A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation

Rizel, who had come to the royal palace, was enjoying reading together with Arim, who was draped in layers upon layers of cloth.

The desk in the middle of the sea of bookshelves rarely served its original purpose nowadays. It had been placed there for teaching ancient language, but ever since the information exchange through the guild had reached a pause, both Arim and Rizel had smoothly shifted their focus.

Of course, they occasionally exchanged some ancient language just as casual chit-chat. That it didn’t become a mere habit showed just how adept both of them were at switching gears.

“Today, you’re really focused on reading, aren’t you, Sensei?”

A low, alluring voice without much intonation spilled from the bundle of cloth seated across from her.

From within came the soft rustling of paper. He too had been continuously reading since Rizel first came here.

“I’m hoping to finish the book that’s been on my mind by today.”

The sound of a page being turned abruptly stopped.

Eleven, who was resting his chin on his hand beside her, glanced at Rizel with his eyes. However, Rizel didn’t take her gaze off the book.

“When?”

Arim, known as the greatest scholar in the country, couldn’t possibly fail to notice the meaning behind Rizel’s words. He asked simply.

At last, Rizel lifted her lowered eyes and traced the line of bookshelves with her gaze, revealing that she was still undecided.

“I’m thinking by the end of next week.”

“Oh.”

Eleven raised his head from his chin as if listening to some casual chat. Leaning back in his chair, he turned his entire body to face Rizel.

This was new information even to him. He wondered if Jill knew about it as he waited for her to continue.

“Is something happening next week?”

“It seems a ship to the archipelago will be departing.”

“You want to go to the archipelago, Leader?”

“No, not me. I want to send him home.”

When hearing “going home to the archipelago,” only one person comes to mind.

Quattro, who was currently diving into the labyrinth alongside Jill for rapid training. Since he already had the basics, it might be more accurate to say it was for gaining experience.

The monsters and bosses in the deeper layers are more than enough of a challenge. With Jill accompanying him, there’s virtually no risk. That was Rizel’s recent request.

“That’s a bit surprising, huh?”

Arim said with a faint smile in his voice.

His voice, dropping like droplets of rain one by one, was strangely pleasant to the ear.

“I didn’t think you’d let him go.”

“It isn’t about letting go,” Rizel started to say but then stopped, smiling wryly.

Beside her, Eleven rested his elbow on the backrest and smirked, looking straight at her.

“He was missing, after all. His parents must still be worried.”

Even if the cause was Quattro’s childish curiosity and a severe case of seasickness, the overall situation was akin to kidnapping.

Moreover, even Eleven, known for leaving home early among the beastmen, left at eleven years old. Quattro disappeared at an even younger age. Surely, his parents’ worry must be intense.

“Ah, so you’re telling him to show his face.”

“If he can go back, he should. Otherwise, he’ll be scolded as an unfilial child.”

“That’s true.”

Arim nodded inside his shrouding cloth.

Though naturally raised true to their personalities, Rizel and the others had all grown up receiving different yet sincere loves from their parents. Knowing they were making their parents anxious and sad, they had no intention of wandering around recklessly.

Incidentally, Rizel currently had no plans for returning, but since she had informed everyone of her safety, that was okay. That was excusable.

“Besides, parents of a kidnapped child can be terrifying. Scary enough to make you cry.”

“Leader, do you have some sort of trauma?”

“A little.”

Rizel still vividly remembered the surreal past when she cried not for the kidnapper, but when her parents came to rescue her.

“Sensei, you’re not going, right?”