Chapter 99: Luden(6)

 

“Hey, what’s the rush? If she runs like that, what is she going to do if there’s an accident?”

 

“It must mean she really wants to see her friend.”

 

Orcus muttered to himself, worrying about Noel who had already disappeared into the distance. His tone was that of an older brother, concerned for his younger sister’s safety.

 

Realistically, considering Noel’s enhanced durability through the aura and divine power, surpassing that of an average tank, it would be more reasonable to worry about anyone who might collide with her.

 

But, what of it? Noel wasn’t naive enough to make such mistakes, and prioritizing family as kin was only natural.

 

Stepping away from Orcus’ guidance and heading toward where Elena was, the scene shifted from what seemed like a science fair to now including food stalls and entertainment facilities that students would find appealing.

 

Was it due to the guide’s personal taste?

 

This place wasn’t as boring as I thought. I mentally changed my initial negative mark to a positive one as I looked around.

 

At one stall, I spotted a machine making the same candy I had eaten with Elena in Merohim. Seeing it made me understand why her presence felt so strong in this area.

 

I began buying different types of candy listed on the menu at the stall, and whenever I saw other appealing snacks around, I picked up one of each.

 

Knowing well that I don’t eat sweets, Orcus looked puzzled at my sudden interest in buying them, but soon, understanding dawned on him.

 

“Are all those for Miss Elena? Even if she likes sweets, that seems too much for her to eat. Shouldn’t you buy a little less?”

 

“It’s fine. This much is okay.”

 

Orcus looked perplexed at my response.

 

He hadn’t seen Elena consume a lot of sweets, hence his comment.

 

Of course, I didn’t plan to give her everything I bought today all at once. Despite her assurance that she was fine due to some magic, I couldn’t help but worry as a bystander.

 

I also bought a lot because I heard that my mother-in-law likes sweets too.

 

“Do you eat sweets?”

 

“Hmm, I’m not a big fan, but I do enjoy them occasionally. Why? Want to give me one?”

 

Perhaps because it was his first time seeing such a collection. Orcus was intently examining the paper bag full of snacks I had bought. I picked out a candy for him, the same one Elena had eaten in Merohim, known for leaving color on the lips.

 

Research later showed that despite the drawback of the dye sticking to the lips, the candy was popular in the candy world for accurately capturing the flavors listed.

 

Orcus might not know that fact. Judging by his expression, he clearly had no idea.

 

It’s not like he has a particular fondness for sweets, and even if he knew, wouldn’t it be stranger for a prince, busy running national affairs, to be aware of such trivial information?

 

Orcus, after inspecting a few items in the bag, eventually popped the apple-shaped lollipop I handed him into his mouth. He might have mentioned if he preferred something else, but since these were intended as gifts for Elena, he seemed content to accept whatever was given.

 

This guy is surprisingly considerate.

 

Initially uncertain, he now seemed to enjoy the candy, having been incessantly chattering beside me until the candy in his mouth captured his full attention.

 

Come to think of it, Noel doesn’t like sweets much like Elena, right? Considering I had some for Noel as well, I handed a few more candies to him.

 

Orcus glanced at the clock tower and then crunched the candy in his mouth, making a twisted face. It seems there was something sour inside.

 

“Ugh, yuck! What in the world did they put in this... So, have you met Altman Edelweiss yet?”

 

“No, it’s almost been five days since I arrived in Luden, and I haven’t even seen a shadow of him. My mother-in-law mentioned that he’s been completely absorbed in his research and hasn’t come home at all since last week. He does make contact, but that’s rare.”

 

“I see. Well, I can understand it, being a magician myself, but still, it’s a bit much not to show his face even when his sister and her fiancé are visiting. Are you sure you’re not already disliked or something?”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense. Why would I be disliked for nothing? It’s been a while since he’s been home, so it’s not because of me. From what I’ve heard from my mother-in-law and Elena, that guy, Altman, he’s not even supposed to be involved in such matters.”

 

“Really? Don’t you know that a relative’s opinion can’t be any proof”

 

And yet, he’s asking me to investigate my brother-in-law.

 

I looked at him incredulously, and Orcus just shrugged it off with his characteristic sly smile and continued.

 

“Well, I do have ears to hear. From what I’ve gathered about his reputation at the Mage Tower, he spends most of his time in the lab or the tower’s library and rarely shows himself elsewhere. I think he’s just a research fanatic with no interest outside his field. If we can just find out why he left Luden at the beginning of the year, there probably won’t be any issue.”

 

“Why would someone with plenty of money bother applying for research funds now, of all times? It’s troublesome.”

 

Orcus tried to reassure me not to worry too much, but honestly, I wasn’t as concerned about Altman as he thought.

 

I didn’t know where Altman had gone earlier this year or why he applied for research funding, but I could assert that he wasn’t involved with the heretics’ activities. Just as Orcus said, he’s simply a research fanatic. It’s just that it’s a little uncomfortable that the name of a person related to Elena comes up in this topic.

 

If push comes to shove, I might just have to barge into his lab.

 

***

 

After meeting up with Elena, we followed through with our promise and each went back to our own homes.

 

Noel seemed eager to spend more time with Elena, having not seen her for long, but there was little time left for the two of them.

 

I heard that even today’s outing was barely approved at the last moment.

 

Since this was their first venture outside the imperial palace since returning from the south, it’s understandable why they’d want to stay out a bit longer.

 

However, given that Luden had been rife with heretical troubles just a few months ago, the idea of royalty staying outside the imperial palace for an extended period carried its own set of anxieties.

 

Normally, one would expect the royalty to be visited at the palace, not for them to come out to meet us like this. It’s an exceptional case.

 

I only called Orcus because he told me to, but this certainly isn’t a normal situation.

 

“Brother, can’t we just contact the palace and say we’ll be staying at the Edelweiss mansion today? It’s... it’s close to the palace, after all...”

 

“No, it won’t do. Even if the Edelweiss family’s mansion is close to the palace, it’s still outside. Even if we contact them, it’s highly unlikely father would approve, and showing up unannounced at this late hour without any prior arrangement would be against etiquette. Noel, you don’t want to be grounded before even starting at the academy, do you?”

 

Noel put up a bit of a fight at first, but once Orcus mentioned the possibility of being grounded, she quickly backed down.

 

After Noel and Orcus returned to the palace,

 

Even though we weren’t restricted from going out like them, we decided to head back to the mansion, considering the dinner time was soon approaching.

 

Especially since Adelia must be feeling lonely with Altman not home, we couldn’t leave her by herself again.

 

Given that she was planning to return to Merohim after Elena and I enrolled, wasting the little time we had left on other activities wasn’t wise considering our future relationship. I needed to make the best impression possible while I had the chance.

 

“Oh, I thought everyone went out for fun and would dine out, but you all came back early.”

 

As expected, Adelia seemed very pleased to see us back before dinner.

 

However, her joy wasn’t solely because we made it back in time for dinner. As I noticed another figure sitting in the dining hall, I realized her emotions stemmed from more than just our timely return.

 

Speak of the devil.

 

Altman Edelweiss, who seemed like he would never show up at the mansion despite the wait.

 

He was the guest who had arrived at the dining hall before us.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

 

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