Chapter 134
Monica hadn't seen Claudia in quite some time.
The last time had been last summer, when Claudia came to Southdoll on her honeymoon with Neil.
Claudia, now Mrs. Maywood after marrying Neil, was as strikingly beautiful as ever.
Today she wore a loose spring dress and carried a large travel bag. Judging by its size, she was planning a long stay, not just a two- or three-day trip.
Isaac carried Claudia's bag inside as if it were only natural, then prepared drinks for them.
"Please."
As he spoke, Isaac served Monica hot coffee and Claudia fruit water.
Claudia kept her face turned toward her glass, moving only her eyes to look at Isaac.
"...You're as unsettlingly perceptive as ever."
"Would you care for a different drink, madam?"
Isaac returned Claudia's sidelong glare with the perfect smile of a servant.
Claudia said nothing and took a sip of her fruit water.
Monica also sipped her hot coffee and broached the subject.
"Um, it's been a while, Claudia-sama. Are you traveling alone today?"
"..."
Claudia disliked being asked things that anyone could figure out with a little thought.
So Monica privately braced herself for the likely reply, "...Can't you tell by looking?" But Claudia set down her glass and said something unexpected.
"...Ancient magical artifacts."
"Huh?"
Without moving a muscle, like a finely crafted doll, she shifted only her lapis-blue eyes to gauge Monica and Isaac's reactions.
Ancient magical artifacts. They were closely connected to the bodyguard assignment for Princess Cécilia that Monica had been working on until recently.
Ancient magical artifacts, created with the magical technology of the old era, possessed wills of their own, much like humans. Cécilia had been rejected by one of them and had suffered over it.
However, only a handful of people knew that Cécilia had been rejected by the ancient magical artifact known as the Mirror of Bern.
It was a secret that even Isaac, the Second Prince, was officially unaware of. There was no way Claudia could know about it.
(Lady Claudia, why are you suddenly bringing up ancient magical artifacts...?)
While Monica was secretly breaking into a cold sweat, Isaac, who had been preparing the sweets, spoke as if a thought had just occurred to him.
"Ah, could this have something to do with the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉? That was under the care of Marquis Hioone, wasn't it?"
"...The 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉?"
Monica tilted her head and repeated the phrase, and Isaac nodded as he laid plates of cake on the table. Whenever women like Lana or Claudia came to visit, he always remained standing and focused on serving them.
Isaac made sure Claudia wasn't denying it, then continued.
"The 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key Sophocles〉 is one of the ancient magical artifacts still in the Kingdom of Ridill. If I recall correctly, it's shaped like a ring. It's mainly used to create sealing barriers. It's the key to the Forbidden Books Chamber in the Ascald Library."
The name of the ancient magical artifact didn't ring a bell, but Monica was familiar with the Ascald Library.
It was the oldest grand library, dating back to the founding of the Kingdom of Ridill, and its underground Forbidden Books Chamber held all manner of books under seal, from books detailing so-called forbidden arts to those containing ancient-era monsters.
As one of the Seven Sages, Monica was among the few people permitted to enter the Forbidden Books Chamber, and she had in fact been there several times.
However, the entry procedures were extremely complicated and required going through several people. For someone as shy as Monica, it was quite a hurdle.
That was why she usually accompanied her fellow Sage Louis whenever he went there and had him handle all the paperwork for her.
In the words of Louis Miller:
"If I left things to my fellow Sage, we'd be crossing midnight before she got anything done."
She had no response to that.
(So the Marquis of Hioone was in charge of the Ascald Library's Forbidden Books Chamber... Then, in the future, it'll be Cyril-sama...)
"...You're one of the Seven Sages, and you don't know about the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉?"
At Claudia's mutter, Monica groaned, "Ugh," and let her gaze wander. It seemed Claudia had realized she'd been avoiding the procedures related to the Forbidden Books Chamber, and Monica felt guilty.
As if to cover for her, Isaac chimed in.
"Ancient magical artifacts are state secrets. Even the Seven Sages aren't given all the information. Among the other Sages, the 〈Star-Reading Witch〉, who comes from a prestigious family of mages, and the 〈Thorn Witch〉 and 〈Abyssal Curse Caster〉 probably know more."
"Um, Aike, you know a lot about them..."
Monica timidly looked up at Isaac, who replied with a wry smile.
"Because I'm royalty."
Of course. Having received a royal education, he would be expected to know about ancient magical artifacts, which were state secrets.
The treasury of Ridill Castle held two ancient magical artifacts as well.
The 〈Sunlight Holy Sword Atlas〉, wielded by the kingdom's founding king, and the 〈Gluttonous Zoe〉, which housed the power of the King of Dark Spirits.
Monica knew at least their names and legends.
Ancient magical artifacts were precious objects rarely made available to the public. Any mage would be interested in them—Monica was no exception. If she could see one in person, she wanted to.
It was just that she'd been a shut-in until recently and hadn't had the opportunity to encounter any ancient magical artifacts.
"Um, so... what does the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉 have to do with Claudia-sama being here?"
At Monica's question, Claudia let her head droop dramatically and sighed pointedly.
Her straight, silk-like black hair fell across half her pale cheek, deepening the gloom around her.
Prefacing her explanation with, "I don't know all the details, but..." Claudia began speaking in a weary voice.
"...Somebody somewhere made a blunder and upset the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉."
"Huh?"
"So I fled here before somebody somewhere came barging into the Maywood estate. Do you un-der-stand?"
Monica was just about to say, "I'm not sure I understand," when a loud pounding sounded from the front door.
Isaac stopped serving and looked at Claudia.
"Is that the 'somebody somewhere' you mean?"
"...Considering that man's catastrophically bad timing, it's entirely possible."
The knocking continued as Isaac and Claudia spoke.
Monica didn't really understand what the two of them meant, so she stood up to greet the visitor. Isaac stopped her with one hand.
"It's late. I'll get it."
Just then, the knocking stopped.
Monica panicked, thinking the visitor might have left, but then the window of the room began to bang loudly.
"Eek?!"
Monica shrieked in fear, and Isaac hurried to the window and pulled open the curtains.
Two faces were plastered against the window glass, with the darkness of night behind them.
One belonged to a woman with pale blond hair and cool eyes; the other, to a gentle-looking young man with whitish-silver hair.
They took turns speaking, their cheeks still pressed to the glass.
"Monica's here. I knew this was the right house."
"Mooonica. O-pen u-up."
"If you don't open it, I'll break this window."
"Pike, wouldn't Cyril get mad at you if you did that?"
"Then I won't."
Isaac gave Monica a troubled look and asked, "Are they acquaintances of yours?"
Monica nodded repeatedly, hurried to the window, and unlocked it.
The ones pressed against the window were Ture, the White Dragon, and Asher Pike, the Ice Spirit, both disguised as humans.
"Um, why are you two here...? Cyril-sama?!"
Looking more closely, she saw that Ture was carrying Cyril on his back, while Pike held what seemed to be Cyril's bag.
Cyril's eyes were tightly shut as if he were unconscious, and he was limp, his face drained of color. He looked terribly haggard.
"Cyril-sama?! What happened? Are you ill? W-we need to call a doctor...!"
"Cyril was sleep-deprived. He got out of the carriage, and while we were walking here, he ran out of energy and went plop."
Listening closely, Monica heard a steady, soft breathing sound.
Once Monica realized it wasn't an emergency, she breathed a sigh of relief, and Ture said with a cheerful smile,
"He had the look of death, but he's not dead. He's fine."
Monica thought that didn't exactly sound fine.
Just then, Cyril let out a small groan and opened his eyes.
"...Where... am I...?"
Cyril blinked slowly a few times, then saw Claudia in the room and let out an almost-scream.
"Claudia?! Why are you here?!"
'Oh, so this is Maywood Manor! I've missed you, Claudia!'
Someone's voice overlapped Cyril's. It was a resonant man's voice.
There were only Cyril, Ture, and Pike outside the window, so where had that voice come from?
As Monica looked around outside in confusion, Claudia spoke in a low, rumbling voice.
"...Well, good evening. My foolish older brother, who brought the very trouble I fled to Southdoll to avoid all the way to me."
＊ ＊ ＊
With the arrival of more guests, the room suddenly grew lively.
Monica, Isaac, Claudia, and Cyril sat around the table, while Ture and Pike lounged on the sofa in their human forms.
Ture and Pike wore the same 〈People of Haira〉 outfits they'd had on when Monica first met them. Ture's clothes were light, while Pike's were thick and came with a fur cloak. The complete mismatch in seasonal attire made them stand out.
But the truly bizarre thing here was the voice coming from Cyril's hand.
From beneath his right hand, covered in a black leather glove, a voice kept ringing out, overcome with emotion: 'Claudia! Claudia!'
Isaac looked at Cyril's right hand and spoke.
"Is what you have under that glove the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key Sophocles〉?"
"As expected of Your Highness. You already understand the situation."
Isaac gave a wry smile at Cyril, who still showed proper respect for "His Highness" even at a time like this.
"I don't know everything. Your sister only told me that you've gotten yourself into a serious mess involving the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key〉."
Isaac was implicitly asking him to explain what had happened, and Cyril's face twisted in anguish.
All the while, the 〈Knowledge Keeper's Key Sophocles〉 kept calling for Claudia.
'Claudia! Come now, show me that beautiful face of yours, Claudia!'
"Enough! Don't interrupt His Highness, you insolent thing!"
Cyril shouted at his own right hand, then took the thick cloth from his bag and wound it around his gloved hand again and again.
After confirming that the voice had become somewhat muffled, he bowed deeply to Isaac.
"I apologize for this disgraceful spectacle. Where should I begin...?"
"Let's see. Could you introduce those two first?"
As he spoke, Isaac looked at Ture and Pike, lounging on the sofa.
Ture was stretched out with his legs on the sofa, while Pike lay on his stomach atop him, lazily rolling about.
Seeing them lounging however they pleased in human form, Cyril shouted at them.
"Ture! Pike! Mind your manners!"
With Pike still lying on his stomach, Ture tilted his head in a mild, unhurried manner.
"Is that not allowed? Is it because we're in human form, Pike?"
"Then let's take our other forms."
The next moment, the two were enveloped in particles of light.
The particles of light shrank, then swept away like a gust of wind, revealing a white and a golden weasel beneath them.
Isaac and Claudia had probably already guessed that the two were not human. Though they seemed a little surprised, neither looked shocked.
...Up to this point.
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Ture, Cyril's contracted dragon, the White Dragon of Mount Karug."
"I'm Asher Pike, Cyril's contracted spirit, the Ice Spirit."
At the adorable weasels' introductions, Isaac and Claudia froze completely.
The White Dragon, a legendary being in its own right, and a high-ranking spirit whose name appeared in legends. It sounded like a joke.
But the one walking around with such unbelievable beings was the utterly serious Cyril Ashley, who had no sense of humor.
"Ah, um, this is..."
Cyril trailed off awkwardly and glanced at Monica. Monica, looking just as uncomfortable, shook her head.
Their silent exchange would have gone like this in words:
──Have you told them about Ture and Pike yet?
──No, not yet, Cyril-sama.
Monica was shy and found it difficult to communicate with other people, but she and Cyril had worked together as student council officers, so they could manage the trick of speaking with their eyes.
And whenever those two communicated with their eyes, the situation was almost always the same: they had to make an awkward report to "His Highness."
"Um, Your Highness, Claudia, there are circumstances..."
"Um, well... a lot of things happened...!"
Isaac and Claudia gave the terrible liars Cyril and Monica eerily similar smiles.
In other words, smiles that didn't reach their eyes.
"How lovely, dear brother... Are you planning to become a beast tamer?"
"So, what does my master know, and how much?"
When beautiful people smile without their eyes, it's extremely intimidating.
Cyril and Monica, flustered, began explaining what had happened at the end of winter.
Honestly, it felt less like telling a story and more like giving a confession.