Arc-7 Ch-28

Leon's figure, which suddenly appeared from the shade of the trees, was clearly different from usual.

He emanated an intimidating and menacing aura around him, like a beast that threatened all who approached, making it hesitant even to call out to him.

I had no intention of nitpicking about my beloved husband's appearance, but the scars etched on his face inevitably evoked images of fierce conflict.

Perhaps due to the influence of my shrunken body, Leon seemed larger than usual. If I were to compare it, he was closest to a large carnivorous beast that had wandered into human settlements while searching for prey.

When I shifted my gaze to the side, Yumeria's face was twitching.

It was unavoidable for her to be frightened when someone she had only met a few days ago was exuding an aura that could be either fighting spirit or killing intent.

It would be quite inappropriate to let the children meet Leon in his current state, and it would also cause issues in the strategy meetings with the subordinates.

In this situation, the first thing I needed to do was to ease his tension.

The reason Leon was running around was me. If I didn't act as if there was nothing to worry about, Leon wouldn't be able to relax either.

"You've returned, Leon. You must be tired from moving around all night."

"...Well, somewhat."

"You seem to have gotten through without major issues, but are you not injured?"

"...I'm fine, no injuries."

"Does it look like you've found a clue to the solution?"

"...Who knows, I still don't understand it well."

The words leaking from Leon's mouth were all curt.

It was clearly conveyed from his attitude that he was impatient because he hadn't achieved more results than expected.

From what we knew alone, various circumstances were intricately entangled in one floating island where the elves lived, turning it into a crucible of conspiracies.

The village chief's settlement where we were staying could not be said to be absolutely safe either. For now, we should regard them as collaborators whose interests aligned with ours.

There are limits to individual power. Normally, I could cooperate too, but with my body shrunken to that of a little girl, even following Leon around would be a struggle.

At the very least, I had to help with his fatigue recovery, or it would affect my pride as a wife.

Thinking that, when I approached Leon, the stains on his clothes caught my eye.

The blackened spots dotted on his clothing were clearly different from dirt caused by mud or dust.

The stains were concentrated only around the edges of his sleeves and his knees. Walking on bare dirt paths or through forests wouldn't cause this.

It was obvious that they were from liquids that had adhered and changed over time.

If he thought I couldn't guess under what circumstances these stains had been attached, then he was underestimating me quite a bit.

In the beginning, when I was surprised by my shrunken body, it might have been different, but now my thinking ability had recovered to a level not much different from my original state.

It was an easier problem than a mother probing a child's secrets or a wife suspecting her husband's infidelity.

"Who did you fight with?"

"Just about ten elves or so."

"...I see."

Whether the number of victims was high or low depended on the situation at the time.

However, with that irritating lost item accompanying him, it was almost impossible for Leon's body to get hurt.

I didn't know what method he had used, but those elves must have surely been left in a miserable state.

It was fortunate for them to have faced the infamous villainous knight and not lost their lives.

After all, Leon was a man who disliked conflict, but when it came to those who opposed him, he would crush them thoroughly without showing even a shred of mercy.

That was why, after a battle ended, it was necessary to comfort him promptly. If not, the psychological pressure would crush him.

Even if a just cause was given and war became unavoidable, the true face of Leon Fou Bartfort, the earl feared as the villainous knight, was to agonize over it all after everything was over.

"For now, come inside the house. The children are worried about you too."

"They're more worried about you than me, Angie."

"Everyone is desperately running around trying to return me to normal, and among them, you're working the hardest. Realize that if you collapse, everything will go to waste."

That was quite an unbecoming way of speaking, even for me, but if I didn't say it like that, Leon would overdo it.

He usually muttered complaints all the time, but when it came to truly painful things, he would bear them alone and hide them so others wouldn't know.

If Leon were truly a villainous and tyrannical man, I wouldn't need to worry this much.

Of course, if he were a man without any pangs of conscience, I would have refused the marriage proposal and returned to my family home in the capital early on.

More than ten years had already passed since I married into the Bartfort earl family, but I always felt that the bonds between people were strange things.

After all, my engagement to the royal family, which everyone envied, didn't work out, and I ended up in a harmonious marriage with an upstart noble who rose through war.

For now, the top priority in the current situation was managing Leon's physical condition.

Even just glancing up at him lightly, his face looked somewhat pale, and he was speaking less. He clearly couldn't hide his fatigue.

His bad habit of being careless about his own health had remained since the time we first met.

Perhaps because his talents as a lord or farmer were outshone by his excellence as a soldier or operative, he somehow overestimated his own stamina.

In his teens and twenties, he might have pushed through with willpower, but we were already approaching our mid-thirties.

There might be parts that could be compensated by experience, but unnoticed decline could become fatal.

"Anyway, let's go inside the house. Show your face and reassure everyone."

"Understood."

Even after opening the door and guiding him into Yumeria's house, Leon still kept his face furrowed.

Inside the room, the lingering aroma of the food we had all cooked earlier clung to my nose. It had been simple dishes, but the children hadn't complained.

Thinking back, the baked bread and hearty soup were things we ate regularly, but the experience of cooking them ourselves in an unusual setting must have served as a spice.

Come to think of it, when I first met Leon, he served me tea, and he didn't forget to prepare meals the next day either.

Perhaps it was that kind of thoughtfulness that drew me to Leon.

It absolutely, absolutely wasn't because my appetite was greedy.

"...I'm back."

"Welcome home..."

Leon called out to everyone in a listless manner.

The children turned around all at once upon hearing their returned father's voice, but sensing the intimidating pressure emanating from Leon, they seemed to decide that it was better not to approach him right now.

Come to think of it carefully, today might be the first time the children had seen Leon openly displaying such dissatisfaction.

Their father, who usually didn't get discouraged no matter how roughly they treated him and rarely got angry, wasn't even trying to hide his displeased expression. The older the children got, the more they would likely be bewildered by how different this was from the usual Leon.

"Father~"

"...Yeah."

A small shadow approached Leon without hesitation; it was the youngest child, Dylan.

For the son who was still young and whose sense of reading the atmosphere was underdeveloped, this was the return of his father who had not shown his face for more than half a day.

His actions, showing not a trace of fear toward Leon, would surely soften Leon's stubborn attitude.

I watched the father-son reunion with such faint expectations, but there was no sign that the situation was improving.

No, expecting that much from a young child itself was too reliant on others.

Perhaps because my body was shrunken, I seemed overly sensitive to stimuli from my surroundings right now.

Unconsciously, my thoughts were trying to distance themselves from danger to protect myself, apparently attempting to move away from the grumpy Leon.

Normally, the height difference between Leon and me was less than a head, but now my line of sight had dropped to around Leon's solar plexus.

Because of this, when Leon was next to me, I felt a strong sense of oppression and inevitably ended up stepping back.

It was unavoidable that he would feel uneasy seeing my attitude like that; here, I should take the lead in loosening the tension.

"Leon, you haven't eaten yet, right? I'll reheat it right away, so eat up."

"Food, huh..."

"All the children cooperated to cook it. The appearance might be rough, but I guarantee the taste."

"I helped too!"

"Ah, Dylan washed the vegetables and shredded them. Occasionally doing the cooking ourselves like this isn't bad at all. Once we return to the territory, it wouldn't be bad to occasionally cook like this as a family without outsiders."

I had become unusually talkative; after finishing speaking, I realized that this was practically exposing that I was forcing myself to be considerate.

From an outsider's perspective, my shrunken self would look like there was an age difference between Leon and me like father and daughter. The sight of a girl and a toddler desperately trying to heal a sturdy man might seem pitiable to some viewers.

In fact, the other five children except for Dylan were bewildered, not knowing how to call out to him.

Even so, my feelings of wanting to heal Leon were genuine.

My husband tended to take outrageous actions in crisis situations and disregard his own health or life.

In a sense, he was a troublesome man who required more attention than an infant and whom I couldn't carelessly take my eyes off.

"I don't need food."

"..."

"I ate portable rations, and there are still things left to do."

"..."

Crack.

Right after Leon finished spitting out words of refusal, my fist hit his abdomen.

The punch of a slender girl versus the abs of an adult man trained through hardship; the outcome didn't even need to be discussed.

In front of abs hidden under a thin layer of fat, the fist of a girl who hadn't even trained would only be itchy.

"What is it, Angie?"

Thud.

His eyes, reflecting no emotion, became irritating, so I followed up with another attack.

I mercilessly kicked up around his shin.

There was no way my toes could match Leon's thick legs covered in heavy boots.

Rather, I, the one who kicked, suffered greater damage. Even an unreasonable anger welled up, like 'Why is Leon's body so unnecessarily large?'

"Next time, I'll aim for your crotch."

"At least stop that one."

"It's Leon's fault for disregarding our kindness."

"It can't be helped; the situation is what it is."

"Then you should properly eat and rest."

"That's why I said I ate portable rations..."

"That's not sufficient nutrition. Who is it that usually says that?"

"............"

Leon, at a loss for a response, closed his mouth; I had finally managed to score a point.

The portable rations Leon mentioned were things made by adding various nuts, dried fruits, sugar, honey, and so on to wheat flour and baking it solid.

Thanks to adding sweetness as a preservative, it was hard to spoil and easy to store. It was like a slightly hard baked confection, quite tasty, good for satiety, and had a good reputation among soldiers.

Certainly, it was rich in nutrition, and in training or actual combat, it had to be acknowledged as an appropriate judgment. However, the mystery of the human body was that merely replenishing nutrition wouldn't recover fatigue.

Above all, right now, the burden on Leon was too concentrated on us; that meant the fragility where everything would collapse the moment Leon fell.

It was impossible for us to control that lost item, so although it became a self-centered way of saying it, we needed to prepare an environment where Leon could work at full capacity.

"Lost item, are you here?"

『What business do you have with me, Angelica?』

"Tell me about Leon's actions since we were hidden here."

『He has continued activities for 54,428 seconds. In between, he performed nutritional and hydration supplementation once, and took a 2,147-second nap.』

"How has his physical condition changed?"

『The sympathetic nervous system is more active than usual. Due to the continued effects of fatigue and mild excitement, there is some disturbance in concentration, but I estimate it is within acceptable limits.』

"See, there's no particular problem, right?"

"Don't interpret it conveniently and listen properly; it also said your concentration is disturbed."

"But if something happens while I'm resting, that would be bad, right?"

"Lost item, how has the overall situation on this floating island changed?"

『I observed the pleasure district and the radical elf fortress, but there are no notable movements. I estimate that each faction is restraining reckless actions as a result of checking each other.』

"Leon, since we've arranged for shifts in surveillance among each group, if something happens, there will be a report."

"I'm doing it properly, so don't worry."

"Then rest. If the commander collapses, it defeats the purpose."

"...I understand. I can't win against Angie in a verbal argument."

Since Leon had given in, the tension in the room finally relaxed, and the children were watching us calmly too.

For now, I headed to the stove to reheat the cooled food, but the fire was already out.

I hurriedly tried to light the fire by striking the flint and steel together, but it didn't go well.

I wasn't used to this house's stove, and on top of that, it was quite an old model. Additionally, I wasn't accustomed to the method of igniting with flint.

This is bad; my plan to skillfully cook in front of Leon in this form is going awry.

I was sure there was ignition equipment that adventurers use for boiling and cooking in the luggage we brought, but I don't know where it was stored.

Should I just try igniting with fire magic?

Fire generated by magic is different from natural phenomena, so it's not suitable for cooking, but it can't be helped.

"Mother, let me take over."

"............"

A voice called out from behind me. When I turned around, the children were gathered behind me.

"...It's fine. It's not something for you all to worry about."

"There's no need to push yourself. Please just wait there quietly."

"What are you saying? I'm just taking a little time."

"No, you've been taking too long to light the fire from earlier."

"If time is short, it would be faster to leave it to us."

"I say this knowing it's rude, but Mother's beauty and education are unshakable, but as for housework..."

"It would be best if Mother just kept Father company."

"Mother, move aside."

...Why do the children meddle so excessively? This makes it seem like my children are declaring that my housework abilities are disastrous.

Even if I tried to argue, Lionel, Ariel, and Leah had larger builds than my shrunken self. On top of that, the difference in numbers sealed off my opinion.

Without allowing any argument, I was driven away from in front of the stove and had no choice but to sit in the seat placed next to Leon.

"Well, well, Countess Bartfort, what seems to be the matter?"

"...Earl Bartfort, you have quite an aggressive attitude. Did my earlier statement displease you that much?"

If Leon was going to say something sarcastic, I would respond with sarcasm too. Right now, I was in a very bad mood.

However, Leon did not retort and remained silent. Wondering if I had said too much, I glanced at his expression from the side.

When seen up close, the areas under his eyes were slightly hollowed, his cheeks were gaunt, and his complexion was poor. He clearly could not hide his fatigue.

"What about the results of your actions from last night until now?"

"First, I took care of about ten elves who were waiting at the inn to ambush me."

"...Did you kill them?"

"I didn't kill them, but I might have broken a few bones for each of them."

"Well, if it's only to that extent, it shouldn't be a problem. Rather, it's concerning that elves themselves attacked instead of humans."

"I tried interrogating them for now, but they were underlings motivated by money or hostility toward humans."

"If it's you doing it, it's not interrogation but torture."

"Either way, there's not much difference, right?"

"That may be so."

The content of the conversation was extremely bloody, but this was also necessary information sharing.

The situation where everything was left to Leon alone was precarious. To make the best choices during separate actions, the more information, the better.

Prejudices and assumptions were also dangerous. No matter how calmly humans try to view things objectively, there is the potential to misjudge due to biases in thinking that even they themselves do not notice.

Through such conversations, we wash out different perspectives or unnoticed issues and prepare for unforeseen situations. This had been our habit since we got married.

Besides sharing information, it also included alleviating my own anxiety and providing mental comfort to Leon.

"After that, I released just one elf and let him go to see where he would head. The sphere followed him for tracking, while I observed the town's situation and monitored the rest, but..."

"So it didn't go well."

『The tracked elf requested rescue from other elves. From the content of the conversation, it is inferred that he did not know about the attack plan itself.』

"After that, the elves took the injured ones to the hospital and disbanded. The elf whose injuries I kept light also evaded explaining the situation to his comrades."

『From the fact that no martial law or town lockdown has been implemented, it is inferred that they are individuals connected personally who do not usually act together.』

"It's more troublesome than I thought."

Criminal organizations have overwhelming power compared to individuals.

However, it is extremely difficult for members to continue uniting without conflict, and once they start moving, they inevitably attract attention.

Radical elves are lie low in every faction on this floating island, gathering as needed to achieve their goals.

The possibility that such individuals are mixed in the village elder's settlement where we are hidden is quite high.

"Since there were no notable movements in the town, I tried going to the former village chief's fortress instead, but..."

"It seems there were no particular gains there either."

"Yeah, I rotated with the subordinates who had been watching all along and stuck it out until morning, but no one came out of the fortress or visited."

『My investigation confirms no facilities like underground passages. It is considered that key figures are lying low or have already moved to the ruins.』

"They won't respond even if we try to move the board."

However, the movements of the elf radicals are somehow strange.

If it were suspicious adventurers of unknown origins, sealing their mouths would be easy, but when it comes to nobles, the story changes.

Certainly, the Bartfort earl family is a newly risen nobility, but at the same time, it is a house favored by the royal family, with strong connections to the leading feudal noble Redgrave duke family and the prestigious Roseblade earl family.

If the elf radicals are not familiar with such political circumstances in the Holfort Kingdom, they are hopelessly foolish. If they knew and still acted, they are a gathering of dangerous people who do not think about consequences.

If they resorted to extreme methods without fearing the possibility of their race's extinction, there are two conceivable possibilities.

A desperate rebellion, or perhaps they have a plan to win even if they make the Holfort Kingdom their enemy.

Normally, I would have laughed off the latter, but when I recall the existence I saw deep in those ruins, my body trembles.

Lost items can influence not just the tides of war between countries but even the trends of the world.

What if the elves found and could control an existence harboring the same power as the main body of the sphere floating before my eyes?

In the worst case, the human race could be eradicated from the world.

"If you're thinking that the opponent isn't moving at all, then we have no choice but to make a move ourselves."

"...If you think so, get sufficient rest."

"I'm a man who can eat and sleep anytime, anywhere."

"Right now, you are the commander. I'm saying it's different from being a soldier."

"But since there's no one who can do it better than me, I have no choice but to push myself."

As expected, Leon is starting to have tunnel vision right now. He needs appropriate rest promptly.

It seemed that the cooking had finished while we were talking. The aroma that stimulated the appetite filled the room.

The children placed the dishes of food on the table.

Several pieces of bread made by mixing flour with milk and eggs and baking it, along with a soup simmered with several kinds of vegetables and meat.

It did not seem like a noble's meal at all, being very simple, but in the earlier meal, the children had eaten without complaining.

With six children, the consumption of food increases exponentially. The biggest issue in continuing to hide in this settlement might be procuring food.

"Come, Father, please eat."

"...Thank you for the food."

Apparently, Leon realized he could not escape when stared at by twelve eyes. Reluctantly, he gripped the spoon and began sipping the soup. His shrunken appearance in front of the children reminded me of a large dog.

Perhaps because plenty of molasses had been spread on the bread, his eating speed felt considerably slow.

The sweet seasoning was popular with the children, but it might be harsh for adults. For me, who had shrunk, it felt delicious though.

"How's the taste?"

"It's delicious. It's properly cooked and edible."

"Are you intending that as praise?"

"Compared to Angie from when we met, it's amazingly delicious."

"Leon, don't chatter about things you don't need to say."

"You peeled the potatoes, right, Angie?"

"You can tell?."

"Because the way the vegetables are cut is distinctive."

I kicked Leon's foot under the table to implicitly convey that my knife skills were poor.

Without paying it any mind, Leon continued eating, but he stopped moving after finishing about half of the meal.

"Thanks for the meal."

"...There's still more than half left."

"Perhaps it didn't suit Father's taste?"

"No. If I keep eating more, my stomach will get full, and if I get sleepy, that'll be a problem."

"I'm telling you to get sufficient nutritional intake and rest."

"That's why I said I've recovered."

Certainly, his complexion had improved compared to when he returned, but he was far from being in top form.

Here, as his wife, my role was to forcibly give Leon the necessary rest and make him sleep.

At the same time, I would get revenge for his behavior that practically said I was bad at cooking.

I gripped the spoon placed on the table, scooped the remaining soup from the plate, and brought it to Leon's mouth.

"Come on, Leon, say ah~"

"...Hey, Angie."

"What?"

"It's in front of the children."

"That's right."

"I think we should refrain from that kind of thing at least."

"Then eat a proper meal."

"No, I just did..."

"Lost item, how is Leon's nutritional intake?"

『Estimating from Leon Fou Bartfort's consumption up to now. Comparing the intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other nutrients from the current meal with the intake amount an average adult male should have per meal. It's hard to say it's sufficient intake.』

"See, did you hear that? Eat properly and rest."

"That's why I said this isn't it!"

"It's your fault for being stubborn. If you keep refusing, I'll force-feed you."

"Stop it."

"Leon-kun is a picky eater child, so I have to take care of him."

"I get it! I get it!"

Leon forcefully snatched the spoon from my hand and resumed eating.

The frightening speed at which he devoured the food was a product of the training he received during his soldier days. An ideal soldier who could endure coarse food, sleep anywhere, and devote himself to duties.

Even though nearly twenty years had passed since he retired from the kingdom's army, it was a bit pitiful that he couldn't forget the habits he had acquired.

In a matter of tens of seconds, the bread and soup ended up in Leon's stomach, leaving only an empty plate on the table.

"If you don't chew well and savor it properly, it'll be bad for digestion."

"It's because you were doing subtle harassment, Angie. It's bad for the children's education."

"Your behavior is worse for education, Leon."

"The shrunken Angie has too foul a mouth."

Leon continued to grumble complaints, but he blinked his eyelids repeatedly and pressed his mouth.

It seemed that the tension had eased, and he was being assaulted by sleepiness due to the nutritional intake from the meal.

"What are you going to do? I ate the food, and now I'm getting sleepy."

"Rest slowly for a few hours. Even though time is limited, the situation isn't bad enough to change suddenly."

"...I'll sleep a little, but if time passes or something happens, make sure to wake me up properly."

"Of course. I had Yumeria prepare so we can use the bedroom over there."

"Understood. ...Angie."

"What, Leon?"

"Why are you following me?"

"I thought I'd comfort the head of the family who ran around for our sake. How about a lap pillow?"

"I don't need it..."

"Then how about sleeping together?"

"I said I don't need it."

Leon headed to the bedroom while complaining until the end. If I approached this aggressively, he should rest obediently.

When I turned around, twelve eyes were looking at me. The five except for the youngest child Dylan had somewhat embarrassed expressions.

What is it, you guys? Do you believe I'm a mother who seriously doesn't know time and place and is indecent?

"Mother..."

"What is it?"

"I really want you to stop approaching Father in that form..."

"Your father won't honestly rest unless I urge him that much."

"No, no, no, no matter how you look at it, it's more excessive than usual..."

"It's so different from the usual Mother who says to be ladylike..."

"Isn't it like your behavior has returned to when you were a child?"

"???"

"You all are free to think what you want about me and Leon, but the unchangeable fact is that you were born because our marital relationship is good like this."

"...I didn't want to know that."

Leaving the stunned children behind, I directed my gaze into the air.

It looked like nothing existed in the air, but the existence that toyed with our lives was there.

Perhaps finding my gaze annoying, the space at the end of my line of sight distorted, and a mass of metal gradually revealed its form.

『What business do you have, Angelica Fou Bartfort?』

"For now, let's sort out the information. While Leon rests, I want to solidify the future policy to some extent."

『Very well. I am also troubled about how to confront my kin whom I encounter across time.』

┳━━━━━━━━━━━┳

Authors Note

┻━━━━━━━━━━━┻

A flirting episode between Angie and Leon.

If the loli-fied mother gets along well with the father, the children would have complicated feelings.

Yumeria-san is watching with a smile, though her presence is thin.

Angie's cooking skills have improved considerably since marriage, so the reason she can't cook well is truly due to the rejuvenation effect.

The next chapters is planned to cover the future operation policy and the movements of Pixiveach faction.

Addendum: At the request of the client, Rascal-sama and Hyakunichimu-sama drew illustrations.

Also, 9430-sama's previously drawn illustration was posted on pixiv, and Rate-sama drew a 4-panel comic for this work. Thank you very much.

Rascal-sama  Pixiv（Adult-oriented caution)

Hyakunichimu-sama　Pixiv（Slightly erotic caution)

Rate-sama　Pixiv

9430-sama　　Pixiv

If I receive opinions and impressions, I would like to use them as encouragement for the future.