Chapter 97

The scruff of Bibi’s neck was being held, and perhaps finding it uncomfortable, she cried out and tried to wriggle free.

But there was no way Guide could understand her.

The way she twisted around in his arms looked exactly like a fish flapping around after being caught by a person’s hand.

He hugged the tiny bundle of fur and burst into tears.

“B-Bibi, why are you here?! I-I looked for you all day! I was so worried!”

Waaah.

The child’s sorrowful cries echoed throughout the ice cave.

“L-little one.”

At that, Bibi’s sharp eyes softened and became round like black beans again.

“...I did it for you...”

She continued as though trying to make an excuse, but then tightly closed her mouth.

For a while, Bibi simply looked at the young boy before her.

Then, with her tiny pink paw, she gently stroked his face.

As if she were trying to wipe away his tears.

And then—

“That horrible smell is coming from here... Oh. It’s Aisha.”

Someone suddenly appeared behind the crying Guide.

It was Kyle, dragging something over his shoulder.

He looked around and found me.

Then he smiled brightly.

And I—

“Don’t tell me you killed someone again?”

I nearly screamed when I realized the white object hanging from his shoulder was a human leg.

Come to think of it, both Guide and Kyle had come all the way to the ice cave.

But I had to train!

After training in the ice cave began, the door was almost never opened.

The training’s effectiveness naturally decreased whenever outside air entered.

That was why entry was forbidden to anyone except those capable of maintaining the temperature with their power.

“Kyle! Come inside first and explain! You can’t open the door during training!”

I waved my hands and grabbed Kyle’s wrist, pulling him inside.

At that, a smile appeared on his doll-like face.

He obediently followed me in.

Behind him, the owner of the white legs was dragged inside as well.

The identity of that person was—

“...Isn’t that older brother Lucas?”

For some reason, Lucas had passed out.

“Yeah. Older brother Lucas smelled Guide’s sock and collapsed.”

It was an impossible thing to understand, but I could tell his condition was bad.

His clothes were dirty, and there was even a huge bump near the top of his head.

No way...

“Kyle? Did you seriously just drag my unconscious older brother all the way here?”

Glare—

When I stared at him with sharp triangular eyes, Kyle suddenly went quiet.

He looked away and scratched the back of his neck.

“Aisha, you said you’d praise me. If I found the thing called Bibi...”

“That doesn’t mean you can drag a person along the floor!”

No wonder it had been making such loud thumping noises.

The vibrations echoing through the cave must have been the sound of Lucas hitting his head while Kyle dragged him here.

If he came down the stairs like this too... oh, poor thing.

I knelt down and gently rubbed the bump on Lucas’s head.

“Heroes don’t abandon people! That’s what I learned during lessons!”

Kyle shouted indignantly.

I was startled, but as I organized his words in my head, I finally understood.

So he means he brought Lucas because he didn’t want to leave him alone while he was unconscious...

Then I remembered.

Kyle was the kind of child who only knew one thing after learning one thing.

Not the kind of smart child who learned one thing and understood ten more!

“Okay, okay... I get it...”

Whew.

First, I needed to calm myself down.

A passed-out Lucas.

A crying Guide.

There were countless things I didn’t understand.

But if Kyle got sulky right now, everything would become even more complicated.

I let out a deep sigh, rolled Lucas over, and moved him before closing the ice cave door.

“Anyway, good job, Kyle.”

“...Really?”

When I calmly praised him, Kyle’s sharply angled eyebrows slowly relaxed.

“Yes. But next time you need to move someone, you have to carry them on your back.”

“...That’s annoying.”

“Eugh. You have to.”

When I firmly insisted, Kyle flinched and opened his eyes wide.

Then he slowly came closer and—

“No. I’ll only carry you.”

He answered back timidly and buried his forehead against my shoulder.

Oh? Did he just talk back because he grew a little?

It was a cute attitude, but regardless, my annoyed eyes became sharper.

“Aisha. I came all the way here because of you.”

Rubbing.

This time, he rubbed his face against my shoulder like he was acting spoiled.

His smooth hair tickled my cheek.

Unable to help myself, I let out a little laugh.

“Hehe.”

Then I stopped.

This kid.

Where did he learn something like this?

Don’t tell me they teach tricks this shameless in lessons?

While I was confusing myself with that thought, I heard a sneeze from not far away.

Achoo!

Mucus dripped from Guide’s nose as he held Bibi in his arms.

“L-Lady Aisha. It’s t-too cold here.”

Unlike Kyle, who was naturally accustomed to the cold as a monster from the north, or me, who had dressed warmly to enter the ice cave, Guide was only wearing a simple shirt and trousers.

Guide, who had just been in the warm ducal estate, was now trembling in the middle of the ice cave.

“Kyu, kyu! (My child, you mustn’t be cold!)”

Bibi squeezed her eyes shut and hugged Guide, but her tiny body could not block the cold.

“Guide. You must be freezing. Hurry and get out!”

I quickly moved to open the door.

But Guide hurriedly reached out and grabbed my wrist.

Then he immediately lowered his head in shock.

“I-I’m sorry for g-grabbing your wrist! B-but Lady Aisha. P-please don’t open the d-door.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Y-you said we c-can’t open the door during training....”

He remembered that while crying?

I shook my head.

“It’s okay. I’ll open it for just a moment, so hurry and get out!”

Of course, the training effect would decrease.

But getting him out of the cold came first.

The chill inside the ice cave was on an entirely different level from ordinary cold.

Even I, dressed this warmly, was trembling.

If Guide stayed here any longer, he might get frostbite.

“Come on, get out. Shoo!”

“B-but...”

Guide’s expression darkened.

“I-I’ve already caused trouble because of Bibi. I-I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”

“...Kyu?! (What?!)”

Bibi, nestled in his arms, looked up at Guide with shocked eyes.

It was as though she had never imagined that Guide would consider her sudden actions a burden.

Her bright black-bean eyes filled with worry.

But Guide continued.

“I-I heard from Duke Calypse that he would come to check on Lady Aisha once every hour.... C-could we wait until then?”

“Ah...”

His desperate request weakened my resolve.

For his health, I really should send him out immediately.

But he was asking so sincerely that I couldn’t simply force him.

Actually, there isn’t much time left until Father arrives...

I pulled out the watch hidden inside my jacket.

There were about ten minutes left until Calypse was supposed to come.

Hmm. What should I do...? I can’t just leave Guide here until he gets frostbite.

As I rubbed my chin and thought—

“Kyu, kyu! (Little brat, I have a good idea!)”

“...Grandma?”

Bibi, who had been clinging tightly to Guide, sparkled her eyes and waved her tiny paws.

“Kyu kyu, kyu! (We used to stick together whenever we were cold too!)”

“Oh.”

That’s true.

My eyes widened at the suggestion.

She was right.

Earlier, even I had been able to endure the cold somewhat thanks to Bibi’s body heat.

But now there were four people.

If we huddled together...

Clap, clap—

After finishing my calculations, I clapped my hands.

“Everyone, listen! Kyle. Guide.”

The crying Guide and Kyle, who was still stuck close beside me, looked at me.

“We need to endure the remaining ten minutes somehow. To do that, we need each other’s warmth.”

“Warmth?”

“...Y-yes.”

“So everyone, gather around unconscious older brother Lucas!”

Scurry—

As the young lady of the Kreutz family, I gave my order.

Then I clung to older brother Lucas, who was lying on the ground, like a cicada.

“What? What are you doing?”

My little shadow, Kyle, naturally came over to me.

“B-but how could I possibly embrace the young lady and the y-young lord...”

“Are you going to ignore an order from Lady Aisha?”

At my question, Guide hesitated before slowly approaching.

Then he hugged the unconscious Lucas.

It really was much warmer when everyone’s body heat overlapped.

I shouted with the determination of someone blowing a whistle.

“Good. We’ll endure like this until Duke Calypse arrives!”

“Why?”

“Y-yes!”

Somehow, we had become one bundled-up group.

Everyone fidgeted, trying to get even closer to one another.

So human body heat really is this warm.

Being gathered together like this...

Hehe.

It feels nice.

It feels like I have friends my own age now.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time.

“Ten... nine... five... two... one...”

Calypse, who had been staring endlessly at the slowly moving clock, suddenly rose from his seat.

“First training session complete.”

The one hour that had felt like a whole year had finally passed.