ODD 5

Chapter 5

Father said it was a coincidence.

On a day no different from any other, while fighting monsters that had burst out of a gate.

An ominous light rippling as if the empty air had been torn apart.

At the rough wingbeats of the insect-type monsters pouring out from there, people couldn’t even open their eyes properly, let alone scream.

Each time the abnormally long front legs swung like scythes, people were cut down like sheets of paper without even managing to scream.

Everywhere, only torn banners and pools of blood lay scattered.

‘I didn’t want to die like this…….’

At the moment when Father, left alone, also closed his eyes thinking it was the end, a massive roar sounded and a nearby magnetite mine collapsed.

Kwaaaang!

The pouring heap of magnetite crashed over the area around the gate, and Father saw it.

The empty air that had held nothing was reacting with the chunks of magnetite, rippling madly.

The invisible force emanating from the magnet — the sight of the gate being crushed and closed by that magnetic field.

To survive that hellish scene, Father rolled while clutching a raw magnetite ore stained with his dead comrades’ blood, and he became certain.

That this invisible wave was the only key to closing this gate of hell.

“Scholars began researching magnetic fields in earnest, created neodymium, and installed it throughout the empire. After that, the gate occurrence rate noticeably decreased and eventually disappeared.”

“……If that’s true, then your father really is a hero of the empire.”

I continued explaining about Father after that. Aidan, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth.

“So how did he end up taking you in?”

“I was abandoned in front of a gate.”

“What?”

His expression twisted. Right, even in Aidan’s eyes — someone who bows to no one — my biological parents were far too cruel.

“Funny, isn’t it? My biological parents left me there hoping I’d die. My father was dispatched there and picked me up. And he raised me. At the time, Father was only twenty-two. How hard must it have been for an unmarried man to raise a young baby?”

My throat tightened.

The only being in this world who loved me more than my biological parents. My father.

That’s why I had to find out somehow why Father had disappeared, and what I needed to do to make him appear before me again.

I opened the diary and asked.

“Where should we start reading?”

“To trace clues about an incident, it’s best to work backward.”

I also thought reverse reasoning was better.

“This is the part I read earlier.”

I turned just one page forward.

“Then let’s read slowly from here.”

One diary. Two people.

We had no choice but to sit close together and read.

[I’m worried. What should I wear to Cynthia’s graduation ceremony? The only clothes I have are the worn ones I wear for mercenary work, so after agonizing for a long time, I ended up borrowing a suit that Theodore wore to his son Edward’s wedding. When I said the sleeves and pant legs were a bit short, he grumbled telling me not to wear it then, so I had a hard time soothing him. Anyway, this guy is petty for a man.]

“It’s not like there’s anything particularly important written here.”

“That’s what diaries are like.”

I shrugged. Honestly, it was surprising in itself that Father — given his personality — wrote a diary like this. He was a person full of affection, but not a meticulous one.

Aidan turned another page.

“It’s not like he wrote every day. Seems like he only wrote when something happened.”

[Met Arthur for the first time in a while. It had already been six months since he left for a request in the south, so it was our first meeting in half a year. He bragged all through the meal about how peaceful the south is and how beautiful the scenery is.]

“Even that isn’t such a big deal.”

It was exactly as he said. The diary was too trivial in content to infer that he’d gotten caught up in something.

“If he really got caught up in some incident like you say, wouldn’t a work log be more helpful than a diary?”

“I’d prefer that too, but all of Father’s belongings disappeared.”

“Still, you never know. Just like the diary remained, the work log might remain too. How about going to the mercenary band and looking?”

Maybe so? Come to think of it, even if his personal work log disappeared, the tasks Father took on — recorded by the mercenary band for management purposes — might still be written down.

“That could certainly be the case.”

“Then go look tomorrow. For now, let’s finish reading this.”

I nodded and reached out to turn the diary forward. Aidan must have done the same.

We both flinched and pulled our hands back. Eeeek, I’ve never held hands with a man other than Father!

“Making a fuss over just hands touching once.”

“F-fuss? When did I make a fuss!”

“Your face is red as a beet, you know?”

I hurriedly turned my head away. Was it? Was I red?

I pressed my cheeks firmly with the back of my hand, but I couldn’t tell.

It might feel hot? Hands are warm by nature, after all!

I subtly glanced sideways. Aidan was reading the diary as if his earlier surprise had been a lie, completely unbothered.

“L-let’s read together.”

After that, we examined the diary together for a while, but there was nothing noteworthy. Occasionally work stories came up, but no exact place names appeared — just rough entries like “headed south.”

“Phew, for now, among what we’ve seen so far, there doesn’t seem to be much.”

“As expected, the work log is more promising. I’ll put in for leave tomorrow, so go and come back.”

Why was Aidan being considerate?

“But if you find the work log, we look at it together, got it?”

I wondered if there was any need to look together, but he’d probably say again that it was to check whether I was in my right mind.

Seriously, even out of sheer indignation, I was going to find out where Father was as soon as possible.

“I should get going soon. It’s late.”

As he said, it was quite dark outside.

“Shall I call a carriage for you?”

“Oh, does this house have its own coachman?”

“Of course not.”

I lightly shrugged.

“I was going to call a public carriage for you.”

Aidan snorted at my kindness and picked up his outer coat.

“A public carriage? Do you want to spread rumors far and wide that I was at your house until this hour?”

“Of course not!”

Aidan Winslow is one of the most popular marriage candidates in the current empire.

If people found out that he and I had been alone in my house until late at night?

“Ugh.”

Goosebumps rose on my skin and I rubbed my arms vigorously.

“So forget it. I’ll just walk.”

“But the distance is quite far.”

“My legs are longer than yours, so it’s fine.”

With those last words, Aidan refused even to be seen off and quickly left. He must have been terrified that someone might see me seeing him off.

“I don’t like it either, you know.”

I stuck my tongue out at the already-closed door.

And the next day. I took the first train down to Robeang Village.

“Hello!”

The moment I arrived in the village, I went to the mercenary band. It wasn’t even noon yet, but the mercenary members without assignments were sitting in chairs drinking. It was a familiar sight.

“Cynthia, what brings you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

Familiar faces greeted me.

“I, I came because I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? Is there something you want to entrust to our mercenary band?”

“Yes. I need a work log.”

But before I could even finish speaking, the noisy chatter and the sound of glasses clinking since midday cut off like a lie.

“Sorry, but what do we do? We can’t show work logs carelessly.”

Derek, the head of the mercenary band, shook his head.

“What? Why not?”

Father had shown me his work logs several times while writing them here.

“There are many people who trusted our mercenary band and entrusted us with confidential work.”

“Ah…….”

“Why do you need the work log? Is it perhaps work for the imperial palace?”

At Derek’s question, I hurriedly shook my head. If I mishandled this, things could get complicated.

“No, it’s not that…….”

What should I say? Lie and take it? But it would be found out soon enough. Should I steal it secretly?

But if it suddenly disappeared, I — who brought up the work log — would be the first suspect, wouldn’t I?

It was when I was biting my lip and staring only at my toes. The old wooden door opened with a loud noise. At the same time, a familiar voice was heard.

“Would it be a different story if it were a formal request from the Winslow ducal family?”

I snapped my head up. There stood Aidan, wearing an arrogant expression.