The discussion was over for now, so Mom left her seat to fetch a cup of tea.


    My dad and I are left alone at the living room table.


    ''''Hey Eric. I''ve got a question for you.


    Dad started the conversation with an air of seriousness.


    ''What do you want to ask...?''


    ''Yeah, well I don''t know where to start.


    My father asks me one question after a little trouble.


    ''''--Did you know about this demon''s attack?


    That question from my dad - I thought for a moment that I had stopped breathing.


    How to answer it, what to say I have no idea........


    My dad is looking me straight in the eye, waiting for an answer to his question.


    ''....I know, I know.


    I answered that, honestly.


    Even if I lied and said I didn''t know, then I''d be asking how I could have prepared the wall surrounding that village before the attack.


    I prepared that wall a week ago.


    I may be able to lie and say that I wouldn''t have known about it if it wasn''t for that wall, but that wall was absolutely necessary.


    I built that wall knowing that I couldn''t get away with it when these questions came up.


    I was prepared for it but I really don''t know what to answer after this.


    ''''Well........''''


    My dad meditated as he uttered that as if he was leaking.


    ''That''s all I needed to hear. The rest is fine.''


    ''Eh....''


    I let out a questioning voice at those words.


    Why...?　Don''t you have a lot to ask?


    Hmm?　What, is it so funny not to ask?


    My dad said with a light chuckle, as if he could hear my heart.


    ''No, well ...''


    ''Sure, I''m curious how you knew or something but it''s not something you want to hear, is it?　It''s written on my face.


    My face is that easy to see...?


    I didn''t expect them to notice that.


    If it weren''t for you, the village would have been devastated. That''s why I don''t question you. What would Serena say if I did that to you who saved the village...?


    Dad shudders a little as if he has imagined it.


    ''Dad you can''t beat your mother after all, can you?


    ''But if you knew, I wish you would have told me, Serena, or at least Tina. The guys in the village might not believe you when you tell them the village is going to be attacked all of a sudden, but we''d believe you if we knew you meant it.


    My dad was a little preachy, but very gently told me so.


    Well I didn''t tell him because I thought he would never believe me, but I guess I should have told my dads.


    When I think about it, I feel like Tina and the others would believe such an outlandish thing about the village being attacked if I really told them.


    ''''........Thanks, Dad.''''


    Oh, I''m your father.


    As he said that, my dad got up and walked around the table to come towards me, stroking my head forcefully as I sat down before walking out.


    ........I felt very nostalgic after being stroked by my dad for the first time in a long time.


    At the same time, the size of my father''s hand and the warmth of his body that I felt from my head gave me a sense of security.


    I realized once again how dependable my dad was.


    ''''I''ve made tea~. Oh, who''s that guy?


    Oh...


    Mom came back with a cup of tea but my dad just left.


    Dad you forgot to bring mom a cup of tea.


    I guess he was trying to dress up and leave but he didn''t dress up at the last minute, dad.


    I sat down at the table with him and drank the tea my mom had prepared for me while thinking about that.


    ''Eric-chan you''re going to King''s Landing to join the Order, right?


    I take a cup of tea and pause for a moment, then Mom speaks to me.


    ''Yes,''


    What about little Tina?


    I choke up as another question comes in that I have trouble answering.


    ''Aren''t you and Tina and Eric great friends?　If Eric-chan were to suddenly go to King''s Landing, Tina-chan would be very sad...


    Mom also looked a little uncomfortable talking, and she looked sad at the thought of Tina.


    ''....Yeah. I''m sad to leave Tina, but.......I''ve made my decision.


    ''''Well then, I won''t say anything. You''ll have a proper talk with Tina and you won''t regret it.


    Okay, thanks, Mom.


    I thank my mom for telling me she was worried about me and Tina, and I stand up.


    I told her I was on my way out, and she gave me a sweet smile as she saw me off.


    As I left the house, I looked for Tina.


    The house next door is Tina''s house, but from what her mom told me, she hasn''t come home yet.


    I looked around the village with Tina at her usual training area and fields, but I couldn''t see her.


    Where is she...?


    I asked the people in the village if they had seen Tina, and they said no one had seen her.


    The last time I saw her was when my fathers came back from King''s Landing and handed out tools and other items and everyone was happy to receive them.


    I went home with Jere and the others shortly after that and we talked........where did Tina go?


    The only other place I haven''t looked for is ... maybe a forest?


    If it was a forest, we have to go and find it quickly.


    The demons in the forest are fewer and fewer because of the demon raids and the killing of so many demons.


    But it''s been about a week now, so I''m starting to see the demons a little bit more.


    With Tina''s magic ability, if I don''t let my guard down or something, I won''t die by any chance, but I''m still worried.


    I ran to the forest and went to look at the forest as it revolved around the village.


    Where.........?


    It would be nice if he wasn''t in the forest, but if he wasn''t in the village, there was nowhere else he could expect to find Tina other than the forest.


    After running and searching for a while, I saw a figure from the back of the house.


    This area is probably where I buried Felix, so Yele-san and his men are probably here.


    Yeah, let''s ask them if they''ve seen Tina. Maybe they''ve seen Tina.


    Thinking that, I run towards the shadows.


    When I was about to call out to Yele-san and the others after finding them through the trees--.


    ''''--Ha?''''


    I encountered a sight I couldn''t believe my eyes.


    Yele-san is drawing his sword, and for some reason his subordinates are falling down around him.


    And - underneath the ground where Mr. Yelle is standing is Tina lying on the ground.


    To that Tina - the scene was that Mr. Yelle was trying to swing his sword down.