(...What do I really want to do?...)
Rita, the girl Fritz had rescued, was deep in thought.
(I want to see everyone again, but I feel so wrong leaving without ever repaying my debt of gratitude...)
Treated as an illegal "slave" and sold to cover a tax shortfall, Rita felt she could never truly repay Fritz for saving her from that life.
(Jin-sama mentioned Kaina Village... He said if I go there, I can reunite with the others who were sold alongside me, but...)
The tattoo on her chest, originally left there to serve as proof of the Celuroa Kingdom's corruption, had been completely removed. Her skin was now pristine.
(It’s all thanks to Fritz-sama’s sister, Elsa-sama... And yet...)
For a simple village girl like Rita, the mere memory of crossing paths with nobles, royalty, and even imperial family members was enough to make her tremble.
"But I can't just stay with him forever."
"Hmm? What are you talking about?"
"Eek!?"
Startled by the sudden voice while she was lost in thought, Rita let out a strange yelp and nearly jumped out of her skin.
"F-Fritz-sama! When did you get here?"
"Just now. I came back and found you mumbling to yourself. I thought something might be wrong, so I spoke up."
"I-Is that so?"
Rita’s face turned bright red as she realized she had been speaking her thoughts aloud.
"You should be happy. In about two more days, Jin-dono is going to take you to join your companions."
That had been the general plan, but a specific date hadn't been set until now, as they had been waiting for the political situation in the Celuroa Kingdom to stabilize.
The timing was driven by the fact that the Support Delegation also had to return to their respective homes for the time being.
"...What will you be doing, Fritz-sama?"
"Me? I'll be leading the Golias squad back to my home country."
"I see... I suppose that makes sense."
A knock sounded at the door.
"C-Coming."
Acting in her capacity as a servant, Rita stood up and opened the door. Standing there was Cynthia Kirkman.
"Fritz-dono, do you have a moment?"
There was a tinge of loneliness in her voice.
"Ah, Cynthia. What’s up? Come on in."
"Excuse me."
"Fritz-sama, I’ll go prepare some tea."
"Yeah, thanks."
By now, Rita had become quite capable of handling basic maid duties.
"So, what is it?"
"Right. It’s nothing major, but we’ve been ordered to return home tomorrow."
Cynthia spoke abruptly, but Fritz listened without his expression changing.
"I see."
"Gloria-sama, her father Boulton-sama, and myself. The three of us."
It seemed Jessica Norton would be staying behind a little longer to serve as Prince Arthur's guard.
"So, since you’ve looked after us in so many ways, I wanted to come by and give my regards."
Cynthia bowed her head deeply. Fritz accepted the gesture with a smile.
"Is that so? No, I’m the one who should apologize for not being able to do more for you."
"Not at all. Whether it was when we were attacked by the Copy, or when you helped transport our luggage on the road... you’ve been an extraordinary help."
"Well, you made us some delicious meals during the journey, and you took over a lot of the tedious paperwork for me."
"No, please, it was my pleasure."
Cynthia remained humble, though her cheeks seemed a bit flushed.
"So, what time do you leave tomorrow?"
"Yes, we're departing immediately after breakfast, so it should be before nine o'clock."
"Right. I see."
After a bit more small talk, Cynthia thanked Fritz once again and left the room.
"...So, Gloria-dono and the others are heading home, too."
"They were very kind to me as well..."
"Yeah... Alright!"
"Fritz-sama?"
Rita stared at Fritz with a puzzled expression as he suddenly stood up.
"I’m going out for a bit," Fritz announced briefly. He grabbed a bag from among his luggage and hurried out of the room, clutching it to his chest.
Jin and Elsa were looking out the window of their assigned room in the Royal Palace, watching the colors of dusk settle over the town.
"It’s finally starting to look stable."
"Mm. It was a lot of work."
Reiko and Edgar were being considerate, standing about five meters away to give them space. Laozi and Anne were currently inside the Konron 2.
"The Former King... King Richard. I heard his recovery has plateaued?"
"Yes... I tried everything I could, but..."
Elsa looked disappointed.
It seemed like a poignant moment... or at least it should have been, but the conversation between the two remained rather unromantic.
"But his maid was serving him with such devotion."
"Ah, that beauty."
The maid who was always attending to Richard.
He hadn't taken another wife after the Queen passed away, likely to avoid sowing seeds of succession conflict, but perhaps he had been lonely after all.
"She was probably more like a mistress to him... Elsa, what’s wrong?"
Because he had described the woman as a "beauty," Elsa was now pouting, but Jin was completely oblivious.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. When Reiko opened it to identify the visitor, it was Fritz.
"Jin-dono! Elsa! I have a favor to ask!"
As soon as he was invited in, before Jin or the others could even greet him, Fritz dove straight into his request.
"I’ve heard that Gloria-dono, Cynthia-dono, and the others from the Klein Kingdom are leaving for home tomorrow morning. I want to give them some gifts to thank them for everything."
With that, Fritz thudded the bag he was holding onto the table.
"With this, I want Jin-dono to make a sword, and Elsa to make some kind of accessory."
"H-Huh?"
Jin offered a distracted response to the sudden demand. Fritz took it as a confirmation.
"Then I’m counting on you!"
And with those words, he marched out of the room as quickly as he had arrived.
"...He's like a whirlwind, isn't he?" Reiko remarked, sounding a bit exasperated.
Upon inspection, the bag was filled with gold and silver coins, totaling 92,500 Toll. Ninety thousand Toll was a small fortune.
"The sword is for Gloria, then."
"And the accessory is for Cynthia-san?"
It seemed Boulton, Gloria's father, had either been forgotten or Fritz was intentionally limiting the gifts to the two women who had helped him on the road.
As Jin prepared to get to work on the request, a thought suddenly struck him.
"...By the way, is it actually appropriate to give a sword as a gift to a woman?"
He still had fond memories of the time Stea had scolded him for trying to give Elsa a silver dagger for her birthday.
Elsa thought about it for a moment before murmuring, "...It’s Gloria-san."
Jin found himself agreeing with that logic.
"...True, it is Gloria."
Settled on that point, Jin decided to go ahead and forge the sword.
However, he immediately hit a major obstacle.
"...What material should I use?"