Chapter 40: In Front Of The Bonfire
Late that night.
We're setting up the camp.
The coachman lay down on the coachman's pedestal while the others sleep on the cart.
I sprinkled holy water around the carriage to keep the demons away, but we decided to keep a lookout in front of the bonfire just in case.
The lookout are done in pairing.
The coachman was exempted because he was tired from driving all day, the girls and I took turns.
Elsa and I are the first on the lookout.
We sit in front of the bonfire.
There is an hourglass at my feet. When the sand that had accumulated at the top had fallen to the bottom, the lookout would be replaced by the next person.
「Father. I am glad that we were able to fight together today after a long time. As for me, I learned a lot by watching your fighting.」
「Haha. Elsa is a Knight Commander and an S rank adventurer. Is there anything you can learn from my swordplay now?」
「Of course. I was reminded once again. It is still difficult for me to even strike a blow at you with my current sword skill.」
Elsa muttered to herself as she looked at the bonfire.
「When I saw father's swordsmanship..., I felt frustrated that I was still no match, but I was also happy.」
「Happy?」
Elsa nodded.
「My father, whom I admired so much, is still much stronger than I am. I am very proud of that.」
「Elsa...」
「I want to surpass father, but maybe somewhere deep down I want father to be stronger than me.」
Elsa has become a fine person.
She became a Knight captain and an S-rank adventurer, which I never could have done.
However, it seems that she isn't ready to separate from her parent.
「If you put it that way, I can't skip my training. I'll continue to stand as a wall for Elsa to overcome.」
I said, and Elsa smiled softly.
It's like when a lost child finally finds their parents.
She looked relieved and happy.
「We are just on a lookout. Can you tell me a story. What happened after Elsa left the village and went to the capital?」
「Yes, by all means.」
Even after Elsa left the village and came to live in the capital, she sent me a letter once a month as a status report.
But there must be many stories that can't be crammed onto a piece of paper.
Events, and feelings.
I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to talk to each of my daughters.
Now we can talk about it leisurely.
Elsa's words were like a jigsaw puzzle, carefully filling in the blanks of our time apart.
What she still couldn't fill in, she filled in by exchanging words.
The strength of the sword wielded by Elsa spoke more eloquently than anything else of the time she had accumulated and her love for the sword.
I exchanged a few words with Elsa, and then looked at the hourglass at my feet.
All the sand that had been in the upper part had fallen out.
「It's about time to change」 I said. 「Go wake Meryl up.」
「Understand... Just as what I thought, I'm still no match for father.」
The expression on Elsa's face as she muttered this was filled with more joy than regret.
「Is it okay for father not to change?」
「I'm fine. Can you go check on Meryl? If she's sleeping soundly, I don't mind if it's just me.」
When I was an adventurer, it was not uncommon for me to stand watch until morning by myself.
The reason why I decided to do it in pairs with my daughters was mainly because I wanted to talk to them since it was such a great opportunity.
☆
After Elsa returned to the back of the carriage...
Meryl came to me immediately.
「That's unusual. I would have thought you'd be fast asleep by now.」
「Because… It's a chance to be alone with papa. Even if it hurts tomorrow, I shouldn't be sleeping.」
「You'd better get some proper sleep.」
I chuckle.
She made a mistake in what she should prioritize.
「Papa. I want you to hold hands with me?」
「Ah. I don't mind.」
I grabbed Meryl's hand as she held it out to me.
Meryl twines her own fingers between my fingers. One by one, carefully. Each one carefully, as tightly as if a snake were coiling around it.
「Ehehee. We're doing lover handholding?」
Meryl said as she looked up.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
「Papa hands are so big and so hard~」
「I've been holding a sword my whole life. So its a little rough.」
「I think it's cool」
「I'm sure Meryl is the only one who would say that.」
「That's great. I can have you all to myself, papa.」
Meryl said, and gently laid her head on my shoulder.
「Mufufuu. Papa, I love you?」
「I love Meryl, too.」
「Really?」
「Of course」
「Tehehe. I'm so happy~?」
Meryl looked delighted and delirious.
「Papa and I are both in love. Even if death separates us, we are destined to be reincarnated and meet again and again?」
「I don't know that much」
「I'm sure. ...Ah, but don't worry. One of these days, I'll perfect the Elixir of Immortality and create an eternal world?」
「...」
I said earlier that Elsa hasn't been able to separate from her parents yet, but Meryl is nothing like that. I don't think I'll be able to separate from her forever.