Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 246

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 246 – With Friends

Ain and Chris went outside together. Their destination was the training ground.

“Stand up! Anyone who stops standing will leave this mansion.”

As Ain approached the training ground, he could hear Marco’s voice.

The black and royal knights basically did not have regular days off.

However, Marco had never taken a day off before.

Looking at the cobblestones, he saw three figures gasping for breath:

It was Dill, Clive, and the elf Cyrus.

Their weapons revealed their personalities.

Dill, perhaps because of his straightforward personality, carried a medium-sized straight sword.

Clive, true to his impulsive nature, carried a longsword.

Finally, Cyrus, a warrior who usually uses a longbow, was carrying a short sword in this situation.

It was a weapon more suited for an elf than Cyrus’s personality.

“The Black Knight’s training is still as rigorous as ever, isn’t it?”

Chris said, looking at the intense scene.

Even for her, the captain of the Royal Knight Corps, it was a sight that made her cheeks twitch.

“It seems so. Well, I don’t want to interrupt their training, but…”

Ain slowly approached the training ground.

Feeling apologetic for interrupting, he said aloud,

“Sorry to interrupt your training, Marco, I need to talk to you for a moment. Is that okay?”

“Oh, it’s Ain-sama…”

Marco answers and moves away from the other three to approach Ain.

“Let’s take a short break. We’ll resume after lunch.”

“Ha!”

Dill answered first.

“Hah… Hah… Thank you very much.”

Clive answered. Even breathing seemed difficult for him.

He looked like he was struggling to stand; his legs were trembling.

“I-I’ll recharge my energy for the afternoon training.”

Cyrus answered last.

The three bowed to Ain as they left, hurrying away so as not to waste any time.

“Are they all right?

Ain watched their retreating figures with concern.

“Actually, the previous training was a little easier.”

“Is there a reason why it has become more rigorous?”

“Yes, the commander requested it.”

“I see.” Ain nodded.

He hadn’t expected such circumstances, but it meant that they must be extremely ambitious.

Since they had volunteered, they must not be dissatisfied with the training.

Ain felt relieved.

Come to think of it…

As he listened to and watched the three of them, Ain felt that there seemed to be a difference in their physical strength.

Dill answered the most energetically. He was out of breath but careful not to show it.

In other words, he must be able to keep up with Marco’s rigorous training.

Ain couldn’t help but feel happy.

The other two didn’t seem that different, but Cyrus seemed to have more stamina than Clive.

It must be because he was a warrior leader in the elf village.

“Sorry, I got sidetracked, but I’d like to ask your opinion on something.”

With a slightly apologetic look on his face, Ain asked.

Marco, who was standing in front of him, listened with the upright posture of a seasoned veteran.

“I heard from Chris earlier…”

He was talking about the criminal organization.

There was still little information, but Marco listened intently.

Then, Ain revealed his purpose for coming here.

“This is an important time for Strohm. That’s why we can’t focus all our attention on the criminal organization.”

“I agree. As the leader of a city and a country, it would be foolish to focus on just one thing.”

“That’s right. That’s why I’ve decided to assign some personnel to the investigation.”

At that moment, Marco realized he was being chosen.

Meanwhile, Ain was worried. Was this really something he should entrust to Marco?

However, his worries were unfounded.

“I have been given a new mission. My knighthood will be filled with new pride.”

He knelt down.

Then, in joy, he lowered his upper body and placed his hands on his chest.

“Um…will you accept it?”

“I cannot give up the glory of a mission entrusted to me by my Lord.”

“I am grateful to you, Marco.”

With that, Ain made the official decision.

As he would with a petition or request, he decided to approve the order.

Later, when he returned to his room, he took up his pen and wrote on the parchment.

“But, Ain-sama. May I make a suggestion?”

Marco waited for Ain to finish speaking before asking.

His voice was unusually cautious, as if he were trying to read Ain’s expression.

“I am capable of investigating this Strohm matter, but I would like a little more help.”

“Help? You mean you want someone to help you investigate?”

“Exactly.”

Of course. Ain had been thinking the same thing.

Even if it was Marco, he didn’t intend to leave it to him alone.

It would be too much trouble to put him through.

“I was going to contact the castle and select some personnel to investigate. Since we’re at it, I’d like to hear Marco’s opinion.”

“What I need are talented civil servants and military officers who know when to retreat and are physically fit.”

“I see. So that’s how it is.”

This is difficult. He tilted his head.

He should be able to find both types of people if he looked hard enough, but he wondered if they will be available.

“Ah, no, Ain-sama. There’s no need to overcomplicate things.”

Then, Marco waved his hand and replied,

“When dealing with someone who hides a mysterious and vicious nature, I seek the ability to know when to back down and make calm judgments.”

Vicious. It was a word that naturally came up when dealing with criminal organizations.

Marco’s voice conveyed a growing discomfort with carrying out his duties under Ain’s command rather than a sense of justice.

“I don’t require strength as a warrior, though I would like to have enough physical strength to walk around.”

How about it? Does anyone here fit the bill?

Marco asked finally.

“I see. This is only an investigation, so our goal is not to destroy them…”

The conditions were becoming quite lenient.

But what should be done with those who have strayed from morality?

Someone enthusiastic must be selected to face them.

“For an investigation like this, as long as the minimum requirements are met, I think it’s important to focus on attitude.”

“Do you remember anyone like that, Chris?”

He asked the woman standing diagonally behind him.

Chris thought for a moment, her pure white shirt, decorated with gold thread, swaying elegantly below her ears.

“Someone who is an excellent civil servant, a military officer with a certain level of education, and someone whose character can be trusted?”

The conditions are surprisingly numerous. Ain felt that way upon hearing Chris’s response.

“To be honest, I think most civil servants and military officers would qualify…”

“I agree. Besides, I think everyone here is trustworthy.”

“Yes, but if I may be so bold… It would be best if they could work closely with you, Ain-sama.”

Oh no. A new condition has been added.

He realized that this investigation was going to be more difficult than he thought.

The circumstances were different from when he had investigated the red fox himself.

At that time, Ishtalika itself had conducted the investigation, selecting countless conditions in advance, including funding and personnel.

Despite the cooperation of Prime Minister Warren and many other influential figures, Ain keenly felt his lack of experience.

“You mean like me and Krone?”

“Actually, I think Ain-sama and I would be fine. Both Ain-sama and I are capable of administrative work. Should we give it a try?”

“Ah, yeah… That’s true, but even if it’s just the two of us, we can’t conduct the investigation, can we?”

What’s the point of that? It’s a sudden challenge.

But neither option is realistic. Ain is unable to act, which is why they are planning the investigation.

Despite the difficulties, he had no choice but to slowly approach the correct answer.

“A civil official and a military official… That’s two people, and there won’t be any problems with me interacting with them…”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Chris clapped his hands.

“I just thought of something. I feel like there are two people who would be perfect for that.”

“What? No way! Who?”

“Ain-sama’s friends from the academy?”

He looked at Chris absentmindedly.

School friends… How should he put it? There were few students, and they changed frequently.

In other words, it was hard to make friends.

There were only three people he could proudly call his friends: Leonard, Batz, and Roland.

“Ah… I see. Leonard and Batz.”

Leonard was excellent at being a civil servant. Batz, on the other hand, was still an apprentice knight, but only because he recently became a knight.

His skills had grown to the point where he could defeat his peers and even seasoned royal knights.

“But they’re both nobles. Leonard is from a duke’s family!”

“Well, to be honest, Dill is also from a duke’s family. And if you think about it, Ain-sama is the crown prince…”

It seemed like it might work out after all.

Not only was Ain a man of action, but Dill’s example also made sense.

“Um… How about writing a letter? We won’t know unless we ask.”

“Maybe I should. Marco, is it okay if we proceed like this?”

“As you wish, Ain-sama.”

He never imagined that they would be able to work together like this.

He waited for their reply, but secretly, Ain felt his expectations growing.

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