49 Episode 48: What Seeks Magic (Part I) (1/2)
An invitation to a tea party that reached me through Ufi. If I sent out a reply stating that I would participate in the tea party, I would return immediately with a reply specifying a detailed date, time and place.
If it's a tea party on a boulder, I have to dress up pretty good, too. For this reason, you will travel by carriage. Ilia is leaving a message this time, with Yufi and Raini. And the carriage led us to a corner lined with aristocratic mansions.
It's also a place I visited when I disturbed Count Sprout's house. If the carriage stops at one of the houses, the gatekeeper, who had refrained at the entrance to the mansion, bows his head respectfully.
”I've been waiting for you. Princess Anisphere, Lady Duke of Uphilia, Lady Baron Raini”
”Yes, thank you.”
”I will show you to your daughter. Please wait while the butler arrives.”
”Okay.”
Once again, the gatekeeper returns to the gate with his respects. If you think you've had any conversation with another gatekeeper you were packing inside, one of them heads inside the mansion.
Waiting to see if he'd gone to get a butler to guide him, Raini was shaking his shoulder in a restless manner.
”What's going on? Raini.”
”Yes, no. I knew I wasn't used to being called a baroness...”
”I'm pretty sure you're a lady even if you're a samurai. Look, be grand.”
With his hands on his shoulders and encouraging Raini, Yufi laughs strangely with his hands on his mouth. What a peaceful time to wait, a man in butler's clothes comes this way.
When the butler comes before us, he thanks us deeply and then raises his face.
”Thank you for waiting. Welcome to the Viscount Nebles family. I'll show you to your daughter.”
”Please.”
”This way, please.”
This time, we were invited by Miss Halfis of the Viscount of Nebles. I mean Yufi and Raini's alumni, but they didn't have that much contact. Well, I wonder what the hell kind of kid he is.
It was Salon who was guided by the butler. One girl sat and waited at a circle table set in the center of it. When the girl notices that we have entered the room, she takes a seat and walks over here.
”I'll catch your eye first, Her Royal Highness Princess Anisphere. My name is Halphis Nebles. It is a great honor to have you here today.”
”Nice to meet you, Miss Halfis. It's Anisphere Win Palettia. I was looking forward to seeing you at the tea party this time.”
Carefully bowed her head, Miss Halfis is tied up with slightly brighter brown hair and dressed in a dress that is not overly flashy. Is it the ”chairman of the committee” from what I have seen in my previous life? If it's glasses, it looks like it.
He shook my hand in a manner I feared if I asked him to shake it. At the end of my greeting with me, I also turn my gaze to Yufi and Raini, who were holding back behind me.
”Dear Uphilia, and Mr. Raini. We're out of time.”
”No, it sounds like a breath disaster, above all. Halphis.”
”We're out of time…”
Exchange greetings with Halfis in a contrasting attitude: Raini, who is nervously solidified with natural Ufi. Miss Halfis blinks her eyes just a little, then coughs them up and then urges us to take a seat.
A maid from the Viscount Navles brought us tea and sweets if we took our seats. Moisten your throat with tea first. Yeah, I guess that's where the flavor is.
”Again, thank you for visiting my house this time”
”No, because I thought this was a good opportunity.... but can I ask? I heard that neither Yufi nor Raini have much contact with you.”
”Right. I won't deny that. So I was thinking about saying no.”
Only a few words before Miss Halfis nodded small. Then he looks up like he decided to after wandering his gaze backwards somewhere.
”When you were at the College of Aristocrats, it was difficult for you to get too close...”
”I've heard some stories, but what was it like in college Yufi and Raini? I hear it's hard to lean on.”
”Master Uphilia, it's not like they're going to do anything about it. If you threw me a question, you would have answered it. Sometimes there were a lot of people around me, but I admit I was under pressure because I still performed well and acted brilliantly on my feet. Furthermore, I am the daughter of the Viscount family. It was courageous of those who were not factions of the Duke of Magenta to speak up.”
I guess it feels like it's because it's scary for a low-status person who is barely a faction to talk to Ufi. Well, I don't even know that.
”Mr. Raini was by his side, starting with Prince Algard... I knew visibly that Mr. Raini was unfamiliar with the nobility, but I couldn't have the courage to jump into the vortex myself without any particular edge.”
To the Prince, to the Secretary of the Ministry of Magic, to the son of the Commander of the Kingsguard Knights, and to the son of Uncle Borderline, a luxurious son. I can see the shadow of a man like that. You don't want to get near Raini. It's not about nobility either, if it's also about being a former civilian child.
That's not a funny story either. So I'm also convinced Halfis has thin contacts with the two of them.
”What might you think would be thicker if two people couldn't help themselves in hard times...”
”No. One of those things was my immaturity. It's not like Halfis cares.”
”Oh, yeah. That, well, I wasn't good either... ah, I figured I'd better stand up too...”
”I know you were accompanied as a samurai, but I hope you will remain seated as an alumni. What do you say? Mr. Raini.”
”... let me sweeten your words”
You look like the cat I borrowed, Raini. I resented him for laughing that Raini looked strange and dull by accident. I got my eyes turned.
I don't feel anything bad about Yufi and Raini from Miss Halfis. I guess the distance wasn't intimate, as they said. I somehow know that two people in college are hard to lean on, so I'm not even going to blame them for that.
Then again, I guess Miss Halfis's aim is to have a connection with me as the text suggests. I know it's Miguel's planting, but I have to figure out how I've planted it.
”So, Miss Halfis, may I ask why you invited me today?
”Yes.... can I call other customers before we talk about that?
”Other customers?
”Yes. My fiancée and her friend are inviting me, too. I would like you to meet Her Royal Highness Princess Anisphere... if this is inconvenient, let me explain it to you.”
”Well, I don't mind.”
”Thank you”
Your fiancée and that friend with you? I wonder if this is Miguel's planting, too. Where will Miss Halfis's sincerity lie? I haven't seen that yet, so I'll take a good look.
She drops off Miss Halfis's fiancée and the butler who apparently went to get that friend, and puts her mouth on the tea treat. Hmm, not bad. Maybe I'll make it for Raini next time.
Tongue drumming on tea and sweets, the butler returns within less time. Two young people followed in.
One looks like a serious young man with dark brown hair. This one feels “committee chairman” too. If I had glasses, it would still look like that.
The other one is a brother-in-law. She has a big body but looks like a Buddha....... hmm? That, I mean, it looks familiar, I knew him.
”Oh, Gakun.”
”Would you stop calling me Gakkun, Master Anisphere! It's a gark!”
”No, the style is beautiful.”
”What style beauty...”
”Do you know him? Dear Annis.”
”Gakun...... Gark was an adventurer. My parents are part of the Knights of the Borders and I also aspire to join the Knights. I got a request for an escort for an outdoor exercise, and it was me who got it connected.”
Gark Lamp. He was born as the son of the Baron Lamp family and father, a member of the Knights of the Borders. He is a young man who aspires to become a knight to succeed his parents.
”So, who beat me to Cotempan”
”Please don't!
”Lost?
”I told you to go home if you're a princess, so I did a mock fight and I messed it up.”
Well, it was a sword battle with only physical strengthening. Even I can't do something unscrupulous without the aid of engraving. I told Gakun he could use magic, but he just tried to strengthen his body, so he won it all.
The results also accompanied the outdoor exercise properly. Then it was hard because it's really something that demons come out of. Gakun and I fought properly against demons among them, so I'm pretty hopeful for you because I think it's a prospect, I guess I even said so.
”How many years? About two years? How are you? Why are you in Wang Du again?
”Yeah, you're right. He was trained in the Kingsguard Knights now.”
”To the Kingsguard Knights? Why, again, I think it's a little different from the border...”
”That's, well. I'll talk to you later.”
I lean my neck towards Gakun, who says something spicy. Then I noticed a serious looking young man standing next to me smiling softly.
”The martial arts tradition that Gark was talking about was true, wasn't it? No, I wasn't suspicious. I'll see you first, Princess Anisphere. My name is Marion Anti. I will be the youngest brother of the Count Anti family.”
”Count Antie's house?
That one, I remember hearing it somewhere. Marion smiles bitterly as I lean my neck in doubt.
”My father may know. My father currently works for the Ministry of Magic.”
”... oh, you should have said that”
Count Anti. I remember being a less harmful person. I'm not even close. Few people adopt that kind of ”leave me out of it” attitude in the Ministry of Magic.
The Ministry of Magic isn't a complete rock either. I don't bite my magic, but I don't even try to get it in my eyes. A force that is opportunistic, for better or worse.
There are three main reactions to me in the Ministry of Magic, one force that bites me by saying it's blasphemy or something, and one force that also hears that my story makes sense. And at the end of the day, I'm not involved. You don't listen to me, but I can also say people who don't agree that theory is a rush.
To be honest, I didn't want to interfere either because I didn't want to. I wasn't pushing for understanding. But I guess we need to convince and convince these people in the future.
”Halfis invited Princess Anisphere today, and I wanted to be there.”
”Oh, so you're Miss Halfis's?
”I will be your fiancée. In the future, I think I'll be the son-in-law. My brother will inherit the house...”
”I see. How do you know Gakun?
”It was synchronization with the Academy of Aristocrats”
”Well, it was synchronized.”
When you're done saying hello, everyone takes their seats. Confirming that, Miss Halfis looked over at everyone before turning to me. The expression is serious in itself, and I correct my habitation naturally, too.
”Okay, so we're all set. First of all, thank you again for attending the tea party I hosted. And the reason I hosted the tea party today was... Princess Anisphere. Please, I want you to ask us for a professor.”
”... Professor?
”of magic, its wisdom.”