Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 290

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 290 – It’s Been a While? Time Spent at the Mansion

After the meal, Chris handed Krone a new report. And regarding the party held at Count Raizer’s mansion, she said that she had attended as a partner, not a bodyguard.

However, she decided to leave out the part about being stuck there due to an accident, considering Krone’s presence last night.

She added the reason why things had happened at the party and sounded terribly apologetic.

“If it was Sylvia-sama’s earnest request, then I believe that was the right decision. Besides—”

Krone saw no issue with it since several people had long been concerned about the relationship between Ain and Chris.

The trigger had been the day Ain returned to the castle from Balt.

Though the details varied, the fact that Ain demanded Chris as a reward never changed.

Simply the existence of this fact meant responsibility could be placed squarely on Ain, according to Krone.

Ultimately, Chris faced no censure whatsoever, and Krone was tasked with reporting the matter to Warren.

The first morning after their return to Strohm dawned.

“That’s splendid. The Commander must have been terribly frustrated, I imagine.”

“For Cain-san’s sake, I think I’ll keep that part under wraps.”

After a light morning workout with Marco, Ain recounted the events at the Demon Lord’s castle.

His breath turned white in the cold, but the chill after training was surprisingly pleasant.

“It stings that I couldn’t win with my sword, though.”

“Still, there’s the difference in experience, as well as the difference in primary battlefields.”

Marco spoke to Ain, who was trying to grasp the meaning.

“As I’ve mentioned before, one shouldn’t fight a sea dragon underwater. In other words, Ain-sama needn’t fight to match the commander’s style. So, please don’t dwell on it…”

(I knew it, but being told that my method of defeating the Sea Dragon was foolish leaves me speechless.)

Ain waved his hand dismissively, stood up, and brushed off the gravel stuck on him while he was resting on the ground.

He placed his training sword in a nearby rack and turned back.

“It’s about time for the Black Knight’s training, right?”

“Yes, I had them train harder than usual while Ain-sama was away.”

“Haha, I’m always grateful. You’re a great help.”

“Such kind words.”

For someone who was protected to get up earlier than their protector and train was considered strange by ordinary nobles and the upper class.

Marco had once felt the same way, but he adjusted to Ain’s schedule and let him do as he wished. Seeing his lord train relentlessly without rest immediately upon returning home stirred even deeper respect and loyalty within Marco.

“Well, then. I’ll freshen up before heading to the office. If anything comes up—Whoa, Marco.”

Marco stopped abruptly, picked up the sword resting beside Ain’s cloak, and spoke.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about this for a while…”

“…Yes, what is it?”

“The inscription on this sword—would you mind if I decided it?”

“You want to name this sword… for me?”

“I’ve been putting it off, but I figured it’s about time I settled on one.”

Then, Marco’s body collapsed.

He slumped limply to the ground and knelt hurriedly with an uneasy demeanor.

“I am granted new pride in myself. Ah, what a blessed knight I am!”

“Ah, um, no need to exaggerate. It’s just a sword, you know?”

“It’s quite something. Regardless of what others may think, to me, Marco, this sword is a divine spear. Even if the blade were forged from crude black iron, this feeling would remain unchanged.”

Was he truly worthy of such devotion? Faced with such absolute loyalty, Ain felt both gratitude and a touch of bewilderment.

Still, perhaps because he had recently become aware of his growing sense of responsibility, he was motivated to work even harder.

“Then, if you don’t mind, may I suggest a name for this sword?

“Huh? You came up with that pretty quickly.”

“Indeed. For the sword wielded by Ain-sama—no, by you—there is only one truly fitting name.”

Ain curled the corners of his lips upward and moved closer to Marco, who was kneeling beside him. He drew the sword, raised it toward the sky to catch the morning sun, and held it so that Marco could see it.

“May I hear it? The name of this sword?”

“Yes, Ain-sama’s sword is named—”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After bathing, Ain headed to his office.

He had anticipated it, but seeing the mountain of paperwork made his cheeks twitch—a reaction that could almost be called physiological. Truthfully, however, it was mostly things that Krone hadn’t gotten around to doing, so the actual workload wasn’t that heavy at all.

“I thought about using Weakening to fake illness before, but I never ended up using it. Not that I ever intended to.”

“What are you saying first thing in the morning? You must be tired from the long journey, so you really shouldn’t push yourself today. Even Krone-sama said so, didn’t she?”

Faced with Dill’s slightly exasperated smile, Ain emphasized that it was a joke.

“But, hey, that skill was actually pretty good, right?”

“Weakening was useful, you say? To my knowledge, I don’t remember you using that power.”

“I never mentioned it, but I used it during the Heim War.”

What happened in the spirit world? He defeated a Demon Lord who resembled him.

Ain recounted all this with a casual demeanor.

“I would have preferred to be informed of such important matters beforehand.”

“Well, things got hectic immediately after I returned. Even after I woke up, I was busy. I guess I just never had the chance to tell you…”

Ain nodded obediently when told to relay the information to His Majesty next time, then returned to work.

Only the documents confirmed by Krone were stacked. Ain stamped them while reading the final notes she had left.

“Ain-sama, I’ll put these in an envelope and send them to the capital.”

“Yes, please do.”

“…By the way, why is your sword on the desk today?”

Ain’s sword, which was usually propped against the wall, was lying flat on the desk today.

Curious, Dill asked for an explanation.

“Ah, I figured I’d have it work with me today. It is my partner, after all.”

“You say ‘today’… Did something happen?”

“Just a moment ago, Marco decided on a name for it.”

“I see. So that sword finally has a name, too.”

Dill’s eyes softened with nostalgia.

“By the way, what is it called?”

“Ishtar, he said.”

“The same name as the continent Ishtar?”

“I thought naming it that would probably get me in trouble, but Marco really pushed for it, so I ended up giving in.”

“I see. However, if it were the sword wielded by Ain-sama, I would agree with Marco-dono.”

There were doubts about the grandiose name and potential disrespect. Yet, when Dill agreed, Ain was taken aback.

“No, no, no… That would be different if the first king or someone like that wielded it…”

“To Marco-dono, Ain-sama must be a figure as great as His Majesty the First. Naturally, I feel the same.”

Dill finished speaking, smiling brightly and adding, “But I couldn’t say that outside…”

When told he was considered equal to his ideal, Ain turned away, hiding his embarrassment.

“Oh, right! What about Baron Albero’s case? That festival starts next week. Have you heard anything?”

“Ah, about that… My apologies for the delayed report. Baron Albero and his wife have disappeared.”

“…Huh?”

They fled, but they were moving faster than expected.

“Instead, there’s an heir, and we’ve secured his custody. He’s under house arrest at the Albero family mansion. We’ve dispatched numerous Royal and Black Knights, so he shouldn’t be able to escape now.”

“That’s good to hear. Well, not exactly good. But has anyone started gathering information yet?”

“Leonard-kun… No, Leonard-dono now. He’s scheduled to conduct the initial inquiries.”

Leonard was suddenly assigned to the case, which made him feel a heavy responsibility. In truth, however, he was held in high regard.

He was educated in the duke’s household from childhood and graduated second only to Ain from the academy, so it was only natural. In other words, his grades were practically identical to Dill’s when he graduated.

Ain and the others were almost fifteen now. They’re nearly the same age Dill was when he began investigating the Red Fox, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to be entrusted with responsible work.

“The next head of the house is apparently called Light. I hear he’s quite active and often shows his face at the guild.”

“…Sorry, could you repeat the name?”

“Yes, Light. I said Light. Is something wrong?”

Ain suddenly clutched his head.

So that was it. That unpleasant man who gave you the chills was going to be the next head of the family. Leonard is bound to have a hard time. He hoped Leonard’s questioning goes smoothly.

“I saw him with Chris before. At the Adventurers’ Guild. He was flashy and smooth-talking.”

If he had known this would happen, he would have researched the family structure of the lower nobility. Ain didn’t mean to be lazy. However, if these documents are useful, he could request them later.

“So, Light Albero is still listed as a key witness?”

“No, it’s slightly different.”

“…Different?”

Then, Dill handed Ain a single sheet of paper.

“The official name registered is Laila Albero. Apparently, cross-dressing is her hobby, and she goes by the name Light.”

“…Can I leave this matter to you? I’d like to work on something else.”

“Of course. Such minor details. Please leave them to us subordinates.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

He was tired. Exhaustion had built up.

It wasn’t the result of the long journey—it hit suddenly in the last few seconds.

One thing was certain: it was fortunate that Krone had already confirmed the work.

Despite almost collapsing from exhaustion, he managed to finish the work on time.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Hey, how’s Onee-chan doing?”

“She’s been fine. Cain-san too.”

“Hmm… That’s good.”

During the afternoon break, Ain responded to Arche’s casual question.

The two were sitting side by side on the mansion’s roof. While Ain was walking down the hallway, he caught Arche’s eye. She beckoned him over with a tap on the window, and he responded. Though the air was chilly, the warmth radiating from the roofing material made it surprisingly comfortable.

As he watched Arche wrap her arms around her knees and stare off blankly, an indescribable sense of peace washed over Ain.

“Also, what’s that thing down there doing?”

“Chris said she wanted to try fighting it, so I brought it out. What do you think?”

“Hmm… I think it’s a futile struggle.”

Looking diagonally down, they see a training ground. Several knights and a giant flower are on it.

Since his covert operation proved that they wouldn’t die, he allowed them to fight with swords.

“The petals are beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, beautiful. If you ignore the mouth, it’s stunning.”

The one facing off against Chris was the giant flower—no, the man-eater that almost got named Logas.

The fight was clearly going Chris’s way. She was, after all, a knight who stood at the pinnacle of this country. Even against Ain’s familiar, she had the upper hand.

There was just one problem, though.

“It’s futile, utterly futile. As long as your magic doesn’t run out, that flower won’t wither, right?”

“I suppose so. No matter how many times it’s cut down, it keeps reviving. Probably something like that.”

“To create such a creature and have it attack Chris-oneechan… The second Demon Lord is more demon-like than I am.”

“…How unkind.”

Meanwhile, Chris sliced the Man-Eater clean from its roots.

This time, victory was hers. As she watched the stem that wouldn’t regenerate, a smile slowly spread across her face.

“Ah… Chris-neechan, that’s…”

“No, you can’t,” Arche said regretfully.

“Wait… Whaaaat!? Wh-why… Where did…!?”

Chris’s panicked voice came immediately. Her mistake was letting her guard down, thinking she had defeated it. Thin vines of the Man Eater emerged from the ground and bound her entire body.

Soon, a small flower bloomed from one of the vines.

“Hehe… Ahahahaha…”

It laughed as if deliberately taunting her.

“Wh-what are you laughing at?! Haaah!”

“Ah, Chris-neechan. That was amazing.”

“Yeah… Slicing through from that position…”

The battle between one person and one vine would surely be futile once more.

“Let’s go-nya! Chris, cut again and send it back into Ain’s body-nya!”

Arche responded to Katima’s resounding voice.

“Which will come first? The flower growing tired or Chris running out of stamina? Let’s bet on it.”

“Then I’ll bet on getting bored.”

“Same here. Hah! I guess the bet’s off then.”

Then, a few minutes later:

Suddenly, a short vine and a tiny flower bloomed between Ain and Arche.

“…Haaaah…”

With a big sigh, the flower pressed its petals against Ain, almost as if begging for a reward.

It was starting to seem unexpectedly cute, almost like parental affection.

“Hey, what’s that fight over there?”

Chris was engaged in a futile battle, trying to cut through the vigorous vines.

“You… came to slack off?”

“…”

“—No, wait. That face… Are you tired?”

“M-my face…? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Ain understood vaguely, and the wry smile he gave Arche spoke volumes.

After watching the Man Eater not respond, he gave it the small magic stone he’d kept in his pocket.

After chewing it energetically, its green color changed to a brighter shade.

“You… you probably ran away because you were about to hit your limit, right?”

“…Ah, ah… Eheh… Heh… Ah!”

“H-hey! Don’t run away!”

The Man Eater darted away from the outstretched hand like a hare. Before long, it had bloomed into a flower right in front of Chris.

“Does it take after its owner?”

“No. That one has a worse temper than me.”

“…Well, I guess it’s good it’s lively. But even that kid has its limits, huh?”

Maybe the fatigue from the battle with Chris had finally caught up with him.

Today’s events made it clear that this was more than just a simple magic problem.

“Come to think of it, back in Heim Capital, when the Man-Eater bloomed, we defeated it pretty easily. The real hassle was its vitality. So it definitely has limits. I’m sure of it.”

“I think it’ll come back inside me.”

It could become either good or evil. Everything depended on Ain.

But that particular Man-Eater was so mischievous and stubborn that he couldn’t say anything.

In the end, Chris won the battle.

The utterly exhausted Man-Eater ended up lying on the ground, looking thoroughly displeased.

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