Chapter 39
“The Academy's Top Intellect’s letter writing!”
Pastel grabbed a piece of stationery and scribbled with a quill.
Scratch, Scratch, Scratch.
“Aha!”
“To my Best Friend, Melissa Camelot.”
It has been a while since I last shared news. A long time has passed since we were last able To Converse. I am glad to be able to deliver this good news to you, who must have been lonely in my absence.
In order to deepen our Friendship during the vacation, I plan to visit the Camelot Territory and Mansion. I am already filled with excitement at how wonderful it will be to spend time together and Build memories. I am sure you feel the same.
Of course, I want to be as considerate as possible so as not to disrupt your busy schedule. Please let me know a convenient date, and I will visit accordingly.
Wishing health to you and your Family, and eagerly looking forward to the day we meet soon.
Your true friend, Pastel Lovecraft.”
The quill was set down.
Pastel narrowed her eyes and reviewed the contents of the letter with a cool head. Then, she marveled to herself.
“Perfect!”
The very picture of a Noble Young Lady.
Maybe I’m a natural-Born Noble?
“Perfect! Perfect!”
Pastel hugged the letter and went with twirling.
A flawless letter.
“Melissa will be so moved by reading this letter that she’ll Open Up the Apple Farm without needing any explanation!”
After that, secretly Looting the slush fund to use as Trading Group Funds would be Perfect.
“Hand it over.”
The Demon held out his hand.
“Hehehe!”
Pastel became triumphant.
“Even if you evaluate my work with your gloomy Mindset, Lord Demon, the truth won’t Change!”
She held the letter up high.
“A million-point letter!”
Ah, yes.
“Indeed.”
The Demon snatched the raised letter away.
“Aah!”
My flawless letter.
“Hmm. It’s wrong from the first sentence. Since when were you and this kid best friends?”
“Since the first time we met! The moment we first met, I did exactly this!”
Pastel put strength into her eyes.
“I radiated Friendship!”
My most potent Friendship!
“Like this, like this!”
Pastel scurried to the Opposite Side. Then she pretended to be Overwhelmed by the Force of Friendship.
“Melissa went, Oh! Pastel’s Friendship is too Amazing! I can’t keep my senses~! I have to become her friend right away!”
“Somehow that differs from my memory. Didn’t it start with Sparring, and then one side just unilaterally made an Escape?”
“Huh? That can’t be. To Think there’s an error between my memory and yours, Lord Demon, when we always go around together! Couldn’t it be that your memory is wrong, Lord Demon?”
As Pastel spoke, she Suddenly realized a massive fact. Her Eyes Widened.
“Don’t tell me, de, dementia…”
Gasp.
Oh dear.
Too realistic a word.
Insubordination that didn’t even evoke a Sense of immorality.
Pastel trembled with Guilt.
She trembled uncontrollably.
“I-it’s okay! It’s a natural phenomenon that comes with old age! I still like you, Lord Demon!”
The rolled-up letter tapped the girl’s head.
Ouch.
“Don’t just delude yourself.”
Euing.
The Demon took out a new piece of stationery.
“I will revise it for you, so rewrite the whole thing.”
“How could you! It’s a flawless letter! The mention of being a best friend might be a tiny bit different from reality, but I wrote the rest properly!”
Just a really tiny bit different!
“I see. I will just write it myself.”
Ueng.
It seemed the Customs and culture of society couldn’t accept the unrestrained Pastel.
The Demon wrote a new letter.
The letter was sent with a swoosh via airmail for Delivery.
Pastel boarded an airship bound for the Camelot Territory.
“Let’s try To Arrive faster than the letter!”
“It goes without saying, but you must not arrive earlier than the letter.”
“Gasp, how remarkable!”
“What on Earth is Amazing about that?”
There was no direct airship from Sky Island to the Camelot Territory.
She took an airship bound for the Human Realm, transferred to an airship bound for an intermediate Transit Point, and then boarded an airship bound for Camelot.
Transferring flights 3 times?
Oh dear.
It was a schedule she didn’t even want to Imagine.
Yet, such was the schedule she was enduring.
She transferred airships 3 times, even receiving a Reply Letter along the way.
Pastel was exhausted by the Intense Navigation Schedule. She slumped powerlessly against the Airship Railing. Her Pink Hair fluttered like Laundry hung on a Railing.
Oh dear.
Pastel, whose stamina was drained…
Utterly drained Pastel…
The Demon let out a sigh and patted her back.
“You should have eaten in moderation. How could you eat a Whole Roasted Pig all by yourself?”
“Ugh, I could have eaten it all… If my stomach had been just a little stronger, I would have digested it all instead of getting an upset stomach.”
Wait, Oh my goodness?
Pastel wasn’t exhausted because of the Navigation Schedule, but from overeating!
She wasn’t utterly drained Pastel, but she was Frivolous Pastel!
Gasp, an Amazing Fact!
Pastel marveled to herself while slumped over the Railing.
Her Pink Eyes sparkled.
And then she slumped down again.
I ate too much…
Hehe.
The Demon patted her back.
“If you distract your thoughts, you will feel a bit better. Look over there. The Great Forest is visible.”
His finger pointed beyond.
A long City Wall stretched across the Ground. Outside the City Wall, an endlessly vast forest was revealed.
The forest was massive and dense. Trees that Easily surpassed the height of the City Wall filled the ecosystem as if it were perfectly normal.
“It is the Uncolonizable Region, the Great Forest, one of the remaining front lines for the Empire that conquered every Nation.”
“Oh!”
Pastel’s eyes sparkled.
“Give me the binoculars! Binoculars! Binoculars!”
After roughly shaking the Demon, she found the binoculars in her hands. She peered into the Great Forest through the binoculars.
“Oh! It’s a completely Dense Forest! The trees look Sturdy and the Thicket is Lush too! With that, a Pioneer’s task is impossible!”
It didn’t seem like a place where people could live.
“There is that, but other factors are bigger. Hmm, look over there.”
She turned the binoculars, following his finger.
Some red boars Popped out of the forest.
Oink, oink.
“It is a Fire Boar.”
“Wow, the name is cute.”
It looks like it would make a fine roasted Feast.
“You may also call it a Red Boar.”
Suddenly not cute.
“I’ll call it a Fire Boar.”
Pastel observed the boar.
The Fire Boar came out of the forest, snooped around, and then charged toward the City Wall.
The soldiers on the City Wall became busy. Cannons were aimed and spewed fire. A shell flew and hit the boar. As the Magic Circle activated, an explosion occurred.
“The poor creature!”
It turned into a roasted Feast!
It’s now destined for the same fate as the roasted pig in Pastel’s stomach!
Oh dear.
The flames subsided. The boar was revealed, bleeding from its head but otherwise somewhat fine. The boar let out a Bizarre shriek and charged straight at the City Wall.
Eh.
The house-sized boar crashed into the City Wall. A deafening roar rang out. The noise faintly reached the airship in the sky.
Oh?
By any chance, are you as formidable as the Baeksa who lived in the Sewer…?
The cannons spewed fire in Succession. Explosions engulfed the boar and shook the atmosphere.
Thanks to the airship continuing its Navigation, she couldn’t see the scene after that.
“Camelot is a Family that has guarded the Southern Border For Generations. It constantly operates significant Troops and has outstanding military experience. Due to the nature of the Border Region, it does not have much interest in the Central Political Circles, but it is a place that is closely watched whenever there is a Struggle for Imperial Power.”
What kind of villain is our Family, seizing a farm from such a place and declaring devouring their apples?
Pastel’s hands trembled.
“A-are we going To Loot the Apple Farm of the Southern Commander?!”
And While Alive, are you bearing the grudge of having devoured the Apple Farm passed down For Generations, only To Return it just recently?
“Correct.”
Not denying it at all!
Oh dear.
The airship arrived at the Docking Bay. The Docking Bay was in a state controlled by soldiers. The atmosphere suggested that an esteemed guest was arriving.
Pastel got off the ship, Staggering. The soldiers carried out protocol in an orderly manner.
A noble woman wearing a Mage Robe approached. Retainers followed behind her.
Count Camelot smiled.
“Was your journey comfortable, Marquis?”
A completely Relaxed voice.
Pastel trembled like a rabbit in front of a wolf.
“C-comfortable.”
The Aspiring Grave Robber aimlessly avoided her Gaze.
She saw Melissa standing half-hidden behind the Count’s back. Unlike her usual guarded self, Melissa looked hesitant.
Melissa, Save Me.
We were on good terms, weren’t we?
For the sake of our memories together, say some good words to your mother.
#
The Apple Farm was disorderly. The apple trees, which had grown Here and There without regard for yield or marketability, seemed to display a disorder untouched by Human hands.
But because of that, this place felt like a forest covered in apple trees. It was a scent of nature that either didn’t suit, or perfectly suited, a Family that stood against the Great Forest.
In the midst of nature, a Wooden Table sat isolated. Various apple dishes were spread out on the table to welcome the guest.
Pastel’s cheeks flushed pink. She took a big Bite of the Apple Pie.
The crispy pie crunched. A savory butter scent burst forth. The sweet and refreshing apple came through as if wrapping up the greasiness.
Gasp.
Pastel was astonished.
A taste so Exquisite it made one covet the Farm Owner’s Land!
The behavior of the wicked Kraft seemed somewhat understandable for a moment.
“There’s no way we would still Hold a grudge over just one farm.”
The Count smiled gently.
“The reason the ownership of this farm was transferred back then was that His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who couldn’t stand to see us get involved in the Struggle for Imperial Power, mobilized Kraft to issue a warning.”
“So that was it!”
Pastel nodded vigorously with apple jam smeared on her cheek.
“Thank you for understanding! No wonder you looked so radiant the moment I first saw you, Count! I knew right away that you were someone with such a broad heart!”
She raised both hands in approval.
Yay-yay.
The Count smiled even more gently. Then she downed her Apple Wine. The Empty glass was placed on the table.
Pastel Flinched for a moment.
Ing.
Something like an adult’s smile? It was like a feeling that she was letting it Slide for now because I’m still a kid.
She chuckled, it must be my imagination~.
It’s no good to Doubt such a kind person.
The Count turned her head and looked at Melissa next to her. Melissa had been hesitating continuously since earlier.
The Count Thought for a Moment, then looked back at Pastel.
“You said you came to Build a Friendship with my daughter, right?”
“Of Course! Even though I’m unilaterally clinging to her, we’re best friends!”
A Declaration of Friendship in front of a parent.
A friend acknowledged by a parent.
Indeed.
“Coming over to play at a friend’s house is a given during vacation!”
The Aspiring Grave Robber spoke confidently. Then, without realizing it, she began To Scan the Apple Farm suspiciously before flinching.
Gasp.
My instincts betrayed me for a moment…!
I wasn’t thinking about anything…!