Chapter 99
Ten days had passed since Monica returned from Yauschka to Sazandoll, and by the time the wound on her hand had mostly healed, Isaac and Nero returned with their arms full of souvenirs.
"Wow, that sparkly mansion was incredible. The beds were so soft, the baths were huge, and the food was delicious."
Nero, disguised as a young human man, set the bundles he had been carrying with a satisfied look on the table. They clinked and rattled; all of them were liquor bottles.
When Monica gave him a look that seemed to demand an explanation, Isaac, who was untying another bundle, said with a wry smile,
"Erin Territory makes it easy to obtain high-quality liquor from the Kingdom of Falfhoria. And I brought Monica some unusual dried fruit and nuts..."
As Isaac untied the bundle, his profile seemed somewhat more shadowed than usual—or perhaps that was just Monica's imagination.
Could he be tired from having just returned?
Monica had been planning to tell Isaac and Nero about the White Dragon incident on Mount Karug, which had involved Cyril and the Roseberg siblings, but for now, Isaac's condition concerned her more.
"Ike, Ike, um..."
"Hm?"
When Monica called out to him, Isaac stopped sorting the souvenirs and looked at her.
Isaac wore a calm, gentle smile.
It wasn't the way "Ike" smiled. It was the way "His Highness" smiled.
That smile made Monica's heart stir uneasily.
(Is Ike hiding something?)
If Isaac was suffering while carrying some burden all by himself, she wanted to help him.
To Monica, Isaac was an important disciple and friend.
Are you worried about something? Can I help?—just as Monica was about to say this, Nero, who had been lining up the liquor bottles, suddenly raised his head.
"Hey, Monica, this is bad! He's here—the guy's coming!"
"...Who?"
When Monica looked at Nero, he shouted with a tense expression,
"It's Runtatta! Runrun Runtatta is headed this way!"
Monica went pale at Nero's words.
Seeing her reaction, Isaac tilted his head in confusion.
"A guest with a cheerful name, huh?"
"N-no, um, Runtatta-san—no, I mean, Louis-san is... He's the 〈Barrier Mage〉! Ike, hide! Nero, you too! Hurry!"
Having the Second Prince and Wogan's Black Dragon staying here would be more than just a problem if anyone found out.
And the person in question was that perceptive Louis. Monica had no confidence that she could deceive him.
Pushed along by Monica, Isaac and Nero retreated into the kitchen. Almost simultaneously, the sound of someone knocking on the front door echoed through the house.
Trembling nervously, Monica gingerly opened the door.
Standing outside, just as Nero had said, was a man with chestnut hair in a braid—〈Barrier Mage〉 Louis Miller.
Louis often brought his contracted spirit, Lin, along when traveling long distances, but today he appeared to be alone.
He was wearing ordinary street clothes, not the robe of a member of the Seven Sages.
Generally speaking, the Louis Miller Monica knew usually wore a confident smile on his face.
Today, however, he had an inexplicably sullen expression. He almost looked sulky.
"Good day, fellow Sage."
"H-hello... Um, what brings you here today...?"
When Monica ushered Louis inside, he glanced at the rows of liquor bottles on the table and frowned.
"What are those bottles?"
"Wha—?! Um, this is... a souvenir! Yes, a souvenir. My friends gave me a lot of them... you see..."
"Oh? All that for you alone?"
"Y-yes, that's right. They gave me so much... Um, if you'd like, please take one..."
When Monica held out a bottle to Louis, a loud clatter came from the kitchen.
Nero had tried to shout, "My booze!" but Isaac had clapped a hand over his mouth to stop him.
"Fellow Sage, did I just hear a noise from the kitchen?"
"A c-cat! My familiar!"
Soaked in cold sweat from head to toe, Monica handed the bottle to Louis.
Louis frowned slightly as he glanced back and forth between Monica and the door leading to the kitchen, then accepted the bottle.
"I'll accept it gratefully. Oh, isn't this wine from Falfhoria? Quite a fine one."
The clattering and crashing from the kitchen continued.
It sounded as though Nero's voice—"My boo-oze!"—might come echoing out at any moment.
Monica had better finish the matter quickly and get him to leave.
Avoiding eye contact with Louis, Monica began to broach the subject in a low murmur.
"S-so, what brings you here today...?"
If Louis had come, there was no doubt it was to discuss Seven Sages business.
Monica recalled how Louis had dragged her around in the past, from hunting black dragons to guarding the Second Prince, and began to feel anxious. Louis fixed her with a piercing stare from his gray-violet eyes.
"Fellow Sage, are you acquainted with the Empire's Black Lion Emperor?"
"...Huh?"
That unexpected question brought Monica's thoughts to a halt for several seconds.
When Monica heard the title Black Lion Emperor of the Schvargalt Empire, what came to mind was the image of the emperor falling from a tree, paralyzed and supported by his subordinates, along with his bizarre remark: 'If you suspect hidden weapons, I will speak with you in the nude. I am quite confident in my naked body, after all.'
Why was the name of that emperor so confident in his naked body coming from Louis's mouth?
Whatever the reason, Monica couldn't tell Louis about that incident. The 〈Silent Witch〉 and the Black Lion Emperor had never met officially.
"I'm not acquainted with him."
"...Then why on earth did the Black Lion Emperor single you out?"
"Single me out?"
Monica had a terrible feeling about this. Her terrible premonitions of this sort had a tendency to come true.
Louis rested his chin on his interlaced fingers and spoke in a low voice tinged with displeasure and gloom.
"Princess Tsetsilia, the younger sister of the Black Lion Emperor, will soon be making an official visit to our country."
"I-I see."
"The Black Lion Emperor has named you—the 〈Silent Witch〉—to serve as her escort."
The Black Lion Emperor had named her.
Monica was confused, unable to understand his intentions.
"M-me? Escorting a princess?! Why? Louis-san is definitely more suited to the job..."
At that moment, a series of ominous cracks came from Louis's hands.
The air around Louis had gone beyond mere displeasure; it was now ominous and menacing. He was frightening.
As Monica trembled on the verge of tears, the cracking from Louis's hands stopped.
Louis raised his head, an unnaturally cheerful smile spreading across his beautiful face.
"As a matter of fact, I have just been granted a substantial stretch of leave."
"...L-leave?"
"Yes. His Highness Lionel personally thanked me for my service. Since I have the opportunity, I'll enjoy some uninterrupted time with my family."
Louis wore a smile that suggested he couldn't be happier about his vacation.
And yet, displeasure and dissatisfaction somehow seeped from every inch of him.
While Monica stared at him in confusion, Louis continued speaking with the same pasted-on smile.
"For that reason, I would like you to head to the royal capital as early as tomorrow. There are various preparations to be made."
"Um, but the person I'm escorting is an imperial princess, isn't she? I don't know anything about Imperial etiquette..."
"Rest assured. A young lady well versed in Imperial affairs says she will help you."
"A young lady well versed in Imperial affairs?"
Unable to think of anyone who fit that description, Monica tilted her head, and Louis gave her the name.
"Miss Frieda, who is currently staying at the residence of 〈Abyssal Curse Mage〉 Ray Albright."
Frieda Blanke, the fiancée of 〈Abyssal Curse Mage〉 Ray Albright, was the younger sister of an Imperial margrave.
That made sense. Frieda would certainly be well versed in Imperial affairs and etiquette.
"In that case, pack your things at once and head to the royal capital. And please don't take it personally, but I won't be able to help you this time... After all, I'm on vacation now."
His insistent tone still held a trace of dissatisfaction.
Monica nervously twisted her fingers together before opening her mouth.
"But Prince Lionel and Louis-san are friends, so Louis-san still seems like the more suitable choice for her escort..."
Monica had heard that Louis and the First Prince were classmates and friends.
Within the Seven Sages, Louis Miller was the leading member of the First Prince's faction.
Bringing friendship into politics would be strange enough, but it still seemed unnatural to Monica that Louis, who was so capable and led the First Prince's faction, had been left out of the escort assignment.
When Monica timidly pointed this out, Louis sighed and shrugged.
"You seem to be laboring under a misunderstanding, fellow Sage."
"...A misunderstanding?"
"Prince Lionel and I merely happened to attend Minerva at the same time. Someone like me being His Highness's friend would be presumptuous."
Louis said this with a forceful smile, as if emphasizing his point.
"We aren't friends or anything, so your concern is misplaced."
At last, Monica realized why Louis had been in such a bad mood.
He was throwing an enormous sulk because his friend hadn't relied on him at an important moment.
＊ ＊ ＊
From behind the kitchen door, Isaac listened with a dark expression as he clenched the fabric at his chest.
(The Black Lion Emperor singled out Monica...)
Isaac knew that marriage negotiations had arisen between the emperor's younger sister and the First Prince, but he had never expected Monica to be named as her escort.
If that man named Yuan had been telling the truth, the Black Lion Emperor and Monica were acquainted. And that surely had to be connected to the Black Lion Emperor naming Monica as his sister's escort this time.
The Black Lion Emperor had named Monica precisely because they were acquainted.
(...I was the one who burdened her.)
The burden he had placed on Monica without even realizing it tormented Isaac with guilt whenever he saw it.
While Isaac kept his head bowed, Nero, who had been making a fuss about "My booze..." until a moment ago, folded his arms and began groaning thoughtfully.
"I've read about this situation in a book..."
Nero furrowed his brow and groaned, trying to remember what it was called. Apparently, he had just recalled the word.
He raised his head, black hair swaying, and smugly announced it.
"I remember! The other man! Right now, we're like the other man!"
"..."
Besides being misleading, it was also a little hurtful, so Isaac earnestly wished Nero would correct himself.