Chapter 111
Isaac Walker, who had been looking after Monica's house in Southerndoll, stopped writing and lit the candle in the candelabrum when he noticed that it had grown completely dark outside the window.
Then, while sipping his unfinished coffee, he reread the document he was working on.
What he was writing was a paper on a magical device that interfered with the flow of water. If successful, it would dramatically improve the performance of the Kingdom of Riddle's ships.
Although the western part of the Kingdom of Riddle faced the sea, the kingdom had fallen behind other countries in ship development.
That was because many of the waters around the Kingdom of Riddle had been designated as dragon-hazard areas due to aquatic dragons such as water dragons and blue dragons.
Aquatic dragons were more troublesome than flying dragons, in some ways. After all, attack magic had difficulty reaching underwater.
Their weakness was still the space between their brows, so there was a chance of victory if they came to the surface. But if they submerged themselves, it was necessary to stab them with a harpoon and haul them back up.
The Kingdom of Riddle had a mage who specialized in killing underwater enemies, the 〈Waterbite Mage〉.
The 〈Waterbite Mage〉 held the all-time record for aquatic dragons slain and had once been called the guardian deity of ships, but he was now elderly and had retired from active service many years ago.
(If I could incorporate both an underwater search spell for accurately attacking underwater enemies and a spell for controlling water currents into ships, the navy's strength would increase dramatically... But the problem is the cost.)
Magical research costs money—and this research would require a ship, to boot. It was not something one individual could afford.
More importantly, this research was nothing more than Isaac Walker's personal project. Therefore, he could not divert funds from his domain to pay for it.
Isaac could cover the costs with his personal fortune, but ideally, he wanted an investor.
Someone with ties to ships, at that.
(...Come to think of it, the Anderson Trading Company owns several ships for transporting goods. I hear the company president himself is an avid ship enthusiast.)
Clifford Anderson, Lana Collet's secretary, was the son of the president of the Anderson Trading Company, which dominated the country's transportation and shipping industries.
Above all, the Anderson Trading Company had built a fortune by using ice magic to transport fresh food.
In other words, they were eager to put magic to use in business. If he negotiated well, they might be willing to invest.
(Once my research is a little further along, perhaps I should talk to that secretary-kun.)
Having finished reviewing the documents, Isaac checked the time on his pocket watch. It was a little early, but late enough for dinner.
He could make something simple and call Nero over, but today he was in the mood for a drink.
Having decided to go out for a casual drink, Isaac put on the glasses he had recently bought for disguise. There was probably no one in this town who knew the Second Prince's face, but it was better to be safe.
After putting on his jacket, he locked up the house and left alone without calling out to Nero.
He was secretly still nursing a grudge against Nero for calling him a homewrecker.
＊ ＊ ＊
If Isaac were eating with Monica, he would choose a nice, tidy restaurant, but if he was drinking alone, a casual diner was more than sufficient. Above all, that would reduce the chances of running into anyone from the upper classes.
With that in mind, Isaac entered a casual diner—and regretted it five seconds later.
"Whether our little sister should call us Big Bro or Big Brother. When my brother and I disagreed, my younger brother, a gifted writer, said this: 'Normally, she calls you Big Bro, but in public she calls you Big Brother. Then she accidentally mixes the two and blurts out Big Bro-ther in embarrassment. That's the optimal solution.' ...As expected of my little brother, a genius. What a brilliantly inspired idea!"
The one passionately holding forth with a mug of beer in one hand at the round table in the center of the restaurant was a large black-haired man named Antony.
This looked like something best avoided. But before Isaac could turn around, Antony began waving his thick arm vigorously at him.
"Oh, if it isn't Walker, the servant from Miss Monica's place!"
Isaac swallowed the many emotions welling up inside him and put on a grown-up smile.
"Good evening, Antony-san."
"Did you come out for a drink too? Well, sit down, sit down! Drinking is more fun when the company is lively! Wahaha!"
At the round table sat Antony, his younger brother Theodore, Mr. Pollock the embroidery artisan, Clifford, Lana's secretary, and one black-haired man Isaac did not recognize. They were all nursing drinks and picking at food.
He wanted to stay on good terms with Clifford regarding the investment.
Isaac said, "Excuse me," then took the seat between Antony and Clifford.
Mr. Pollock was clutching his mug and complaining about young people these days, while Theodore responded with gentle murmurs of agreement. Clifford was not drinking and was quietly focused on his meal.
The only black-haired man there whom Isaac did not know waved at him with one hand and winked as soon as Isaac sat down. "Hii~."
He looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had sweet features that were likely popular with women, and there was something oddly alluring about him.
"I'm Michelle. Are you a friend of Big Brother Antony's?"
"Isaac Walker. I'm an acquaintance of Antony-san's."
To Isaac, Antony was merely someone who had made snacks for him during an all-night work session at the Collet Trading Company and whose invitation to drink together Isaac had politely declined.
However, Antony pushed a plate of snacks toward Isaac as if they were longtime friends. That was simply the sort of person he was.
"Walker, this fried fish is pretty good. My recommended way to eat it is to douse it in vinegar until it's dripping..."
"I'll have some."
With a wry smile, Isaac picked up one of the fried pieces and ordered a drink and something to eat.
The waitress in the low-cut uniform was giving Isaac a heated look. He casually let it wash over him and turned his attention to Antony and Michelle.
Since Michelle called Antony Big Brother Antony, they were probably brothers.
Michelle did not look much like Antony, but he and Theodore bore a fair resemblance to each other, so Isaac could accept that they were brothers when told as much.
"I heard Antony-san and Theodore-san were traveling. Are you traveling too, Michelle-san?"
"That's right. I came later and joined up with Big Brother Antony."
Michelle dragged a chair over beside Isaac, crossed his legs, sat down, and began chattering away.
"I'll probably be staying in Southerndoll for a while, so let's get along. If you know of any places with cute girls, I'd love it if you could tell me about them."
Smiling brightly and amiably, Michelle tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. He was a man whose every little gesture was strangely seductive. More than anything, he was good at closing the distance between himself and other people. Even now, Michelle winked at a waitress passing nearby and showered her with charm.
Then, all of a sudden, Michelle spun around to face Isaac and spoke to him with easy familiarity.
"Isaac-kun... Hmm, what should I call you? Zack-kun? Ike-kun?"
"People close to me call me Ike."
"That's a nice name. Its origin is... Ah, that's right. 'Laughs often.'"
For an instant, Isaac's heart jolted because he remembered the time, when he was little, that his mother had told him the meaning of his name.
──May your future be filled with endless smiles.
Isaac had unconsciously avoided remembering his mother's words because he knew that he had become adept at little more than putting on fake smiles.
Pretending to adjust the frame of his glasses, Isaac hid his expression behind his hand.
"You're very knowledgeable, Michelle-san."
"See~? Knowing lots of trivia makes girls like you, doesn't it? Ike-kun, you're really popular, right? You're handsome, too~"
"Unfortunately, I'm in love with someone who doesn't even notice me."
He had said it jokingly, but his chest began to ache as though someone had gouged a festering wound.
Isaac was secretly surprised by how deeply the words had wounded him.
Apparently, Nero's comment about him being a homewrecker was still affecting him.
(Maybe I should stop cooking until Monica comes home.)
While contemplating a small act of revenge against Nero, his food and drink arrived.
There were stewed meatballs and vegetables, thinly sliced bread, and beer.
Isaac took a small sip of the stew's broth. The meat fat had melted into the vegetables, which had been simmered until tender, and it was delicious. The slightly firm meatballs contained chopped herbs, giving them a pleasant, refreshing flavor.
As Isaac quietly ate his stew, Michelle leaned closer and asked in a low voice:
"A one-sided love where they don't even notice you... Sounds like there's a story behind it~?"
When Isaac answered vaguely, "Who knows?" Michelle narrowed his eyes and grinned. It was the laugh of an older man who had found someone to tease.
"It seems Ike-kun isn't getting enough alcohol. Here, here, drink up. Big Brother's buying."
When Michelle pushed a glass toward Isaac, Antony, who had been gulping down his beer, nodded emphatically.
"Indeed, Walker! You look like a man who has lost his way! At times like this, the answer is alcohol! Alcohol! Cut through your confusion with alcohol!"
With that, Antony tilted his mug again.
Theodore, who had been listening to old Mr. Pollock's complaints, gently cut in.
"Cut through your confusion? Big Brother, you only got lost on your way home the other day because you drank too much."
"Theodore. Even if you lose your way home, so long as you don't lose your way in life, that's enough."
If only cutting through this pain were that easy.
...Nevertheless, it was true that Isaac was in the mood to escape into the haze of alcohol for a little while.
That was why he had come to a place where he could drink.
(I had really wanted to drink quietly by myself, though...)
Choking back a wry laugh, Isaac tilted his glass.
Apparently, it was going to be a long night.