Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 121

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 121 – Last-Minute Commotion

The seasons were changing, and a new spring was coming.

It was the same not only in Ishtalika but also in the neighboring continent.

——In the north of the continent.

There was the Republic of Rockdam.

It had the second largest military force on the continent after Heim and a huge land area. It was another great power with great wealth.

“Then, Elena-sama. We will lead the way, so please do not be late.”

“Yes.”

It all began with the initiative of the third prince, Tigre, who, like Ishtalika, had his own spies.

Just like Ishtalika, they would also spy. They would finally be put into action.

They were more careful than ever to prevent something like what had happened to Lili, but they didn’t know if they would actually be discovered.

“It’s a really big port…”

The port city of Roundheart. It was Heim’s pride and joy, but the port here in Rockdam was no less impressive.

If they were to compare the number of ships, they might be outnumbered. It was filled to such an extent with ships owned by adventurers and wealthy merchants.

Looking at the personnel selected this time, there was no one more important than Elena.

Of course, it took a lot of hard work for Elena to participate in this event.

Tigre said, “No! Elena shouldn’t have any ifs and buts!”

Harley said, “I’m against it too. And I’m worried about the boat trip… with the adventurers themselves.”

And both of them were against Elena going to Ishtalika.

But after several months of persuasion, she managed to get them to allow it.

“Dear guests from Birdland. It’s time to pack your bags!”

They found seats on the ship carrying the merchants, and somehow, Harley’s worries were eased.

Still, it was a dangerous journey.

“Let’s go, Elena-sama.”

“Okay.”

The one calling Elena was an official.

He was also in good standing, but Tigre had prepared him for Elena.

He was older than Elena and usually took care of Tigre’s business.

“(…We’ll be at sea for the next few days.)”

The way to Ishtarika was long and difficult.

But she still has to see Ishtalika with her own eyes. It will be useful for something… Elena thought.

＊＊＊

“Oh, by the way, Ain. I’m coming with you.”

“M-Mother? To where…?”

After the school day was over, Ain went back to the castle as usual, then ate and took a bath as usual.

After that, he did some work and then decided to rest and read a book or two.

Martha came to Ain’s room and left a message that Olivia wanted to see him…

Then Ain left his room and went to Olivia’s room.

“Oh… don’t move. I’m not done yet… okay?”

And what was happening to Ain now?

Nothing weird, just Olivia combing Ain’s hair. That’s all.

“Mm-hmm. Yeah. You take good care of it, good boy, Ain.”

“Thank you.”

As he promised Krone and Chris, Ain’s hair was kept long.

But in this case, Ain was more careful with his hair than ever before because, with the same care, it would soon become rough.

“Well, you know. What is it about Mother coming with me…?”

Olivia continued to comb Ain’s hair in a good mood while humming a melody.

Before going to bed, Olivia was quite exposed. Therefore, Ain was careful to avoid looking at such Olivia as much as possible.

“Hmm? Oh, about that. That means… I’m going to Magna, too.”

“Eh? Mother is coming with me to Magna? I haven’t heard anything about that until now…”

This meant that if the second princess was also coming along, itn was important in its own way.

In fact, Ain had more say in the matter, but considering her popularity and past performance, there was nothing unusual about Olivia’s coming as well.

On the contrary, there were just two days before they departed for Magna, and he wondered if it was too abrupt.

“Fufu… I asked my mother’s permission. She gave me permission to go to Magna with Ain.”

Ain sensed a kind of balance of power in the Ishtalika family when she did not mention the name of her father, Sylvird, there.

But in the end, when she was allowed to go, Ain had no complaints.

“When did this even come up…”

Going on a journey with Ain.

This was the happiest moment for Olivia.

“Because it’s not fair. So far, Chris and even Krone-san have gone far away with Ain. I’m the only one who couldn’t go away with Ain.”

Although he could not see her face, Ain could sense Olivia’s feelings from the tone of her voice, which sounded like she was dissatisfied.

“You are the second princess. I thought you couldn’t go out so easily…”

“Yes, that’s true. But Ain is also the crown prince, so sometimes I want to go out with you.”

As far as Ain was concerned, he could agree with this thought. In fact, he and Olivia had never had the chance to go on a trip together, about the trip from Heim to Ishtalika… when he thought about it, he couldn’t say that they never did, but once they arrived in Ishtalika, they never had the chance to go away together.

“Then, for the first time in a long time, Mother and I will be able to enjoy the city of Magna.”

“I look forward to that day. So, Ain, please take care of me, okay?”

The stay in Magna would last about half a month.

This meant that there would be time to enjoy the city with Olivia if not the whole day.

“Yeah, it looks nice now.”

“Thank you. Mother.”

Ain’s hair had been combed, and Olivia was about to put the comb away.

“Ah, Mother. I’d like to comb your hair, too, if you don’t mind.”

There was still time before bedtime. Besides, it would be bad to end it there after his mother had combed it for him.

More than anything, he wanted to do the same for Olivia.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Come on, Mother, let’s take turns.”

Olivia’s hair was neatly combed. She may have taken care of it herself, but, well, this level of care was good.

With that in mind, Ain looked at Olivia with reserved eyes and pulled her hand, forcing her to sit down.

“Please let me know if it hurts.”

She looked a little confused, but Ain didn’t care and took the comb out of Olivia’s hand.

“Oh… Geez, Ain is a bit pushy these days, isn’t he?”

She spoke as if she were dissatisfied, but in contrast, her tone and expression were happy, so Ain laughed at her words and misinterpreted them.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

Looking at her hair, which was exactly the same color as his own, Ain began to gently run the comb through it.

A short time later, Ain left Olivia’s room.

Thinking back to Olivia’s happy appearance, he went to bed in a good mood as well.

＊＊＊

The day after Ain enjoyed a talk with Olivia.

He woke up and made his way to the Academy as usual.

However, considering that this usual commute to school would soon come to an end, he began to feel a sense of loneliness.

“Well, that’s all I have to say about the inter-school competition.”

Royal Kingsland Academy was full of atmosphere in the spring, as it was every year.

Soon, new freshmen would arrive, as well as those who wanted to move up and lead their class to the top.

The air that the fifth year, in particular, were breathing was one of the biggest and most chaotic of all.

“For some of you, it’s graduation. And for the other classes, it’s a post-exam stress release. It took a while, but it’s a good time, right?”

Ain and the other students in the top class were about to graduate. So they should hadno connection to the atmosphere of the school, but this year was different.

——A survey was conducted last year… this issue is getting a lot of attention now.

“Hey Ain! You’re going to participate, right?”

Seeing Butz talking to him in a cheerful voice, Ain wondered what to do.

“(… I don’t want to be conceited, but I feel like I shouldn’t participate.)”

Ain, who had gained enough strength to defeat Marco, wondered if he should participate at the academy level.

Ain couldn’t help but feel that the spectators and participants would think that it was a “rigged” competition. He was worried that he might spoil the fun.

“Yes. I’m thinking positively, but…”

“Oh? What’s that? I’m looking forward to having fun with Ain, you know? I’m even more excited now that you’ve grown up!”

As Butz said, Ain has grown up a lot.

Last year, several ideas were considered for the announcement. But in the end, they muddied the waters by announcing that it was “the influence of a powerful dryad.”

Dryads were few in number, and their ecology was still not fully understood.

So, it was not surprising that this was the case. The people of Ishtalika were convinced.

“N-no, I’m looking forward to it too, but…”

At the end of the day, he seriously crossed swords with Butz. It would be nice to have such an opportunity, but somehow, he couldn’t make up his mind.

“You’re not very clear! What’s wrong, Ain? What’s the reason?”

What should he answer? Ain, not even sure what to say, was warned by Butz, who was making such a fuss.

“Well… Butz? Do you have an opinion? If you do, I’d like you to raise your hand and speak up.”

“…I got carried away.”

“Umu. If you know that, that’s good.”

Kyle called to him and then Butz closed his mouth.

“…Butz, His Highness will soon be on his way to Magna for an inspection. With that in mind, I’m sure he won’t be able to give an immediate answer.”

“Oh… I see. I guess it can’t be helped then…”

Leonard whispered to Butz.

Although it wasn’t what Ain was worried about, he was still grateful for Leonard’s help.

——Thank you, Leonard.

He thanked Leonard by thanking him in his heart.

But as Leonard said, Ain was indeed going to Magna.

In the name of inspection. That’s how it was announced, but in reality it was an investigation team sent to investigate the Red Foxes.

Compared to Ist and Baltic, Magna was closer to the royal capital, and there were many people coming and going. Therefore, Magna was less dangerous than the previous investigations.

“This is the last big event a few days before graduation. I want everyone to take care to stay healthy until then. That’s all, Leonard.”

“Yes, sir. Stand and bow.”

How many more times would the class gather like this?

It was probably something Ain can count on one hand, but when he thought about it, graduation felt even more real.

“Now that I think about it, the trip to Magna will be with a pretty big group…”

Suddenly, the trip to Magna comes to mind.

Two royals, Ain and Olivia, would be traveling, which meant that security would be tight.

In other words, a lot of Royal Knights would be mobilized, so it would actually be quite a large group.

Although they were not going to Magna for fun, Ain was of course looking forward to it when he thought of Olivia, who was looking forward to going to Magna.

By the way, he heard that Katima wanted to go as well, but the spoiled cat was rejected.

“——Highness! Your Highness! Are you all right?”

While Ain was thinking about what happened with Olivia, he heard Leonard’s voice.

“Huh? Leonard, what’s wrong?”

“Your Highness seemed to be in a daze for a long time, so I was worried about what was going on…”

He noticed that the only people left in the classroom were the usual four: Ain, Leonard, Butz and Roland.

“A-ah… Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking about Magna.”

“I see, that’s what it was… since it’s an inspection. I’m sure your schedule is full, but please take care of yourself.”

——After all, there seemed to have been a bit of an epidemic lately.

Leonard spoke up and looked at Ain with worried eyes.

“Yes. Thanks, Leonard.”

He thought for a while, and his body stiffened. As he stretched out his arms, a voice was heard saying, “Um…”

“…Sorry guys! I’ll be late if I don’t leave now, so see you tomorrow!”

The atmosphere was friendly, but Roland suddenly left the classroom in a hurry.

“Now that I think about it, he’s already a respectable technician.”

“Yes. But you’re going to be a knight after graduation, aren’t you?”

“Oh? Well, yes. But Leonard, you said you were going to work hard at your father’s place, didn’t you?”

Each of them had a different career path.

But somehow, all four of them ended up working in the royal capital. In fact, Butz and Leonard will be working not far from Ain.

“What about Ain?”

“What about what?”

“What do you mean… you’re the crown prince; what are you going to do now?”

“Huh? Well, I’m the crown prince for now.”

What are you talking about? he replied to Butz with a blank look on his face.

“I don’t think that’s going to change. Once I am crowned, I will no longer be Crown Prince, but until then, I will always be Crown Prince.”

“Well, yes, that’s true… So you’re doing royalty in the castle.”

“Yes. That’s what it means.”

“I think I’ll be in and out of the castle from time to time, so maybe I’ll get to meet Your Highness.”

“I don’t know about that; I think I’m still far from being a knight in the service of the castle.”

To serve in a castle, a knight must achieve a high grade in a high ratio to be selected.

In order to be selected to work in the castle, the first step for Butz was to achieve such results.

“Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. One day, I’ll show you that I can be a Royal Knight too!”

“That’s a good attitude. By the way, Butz, there are a lot of etiquette requirements to become a Royal Knight, but you’re going to learn them well, right?”

“Ugh… I-I know! I’ll figure it out!”

“Also, Butz! If you want to be a Royal Knight, you’ll have to behave towards His Highness…”

Leonard reprimanded him, but he was right.

If he was serious about becoming a Castle Knight or Royal Knight, there were many things he needed to correct.

“…P-please, just let me off the hook while I’m at the academy.”

Ain looked at Leonard with a dumbfounded look on his face and started laughing out loud as if it had nothing to do with him.

After that, the two of them had other things to do, so Ain prepared to go back to the castle.

In fact, someone was going to pick him up soon, so it was just the right time.

Then they left the school one by one, and finally, Ain went to the school gate alone.

——Today had been fun, as always.

His time at school would soon come to an end. Although he was sad about it, he was sure that he would see them again in the future. Ain did not forget this hope.

“When I get back to the castle, I have to finish some work before I go to Magna…”

The long journey to Magna begins tomorrow.

In fact, compared to the time in Ist or in Baltic, the burden is much less.

This is not only because of the time it takes but also because Magna is less threatening in terms of danger and so on.

Perhaps because of this, there was not as much excitement as there had been on the previous trip when it came to preparations.

“Ain-sama! Welcome back!”

The person who greeted Ain when he arrived at the school gate was not the usual Chris… but rather Dill, who was unusually alone waiting for Ain.

“Huh? That’s unusual, Dill.”

Chris was also attracting attention, but Dill was also being looked at by passersby.

Recently, Ain heard that he was receiving even more marriage proposals. His appearance was so striking.

“Actually, there are some circumstances that prevented Chris-sama from coming here…”

“Is she busy or something?”

Ain also asked Dill what was going on since this had never happened before.

“She seems to have fallen ill, so she is resting at the castle… When we arrive at the castle, Varra-dono will explain the situation so you can hear the details from Varra-dono. After all, I don’t know much about it myself…”

Dill was also perplexed in his own way when he was suddenly asked to pick up Ain.

It was fine for him to pick up Ain. On the contrary, he was grateful, but it was too sudden, and he did not know the details of the reason.

The only information he could provide was that Chris had fallen ill.

“Then let’s listen together. I’m worried, so I’ll go home soon.”

Hearing Dill’s words, Ain walked back to the castle faster than usual.

＊＊＊

“It’s an epidemic that’s been going around lately. If she stays in bed for a week, she’ll be better in no time.”

After arriving at the castle, Ain took Dill and went to Varra’s place.

Varra’s workplace was built near the training center. Not only wounded knights went there, but also those who were sick or felt something wrong with their bodies.

“Now that I think about it, Leonard mentioned it…”

It was just a topic of small talk, but Leonard had mentioned something about an epidemic. Remembering this, Ain was surprised to see the outbreak so close to home.

“Occasionally, there are outbreaks at this time of year. It’s not a major illness, and it goes away with a good meal and a good night’s sleep.”

Clad in a clean white lab coat, Varra confidently explained that she had grown so much since she was at Ist.

Deep down, she was still nervous around Ain, but she tries hard to hide it.

“So, Chris-sama and Krone-sama will have to rest for about a week…”

“Huh? Wait, Krone too…?”

The name “Krone” was mentioned by Varra.

As for Ain, he was puzzled by the sudden mention of Krone’s name, as he thought that only Chris was on the sick bed.

“Y-yes, sir. The same goes for Krone-sama, who is also resting in the castle. Since it seems to have happened at about the same time, they will both take a break from today on…”

“I’m sorry, Ain-sama. I didn’t hear that Krone-dono would be taking a break as well…”

This means that there would be many problems.

The two who were supposed to accompany him cannot go with him… What should he do?

“It’s not your fault, Dill. But… what am I supposed to do about the schedule from tomorrow on? Oh, that’s right! My toxin decomposition is…”

“It will heal if they rest, so in terms of boosting their immune system, I don’t think you need to push it too hard this time…”

Varra said.

Well, she certainly had a point.

She said it would not get any worse, so they needed to eat and rest.

If that was all it took, then maybe he should just nod his head at what she, a medical professional, said.

But Krone was Ain’s assistant. And Chris was considered an escort for Ain and Olivia.

If the two of them couldn’t go, there would be some problems.

“Excuse me! Huh, Ain-sama! Welcome back!”

The one who came cheerfully was Mei. The Knights were very fond of her, and she was known as the Angel of the Knights’ Cafeteria.

“Hey, Mei! You’re acting like this in front of His Highness… It’s not right, you know?”

“Well, well. I don’t mind, Varra. So, Mei-chan? Is there anything you need?”

“Yes! Martha-san said something about calling Ain-sama, so I’ve come to call Ain-sama!”

“Maybe it’s about the epidemic? I see, where is Martha-san?”

He just wanted an explanation, so Mei’s appearance was perfect timing.

“Um, uh. She said she was on the terrace in the courtyard with the Queen…!”

“With Grandmother? Then I can’t keep her waiting. Varra, thank you for telling me. Can you send more details about their condition to my office later?”

“Yes, sir! I’ll have it ready for you…”

The appearance of Mei made Varra lose her composure.

Ain wanted to go to Laralua, so Varra replied quickly.

“Mei too, thank you for your help. Dill, I’ll go then.”

“Yes!”

Ain patted Mei’s head, and she smiled as if tickled.

Satisfied to see Mei like that, Ain left Varra’s workplace.

＊＊＊

The terrace of the courtyard where he went for a quick walk.

Olivia and Laralua loved this place, which had many beautiful flowers, trees, and white stone waterways. The contrast was beautiful.

“Grandmother. I heard you wanted to see me…”

Actually, it was Martha who called Ain.

But Martha would never call Ain without coming herself. In this case, it must have been Laralua.

“Ah, Ain-kun. Welcome back. Let’s have some tea first.”

Laralua found Ain and gave him a gentle smile.

She still looked as youthful as ever, and even if you describe her as being in her twenties, she would not look out of place.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to take the seat across from you.”

Dill stood a little further away and moved to escort Martha closer.

“Come to think of it, it’s unusual for Martha-san to be around Grandmother.”

“Did you know about Chris and Krone?”

“Yes. Apparently, they were infected with an epidemic.”

The good news was that it was not that dangerous.

Ain was relieved to hear that they would be cured if they just rested for a while.

“That’s right. Beria is also taking a rare day off, so I asked Martha for help.”

Beria was Martha’s mentor and Laralua’s exclusive maid.

She was also the head maid, but her main job was to take care of Laralua’s personal needs.

Because of that, she was rarely seen by Ain and the others, but her skills as a maid were first-rate, and even Martha was no match for her. 

“Th-That’s unusual. She seems to take even less time off than Warren-san.”

“That’s true… Well, Beria is old, you know. She won’t admit it, but her body is getting weaker.”

“I see.”

Ain swallowed the tea Martha prepared and moistened his throat.

——Yes. It tastes good today, too.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Ain-kun.”

Lalalua clasped her hands and looked happy.

Even her movements were full of elegance and made everyone who saw her ecstatic.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Chris and Krone will be joining you about a week late. So you can take Martha with you. Martha will be able to do some of the assistant work, right, Martha?”

“Of course. So please don’t worry, Ain-sama.”

It seemed that the appointment was made to fill a vacancy.

But Ain was grateful. After all, Martha could be trusted as an assistant without any worries.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s okay, this much. ——She will also keep an eye on that girl.”

She seemed to whisper something, but the words did not reach Ain.

“Also, Ain-kun. You shouldn’t visit them, okay? It’s not safe if something goes wrong.”

“…You’re right.”

“That’s why you should write them a letter. They will still be happy, so when you write the letter, have someone give it to them. Okay?”

He had not been informed in detail about the disease, but he should certainly be prepared for any eventuality.

As Laralua said, Ain decided to prepare a letter for later.

“I understand. I will ask Varra to give it to them later.”

“Well, that’s a relief then. …Then, Ain-kun, would you be willing to have tea with me once in a while?”

Thinking back, he felt that he had been very busy lately and had not spent much time with Laralua.

Since it was a good time and there was still some free time, Ain decided to enjoy the conversation with Laralua.

“I wouldn’t trust such a big role to anyone else.”

“Ara, Ain-kun, you have grown into a fine man, haven’t you? I will accompany you for a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Seeing Ain speak like that, Laralua also felt that Ain had grown up.

After that, the two of them enjoyed a long, slow conversation until the evening.