ODDD 05

Chapter 5

Dad said that it had been a coincidence.

On that day, which had been no different from any other, spent battling monsters that had broken through a gate.

An ominous light wavered in the air, as though space itself had been torn open.

From the harsh flapping of the insectoid monsters pouring out of it, people could neither utter a scream nor even open their eyes properly.

Every time they swung their abnormally long front legs like scythes, people were slaughtered like sheets of paper, unable to even let out a cry.

All around, there were only torn banners and scattered blood.

‘I didn’t want to die like this…’

Left all alone, Dad had also closed his eyes in the moment he thought he was about to die, when the nearby lodestone mine collapsed with a tremendous roar.

Rumble!

The avalanche of poured-out lodestone enveloped the area around the gate, and Dad saw it.

He saw the empty air reacting with the masses of lodestone, flickering violently like mad.

He saw the gate being crushed shut beneath that invisible force radiating from the magnets—that magnetic field.

In order to survive that hellish scene, Dad had rolled across the ground cradling raw lodestone stained with his dead comrades’ blood in his arms, utterly convinced.

That this invisible wave was the sole key to closing this hellgate.

“Scholars began researching magnetic fields in earnest, and they created neodymium and installed it all across the Empire. Ever since then, the rate of gate occurrences visibly decreased until they eventually vanished altogether.”

“…If what you say is true, then your father was indeed a hero of the Empire.”

Even after that, I continued my explanation about Dad. Aidan, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“Then how did he come to take you in?”

“I was abandoned in front of a gate.”

“What?”

His expression crumpled. Yes, even in the mind of the arrogant Aidan, my biological parents had gone too far.

“It’s funny, isn’t it? My biological parents left me there hoping I would die. But my dad was dispatched there, found me, and raised me. At the time, Dad was only twenty-two. How hard must it have been for an unmarried man to raise a little baby?”

A lump formed in my throat.

The sole existence in this world who loved me even more than my biological parents had. My dad.

So no matter what, I had to find out why Dad had vanished, and what I needed to do to make him appear before me once more.

I opened the diary and asked,

“Where should we start reading from?”

“If you want to trace clues about an incident, working backward is best.”

I also thought reverse reasoning was better.

“This part is what I read earlier.”

I turned back just one page.

“Then let’s read slowly from here.”

There was one diary. Two people.

We had no choice but to sit close together and read side by side.

[I am troubled. What should I wear to Cynthia’s graduation ceremony? The only clothes I own are the worn-out garments I wear when doing mercenary work, so after agonizing over it for a long while, I ended up borrowing a suit that Theodor wore to his son Edward’s wedding. When I mentioned that the sleeves and leg lengths were a bit short, he pouted and grumbled that I shouldn’t wear it then, so I had a hard time soothing him. At any rate, this guy is so petty for a man.]

“It doesn’t seem like anything significant is written here.”

“Diaries are like that to begin with.”

I shrugged my shoulders. To be completely honest, considering Dad’s personality, the very fact that he wrote a diary like this was astonishing. Although he was a person with a lot of affection, he was not a meticulous man.

Aidan turned to the preceding page once more.

“He didn’t write in it every day, either. It seems he only wrote when something happened.”

[I met Arthur after a long time. It had already been six months since he set off on a commission toward the south, so it was the first time in half a year. He spent the entire meal bragging about how peaceful the south was, and how wonderful the scenery was.]

“Even that entry isn’t all that impressive of an event.”

It was just as he said. The contents of the diary were far too trivial to infer that something had been recorded.

“If he got caught up in some incident like you said, wouldn’t a work log be more helpful than a diary?”

“I’d like that as well if possible, but all of Dad’s belongings have vanished.”

“Still, you never know. Just as the diary remained, a work log might remain as well. How about going to the mercenary group and looking for it?”

Could that be? Thinking about it, even if a personal work log vanished, the tasks Dad took on—recorded by the mercenary group for administrative purposes—might still be written down.

“That could certainly be the case.”

“Then go tomorrow and look for it. For now, let’s finish reading this.”

Nodding my head, I reached out my hand to turn the diary page forward. Aidan seemed to have intended to do the same.

Both of us recoiled in surprise and pulled our hands back. Gasp, I had never even held another man’s hand besides Dad’s!

“Fussing like that over just a brief touch of hands.”

“F-Fussing! When did I ever fuss!”

“Your face has turned red as a radish, hasn’t it?”

I hurriedly turned my head away. Had it? Was it red?

I pressed the backs of my hands against my cheeks, but I couldn’t really tell.

Did they feel hot? Hands are naturally warm to begin with!

I stole a glance to the side. As if his initial surprise had been a lie, Aidan was reading the diary with an unfazed expression.

“L-Let’s read together.”

After that, we examined the diary together for a while, but there was no noteworthy content. Occasionally, work was mentioned, but no exact location names were given, and it was roughly written as just ‘Headed south.’

“Whew, for now, it seems there isn’t much content among the parts we’ve seen so far.”

“As expected, the work log side holds more potential. I’ll set aside a day of annual leave for you tomorrow, so go and check it out.”

Aidan showing consideration? What brought this on?

“In return, once you find the work log, make sure we look at it together.”

I wondered if there was really a need to look at it together, but he would probably just say again that it was to verify whether I was in my right mind.

Truly, out of sheer spite if nothing else, I am definitely going to find out where Dad is as soon as possible.

“I should get going soon. It’s getting late.”

Just as he said, it was very dark outside.

“Shall I call a carriage for you?”

“Oh, does this house have its own coachman?”

“Of course not.”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“I was wondering if I should call a public carriage for you.”

Aidan snorted at my gesture of goodwill and gathered his coat.

“A public carriage. Do you want to spread rumors far and wide that I was at your house until this hour?”

“Of course not!”

Aidan Winslow is one of the most eligible bachelor candidates in the current Empire.

What if other people were to find out that he was alone with me at my house until late at night?

“Ughhh.”

Goosebumps broke out over my body, and I rubbed my arms continuously.

“So forget it. Walking is fine.”

“But the distance is quite far.”

“Unlike yours, my legs are long, so it’s fine.”

With those final words, Aidan rejected even being seen off and departed quickly. It seemed he was utterly appalled at the thought that someone might see me seeing him off.

“Well, I wouldn’t like it either.”

I stuck my tongue out at the already closed door.

And the next day. I took the first coach down to the village of Robeang.

“Hello!”

The moment I arrived in the village, I sought out the mercenary group. Although it wasn’t even noon yet, the mercenaries who had no assignments were sitting in chairs drinking alcohol. It was a familiar sight.

“Cynthia, what brings you here? Didn’t you go to work?”

Familiar faces welcomed me.

“Um, I came because I have a favor to ask.”

“Work? Is there some job you want to entrust to our mercenary group?”

“No. I need the work log.”

However, before I could even finish my sentence, the noisy chatter and the sound of clinking glasses in broad daylight ceased as if by magic.

“What should I do? I’m sorry, but we’re not allowed to just show the work log to anyone.”

Derek, the head of the mercenary group, shook his head.

“Pardon? Why?”

When Dad was filling out the work log here, he had shown it to me a few times.

“Because there are many people who have trusted our mercenary group and entrusted us with secret assignments.”

“Ah…”

“Why do you need the mercenary log? Is it work for the Imperial civil service?”

At Derek’s question, I hurriedly shook my head. If I’m not careful, this will turn into a bigger deal.

“No, it’s not that…”

What should I say? Should I make up a lie and take it? But it’ll be found out right away. Should I steal it secretly?

But if it suddenly disappears, won’t I—who brought up the work log—be the first one suspected?

It was right when I was biting my lip and staring down at the tips of my feet. The old wooden door opened with a noisy sound. At the same time, a familiar voice drifted in.

“Would the story change if it were an official request from the Ducal House of Winslow?”

I snapped my head up. Standing there was Aidan, wearing an arrogant expression.