Chapter 369: Caregiving
I gently draped a blanket over Haulon to keep him warm and slipped in a Chilling Plate. It was rectangular, about the size of a bento ice pack, and the breeze it produced was just enough to feel if his body was damp. Rest, rest.
“Hey, stop piling it on me!”
Haulon suddenly shot up, yelling at me.
His voice broke the silence, causing the surrounding children and Dean to murmur in excitement over the footage Karn had shown earlier, revealing the past of the Fire City.
“What?! That’s terrible! I was worried about you!”
Despite the lively chatter around me, I felt quite the opposite.
“Wait, what did you put in there?”
Retze asked, curious.
“This.”
I handed him the ice pack.
“What’s this?”
“It’s for the two elderly folks and the little ones if their body temperature rises.”
I aimed for something convenient to carry, so it doesn’t last too long.
Retze pressed the small Magic Stone at the corner of the plate with his thumb, activating it. “See? Just a little push and it works!”
“…Stop piling it on him…”
“I took care of him!”
“Worry about his heart, not just his body!”
“Isn’t mental well-being supported by a healthy body? Oh, it’s already activated, so here.”
I lightly pushed the plate back to Retze.
“I think a cooling Magic Circle or a Flying Carpet would be more common.”
“They exist. But why would they be portable?”
I guess it’s a Japanese thing to make things smaller. Bigger ones have their charm, though.
“Sorry for losing my composure. —King Tildonai, please allow me to serve your liberated self.”
She said this to me before bowing her head to Karn.
“I permit it. I’ll put you to work!”
Karn grinned.
Meanwhile, Shahira and the others disappeared. It seemed Karn had retracted the mistletoe. The only one left was Baylis, who was silently laughing.
“Haulon, you serve Karn now. Let’s celebrate your newfound lordship!”
Ash chimed in, having overheard the conversation.
“Congratulations. And I’m impressed that Ash can pick out just that to celebrate. I’m hopeless; I have too many things on my mind to say anything.”
Hey, Retze, could you stop stretching my cheek while chatting with others?
“It’s all come together nicely. The explanation was splendid, and though the facts remain unchanged, Haulon must find it a beautiful truth.”
The Butler smiled.
“Even I wasn’t in the mood to explain right after our reunion.”
Karn said.
“If I had to explain at that moment, I’m sure I would have been completely overwhelmed. After that, I couldn’t sleep for a while, so I left it to Rizilmoon and locked myself in the Castle of Consciousness.”
“…I felt like you were overflowing a bit.”
The Butler murmured quietly, his expression unchanged.
“Things like rewriting the contract of the King’s Branch, splitting the King’s Branch, the King’s Branch not being a branch, the King’s Branch existing without a nation at this point, what it means for the Black Spirit to be free, and that King Tildonai has a master—it’s impossible!”
Haulon shouted.
So, to summarize, is Karn the impossible one?
“Ah. Hearing it all laid out like that is impressive.”
Dinoss joined the conversation, leaving the children to Shiva as they began to run around.
“I’ve given up on it. It’s a desirable outcome, so I have no choice but to accept it. I’m grateful, too.”
Being thanked makes me blush. Also, I was a bit worried that Karn might have wanted to die as he was, so I’m glad.
“Well then, let’s start moving to Es. If we linger too long, it’s going to get hot.”
“Alright, let’s set off! Gather around!”
Dinoss called out, and the children rushed over.
Chris and Dean also came running.
Chris was exploring with the children, being overly expressive and popular among them for his caring nature.
Dean, on the other hand, was a fan of Dinoss. He didn’t cling too much but would eagerly come over when called.
“First, make sure to cover your face with your hood. If you’re not careful and expose your skin, you’ll get blisters. Be careful. Next, tuck your pants into your socks or tie the cuffs to keep the sand out.”
Haulon’s lecture on walking in the desert.
With my 【Teleportation】, we could get there in no time, but I didn’t let the children know and made them walk for a while. Dinoss and Shiva were kind to the kids, but they weren’t coddling them. They were training them to stand on their own as Adventurers from an early age.
I thought I might as well try to walk to my limits too. Last time I came, I 【Teleportation】ed back to the House long before reaching my limits.
“It’s been a while since the oasis disappeared. If there were no Demon Beasts, it would be better to travel at night. It gets freezing cold, but it’s more manageable than being burned.”
It’s rare for Karn to choose the cold option.