Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 293

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 293 – Tigre’s Arrival

Today marked the third day since Ain had returned home. Krone stretched out on her bed, took off her negligee, and started to change.

Barefoot, she opened the curtains and sensed the changing seasons in the dim outdoors.

Krone was a woman who made sure to get her proper sleep.

Though work sometimes drove her to pull consecutive all-nighters, today was not one of those days.

However, she woke up about half an hour earlier than usual today.

There was a reason she woke up half an hour earlier than usual. The declaration she made to a woman named Chris was the primary reason.

It was time for her to get ready; she needed time to be “Ain’s number one.”

It was not that she usually skimped on this. Quite the opposite—she took her daily hair and skin care routines very seriously. Still, Krone put in extra effort, revealing her desire to be seen as cuter than usual.

The sensation of the comb in her hand felt somehow sensitive. Unsatisfied with the way her hair was flowing, she found herself spending more time than planned.

“…Yes. Is this… good?”

While tidying up, she placed her hands on her hips.

As the word “shallow” flashed through her mind, Krone fastened her skirt about 1 cm shorter than usual. If this could capture his gaze, though, she didn’t actually feel negative about it inside.

Thinking of Chris, who had acknowledged and declared her feelings for him, she decided it was probably fine.

Even though she wasn’t competing with Chris for Ain’s attention, her desire to be Ain’s number one and her possessiveness remained unchanged, just as she’d said.

“Well, then. I should be going soon.”

Rising from the dressing table, she left the room and headed for the office. Today, it wasn’t Krone’s personal office but the larger one that she shared with Ain, the lord.

Though he was her beloved, Ain was also her superior. She didn’t feel right arriving at the office after him.

As she thought this, the prospect of seeing Ain first thing in the morning naturally made her cheeks relax.

Work or not, being together was what mattered most.

Let’s work hard today, too. With this thought, she set off for the office with a light step, almost as if she might start dancing.

“…Ain?”

“Oh, Krone? You’re early.”

Ain, who was already in the office, smiled at Krone, who looked taken aback.

“You’re the one who’s early. Seriously, getting up before your subordinate? What’s that about?”

“No, no, no. It’s not just today. I had some backlogged work, so I just got up early today.”

When Krone glanced at Ain’s desk, she saw that the stack of papers had decreased significantly.

Even though she had already checked, it was clear that Ain had been working diligently.

“I told you not to push yourself. You just got back.”

“Probably because if I don’t get a lot done now, next week will be rough. Don’t you think so?”

“Well, then. I’ll help you until it’s done, so you won’t need to worry.”

“I do count on you, but it’s better than letting things pile up pointlessly, right?”

“Ugh! You should have told me last night, then…”

If he had told her, they could have been together sooner.

As Krone pouted cutely, she lightly pressed her lips to Ain’s cheek before sitting down in the chair beside him.

“How much have you finished? I’ll help with the rest.”

“Ah, no. My part’s already done. The papers stacked over here are the ones that arrived first thing this morning from Warren-san.”

“Y-you were already done? And those are from Warren-sama?”

As Krone marveled at Ain’s speed, he handed her a single sheet of paper.

“The security plan. It details Tigre’s route after he arrives in Magna and the escort arrangements along the way.”

“You’ve already read the whole thing?”

“Yeah, it was a flawless plan, just as you’d expect from Warren-san. He even thoughtfully added the expected economic impact of the festival and the necessary expense ratio.”

Crown gazed at the numbers on the paper and groaned at the calculations.

With a look of admiration, she smiled at the meticulous documentation.

“As expected of Warren-sama. To be shown so clearly that I still can’t catch up to him…”

“We’d better be careful not to get tricked.”

“Fufu… You shouldn’t say things like that, you know?”

They bantered playfully, reminding her of the Warren who had once cheerfully declared, “Foxes are masters of deception.” Lately, knights had spotted him with the old woman, Beria, and word had quietly reached Ain’s ears.

“Ah, I have a suggestion regarding the festival. Is that all right?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I need to select the lodging for Tigre. Would Duke Fols’s mansion, where Leonard and Batz are staying now, be acceptable?”

“That’s fine. Since he has to spend two nights in town, it would be quite convenient for him to stay there.”

“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind when I reply.”

With a swift stroke of his quill, Ain wrote his reply to Warren.

“Also, I’m heading to the guild today. I need to discuss the Ist Trading Company and the Baron Alberro matter.”

“…May I come with you?”

At Krone’s unusual suggestion, Ain paused his work and looked into her eyes.

“Um… Krone at the guild?”

Was that a problem?”

“It’s not a problem, but it’s the guild. You know? There are lots of adventurers there. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Krone sighed at his offbeat response.

After that, she stood up and boldly sat on Ain’s lap.

“When we split up to investigate Balt, I went to the guild, too, you know?”

“Now that you mention it, yes, but there’s no need to go out of your way—”

“Then it’s settled. I’m going too.”

She seemed more proactive than usual, though Ain wasn’t being negative.

He simply meant that it wasn’t important enough for Krone to go. However, saying that would imply that the Crown Prince didn’t need to go either. As usual, Ain settled this with one typical remark.

“Also, who should we have as escorts?”

“Since the guild made that proposal the other day, how about we change things up today?”

She asked cheerfully, turning her body toward Ain, who was sitting on the couch.

“The proposal from the other day—the one about letting the Ist Trading Company join the festival?”

“Yes, that’s right. I don’t think they’re hiding anything, but for future reference, I’d like to make a small show of force.”

“…So you want to project an intimidating presence. I see.”

Even if the guild hadn’t known, they would have found out that the trading company they backed was connected to Baron Alberro’s family.

Given the scale of the matter, settling it with a simple handshake deal was out of the question. Krone’s proposal wasn’t bad at all.

“So, I guess we’re bringing Marco along?”

“No, not really. Warren-sama also mentioned that we should all go together sometimes—”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Needless to say, the procession looked as if they were heading off to war.

The gloomy, overcast weather made them stand out even more on daytime Strohm Boulevard.

A dozen or so Royal Knights walked ahead of and behind the group. In the center, knights clad in jet-black armor escorted Ain and Krone.

As the group advanced, radiating an utterly bizarre and overwhelming aura, Chris opened her mouth with a wry smile and said,

“Um… is this really okay?”

The Royal Knights marched ahead and behind them.

In the center, alongside them, marched the elite beyond the Royal Knights: the Black Knights and the armored knight Marco. Furthermore, standing beside Chris was the Captain of the Royal Knights and the hero who slew the Sea Dragon and ended the Heim War—the Crown Prince.

If someone claimed that this group had conquered Euro or Rockdam, the current king, Sylvird, would believe it without question.

Therefore, it was only natural for Chris to be bewildered. It was no wonder she was worried they might have gone too far.

“It’s fine, you know? Actually, I’m a bit angry, so I wanted to do something like this.”

“Even if you smile adorably… Huh? Why is Krone-san angry?”

“Regardless of the circumstances, it was a situation where we could have inadvertently invited enemy forces. Fortunately, thanks to the incident with Viscount Sage, Ain was on guard, so everything turned out fine. However, we couldn’t have known what might have happened.”

Hence the show of force.

Naturally, deep down, there was hope of squeezing out some other information. The Guildmaster should be rich in experience and information. Because of that, this advance was meaningful.

It was, in essence, an advance.

Given this situation, it was only natural that Marco was visibly pleased near his lord, Ain.

“Ain-sama. In my current state, I feel I could strike a blow that reaches the heavens.”

“Ah… well… if you do that, everyone will get scared, so please refrain?”

“Understood. Then, when the opportunity arises, please give the command.”

Ain thought. It was rare for Marco to be this excited. In fact, it was clear that his mood had escalated to the point that his usual self seemed to have collapsed.

From that moment on, the sight of the rough-and-tumble adventurers grimacing upon arriving at the guild left a deep impression. With the guildmaster’s involvement ruled out—and it was almost certain there never would be any—it ultimately ended as a show of force for the future.

And so, the days leading up to the festival passed in a flurry.

Sometimes he was swamped with official duties; other times, he was negotiating with the August Trading Company. The short week passed in a fulfilling blur without any major incidents.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The festival’s purpose was simple and clear.

On the surface, it was for Tigre, the sole survivor of the Heim royal family and head of the Heim Autonomous Region, to present a historical treasure to King Sylvird.

However, only a handful of people in Ishtalika knew the true purpose, which was to “expose” something.

Was it worth the trouble of holding a festival? While some people did question this, the recent end of the Heim War likely played a part, and the question didn’t quite reach the level of causing unease among the populace.

“Handle it with care. If you break it, our heads won’t be enough to pay for it!”

One of the knights guarding Tigre remarked.

The festival schedule had already began, and they had just arrived in Strohm, where Ain was lord. They arrived in the evening. Tigre would spend the night in Strohm and tour the city with Ain on official business the next day.

“Leave the luggage with the August Trading Company. From now on, they will be responsible for all transport to the capital! Everyone, carry out your guard duties as scheduled! Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

At that command, the nobles dispersed.

Tigre, who had been seated, took a breath and addressed the nearby knight.

“What’s the situation in Strohm? Give me an update, even if it’s just for the duration of this festival.”

“Yes, sir. There are no particular issues to report. I hear His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is performing his official duties throughout the city again today. The captain of the royal knights and the black knights are accompanying him, and he is working separately from his assistant.”

“I see. That’s the best news.”

After that, Tigre would board his carriage and head to Duke Fols’s mansion to conclude his duties.

However, he asked his escort knights for a moment.

“Graff…no, I hear Graff-dono is also in this building. I’d like to pay him a brief visit.”

“…Duke Heim. I’m afraid our words alone won’t suffice.”

“Hmph… Ah, I knew it. I just thought I’d ask.”

The knight recalled Tigre’s past connection to the Grand Duke Augusto family.

Even though he changed his name to August, he couldn’t erase the past.

Of course. Tigre let out a mocking smile and loosened the collar of his formal attire with a finger.

“I’ll just borrow a restroom. I’ll be back soon; then, we’ll head to Duke Fols’s mansion.”

“Please wait. I’ll send an escort.”

“For heaven’s sake, don’t be ridiculous. The August Trading Company building is the second most heavily guarded place after His Highness Ain’s mansion, isn’t it? Let me go to the restroom alone.”

“…Understood. We’ll wait for you here.”

“Ah, I’ll be back shortly.”

With that, Tigre exited the room.

Though it was a merchant house, the fact that its head was a member of the Grand Ducal House of Augusto meant that the interior retained the atmosphere of the now-defunct Grand Ducal Residence of Augusto.

In other words, calling it a noble residence was no exaggeration. Its comfort was exceptional, and it was easy to spend time there.

Even as he headed toward the guest restroom, Tigre couldn’t help but notice the men in robes moving about.

The few days leading up to their arrival in Strohm were uneventful. He wondered if it was better for things to end like this or if it would be preferable for some minor disturbance to occur, allowing them to capture the target.

Naturally, he hoped for the latter. Yet, after hearing the report from Ist the other day, he couldn’t honestly believe any action would materialize.

“…I look tired. Well, I suppose this much is to be expected.”

Although he didn’t say it aloud, the thought of conversing with a friend tonight made some of his fatigue fade away.

After finishing his business, he glanced in the mirror and smacked his cheek to psych himself up.

“Just a few more days. I really ought to buy Helion a souvenir to bring back. What should I get?”

Jewelry would be nice.

Though she was an orphan, she got along well as Tigre’s personal attendant. Yet her background made her notably reserved.

He wished she would indulge in luxury occasionally. Since she never did, forcing it on her was probably the best option.

True to his word, he left the restroom and started walking back to his room.

The hallway was empty; it was a busy day, and most people were out.

But…

Tigre encountered an unwanted reunion right at the bend in the hallway.

“Kuh… Sorry, I was spacing out.”

He nearly collided with a woman at the turn and apologized for being lost in thoughts of Helion.

Normally, that would have ended the matter—he should have quickly reunited with the knight and headed for Duke Fols’s mansion—but…

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m—”

His eyes met hers as they nearly collided. In that instant,

Tigre’s jaw twitched. He couldn’t even force a smile at this unwanted reunion.

“Long time no see.”

“Y-yes… It’s been a while…”

It had been a long time since he’d been this flustered.

In fact, he used to be the one who took an aggressive stance. Why was he so timid now? He felt like asking God for the truth.

Noticing Tigre’s state, she sighed softly and said,

“Do you mistake people for monsters or something? That’s the expression you’re wearing.”

“N-no! I’m just flustered from seeing you after so long!”

“…Understood. I’ll take your word for it.”

Tigre has no lingering feelings. In fact, having them would be disloyal to Helion.

The confusion that lay within his heart and boiled down to not knowing what kind of face to show her. But the encounter had already happened, and it was too late. Tigre gradually resigned himself to it.

“Krone… dono.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Now that I think about it, there’s something I should have told you.”

First, he wanted to apologize for causing her trouble.

He never imagined they’d have a one-on-one conversation like this, but he steeled himself and spoke to Krone, who was standing before him.

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