After finishing our meal, we moved together.
It was literally “we.” Primienne seemed to think that, since she had received a sleeping bag like some game NPC, she ought to at least act as my escort—she actually caught an adventurer pickpocket who tried to empty my pockets.
After walking like that, we stopped in front of a shabby wooden building.
“You should go now.”
“Then I’ll be off. I’ll say I found this sleeping bag by the roadside.”
“Allen, you wait outside too.”
“Yes!”
Primienne left, and I also left Allen, who was trying to follow me in, outside.
Knock, knock—
I knocked on the door and went inside.
First, there was an old smell, like that of a musty bookshop. Stale wind flowed through the scars of the broken wood here and there.
“······Is anyone here?”
I spoke politely. Using honorifics in such a run-down place made me feel somewhat twisted, but the owner of this place was someone suited to the utmost respect.
It was a disposition I could overcome well enough.
“Krrrmm······. Who might you be······?”
A hoarse voice, thick with phlegm, came down from above. It seemed there was a second floor in my blind spot.
Creak— creak— creak—
Each time he stepped on the wooden stairs, the entire building seemed to shake. Before long, an old man descended, aged but with a powerful impression.
“I have come to commission a wand.”
“A wand?”
The old man, whose long, sparse white hair indeed gave the impression of a wizard, picked up a pair of glasses lying anywhere and put them on, then looked at me.
“Ah, aren’t you Deculein?”
“······.”
I lowered my head without a word.
“As I said last time······ hm······? Mmm······ You’ve changed quite a bit, haven’t you? No. This is······.”
The old man’s eyebrows twitched. The wrinkles on his face moved with them.
“Has your soul been switched? Looks like you went through something rather significant. The waves of your heart and blood themselves have become far purer than before. Your manner of speech as well.”
For a moment, my heart sank, but I said without showing it,
“I have come to commission a wand.”
The old man grinned and nodded.
“Very well. This time, I’ll make it for you. What kind of wand do you want?”
Judging by the way he spoke, the former Deculein had also visited this place before.
Well, even I, who was not a wizard player, knew the craftsman “Rokelok.”
“······Please make it an ordinary cane.”
“There are many kinds of canes, aren’t there? There are wands, staffs, and ordinary walking canes.”
“I would like one that can be used for all of those.”
I took out the piece of magic wood I had hidden in my coat. The old man’s eyes flashed.
“Oho. Magic wood, is it? With this, it’s possible.”
“That is not all.”
I laid out all the other materials I had purchased at the shop as well. Seen through the eyes of 「Wealthy Magnate」, they were all of the highest quality.
The old man’s mouth fell open.
“······Ohoho. To think you have this much on top of magic wood. Are you perhaps asking for the greatest wand on earth?”
“It would be nice if it could go down in history.”
“Hm. In that case, why don’t you add your blood as well?”
At that suggestion, I could not help hesitating for a moment.
The old man continued.
“The blood of Yukline is quite usable as a material. Isn’t it an old and distinguished magical family?”
“······Yes.”
Since Deculein’s talent was not particularly good, I was a bit worried, but if it seemed likely to have a negative effect, this vigorous old man would filter it out on his own.
“Please filter it well before using it.”
When I rolled up my sleeve, the old man flicked his index finger diagonally. A wound opened on my forearm without pain, and blood welled up. The old man controlled the flowing blood as it was and placed it into a beaker.
He was a Blood Mage who had reached the pinnacle.
“Originally, the time it takes me to craft a wand is not that long, but with this much, it’s worth pouring my heart and soul into it. Wait ten days. I’ll send it by parcel.”
Perhaps reading my thought that a parcel seemed a little unreliable, the old master added,
“If I form a vault spell with your blood, no one but you yourself will be able to open or damage it.”
“······How much will it cost?”
“Four million elne. Including the vault spell and delivery fee.”
Four million, excluding the cost of materials, was far more expensive than I had expected. Yeriel’s distorted face flashed through my mind.
Still, I should be able to earn ten million elne from the vase right away.
“Do you accept house checks?”
“You are Yukline, aren’t you?”
I nodded and wrote him a check. The old man grinned.
“Good work. You’ll receive it in two weeks at the latest.”
“Yes. I will take my leave.”
“Good. Kkekekekek.”
When I lowered my head to the old man’s smile.
A number of messages appeared.
[ Sub Quest Complete: Rokelok’s Wand ]
Condition 1. Sufficient fame or infamy
Condition 2. A kindhearted good man or a repentant sinner
Condition 3. Highest-grade materials capable of arousing Rokelok’s interest
Condition 4. Two or more visits.
◆ Shop Currency +1
◆ Wand crafted by Rokelok
“······.”
A quest had been cleared out of nowhere.
In any case, it was thanks to Deculein, who had apparently visited once before at some point.
Thanks.
I left the shop feeling satisfied.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the office of the captain of the Prenheim Knights near the Imperial Capital.
Yulie was conversing with Reilly, a relative who had come to visit after a long time.
“I’m telling you, I’ve been nothing but busy these days, and I barely make any money. Being an adventurer is really not worth it. There are just places for money to leak out everywhere. Honestly, I only do it because of the ID card, you know? You can travel overseas as much as you want.”
“That part does sound enviable.”
Yulie smiled as she gave suitable responses to Reilly’s grumbling.
“Sir Knight, not becoming an adventurer back then was really the right choice~”
“Haha.”
Adventurer was an option Yulie had once considered. No, there had been a time when, because of Deculein’s pressure, it was the only path left to her. Should she abandon everything and fly away somewhere—she had once thought such things, long ago.
“By the way, Reilly.”
When Reilly finished speaking, Yulie quietly changed the subject.
“Yes?”
“Do you, by any chance······ know about Deculein’s fiancée?”
Even as she asked, it felt as though allergies were breaking out all over her body. Yulie roughly swept her hair back.
“Huh? Why that? And why are you suddenly talking like that?”
“Mm? No, it’s nothing much. I was just······.”
Yulie recalled Deculein, whom she had seen one day.
The grave of his deceased fiancée. There, she had happened to find Deculein. She had not intended to peek, but it was also true that she had been unable to leave.
He had clearly been mourning his fiancée with tears.
“No, never mind. It’s nothing.”
“Well······ I’m not sure.”
Reilly was an adventurer from the Magic Tower, in other words, Deculein’s junior by two years. She had known him back when Deculein had not yet lost his fiancée.
“I don’t know. The way I saw it, she was just a noble young lady. There wasn’t much revealed about her, and I didn’t know much either. At first, I didn’t even know the two of them were engaged.”
“You didn’t know?”
“No. I only know that she was sickly. She stayed at home all the time······ But why are you asking?”
Reilly tilted her head belatedly, as though finding it suspicious. Yulie’s shoulders flinched.
“It is nothing. Nothing at all.”
“You already knew she passed away, Sir Knight.”
“······That is true, but.”
“You won’t be able to use that as an excuse to break off the engagement, you know?”
“No, that is not what I meant······.”
Yulie let out a pointless sigh.
Suddenly, she was curious.
How much had he loved her, for that cold person to still shed tears? If he had such a hard time forgetting her, why had he expressed such raw emotion toward her? If he still could not forget his old love, how could he ask her for, well, that, once a month, that smile?
Could the reason he resolved to change perhaps be related to her as well?
Could I······ resemble that fiancée?
“······Forget it. I was simply curious.”
“Hmmm. Is that so?”
It was then.
Knock, knock—
With a knock, Vice-Captain Rockfell entered. Strangely, he was wearing a black cloak.
“Captain.”
“Yes. What is it?”
At Yulie’s words, Rockfell lowered his head without answering. He remained like that for a long while before biting his lip tightly. Then, after letting out one sigh, he finally spoke with a gloomy face.
The expressions of Yulie and Reilly as they listened to him also froze coldly.
* * *
At the same time.
Hadekain, the capital of the Yukline territory. The lord’s office.
“Anyway, I was an idiot for expecting anything.”
Yeriel glared out the window and grumbled. The anger that had once piled up to the top of her head still had not gone away.
“Why not me? Ah, this is so annoying. No matter if I quit magic halfway through, compared to Allen or Alal or whatever······.”
From what she had seen, he did not seem like much. To the point that she could not understand at all why he had been chosen as an assistant professor. If he was going to take a guy like that, he should have taken me instead······.
“Tsk. Well.”
Still, now that three days had already passed, she had roughly come to accept it.
“It’s been more than ten years since we called each other brother and sister.”
It would be ridiculous to be together now.
As expected, it was better to see them hating each other as they were now.
Deculein did not like her, and she hated Deculein too.
He was merely a person suitable to take as a negative example, so she hated Deculein. Hated him. Hated him······.
Chirp, chirp— chirp, chirp—
Just as she was secretly, almost forcibly, growing her hatred, a sparrow lightly landed on the frame outside the window.
Yeriel looked at it with her arm resting on the windowsill. Even when she quietly opened the window, the sparrow did not flee.
“Hey. Come here.”
When she held out a finger, the sparrow climbed onto it. On her finger, it sang, cheep-cheep-cheep— cheep-cheep-cheep—
“Pfft.”
Strangely, animals liked her. Even though she did not treat them all that affectionately.
“You’re cute. Now fly away.”
As though understanding her words, the sparrow took flight.
Below the sparrow as it flew freely······ was Hadekain.
The scenery of that brilliant metropolis stretched out endlessly.
“Huaa~”
Yeriel took a deep breath and exhaled. At the same time, a great emotion welled up in her.
Now, this territory would become hers.
She would no longer be acting lord, but the true lord.
That fact alone made every day joyful, every morning feel new, and not only this air but all the nature of Hadekain lovable.
—Knock, knock.
“······Lady Yeriel.”
At that moment, the butler entered.
“Yeah. What is it?”
“A check has arrived for the family.”
“What is it? Is it the trade payment from back then?”
Yeriel accepted the check in a good mood.
In the very next moment, her fingers twitched.
Wondering if she had seen it wrong, she looked back and forth between the top and bottom of the paper.
It remained unchanged.
“······8.02 million elne?”
“Yes.”
“Who? What kind of expense is this now?”
“It seems the head of the family purchased various things in Bercht.”
Yeriel stared blankly with her mouth open, then soon slapped a hand against her forehead and muttered,
“Ah, that son of a bitch—”
* * *
[ Main Quest Complete: Attendance at Bercht ]
◆ Shop Currency +3
Clatter— clatter—
“······.”
Clatter— clatter—
“······.”
The shaking of the slow train, which seemed to be traveling at about 70 kilometers per hour, felt awkward.
It was because of the person sitting beside me.
“······.”
Betan.
By chance, we had ended up in the VIP car of the same express train, and on top of that, seated side by side across the aisle. Yet because of our pride, both of us had been like this for two hours.
“······.”
We kept stealing glances at each other until our eyes met.
Betan said,
“If this had been fifteen years ago, I would have challenged you to a duel.”
I think that is truly fortunate. I hope Betan does not challenge me to a duel. My ability is still insufficient to break through Betan’s barrier.
However, in response to provocation in such a situation, my body reacts first, almost as an unconditional reflex.
“I hope you do not die.”
It was not without reason, for in the same space were three family heads and four assistants besides us.
It was, so to speak, a matter of face.
Deculein’s unique personality could become far more intensified depending on who was watching and what the situation was.
“······At the next station, let us duel—”
“Do not choose a magical natural death.”
Mana rose beside Betan. I merely looked calmly at that elegant aura.
“Now, now. Everyone!”
Clap, clap, clap—
The noisy applause broke my concentration. I looked and saw it was Gilteon.
Gilteon, who had been sitting in the back seat, came over with a grin and took turns kneading Betan’s shoulders and mine.
“Betan. Calm yourself. And you, Betan, didn’t even experience what happened fifteen years ago. Back then, three died on the way to Bercht, six died during the meeting, and two died after it ended. Seven of the eleven were assistants, true, but four family heads died as well, you know?”
Saying that, Gilteon brought his mouth close to Betan’s ear.
“Or do you truly believe you can defeat Deculein?”
“...What did you say?”
“If you cannot even reach the tips of his toes, you ought to know when to bow your head.”
At that whisper, Betan clenched his teeth. But because his opponent was Gilteon, he could not say much in return and remained still.
Pat, pat—Gilteon tapped Betan on the shoulder and said,
“Of course, I greatly value your potential, Betan, always willing to challenge others! Is challenge not the very will of Beorad?”
Gilteon laughed as he said that, and I found his overestimation of me burdensome.
“But Deculein, you truly are fascinating.”
Gilteon, whose face had somehow become innocent and guileless, murmured.
“In the past, you used to rebuke mages over trifling matters, yet this time you are gathering fights over something quite serious. Am I wrong?”
“You talk far too much.”
“...Haha. I am old, you see. Fifteen years ago, you were young as well. And yet here you are, grown so much.”
I said nothing. Over Gilteon’s shoulder, Sylvia was tilting her head and looking this way.
Gilteon extended his hand to Allen beside me.
“Allen, was it? It was a pleasure. This is a first for me as well, meeting an assistant professor of the University Magic Tower in Bercht.”
“Ah, yes, yees. It’s an honor.”
“Good. You work hard as well. Hahaha.”
With a sly laugh, Gilteon returned to Sylvia’s side.
After that, there were no major incidents.
No conversation, no threats, between any of us.
We all simply arrived at Terch Platform in silence, safe and sound.
“Nngaaaah~”
Allen, who had gotten off the train, stretched widely.
However, the atmosphere of the scenery was heavier than when we had first arrived.
I suddenly looked around.
Heavy snow was falling on Terch’s platform, and amid those snowflakes, someone was looking at me.
“...”
It was Yulie. She was dressed in white light armor with a black cloak draped over her shoulders. She was also with her knight order. The knights wore the same attire as she did.
Yulie looked at me, and I approached her.
Crunch, crunch.
I walked across the platform as it slowly became a field of snow. I gazed steadily into Yulie’s wavering eyes. My footprints were imprinted on the ground.
And then, at a distance where our hands might have touched.
Yulie spoke first.
“I heard the news.”
Her voice was no different from usual. It sounded even more like her usual self than usual.
That voice, without the slightest tremor, was all the more sorrowful for it.
“I see.”
I considered what I should say to her.
In truth, I had already sorted out my thoughts.
I had intended to tell her, at least her, that a knight named Veron had tried to kill me, and that this had happened as we fought.
“...I heard you were attacked.”
But when I saw her face, my heart was strangely drenched.
It was an emotion I could not understand.
A feeling that was clearly not mine, yet made me mistake it for my own.
No, a feeling that truly seemed to be mine.
Attachment.
“I was.”
I knew her character. I knew her convictions.
Yulie’s exterior was firm, but within, she was perilously close to collapse.
“...I am glad you are safe.”
Yulie said that. Sincerity was buried in the tone of her voice.
Before I could say anything, she continued.
“I read it in the article. That you and he worked together to save the survivors.”
I simply stood still. Since I did not know what article she had read or what she had been told, I could not speak carelessly.
“There is just one thing I would like to ask.”
At that moment, a train arrived on the opposite side.
“What was he like?”
“...”
I chose my words. Looking into Yulie’s eyes, I thought deeply.
“Well...”
I could not lie to her.
And so.
“...He was an emotional fellow.”
That was all I said.
Yulie drew in a deep breath, then lowered her head.
“Thank you. We will go to him now. Please rest well.”
I watched her back as she turned and left. Snowflakes had already piled thickly on her slender shoulders.
One of the many knights following behind Yulie said to me,
“Will you come with us?”
At the same time, many of the other knights also looked at me. They were all Yulie’s subordinates.
Their eyes grated on me.
“...”
For Yulie’s sake, I could bury this truth.
The fact that Veron had tried to kill me would drive not only Yulie, but the entire knight order, into ruin. Yulie’s nature was inflexible and rigid, and she would mistake her subordinate’s wrongdoing for her own and suffer madly for it.
Only, that was something done for Yulie.
However.
I would never, ever commit that damned farce of paying respects to the man who had tried to kill me. Whether it was Deculein’s ego or Kim Woojin’s heart, neither would ever allow it...
“...No. We will go alone.”
When I said nothing, they boarded the train together. A sound like someone clicking their tongue grated on my nerves.
“Hah.”
A hollow laugh escaped me without my realizing it.
The looks in the eyes of those bastards as they left like that.
Those rotten thoughts that knew nothing.
They were so repulsive they made me grind my teeth...
“Um, Professor—”
At that moment, Allen opened his mouth. I glared at Allen and shook my head.
“Allen.”
“Yes, yees.”
“Do not say a word.”
I was getting angry. Now that I could no longer see Yulie’s face, anger rose in me with eerie ease. If I did not become angry, I would not be human.
“Professor.”
Another clear voice called me.
I turned that way.
It was Sylvia.
Heavy snow had piled on the crown of her head and her shoulders.
“Why did you hold it in?”
Sylvia said that as she looked at me.
I could not tell what thoughts those eyes held. This child, whose voice always remained level, was always somewhat strange.
“What do you mean, hold it in?”
“...”
Without a word, Sylvia rummaged through her bag. She took something out from within.
“Repayment.”
A single book.
I simply looked at it.
“Ah, I’ll take it for you...”
Allen tried to receive it in my stead, but Sylvia did not give it to him. After a brief struggle over it, Sylvia pushed Allen away.
Then she held the book out to me again, and I had no choice but to accept it.
“I’m going.”
Sylvia lowered her head and left with quick little steps.
Just then, the train was about to depart. I watched that black body as it cried out noisily.
My eyes met Yulie’s, seated by the window.
And then, my eyes widened.
Yulie was smiling at me.
It was utterly without strength, too faint to even be called a smile, merely a bitter smile formed by the slight lift of the corners of her mouth...
...Once a month.
She had kept her promise.
With that, my heart was strangely purified.
“Truly...”
Even in my own view, it was a truly severe emotion.
“Allen.”
“Yes, yees!”
“Let us go back. I want to rest.”
Together with Allen, I turned around.