Chapter 91: The Maid and the Young Master (5)

Upon returning to her room, the first thing Hailey did was to step into the bathroom and wash herself.

It wasn’t like she had sweated from training like the day before, but the increasing warmth of the approaching summer in Sarham was enough to make one feel uneasy without a refreshing rinse.

It was still early summer, not too hot, but for Hailey, who had spent her life in a place where the view from the window was always a snowy landscape, the heat was an unfamiliar companion.

Drying off with a towel, Hailey sat on a chair. Having bathed in cold water, she shivered as heat escaped her body, but the ensuing coolness brought more satisfaction than the chill.

“Hooo...”

She exhaled contentedly, recalling the events of the night.

“Hehe, I’ve made a night-time friend?”

The brief conversation with Alphonse had been a comforting moment for Hailey. Being able to share, even partially, things she couldn’t previously express to others was undeniably liberating.

The image of the cute little boy with bright, sparkling eyes was also quite healing.

She hadn’t expected things to unfold this way, but nonetheless, the dawn training with Alphonse was a piece of good news for Hailey.

The previous use of the training ground at dawn was technically unauthorized, but partnering with Alphonse made it a rightful act.

“Still, he must have seen everything when we said goodbye....”

Hailey knew without looking in a mirror the expression she must have had when she returned the luminescent stone Alphonse had dropped.

The stone, which emitted no light when she touched it, had shone brightly in the hands of the young boy, as if echoing a voice in her ears.

Alphonse’s slightly deflated response at the end was probably due to seeing Hailey’s expression. She felt sorry for unintentionally making him feel a sense of guilt, even though he harbored no ill will towards her.

“Talent.”

Yet, she didn’t correct this and hurried away, driven by jealousy over a talent she herself did not possess.

The Kraus family, famed for slaying a dragon from the legends and obtaining its power.

It was a tale known to many in the empire, even to those not born into warrior families. A legend as famous as that of the heroes in the founding myths.

Like this story, generations of the Kraus family were born with extraordinary talents, surpassing even the so-called superhuman knights in strength and magical power akin to that of a dragon. There wasn’t a single member of the Kraus name who hadn’t left their mark in history.

Even if Alphonse’s body was considered weaker compared to Demian and Arthur, it couldn’t be said that he hasn’t inherited their talents.

The brightness of a luminescent stone fundamentally correlates with the size of the ‘core’ the holder possesses within.

The light that Alphonse showed Hailey was impossibly radiant for a seven-year-old child whose body was still developing.

“It’s talent...”

Lost in thought, Hailey brushed away the memory of the light shown by Alphonse and turned her head towards the desk in the room.

There lay an opened letter, the cause of her recent uncharacteristic actions. The torn seal of the letter bore the symbol of the Hartman family—a lone wolf—making the origin of the letter unmistakable.

The contents of the envelope were fairly mundane: a letter inquiring about the recent royal assassination attempt and the Estelia Academia admission papers—these were all it contained.

Having already responded to the letter, Hailey picked up the admission papers again and lay back on her bed.

Estelia Academia, known as the empire’s premier educational institution.

Typically, entry requires recognition from lower educational institutions or passing an examination. However, there was a privilege granted to the children of noble families within the empire: they could enter any department of their choice during their first admission, regardless of their grades. Of course, like other students, they face expulsion if they fail to maintain a certain academic standard.

Being a noble, Hailey had this privilege, and all she needed to do was choose her department.

The Hailey before arriving in Merohim would have taken this lightly. However, after hearing the endless clanging of knights’ swords, witnessing young boys dueling with the skill of the renowned Sir Gwen, and following in the footsteps of her grandfather Wilhelm, one of the empire’s greatest knights, her passion for the sword was reignited.

This was the start of Hailey’s dilemma.

While her heart was set on a particular department, she foresaw the challenges and the inevitable outcome of choosing that path.

Objectively, her skills weren’t enough to survive there.

Choosing a non-combat major within the Knights’ department was possible only after enduring a year. Could she, with an ordinary person’s body, withstand the pressure among those who had just begun the path of superhumans? Hailey doubted it.

“But still...”

She knew it didn’t make sense, yet it felt too early to give up.

Hailey set aside the admission papers and stared blankly at the ceiling until the bell announcing breakfast rang.

***

Alphonse, who usually knew my schedule well, rarely sought me out during work hours. I knew his reluctance was to avoid disturbing me, so his presence now suggested an urgent matter.

“So, Alphonse, why are you suddenly curious about changing a person’s core?”

“Um...ah..well..?”

Alphonse’s voice trembled as he replied, creating an awkward atmosphere even though I hadn’t intended to press him.

But his inquiry about changing one’s core wasn’t a simple question, like asking for a cure for a cold. I had to know why he asked about it.

Concerned that Alphonse might be dissatisfied with his current state, I broached the topic.

“When I first awakened your aura, I told you that you had an innate talent for it. While our Kraus family is known for exceptional strength and a vast ‘core,’ you, Alphonse, possess an even greater ability to wield aura.”

“Uh...right?”

“This, in a way, is also a matter of core. You’ve inherited more from mother’s bloodline. She was skilled in finely manipulating magical powers. But if you feel lacking in your current state and wish to grow stronger, it’s not like there are no ways to...”

“Oh, no! It’s not about me. I was asking for someone else. For Miss Hailey.”

“Hailey? Why?”

“Ahaha...um, well...”

But the name Alphonse mentioned was one I had never expected.

Hailey Hartman.

Elena’s maid and close friend—why would Alphonse mention her? To my knowledge, they had no significant connection. When did they become acquainted?

After hesitating for a moment, Alphonse took a deep breath and told me everything.

He had been secretly training in the training ground at dawn. It was there he encountered Hailey, also out at dawn, and became captivated by her sword dance. That explained his recent preoccupation.

Hearing Alphonse’s story, I belatedly realized Hailey’s grandfather was none other than Sir Wilhelm.

It seemed her understanding and skill in swordsmanship were exceptional, but the issue was her ‘core.’ Now I understand why Alphonse asked about changing one’s core.

“Just to be clear, did she ask you for help with this?”

“No. Miss Hailey didn’t say anything about it to me. I just wanted to help her. Brother.”

After all, if it were just about Elena and her, Hailey could have directly asked Elena instead of going through such a roundabout way. But knowing Hailey’s character, she probably chose not to discuss such matters with Elena to avoid causing her any trouble.

It must have been almost by chance that Alphonse heard it from her and relayed it to me.

I nodded at Alphonse’s words and continued.

“For now, I don’t have an immediate answer, Alphonse. Matters related to the ‘core’ are quite complex and not so easily discussed. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way. As you know, even drastic transformations like ‘renewal of bone and flesh’ are possible. That’s one example.”

“But... nothing too painful, okay?”

“Hahaha, don’t worry. ‘Renewal of bone and flesh’ is just an example. Let me look into it a bit more and then we’ll talk. It shouldn’t take too long.”

After sending Alphonse out of the room, I immediately rang the silver bell to call Ken. He must have been nearby, as he arrived quickly.

“It’s rare for you to be with Master Alphonse at this hour. Did you enjoy your conversation?”

“You start with that as soon as you see my face?”

“Well, you’re smiling right now.”

Smiling?

Following Ken’s observation, I touched my face and felt my lips unwittingly turned up. Indeed, I was in a good mood, partly because Alphonse shared his secrets and partly because Hailey’s story was unfolding very differently from the original work.

Hailey Hartman. In the novel, she was close to Elena but not a main character. Compared to Damian, she had a bit more significance.

She played a crucial role in separating Damian and Elena and was depicted as a decent supporting character in the novel. But, as always, novels didn’t give every supporting character a complete narrative. They revolve around the main characters, making an inevitable depth disparity between the leads and the supporting roles.

However, just like I became Damian and learned about the Kraus family, which wasn’t detailed in the novel, Hailey’s story once again thrillingly shattered my notion that this world was merely a narrative. How could I not be in high spirits?

“It was an interesting conversation. Speaking of which, Ken, remember the elixirs I asked you to collect when I was young? Could you bring all of them here?”

“Did the young master ask for the elixirs? Ah, I wish he had asked me...”

“Well, it’s something like that.”

So, a method to improve one’s core that wasn’t as drastic as a complete renewal of bone and flesh. I know of several methods, but they are all quite extreme. Alphonse would probably faint or foam at the mouth if he heard about them.

Luckily, an expert in this field happened to be staying at our manor. She had a deep connection with Hailey, too.

Having made this request to Ken, I headed towards the Isilia Pavilion.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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