Chapter 6
“So, miss, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Oh, it was unusually quiet out on the snowfields today, so I wandered around gathering things like crystals and ended up staying out late~”
At my words, the people around us began to murmur.
“The snowfields? You went alone to a place so dangerous even the guards rarely go there?”
“Uh... yeah, I guess? It was quiet today, not a single ant in sight.”
At my words, the adventurers’ murmuring grew a little louder.
“Wait a second. If the snowfields are quiet, doesn’t that mean a Monster Wave might be about to hit?”
“Come on, it’s only been two weeks since the last Wave. Could another one already be coming?”
“You’re making a fuss over nothing, pal~ Do you think those monsters multiply without end? They need time to build up their forces and get ready too~”
Of course, everyone was just offering their own theories about why the snowfields were quiet. It didn’t cause much of a stir; it simply gave them something to talk about.
“Ahaha... Still, better safe than sorry, so everyone be careful~”
It wasn’t as though some powerful being had appeared in the snowfields and made the monsters instinctively hide, nor had there been any sign of such a powerful being on the move.
If there had been, I would’ve been the first to notice, so it was pointless to even consider.
And even if there was a second Monster Wave, my mind was still sound for now, so I wasn’t about to go and wipe out the places where humans lived or anything.
“Well, true~ I hope nothing happens, just like you said, miss. Besides, the lord of the North is still alive and well~”
“That’s true. The territory’s fairly well-governed, and how many places offer a decent living to adventurers like us~”
The Kalinix Grand Ducal House of the North seemed to be quite well regarded. It was a prestigious family, but it also took good care of its citizens.
Especially when I remembered hearing how people in some marquisates and frontier regions openly complained about their lords.
“By the way, do you have a calendar?”
Slurp—
I looked at the fish fillet and stew that had been carefully set down in front of me, asked my question, then took a spoonful of stew.
The rich aroma of beef blended with the distinctive sweetness of tomatoes, making for a wonderful flavor.
The chunks in the stew were quite large too—several pieces of meat, along with potatoes and even onions.
I wasn’t too fond of carrots, but in a time like this, I was grateful they’d served such a generous portion, so I didn’t voice any complaints.
A bowl of stew cost just 10 silver, and with this much meat in it, it was quite a bargain.
“A calendar? What do you need one for~ It’s been exactly two weeks since the new year began. Weren’t you here for the New Year Festival two weeks ago?”
“Come to think of it, everyone comes out for the New Year Festival, but I don’t remember seeing anyone like you there.”
I gave an awkward smile at the people looking at me in confusion.
That was because two weeks ago, I was still seeing this world in the form of a game. I quickly racked my brain, trying to think of a good excuse.
“Uh... w-well, I was busy with something else for a while, so I didn’t even know the New Year Festival was happening...?”
“I don’t know what kind of work you do, miss, but there are people who hole up like that from time to time~”
“Yeah~ That happens. It’s January 15, 1417 by the Imperial Calendar. But is the date important?”
“Oh, it’s just... there’s something I have to do at the right time~”
I smoothed things over with a smile, then bit into the fried fish fillet... what you’d call a fish cutlet.
“Mmm...!”
The coating was just the right thickness, crispy without being greasy, and I really liked its savory flavor.
“You don’t look it, miss, but you sure know how to enjoy your food~”
“...Huh?”
I must have made a sound without realizing it because the food was so delicious. Hearing them say that made me feel strangely embarrassed.
“A-ah, ahem... Well, it’s delicious, isn’t it...?”
Of course, compared to modern food, someone might wonder how delicious it could possibly be. But having tried both, I could honestly say it was even better than I’d expected.
If I’d had the luxury, I’d have been content to live peacefully in this world, just coming here for my meals.
Anyway, 1417 meant... about nine years before the start of the Guardian Knight of White Snow arc.
In other words, this was about two years before Aiden Kalinix entered the academy, when he was around ten years old.
If I stayed here, then I might get to see Aiden as a child—a side of him the game had never shown.
Aiden as a child...
I couldn’t imagine what he’d be like, which only made me more curious and eager to see him in person.
“Since you’re asking about the date, miss, are you interested in the position as tutor to the young lord of the Kalinix Grand Ducal House?”
“...A tutor’s position? No, I’ve never heard of that... They’re looking for a tutor? And at the Grand Ducal House...?”
At my question, the man who’d asked me seemed even more puzzled and asked me in turn.
“You said you had something important to do at a certain time, and I thought this was just the sort of job someone like you would be suited for. Guess I was wrong~”
“Hmm... I’m interested now. Could you tell me more about it?”
Even if I couldn’t become a tutor, I wanted to see Aiden as a child at least once, so my interest was piqued.
Well, there was no harm in trying, and more than anything, this was a chance to get acquainted with Aiden ahead of time.
Naturally, I’d approach him while thoroughly hiding the truth—that I was Mircania, the North’s Guardian Dragon—but the pretext of being his tutor would make it easy to explain.
It would obviously be startling if someone who was supposed to be his tutor suddenly announced they were a dragon.
“I hear the young lord of the Grand Ducal House is a bit of a handful in various ways. It’s not that he causes a lot of trouble, but he’s so lively that he gives the Grand Duke a bit of a headache~”
“Ahaha... Well, that’s normal, isn’t it? He’s not that old yet, after all.”
“You don’t look very old yourself, miss, but you talk like you’re quite a bit older~”
I just gave an awkward laugh and nodded at the man’s remark.
“How old do I look?”
“Let’s see, you look like you’ve just turned twenty or so. Wouldn’t you say?”
“Ahaha...”
The person inside was around twenty-three, and the body I was in was a dragon’s, one that had lived for at least two hundred years. There was no way I could tell him any of that, so I just laughed quietly and let it pass.
“Haha, see? I got it exactly right~”
I could just laugh it off, and the conversation would naturally move on.
Before I knew it, I’d finished my bowl of stew, popped the last piece of fish fillet into my mouth, then speared some deboned oven-roasted chicken and ate that too.
The gentle charcoal aroma went wonderfully with the crispy skin. I wanted to order a beer right then and there, but...
I was about to enjoy a hot spring bath, so I held back the urge to drink, just in case.
Fortunately, the dragon’s body wasn’t all that different from a human’s, and I was able to restrain the impulse easily.
“Hmm... So, are there any particular requirements the Grand Ducal House has for people who want to become tutors?”
“Requirements? Well, some of them are listed in the notice. Let’s see... It says men and women can apply, but it doesn’t seem like a position a man would apply for.”
“Ah... And?”
“Hmm? What else... The Grand Ducal House provides room and board, and all you need to teach is etiquette, basic manners, and simple lessons. Interested?”
“...Since I’m a wom— Ah, no, never mind. I was mistaken. If that’s all, I’m a little interested.”
Come to think of it, I was a woman now, so I met those requirements. And since women usually served as tutors, it wouldn’t seem strange either.
“The interview’s in five days, so get ready~ I’ll be rooting for you~”
“Ahaha... Thank you. Well, I should be going.”
I’d finished eating and heard everything worth hearing.
I’d also managed to gain quite a bit, so I felt it had been a pretty worthwhile evening.
Clatter—
And just as I was about to leave, I stopped and turned toward the guards who had entered the guild tavern.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one caught off guard by their arrival. Everyone stopped moving and talking and began looking at the guards.
“Has the young lord been here by any chance?”
“The young lord?”
“Guards, is something the matter~?”
When one of the receptionists asked with a smile, the leader of the guards spoke quietly.
“The young lord slipped out of the castle, leaving behind only a note saying he was going for a walk at night, so we’ve come out to look for him.”
“Hmm... He hasn’t come here yet. If we happen to spot him, we’ll report it to the guards right away~”
“There’s no way the young lord would come here~ This place is full of bearded old men~”
“Ahaha...?”
As I let out an awkward laugh, one of the guards began walking toward me.
“Excuse me... Have you seen the young lord? He has silver hair and green eyes, with well-defined features.”
“...Hmm... I don’t think I’ve seen anyone with green eyes.”
Thinking that “well-defined features” was a pretty hopeless description, I shook my head.
Unfortunately, of everyone here, I was probably the one who most wanted to meet Aiden.
“I see. He doesn’t seem to be here, so let’s check somewhere else.”
I watched the guards leave after that, then quietly left the tavern myself.
Since I was just about to enjoy a hot spring bath, I should go do what I’d been looking forward to.