5 Volume 4 Chapter 1 part 1

The Ebodolk province situated in the southwest of the Empire was different from the rest of the nation as it was humid and warm all year long. Hence, their way of life was different from the other provinces too.

「Wahh! Amazing, it's an entire farm field! This is the first time I have seen that!」

As she watched the scenery flashing by the carriage window, Haro cheered forthrightly. Compared to the other provinces that mainly grow wheat, the vast sceneries of farmlands were the symbol of Ebodolk province.

The air that was untouched by the dust was adequately humid, and the wind had the scent of fertile soil in them. Clean water flowed in the ditches beside the road, and there were frogs and fishes swimming leisurely in them. When you think back of the dried and cracked land to the north, this scene felt really soothing.

「Hmm, Kuna rice is growing well… I heard the harvest had been poor in recent years, but from the looks of things, the situation had improved a lot.」

Princess Chamille said with the expression of a ruler. However, the youth who should have reacted quickly to her had turned silent as they reached the end of their journey via carriage. The princess glanced at him sideways, as she sighed.

「...Matthew, I know you have plenty on your mind with regards to this situation, but leaving all that aside, you are coming back home after a long trip away. Your parents would want to see the energetic face of their son returning from the battlefield, right?」

「... Yes, it's as Your Highness says. But…」

「If you have any concerns, do tell me right now. I will try to do something about if I'm able to help.」

Aside from Sazarf who was riding in another carriage, the gaze of all five other passengers fell onto Matthew. Matthew sighed and scratched his cheeks.

「I'm not sure if it is really a concern… But if things kept going this way, all of us might be assigned to the new Regimental unit under the command of my father…」

「Yes, that will probably happen. And of course, the Ebodolk province would also need to arrange for the successor to Colonel Mirtog Tetzirich. Right now, the younger brother of the colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Zenbaruca Tetzirich, who is also acting as his subordinate, is a potential candidate.」

「It had already been decided that Uncle Zenba will take over the unit, so it's fine for that to happen a little earlier… As for my dad, the sudden assignment before his imminent retirement is probably a surprise. But I already explained to him how all this happened, so he probably won't turn us down.」

「Then what are you worried about…?」

「… If Dad is taking up a post in another place, then Mom would follow him too. I'm not sure how to put this, but my Mom─」

The carriage braked suddenly mid sentence. Yatori quickly covered the princess who was floating above her seat because of the momentum, and the other four also pushed against the wall of the carriage to keep themselves from falling over.

「What happened!?」

Yatori asked the driver loudly, and a panicked reply came immediately:

「There… There is a cow charging across the road…! It almost hit us!」

When they heard the term 「cow」, the members of the knights corp looked at each other. It wasn't an attack by bandits or something, but everyone here were important personnel, so they couldn't let down their guard. After letting Haro take care of the Princess, the other four people started moving to confirm the situation.

「Full alert! Be careful of enemies hiding in the crops field. Matthew, Torway, search for the enemy from the left and right carriage windows!」

「Okay!」「Understood!」

Ikuta gave out instructions immediately, and there was no hesitation in their responses. The naivety of recruits were gone from them. Unlike before, they had overcome the harsh battlefield of the northern rebellion.

Matthew and Torway opened the windows they had closed earlier, and observed the surroundings from the tiny gaps. At the same time, they armed their Sprite onto the barrel of their Air Shooter, and fed it a bullet. They reported back quickly.

「… No signs of the enemy to our right!」「Same with the left! To be safe, I will lay down covering fire… Huh? Ahh… That's…?」

Torway sounded confused. Yatori who had her hands on the hilt of her swords and guarding the entrance listened carefully to any sound outside as she asked:

「Torway, what do your elf eyes see?」

「… There… There's a cow attacking a person… No, a person is attacking the cow…?」

The youth who used a lot of effort to describe what he was seeing continue to stutter:

「… There is a berserk large cow in the field, and it is battling a person. That person… seems to be a woman…」

「Huh? A woman?… Shit! Could it be!?」

Matthew who heard that report quickly left the right window and moved to the other side, making space beside Torway to look outside. Yatori judged from the report that 「someone is being attacked by a mad cow」 and was about to jump out of the carriage when the slightly plump youth stopped her.

「W-Wait, Yatori. You don't need to go there…!」

「… But why? Isn't someone being attacked by a cow?」

「Anyway, it will be fine… There don't seem to be any enemies around, so open the door and see for yourself.」

Matthew stated in a strangely exhausted tone, so Yatori took a look outside as instructed by him. To the left of the carriage was the corner of a wide field, where a well built cow, probably used for farming, was rampaging. However, what surprised Yatori was─

「Alright alright, stop messing around! You are a really naughty kid!」

A woman was suppressing the fierce cow from the front, and grabbing both its horns. She was tall and big for a woman, and had broad shoulders. She was wearing a brown one piece working clothes and a green work apron.

「Woahh, how heroic…」

Ikuta who was watching beside Yatori muttered with his eyes sparkling. Everyone expressed their agreement wordlessly. Although that woman was dressed like an aunt who was tilling the fields, she put up an intense fight against the cow five times her size.

「It's about time for you to quiet down! Hyaaah!」

Probably judging that the match couldn't be decided with a straight up fight, that woman jumped, with mud still sticking onto her feet, and grabbed onto that cow. She then put the cow into a headlock, and strangled it with all her might.

「Uuuuwaaaaahhhhhh!」

That cow continued to struggle despite this situation. Shortly after, it lost its strength, bending its forelegs and sitting down in the field.

The woman looked at her panting opponent with merciful eyes, then stroked the neck of the cow.

「Alright, have you cooled off now? Feeling better venting it all out?」

It wasn't clear if the cow was exhausted or knew that resistance was futile, it just sat there obediently. The knights corps members judged that the incident had been resolved, and left the carriage.

A group of farmers that were dressed similarly to the woman who suppressed the cow came to her. They all lowered their heads in gratitude. The woman smiled kindly and shook her head. The cow was leased and stood up a little while later, and was taken away docilely.

「Great～ It's all settled now, right? I should go back to work too─ Hmm…?」

At this moment, the woman finally noticed the group standing beside the field and looking at her. She narrowed her eyes to observe them, and quickly brightened up.

「──Matthew! Ara ara! You are finally back─!」

The woman leaped from the field, and charged at full speed along the path between the farms. She was as intimidating as that cow which shocked Ikuta and the others. The youth who had been called by his name took a step forward with a face of resignation.

「Yes, I'm home Mom─ Uwahh!」

「Hahahaha! It's great that you are home safely, my son! Do you have legs? Are you a ghost! You little brat!」

「Whoooaaaa!」

The helpless Matthew became the sacrifice of a passionate hug. His body was constricted by a force that made a cow surrender, and his bones started to creak.

「I was just thinking that I haven't heard from you for so long, then the war broke out in the north! Do you know how worried I was when even you got sent to the frontlines!?」

「M-Mom… I know, I really do…! So let me go… I will die…!」

Matthew's scream sounded genuine. Locked in her vise-like arms, his waist had turned incredibly slender.

「W… What…? What's happening…?」

Sazarf who alighted from the carriage in front of them was stunned by this scene. Aside from the two people in question, the others simply looked at the long awaited reunion between mother and son with their mouths open.

「Ara, I'm so happy! My son brought so many friends back with him!」

After taking off her one piece working clothes and putting on a normal one piece dress, and changing her work apron for a normal apron, the woman started busying herself between the kitchen and dining table. The six passengers in the carriage and Sazarf all sat in their chairs, and watched the dining table being set in a short amount of time.

「And there are three cute girls! I wonder which one will become our daughter-in-law, I'm looking forward to it! Isn't that right, hubby!?」

「Hanna, I know you are happy that Matthew came home, but calm down a little. The Third Princess has graced us with her visit… Isn't that right?」

A middle aged man sitting in the seat of honour on the host side stopped the woman who had been chattering nonstop. He was Colonel Mirtog Tetzirich of the Imperial Army, his round face and slightly chubby body resembles Matthew a lot.

「Hmm, are you saying Her Highness will marry into our family? That will be incredible, what will happen to our family registry!?」

As for Colonel Mirtog's wife Hanna Tetzirich, both her appearance and forthright personality didn't suggest any blood relations with Matthew. Even when she spoke to her husband, she laid out the utensils with movements that didn't feel messy, and moved around to pour drinks for everyone.

「The ominous feeling turned true… No, I didn't expect it to be subverted in the first place...」

The subject Matthew himself hugged his head and laid on the table. For everyone, it was embarrassing for their friends to see their family situations, but the strong personality of the mother had even overwhelmed the guests. In fact, the group couldn't even find the chance to make social small talk.

The seven of them were led by Hanna to the Tetzirich house, which was erected on a hill that could oversee the surroundings, and the grandiose architecture befitted the status of a famous military house since times of old. The three storey high building was built with stones, and the courtyard within its outer walls had several wells, gardens, stables and barns for livestocks. Maybe it could be fortified in an emergency? Just the facilities inside could feed the people inside for quite a long time.

「Alright, it's done! Eat up! You didn't get to eat proper meals during the war, correct?」

First was giant slabs of lamb chop roasted with herbs, followed by a giant pot of rice piled up like a hill, that was definitely more than ten portions. The strong aroma of spices filled the air. Although they had not gone through the formal greetings yet, they couldn't do anything before finishing their meal. Filling the stomachs of the guests seemed to be Hanna's way of welcoming them.

「Ughh! Delicious ! Mama Matthew, this is yummy!」

Was there any doubt about this? The first to dig in was Ikuta. He bit into the lamb chest meat with bones, then used a spoon to scoop up a large quantity of rice onto his plate, and then into his mouth. Just seeing the way he ate was enough to make the others hungry, and affecting them.

「Then… I will be digging in.」「It's a rare chance, so I will…」

Haro and Torway also started eating. When they sent the food into their mouth, their eyes started to shine.

「… Uwah! It's true! This rice is delicious～」

「Yes! The mutton is good too, but the rice that had absorbed the essence of the mutton taste even better!」

Princess Chamille glanced sideways at them eating, but couldn't find the chance for her to reach for the food. Sensing that, Yatori gently placed the food that had been distributed onto small plates before the Princess.

「Please have a taste too, Your Highness.」 「Ah… yes, thank you Yatori…」

She was probably hungry after the long journey. Once she started eating, the Princess didn't stop. Yatori tended to the girl in all sorts of ways and started dining too. And so, the dinner started getting rowdy before they realised it.

「Hmm… ughh… Matthew, why didn't you tell us earlier that you have such a wonderful mother…」

「That's exactly the reason! She is the type you like, correct?!」

「As expected of Matthew, you really know me. That's right, it has been years since my heart is moved like this.」

Ikuta stopped eating and stared at Hanna with a passionate and mesmerizing gaze. Matthew who sensed danger from that action grabbed Ikuta from the side, and said in a vicious tone:

「Hey… If you dare lay your hands on my Mom in the future… You will definitely be shot in the back in the next war…」

「Thank you for the most murderous warning you had ever given me. I will keep it in mind, my dear friend Matthew.」

Besides the two noisy youths, Colonel Mirtog had started socializing with Sazarf who was seated closest to him. Sazarf couldn't help cursing that such a task had to fall to him.

「My son has been in your care, Major Senpa Sazarf.」

Sazarf accepted a drink poured by Colonel Mirtog flusteredly and said:

「No, I can't take the merit of having taken care of your son… In the series of harsh battles, he has fought on til the very end.」

Sazarf took the bottle, and poured a glass for the host. Colonel Mirtog replied with a smile:

「You don't have to be so humble, I have also heard about the terrible conditions on the battlefield. Since he has returned with all limbs intact after the foray at the foremost frontlines, it must be his luck of meeting a good superior.」

「… The same goes for me too, I'm lucky to have good subordinates.」

Sazarf stated what he truthfully thinks in self mockery, and Colonel Mirtog tilted his head as if he didn't quite understand.

「… You are not saying pleasantries, right? I'm surprised by how low you evaluated yourself. I heard you are the hero of the northern rebellion, so I imagined you to be a more confident man.」

「I'm sorry for disappointing you… But speaking of heroes, the soldiers who fought until the very last moment in the retreating battle deserves that title more than me.」

Sazarf said as he thought back of his many subordinates who fell in battle. Colonel Mirtog also understood the heavy meaning behind his words, and the two of them raised a glass for the soldiers who had fallen in the Grand Arfatra Mountains.

「You might have to accept a troublesome request this time…」

Sazarf wanted to open his speech with an apology, but Colonel Mirtog stopped him kindly.

「Let's leave that for later. Let's dine for now, Major Sazarf.」

「Ermm… But…」

「My wife is really happy to see my son return safely, I feel the same too. I hope you can leave the other matters aside for now, and accept my pure gratitude. Will that be alright?」

Since he put it that way, Sazarf couldn't turn him down. The two of them clinked their glasses again with a different mindset. At this moment, Colonel Mirtog suddenly showed a stiff face.

「… But there is one thing I need to ask now, Major.」

「Yes, what would you like to know?」

The serious atmosphere made Sazarf sit up straight. The Colonel leaned in close and whispered:

「So, about my son… out of the three of them, who is the closest too?」

The Colonel stole glances at Yatori, Haro and Princess Chamille as he asked. Sazarf had to use all he had to suppress the sudden urge to laugh.

He exerted strength in his abdomen to suppress the urge to laugh as he felt how funny this superior officer in front of him was─ He is a father too… Sazarf thought.