Chapter 79
＊ Eva Slyries ＊
Entering the Holy King's Palace for the first time, Eva was overwhelmed by the atmosphere, which was clearly different from that of the First Holy District. There were as few buildings as possible, with lush greenery growing thickly between each one. She even felt as though she had wandered into a forest.
There were little streams fed by springs here and there, and she crossed them over impressively sturdy stone bridges.
The waiting room for the twelve-year-old children receiving Talent Gems today was a gazebo beyond the trees.
"Miss Eva!"
It was Louis who noticed Eva when she arrived with a priest employed at the Holy King's Palace. His clothes were similar to Eva's, but the fabric was a brighter yellow, and a treasured sword hung at his waist. Boys were permitted to bring treasured swords, and apparently the swords were also used in religious rites.
Though it was called a gazebo, it was fairly spacious, with several benches where groups of boys and girls who seemed to know one another were chatting.
"Good morning, Louis-sama."
"Good morning. —Um, well, you look good in anything."
"Thank you very much."
Eva bowed elegantly.
Louis, whose attitude had been exceedingly rude when they first met, had become curt but reasonably polite by their second meeting.
"That bracelet...? As an ornament, it's a little crude-looking."
Of the bracelet's five green gems, two had turned blue. It still had enough capacity to absorb three more.
"I was granted special permission to wear it. By the way, where are the others—"
"Why don't we talk for a bit?"
Etan and Charlotte had already arrived, but they were speaking with the Holy Prince Kurvshrat. Since Kurvshrat was also receiving a Talent Gem today, he must have been in the same waiting room.
A large number of children had gathered around Kurvshrat besides Etan and Charlotte. Apparently noticing that Eva had entered, he opened his mouth and said, "Ah," but when Louis led her toward a corner of the gazebo, he closed it again, as though he had something to say.
"—Louis-sama, I should go and greet Kurvshrat-sama..."
"That can wait."
His tone was unusually forceful—reminding Eva of how pushy he had been when they first met—so she reluctantly obeyed and sat down beside Louis.
(If Reiji were here, he would surely have stepped in between us.)
Unfortunately, he wasn't there, and Eva wasn't feeling particularly well herself.
"Miss Eva, I've begun sword training under Captain Arthur of the Holy King's Knights. I'm going to become strong. I'll take it seriously—and besides, Arthur himself is going to teach me."
"...I see."
"Nobles need an education, but they also need martial strength. If a noble can't wield a sword himself, strong warriors won't follow him. In fact, His Majesty the Holy King is apparently a master of the spear."
That was something Arthur had told him, so it did not have much impact on Eva. To begin with, she herself did not think the head of a noble household had to be strong, and Count Slyries, her father, could hardly be described as especially strong either.
Even so, it was difficult to argue when he brought up the Holy King, so she remained silent.
"I will become strong. So you need to work harder at your studies."
"...Yes, I am working hard at that, though."
"Then I can make up for the martial strength you lack."
"?"
Eva tilted her head in confusion, and with good reason: Louis was simply rambling on about a theory that he had worked out entirely in his own head.
Even though Eva clearly wasn't following the conversation at all, Louis thought,
(Eva looks beautiful when she tilts her head, too...)
That was what he was thinking.
"Hmm? ...Miss Eva, you don't look well."
Only then did Louis seem to have the presence of mind to worry about Eva's complexion.
"...I'm not feeling very well."
"That's not good. Here, let me..."
Louis removed the treasured sword hanging from the leather cord at his waist and offered it to Eva, scabbard and all.
"You should hold this. It has a great deal of weapon magic on it, but I also seem not to get as tired when I carry it."
"But something this important—"
"I-it's all right if you hold it."
The treasured sword, which he had practically forced into her hands, seemed to gently warm both of Eva's hands—hands that had been chilled to the bone. It certainly felt pleasant.
It was surely worth a great deal. Honestly, Eva felt uneasy being made to hold something like this, but—
(It's warm, and I'm getting sleepy...)
Eva was sitting in a chair by the wall, her back against it, and sleepiness overtook her. Mira happened to come over and speak to Louis just then, so no one paid Eva any attention.
"...Eva-sama?"
"Shh, she doesn't seem to be feeling well. Let her rest for a little while."
By the time they noticed, Eva was dozing, and the two of them left her undisturbed. Louis and Mira were both kind at heart.
Jingle... jingle...
After a while, as the sound of a small bell drew closer, the boys and girls in the gazebo began to grow restless.
"—A rabbit."
"—It really is a rabbit."
"—Hey, that's High Priest El-sama."
Though he looked like a rabbit, El came walking toward them wearing a sky-blue—holy-water-blue—cloak and leading a large number of priests.
"Er, everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting. We will now escort you to the ceremony venue, but we ask that you remove all your footwear here, er, please."
El himself, who had told them to take off their shoes, was of course barefoot—and, being a rabbit to begin with, had no shoes to take off—while all the priests accompanying him were barefoot as well.
The noble children looked reluctant, but when Kurvshrat took off his shoes first, they began removing theirs one after another.
"Er, please place this crown on your head. It is made from blue holly leaves to ward off evil."
The sky-blue leaves looked much like El's cloak. None of the noble children present, apart from the halfling Etan, knew that leaves of such a color existed in nature. Crowns woven from their stems were placed on their heads.
"—Eva-sama, let's go! It's time to get up."
Eva opened her eyes with a start to find Mira smiling cheerfully at her.
"Ah... I..."
"It seems we have to take off our shoes. I've already taken mine off."
"I see—"
Prompted by Mira, Eva removed her shoes and set her slender feet on the ground, where a cool sensation traveled through them. From ahead came the lively voices of the boys and girls who had begun walking through the forest, crying things like "Eek!" and "Ouch!"
"Are you all right, Miss Eva?"
"Yes. I feel much better than before—Here, I'll return this."
Eva returned the treasured sword to Louis. True to her word, she set off with a steady stride.
"I see, then that's good—but don't leave me behind!?"
Louis chased after Mira and Eva, who had already gone ahead, but—
——Crack.
At that moment, he noticed a small sound coming from ahead.
It was the sound of something hard cracking.
"...Was that just my imagination?"
Louis knew nothing of any of the weapon enchantments placed on the treasured sword—
Among them was an enchantment called "Magic Power Recovery."
At the spot where Louis had been standing, a fragment of blue gem lay on the ground.