Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 248

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 248 – A New Premonition

In the coastal city of Strohm, there was a mansion that was managed by Duke Fors until Ain arrived.

Although it was smaller than Ain’s mansion, it was still large enough to be considered a duke’s residence.

The two mansions were located close to each other—only a ten-minute walk apart—making it easy to travel between them.

The mansion had been vacant for a long time, but that was about to change.

Like Ain and his group the other day, Duke Fors’s servants were busy working.

Martha delivered the letter to the royal capital, and it reached everyone that same day.

Duke Fors and Baron Crim’s respective wives received letters.

A messenger from the castle delivered letters from Ain to the two nobles.

Two days after the letters were delivered, replies arrived at Ain’s residence.

The two arrived in Strohm one day later.

The Fors mansion was still bustling with activity. The three of them were in the Fors mansion garden.

They were sitting at a table on the terrace in a corner of the garden.

Tall trees were silhouetted against the bright green sky, illuminated by the fresh morning light.

“Isn’t it too early for you two to be here?”

“Of course it is. I finished getting ready the day I received the letter. My mother told me to catch the first train of the day.”

Batz said.

“Actually, it was the same situation at my house. My father had already returned home by then.”

Leonard replied. But it was too early.

It wasn’t a bad thing, but he felt bad for rushing them.

“However, the next morning, a messenger came from the castle and said that the prime minister wanted to consult with us. So, we decided to come here this morning.”

“I’m sorry for rushing you. It must have been hectic…”

He had no choice but to apologize.

He had mentioned the two of them on a whim and never imagined they would act so quickly.

“Don’t be silly. Right, Leonard?”

“I don’t usually say things like that, but if I may, it might be a bit cold.”

The two looked at each other and laughed.

It was playful as if they were teasing Ain like an old friend.

“We’ve been studying together for six years. If Ain-sama asks for my help, I’ll come without hesitation.”

“That’s how it is. We’re friends, so you don’t have to worry about such things. Well, you’re being a little too polite.”

“So, you’re just being your usual self, Batz?”

“…Hey, hey, hey. That’s a harsh way to put it.”

Then, Ain joined in, and the three of them laughed.

They were grateful for their precious friendship and immersed themselves in their irreplaceable relationship.

Come to think of it, the situation reminded them of their school days:

Ain, Leonard, Batz, and Roland. The four of them were sitting at a table on the cafeteria terrace.

Ain wondered how the little birds he used to feed were doing. He couldn’t help but remember even such small things.

It would have been more fun if Roland had been with them.

“Thank you. I’m glad you two came.”

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to them both.

Batz laughed loudly, and Leonard smiled softly.

Then, Leonard suddenly changed his expression as if he had remembered something.

“Ain-sama, This is from my father.”

“From Duke Fors…?”

Leonard took out a thick envelope from his pocket. It was an official document sealed with melted gold.

He took it from Leonard, exchanged glances with him, and opened the envelope.

“Huh? Leonard, what’s this?”

“My father said it was a gift in return for the souvenir you gave me earlier. That’s what he said.”

“A souvenir… What? Ain gave you a souvenir?”

“Batz, you got one too, didn’t you? It was when you suddenly came to my mansion.”

There was a time when they visited each other’s homes as ordinary friends.

On that occasion, Batz had brought white bison meat as a gift.

In return, Ain, with Warren’s help, had given him some false records.

Duke Fors’ return gift was related to that.

“That brings back memories. It was quite a while ago, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, we’ve grown up, I guess.”

As they listened to the lively conversation, Ain took out the contents of the envelope.

Glancing at the first line…

“A certain trading company and certain nobles… A certain amount of money flowing between them?”

“It’s a summary of suspicious activities. My father said that there were several things that had been bothering him since he was in charge.”

There was no reason to expose them, but ignoring it was a bit too suspicious.

The document summarized such mysterious financial transactions.

“There are several trading companies that have influence in large cities. Some of them have rather unusual names…”

Leonard spoke with a bitter and heavy expression.

“There is a culture of dragon worship, and some people worship the powerful dragon tribe as gods. It seems that their names were involved in the suspicious flow of money.”

“I’ve heard of that. They are divided into several factions, and there are some hardliners among them. My father told me that quite a few merchants and nobles worship dragons.”

Batz opened his mouth with a knowing look, but it was a rather complicated story.

“Batz, what do you mean?”

“There aren’t many of them around these days, but apparently, there used to be a lot of sea dragons, which is why there are factions.”

“…As Batz said, that’s why there are several factions.”

Leonard shook his head. He looked exasperated as if to say, “Oh, here we go again.”

“What I am about to tell you is nothing more than a legend. There is a creature called the Red Dragon.

It breathes flames that can melt rocks and evaporate the sea.

They love treasure and bathe in molten gold.”

It seemed like the twins wouldn’t get along with them. Ain laughed.

“Some claim that the Red Dragon’s flames are sacred and purify everything.”

“…That’s ridiculous.”

He couldn’t help but speak up at the absurdity of their beliefs.

Continuing, Batz spoke up.

“The story goes that those who believe in the Red Dragon are a bit troublesome. But I don’t understand why they’re suddenly active again now.”

Ain agreed.

He couldn’t figure out why that name had come up now, either.

“I have no idea what their purpose is either. Even if they were up to something suspicious, what would their goal be?”

He furrowed his brow in thought. The only impression he had was that they simply believed in the red dragon.

He couldn’t see how that connected to criminal behavior.

…Then, Leonard revealed some new information.

“The legend continues: The red dragon bathed in gold will ascend to become a black dragon that will dye the sky pitch black.”

Ain just listened quietly.

When he heard “black dragon,” even if it was just a legend, he felt that it was something he couldn’t ignore.

At the same time, he realized something:

Those committing crimes to gather gold might not be doing so merely for luxury’s sake.

“Not just gold, but you need several other materials for the ritual.”

“Well, in the end, we don’t really know what those materials are.”

“I don’t want to believe it, but Batz is probably right. Besides, just because it involves dragon worship doesn’t mean they all believe in red dragons.”

Leonard shook his shoulders, expressing his confusion.

The terrace was enveloped in the calm morning air, but the conversation gradually became more heated.

“Do you know anything else?”

Ain asked in a strong tone.

“Yes… They worship all dragons equally. There are just some special dragons among them.”

Seeing that Ain was pressing him, Leonard hurriedly replied,

“I’m sure there’s a name for the followers of the dragon faith.”

There was a name for them.

Leonard remembered and opened his mouth to say it.

“They refer to them as ‘infinite-colored lizards,’ likening themselves to lizards, which are inferior to dragons.”

“Infinite-colored lizards?”

“They use the word ‘infinite’ because they liken themselves to the numerous dragons that once existed. Of course, there aren’t that many dragons.”

“I see.” Ain nodded.

However, he didn’t like the name the followers used for themselves.

The phrase “infinite lizards” didn’t give him a good impression.

Whether or not the criminal organization in Strohm is really involved… First, he needed to investigate.

“But isn’t that red dragon dead now? If so, I don’t think it can be revived.”

“You’re right. I don’t think the black dragon is involved. But even so, we can’t turn a blind eye to what’s going on.”

Regardless of their purpose, they need to investigate and find out the truth.

Ain reaffirms that this is the right course of action.

“This is going to be a very difficult investigation. Are you two sure you can do it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. My mother told me to either complete my mission or never come back.”

“In my case, I was told to repay the hero who saved the country. Of course, I agreed even without my father’s words.”

They talked about how reliable Ain had been since their school days, which reassured him greatly.

He was still uneasy about the danger, but his sense of reliability outweighed that feeling.

“We graduated and were able to work together so soon. What more could we ask for? Right, Leonard?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“You two must have work to do. I’m sorry for asking you to come on such short notice.”

Batz had work to do as a knight, and Leonard as a civil servant.

However, the two of them laughed it off with their usual cheerful expressions.

“I’m a knight, so all I need is Ain’s word.”

“In my case, my superior is my father, so there’s no problem.”

“…As the crown prince and your friend, I am grateful to you both, Batz and Leonard.”

Thus, a new investigation team was formed.

Although there were only two members, Ain himself guaranteed their quality.

Marco became the leader, and the three of them would work together on the investigation.

If necessary, the team would expand.

They wanted to finish their work against the criminal organization as soon as possible. With that in mind, Ain looked up at the vivid blue sky to refresh his eyes.

“Now, let’s record today’s events…”

“Leonard, What are you writing?”

Leonard opened a leather notebook and wrote something down.

Seeing this, Batz asked,

“I want to write a book someday. It’s just something I want to do one day. I’m just writing down little things I want to remember.”

“I see… What kind of book is it going to be?”

Then, Leonard said,

He laughed defiantly and spoke fondly of his life so far.

“It’s about the country of Ishtalika, where I lived. And the reign of Ain-sama—that’s it.”

“Hahaha! That’s great! Then you’ll write about me, too, right?”

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to write about you, too.”

The three of them laughed together.

Although he said “unfortunately,” Leonard seemed to be enjoying himself.

“As expected of the future prime minister, you have a way with words.”

“It’s presumptuous of you to say that I will become prime minister. Stop joking around, Batz.”

Leonard admonished Batz, who was laughing and sighed deeply.

After that, Ain asked,

“So, what are you going to call it?”

“…Actually, I have something in mind.”

Then, shyly yet hesitantly, he spoke.

His voice was uncertain at first as he wondered if he should say it. But once he did, his voice was confident and dignified.

The crown prince was hailed as the reincarnation of the first king.

If he were to write about him, only one title came to mind.

“I think I’ll call it The Second Era of the Unification of Ishtar.”

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