II : IV

Today was the fourth day of the school holiday, the day of the trip to London. Grandfather still didn't return from his work though. So before I go, I left a note telling about the whole school trip.

A group of 20 student was supposed to join this trip and be assembled at the town station by 8 in the morning. It will take about 15 minute of walk from my house to the station. Thomas planned to gather in front of my house at 7 before leaving for the station.

While waiting under the tree next to the street in front of my house, a girl in brown dress suddenly call out to me.

"Uncle!"

Whoa, I may not realize it, but Sera was definitely a cute girl. Ahem, I didn't meant anything by that, fine?

Although we were in high school already, she still address me as uncle. It's not that there was any problem with her calling me that way, I just hope that she can also call me by my first name.

"Good morning, Sera."

As she walked out from her house, her mother also followed her from behind. Madam Juliet was a woman in her 40. She was a tough woman I've gotta say, taking care of clumsy Sera all by herself. She walked towards me. From her face expression, I could tell that she has got something she worried about.

"Good morning too, madam Juliet."

Suddenly she grabbed me by the palm of my right hand, "Err, what is it, madam?"

Madam Juliet : "Oh Erza, would you please take care of Sera for me?"

Sera, with her face turned bright red, said, "I have grown up, mom!"

I chuckled watching Sera's expression. After that, we waited for another half an hour for Thomas. From far away, we saw Thomas ran his way up here where we had been waiting.

Thomas : "Ah, you guys! I'm sorry I woke up late! Am I that late?"

"Oh no, of course you are not. It is just 30 minute late anyway.", I spoke with a bit of sarcastic tone.

Thomas : "Oww don't be mad. The one to blame was those Sudoku for giving me a hard time."

Half of the way to the station, Thomas kept chatting with Sera on a lot of pointless chitchat. As I got fed up with theirs,

"Hah!"

Both of them were taken by surprise. "Emm, what is it, uncle?", Sera said.

"I meant, Thomas, show me those Sudoku!"

Thomas : "Heh, I know you will say that, Erza."

"It is just Sudoku, right?"

Thomas : "Hah! Do you think you can solve them faster than me, you 50th place boy of school exam.", Thomas said that proudly, being the top student and all.

"Well, here, anyway.", he said.

Tempted by the challenge given by him, I quickly snag those Sudoku sheet off Thomas's hands, drew out a quill pen that I took from when I stayed at the mansion, and began to solve them.

Thomas : "Well, I don't expect you to complete even a single column of those riddle. You know, Sera, when even the great me took a complete two hour of solving them, do you think mr. nobody from our school could attempt to solve even half of it, haha. Do you think you could be any better only when you got lucky in defeating me in Chess two weeks ago at school competition? Hello~~ Among the hierarcy of all the world puzzle, Sudoku stands at the very top of them all, you know? Very well, since you are an amateur and all, I will give you a day to complete it. By the time we arrived at London and if you still couldn't solve them, you have to..."

"Here."

Thomas : "What?"

"Guess I solved them."

Thomas : "Are you fu.., I meant, are you kidding me?"

Sera chuckled seeing Thomas amazingly surprised reaction. For the rest of the way to the station, Thomas kept his mouth silent after having checked the answer of the Sudoku sheet that I just solved. Well, that's better. Now I can rest in peace. Hmm, it felt a bit off saying that. Maybe the more proper sentence be, "I can walk in peace, now."

"Uncle?", Sera said.

"Oh no, it's nothing."

Upon reaching the station, we were able to see a hoarde of people circulating the vicinity of the station. Whoa, I could say more than a hundred. Just as I tried to find where the other group of student assembled amid this many people, Sera tug the back of my cloth.

"Uncle, will you wait for me here?", she said, with her face turn slightly red.

Knowing what she wanted to do, I said, "Okay, I will wait here."

As she went away, Thomas asked me why I didn't beg her for reasons. Well, it's not as if I can simply tell him what a girl need or need not doing, right? But then, it's impossible for her to lost her direction in this station, wasn't? Ah. Let's just wait here for awhile though.

For our mean of transportation, we will ride a steam-powered monorail for this 800 mile journey. Yes, that was roughly the distance from my country here, Chezchia, to London. The monorail only departed once for every week. That was the reason our school management wasn't able to schedule the London trip as early as the first day of school holiday. I was able to buy my ticket into joining this trip for my involvement in the Chess competition at school. The competition involved not only the student from our school, but also from the neighboring school. Only the best 20 will be picked.

At first, I rejected the ticket from the school management only because Sera didn't join the event. But when I got to know that one of those student who won the ticket got sick and wasn't able to join, I quickly snatch the ticket from the said student and invited Sera. She was so happy when I gave her the ticket. Ah..I really couldn't resist those smile. Ahem, I didn't meant anything by that, fine?

Amid waiting for her, Thomas noticed a bulletin board next to the station newspaper leaflet store while wandering around. As he returned from the board, he asked me a question.

Thomas : "Here is another riddle. You in?"

"Go."

Thomas : "The board there stated that the monorail move at 70 kilometer per hour. As our journey considered a distance of 800 mile, how long will it take to reach London?"

I paused a bit before answering him, "I reckon it will take more or less 20 hour of journey.", I said, in a monotone voice.

Thomas : "Oww mr. nobody, I just can't get how you brain work out."

"It's not anything difficult there, duh. But you know, I've got a bigger question that I wanted to ask of you.", I said.

"Wah, really?", he said excitedly. "What is it?"

"Seeing how you got so close with Sera, then you know her quite a bit, right?"

Thomas : "Yeah. I'm a sweet yet cool gentleman at every woman's heart out there. Why asking the obvious question?"

"Is there any reason why she still address me as uncle?"

Thomas : "Still? Oh...so he called you uncle too back when you guys were still a child?"

"Well, yeah."

Thomas : "Then, maybe because you are really her uncle?", he said while throwing quite a laugh there.

"This guy..."

I didn't realize it, but Sera overheard the conversation I had with Thomas as she came back from the restroom. She pretended that she didn't hear our conversation, "Uncle, let's meet the rest of the group.", she said.

I was a bit taken aback by Sera's voice, "Err, okay. Let's go then.", I said.