Chapter 130
With tears in my eyes, I recalled the last possible method. Third: establishing a nationally certified merchant guild. This method has the advantage of letting you travel and live freely in any country, but the downside is that you can never truly settle down in one place for life.
Immigrating is truly difficult.
As I went over the three somewhat viable methods in my mind, I walked along the road where snowflakes fell only to melt right away.
“If I’m lucky, maybe five years. If not, even longer. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to obtain residency.”
Such was the law of the Empire. The articles made it clear—an unyielding resolve not to lose tax-paying citizens to other countries—so for someone like me, a commoner with just enough money but no power, the law basically said: live and die in the Empire, never anywhere else.
“But no matter how many years it takes, I will definitely come back to Dongguk.”
If nothing else works, then that remaining fifty thousand gold! I’ll just change the original story in a big way and acquire a diamond mine myself. Of course, it would be a bit dangerous for my life, but still.
I looked over at Jin with a bright smile.
“So, Jin, what I’m saying is, why don’t you come to the Empire with me?”
“…Pardon?”
Jin, who had been keeping pace beside me, stopped dead and looked at me. His two large hands hovered awkwardly in the air, and his thick Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“I plan to leave for the Empire around this time next year. If, by then, your desire to keep learning swordsmanship hasn’t changed, I thought it would be nice if we could go to the Empire together.”
“Ah… That’s what you meant.”
Was there some other meaning?
Did I just imagine it, or did Jin suddenly look downcast? He’d been so desperate to learn swordsmanship that he’d abandoned his family and gone to the Empire with nothing, so why look so disappointed now that I was inviting him to come for that purpose?
I’d been worrying about when and how to bring it up, but seeing Jin’s deflated expression, I wondered if I’d made a mistake after all.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to, Jin. Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to leave such a nice place, either.”
Even as I said it’s fine in a shrinking voice, I had been hoping for an immediate yes. Truthfully, it wasn’t fine at all.
I glanced sideways at Jin. On his tanned, strong-featured face—what the adults would call a strikingly handsome young man—there was a deep shadow of contemplation.
Of course he’d have to think about it. Dongguk is a long way from here, and it would mean giving up his family’s trade and completely changing his life.
I was about to reassure him that he didn’t have to answer right away when—
“…If you’ll allow me to accompany you, I’d like to go with you. That way… maybe we could see each other longer.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
I didn’t catch the last thing Jin said. I was so excited by his answer that I shouted, “Wow!” before I could hear it properly.
When I asked him to repeat it, Jin only shook his head.
“You said around this time next year?”
“Yes. I want to leave well before my coming-of-age birthday.”
“I understand. I’ll prepare for it, Estira.”
It felt like a big, brown puppy was wagging its tail back and forth. At Jin’s gentle response, I ended up acting out a little fantasy I’d only ever entertained in my mind.
“Ah…”
Jin blinked rapidly in embarrassment.
What did I just do?
“S-Sorry!”
I quickly withdrew the hand that had stroked his soft, green hair.
Jin, caught off guard by my touch, just stood there, his face flushing red all the way from his neck to the tips of his ears. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or just so shocked he couldn’t move.
I found myself apologizing again and again.
‘I didn’t know he’d dislike being patted on the head so much…’
***
Having secured Jin as a travel companion, my plans were progressing smoothly.
Neither the magazines nor Ribolto gave any indication that Declan was looking for me, which meant things were going even better.
Meanwhile, Duke Dezereth had publicly announced that he’d found the missing young master, and Declan appeared in public for the first time.
Compared to three years ago, his atmosphere and physique were entirely different. I’d grown fifteen centimeters, but Declan seemed to have shot up nearly thirty. Somehow, his once thin frame was now filled out nicely with muscle in all the right places.
He’d changed so much, I might not even recognize him if I passed him on the street.
You could say he’d become perfect as a young noble. The timid slave I remembered was gone, replaced by a confident and handsome aristocrat.
With his busy life as a young master, I was probably nothing more than a faint memory.
Just like I only thought of him now and then.
I burned the magazine I’d received from the traveling merchant.
My heart felt light. I wondered if maybe I’d never think of him again from now on.
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