精品久久

Editor: Sam

“Laww!”

The light from the hole barely reached me a little further on and it was almost dark, and soon I came to a fork in the road. Which way did Lawk go?

He was on my right side since he was pulling my right hand with his left. Since he’s right-handed, he might have just kept going right, I also called out to him, “Laww!”

“Lei!” His voice sounded more like it was coming from the left. However, it was unlikely that Lawk had gone left when he had ran straight ahead. Did the pathways curve or intersect?

“Laww shthay thhere.” (Lawk stay there)

“Lei! It’s so dark, I can’t see anything!”

“Don’th move! Waith thhere.”

At least we’re both within hearing distance. If I make the wrong turn, I might still be able to find him as long as we talk to each other.

I proceeded to the right and began moving cautiously with my left hand on the wall to my left because he might have gone left in the fork road since his voice was coming from the left.

“Laww, Lei ish here.”

“Lei!”

“Aai.” I called out to him as easy-going as possible. My hands were almost pitch black and it was quite hard to move with a toddler’s legs. I was panicking, but I tried to stay calm.

“Laww!”

“Lei.”

“I’ve reached underground.”

I had a feeling that the straight wall bent to the left, but I couldn’t tell anymore. I moved forward one step at a time. I can hear a child’s breathing. I’m almost there.

“Laww.”

“Lei!”

My outstretched hand hit something warm and I grabbed it blindly.

“I found chu.”

“Lei! It’s dark. I couldn’t move.”

He must have been really scared. Lawk’s breathing was heavy.

“Laww thouch thhe waww withh your bacw.” (Lawk touch the wall with your back)

We both sat down gently with Lawk still clinging to me.

“Hah, hah, yes.”

I slipped between Lawk’s legs as he sat obediently and leaned against him. Lawk hugged me tightly. I was substituting for a stuffed animal, but he probably felt safer holding onto something.

“Laww if we waith a bith thhen hewp wiww come.” (Lawk if we wait a bit then help will come)

“I thought that I could get out from the hole in the hill if I went this way.”

“Ai.”

However, even after hearing him say that, if he wasn’t an impulsive child or one who thought about things a bit more then he would have waited there.

Lawk is impulsive, that’s why things turned out like this. It’s a bit dangerous when you’re little, but sometimes, it’s kids like this that allow people to progress massively.

I thought about this in Lawk’s slightly shivering arms and sighed.

Like Lawk said, it would be nice if this connected to the hill. However, night was near. I wish I had a map of the hole, but some places in here will crumble since it has been a long time since they were made, like the place where we fell into. I have to brace myself for it to take some time for them to come rescue us.

What can I do? I pondered in the darkness and then widened my eyes.

This isn’t Frontier. I have my reliable Ojii-sama at the mansion and my Oji-sama and Oba-sama. Nico’s guard is as unreliable as ever, but I have Hans.

And I have Nii-sama and Gill.

What am I worried about?

“Lei.”

“Ai.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Lei ish...”

I wasn’t particularly hungry since I ate sweets to my heart’s content before I was caught by Lawk. Rather, my bursting stomach felt a bit better after I exercised.

I’m sure Lawk ate a lot of snacks too, but he must be hungry no matter how much he eats after moving so much.

I rummaged in my pockets.

“Lei? What’s wrong? You’re squirming.”

“Found ith.”

Earlier, among the many snacks I had, I put a cake without cream into my poncho pocket. A biscuit would crumble in my pocket, so I selected something good that was solid and not too soft like a financier.

“Ai. Swheets.”

I opened Lawk’s palm and gently placed the financier in his hand. Lawk gently put the financier in his mouth. Crumbs were falling onto my head, but I put up with it since it couldn’t be helped.

“Yummy.”

“The shweethsh ath Ojii-syama’sh pwace are yummy.” (The sweets at Ojii-sama’s place are yummy)

“Yup.”

“I hab candy thoo.”

I took out candy from my other pocket. I always have candy with me. I was told not to eat it unless Natalie was around since it was still dangerous for me to have them on my own, but it’s alright for Lawk to have them.

I took out a piece of candy, opened up Lawk’s palm again and gently placed it in his palm.

“Eath ith shwowwy, awrighth?” (Eat it slowly, alright)

“Ok.”

“Don’th bithe ith.” (Don’t bite it)

“Ok.”

I could hear the sound of candy rolling in his mouth from the top of my head, so he should be alright. In the meantime, Lawk’s breathing calmed down a lot.

They should be entering the hole soon. Then, we should start too.

Nii-sama, are you ready?

I muttered in a small voice, “Bawwier.”

*DING* I still have a sufficient amount of magic power since I wasn’t continuously maintaining the barrier. In other words, I’m going to be the radar from now on.

“W-what was that?” Lawk was startled. I didn’t pay much attention to this, but he’s still a noble even though he lives in Frontier. It looks like Lawk also has magic power. If so, I can’t trick him.

“Four Marquish power. Ith’sh oway.”

“The Four Marquis’s power...”

“Nii-syama wiww fee with.” (Nii-sama will feel it)

I made another barrier after a short while, then repeated it again.

*DING* He’s here!

“Nii-syama nothiced!”

“Really?!”

“Ai.”

All we have to do is wait for him to come. In the meanwhile, I’ll listen to Lawk’s story.

“Laww, theww me abouth thhe fwowersh in thhe northh?” (Lawk, tell me about the flowers in the north)

“The north? Oh yeah. You like hepatica, don’t you Lei? My favourite northern flower is Mouse-ear Blossoms.”

“Moushe-ear Bwoshshomsh?”

“Mouse-ear Blossoms. Two of the petals are big and look like mouse ears, so Mouse-ear.”

“Moushe. Ear. Cuthe.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s pink. The hills near the northern seas are pink with Mouse-ear Blossoms in spring.”

“I wanth tho shee ith.”

“You can visit whenever you want. You can visit before you turn into an adult, right?”

“Yup.”

*DING* I activated the barrier while talking. Waves were transmitted back to me as if answering to my barrier. When we nearly stopped talking, a wave came from Nii-sama first.

“Cwoshe, Laww.” (They’re close, Lawk)

“What is it Lei?”

“Ith’sh your thurn. Yeww, yeww woudwy.” (It’s your turn. Yell, yell loudly)

There was no answer, but I felt like there were people here.

“Heyy!”

“Heyy!”

Lawk’s arms which had been lightly touching onto me, tightened and wrapped around me.

“Lei! There was a reply!”

“Yeww!”

“Heey!” Lawk’s voice grew louder and the reply also got louder. I was relieved when I eventually saw light at the end of the passage. I also activated the barrier one last time.

*DING, DING* Every person who had magic in the northern fief must have fief something swell up and disappear that evening.