The elder looked a bit saddened by her woods, but he still took a step back.
"If you're sure about this…"
While they were chatting, Weiss helped Fern and Lily down from the townsfolk they'd been riding with, then brought them over.
"Grandpa Theo!"
Both of the girls had wooden tablets in their hands, having used the long ride to study a bit more. Both of them had found that they liked the stuff Edol was learning, and showed endless enthusiasm.
Whether their interest in math would stick around while Edol wasn't around to teach them, though, would remain to be seen.
Theo gave both of the younger sisters hugs as they ran over, smiling when he saw that they were in good condition.
"Willow, are you really sure you want to go fight? You don't need to."
The girl still looked unbudging, and Theo finally gave up.
"Sigh… I wish I had something I could give to protect you."
Theo glanced down at Fern and Lily.