Chapter 114
It had been roughly three weeks since Einhart encountered the fire dragon.
The unit Einhart belonged to was not a unit specializing in dragon extermination, but even so, it had no shortage of duties: guarding important persons, directing evacuations, and so on.
One evening, after his hectic days had finally settled down, Einhart sneaked out of the temporary barracks. He wanted to unwind at a familiar establishment.
After looking around and making sure no one was nearby, Einhart set off, only to hear a voice from above.
"Excuse me, Lord Einhart Berger."
The voice was speaking the language of the Kingdom of Riddle.
Looking up, he saw the delinquent mage from the other day, his chestnut hair tied in a ponytail.
The delinquent mage swept his cloak around and descended silently to the ground.
Einhart made no attempt to hide his displeasure at running into someone unpleasant. Pouting his lower lip, he answered in the language of the Kingdom of Riddle.
"Why, if it isn't the delinquent mage from the other day. Have you come to pay for my sword?"
That sword was not one issued by the Knights' Order; it was one he had brought from home, and it had cost a fair bit.
But the delinquent mage merely snorted at Einhart's words.
"That's quite a way to speak to your lifesaver. Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves. I am Louis Miller of the Kingdom of Riddle's Magic Corps."
"Forget the introduction. My sword..."
"Actually, there is something I would like to ask of you, Lord Berger."
Apparently, he had no intention whatsoever of paying for the sword. And yet he had the nerve to ask a favor.
Einhart deliberately put on an imperious, malicious smile.
"Oh? You have a favor to ask of me?"
"Yes. I would like you to tell me about an establishment you frequent, Lord Berger."
"...Huh?"
Did he mean that he wanted Einhart to tell him about a good restaurant in the Empire?
As Einhart cocked his head, Louis spoke with a pleasant smile.
"You know of an establishment where, even if some rich kid cuts loose, slipping the staff some money will make the whole thing disappear—and where they know how to keep their mouths shut, don't you?"
"You just obliquely called me a rich-kid womanizer. You got that exactly right."
In fact, Einhart had been just about to go to such an establishment.
Einhart grunted thoughtfully and studied Louis. Judging from the way Louis spoke, it seemed that he wanted to entertain some important person incognito, but...
"Could it be Prince Lionel? I heard he was under disciplinary confinement...?"
The First Prince of the Kingdom of Riddle, Lionel Brem Eduart Riddle, had raced to aid Einhart and his comrades, dragging a cart behind him. But what he had done at the time had violated the Knights' Order's regulations.
Even if they belonged to the Knights' Order, royalty was still royalty. Lionel could not be allowed onto the dangerous front lines. That was why he had been ordered to remain in a safe location.
In the midst of all this, the platoon Einhart belonged to had found itself in danger.
Einhart had heard later that all the units skilled at fighting dragons had been deployed elsewhere, leaving only people inexperienced in dragon extermination available to respond.
Under those circumstances, the higher-ups in the Imperial Knights' Order, unwilling to directly confront a highly dangerous fire dragon, had not tried to help Einhart and his comrades at all.
The higher-ups bought time under the pretext of holding a meeting and waited for word that the platoon had been wiped out. There was no need to send reinforcements to a platoon that had already been annihilated.
Lionel was the one who could not stand by and watch it happen.
Believing that Einhart and the others were still alive, he had raced over with a cart to rescue the wounded.
Of course, Lionel had acted on his own. It was a violation of military regulations. That was why he was under disciplinary confinement.
To Einhart, Lionel was a benefactor (though he did not want to consider the delinquent mage standing before him a benefactor).
Einhart would not have minded taking his benefactor Lionel to his favorite establishment, but...
"I can't imagine that the obviously serious Prince Lionel would cut loose while under disciplinary confinement."
As Einhart furrowed his brow and grunted, Louis shrugged and grinned, flashing a pointed canine.
Then, with an expression utterly at odds with his refined appearance, he said:
"I'm the one who feels like taking my friend out and helping him cut loose."
"What's that supposed to mean? That's perfect. Hey, let me get in on it."
Einhart had called the man before him a delinquent mage, but there was nothing unusual about that.
He was quite the delinquent knight himself.
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Thus, the delinquent mage Louis Miller more or less dragged the confined Prince Lionel out with him, and the three of them headed for an establishment Einhart frequented.
As Louis had requested, the establishment Einhart frequented had discreet staff, private rooms, and excellent food and drink. It was the perfect place.
Even so, Louis looked more horrified than Lionel, who had been dragged there against his will.
Louis sat down on the bench in the private room, then glared at Einhart when the serving girl went out to fetch drinks.
"...Lord Berger."
"Yeah? What is it? Found a girl you like?"
"Who told you to bring us to a brothel?"
As Louis enunciated each word, Einhart tossed a grape from the tray into his mouth and cocked his head.
"What else would cutting loose mean?"
"If I may ask, how old are you?"
"Sixteen."
Louis put a hand to his forehead as though he had just become dizzy.
From what Einhart had heard, Lionel was nineteen. Louis was probably around the same age.
"You're older than I am, so don't make such a fuss over a brothel. What, is this your first time in a place like this?"
When Einhart grinned maliciously, Lionel, who had been sitting with his head bowed in dejection the entire time, spoke as though defending Louis.
"Lord Berger, Louis already has a woman he has given his heart to. Don't tease him."
"That's all the more reason to tease him. Hey, Miller, are you a breast man or an ass man? I'm a legs man."
Einhart asked this with a solemn expression, and Louis groaned, wrinkling the bridge of his nose.
"How can you speak so vulgarly in front of royalty from another country?"
"If you want to liven up a drinking party quickly, dirty talk is the way to go. Or are you going to perform some sort of trick and get the party going?"
At Einhart's words, Louis put on an affectedly refined smile and clenched and unclenched his right hand.
The leather glove squeaked as he flexed his hand, and his knuckles gave a series of sharp pops.
"Actually, I can crush an apple with one hand."
"That's not a very mage-like talent. Nice. That ought to liven things up at a party."
"There are no apples here, so may I borrow Lord Berger's head?"
Einhart rang the bell on the table furiously and shouted, "Apples! Bring me some apples! Right away!"
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Before Louis could turn Einhart's head into splinters, the serving girl brought them liquor and an assortment of fruit.
Normally, the serving girl would sit beside Einhart and pour his drinks, but when Einhart gave her a meaningful glance, she pursed her lips in slight disappointment and quietly left the private room.
Louis narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Oh?"
"I see. This establishment is quite accommodating."
"Ring the bell, and she'll come running. If you want, you can even enjoy yourself in another room."
But that surely was not what Louis wanted.
This obviously twisted man merely wanted to make his dejected friend drink and coax him into venting his frustrations.
Louis poured liquor into a glass and thrust it at Lionel. Lionel accepted the glass but did not drink from it, murmuring instead:
"...Louis, I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I simply felt like cutting loose."
Louis answered curtly and picked up an apple from the tray. He did not crush it; he merely gnawed at it noisily.
He was an irritatingly affected man, but his occasional rough gestures suited him strangely well.
(This is his real self.)
As Einhart was thinking this, Lionel bowed deeply to him.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this too, Lord Berger."
"No, I was planning to come to this place anyway. Besides..."
Einhart rose from his chair, knelt before Lionel, and performed a knight's salute.
"Even if your actions violated the Knights' Order's regulations, the fact remains that you are a benefactor to my platoon. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Prince Lionel."
"Raise your head, Lord Berger. I..."
Lionel's face twisted in anguish as he began to speak.
He furrowed his caterpillar-thick brows and ground his teeth.
"I am a fool who acted on emotion and disrupted the Knights' Order's discipline. Even though I knew that, as royalty, I would cause trouble for many people if I went to the front lines, I couldn't hold myself back... As a result, I put Louis in danger."
Apparently, Louis had heard about Lionel's unauthorized action and pursued him using flight magic. As a result, Louis overtook Lionel and reached the fire dragon first.
Louis stuck out his tongue, spat out an apple seed, and glanced sidelong at Lionel.
"I wanted to increase my tally of dragons slain single-handedly, so it was just what I was hoping for."
Those who slew dragons single-handedly received rewards, and, more than anything, it added prestige.
Still kneeling before Lionel, Einhart whistled impolitely.
"The Magic Corps pays pretty well, doesn't it? You're awfully greedy."
"I'm saving up to buy a house in the royal capital."
Louis shrugged lightly and poured liquor into his own glass until it sloshed over.
"Your Highness, I know all too well that you are poor at scheming and calculating gains and losses. Leave such underhanded matters to someone like me. It's a matter of putting the right person in the right place."
"But..."
"You should hold your head high and live in a way you won't be ashamed of."
"Even if the result is putting your friend in danger?!"
Einhart saw it.
At the word friend, Louis lifted the corner of his mouth, clearly pleased.
Louis narrowed his grayish-purple eyes, raised his slender chin, and smiled arrogantly.
"—Who do you think I am, Lionel?"
In an instant, Louis went from a rough tone and a wicked grin to an elegant smile.
"I'm one of the future Seven Sages, you know?"
Einhart could not help but burst out laughing.
"The Seven Sages! You sure think big!"
"You may start currying favor with one of the future Seven Sages now, Lord Berger."
"Future Sage of the Seven, pay for my sword."
"Dream on."
As Einhart and Louis traded barbs, Lionel ruffled his bangs and smiled with his red, swollen eyes.
"...Thank you, Louis."
"You're welcome."
Louis's profile as he answered curtly could not hide how pleased he was.