The Author's Will

17 | Little Sprout

　　 As the days continued to pass swiftly by, melding into weeks and months, Irene continued to spend her time as she usually did. Accompanied by Snow, she would pay visits to the knight's training area while exploring the vast duchy, to greet her father and the knights who fawned over her every time. She would also watch Rayvis train directly under Rudien, who was gradually preparing his son to inherit his prowess in the future.

During some hours of the day, Snow would disappear to go and help River with his research on spirit animals — and over their many childish bickering and teasing one another, the mage and phoenix gradually became friends. Irene couldn't help but find it a humorous sight, to watch River walking down the hallway with her conceited bird perched onto River's shoulder.

The days leading toward the start of the war were drawing nearer with each passing second, and Irene couldn't help but anxiously await the day she would have to see off Rudien for the last time in months. She tried to savour every moment she could with her family, because it wasn't long until one of the Cherlianns would disappear for three years.

Even so, the little girl was very confident in her father and the knight's hard work. They weren't famed for being strong for nothing. Laydel's military was impenetrable. So mighty it would definitely be victorious in the war against Izadel. Compared to these beasts, the knights of the other nation were nothing but stickmen.

However, victory in war was close to impossible without a number of losses. That was what war would bring — the deaths of many innocent soldiers who fought valiantly to protect their country. This war too, would result in many deaths among the knights Irene herself had seen and talked to. The kind-hearted soldiers who wore their hearts on their sleeves, always showering her with adoration.

Irene wanted to ensure that no matter what, casualties were kept to a minimum. These knights were not simply unnamed characters in a story anymore. They were the parents, siblings, lovers or friends of so many people. Each soldier carried value as a human, and for the young miss of Cherliann, they were precious in the short time she had become acquainted with them.

The news of war had spread to every nook and cranny of the empire by now. It became the hot topic of the year - and despite the anxiety of some, the nation was positive of Laydel's victory. With a formidable man like Rudien leading the soldiers, they would certainly prosper.

Soon enough, it was finally time to finally bid farewell to the soldiers - who would be gone for months, perhaps years. The time spent each day waiting felt like it had zoomed by, but also moved in a slow pace. This is only the beginning, there's so much more to come in the later novel that I need to prepare even more diligently for.

Irene was going to miss her father dearly, but she knew he would be safe. Rudien promised to write to her as often as he could, and she would do the same. Snow, who could visit the duke as a guardian spirit and report back to her, or even protect the soldiers with his magic, added to Irene's assurance. This was why the young daughter of House Cherliann had the most confidence in her father, out of everyone.

In these next three years, before father comes back, I'll have my hands full either way. She thought to herself, as she watched the soldiers preparing to leave the duchy for the final time. Snow will watch over father and the army for me, so I should try and focus on the events that are to come.

"Irene..." A familiar, soothing voice called out to her, and the white-haired girl gazed up to see her father, dressed head-to-toe in the shining armoured uniform of Laydel's military, smiling down at her. As she stood alongside Sarah and Rayvis at the entrance of the duchy, she was finally saying her goodbyes to him.

"I'm going to miss you, Papa," she smiled sadly, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know that you'll come back since you're the strongest man ever, but I'll still miss you."