The Story of a Middle-Aged Knight Who Tried to Live a Relaxed Slow Life in the Countryside, Only for a Duke's Daughter Whose Engagement Was Broken Off to Move in With Him

Life Goes On Even If You Fail

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*****

The next morning, when Cistilia and I woke up, we bumped into each other in the kitchen.

「G-Good morning.」

「...Yeah, good morning.」

We exchanged awkward greetings.

「Um, I'll go fetch some water at least.」

Saying so, Cistilia headed outside through the back door.

In the meantime, I lit the stove, cracked eggs into a frying pan, and made fried eggs.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside.

「Ahhhhh!」

It was Cistilia.

Scrambling to take the frying pan off the stove, I rushed out through the back door.

Cistilia was standing past the well.

「What happened!?」

「L-Look at this!」

Cistilia pointed at the ground.

The ground—no, the Moon-Waiting grass flowerbed Cistilia had created.

The Moon-Waiting grass remained withered, just as we had seen yesterday.

However, green sprouts were budding from the brown petals that had fallen onto the soil.

And not just one, but several.

「Did the Moon-Waiting grass... multiply?」

From the look of it, it didn't seem like unrelated weeds sprouting up, either.

I stood frozen in astonishment.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind me.

「Is something wrong, Lord Magistrate? I heard a commotion.」

Turning around, I saw Granny coming around the side of the manor.

「Ah, Granny. Could you take a look at this?」

「Let me see... My, Moon-Waiting grass is a rare sight. It's said that it never grows near human settlements.」

「Actually, Cistilia brought it back from the pasture and replanted it here.」

「Hmm... The Moon-Waiting grass is a highly useful plant: mashing its leaves yields medicinal herb, drying its roots makes a tonic, and grinding its fallen blossoms into powder produces a sedative. People occasionally try to cultivate it, but I've never heard of anyone succeeding. No matter how much water or different fertilizers you give it, this flower stubbornly refuses to grow.」

「I wonder why. I don't think that pasture is anything special, either.」

「That is the mystery. That is why it's considered best to leave it alone when you spot it and only go gather it when needed. Because of that, it is also called the 'Sheltered Princess.'」

「Hey now, you're being unusually poetic today, Granny.」

「'Sheltered Princess,' is it...?」

Cistilia sank into thought.

I was gradually coming to learn that whenever Cistilia looked like she was deep in thought, nothing good ever followed.

It was like a wind-up routine right before she acted with single-minded conviction.

「By the way, did you know Moon-Waiting grass grew in that pasture in the first place?」

Curious, I asked Granny.

「No, indeed. I had never heard of such a thing.」

「Then that Moon-Waiting grass must have sprouted recently, too. Something that happened before the day we went to the pasture, and something that happened last night, huh...」

A potential hypothesis struck me.

「The day before we went to the pasture—which is the day Cistilia arrived—it was raining. Yesterday, it rained all day, too.」

At my words, Cistilia looked up.

「Then, Master Leonardo, are you suggesting that Moon-Waiting grass grows when it rains?」

「I can't say for sure. There are too few examples.

However, this flower might not accept regular water, needing rainwater instead.」

「Rainwater, is it...?」

「I see, I certainly hadn't thought of that.」

Cistilia and Granny nodded.

「In that case, we must collect and store rainwater.」

「Yeah. Let's gather what's accumulated in the buckets outside, transfer it into large earthen jars, and keep them covered.」

Cistilia and I split up to walk around the perimeter of the manor, gathering the rainwater that had accumulated here and there.

「It might be a bit late to say this after gathering it all... but rainwater might not be the reason. It could have been mere coincidence.」

「Well, yeah. But if we're wrong, we're wrong—nothing we can do about that.

Besides, if it wilts, we can just search for it again and try growing it anew.」

「Will we be able to find it again so easily?」

「It might not turn up right away. But as long as we don't give up, we'll find it somewhere.」

「Even if we find it, I might wither it again. Every time that happens, I'm likely to fall into despair and self-loathing.」

「Isn't that fine? Though it might be unfortunate for the flower.

You fail and fail... and life still goes on. Failure isn't the end. True life only begins after you've failed. Anyone who's only ever known success is practically missing out on ninety-nine percent of what life has to offer.」

「Fufu. You really are wonderful at finding life's truths in the smallest of things, Master Leonardo.」

「Don't tease me.」

「I'm not teasing you. You're right. It's okay to fail. After all, this isn't the royal court.」

Cistilia spoke with an unusually radiant look on her face.

Looking at her profile, a mix of feelings welled up in me—the thought that things had gotten complicated and the conflicting wish that it were otherwise.

That afternoon, I finished writing my reply to the Knights Order.

'--No such lady has arrived in this village.'

With a trembling hand, I sealed the envelope with beeswax and handed it over to the mail carrier who visited regularly.

As far as Cistilia was concerned, I had managed to brace myself to a certain extent.

I didn't quite have the resolve to take her as my wife just yet, but I decided that until Cistilia reached her own conclusion, I would protect her with everything I had.

Now then, there was one more uninvited resident who had tumbled into this village.

Watta, the dwarf.

「I put up notices in places where dwarfs might see them, but so far there's been no response.」

I broached the subject while having breakfast with Cistilia and Watta in the manor dining room.

Cistilia translated my words for Watta.

「It would be disastrous if there were a misunderstanding with the dwarves. If they convinced themselves Watta had been kidnapped and decided to launch an attack... that would be a nightmare.」

As Cistilia translated once more, Watta nodded with a serious expression.

「That said, letting Watta go alone is dangerous, too. There's the risk she might be attacked by monsters like before. Once you spot one of those creatures, you know there are others nearby.」

「What do you plan to do?」

Cistilia asked while translating.

「Can't be helped—I'm thinking the lumberjack and I should escort her back.」

「Eh? You personally, Master Leonardo?」

「Yeah. The hunter has a wooden leg. Forcing him to walk far along mountain paths would be cruel. There are other young hunters, but considering the possibility of running into dwarves, we need someone who can negotiate properly, or we'll be in trouble.」

The dwarves might assume a hostile stance when seeing us with Watta.

At that moment, demonstrating that we harbor no ill will and handing Watta over safely would require a certain amount of grit.

I felt I could trust the peg-legged hunter with it, but young hunters who knew nothing of the world outside the village left me uneasy.

Worst case, nervous tension might drive them to loose an arrow at a dwarf.

「It's too heavy a burden for the lumberjacks, too. Apparently, dwarves and lumberjacks occasionally clash when their work territories overlap.

Well, I do think things should be fine as long as Watta explains the situation, though.」

When it came to someone who could negotiate with dwarves and handle monster attacks, there was really no one else left besides me.

「Besides, if I frame it as the magistrate personally escorting her back, I doubt the dwarves will take it poorly.」

「When the dwarves find out you are the magistrate, Master Leonardo, isn't there a risk they might harbor ill intentions?」

「I won't say it's impossible. But even if they took me hostage, what could they possibly squeeze out of this village?

Besides, word is that dwarves are simple folk who despise scheme and trickery.」

Just in case, we also held a 'hostage' in Watta.

Even if they acted in bad faith, we should at least be able to grab Watta and flee back home.

Though from what I had heard from Watta, that didn't seem likely anyway.

「Thank... you... for... trouble.」

Having had the situation explained by Cistilia, Watta bowed her head to me with those words.

「We help each other out when we're in trouble.」

I offered Watta a reassuring smile.

Just then, Cistilia spoke up.

「If that's the case, please take me along with you.」

「...I figured you'd say that. Mind telling me your reason?」

「You do not know the dwarven tongue, Master Leonardo. If we rely solely on Watta to explain the circumstances, unintended misunderstandings might arise. If I am with you, I can prevent that.」

「Honestly, it'd be better to leave you behind, though...」

She wasn't the type to meekly obey just because I said so.

Besides, what Cistilia said was actually true.

「Alright. Let's go together.」

When I nodded, Cistilia let out a cheer.

*****

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