Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

It’s at that moment that I notice them. The several signs suggesting that.

We’re nearing the end of the summer.

At dusk, the sky a gorgeous dark red, the protagonist visits the herb garden in the western region of the village.

He doesn’t return home by his usual time.

All these elements brought together match an event in the game.

That event is practically seared into my memory.

“Lian” isn’t involved in that event. It won’t be life-threatening for Alfred either, so… I don’t really have to worry or concern myself with it.

Not to mention…

In the game, Alfred experienced this event alone. That’s all the more reason why Lian—I—shouldn’t interfere in what’s going to happen.

…That’s what I tell myself.

In the Cheddars’ house, I look out the open wooden window and gaze at the sky. It’s dyed dark red with a smidge of glittering gold.

…So it’s finally time, huh.

The start of that event.

And I… keep this fact buried in the back of my mind. A measly attempt to erase all traces of it from my memory and pretend I’ve forgotten. Besides, I tell myself, I have other things I need to do. Other things I need to attend to.

I continue to pretend not to notice. Pretend not to know.

This has always been the case all the way up until now.

My heart is too weak.

I’m too much of a coward.

Thinking of this, I begin to hate this side of me from the bottom of my heart.

That’s right.

That event…

On one particular day, the protagonist goes to Granny Herba’s herb garden.

During his visit, Granny’s two adorable goats, a mother and her child, escape, running into the dark west forest.

The granny requests the protagonist to chase after her goats, and the protagonist accepts.

And so, he traversed deep into the forest.

The layer of rocks covering the ground. The towering trees with their twisted roots occasionally sticking out of the ground. The forest is filled with too much danger, so the villagers rarely head too far into the forest.

Beyond the forest is a small open area. A small riverside.

The only ones who visit that place are the birds and wild animals.

Beside this river is a large tree.

And at the base of the tree is—

“Lian-sama?”

This snaps me back to reality. I shift my gaze away from the window and toward Cheddar-san’s wife.

She has an odd expression on her face. I can see her worry as well.

The kids clinging to my feet also stare at me with mystified expressions.

“What happened?” asks Cheddar-san’s wife.

“Ah, no-nothing,” I reply. “It’s just that we don’t know when Alfred will be able to return. He’s out doing some chores for Granny Herba, right? Maybe… he might not be able to return today…”

“Hmm… You’re right…” Cheddar-san’s wife places a hand on her cheek and releases a sigh. “You could be right… During his last visit to the herb garden, Granny asked him to repair the roof and rebuild the door. By the time he finished, it was already late at night, so Granny detained him at her house overnight. He only returned to the ranch the next morning… Al may be unfriendly, but he’s actually a very gentle kid. I think Granny likes him a lot too.” She then flashes a smile and turns her gaze out the window, eyes slightly squinted. She adds, “I guess if Granny detains him again today after asking him to do chores for her, he’ll probably only return tomorrow morning.”

“…Yeah, maybe,” I reply vaguely, my mind blank.

I tell Cheddar-san’s wife to wait a few moments before returning to the carriage to get Alfred’s toolbox.

Then I bring it into the house and hand it to her, saying, “…Can you return this toolbox to Alfred?”

Although Cheddar-san’s wife scrunches her eyebrows, a troubled expression crossing her face, she takes the toolbox. “I’m really sorry. Even though you especially came here to return this to him… Ah, I know. If you don’t have any urgent matters right now, why don’t you wait for him for a while? We can have some tea together. Maybe you can stay for dinner too. How about it? Al might just come back soon. And now that I think about it, tomorrow’s a Saturday! He needs to send some deliveries to the mansion tomorrow morning, right? I’m sure that he won’t stay in Granny’s house overnight.”

I shake my head.

Even if I wait the whole night, I already know… that he won’t be able to return to the ranch today.

“Thank you for the offer, but… I’ll be heading home now.”

“What? At least let me serve you a hot drink before you leave. I’ll go prepare it right now!”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you for your concern, but I still have some work to do. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Oh… So you’re busy with work… Then, please come again if you have time! I’ll treat you to delicious coffee mixed with extremely fresh milk! Thank you for bringing that kid’s toolbox back here, Lian-sama. Please take care on your way home.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Despite her look of disappointment, Cheddar-san’s wife sends me out with a smile.

Meanwhile, the three siblings cling to my waist, disappointment similarly evident on their faces, and look up at me.

“Lian-sha, are you going home now?”

“Yeah, I’m busy today, so I have to go home. I’m sorry.”

Right after I say that, the eyes of those three kids grow moist, and their bottom lip jutted out in a pout.

“Hu… Will you visit us again soon?”

“Visit again?”

“Visit? Play together?”

“Yeah, I’ll come visit you guys again. We can play together by then.”

“Rweally?”

“Really.”

“Pwomise?”

“Yeah. It’s a promise.”

After I stroke their three bouncing heads, they give me a big nod and a smile.

“Pwomise!”

“Yup, that’s right.”

Finally convinced, the three kids release my waist and run to Cheddar-san’s wife.

Afterward, Cheddar-san’s wife and the three kids wave their hands at me with enthusiasm and energy. I wave back before leaving their house.

Like usual, Shurio leaves his seat and opens the carriage door.

Then, for some reason, a conflicted expression crosses his face when he looks at me, wrinkles forming between his eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Young Master, are you alright?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“No… I just feel that you look a bit unwell… Did something happen? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Nothing happened, Shurio. I’m fine.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good…”

Yeah. I’m fine.

On the other hand, the person who’s not fine right now is…

Alfred.

I angle my head up toward the sky. The remaining light blue color on the eastern sky from earlier has completely disappeared.

The sky is now like a canvas painted entirely in red.

…Yes.

Even if I decide to follow him, I won’t be of any help. The happenings in that event aren’t something I can change.

Besides, that event has nothing to do with Lian or anyone else, only Alfred. It’s meaningful only to Alfred.

I know that.

I understand that.

But…

“…Shurio.”

“Y-yes?”

“Let’s stop by one more place before returning to the mansion. Go to Herba-san’s ‘Soil Herb Garden.’ I want to buy herb liquor.”

“Huh? To the herb garden? Right now?”

“…Yeah. I just remembered that we ran out of it at the mansion.”

Though Shurio looks a bit confused, he still nods with a smile, after which he gets onto the coachman seat.

…I know there’s really nothing I can do to help Alfred.

But I can at least send him to his destination, right?

There won’t be a problem if I don’t do anything beyond that. At least, there shouldn’t be.

After rushing into the carriage, I call out to Shurio,“Let’s set off… And be a little quicker than usual.”

My trip to the garden will be pointless if I arrive too late and discover he’s already gone too far ahead for me to find him.

“Yes!” Shurio nods. Then he pulls at the reins with skilled hands and nimbly guides the horse back onto the road.