Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 269

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 269 – Preparation

With that, Ain left the room, deep in thought.

Lili followed behind him, already looking resigned.

“…Ain-sama…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Lili-san?”

“It’s not ‘what’s wrong’… I knew this would happen if I thought about it too much.”

She voiced her dissatisfaction, but her expression no longer seemed to indicate that she wanted to complain.

Ultimately, it was a feeling of resignation.

She couldn’t stop him, and even if she could, she doubted he would.

“So, you’re going to Ist, right? Who are you taking with you?”

Judging by the situation, she begged him to tell her that much at least.

“Rather, what are you going to do? I think it will cause a strong backlash if you push too hard…”

She asked him what he was going to do after he arrived in Ist.

“I’ve decided to go with the same people as last time. If Katima-san is present, that should be enough of an excuse, right?”

“Y-yes…? Katima-sama…?”

“I’ll ask Majolica-san to write a letter of introduction for us as well. With Ist’s Great Magic’s prestige, it should be easier to talk to them.”

He wasn’t keen on it, but he decided to rely on their power and influence.

This was exactly the same as the previous investigation of Ist, but this time, Ain’s will was being respected.

This also affected Katima, who had initially said she would stay for about a week.

No one asked her how long she would be staying, but he knew it would be pointless to ask.

Still, he decided to ask for a little cooperation.

“Also, Katima-san’s official reason for coming is to investigate the research institute in Strohm. I think it’s perfect, don’t you?”

“Ah… so you mean she’s coming as a researcher?”

“That’s the starting point. If we come across anything suspicious, I’d like you to take a look at it. That would be ideal.”

“I can’t agree to that. I’m afraid it’s too much to ask.”

She tried to stop him as best she could.

She gave him a cold look and put a little pressure on him.

For a normal person, the coldness would send a chill up their spine. But…

“Ahaha… I can’t agree either.”

Ain accepted it with a wry smile, breaking the tension.

“We learned last year that sometimes you have to be forceful.”

“…Yes, that’s true, but the situation is different.”

“No, situations never change. It’s meaningless to wait until something happens.”

Then, for the first time in a while, Ain turned around.

Lili was surprised by his sudden stop and took a step back.

“Besides, waiting around isn’t my style. If someone gets hurt, I don’t think I could forgive myself.”

“Yes, we feel the same way.”

“That’s why I’m going to use my power. I’m going to use all of my power to hunt them down thoroughly.”

Ain’s expression changed, and before she knew it, Lili sensed strength in his eyes.

It was a vague strength, but it was similar to the calamity that set him apart from ordinary people.

“I don’t mean to say that it’s the responsibility of those who have power, but as a member of the royal family, I have a responsibility.”

“B-but what if it really is white?!”

She was scared.

Faced with the power he had shown her, she felt unable to fight back and faltered.

“I want to avoid making the situation worse by acting rashly. That’s why I’m taking Katima-san with me.”

That was Ain’s own quick thinking.

However, he couldn’t ignore the efforts that Lili and the others had made to reach this point.

“Besides, it’s true that we found that suspicious thing, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Those words were light.

When he said them, though, Lili’s expression softened, perhaps because they reassured her.

“You’ve become quite eloquent since becoming the Demon King.”

“Well, I guess I’ve grown up a little.”

What should he say to Sylvird? What would Krone say?

Deep down, Ain still couldn’t let go of the problem, but he couldn’t deny that he couldn’t stop himself.

He started walking again and headed for Krone’s office.

He had parted ways with Lili here and came here to consult with Krone.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Were there a lot of problems? No, not really.

To be precise, it’s because the woman handling the problems was extremely competent.

She demonstrated her abilities in every detail, from negotiations and coordination with other departments to scheduling adjustments.

Yes, Krone was an incredibly capable woman.

As the assistant to the crown prince—who was regarded as a hero—and the granddaughter of the head of the largest trading company, she lived up to her titles in every way.

Needless to say, the result was exasperation.

However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that she understood Ain better than anyone else.

While listening to the conversation, she opened her notebook, casually retrieved documents from her desk, and began adjusting schedules and formulating responses for Sylvird and the others.

What is the purpose? What does she intend to do?

After discussing several matters with Ain, she turned to him with a wry smile and affectionate expression.

“I can’t help but sigh repeatedly. But if I like you even though you’re like that, does that make me just as guilty?”

In other words, unlike Lili earlier, she didn’t try to stop Ain; instead, she asked him about his cooperative attitude.

“…I’m always sorry for causing you so much trouble, you know?”

“It’s okay. Any trouble that comes from Ain is worth it because I love you so much.”

Falling in love naturally, she prepared several letters.

Some were for herself, and others were for Sylvird and Warren.

“To tell you the truth, I’m not worried about Ain’s safety.”

“W-what? Are you giving up on me?”

“Fufu… No, that’s not it. I believe that Ain will be fine no matter what happens.”

With that, Krone approached the sofa where Ain was sitting.

She sat down in front of him and drank the tea at the table.

“Is it because I’ll be lonely? I’m jealous of Katima-sama and Chris-san because they’re going with you.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go after all?”

“Now you’re making me want to stop you from going!”

Despite their words, there wasn’t much loneliness between them.

When they were young, after parting ways at Grand Duke August’s mansion, they only exchanged one letter for a while.

Besides that, they visited each other several times while on business trips investigating the red fox.

They both felt that this was inevitable.

“Let’s take our time and enjoy each other’s company again once you’re finished with work.”

“Of course, I’ll do my best for that.”

This was all true, and they smiled at each other.

“Don’t cause trouble for Chris-san, okay? If you do anything reckless, make sure to tell Chris-san, okay?”

“…Wait, is it already decided that I’ll do something reckless?”

“If you weren’t the type to do something reckless, you wouldn’t bring this up out of the blue, right?”

That was a reasonable argument.

Unable to say a word, Ain nodded obediently.

“Chris-san was looking forward to going shopping with you. If you have time, please go with her.”

Was this Krone’s way of showing concern?

Knowing Chris’s feelings, Krone quietly conveyed them to Ain.

“It depends on Katima-san, doesn’t it?”

He said this to mean that he didn’t want her to sway him.

“I think she’ll probably find a book at Ist and lock herself in her room.”

“Ah, I can see that happening.”

He smiled wryly, easily imagining the scene.

After that, Krone stood up from the sofa and sat down next to Ain, pressing her body close to his, as if to make up for the two weeks they wouldn’t see each other.

“Hmm.”

She looked up at Ain and stuck out her lips slightly.

That single “hmm” was her way of asking for a kiss, of expressing her desire to be pampered by him.

After repeating it several times, they spent their time together meaningfully.

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