The territories of the Crester family are scattered all over the kingdom of Elgrand. In order to visit all the territories in the ten days of the Descent Festival (Les Armeniastes), each of them will naturally have to move from place to place, acting alone. Dualis and Elizabeth will each have their own Darkness guards, but Edward's will be a true solo act. The reason for this is simple: it is faster and more reliable for him to punch out the enemy by himself than to have the Darkness protect him.
That's why he is the most maneuverable of them all, and every year he is assigned a fairly large area to the west across the Lemire River. This year, without Diana, the area was even more extensive.

The fourth day of the festival, the morning of the 23rd day of the forest. On this day, he was on his way to the next land from the territory where he spent the previous night, when he suddenly changed direction. The wise horse, who remembers the route every year, stopped and turned around to look at him suspiciously.

I'm sorry, we're taking a detour. It shouldn't be too far, so good luck.

That was enough to convince the long-time horse, and they rode for a while through unfamiliar territory. Not long after, as Edward had said, they came upon a small house hidden in the cliffs of the wilderness. We dismounted a little before the house, and as we approached it with gentle steps, the door opened just in time to reveal an old man.
Edward took off the hood he was wearing and smiled.

Just in time. Is this Dr. Dolly's clinic?
"......, who are you?
I'm Ed, and I'm here to talk to you and the patient you're treating. My name is Ed.

I know that my smile looks fishy, but it would be unnatural if I didn't smile here. Unlike my father and sister, my smile is not intimidating, so in this case, Edward usually smiles and looks for his next move.

(Go home!　I guess I'll just go in through the back of .......

Since this is definitely the destination, all I have to do is finish my business. He had a lot of plans after this, so he didn't want to think of a very elaborate plan in the first place.

"Put in .......
"Oh, hi. Thank you very much.

The old man turned on his heels with a difficult look on his face and opened the door that looked like a front door. Telling his horse to wait nearby, Edward walked through the door.
--The inside of the house was neat and tidy, which was hard to imagine from the house's crumbling appearance. Passing through a room with a cooker, a dining table, a small sofa and a bookcase, the old man walked deeper into the room. Pushing on the wall at the end of the corridor, he found a hidden staircase leading to the basement.

(...... This is obvious, isn't it?)

Even if you don't say anything, you will be led to a room that seems to be a 'secret'. This means that the person you're talking to is from behind the scenes, and they know who you are. Thinking that he still had a lot of training to do, Edward followed the old man down the stairs.
At the bottom of the hidden stairs, there was a door. A light was leaking out from inside. The old man knocked on the door.

"Sora, are you awake?
"Yes, I'm awake.

A soft, soothing voice came from the other side. The voice on the other side sounded calm and soft, with the solemnity of a priest, but the old man certainly called him 'Sora' now.

I'll open it. --You have a visitor.

There was a squeak, and the door opened. His eyes urged him to enter, and Edward slowly stepped into the room.
It was a small room. It was barely large enough to hold a bed, a washbasin, and two small chairs.
However, the smallness of the room did not seem to bother Edward as he was greeted by the overwhelming presence of the person who had risen from the bed.

Welcome, young man. --I apologize for not being able to offer you any hospitality.
...... Are you the Kuro Lion?

He was surprisingly small. He was surprisingly small, even if you discounted the fact that he was a little thin due to illness. He was only about the same height as Deanna.
Her black hair flowed lightly, and her obsidian-black eyes had a strong glow. Her face was so young that it was hard to believe she had a son around 20 years old. If he were not, he would have looked so cute. He must be over forty, but no matter how you look at him, he looks like he is in his early thirties.
--But the intimidation emanating from his whole body and the strength of his gaze were unmistakably that of the man who is called the twin peaks of the "back".

I'm sorry for visiting you so suddenly, without asking for your availability.

When he came to his senses, Edward bowed his head quite naturally.

I am Edward Crestor, the eldest son of the current Earl of Crestor. I am honored to meet the legendary twin peaks of Sora the Kuro Lion.

A slightly annoyed voice came from the person who bowed to me.

...... No need to thank me, young man. I'm not going to get involved, but I'm also a person who lives in the background, protected by you.
No, Lord Kuro Lion, I have always admired and respected you, and now I can finally meet you. Please treat me not as the eldest son of the Crestor family, but as a person who belongs to the "back".
"That's a very ...... difficult order to fulfill.

The Kuro Lion seemed to laugh a little.

"Please, sit down. Please, have a seat, Dolly.
Would you like some tea, young man of Clester?
Please, call me Ed. I haven't been called "young man" in a long time.

With that, Edward sits down in his chair. He sat down on the chair. He was at the same level as the black lion and met his gaze head on.



...... So the rumors are true.
"Rumors?
I've heard that the young lord of the Cresta family is doing some underworld work with the Dark Side.
I've heard that the young lord of the Crester family does 'underworld' work with the 'dark side'. I'm only called upon by Sirius when he's short on staff. During the season, I have to attend the social gatherings of the nobility.

That statement is already the speech of an earner. Edward himself considers himself to be someone who only occasionally appears in the background, but lately the "occasional" appearances have been increasing, and he is almost treated as a peer by those in the background. He is probably one of the most influential members of the Crester family in the last 200 years.

"Rumors aside, I have a lot of opportunities to be involved with the underground. I've heard a lot about you, and I'd like to meet you someday.
You don't need to see me, ......, you have the Lord Kurowing right there with you.
Sirius is indeed a great man, and I'm still no match for him. I've heard that you, unlike Sirius, are a legendary businessman, respected by all who live behind the scenes, working independently from place to place. I've heard that you're a man of reason, who protects the well-being of others no matter what, even if it means going against your employer. --I've always wanted to talk to you.
...... If you knew so much about me, you must have heard that I would never have anything to do with the Cresta family.

I'm sure you've heard of it.

I know, I know. I know. ...... Neither my father nor Sirius told me the details, though. I know. My father and Sirius never told me the details, but they said that after an incident, the Kuro Lion began to avoid us.
That's not true, sir. I'm the one who doesn't want the Cresta family to see me.

The black lion's voice sounded soft and reached Edward's ears.

It was when I was still young and didn't know much about ...... the world. I committed the unforgivable sin of ignorance.
"But...
Yes, Master Dualis didn't seem to mind. She said, "You didn't know, did you?　You didn't know, did you? I couldn't believe my eyes and ears.

This is the kind of thing my father would have said. The Cresta family is tolerant of those who sincerely regret their sins.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one. I have decided that I will not rely on the Cresters, but will live in this world and repay them from afar. ...... I just feel bad for forcing my son to follow the same path.
"Your son, ......, the one they call 'the lion cub', is that him?
He got that nickname because he's my son, I guess. He laughed and said, "I don't think 'lion' suits me.

The black lion looked at Edward with the gaze of a man who has something to protect.

I'm sure you'll understand. ...... No, Ed. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before. I will bear my sins and bring them with me to the shores of the underworld.
"Lord Kuro Lion: ......
"I probably won't make it through this winter. --Please take care of Kai, my son, when I am gone.
...... Well, I'm here to tell you that's not going to happen, me.

A strange silence filled the small room that had been filled with a heavy air.

"What about ......?
My father heard that the Kuro Lion was suffering from a difficult disease, but if he could just get some herbs, he could manage it. I've set up a temporary sanatorium in the port town and secured a distribution channel for the medicine. I've come to invite you to come there now.
What?

The one who shouted was Dr. Dolly, who had been listening to the conversation right beside him.

"Young man, what are you talking about?　It's a decoction of balsam fir, how much of it do you think you need?
You can call me Ed. --I don't know much about it, but some generations ago, there was a Crester family who moved to a desert country and started an export trading business there. I explained the situation to them, and they said that they would be able to provide me with a decoction method that would maximize the medicinal effects of the plant, so maybe we can work something out.
"No, no, no. ......

What are you doing, Krester?" Even if you're not Dolly, you want to get into it. The black lion in question was so surprised that he had stunned written on his face.

You can't possibly accept ....... I'm sure Duarisse knows exactly what I'm talking about.
If you have the means to live, you should take advantage of it. If you have the means to live, you should make use of them. We, the Cresters, are merely expanding the range of those means.
You're giving me such special treatment?
"If the Kuro Lion is saved, it will open the way to save others with the same disease. I'm not saving you alone.
If you're going to ......, then you should be the first one to save someone else.

He's as stubborn as I've heard. Dr. Dolly seemed to want to pack his bags now that he heard that the way to save the black lion was open, so all he had to do was convince him.
Edward smiled a little and tilted his head.

I think you should live, though. --For your son's sake.
"...... what?
"Don't you care?　I think you should live, but for your son's sake." "Aren't you curious? Why did my father, who had respected your feelings and had never dared to look for you, suddenly do this?

The Kuro Lion is not only a strong man, but a wise one as well . After a few moments of silence, he moved his lips, "...... no way.



It's not like I was rushed into anything. ...... I was in a bit of trouble, I'm sure, but I made contact.
What did you do? What did you do?
In order to earn money for your medication, you jumped at the highest paying job and turned against us head on.
That idiot ......!

One moment he was holding his head, the next he was shifting his position to jump off the bed. It took Edward and Dolly to hold him back.

"Hey, calm down, Sora!
"Calm down?　I'm not going to calm down until I hit that idiot!
Well, I didn't think Kai would make such a rudimentary mistake, but he was desperate. Don't be angry.
I don't know how I can apologize to Dualis for the trouble I've caused them. ......
Oh, my father didn't cause any trouble. It's mainly my sister who has been through a lot.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. He looked back at Edward with a slightly pale expression.

I'm not sure if Ed's sister is the youngest princess, Diana .......
I'm sure you're right. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before. In the beginning, he was an enemy of Deanna, but it seems that something happened inside, and now he is cooperating with Deanna as a double-secret agent who is hired by the enemy to distribute information.

In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. I'm not sure what to make of this.

I'm not sure how much of an idiot he is, but he's ......!
I'm sure you'll agree that you need to get better and take more than just one hit.　I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea to have a good time.
"...... If that's the case, I'll just have to take care of him here in shame. It's my role as a father to beat my idiot son, collect him, and make him apologize on his knees.

As soon as I heard his reply, Dory ran out of the basement. Edward looked at the black lioness, who was clearly more energetic than before, and nodded.

(Regardless of his motives, the black lion is now positive about the cure. (Regardless of the motive, the black lion is now willing to be cured, so I'll definitely watch the father-son fight after he's cured.

If one half of the father-son quarrel were to ask me, I'm sure he would say, "Don't be so selfish! Edward took out a pen and paper to write out his message.