Chapter 32
"So, these guys are now denying that they attacked Roman?"
"That's correct."
The Public Security Force captain, who had been listening to my conversation with Fiona, was burning with intense eyes as if he would kill the newbie-hunting quartet right then and there.
What would have happened if he had fallen for their lies, you ask?
Well, if he had persecuted me or branded me a criminal, who was on friendly terms with the Grand Duchess…?
Perhaps by now, the captain would be taking off that City Guard uniform.
In the captain's eyes, those four must look like assassins trying to drag him into the abyss.
"Grand Duchess. Please believe me. I will take responsibility for this incident. I will thoroughly investigate this matter to uncover all related crimes and ensure they receive appropriate punishment."
"Can I trust you?"
"Yes! I, Burden, 17th Captain of the Public Security Force, stake my position on this matter!"
As expected of Fiona.
She was certainly effective.
While Fiona was properly disciplining the Public Security Force captain, I sent a sneer to the quartet, who looked even more haggard than the captain.
It seems their connection with that captain was supposed to be their trump card.
But strong connections were usually neutralized by even stronger ones.
That's just how the world works, you jackasses.
Think of this as a good life experience.
The Devils were complaining that they couldn't directly deal with those guys, but for me, this was much better.
It wasn’t like I was some psychopath who enjoyed killing people.
Above all, I liked that this matter was handled cleanly.
Fiona, who had instantly sorted out the situation, left a word with the Public Security Force captain that she would be keeping an eye on him, then approached me.
"Roman, I'm sorry you had to see that unsightly scene."
"Not at all. Those guys were just making one-sided claims."
They were almost believed, but…
In the end, it didn't happen.
At my words, Fiona spoke brightly with a slightly more relaxed face, "Instead of staying here, shall we move to a more suitable place?"
"That's... just a moment. Is that okay, Mea?"
I asked Mea, who had been observing the situation from behind.
After all, we were in the middle of training.
I should check with my instructor first.
Fiona, who belatedly noticed Mea's presence, started introducing herself, "Ah, I'm sorry. I should have greeted you first, how careless of me. I'm Fiona McManus. I'm a trainee explorer affiliated with the City Guard. I'm a classmate of Roman from the training center. And you, senior?"
"I'm Mea. No family name. Affiliated with the Telema School."
"Telema School...?"
Fiona slightly narrowed her eyes as if trying to recall something.
It didn't seem to come to mind easily.
Fiona's eyes gradually narrowed.
Then, as if she finally remembered, Fiona's eyes widened.
"I remember now. Telema School... riiiight. That place... No, I didn't mean it like that, it's just been so long since I heard..."
Fiona waved her hands frantically, trying to explain.
However, Mea didn't seem to care much.
"It's okay. We're a small school."
"Uh... I'm sorry."
"Let's move somewhere else first."
Mea casually used informal speech even with the Grand Duchess.
Fiona didn't particularly take issue with it either.
To be so detached even in the face of a Grand Duchess’ dignity.
Is this what it means to be an elf?
Anyway, the three of us moved to a reception room as Fiona guided us.
As soon as we entered the reception room and sat down, Fiona asked, "So, has Roman joined the Telema School?"
"No, not yet. I've only applied for training for now."
"Hmm..."
A strange reaction.
Is she still hung up on the fact that I declined her suggestion that night when she subtly asked if I'd consider the City Guard?
It seems she's thinking that I became a target for newbie hunters because I'm training at a small school like Telema.
Since Mea was here with us, I quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, what about you, Grand Duchess? I thought you were going to the Expedition Team."
"That was the original plan, but we decided to rotate through the three battalions of the City Guard instead. If Roman had been there, I might have stayed with just the Expedition Team."
Right.
Fiona is the Grand Princess.
She might become the next Grand Duke to rule the city.
Although she was third in the line of succession, one never knew what the future might hold.
She probably needed to form a support base while touring the City Guard.
But mentioning me in the latter part of her statement suggested my guess was somewhat correct.
"Haha..."
"Hehe. You don't have to feel too burdened. I'm just joking. I was disappointed at first, but now I think Roman's decision was right."
"Thank you for saying that."
Fiona was giving me a look reminiscent of a mother feeling bittersweet about watching her son grow up on his own.
No, rather than that, it was more like the gaze of a master sending off a disciple who was leaving to find their own path after coming down from the mountain.
Fiona... you’re younger than me, you know?
"Come to think of it, Grand Duchess, have you heard anything about an undiscovered ruin?"
"An undiscovered ruin?"
Fiona's question wasn't in a tone of “What's that?”
It was more of a “how do you know about that?”
"Actually, Teresia went to verify it."
"Teresia?"
Classmate number 11.
The Grand Duchess’ best friend from the large Blostma School.
I mentally listed Teresia's descriptors.
Before being the Grand Duchess’ friend, Teresia was a promising talent from Blostma.
That was why she said she would return to her original affiliation, Blostma School, for training.
"Mea, wouldn't we be too late already?"
"Hmm."
If a large school like Blostma had made a move, wasn't it essentially over?
If we went now, wouldn't we just be picking up the leftovers after all the good stuff had been taken?
"But, there's something suspicious about it."
"Suspicious?"
I asked, bringing up what I had heard from the quartet.
"I heard the source of the information was Hand Shadow Valen."
"You know even that?"
"I heard it from those guys earlier."
"They knew quite a lot for mere newbie hunters. No, I guess that's to be expected. Anyway, what Roman said is correct. The problem is..."
Fiona's face wrinkled.
It was a face mixed with displeasure and anxiety.
"The thing is, this Hand Shadow Valen is saying he didn't do it."
"...False information?"
"It doesn't seem to be that simple. There's some circumstantial evidence that makes it too plausible to be just false information."
Fiona said there had been recent incidents like disturbed mana fields or monsters that usually establish their own ecosystems and territories venturing out of their areas.
"Roman, could you check it out too? Honestly, I found out about this after sending Teresia, so I feel a bit awkward. And if by chance Teresia... no, saying this might be more disrespectful to Roman. We're close, after all."
We're close?
I wish she'd refrain from using such meaningful expressions.
I could feel Mea's gaze on my face more intensely than before.
"If you need anything, please tell the City Guard. I'll put in a good word, so they should accommodate most requests."
"Ah, yes... thank you."
"It's nothing. We're close, after all."
Yes... we're close.
It's true, we're certainly more than just classmates, but...!
"Then we'll be going. We'll try to check on Teresia's side if possible."
§
The conversation with Roman wasn't long.
Fiona had things to do, and it wasn't right to keep Roman for too long.
But it was okay to take a moment, just a moment, to savor the lingering feeling left by the one who had departed.
Fiona held the teacup Roman had drunk from and left behind.
A faint warmth remained on the handle.
Slowly running her finger along the rim of the teacup, Fiona carefully thought about Roman's appearance, whom she had seen for the first time in almost a week.
He found a place that suits him better than the City Guard.
If he had come to the City Guard, Fiona would have given him access to the numerous documents about Devil Sorcerers that the City Guard had secured.
Among them was information about the names and seals of Devils that Devil Sorcerers treat as top secret.
The Telema School probably had such information too, but they wouldn't show it to a mere trainee who was an outsider.
They likely only passed on knowledge after a trainee went through the basics, spent time building up their position, and then proved themselves according to the traditions that any historic school would have.
But Roman chose the Telema School over the City Guard.
A school of Devil Sorcerers. With a long history, but now on the verge of disappearing due to decline.
Instead of the easy path, Roman had stepped onto a path that was harder but could teach deeper knowledge.
'hat's just like Roman.
Because Roman was a hard worker.
Fiona liked people who worked hard.
She longed for the title of a hard worker.
Because it was a name that could never be attached to her.
She had worked hard.
Dare she say, she had worked harder than anyone else in her family.
Every day, she woke up at dawn to meditate and expand her mana vessel and practiced magic until she collapsed from exhaustion.
But the label attached to the achievements gained that way wasn't “hard work”.
As expected of the Grand Duchess of McManus!
What incredible talent!
The great bloodline continues...
They saw not her, but what was behind her.
They only saw her talent and her family.
Fiona's efforts were ignored.
They were swallowed by the shadow cast by the all too-great McManus surname.
So, Fiona made a promise to herself.
She would be different.
She would see not their name, not their background, not their talent, but their effort.
She would remember the sweat and tears they shed in secret.
And Fiona knew.
The efforts Roman had been making at the training center.
It was the same this time.
Roman must still be working hard in places unseen to Fiona.
Not just today but tomorrow too.
And in the future as well.
"...I should increase my training time a bit more."
It was still too early for the student to surpass the master.
§
Right after leaving the Public Security Force, we immediately left the Main Base.
If the ruin was real, we needed to join the excavation race as quickly as possible.
And if the ruin was false and a trap, we needed to help Teresia, who might have fallen for it.
After briefly skimming through the Main Base like that and walking for quite a while.
Mea's gaze towards me showed no signs of leaving my face.
As we entered a place with few people, Mea broke the long silence and spoke, "Roman. What exactly is your identity?"
"What do you mean?"
"'We're close.'"
"Ahem."
"Honey was dripping from the Grand Duchess’ voice?"
"Honey, really?"
"Could it be... that?"
Mea asked with a voice uncharacteristically shaky for her.
I answered immediately, "No. That's ridiculous."
"Yeah. Right. It's not that. She said, 'We.’"
Mea accepted it without a moment's hesitation.
That's a bit hurtful in its own way.
"Hey."
"Yes."
As I asked, wondering what she was going to say this time, Mea suddenly blurted out something outrageous.
"Want me to teach you how to summon my Patron Devil?"
§
"Teresia! From now on, trust only this senior!"
"Yes, yes."
"Your spirit is lacking! More energetically!"
Haa.
Teresia sighed softly so the others wouldn’t hear her.
Really, what a difficult senior.
This pink-haired person's tension is too high...
Before Teresia could protest, her companions stepped in to mediate first.
"It's daytime, Senior Priscilla. Please go easy on her."
"That's right. You know Teresia's circumstances, Senior."
"Ah... right? Ahem, I got it. But! Once we're inside, do it properly! Energetically! Understood?"
Why did this person have to be the leader?
Teresia answered with regret that she should have just gone with the City Guard, "Yes."
It's disheartening.
Teresia was already feeling dizzy even though they hadn't even entered the ruin yet.
I need to finish this quickly and go back.
With the leader's energetic words of encouragement, the official exploration team of the Blostma School, consisting of 8 members in total, entered the ruin.
And when a day had passed.
There were only two survivors from the Blostma School.