Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 247



Chapter 247



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ED: LonelyMatter




Chapter 247 – At The End Of The Day


Ain rushed back to his room and took a seat at his desk. He had parted ways with Chris, and was alone now.


He sat in a comfortable chair and opened a drawer.


The first thing he pulled out was a piece of parchment. The embossed letters were colored with melted gold. When he read the parchment, he saw that it said, “Ain von Ishtalika.”


Next to it was the coat of arms of the Ishtalika royal family, also embossed and colored with gold.


He placed it on his desk and pulled out a bundle of letters.


The soft, smooth texture of the paper beneath his fingertips felt pleasant. It was thick and clearly high quality.


One, two… There were seven in total. Ain confirmed that it was all he needed.


“Well, let’s get started…”


He picked up a pen from the holder.


The intricately designed nib was made of mithril, a material not usually used for pens.


It was probably made especially for the crown prince, for whom it was intended.


He dipped the pen in the completely opaque black ink and moved the parchment in front of him.


“But… I feel a sense of aversion.”


Was it really okay to write the instructions on parchment?


It wasn’t a question of cost or etiquette. This was purely a personal issue for Ain.


An incident from several years ago crossed his mind. He had saved Marco, who had gone berserk.


After being knocked down, Marco dropped an old parchment instruction manual from his body, which had vanished.


The sender was Cain. He was the Dullahan who had served as the leader of the original Black Knights.


Ain was tormented by complex emotions.


Would he be caught up in some dark fate like he was back then?


Would this order bind Marco to him like a curse?


It was just a worry, but it lingered.


“…I’ll write that later.”


He hesitated. It wouldn’t be too late to write the letter first.


He put aside the parchment and picked up a sheet of stationery. There were multiple recipients, all of whom were nobles and members of the royal family.


“First, I’ll start with my grandfather…”


Krone should already be sending a report to Warren.


Thinking of his competent assistant, he smiled wryly. However, it was inevitable that Ain would also send a letter.


He wrote down the situation concisely.


“Then there’s the matter of Leonard and Batz.”


This was not a summons in Ain’s name but rather a letter of recommendation.


It was merely a letter of recommendation.


Ain did not have any intention of forcing them to participate in the investigation.


“For these reasons, I recommend these two individuals: Ain von Ishtalika… Yes, that should be fine.”


The two were connected because they were nobles.


Even if they were commoners, he didn’t think it would be a problem. However, he couldn’t deny that they were connected.


Ain decided to wait for responses from Duke Fors and Baron Crim.


“Finally, I’ll write a letter to the two of them.”


It would be too bland if the royal family simply sent a message saying that Ain had recommended them.


In fact, Ain would feel uncomfortable sending such a message to his friends.


It was not about mixing business with pleasure; it was about showing consideration for the other party.


The content wasn’t much.


Something was about to happen. The two of them were needed. He asked them to help him with his work.


That was the gist of it.


He felt a little sad that Roland wasn’t included.


“Well, Roland already lent me his strength when it came to Leviathan…”


Self-deprecatingly, he admitted while writing the two letters.


Still, he felt elated.


He had many memories of the academy. The most memorable of these was the field trip to the monsters’ habitat.


Batz scolded him, Leonard worried about him, and Roland hastily made a magic tool.


There was also a bit of drama when Dill disappeared, but it was ultimately a valuable experience.


Now that he has graduated, he might be able to work with his dear friends.


He didn’t want to force them, but deep down, he hoped they would accept him.


—Ring.


He rang the bell on his desk.


A few seconds later, Martha came in.


“Did you call me?”


When she arrived, he stood up and approached her.


“Please give this letter to Grandfather.”


“Understood. I’ll deliver it today.”


They exchanged a few words, and then Martha left the room.


Although it was only a few seconds, their voices and attitudes conveyed their gratitude to each other.


It wasn’t long enough to be considered a job well done, but Ain stretched his body.


“Well… I guess that leaves this.”


He glanced at it.


The parchment lay on the desk.


He sat back down and picked up the pen again, but he’s still unsure.


He didn’t know if he was being indecisive or if he was worrying too much about the past.


He just couldn’t make up his mind.


“Ah, I’ve got it!”


He opened the drawer and took out a sheet of paper.


Hmm, hmm. He nodded and placed it next to the parchment.


“I’ll write two. That should be enough. I think.”


Nothing had been resolved, but it was the right thing to do for Ain’s mental health.


With a smile on his face, he slid the mithril nib across the paper.


The contents of the order were the same. The only difference was the paper’s material.


“I’ll deliver them later.”


After writing two letters, Ain rolled them up and tied them with string.


Then, as he stood up, Ain’s belt rubbed against the chair, and the sword he was carrying fell to the floor.


“Ah…”


The blade was exposed.


Speak of the devil. It was a sword made from Marco’s material.


He smiled wryly, picked up the sword, and placed it on the desk.


“Come to think of it, I forgot to ask him to name it. I’ll ask him later.”


He had relied on Marco all day and couldn’t remember how many times he had mentioned his name.


Looking at the sword, which continued to exude an ominous aura, Ain had a thought.


“Red Fox, huh?”


The matter was settled. There was no longer any concern about the Red Fox.


What Ain felt in his heart was not worry but rather a question.


“Anon… Hmm. That was a skill I didn’t quite understand…”


When he pulled the status card out of his pocket, he noticed a skill that had remained since he killed her.


◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


Ain von Ishtalika


[Job] World Tree of Gluttony


[Level] Unknown


[Physical Strength] ask


[Magic Power] ask


[Attack Power] ――


[Defense] ――


[Agility] ――


[Skills] World Tree of Gluttony, Curse of Solitude, Charming Poison


◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


Although he had given up on himself, he still exhibited some human traits.


According to Katima, his only notable characteristics were his physical strength and magical power, both of which were greatly influenced by his surroundings.


The more he grounded himself and absorbed energy, the stronger he became. It’s as simple as that. In reality, though, all he could do was smile wryly.


“I know it’s not a power that will cause me to run wild, but something about it doesn’t feel right.”


His abilities were shrouded in mystery—a curse and poison.


At that time, Anon controlled the Demon King Arche and her army. She also controlled much of the royal capital of Heim and influenced Logas and his followers.


The key point was that it was the people who were not influenced who came into play.


“It’s strange… Arche-san was affected, but Cain-san and Sylvia-san weren’t. Neither of them were affected. Was it intentional? No, she wouldn’t have done something so foolish.”


She definitely tried it, though.


She must have used her skill to curse and control them.


But Arche should have had a higher resistance to it. Why weren’t they affected?


“No, there’s another exception. No, there were two: Marco… Grint.”


Marco resisted for hundreds of years.


At the very least, he was definitely weaker than Arche.


Grint should be even weaker.


No matter how high Grint rose as a Heavenly Knight, Anon’s curse could control the Demon King. There’s no way he could resist… There’s no way.


During the decisive battle at Heim Castle, Anon desperately tried to stop Grint.


She realized that Grint couldn’t defeat Ain, who had become the Demon King.


She tried to save Grint’s life, speaking to him in a commanding tone. However, Grint ignored her and fought Ain.


Cain, Sylvia, Marco, and Grint.


Ain tried to think of what these four people had in common.


“No, I don’t think they have anything in common. There’s definitely nothing…”


There were no clues. It wasn’t something he needed to worry about now, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.


―Knock, knock.


“Come in.”


It was a welcome visitor, though. Ain answered the knock.


“Sorry to bother you, Ain. I was wondering if we could talk tomorrow about the meeting with the merchant guild. Huh, what’s wrong?”


Seeing Ain frown, Krone was taken aback.


She blinked repeatedly and approached him with concern.


“Um… I was just thinking about something.”


It was difficult to say. Extremely difficult.


He didn’t want to admit that it was about the red fox.


“What were you thinking about?”


“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Was it about tomorrow’s meeting?”


“What were you thinking about?”


“…”


Her face was only a few inches away.


The determination in her clear eyes wouldn’t let Ain avoid giving a clear answer.


In the end, Ain was defeated. The Demon King had been defeated by a single girl. It seemed poetic.


“It’s nothing important, but…”


He prefaced his words and spoke about what he had been wondering earlier.


What had he been thinking about on his day off? Krone looked confused, then hugged Ain’s head.


“Are you tired? Are you okay?”


“No, it’s not that! I was just wondering…”


He wanted her to keep hugging him, but he also wanted to deny his feelings.


In the end, Ain placed his hand on her shoulder and said,


“Huh… If that’s the case, then I feel like you’re more seriously ill than just tired.”


“…Then what do you think, Krone?”


“You’re asking me? All I know is trivial stuff.”


Still, he wanted some advice, even if it was just a little.


It was obvious, but Krone was very kind to Ain.


She could be exasperating at times, but she always tried to help him.


This time was no exception.


“Come to think of it, Cain once took control of Ain’s body, didn’t he?”


“Was that when I went to Euro as the representative?”


“Yes, that’s right. Did Cain-sama say anything at that time?”


Ain desperately tried to remember.


Six months had passed since he woke up, and he had heard the words Ain had spoken at that time from Chris.


If he remembered correctly, those words were…


“It’s always been like this. They always toy with their opponents like that. But no, it’s been like that since the beginning. My mistake was trusting them.”


“I thought they were just lonely. But that’s not it… They meant to play with us from the beginning. It’s been like this since ‘that’ time…”


Ain struggled to remember.


Could this be a clue?


“Hmm… So, Cain-sama trusted and accepted the red fox at first?”


“Now that you mention it, that might be true.”


“Changing the subject, were you charmed? You were probably affected by the curse and went berserk.”


He didn’t feel any special charm from Anon, nor was he attracted to her words.


Ain nodded silently.


“Cain-sama and Sylvia-sama. If they accepted the red fox, then Marco must have, too. He would follow their wishes. That leaves only your brother…”


Krone thought, her finger resting on her luscious lips.


Meanwhile, Ain hadn’t even noticed the commonality between the three of them, excluding Grint.


“Oh, right. They were betrothed and had a good relationship, so my hypothesis is correct. I think.”


“So, Krone! That hypothesis is…”


“Fufu. Wait a moment.”


The finger that had been on her lips a moment ago was pressed against Ain’s lips.


After a few seconds, she finally gave her answer.


“I understand why only those four didn’t get it.”


“Isn’t that too fast? I was pretty confused.”


“Girls might be quicker to notice these things. At least in this case.”


I see. I don’t get it, Ain said. He was even more confused now.


“It’s not so much troublesome as it is lonely. It’s a sarcastic reason, something you don’t want to notice.”


“A lonely skill?”


“Yes, but I think she didn’t understand the conditions.”


Krone smiled sadly.


She sighed deeply, composed herself, and put on a cheerful expression as she teased Ain.


“Krone, the reason for that is…”


“I’ll give you a hint so you can guess.”


Krone interrupted him.


“Even if Ain uses that skill, it won’t work on me. Think about why it didn’t work on the four of them.”


“I…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”


“You’re so slow to catch on.”


Krone tilted her head and furrowed her brow. She told Ain some new information.


“It doesn’t work on me, but if you had used it on your brother, it would have been more effective than on anyone else.”


“It works on Grint? But Anon couldn’t use it on him.”


“Yes, because it depends on who uses it.”


Was there any other clue? Then,


“Hey… Do you love me?”


(――!?)


That’s what the mysterious girl said to Ain. They were in the room in the Demon King’s castle that the red fox had built.


The room was said to be cursed, confusing anyone who entered. It was so memorable that Ain couldn’t forget it.


“…”


So that was what it was. Ain came to the same conclusion.


Even though she was an enemy, he couldn’t help but feel sad.


He didn’t know anything about her background, but something serious must have been going on.


“She wanted to be loved, didn’t she?”


Ain finally realized.


He had discovered the person on whom that skill was effective.


It’s less effective on those with positive emotions and more effective on those with negative emotions.


Cain, Sylvia, and Marco.


They must have had positive feelings for her in the past.


Grint even loved her.


That’s why Grint didn’t stop, even when she desperately tried to stop him.


There might be other conditions, such as resistance, but this is definitely the main one.


The reason the charming poison didn’t work on Ain was Toxin Decomposition EX.


He had no intention of forgiving her for what she had done, and there was little reason for him to want to understand the situation.


Unable to stand it anymore and tormented by his hatred for the red fox he had been obsessed with at the time, Ain shook his head.


“Just a moment ago, I gave Martha-san a letter for my grandfather.”


After an unknown amount of silence, Ain changed the subject, not connecting it to what came before.


The conversation was meant to change the downward atmosphere and distance Ain from his indescribable emotions.


“A letter for His Majesty?”


“Yeah, I heard about the criminal organization from Chris, so I’m trying to figure out who to send it to.”


First, he chose Marco.


Then, based on Marco’s advice, he chose Leonard and Batz. He would tell Krone about these two.


“I think it’s a good decision. Duke Fors should be knowledgeable about such matters, and Baron Crim has been defending his town against monsters for years.”


Their sons have also been educated since childhood. Krone agreed with the decision.


“The question is whether they will accept it.”


“…Yes. Let’s wait and hope for a positive response.”


“Yeah. Ain nodded.


Then, Krone realized she had said something aloud and told Ain with a smile.


“Something good happened. As a congratulatory gift for your appointment, we received a present from Mouton-dono.”


“From Mouton-san?”


“Yes, for all the Black Knights—several weapons. And for you, a treasure sword.”


Apparently, the treasure sword is not meant for combat. It’s simply a decorative sword with jewels scattered here and there.


However, considering it was forged by Mouton, it might be as sharp as a razor.


“I guess I should write a thank-you letter. Oh, I don’t have any stationery in this drawer.”


He rummaged through the drawer but couldn’t find any.


Ain stood up and headed for the bedroom.


“I think it’s in the other room. I’ll go get it.”


After Ain left, Krone remembered something else.


She realized that she had also received gifts from the servants and the cooks.


She remembered that they were sharp knives with distinctive names.


“What were they called? I think it was Wabouchou?”


When Ain returned, he wrote a thank-you letter while chatting with Krone.


Two days later,


Ain received replies from Leonard and Batz.


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