, especially Bart, relaxed a little.

The mayor’s messenger watched as I played with the blocks at the back of the shop while explaining something to Bart and Brendel. Alistair desperately tried to listen in but failed.

Finally, Bart nodded and walked towards me. He crouched down in front of me, and smiled.

“Lei, good news. We heard from your dad.”

“Otousyama!”

I stood up.

“Apparently, after he’d lost you at the border, he sent messengers all over the place. They never believed that you would be in Lentforce, but came here anyways just to be sure. Then they heard about an infant with violet eyes.”

“This place may be Frontier, but he searched the whole of Wester. And he still sent a messenger from Kingdom to each town. The Four Marquises sure are powerful. Oi.” Brendel was impressed and put a hand on his chin.

“Kaylie might be at the centre, but who knows how many towns there are from the east, west, and north of the town.”

Nearly three months have passed since I’ve been kidnapped. It probably wasn’t much time if they were searching for me all over the place. But, if father will thoroughly go through with what he has to do, then that makes me happy.

“How did you know that it’s really a messenger sent by her dad?”

Alistair was standing behind Bart, but he had his face turned away as he was gripping his side.

“When mum and I ran away from Kingdom, they didn’t chase after us anymore after we’d passed the border. Mum said that there’s no such thing as nobles in Frontier.”

“Alistair.” Bart stood up and tightly squeezed Alistair’s shoulders.

“Calm down. Anyway, we’ll follow him to the border town. We won’t just give them Lei.”

I only got here last month. It took them more than 1.5 times longer to get me here. But still, they’re going to travel with me again just to see me off.

“Baaarthhh…” When I tried to thank him, Bart looked towards the counter.

“Oh, Brendel! I’ll be taking the magic stones to Kaylie.”

“Yeah, that’ll be a great help. Having a lot of magic stones in stock is always good. Luckily, I’d just procured a lot of magic stones from you guys.”

“Baaarthhh…”

I’m not impressed anymore. He cheekily took on a job while he was at it! Bart turned towards my way again and smiled.

“So don’t worry.”

“Aai. Fanwsh.”

“Let’s go to the mayor’s place today instead of hunting.”

“Aai.”

I was so restless that day; I didn’t know whether I’d actually napped before being woken up and taken to the mayor’s place.

Trentforce is a town that was built along the west side of the Wellington Mountain Range ¹⁾that runs from the south to the north. The entrance to the town is on the south side and the mayor’s mansion is on the north side of town. It was a bit far from the centre of town so everyone took turns carrying me.

“Thhe thown’sh edge.”

“Yup. Frontier buildings are made so that Hollows can’t enter. But the mayor’s house was built even stronger than normal houses and his house is big as well. This way his house would be on the edge of town so that Hunters are able to evacuate there when needed.”

“Amawing.”

“He sure is. The mayor also has a large barrier box.”

“Wow.”

The person who becomes the mayor of a town in Frontier must protect their town properly.

“So I think it’ll be fine,” Bart said in a voice so quietly that I barely heard him.

Then we reached a large plaza when there were no more residential houses around and the mayor’s mansion was standing in the background. I, who had the image of father’s mansion in mind, couldn’t help but say, “Shmaww.”

No it was amazing. It is big compared to the town houses. But I couldn’t even see where father’s mansion ended whenever I played in the garden so I couldn’t help but say that.

“This is the first time I’ve thought of Lei as an Ojou-sama,” Kyaro muttered. That’s rude. I’m normally overflowing with grace.

“You’re right. She even snuck bread into her pockets the first time we meet.”

“She even did that with the dried meat.”

Unfortunately, the blame goes to when I first met them. Those were really hard times. But, I was able to relax thanks to the words of Mill and Bart, so I was able to enter the mayor’s mansion calmly. A person who looked like a butler appeared when the door was knocked. It was a middle aged man, the same one who had come to Brendel’s shop.

That person looked at me for a moment and then said in amazement, “It’s fine if only Bart and Ojou-san came. Why are you all here? Even Alistair came.” He was completely different from our butler. He was friendly.

“We’re all a party including Alistair and Lei. Everyone’s going to be listening in because we’re going to be deciding something important,” Bart shrugged and claimed.

“Anyway, the messenger is waiting for you. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are in town,” the butler said as he guided us to the parlour. He knocked at the door and announced our arrival, “I have brought our guests.”

“Enter,” he opened the door for us when he heard that reply and urged us to enter. Maybe it’s someone I know. My heart was pounding.

When I entered the room, there was a low table and sofa at the back with two people sitting with their backs faced towards us. They stood up when we’d entered. Apparently the person at the back was the mayor.

“Ooh, so this is Leila-sama!” I, who had been focused on the mayor, turned to the messenger who’d said this. I don’t know him. I froze a little and Bart asked in a whisper, “Lei?”

I clung to Bart’s shirt.

“Don’th wnow him.”

“I see,” that was all he said as he put more power into the hands that were holding me.