As soon as Olivia reached me, she forced herself to stand up straight. She tried to put on her usual calm expression but failed miserably. Her body trembled from exhaustion, sweat streaming down her face, completely exposed to my gaze.
It was rare to see Olivia in such a disheveled state. Watching a hardened knight pant just from chasing a child made me chuckle inwardly. For some reason, I even felt the urge to tease her.
Before I could say anything, Olivia suddenly bowed deeply.
"I sincerely apologize, Young Master!" Her hoarse voice was filled with regret. "I am deeply ashamed. I failed in my duty as your guardian. I used all my strength to chase after you, yet I still could not keep up. For this incompetence, I am prepared to accept any punishment."
…Huh?
I froze for a moment.
Why was she apologizing so seriously? I wasn't angry at all.
"That's enough, Olivia. Lift your head," I said, deliberately softening my tone. "I'm not angry. You don't need to apologize."
But Olivia didn't move. Her head remained lowered, as if her failure were an unforgivable sin.
"I cannot bring myself to look at you, Young Master," she said firmly. "I will not forgive myself unless I am punished."
At that point, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind.
…Is she actually asking to be punished?
Since she refused to move, I crouched down in front of her, forcing myself into her field of vision.
"Olivia," I said, this time more firmly. "Listen carefully. I'll actually get angry if you keep apologizing for things that don't need apologies."
She flinched.
Her tightly shut eyes opened in panic, meeting mine.
"B-but-"
"No buts."
I locked eyes with her, making sure she understood I wasn't joking.
After that, before we reached the village, I laid out the plan.
"We'll pretend to be siblings. Your alias is Lynn. Mine is Karl."
Olivia nodded immediately, without questioning it.
"When we enter the village, you start the conversation. Drop all formalities. Treat me like your younger brother," I continued. "I'll act like one too."
Her hesitation was obvious.
"But… will such behavior truly be acceptable, Young Master?"
I smiled faintly.
"This is my order."
"…Understood."
The moment we entered the village, devastation greeted us.
Burned houses. Broken walls. The lingering smell of smoke.
No support from the Duke's residence had arrived yet judging by the damage, the attack must have been recent.
And yet…
The villagers were working together. Men repaired rooftops. Women washed whatever clothes they had managed to save.
My eyes shifted to a nearby field.
Children were playing there, laughing loudly, as if trying to shake off the fear they had endured.
"I'll become a great knight someday! I'll protect this village!"
A boy shouted proudly.
My chest warmed slightly.
Such a small dream yet such a powerful foundation.
I glanced toward Olivia. She was still talking with a group of women some distance away.
…She's taking her time.
It seemed that women's love for chatting transcended worlds.
Since I needed a natural way to approach the children, I acted.
I stepped closer and tugged lightly at the hem of Olivia's robe, tilting my head up with deliberately pitiful eyes.
"Sis… can I go play with them?" I asked in a soft, spoiled tone. "I'm tired of waiting."
Olivia froze.
Her face flushed instantly, red all the way to her ears. Her lips parted slightly, as if her soul had left her body.
I tugged her robe again.
"Eh?"
"Ah s-sorry, Karl," she said awkwardly, scrambling to adjust. "Of course you can. Let's ask first, okay?"
She turned to the woman in front of her.
"Tia, forgive me for the late introduction. This is my brother, Karl."
I bowed politely.
"I'm Karl. Nice to meet you, Aunt Tia."
Tia laughed warmly.
"What a polite child! And so cute, just like his sister." She patted my head. "Of course you can play. No need to ask."
She turned toward the field.
"I'll call Alan to keep you company."
Perfect.
Any lingering suspicion vanished instantly.
A boy ran over, smiling brightly.
"I'm Alan! Nice to meet you!"
I stiffened slightly, pretending to be shy.
"N-nice to meet you too."
"Come on! Let's play heroes!" he said, grabbing my hand before I could respond.
Moments later, I found myself introduced to the group.
The rules were simple: heroes, villagers, monsters… and the Demon King.
Predictably, Alan pointed at me.
"Karl, you're the Demon King!"
…Of course.
"Why me?"
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"S-sorry. It's the only role left."
I sighed.
"…Fine."
The game played out as expected. I cornered them at first, only to be defeated after Alan's sudden "awakening."
Afterward, we sat on the grass.
"You were really good!" Alan said cheerfully.
I stared at him blankly.
"Is that a compliment… or an insult?"
"H-hey! I didn't mean it like that!"
Lily suddenly leaned closer.
"Hey, Karl… where are you from?"
"The northern city of Salzburg. We're heading to the capital."
"Hee… you really love your sister."
I nodded.
Then I asked the question I'd come here for.
"What actually happened to this village?"
The mood changed instantly.
Rin spoke quietly.
"It happened in the late afternoon… we heard screams. The ground shook. Houses caught fire."
She swallowed.
"When we fled… I saw people performing a ritual."
A summoning ritual?
My heart skipped a beat.
That detail wasn't in Father's report.
"I see… thank you," I said softly.
"I'm sorry for making you remember something frightening."