Chapter 245: Qualification Part 4

Now that Yuna’s been taken away,

I was on my way to the Ether Duke’s estate with Lobelia.

Given her current condition, I couldn’t let Lobelia go alone. But I couldn’t exactly send her to the imperial palace, either.

For now, the goal of this journey was to pick up Lobelia and deliver her to Ariel.

It’s annoying, but I’ll hang in there until the end.

***

By the time we arrived at the Ether Duke’s mansion,

Ariel had come out to greet us herself instead of sending someone.

It had been a while since I’d last seen her, and she looked quite worn out.

“Ah, Johan… and even Your Highness. You’re here? It’s been a while.”

Was our timing bad?

Even though we were at her home, she wasn’t dressed comfortably. Maybe she’d been dragged around politically all this time.

She probably needed a moment to breathe too…

“Your dress looks good on you.”

I felt awkward just standing there, so I gave her a compliment.

“Oh, the dress… Thank you. I actually forgot to change, but I guess that worked out. It means I could show you a pretty side of me, Johan.”

Ariel gave a bitter smile.

Looking closely, it seemed she hadn’t even realized she was wearing a dress.

She must have been living in total chaos.

Watching her like this, I started feeling guilty for bringing Lobelia all the way here.

Seriously… why did Lobelia have to fall for some kind of curse…

“Your Highness, I’m glad you’ve returned safely.”

“Mmm, sorry, Ariel. You must’ve been busy and overwhelmed, and I added to your worries.”

“Then from now on, if something’s troubling you, please talk to me, okay? If you just run off like you did this time, it’ll make me sad.”

“I will. I promise.”

They really did seem like true friends.

There wasn’t even a hint of a wall between Lobelia and Ariel. It was all so natural.

Completely different from how I always grovel in fear.

I guess there’s no need to worry about Lobelia anymore.

With Ariel here, she’ll be taken care of just fine.

In that case, wouldn’t it be proper for me to quietly step aside?

“Oh, Johan. You’ll at least stay for a cup of tea before you go, right?”

Before I could even shake off the fatigue from the road, I had to catch up with Ariel first.

***

The Ether Duke’s estate feels uncomfortable.

Not because of Ariel.

How should I put this?

Just knowing this was the home of a distinguished high-ranking noble family made me feel insecure, like no matter what I did, I’d come off as some country bumpkin.

The gap between high nobles and regular nobles is as wide as that between nobles and commoners.

Look at this teacup, for instance.

Why in the world would you embed jewels into a teacup?

Selling just one of these could probably fund a banquet for my entire household.

“Would you step outside for a moment?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Just as the refreshments were being served,

Ariel naturally dismissed the attendants.

Watching them bow and leave so gracefully at a single word made me compare them to the servants back home.

If I told mine to step out for a bit, they’d say “Sure thing” and slouch their way out.

“It really has been a while, Johan. I’ve missed you.”

Ariel smoothly moved and sat beside me.

Maybe it was the different dress she was wearing,

But the pale skin from her neck to her shoulders stood out more than usual.

“Mind if I lean on you for a bit?”

“You can lie down if you want.”

“I won’t go that far.”

Ariel smiled softly and rested her head on my shoulder.

Soon, I could feel a quiet, weary sigh escape her lips.

“…Lately, I’ve really come to realize how hard noble life can be.”

“You’re doing well, Ariel.”

“You think so?”

“And besides, it’s not noble life that’s hard for you right now. It’s just that you’re in an especially busy period. Most other nobles wouldn’t be able to handle what you’re doing.”

“You always know how to say the right things, Johan. You’ve got a real talent for flattery.”

“Well, I didn’t mean it as flattery.”

To be honest, Ariel isn’t busy because she’s a noble.

She’s busy because she’s a national hero.

Still… I really can’t help but feel moved.

It feels like just yesterday that I was being told I had a knack for saying the wrong things to Ariel…

But now, no matter what I say, she calls it sweet.

Maybe I’ve changed. Maybe it’s Ariel’s perception of me that’s changed.

Or maybe… we’ve both changed little by little.

“Enough flattery. Don’t you have a gift for me?”

“A-A gift?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t bring anything like that.

It hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Now that I think about it, I probably should’ve brought at least a small souvenir after such a long trip.

“Judging by how long you’re staying quiet, I guess that means you didn’t bring anything. Fine, I’ll just help myself then.”

Ariel tapped my back with her bunny ears from above.

I couldn’t tell if she was genuinely sulking or just teasing.

“Heave-ho.”

Then, without hesitation, she sat down on my lap and leaned into me.

“You said I could lie down, right? So this should be fine too.”

“…Of course.”

Ariel tilted her head up slightly and gave me a playful smile.

She really is different from Yuna.

Yuna doesn’t surprise me anymore no matter what she does.

But with Ariel, I never know what she’s going to do. It keeps me on edge.

“You did me a favor, so I should give you a gift in return too.”

I was wondering what she meant,

When Ariel turned her body and started nibbling at my neck.

Or more precisely… she began biting into the nape of my neck.

I froze from the unexpected intensity.

By the time I realized what Ariel had done, it was already too late. I was frozen stiff.

“Fufu, it should last for about a day. You’re not going to cover it up, right? You understand?”

“Wait, what…?”

“That concludes our little gift exchange.”

A clearly visible mark on my neck.

Ariel’s territorial claim.

And telling me not to cover it up obviously meant she wanted Yuna to see it too.

So their little rivalry isn’t over yet.

And I’m the one stuck in the middle, suffering.

“Uh… you two? I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t forget I’m sitting right here.”

“Your Highness, you’re our witness.”

“Ah, so that’s what this was. Ariel, you’ve grown quite cunning while I wasn’t looking.”

Lobelia gave a baffled, helpless laugh.

“But Your Highness, I’ve been noticing it for a while now; you don’t look so well. You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”

“…It really is hard to hide things from you. Ariel, there’s a reason I came here instead of returning to the capital.”

“…….?”

Only then did Ariel tilt her head in curiosity and stare intently at Lobelia.

Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten to the point where I can handle advanced magic to some extent now?

I could sense a strange flow of mana.

“Your Highness, is there a problem with your ability?”

“Yes… I fell victim to some bizarre spell or sorcery, and now my ability won’t activate.”

“…That’s serious.”

“Ariel, what do you think? Can you tell anything?”

“Something unidentified is constricting Your Highness’s ability.”

“If it were a curse, I should’ve been able to break it with my destructive power.”

“…That is strange.”

Ariel, who had been sitting on my lap, seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and quietly got down, approaching Lobelia.

It felt like something had been taken from me.

Even worse, the other person was a member of the imperial family, someone popular with people of all ages and genders. So I couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of deprivation.

“Hmm, I’ll look into this.”

“No, it’s fine. You must be busy too, Ariel, and I can’t trouble you any more than this. Don’t worry. For now, Johan’s agreed to help me.”

“…Huh? Me?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh, right.”

I’d been half-dumping it on Yuna, so I forgot, but I’d agreed to cooperate with Lobelia in the first place, hadn’t I?

“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. If it’s the two of you I trust, I believe you’ll be able to solve this.”

A sentence that conveyed genuine trust.

Seeing Ariel smile brightly with a look of relief made even my annoyance disappear.

Alright, let’s give it our best.

But still…

“Y-Yeah. Ariel, I won’t let someone who trusts me down.”

Lobelia’s complexion looked even paler than before. Could it be that it’s not just her ability that’s affected, but her body as well?

Or… am I just not very reassuring?

Honestly… that might be the case.

Maybe Lobelia only said she didn’t need Ariel’s help out of courtesy.

But once Ariel said she trusted me, she couldn’t exactly take it back, so maybe she’s feeling cornered now.

Ugh, see….you should’ve just been honest and asked Ariel for help.

“…Because we’re friends.”

But Lobelia nodded with firm resolve.

There was even a touch of solemn determination in her expression.

***

Cooperating with Lobelia was one thing, but I still had work of my own to do.

Besides, in the capital, Lobelia probably has other friends she can rely on, so I don’t need to stay by her side 24/7. Take Stan Robinhood, for example….he’s great at gathering information.

Since I’d decided to investigate on my own as well, it made sense for us to split up.

And so, where did I end up?

“Mr. Johan Damus. It’s been confirmed.”

The Imperial Academy.

The aftermath of the war hadn’t fully subsided yet, but the restoration of the Empire’s key facilities was proceeding relatively quickly.

What was even more amusing was that the barbarians had deliberately avoided attacking knowledge-related institutions like the Imperial Academy.

People joked that the barbarians were too dumb to care about books, but considering Vidar’s personality, it was probably intentional.

At any rate, this was the only way to investigate the spell for now.

“Ah, Mr. Johan Damus, there’s a letter for you.”

“A letter?”

“Yes, it’s from someone named Mimir. Would you like to take it now, or shall we hold onto it for you?”

“I’ll take it now. Is it alright if I read it inside?”

“Of course.”

I took the letter and headed for the lounge.

Sitting down with a cup of coffee, I checked the name written on the envelope.

“Mimir… what a name. Doesn’t suit him at all.”

Needless to say, this letter was from the great warrior Vidar.

Of course, I knew he usually disguised himself as a scholar.

Still, even considering his cover identity, the name Mimir didn’t suit him in the slightest.

“Well, let’s see.”

Not that it matters. What use is there in debating the alias of someone who’s already dead?

All I could hope for was that the answer I was looking for would be inside.

– If you’re reading this…

Let’s skip the unnecessary parts. I have zero interest in pleasantries from the guy who beat me up and locked me away.

– Knowing you, Mr. Johan, you’ve probably skipped the greetings and jumped to this page. But since it’s been a while, I’m going to say it anyway: congratulations on surviving.

“……”

That bastard. He’s sharp.

He must’ve known I’d skip the first few pages.

Now I’m starting to get curious about what he actually wrote there.

– Ah, the part you’re curious about is on the previous page. This one just has the greeting I didn’t get a chance to say.

I quickly flipped back a page.

Fortunately, he hadn’t pulled some stupid prank here; the previous page really did have information about the spell.

– Spells aren’t a special kind of power. They’re more like rituals designed to interact with external forces.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered something about borrowing the power of nature or whatever.

– You should think of spells as a means of awakening the power within you through external stimulation.

“The power within you …?”

If that’s the case, then maybe the reason I was able to hit Mephistopheles was, just like he said, because of a power that originated from within me.

– Of course, there are different types of spells. Some draw out internal power, while others forcibly create interactions through external forces. Broadly speaking, those are the two main categories.

Then the latter must be the type that was used on Lobelia.

That’s an unexpectedly solid clue.

Since it was described as an “interaction”, it means the spell didn’t block Lobelia’s ability outright.

Instead, her power and the spell must’ve somehow interacted with each other.

This isn’t a seal.

“A distortion, huh.”

Now it makes sense why even the power of destruction couldn’t break the spell.

If it’s become assimilated with her own ability, then unless she attacks herself, there’s no way to sever it. Of course it wouldn’t work.

“Oh my, who’s the letter from? Could it be… a love letter?”

“Wah?!”

At that moment, a voice whispered in my ear, and I jumped in shock.

The voice itself was soft and clear, but for some reason, it sent a creepy, skin-crawling sensation through my entire body. Like insects crawling under my skin.

Before I realized it, I swung my fist out instinctively.

Whack!

It was only after I felt the impact of hitting something that I fully understood. I had just made a huge mistake.

“Ugh… that hurt…”

Lying on the floor was a woman….Lapis. And only then did I understand.

“…I’m screwed.”

I had just committed or at least attempted assault on a member of the imperial family.