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A Certain Father and Daughter’s Reunion
“Father! It’s been too long!”
“Carla! It has!”
On this day, Castor and Carla were seeing each other again for the first time since the day they were tried for treason. With the decision to dispatch the fleet to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union made, Castor would be departing for the archipelago. He had been called to Parnam to prepare, and been allowed to visit his daughter Carla, who worked as a servant in the palace.
Overcome with emotion, Carla threw herself into her father’s arms.
“I’m just... so glad to see you alive and well.”
“I’m the one who should be saying that,” Castor said as he hugged Carla. “I’d heard from Accela that you were doing well, but I’m still relieved now that I can see so for myself. I got you caught up in my stubborn foolishness... I’m so sorry.”
“No... I was also blinded by my own stubbornness.”
Carla drew away from Castor, taking a close look at him. Today he was dressed in his naval officer’s uniform.
“That Navy uniform really suits you.”
“Ha ha ha, thanks. That, um... servant outfit looks surprisingly good on you, too.”
“Ah ha ha... Thanks.”
Carla, meanwhile, was wearing her usual frilly maid dress. She had gotten pretty used to it by this point, but wearing it in front of her own father was still embarrassing. Blushing, she squirmed and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
Castor smiled at his daughter, then, suddenly shook his head.
“But why was I suddenly allowed to see you, I wonder?”
“His Majesty and Liscia must have arranged it,” Carla said with a wry smile. “Now that Duke Carmine’s daughter Mio returned and the truth behind his rebellion was made public, it’s created sympathy for you since you only participated out of loyalty to your friendship with him. In fact, His Majesty even told me, ‘Taking the circumstances into consideration, there’s room for me to liberate you from your status as a slave now.’”
“He did? Then you can come back to the House of Vargas?”
“No, I refused.”
“Huh?! Why?!”
“I know he said he’d liberate me, but I’m not being treated like a slave to begin with, and what I did hasn’t changed. In order to repay his kindness, I want to continue serving the royal family a little longer. I’ve gotten quite used to my duties as a servant, too.”
“...I see. Well, if that’s what you want, then the decision is yours to make.”
“Right!”
Sensing his daughter’s determination, Castor decided to respect her choice.
“Besides, the twins Liscia gave birth to—that’s Prince Cian and Princess Kazuha—they’re absolutely adorable. They look at me with cherubic smiles, and reach out with their little hands...”
“Uh... huh?”
“I could just stare at the little darlings all day.”
Seeing the goofy grin on his daughter’s face, Castor wondered, Could it be that she rejected freedom because she doesn’t want to be separated from the royal twins? But, well, if she was happy with her situation, he wasn’t going to press the issue.
“Anyway, that’s enough about me,” Carla said, coming back to her senses. “You’re going to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, right?”
“Yeah, as Captain of the carrier Hiryuu.”
“...I’m a servant now, so I don’t get told about military things, but I can tell from the looks on everyone’s faces that it’s going to be a difficult battle.”
“Yeah. I’d say so...”
Castor could feel it in the air as well. The island-type carrier Hiryuu with its ability to deploy Dratroopers was a revolutionary new weapon that would change everything people thought they knew about naval warfare. If the conflict were limited to battles at sea, Castor believed the Kingdom’s fleet was now stronger than any other country’s. And yet, for this engagement, Souma and the higher-ups were being beyond cautious with how they prepared. That likely meant they anticipated a difficult battle.
“But... we won’t lose.”
“Father?”
“I believe in my ship and in my crew. I’ve seen the shipbuilders who worked on the Hiryuu, the crew that mans her, and the Dratroopers training to deploy from the ship. Effort doesn’t always pay off, I know, but if there’s one thing that helps bring victory at the end of the day, I believe it’s that.”
“...Yes, sir!” Carla gave Castor a military-style salute. “Good luck out there.”
Castor returned the salute.
“I’ll be back.”