Because of this, the enemy’s bloodless advance that had briefly stopped began again, and the entire kingdom was on the verge of turning their backs on the marquis. Now the number of lords participating in strategy meetings could be counted on one hand.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say only the capital remained. Soon, once all the undead throughout the nation were cleaned up, the Princess faction would reorganize their forces and march their way.

“…… How did it come to this?”

Six months ago, when he had spiritedly started the war, felt like a previous life. Marquis Draven, who had been suffering while clutching his head, suddenly raised it.

“Yes, now is exactly…”

Madness flashed in his bloodshot eyes.

“The time to use the final measure.”

Clatter clatter. The sound of windows shaking endlessly in the fierce wind echoed eerily in the dark bedroom. Autumn rain was falling steadily outside the window.

“I absolutely hate going out on rainy days……”

Erica lay alone on the double bed and muttered.

She hoped the rain would stop before departure tomorrow. Come to think of it, what was the weather like where Roderick was now? Fighting while getting rained on would be truly arduous and dangerous.

“I hope it’s not raining there.”

As soon as she spoke to herself, the sky outside the window seemed to respond by getting worse.

Rumble! Crash!

“Ahhh!”

Following thunder loud enough to shake the windows, Eric’s startled cry could be heard faintly from outside the bedroom. The next sound was footsteps passing through the corridor and approaching their way. Soon someone knocked on the bedroom door.

“Come in. Geez, you should be as afraid of your homework as you are of rain…… Huh?”

Erica, who had been scolding while lifting the blanket thinking it was Eric, paused. The child who had slightly opened the bedroom door and peeked her head in wasn’t Eric but Elodie.

“Elodie, it’s cold. Come in quickly.”

When Erica patted under the blanket she had half-lifted, Elodie smiled brightly and scurried into the blanket.

“Elodie didn’t do it.”

She meant it wasn’t because she was crying that it was raining and thundering.

“I know.”

Because Elodie’s face was as soft and fluffy as when she had been put to bed. It was when Erica was giving Elodie an arm pillow and tucking the blanket snugly.

Thud thud thud.

Footsteps were heard outside the door.

“Right, those are Eric’s footsteps.”

Earlier, the footsteps were too stealthy.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Erica was puzzled by Eric’s first words as he opened the door. Why was this ice-attribute filial son checking on his mother’s wellbeing first for once?

“What about?”

“I wondered if Mom was scared.”

Of course. Erica chuckled and asked.

“Aren’t you the one who’s scared?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then……”

Mom isn’t scared of thunder and Eric isn’t scared of thunder either, so it’s fine, go to your room and sleep — what would he say to that? As soon as she waved her hand and began to speak, Eric threw himself sliding toward the bed.

“Ahhh! Eric!”

“I’ll protect Mom!”

“Before that, could you protect Mom’s ankle first?”

If Erica hadn’t quickly moved her feet, they might have been broken by Eric jumping onto the bed.

Eric, who had slipped in on the opposite side from Elodie and lay down, chattered away.

“I’m sleeping together because Mom and Elodie might be scared.”

People who are being stubborn always have long excuses. Erica gave Eric an arm pillow too and replied.

“Oh my…… so reliable.”

“Right? Whatever comes, I can freeze it like this.”

Eric stretched his palm toward the air.

“What if a ghost comes?”

“……”

“What if a ghost comes and asks multiplication tables, saying they’ll spare Mom’s life only if you get the answer right?”

“…… Elodie’s here.”

“You’re truly invincible in this aspect, invincible.”

“Hehe, I’m pretty good.”

Even when Mom was being sarcastic, the damage was zero.

So the three of them lay side by side on the couple’s bed, whispering while listening to the sound of wind and rain. Naturally, talk came up about the person who should be in this place but wasn’t.

“When is Dad coming?”

“Well……”

Roderick had been unable to come home for several days, busy fighting on the battlefield beyond the mountain range. They had put out the biggest fire by destroying most of the undead army, but it wasn’t a situation to catch their breath. In war, it’s important to push forward when the tide of battle has turned. Roderick would surely want to help advance to the royal palace too, so it might be difficult for him to return home until the war was completely over.

‘When on earth will the war end?’

The capital had been right in front of them, then undead suddenly appeared and the war’s end was postponed. So this time, could they really advance safely to the capital and reclaim the throne? Honestly, her expectations weren’t as high as last time. She didn’t know what might appear to block their path.

‘I should put aside expectations but not abandon hope.’

Erica comforted the children who had become dejected thinking they might not see Dad for quite a while.

“Mom will go ask tomorrow when he can come.”

“Can’t we go tomorrow too? I want to see Snowball……”

Since Roderick couldn’t come home, it had been several days since they’d seen Snowball too.

“You know why you can’t.”

She had already explained well this evening. The place where Dad is is dangerous, so you can’t go.

The undead situation was mostly resolved, but still, a battlefield where people get hurt and die wasn’t something to show children.

“Then……”

Elodie pressed her lips to Erica’s cheek and then pulled away as she made a request.

“Please deliver Elodie’s kiss to Dad.”

This time lips briefly touched the other cheek and pulled away.

“Deliver Eric’s kiss too.”

Erica closed her eyes and nodded. Tomorrow, she resolved to give Roderick a birthday that wouldn’t be lonely even though he was far from his family.

The next morning, Erica came out of the house with the children who had packed their bags from their rooms. Whenever adults left the house, the children were always looked after at Iriel’s palace. Today she would only leave them until evening, so the children didn’t have much luggage.

“When are you coming back?”

Eric asked while passing through the front yard, apparently having forgotten even though she’d told him yesterday.

“Probably after dinner time? I’ll come before bedtime. Listen well to the palace people, play nicely with Endion……”

“If you’re that worried, hurry and go come back.”

Well, look at this. His speaking skills had improved. Whether he was deflecting because he was afraid ‘Make sure to do your homework!’ would be added to the end of her instructions, or whether it was whining to hurry and come back, the effect of stopping Erica’s nagging was excellent.

“Right, I’ll hurry and come back.”

Erica, who had sent the children off with the elf guards who had come to the front of the house, went back inside.

“We can go now too.”

“Yes, just let me get this.”

Erica hugged the box she had placed on the dining table and stood side by side with Grandma Greta in the house’s living room. At their feet was a chest full of mana bombs. Just as Erica linked arms with Grandma, Grandma cast a spell.

“Teleport.”

Her vision became dizzy and she felt a floating sensation as if weight had disappeared from her body. Immediately all the colors of the world swirled and blurred together, flowing swiftly behind Erica. Forest, lake, snow-covered mountain. The colors seemed to change depending on the places they passed.

Teleport is instant movement, so normally you’d arrive at your destination without leisure to see such things. However, when the distance is far, it naturally takes a few more seconds. The moment she blinked once more, her body swayed as if the vehicle she’d been riding had suddenly braked, and she felt solid ground under her feet.

“Oh!”

Grandma Greta caught Erica, who almost fell due to the sudden stop in movement, and laughed. Grandma, for whom teleport was as familiar as riding a horse, seemed perfectly fine.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”

Using teleport was good because it eliminated waste of troops and time since they didn’t need to ride wyverns when delivering mana bombs here, but it didn’t have only good points.

“Oh my, so dizzy.”

It had only been the short time of a few blinks, but she felt motion sick as if she’d ridden a wyvern for hours through turbulence.

“You’ve arrived.”

Though her vision was spinning, she could easily recognize familiar faces. Duke Pendrel politely greeted the two people.

This was the castle where the command stayed. Erica looked around at the surroundings where soldiers and horses were busily coming and going and asked Duke Pendrel.

“Where is Roderick?”

“He said he was going on reconnaissance and left on a wyvern just before dawn.”

“Ah……”

She had hoped she might see him if he was still at the castle. Being diligent was also a problem.

“Have you had breakfast?”

“Yes, we ate before coming, so don’t worry about it and go about your business comfortably.”

Erica had probably eaten more heartily than the duke on the battlefield. Duke Pendrel disappeared with a knight who had come looking for him, befitting a supreme commander who wouldn’t have enough bodies even if he had ten. Soldiers took away the chest containing mana bombs, and Grandma Greta headed toward the mages’ barracks, saying she would teach the army’s chief mage undead destruction magic.

Erica asked a servant of the ducal house and went to find Roderick’s barracks. Entering the tent located between the elf spirit master vice-commander’s and the Holy Knight Order commander’s barracks, Erica looked around inside with displeased and flustered eyes.

“There’s…… nothing……”

Looking at the empty and shabby interior, Erica acted like a chaebol visiting a goshiwon¹a type of small, single-room accommodation common in South Korea, originally designed for students preparing for exams for the first time in her life.

“Well, this isn’t home either. As long as he can wash and sleep…… No, but this is a bit much?”

Actually, she hadn’t expected anything grand. Still, she didn’t feel very good knowing Roderick was staying in such uncomfortable conditions.