Chapter 79: Behind (2)
Since they couldn’t wait for the unconscious Nonohen Clover to wake up, we — Elwin and the others — said our farewells to the remaining people and exited the Clover Trade Company.
Through a secret passageway that only a few senior members of the Clover Trade Company knew about.
Because…
“Ugh, look at all those people gathered over there. We're not circus monkeys or anything — why are they swarming like that?”
Even though we had already put some distance between us, we could still hear the noisy uproar. Gale glanced in that direction, frowning heavily.
“If we'd gone out through the front door, we would've been completely swarmed and stuck.”
“I expected some attention, but… seeing it for real feels strange.”
“……Annoying.”
The rumor that members of Spero had visited the Clover Trade Company must have spread like wildfire — A crowd had gathered in front of the main entrance, dense as a storm cloud.
Even I found it surprising. I kept glancing curiously over my shoulder.
“This is unexpected. Without portable — I mean, Nexions or any two-way communication devices, how could news travel so fast?”
“Kid, sometimes you talk real weird…”
Gale gave me a baffled look.
Just as we hurried to return to the airship—
“P-please wait…!”
A faint voice called out from afar — a familiar voice.
“Aajen?”
Aajen Clover came running toward us, panting heavily.
“Whew…! You’re all so fast! I finally understand how Dalton must’ve felt! I even used a teleportation scroll to get here… Hahh!”
Still gasping, Aajen received a healing spell from Sercia.
“Hahhh, thank you, Miss Sercia… you saved me.”
“What brings you here, Aajen?”
I asked.
Straightening his posture with effort, Aajen spoke seriously.
“I have something I must give to you all.”
“What is it~? You planning to bribe us too, like that old man earlier?”
“W-well, I guess you could say that, but… I’m not some unreasonable guy who thinks he can solve everything with money, like Uncle Dalton!”
Gale chuckled slyly, while Aajen protested awkwardly.
“I just… wanted to properly show my gratitude. We Clovers never forget the debts we owe.”
Suddenly, Aajen’s deep green eyes sharpened with clarity.
“This is a gift to the ones who saved us from a devastating future. Please accept it.”
He carefully took something out from inside his coat.
As a beam of sunlight hit it, it sparkled brilliantly.
“Gasp! That’s…!”
“……!”
“The Red Clover? Why are you—”
The Spero members, excluding me, widened their eyes in shock.
It was only natural — After all the hardships endured to retrieve it, he was just handing the Red Clover over to me?
“Your faces say it all. I can tell exactly what you’re thinking, hahaha.”
Seeing their expressions, Aajen chuckled softly. But he, too, had his reasons.
“Aajen.”
The only one among us who remained calm — I — cut straight to the point.
“You say you’re expressing gratitude, but you have another reason as well, don’t you?”
“As expected, Sir Lewin. You saw right through me. To be honest… yes.”
He gazed down at the beautifully blooming Red Clover with a complicated expression.
“Regrettably, our Clover Trade Company cannot protect this treasure.”
The Red Clover — the legendary flower said to bloom at the bottom of the Nevera Valley.
Beyond the folklore tying it to Mort Clover, there was another rumor attached to it:
The “universal cure.”
It was said that a decoction brewed from the Red Clover’s sap could cure all illnesses in the world.
And to be clear, that was absolutely true — information verified even within 「LAMPAS」.
Before the rumors spread further, they plan to pass it to a trustworthy group.
Although the legend of the Red Clover wasn’t widely known, the recent incident involving the Clover Trade Company had become too large to be buried quietly — Involving various vested interests.
And with our intervention, even the fact that the heirloom ring's jewel was a Fairystone had been revealed.
Most people who understand how vicious fairies can be wouldn't dare to touch the Clover family for the Fairystone, but…
The rumors would soon spread everywhere.
The Red Clover is another matter entirely.
A cure-all. How many ailing powers and sick rulers were out there?
And how many evil people would covet it for personal gain?
The proof of fairies existed now, and the Clover family had found the Red Clover as well.
Many would start wondering if the Red Clover truly was the universal cure.
And the powerful shared one trait — Once they caught wind of something, they acted frighteningly fast.
They would have already started moving.
Thus, before chaos ensued, they would entrust the Red Clover to a secure group to ensure the Clover family’s safety.
Moreover, if the recipients were not only benefactors but would soon rise to prominence—
It would repay a debt while forging future alliances.
…Brilliant.
A flawless plan.
No doubt, it must have been Nonohen Clover who devised it.
No matter how much Aajen had grown, this level of foresight wasn’t his yet.
“Sir Lewin, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble holding onto the Red Clover.”
I smiled and nodded.
Of course.
“Please take care of it. This Red Clover… is the very root of our family.”
Without hesitation, Aajen handed the Red Clover to me.
“Please use it at the time and in the way you judge to be most right.”
“……”
“Not that I needed to say that — I’m sure you would anyway!”
Aajen had long suspected my true identity.
Though he wasn’t fully certain, he strongly suspected I was deeply connected to the Top Hunter of Yellow.
Because he himself carried the rare legacy of the fairy Gluagaho, inherited through dormant bloodlines.
“I’m Lewin Legisel,” I had said at our first meeting.
Even then, he had caught the scent of a lie — The unmistakable scent that accompanied false names and fake identities.
“We were just on our way to Boreales, would you like a lift to the Batevil Kingdom?”
In ordinary times, Aajen would never have trusted a liar.
“We heard the Clover Trade Company's guildmaster had collapsed…”
…!
But with the situation so desperate, with no other lifeline in sight—
“What can I do to help?”
He had clung to it with all his heart.
It felt long.
In mere days, so much had happened — Yet Aajen knew he would never forget those fleeting moments for the rest of his life.
“……Thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”
I accepted the Red Clover carefully.
Even if the Clover family had hidden intentions, it was true they had shown me genuine goodwill.
“Hm.”
And Gale silently watched it all.
“Where are you heading next?”
“Not sure. I don’t really plan my destinations. But… now that the board is set nicely, I intend to tie up some old grudges.”
I answered with a confident smile, so clear and buoyant it felt like I could sweep away any hardship.
Just looking at that smile inspired trust.
“I see… Whatever you’re up to, I’m sure it’ll turn out well!”
“Haha! Thanks for the kind words. Oh, right! Aajen, keep an eye on the newspapers. Something fun is going to happen soon.”
“…? Understood.”
But that would be the end of Aajen's involvement.
He had his own life to return to.
“Sir Lewin, may the blessings of LAMPAS guide your journey.
Please stay safe.”
Aajen felt content, just having crossed paths with these extraordinary people.
And so he prayed—
“Good luck.”
He sincerely wished them blessings on the road ahead.
***
On the deck of the airship, a lone figure stood silently.
A shroud of deep darkness veiled the sky, and brilliant blond hair fluttered in the cold breeze.
“……”
Leaning against the railing, I lifted the Red Clover toward the heavens, gazing at it quietly.
The crimson, reflecting the moonlight, fascinated me — And I stayed like that for a long time.
“…Hm?”
The moment something changed—
Step, step, step—
Footsteps, quiet yet certain, approached from within the airship.
Even before the figure appeared, I called out their name.
“What’s the matter, Gale?”
Turning away from the distant sky, I met his gaze.
“For a lazy guy like you to come all this way. Ah! Did you come to request extra training?”
“Geh! Do you think I’m crazy!? You think I’d willingly ask for more training? I ain’t some model student like you, kid!”
“I thought you were getting close to Calix lately. Maybe you picked up his habits?”
“Absolutely not! Never gonna happen! Don’t even dream it!”
Gale practically jumped in protest, flailing exaggeratedly.
Apparently, he really hated the idea of being compared to Calix Zahardt. It was hilarious to watch.
“Well, I just have one thing I wanna ask. Got a minute?”
“Yes, anytime.”
Gale scratched his messy hair, then muttered.
“Kid, did you… see this coming?”
“See what?”
“That. What you’re holding now. And that thing inside the box, too.”
The Red Clover from the Clover family.
And the rolled-up parchment inside the jeweled box given by Dalton Pactio.
Of course, it was no ordinary parchment.
“Gale, you can be surprisingly sharp sometimes.”
Smiling wryly, I nodded gently.
“Exactly. The real reason I decided to get involved with the Clover Trade Company incident was… to obtain three things from it.”
“Three things?!”
Gale’s eyes widened in shock.
Apparently, he hadn’t realized there was something else I had gained.
“Curious?”
I asked, opening a dimensional pocket and slipping my hand inside.
Gale instinctively gulped and waited.
Wondering, half in excitement and half in fear—
What would come out next?