The main thing is, you know, it's about Garnett. I've been wanting to have a long talk with you about it.
'Ga, are you talking about Garnett? ......'

　Even though I was too obvious, my voice was too strong.

　The brother of the girl who is living alone under one roof, even though they are on the same side of the guard and the one being guarded, wanted to talk to me one-on-one about his sister.

　I'd like to see his face if anyone can maintain a sense of normalcy in this situation.

'You don't have to be so awed. Just call Garnett the same way you usually do.

　Carmine said in a light-hearted manner and didn't wait for my reaction before continuing his words.

'...... Does Garnett always smile like that in front of you?'
Like at dinner?　...... Yes, I think there's been an increase in that, especially recently.
Well, that's good to hear.

　Nodding emotionally, Carmine sipped at his cup of tea.

'I see that's normal in front of you. That's a relief.
'Maybe I'm just getting used to my life now. It was so different in the beginning.

　I honestly don't know what triggered it, but - let's just say I don't know - I don't feel the thorns in Garnett's attitude these days.

　It's just that she doesn't turn her stinginess on me, but she does show the harshness she had when she first met me to others.

'No, you're the only one who's special,'

　Carmine assured him without any hesitation at all.

'It's a shameful thing for my people, but I haven't seen Garnett laughing so carefree in years. So I'm sincerely surprised.

　The question of why in the world - the question of why in the world didn't mysteriously come to mind.

　I already had an idea as to why Garnett had stopped smiling like a girl.

　It was shortly after I learned Garnet's secret, namely her true gender.

　The day after [repairing] the fatal wound inflicted by the dragon, he had actually erased the old wound on his chest as well, and that was when he was asked to restore the old wound.

　In order to make this troublesome case a success, I did my best to [Analyze] and [Restore] it, and a scene that could only be Garnett's memories flowed into my mind.

　Inside the burning mansion, the figure of a woman who died protecting a young Garnet from the deadly blade that was thrust out of the house--

'Garnett lost his mother when he was very young. And that too in the form of being killed in front of her.

　-- so I was able to take Carmine's words calmly.

'Oh?'　You're not surprised.
'That's not true. For that matter, when it comes to Garnett's mother, it's also for you: ......
'Oh, actually, no. My mother died a long time ago, and Garnett's mother was remarried to my father. She was a young woman, like my sister, to me, so I'm not surprised!

　So Garnett and Carmine are brother and sister with different mothers.

　In fact, I met Carmine before I knew Garnett's true face, but maybe that was the reason why I didn't feel 'I look like that guy' when I saw his face.

''Quiet. The underlings were quickly taken out, but the mastermind who ordered the attack still hasn't figured out where he is. And Garnett was knighted for wanting to take the mastermind into his own hands.
So the mastermind behind this is someone connected to Mithril's trafficking: ......
Perhaps. The prevailing theory is that it was in retaliation for the Knights exposing the traffickers.

　That's why Garnett had been terribly hostile to me when I first came to Green Hollow Town.

　I was suspected of murdering a brave man and trafficking mithril, as a result of the minister's frame-up of recommending Falcon to a brave man.

　The people who came to exonerate me of these suspicions were members of the Silverwing Knights, and Garnett met me as a member of the group.

　But Garnett had decided that I was a mithril trafficker because of his personal feelings, and all he did was bite me in the face for some reason or another - ah, even looking back on it now, it was the closest thing to the worst first contact I've ever had.

'You're so perceptive, I don't think I need to elaborate. It wasn't until after I decided to become a knight that Garnett became the character he is now. Since then, neither me nor your father had ever seen him smile like that.

　In spite of that, at some point, Garnett began to smile carefree in front of me.

　I had decided to think that the reason - as I had answered Carmine earlier - was because I was getting used to my current life.

　He had been tense in an unfamiliar environment, but only recently had he been able to finally relax his nerves and put on his normal expression.

　Carmine, however, denied it.
　He said that even he, his brother, had never seen Garnett smile like that for a long time.

'You're special to Garnett. I know your father won't be happy about it, but as for me, I want to respect my sister's wishes.
I'll be the one to make the special ......
You were aware of it, weren't you?
............

　Carmine confronts me directly with the fact that I've been trying not to think about such a thing as egotism.

　The voice in your mind telling you to speak your mind puts a powerful brake on your thinking.

　She is the daughter of an adventurer who failed to make it big, with a weapon shop look, and the daughter of a knight leader's family.
　Essentially, she is the height of self-consciousness.
　I have to say that it's much more ill-conceived than a sweet, popular novel.

''I, you see, I'm against recommending you for knighthood right now, but I'd like to make another recommendation when the situation eventually settles down.
...... Is that because of the political battle with the Golden Fang Knights?
Don't ask the obvious questions.

　It was passed off with a smile, but I can imagine what he was trying to say.

　I can imagine - but I'm still disturbed by the voice in my mind telling me not to be smug.

　If I were to say it out loud, I would not be able to help but despise myself.

''This is my request as an older brother, not a Knight Commander. Please spare my life. If I were to lose not only my mother, but you as well, Garnett might never recover or ...... or be even more broken than he is now.
...... I would do that without being told. It's a species that lives on its own.
Thank you. Well, if you feel that way, I should be able to contribute a great deal.

　Carmine drank the rest of the tea, put down a silver coin worth the cost of the tea set for the two of us, and rose from his chair with a heavy heart.

　Then he stands next to me in the chair and bends over to block the eyes of his surroundings.

''This is information I gathered in a way that is a bit against the law. I want Garnett to keep it quiet until I hear an announcement from the Golden Fang.

　I gasped as a sharp voice with the frivolity gone told me so.

　In the midst of the hubbub of people's voices and countless noises, combined with the psychological preconception that you wouldn't expect to be in the middle of such a place, it's a hole in the ground to talk about things that you wouldn't want to be seen.

　If you want to hide your voice, you should be in the forest, and if you want to hide your voice, you should be in the noise.

　The dining room at the Spring Wakaba Tei is a good example of this.

''It seems that the Golden Fang's agents have made secret contact with the dwarves in the Demon King's Castle Realm. They hated the Demon King's army as invaders and knew that the two Demon Generals had been defeated, but they were never happy about it.

　Carmine kept his voice low and said one shocking word, clearly audible only to Shikari and I. ''The four demon generals are immortal, they will be revived one day.

''The four demon generals are immortal, they will surely come back one day. I heard they were afraid to say so.
I'll be sure to go to ...... to revive .......

　I think of my battle with one of the demon generals - a dark elf warrior who calls himself Norzuri - in my brain.

　He saw me as the biggest threat and tried to get rid of me, but I died before I could communicate that recognition to anyone else, and my corpse was destroyed by the mad golem controlled by Bran.

　However, if they are still able to revive, then Norzuri's caution about me might be transmitted to the heart of the Demon King's army.

''It seems it's only a story close to the lore. The means of revival, the time required, and even the truth of the matter is unknown. Still, I think it's best to be careful.
...... Yes, thank you.

　Carmine put his hand on my shoulder and laughed at me, regaining his earlier aloofness.

Well, anyway, please don't make my sister cry. In more ways than one, of course.
I know. You can't do that.

　This time, Carmine walked away and left the inn.

　As if to replace it, Garnett came back from the entrance of the inn.

'Hey, white wolf. What were you talking to your brother about?
If I had to sum it up simply, I'd say you're in good hands.
You're lying. You're a liar, boy. You got a lot of nasty ideas, don't you?

　Garnett looked restless, fidgeting in the direction of Carmine's departure.

　Just watching him made me smile in a strange way.

'...... what is it?'
No, it's nothing.

　I'm a total coward. I don't want to ruin our relationship, our current distance.

　But there's no need to hurry. It's not too late to have a chance.

　With this thought in the corner of my mind, I decided to leave the inn and return to our home.