It had been afternoon on the following day after the day-off when Yuto was eventually summoned to Ryosuke’s cottage. When he entered the place, he noticed how Ryosuke looked fresher, rejuvenated. No more confusion and hesitation in Ryosuke’s eyes; his moves were just like how Ryosuke used to show in every of his motion with sword: precise, strictly calculated and giving off a sense of confidence. He let out a relief sigh discreetly, yet anxiety grew at the same time.

Ryosuke took a place behind his work desk and sat down, waiting for him with folded arm. He took a chair from the other side of the room and dragged it towards the desk before sitting himself down on it.

“Never have I thought you could oversleep, too, Ryosuke,” he greeted, a bit teasing.

Ryosuke avoided his eyes, “I’m still a human, mind you.”

He chuckled as he remembered the occurrence this morning.

He came to Ryosuke’s cottage a couple hours after the sunrise as he knew it was the time Ryosuke used to start working. He had brought the report Ryosuke asked the day before. Yet, as he arrived outside the cottage, the guard assigned to the place told him that Ryosuke had not returned ever since he went out last night. Remembering that Ryosuke had promised Mirai a dinner before, he turned his steps to Mirai’s cottage, hoping to find him.

The guards assigned to Mirai were slouching a distance away from the cottage. He had warned them not to be in close range when Ryosuke was with Mirai. So, when he saw them that time, he was almost sure that Ryosuke was indeed with Mirai. As he came closer and the guards noticed his presence, they immediately straightened their backs. He inquired them to confirm his suspicion, and it turned out right.

Ryosuke had instructed him to bring the report this morning, so he decided to do as he had been told. A bit hesitantly, he knocked on the door. It took a while after he knocked before a response came.

“Who is it?” Mirai’s voice was heard from the other side of the door.

“It’s me, Yuto,” he answered. “I’m sorry, Mirai. I’m looking for Ryosuke, but he isn’t in his cottage. Is him by any chance with you right now?”

A second passed before she replied, “Yes…but… but he is still sleeping. Should I wake him up?” Somehow her voice sounded hesitant.

He thought for awhile, thinking that it was good Ryosuke finally took his time to rest and the report could wait a day more. He answered, “No, just let him sleep more. Instead, tell him that it’s alright to take one more day to rest. We’ll handle the works.”

“Oh, alright,” she sounded a bit too enthusiastic when saying that and he could not help but smile knowingly.

“I’ll be off then. Please take care of him.”

He left the place immediately after receiving an affirmative answer from Mirai.

“Ah, but maybe it’s only because you’re with Mirai that you could put your guard down,” he remarked, genuinely happy for his friend.

“I summon you not to give me love consultation, Yuto-kun,” Ryosuke deflected the talk.

He chuckled shortly before submitting the pile of report he had prepared the day before. Ryosuke flipped through the pages. He reported about the current condition of the camp in South-East Province as Kento and Shintaro told him and any change in Matsudera from Yuma’s message in details. He noticed Ryosuke frowned and his face darkened a shade when he reached the last page. He knew what it was about.

“How is Daiki?” Ryosuke asked.

The last page was about the death of the former King Advisor, Arioka Eichi.

“Yuma wrote that Daiki could brace the news well enough. You don’t need to worry. Keito is with him there.”

Among the circle of his friends which consisted of him, Ryosuke, Yuri, Keito, Daiki, and, formerly, Mariya, Daiki was the big brother—a dorky one, though—as he was the oldest. Yet, they knew that under the silly façade he put on there was the next Arioka Eichi in him. Though Daiki was the third son, he had been taking care of Arioka family’s business more than his older brothers had. Arioka Shinichi, the oldest son and once the candidate of the head clan, was one of Hakumei’s representatives in the Kingdom Alliance Court, but reported missing just slight before Okamoto’s rebellion. Arioka Hanada, the second son, was the only Arioka pursued military career and had been the second in command of his father in Royal Palace Force, and reported fall in the battle with Okamoto. So, now, Daiki was the future head of Arioka family.

“One more of my family’s senior retainers left us,” Ryosuke remarked. “So, who else we have with us from the older generation?”

“There are still General Shida and Nakayama Yusuke-san, also an amount of high officers from Arioka, Morimoto, and my family. From Chinen there are only the soldiers that brought by General Shida. General Chinen’s whereabouts isn’t confirmed yet, and Morimoto Akagi-san is still living in the dungeon.”

Ryosuke’s head perked up, “The captive… with Arioka-san died, there are only Morimoto-san and Aniki’s family left, then?”

“You’re worrying about Nami and Akari?”

“Yes, but,” Ryosuke posed a contemplative gesture, “Okamoto Kota… he knew Suzuka is with us. He won’t risk Suzuka by letting Nami and Akari die, I’m sure of that. Thus more than worry, I’m wondering what he will do to keep his promise.”

Hearing Suzuka’s name was mentioned, his heart clenched. He did not regret his decision, but he could not evade the pain from losing his love. He shrugged his mind and shifted to the other topic.

“There is one more news,” he said.

Ryosuke waited him to continue.

“From Chii, about the mission,” he paused before continuing, “They did it.”

Ryosuke straightened his back, “Where are they now?”

“He only sent a short code that they need a week from the date he wrote the message. So, unless something happens, they will reach Matsudera in three days from now.”

Ryosuke looked down to the report, browsing through the pages before he said, “The ladies caravan will arrive at the ground base by the same time.”

He saw Ryosuke mulled over his decision about something then instructed, “Tell Yuma to bring Ryunosuke to the castle immediately after Chii arrives. I don’t want Mirai to know that Ryunosuke is here with us.”

He did not know what the circumstance behind Ryosuke’s worry because he was sure Mirai did not know about Ryunosuke’s demand to make her his mistress. So, the worry should be about Ryunosuke saw her, not the other way around, right? Yet, he sensed there was another reason about Ryosuke’s worry beside the demand.

“Right away,” he replied. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” Ryosuke answered fast. “Get me the global map of seven kingdoms, the detail map of Hakumei, the list of all the noblemen on our side, and make sure no one bother me for the following two days unless for something dire.”

“Not even Mirai?”

Ryosuke firmly said, “Not even her. I’ve told her about the circumstance.”

He nodded, “As you wish. And, about Mirai, when should she leave to Matsudera?”

“Let her stay for three days more,” Ryosuke decided.

Nodding his compliance and having nothing to report anymore, he excused himself to carry out the tasks Ryosuke had just given to him.

**********

Ryosuke plopped down, so ungracefully, so unlike him, on his bed after Yuto left. He was waiting for Yuto bringing the things he needed. He lowered himself to the bed, lying down on his back and contemplated about his matters.

He had slept for eight hours, the longest sleep he had ever had in his life as long as his memories stretched. He remembered even when he was a kid, he could not sleep more than six hours a day. His mother had never let him woke up late; she would always insist him to get up before sunrise and she used any way to make sure he would obey; she even went far to the extent pouring water on his face once. She said that was what a great warrior did: had less sleep but more works. He tried to rebel of course, but in the end he could not win against his mother. Waking up early in the morning had grown to be his habit ever since that.

His inner alarm would always wake him up in the early morning and no matter he wanted to stay in bed, he could never bring himself to return sleeping. However, it did not work this time. He blamed his exhaustion for having not enough sleep since the last two weeks as the cause, but somehow he did not regret it. For, in his late sleeping, he saw a wonderful dream. He closed his eyes, replaying the dream in his mind.

He stood outside a little garden. A distance away he saw someone enjoying time in the garden, sitting on the grass patch. He recognized the beautiful woman with long black hair, rounded brown eyes, and brilliant smile. She was Mirai; the more adult version of Mirai. She laughed in amusement. After a time, she turned to where he stood and beckoned him to come closer.

When he arrived at her side, he saw another figure with her, on her lap. A very little boy, slightly over the phase called baby, with facial features that reminded him of his own self when he was a child; only this boy had black hair instead of dark brown, light brown eyes instead of brown-black ones, and a tanner skin as all Hakumei’s people had instead of a pale skin like his.

He squatted down before them and Mirai whispered something in the boy’s ear. The boy giggled then looked at him. He did not know how to react, but when the boy spread his arms and gave him an expectant look, instinctively he picked the boy up to his hold. The boy giggled more in his arms and Mirai sent him a knowing smile.

“You know, Ryosuke, he has just spoken his first word,” Mirai said then looked at the boy in his arms. “Say it, son. What do you call him?” Mirai pointed at him.

The boy smiled brightly at him and he could not help but anticipate what the little mouth of this kid would say.

“Father…,” the boy giggled once more and this time his own smile bloomed.

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