Chapter 60

"……."

Bant stared at Mikhail, struck speechless by the casual reply.

But it didn't last. A booming laugh burst out of him.

"Bahaha! That's right! That's the way it should be! Honestly, I'd feel better owing a favor than just taking one for free. So—what'll it be? A cash reward? Or maybe our village's special reserve wine? Only one or two bottles a year, that stuff. Even the high-and-mighty nobles can't get their hands on it easily."

Mikhail smiled at Bant's proud little sales pitch. Then he held up three fingers.

"Just three favors. That's all I ask."

"…Wh—huh? Favors?"

Bant's eyebrows did a puzzled dance.

But he seemed willing to hear Mikhail out, because he nodded without argument.

"All right. Let's hear them."

Mikhail folded down the first finger.

"First, I'll need the evaluation documents for our mission performance. I'd like you to write them up personally, Captain."

"Ahem, well! That's easy enough."

Mikhail folded down another finger.

"Second, please authorize us to use the guard barracks while we're staying in the village. The newly built ones on the outskirts, if possible."

"Well, nobody's moved in there yet, but… sure. Done."

Mikhail's last finger folded down.

"Third. I hear there's a routine patrol headed for the Guardian Tree hill in two days. I'd like my team to join it."

"Th—that's…."

Bant couldn't answer right away. He raked at the back of his head with obvious difficulty, then opened his mouth in halting starts.

"Is there… a reason you want to tag along on that patrol?"

Mikhail blinked once, then answered.

"To solve the sleeping sickness."

Silence followed.

Bant's mouth hung open, words failing him. Mikhail gave an easy shrug and added one more thing.

"But for now, that's purely a hypothesis. Please don't mention it to anyone else."

"Ah…."

Bant seemed to decide he owed a response even through his shock. He bobbed his head in a daze.

"Mm. Right. Sure thing."

The silence stretched on again.

In the gap, Bant raked his hair four or five more times, huffed through his nose, and sank into thought.

Then, at last, he spoke in a voice considerably gentler than before.

"Maybe it's because of what I just saw you pull off. Your words don't sound like empty bluster to me anymore. So I'll grant your request to join the patrol. But there's one thing I should mention."

Bant smacked his lips and let out a deep sigh.

"Some of our guards… don't warm up to outsiders easily. They probably won't take kindly to students showing up out of nowhere and tagging along. Nelia and I will keep any real nonsense in check, but I'd hate for you to have a bad experience."

Mikhail answered as if it were nothing.

"I'll be fine. It's nothing new."

Bant's shoulders gave a sharp flinch. A complicated look settled in his eyes and lingered there.

Mikhail pretended not to notice the gaze and continued.

"Anyway, I was just saying—a bit of grumbling isn't something I lose sleep over. So don't worry about it."

"…Mm, if you say so."

Bant held Mikhail's gaze a moment longer, then lowered his eyes, cleared his throat, and brightened his expression.

"If it doesn't bother you lot, then you're more than welcome. I won't breathe a word of what you told me, so don't worry—just show up on the day. And if anything else comes up, don't hesitate to ask."

Mikhail studied Bant's warm, good-natured smile for a moment.

Then he returned it and answered.

"I will. Thank you."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Nothing more. I appreciate your generosity."

Mikhail finished his farewell and rose from his seat. He tucked the chair in neatly and dipped his head to Bant.

When he straightened, the sight that met him was Bant waving with a smile still creasing his face.

"Get home safe. Get some rest. You've had one hell of a day."

Mikhail answered with a small smile, then turned and headed for the door.

He stopped just short of turning the handle.

His eyes drifted to the night sky beyond the window, and he thought about what lay ahead.

"……."

Two days from now. Bant would fall victim to the sleeping sickness.

Because of that, he wouldn't be able to join the patrol.

Creeeak.

But by the time he opened his eyes again…

everything would already be taken care of.

---

"Man, I can't believe Mikhail actually caught the pickpocket. What did he even do out there by himself? It's blowing my mind."

They were in the reception room of the guardhouse.

Julien gave a sidelong glance at Edwin, who sat muttering and scratching his chin, then shifted his eyes to the tea table.

The cup sitting on it had gone cold long ago.

Left to steep without warmth, the tea had turned so dark it gave off nothing but a bitter, astringent smell.

"But seriously, when is Mikhail getting here? It's been at least thirty minutes. If it gets any later, we won't even be able to find a room for the night…."

Clink.

Julien picked up the cup and drank what was inside.

One sip. Two sips. The liquid sliding down his throat carried neither taste nor scent.

Only one thought occupied his mind.

Talk to Mikhail about what happened. Hear his explanation. That's the only thing I need to do right now.

Creeeak.

That was when it happened. The reception room door swung open and the figure he'd been waiting for stepped inside.

Edwin shot to his feet and marched straight toward Mikhail.

"Hey! Where have you been this whole time! We've been waiting forever…."

"Sorry. Things got a little busy."

The moment Mikhail offered his usual indifferent reply, Han and Ul charged at Edwin.

Edwin let out a startled yelp and flapped his hands—though it was plain enough he was happy to see them.

He ended up scooping both foxes into his arms and burying his hands in their fur.

"Julien."

In the meantime, Mikhail had walked over to stand in front of Julien. He stood there in silence, offering nothing but his gaze.

A look that seemed to peer past the surface… faintly unsettled.

Julien swallowed hard as he met Mikhail's eyes. But a moment later, he put on the same bright smile as always and spoke.

"You must be beat. I heard you played a huge part in catching the pickpocket. Ha ha, at this rate I'm just riding your coattails. Feels a little guilty getting credit when I didn't do a thing."

Mikhail watched Julien without a word.

Julien rubbed the back of his neck, all loose posture and easy charm, tossing in carefree laughs between every other sentence.

When in truth… what he actually wanted to say was something else entirely.

"Mm, that aside."

A pause. Julien let the sentence trail off, stalling for a beat, and stole a glance at Mikhail's expression.

Then, with a touch less cheer, he opened his mouth carefully.

"What you did in the alley earlier—I'm really grateful. I would've been in serious trouble without you. And back when we'd just arrived at the village, too. You noticed I was struggling and didn't just walk past it. I appreciate that, I really do. But… I'm a little curious why you'd go so far to help me."

The tone that carried those final words held a weight the rest hadn't.

Mikhail folded his arms and tilted his head to one side.

His sealed lips parted, and a voice smooth as marble slipped through.

"Because you and I are friends."

The easy smile Julien had been wearing froze solid. He answered in a stiff, halting voice.

"Oh… r-right. Yeah. We are."

Mikhail didn't respond. Now wasn't the time to push that thread any further.

Instead, he turned his head and spoke. Edwin was in the middle of roughhousing with the sky foxes.

"Edwin, it's getting late. Let's go get settled in."

Edwin's head whipped around in surprise.

"Hey! We haven't even found a place to stay yet! Forget unpacking—we don't even have somewhere to crash."

Mikhail blew a short breath through his nose, dug into his pocket, and pulled out three keys, jingling them in the air.

The metal clinked together in a crisp, bright rhythm.

He slipped one key free from the ring and flicked it over to Edwin.

Snap.

The key arced through the air.

Edwin caught it without effort, then turned it over in his hand, examining it like it was some kind of clue.

Mikhail snapped his fingers to catch Edwin's attention, then jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

He pointed through the reception room window at the newly constructed building visible outside.

"While we're in this village, we'll be using the guard barracks. The place was just built, so the facilities and conditions should be better than most inns."

Edwin's eyes, still fixed on the key, lit up as they rose.

A flush of color spread across his face like watercolors bleeding outward.

"…Seriously?"

"Obviously. Why would I lie about that?"

Edwin cocked his head for a moment. Then his face broke into the brightest grin Julien had ever seen on him, and a whoop burst from his lips.

Mikhail left Edwin bouncing on the spot behind him and turned his gaze back to Julien.

Julien stood in place with an expression impossible to read—but it shifted quickly.

He pressed down the bewildered curve of his lips and shaped them into the same smile as before.

Clink.

Mikhail held out a key toward Julien.

Julien glanced at Mikhail's face, then reached out and took the key in front of him.

"Thanks, Mikhail. Because of you…."

"Julien."

Mikhail cut off the trailing words and let a pause settle.

At the same time, he thought of the place best suited for cornering Julien—for stripping away the mask.

A place that cut through everything binding Julien's past and present. Somewhere with a view to match.

After weighing the situation, Mikhail spoke.

"After you drop off your things, come to the fountain at the end of the back path. I have something to tell you."