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Frontier Lord Chapter 015: The second visitor, the man who returned

Chapter 015: The second visitor, the man who returned

I woke up to the feeling of sunlight on my face.

I rolled around in bed, gradually shaking off sleep as I did so. The feeling of fluffiness greeted me when I rolled to the left, and when I rolled to the right, the same ‘fluffiness’ was waiting for me. I opened my eyes to see nothing but white wool which, without saying, belonged to Francis and Francois.

Though I had prepared an area for them to sleep in, they had whined upon seeing it. Their bleating had made it clear that they wished to sleep right next to me. It made them feel safer, and thus able to sleep better, I guess? I could think of no reasons to reject them, so I agreed…

And that’s how I got here.

With Francis on my left and Francois on my right I was enveloped in soft, comfortable wool and the warmth that came with it. Spring had just come, so it was still chilly outside. However, I slightly dreaded the summer that would come in due time, and the uncomfortable heat it would bring.

Me-eh. Me-eh.

That would be Francis. He must have sensed my awakening.

「Morning, Francis.」

Me-eh. Me-eh.

「You too, Francois.」

Francis and Francois were early risers. They probably woke at daybreak, just like Aruna did. Yet, they seemed to have stayed completely still, taking special care not to wake me until I awoke naturally. Now that we had greeted each other good morning, they got to their feet, shaking their fluffy bodies. I too got up, doing some light stretches as I became fully awake. Aruna was preparing breakfast. After greeting her, the Meias and I went outside.

We strolled amidst the refreshing morning air. Once Francis and Francois had answered the call of nature, I groomed them by gently brushing their wool. Thus ended the morning routine for the Meias — an essential undertaking, for shedding in the yurt was a much bigger problem than in the stable.

「I’ve gotten slightly better at brushing your wool over the past week, haven’t I?」

From their expressions and the way they bleated in response, I deduced that my technique still wasn’t the best, and there was much room for improvement. Before entering the yurt again, I brushed the dirt off their hooves and made sure to do the same with my boots.

An aroma that made one hungry permeated the yurt. The dishes had been elegantly laid out on the table, accompanied by a smiling Aruna patiently waiting for me to be seated. I apologised for making her wait, then plopped myself down on the cushion opposite to her.

I put the spoon to my mouth and tasted the food.

Mm… delicious as usual.

As we ate, we watched the Meias sniff each other and engage in light banter. We were almost finished when Aruna’s horn began to glow.

It glowed green, just as we had seen when the three ladies had come.

「Mm? Again? No way…」

「Again, Dias. Due east. There’s only one this time, so I can easily tell that it’s a human.」

「A single person, coming to a desolate grassland?」, I asked, polishing off the last bit of food in one gulp. 「What for? Did a traveler lose his way?」

I chewed and swallowed as I got up and reached for my battleaxe. As I headed for the exit with the intention of meeting the visitor, Aruna, Francis and Francois started to follow.

「Hm? You’re really following me?」

「It’s only one person, so I think we can follow. We’ll lie low with concealment magic too… I just don’t want to see Francois crying again because you’re gone. We’re coming along even if you say no.」

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered that Francois had cried the previous time. I had felt bad for that too, so I was left with no choice. Let’s go, then, I said, petting the Meias’ heads…

And Aruna’s too.

—

I headed straight for our visitor, accompanied by the concealed Aruna and Co. Unlike the previous time, it was entirely possible to miss him, so I looked intently into the distance as I walked.

And there he was!

He was wearing a woven cloak and carrying a large sack. His hair was black…

Hold on, that face…!

「Hey, is that a Klaus I see over there –?」, I hollered.

Klaus, who had been walking while looking at the ground, heard my voice and ran towards me with a big smile.

「I came to visit you, Dias-san, but I got lost… I’m glad you found me! This grassland is really nothing but grass — no landmarks of any sort, and it’s tremendously difficult to ask for directions!」

「Well, that’s a grassland for you. But, Klaus… weren’t you and the three ladies headed back to the capital? Your armor, too… what happened to that?」

His cloak had parted during his sprint to reveal a dirty shirt and a pair of dirty trousers, both made of cloth. There was no sign of his fine suit of armor. The sword typical of a soldier of the Kingdom hanging by his waist had been replaced by a dagger sitting in its sheath.

「About that… I was fired. My sword and armor were taken away.」

「W-What?! Why?」, I asked, flustered. 「Is it because of me…? Because I drove those three ladies away?」

「It’s not your fault, Dias-san. I chose it myself.」

「R-Really?」

「You see… they mentioned that another war had begun, right? I knew that if I returned to the capital, I would certainly be dispatched to the frontline. I didn’t want that, so I intentionally did something to make them dislike me and get myself fired. I have something I want to do anyway, so all’s good.」

「I… I see. I understand where you’re coming from, because I don’t want to go to war either. But if there are things you want to do, what brings you to a place like this?」

「I want to work here, obviously!」, replied Klaus with an earnest face. 「Under your wing, Dias-san…! I wish to be a soldier serving your fiefdom!」

His eyes showed that he was serious.

Despite the fact that I was an orphan and volunteer soldier (instead of a professional one), Klaus, with who I had fought together, had never once looked down on me. On the contrary, he respected me a lot. I had saved his life on multiple occasions, and vice versa — we knew we could rely on each other.

For someone like Klaus to have become my friend was almost too good to be true.

I flashed a big smile and agreed on the spot.

Seeing me take one step forward, stop and then begin scanning the surroundings, Aruna, who sensed that I had something to tell her, dispelled her concealment magic.

「He was also blue during your conversation, so I’m fine with it. Also… thanks for seeking my opinion, Dias.」

I said nothing while she beamed at me. It was Aruna herself who had said that we were family, so it was only natural to seek her opinion as a family member. That was what ran through my mind, though I decided not to say it as it was too embarrassing. I simply returned her smile and looked back at Klaus.

Seeing that he was shocked by Aruna’s sudden appearance (and also her appearance), I went for a handshake. In spite of his evident confusion, he smiled when he saw my outstretched hand and gripped it firmly.

That was how I got Klaus, who I knew to be a reliable ally, to join us.