Chapter 82
“Miss Lunaris, I have a question about the theory of natural mana you personally authored this time, but..."
“Miss Lunaris, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you come work as a tutor for our family? Even during the vacation... no, even a one-day tutor would be fine!”
“So, which school's elder seat are you planning to take? Even if the Hallucination School is the Tower Lord's school, your roots are in the School of Nature...”
The eve party was, quite literally, the worst.
The moment Tower Lord Eleanor and Dean Raymond stepped away to meet with other acquaintances, a crowd of people surrounded me.
The voices and chatter coming from all around were loud.
Pretentious laughter and sinister whispers clung stickily to my ears.
Ah... my eardrums feel like they're going to melt...
On top of that, the pungent scent of perfume stabbed at my nose.
Leering gazes were shot at me from everywhere.
Ah, seriously. This is exactly why I didn't want to come to the imperial palace.
I gave a halfhearted nod and squeezed my way through the crowd.
If they hadn't moved, I was planning to force a path open with telekinesis magic, but thankfully(?) that never happened.
In a corner of the terrace, behind a large pillar.
This was the best place to hide, at least.
'I want to go home.'
I miss my soft bed.
I miss my favorite pillow.
I keep thinking about the weight of my blanket pressing down on me.
The air conditioner blasting cool air must be crying its heart out and waiting for me right now.
“Huh? Luna!”
Then, a familiar voice slipped through the gaps in the noise.
When I turned my head, fresh green hair swayed before my eyes.
My stiff shoulders slowly relaxed at the soothing sight.
“Hi, Claire.”
Before I knew it, the corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
She was the most welcome face among everyone I'd met since coming to the imperial palace.
“What are you doing here?”
“Why else would I be here? I came to attend the investiture ceremony, of course. Anyway, congratulations, Archmage! You really made it big, huh?”
Claire said, lightly tapping my shoulder.
It was no different from congratulating someone for being top of the whole grade.
Unlike the other nobles, who made me uncomfortable by piling on all kinds of flowery praise, this was a huge relief.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Hey! But isn't that way too much? You said you'd come visit our territory during vacation.”
“Uh... did I?”
There was no way I would have said I was going.
“You said you'd think about it!”
Ah, I see.
“I said I'd think about it, not that I'd go.”
“Wow... seriously too much, seriously. If it were me, I'd at least go once and pretend I couldn't refuse.”
“That's... because it was a hassle...”
Claire puffed out her cheeks and grumbled.
“And! You didn't even send me a single letter!”
“You didn't exactly send me any letters either.”
“I did send them?!”
“...Huh?”
“Ever since I got back to the territory, I've written at least once every three days, without fail!”
For a moment, I thought back on my vacation life.
Still, I'd spent quite a lot of time inside the academy.
When I was inside... I slept, researched, slept again, sparred...
Huh? Was I actually living such a diligent life that I couldn't even get letters?
Where did my lazy life go?
“You probably won't believe me if I say this, but I was busy one way or another.”
So many things really happened... It's exhausting, seriously...
“Yeah, yeah. You're an Archmage, so you must have been really busy. I'll let it slide this once...”
“Ahem! Claire, I know you're having fun catching up after so long, but could you introduce your friend to us now?”
At that moment, a deep, rough voice suddenly cut in from behind Claire.
When I turned my head, my vision was completely filled.
A bear-sized build, sun-darkened bronze skin, and thick, rough knuckles.
He kept fussing with his collar as if it bothered him, looking like a farmer who'd hurriedly thrown on a suit after working the fields.
The only person among the slick, oily nobles who smelled of earth.
For some reason, he gave off a warm, comforting feeling, and I relaxed.
“Oh right, let me introduce you! This is my dad!”
Claire said, crossing her arms.
“Dad, this is Lunaris Evermoon.”
“I've heard a lot about you from my daughter. I'm Baron Loren.”
Baron Loren bowed awkwardly but politely.
It was a clumsy greeting, but its sincerity shone through.
“I'm Claire's friend, Lunaris Evermoon.”
So I returned the greeting in kind.
Not as some Archmage, but as Claire's friend.
“I heard you made our hopeless daughter one of the top scholarship students in the department. I don't know how we can ever repay this kindness...”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
Claire jumped and shouted.
“Dad! Luna only ever teased me! The reason my grades turned out so well was because I worked myself to the bone until I was practically getting nosebleeds, okay?!”
“Now, now. I know full well what my little girl's magic skills are like, so don't even.”
The baron clicked his tongue.
“Don't you remember how our territory nearly buckled just paying your tuition and entrance fee, when you were barely scraping by in the middle ranks of the Department of Magic?”
“Th-that was all ages ago...”
“I was so ashamed and grateful to our territory's people that I couldn't even hold my head up. They even voluntarily pooled money, saying we had to turn our hopeless young lady into a proper person somehow, and raised your entrance fee...”
“Ugh, seriously! That's why I got a full scholarship this time!”
“And who do you think you got that full scholarship thanks to? Unless it was because the genius Archmage spoon-fed everything to you, does that even make sense?”
“Aagh! I'm telling you it's true! Are you looking down on me, Dad?!”
Claire stomping her feet in indignation made me laugh despite myself.
This was exactly why I couldn't stop teasing Claire.
“That's right. Claire really worked hard. I just watched from the sidelines while she solved the problems.”
“Oh dear... You didn't have to say that, and you're humble on top of it...”
Baron Loren scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then smacked Claire on the back with a hand as big as a pot lid.
“Aagh! Why'd you hit me?!”
“Take a cue from your friend, you brat. Even if your magic skill is one thing, you can at least learn that kind of humility and character.”
“Ugh, seriously! What do you know, Dad!”
Claire pouted in indignation.
“Do you know there isn't a single kid with worse character than her? I'm solving problems and she keeps badgering me from the side! I'm staying up all night and she's snoring away by herself! And then she gets perfect scores on every test, that annoying... aagh!”
“Hey! Is that any way to talk to your friend!”
In the end, a second affection-filled back smack landed on Claire.
“Well, that was embarrassing. She's still immature, you see...”
Baron Loren put on a stern expression, then looked back at me with a friendly smile.
I could see why Claire was so bright and carefree. Growing up under a father like this, it was only natural.
“By the way, it feels a little rude coming empty-handed. I actually wanted to bring a bouquet or something, but this girl made such a fuss about it that I figured there was no need.”
“It's fine. I wouldn't have anywhere to put it anyway.”
Yep. That was Claire all right. She knew me too well.
“Please do come visit our territory sometime. There isn't much to see, but our cheese is incredible.”
Baron Loren fussed over me, saying he'd give me a grand welcome befitting an Archmage if I came.
“Forget the Archmage part; a welcome as Claire's friend is enough for me.”
At my words, Baron Loren let out a hearty laugh.
“Then we'll have to welcome you even more grandly.”
The baron said, resting a hand on Claire's shoulder while she was still pouting.
“Claire is my most precious treasure. So if you're a precious friend of that treasure, then you're an honored guest to me as well.”
*
“There you are, Lunaris.”
The moment Claire and Baron Loren left, someone suddenly popped out from behind the pillar and blocked my path.
The timing was razor-sharp, as if they'd been waiting for me to be alone.
“You really dressed up beautifully today. I almost didn't recognize you. Was that the head maid's handiwork?”
A rather plain dress.
Instead, her red hair was styled with plenty of effort.
It was none other than Senior Miriel.
“Yes, well. I guess so.”
A curt voice slipped out before I knew it.
The whole day had been exhausting, and being stopped right when I was about to go rest left me in a terrible mood.
“Then I'm tired, so I'll be going.”
“W-wait!”
Senior Miriel hurriedly blocked my path again.
I rubbed my tired eyes and swallowed a yawn.
“Do you need something? Were you here to introduce your father too?”
“Th-th-that...”
Now that I looked at her, today's Senior Miriel was completely different from the one I'd seen at Elterion Academy.
She was trying to look haughty with a hand on her waist, but her legs were trembling.
Even her lips were quivering, as if she were being chased by something.
Is she sick?
Or did something go wrong with the food she ate at the imperial palace?
“Not my father, but someone else I wanted to introduce you to...”
“...?”
“T-tomorrow!”
Senior Miriel swallowed hard and continued.
“After the investiture ceremony tomorrow, set aside a little time for me.”
“Why?”
“I-is the reason important?!”
Senior Miriel suddenly raised her voice, then flinched and darted her head around.
Then she lowered her voice.
“If I tell you to keep it free, then keep it free. Why do you have so much to say?”
“I don't want to. I'm going straight back to the dormitory to sleep.”
“Uuugh...!!”
Before I knew it, Senior Miriel was glaring at me with a face on the verge of tears.
No, it was closer to a pleading look than a glare.
“P-please...”
“...?”
“Please! I'm begging you!”
“???”
...Wow.
I never expected words like 'please' or 'I'm begging you' to come out of that senior's mouth.
“It'll only take a moment! I'll come find you after the investiture ceremony, so don't go anywhere! Got it?!”
Senior Miriel blurted out what she wanted to say and spun around without even hearing my answer.
Her back as she fled into the crowd, dress hem fluttering behind her, looked like she'd committed some huge blunder.
I stood there in a daze, mulling over our conversation from just now.
What on earth was that? I thought she was trying to pick a fight with me, but,
More than that, the fact that she didn't seem like the Senior Miriel I knew from the original story made me even more uneasy.
Surely something hadn't warped again...?
...No idea.
Anyway, I guess I'll find out tomorrow.