I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Cousin’s Flower Path – Becoming a Hero, Episode 027
After Alex had comforted Leo, he headed downstairs to eat breakfast. At the counter on the first floor, the bouquet Leo had made was arranged beautifully in a vase.
“Leo!”
Sophia, who had been waiting since early morning, rushed over to Leo at once.
“Let’s play before we leave!”
“Yes!”
“You need to eat breakfast first.”
At Harlon’s words, Leo and Sophia answered, “Okay!” and went to sit at what had become their assigned table.
Matthew brought the food with a smile.
*This will be the last meal at this inn.*
*No matter what else, I won’t forget that Special Roasted Chicken Recipe.*
Alex agreed with Ibek’s sentiment and ate his breakfast. Leo and Sophia talked excitedly as they ate.
After finishing breakfast and loading all their belongings from the room onto the cart, it was soon time to depart.
“Let’s go, Leo.”
“…All right!”
Leo climbed onto the cart, though reluctantly.
“Come with us to the East Gate, Leo!”
“I’ll see you off!”
At Sophia and Matthew’s words, Alex’s eyes widened slightly before he asked.
“What about the Inn?”
“We can ask the neighbors to watch it.”
At Harlon’s reply, Alex laughed.
“Then please ride on the cart.”
“No need. Let the children ride. We’ll just walk slowly.”
Harlon refused Alex’s offer and instead placed the box Matthew had been holding onto the cart.
“Sophia, get on quickly!”
“Okay!”
As Leo and Sophia climbed excitedly onto the cart, Alex took the reins of Max and walked toward the East Gate with Harlon and Matthew.
Harlon and Matthew told him about news from around the territory and rumors from the Royal Capital.
*Nothing out of the ordinary.*
Well, the demons hadn’t shown themselves yet.
Still, Alex listened carefully to their conversation.
They arrived at the East Gate before long.
“Whoa!”
Sophia and Leo jumped down from the cart and received a scolding from Harlon for it. Yet their cheerful laughter made everyone smile despite the reproach.
“Alex. Leo.”
Then—a familiar voice called out.
“Mother! Father!”
It was Sophia’s parents, Kane and Jena.
“What brings you here?”
“We came to see off Alex and Leo.”
Jena smiled as she answered the surprised Alex.
“You must be exhausted in your condition.”
“A little walk like this is fine.”
Jena spoke with a smile and pulled something from her pocket—a crisp white handkerchief, neatly folded.
“This is a gift.”
Jena gave one each to Alex and Leo.
On one side of the white handkerchief were embroidered scenes of fireworks they had seen the night before, stitched in threads of many colors.
“I had to rush, so I couldn’t make it very large.”
Alex and Leo, looking at the handkerchief with surprised eyes, quickly offered their thanks.
“You must have been so tired… Thank you.”
“Wow! It’s so beautiful!”
Sophia felt envious as she looked at Leo’s handkerchief.
Just looking at the handkerchief brought the dreamlike day from last night vividly to mind.
“Mother, make one for me too!”
Faced with Sophia’s earnest eyes, Jena smiled and promised to make one for her later.
“Take this as well.”
At Harlon’s words, Matthew beamed and handed over the box he had placed on the cart. Alex wondered what it was—it was a Lunch Box.
“Eat it at lunch. If there’s any left, you can eat it for dinner.”
“I helped a lot with making it too!”
“Thank you. I’m grateful, Matthew.”
“I’m the one who’s grateful.”
Harlon, his weathered face creasing into a smile, handed over a sheet of paper.
“What’s this?”
“The Special Roasted Chicken Recipe. That was your favorite, wasn’t it?”
[Yes! This is perfect!]
[When would I ever get something like this?]
“Thank you so much.”
The warmth of the gift melted into him, and Alex couldn’t help but smile.
Then.
The sound of hoofbeats and carriage wheels drew near. The soldiers stationed at the East Gate reacted first. It was a carriage bearing the seal of the Caldis Earldom.
“Leo…!!”
Arden leaned out from the carriage window and waved. He had come to see them off.
“Arden!”
Arden greeted Alex first, then hurried toward Leo and Sophia with a bittersweet expression, pressing a gift into their hands.
“This is for you. I used to use it, but I don’t anymore.”
Inside the box lay a set of finely crafted Quill Pens and Ink bottles, sized just right for a child’s hands.
“Thank you, Arden.”
“Don’t forget me.”
“I’ll never forget! I promise I’ll visit as soon as we’re back.”
While the children exchanged farewells, Alex spoke with Ethan Caldis.
“I didn’t expect you to come.”
“My savior is leaving—of course I had to see you off. And I brought something for you as well.”
Ethan Caldis handed Alex a stack of books.
“What are these?”
“For Leo. These are the books Arden studied when he was young—primers for learning letters and sentences. There are a few storybooks included as well.”
In a world where printing was not yet developed, books were extraordinarily precious.
Few people even knew how to read. Alex had been fortunate enough to learn because her sister was a mercenary.
“Are you sure it’s all right to give these to Leo?”
“Arden approved. He said he’d give his own gift personally.”
Looking to the side, Alex could see Arden handing Leo a gift box.
“Then I’ll accept them gratefully.”
“And take this as well.”
Ethan Caldis pressed a pouch into her hands. It felt substantial—almost certainly money.
“This is…”
“Land alone didn’t seem enough. Even so, I’d say the lives of myself and my people are rather expensive.”
Ethan Caldis smiled wryly, and Alex found herself smiling in return.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. And there’s one more thing.”
Ethan Caldis produced two Letters of Introduction, each stamped with the seal of the Rocta Earldom.
“Use these if any trouble arises in Brodal Territory. My betrothed will be able to help you.”
Ethan Caldis spoke with unmistakable joy, as if the mere thought of his betrothed brightened him.
“And this one shows the location of our family’s Royal Capital Mansion. Should you face any difficulties in the Royal Capital, go to the mansion and the steward will handle matters for you. Word will reach us immediately, and we’ll do everything in our power to assist.”
Ethan Caldis spoke with a warm smile.
“Though I hope no trouble finds you at all.”
[Oh! This is like a favor token from martial stories!]
[This is actually amazing!]
[So the young lord really is a generous man!]
“I’m grateful, truly—but are you certain you should be giving these away?”
Surprised by such unexpected gifts, Alex’s eyes widened.
She wondered if he wasn’t worried she might misuse them for something unsavory.
“It’s perfectly fine. My father approved as well.”
Ethan Caldis continued with a knowing smile.
“And I don’t believe you’d show anything but your best self to the nephew you love so dearly.”
At those words, Alex’s eyes widened, and then she laughed—a genuine, unguarded sound.
[He’s not wrong.]
[Though who knows what I’d do when Leo’s not watching?]
Ibek chuckled softly.
“Then I’ll accept them with gratitude.”
Alex took the two Letters of Introduction without hesitation.
Simply knowing a noble family would make the journey far easier.
After concluding their conversation, Leo turned his gaze toward the children and Arden, only to find the boy watching Jena with eager, hopeful eyes.
“Of course. I’ll make one for you too, young master.”
“Wow!”
It seemed Arden wanted a handkerchief embroidered with fireworks after all.
Alex approached Arden.
Though he’d grown close to Leo, Alex was still somewhat awkward around Arden, and the boy’s eyes widened slightly.
“Thank you, Arden.”
For comforting the Hero Leo in that ‘future,’ for becoming his friend, for fighting by his side.
These were words Alex couldn’t say when he was a ghost, but now he spoke them aloud.
“…?”
The eight-year-old Arden—whose parents and older brother were alive and well—had no idea what Alex meant.
“Please continue to be a good friend to Leo.”
“! Yes! I will!”
“And you too, Sophia.”
“Yes!”
Now it was truly time to depart.
Alex climbed onto the driver’s seat, and Leo settled in beside him.
“See you next time, Sophia! Arden!”
“Come visit us again, Leo!”
At this second parting, Leo waved with such reluctance that his eyes grew red.
“Take care of yourselves.”
“Stay safe, both of you!”
“Come back soon!”
Receiving farewells from everyone, Alex urged the cart forward. Sophia and Arden rushed ahead and waved their hands.
Leo too waved earnestly, watching them recede.
“Take care!”
“Leo! Let’s play together again!”
“Yeah!!”
Those departing and those remaining watched one another until they slipped out of sight.

* * *
Leo sat down after waving so vigorously his arm nearly fell off. Alex, who had been watching anxiously in case Leo tumbled from the cart, finally relaxed.
“Uncle! I want to draw a picture!”
“Go ahead.”
Leo climbed into the cart and retrieved paper and the seven-colored pastels Arden had gifted him.
“Wow! Uncle, look at these! They’re so pretty! There are two more colors than what Mom and Dad bought me!”
At Leo’s words, Alex was reminded of his sister Serena and his brother-in-law Glick.
The couple had pooled their reward money from commissions to eagerly purchase various toys, drawing supplies, storybooks, and clothes for their unborn child.
Among them had been a set of five-colored pastels.
When Leo was younger, he’d played with them freely, but once he understood his parents’ disappearance, he stopped using them and kept them carefully stored.
‘Because Mom and Dad gave them to me!’
A gift from his parents—the first and last, something he might never receive again.
Alex smiled bitterly to himself, remembering younger Leo clutching the worn pastels, now half their original size, to his chest.
“That’s true. You’ll create something beautiful with those.”
“Yeah! I’m going to draw the fireworks!”
Leo’s eyes sparkled as he pulled out a pastel and began sketching the fireworks he’d seen last night onto the paper.
He also drew himself and his uncle, along with Sophia and Arden who’d watched the display together, as well as Harlon and Matthew, Jena and Kane, Ethan Caldis and Loren the knight, Norton the butler, and Max.
On another sheet, he sketched the magnificent Caldis Castle he’d seen from the Stone Tower, the blue pastel spreading across the wide sky.
“Hm, hm-hm~”
As Leo hummed and drew, Alex felt his worry ease and turned his attention to the road ahead, guiding the cart forward.
And he did not forget to practice the Mana Cultivation Method.
With each breath, he felt wild, delicate Mana flowing into his body, expanding his Mana Circuit and accumulating in his heart.
The First Circle ring was growing steadily thicker.
And then, at some point.
Alex instinctively realized that the First Circle ring had been completed.
Mana no longer adhered to the First Circle ring.
[Oh! Now it’s time to move to the Second Circle.]
[This is incredibly fast. You’ve only been learning magic for a few days and you’re already reaching the Second Circle!]
Ibek added in amazement.
[Creating a Second Circle isn’t difficult, but you need to do it in a place where you won’t be disturbed and can concentrate.]
[If you mess up, your Mana Circuit and the circle could be damaged—you might even cough up blood.]
[You experienced that once with the goblin shaman, didn’t you?]
“Then it’d be better to do it tonight.”
Creating the Second Circle in the quiet night while Leo slept seemed far preferable to doing it now, with the sun still climbing.
[That’s definitely better.]
Tap-tap, tap-tap.
As they traveled, listening to Leo’s humming while he sketched and Ibek’s chatter, lunch time arrived almost without their noticing.
Alex spotted a tree that looked strangely familiar.
“That tree….”
Even in the ‘future,’ it had stood in this place, just as massive as it was now.
It was where the ‘Warrior Leo’ had eaten lunch alone after leaving the Caldis Territory.
Of course, Alex had been there too, but only as a phantom, invisible to the ‘Warrior Leo.’
Alex, caught between nostalgia and the lack of it, spoke toward the cart with a bittersweet smile.
“Leo, should we eat lunch here?”
“Yes!”
Leo, who had been lying on his stomach kicking his legs while drawing eagerly, jumped to his feet.
Alex brought the cart to a halt, released Max so he could graze freely, and retrieved the Lunch Box that Harlon and Matthew had prepared.
Then he spread a mat beneath the tree and laid out the food.
There was more than in the ‘future’ since there were two of them to feed, but the lovingly prepared contents were identical.
“This looks delicious! Let’s eat!”
[Let’s eat!!]
“Let’s eat.”
Leo picked up his fork and speared a bite-sized piece of meat, popping it into his mouth. His round face was filled with a smile—clearly pleased with the taste.
Alex picked up a sandwich and took a bite.
The recipe wasn’t complicated and the ingredients were simple, but that’s precisely why the fresh flavors came through so vividly.
[It really is delicious!]
[Alex, let’s try the meat next!]
“It’s great! Isn’t it, Uncle?”
“It really is. Truly delicious.”
Watching Leo speak with such a radiant smile, the ache Alex had felt watching the ‘Warrior Leo’ eat lunch alone beneath this tree seemed to fade considerably.
‘Many memories will change like this from now on.’
Alex found that truly joyful and good.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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