CH 104

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Gideon Harvard, 2nd son of the Marquess of Wagner

Harvard, Commander of the Second Order of Knights (redhead’s brother)

Gabriel McMillan, Commander of the Order of Magicians

Not long after, Cu Sith howled into the forest for the third time. Cu Xi returned with a suspicious-looking lump in his mouth. He drops it in front of me and wags its long tail as if asking for praise.

“Yes, yes, you did well. As expected of Cu Sith!”

I pat Cu Sith and look down at the suspicious person lying at my feet. It’s certainly not dead, but it’s kind of like a tattered rag. It must have been sucked by the collar and dragged around a lot.

Gabriel-san rolls up the frayed and torn cloak to check inside.

The suspicious person was a man. He was covered in wounds, but not mortally injured. Cu Sith brought him in without killing, just as I told him to do.

He is unconscious at the moment, but it would be troublesome if he wakes up on the way and gets violent or drinks poison, so I poked him with a wand. If he should wake up, he won’t be able to move.

“……Clothes are ordinary, and he doesn’t have a distinctive face. The fact that he doesn’t look suspicious is, on the contrary, very suspicious.”

As we surrounded the man, the people from the Second Order of Knights came over, probably having seen the fireworks (not smoke signal!) that Gabriel-san had set off.

“Commander of the Magicians, I heard the roar of a beast I’ve never heard before, are you all right?”

“Yes. The howling was the summoned beast of Sapphiras-san. So there is no danger.”

The Commander of Second Order of Knights looks at the big dark-green dog sitting there well behaved and the ragged-looking man we’re surrounding and frowns.

“……Is that dog a summoned beast?……”

The members of the Second Order of Knights look at Cu Sith with a very subtle expression on their faces.

Many of the summoned beasts summoned by summoning wizards are cool-looking or cute. Leaving Cait Sith and Unisus aside, the phantom beasts I’m contracted with are probably unusual because they have one or two quirks in their appearance. Cu Sith is not only clever, but also has a cheerful and cute personality.

“I understand that it is a summoned beast. So, who’s the man?”

Gabriel-san explains to the Second Knights Commander that we found the abyss, and there was a dragon scale found there, and that this suspicious man seems to have been wandering around the abyss.

The Second Knight Commander nodded with a difficult look on his face.

Although he did not know for sure, he said that the Second Order of Knights would take turns to watch over the abyss for a while, as it was not possible to leave the abyss where the suspicious person was wandering around. Then it was decided that the magicians would take care of the scale and the Knights would take care of the suspicious man.

I’m curious as to what would come out of the scales and the man, but even if they find out something, they won’t tell an academy student that kind of thing. If there is anything I can get involved in, I may have a conversation via His Excellency the Duke.

The Knights will be returning to royal capital before nightfall, so Percival and I decided to go and tell Margrave about what happened in the forest in the royal capital before we leave. Although they are far apart, the royal capital and Vanderwall are key points in the country. If these two fall into disarray, I think Solmontana will be in a lot of danger. There is nothing better than telling them that disturbing things and people have been found in the abyss.

The red-haired one made a fuss about going with us, but the Second Knights Commander stopped him. We were saved, because it would have been outrageous to take such an annoying person with us.

It wasn’t long after that that the eldest son of the Earl Aldridge family, Veritas, secretly subjugated the demonic beasts that were attacking people around the royal capital, began to be whispered. From my point of view, is that about now? “That’s what it feels like.”

It wasn’t long after that rumours began to spread fruitfully that Veritas, the eldest son of the Earl of Aldridge, was secretly subjugating the magical beasts that were attacking people around the royal capital. From my point of view, it feels like, ‘Why are you talking about this now?’

“I knew it. He’s the descendant of the magician who once saved the kingdom.”

“As you’d expect from a magician who once won the Stella Prize.”

“What’s more, he was secretly subjugating them by himself?”

“Well, has he been silent about it until now?”

“How modest of him.”

……Funfun, I see. Afterall. he’s a descendant of the magician that saved the kingdom.

Veritas is in a corner of the cafeteria, surrounded by his schoolmates, with a clear face.

“…….Are you ok with that, Sapphiras?”

“It’s fine, I don’t care. If he wants the credit so badly, I guess he can do whatever he wants.”

Percival, who knows the truth, seems to have an opinion, but I don’t mind at all. What I really wanted was the material of the magical beasts that would be used as funds. Rather, I have a feeling that if it becomes known to the world that I defeated the magical beast, I’ll get involved in troublesome things again. I don’t want to be surrounded like that because I want to live a peaceful and fun academy life.

The reason why the topic of subjugating the magical beasts in the royal capital has been brought up after all this time is probably because after the magical beasts that were ravaging the area around the royal capital disappeared, there were no magicians who came forward and said that they were the ones who subjugated the magical beasts. After judging that a drifting magician or an adventurer hunted the magical beast in the royal capital and left the kingdom, he took advantage of the rumour about the magician who subjugated the magical beasts and took credit for it. No one knows for sure if he had black hair or if he rode a two-headed beast, as these sightings took place in the darkness of the night. Therefore, even if Veritas claimed that he was the magician who subjugated the beasts, he would still get away with it if no one else came forward.

I don’t know whether this was the Earl’s idea or the arbitrary decision of Veritas, who was impatient because he didn’t win the Stella Prize. Like his ancestors, he’s taking credit for other people’s achievements, so blood can’t be contested.

What do you think he’s going to do if the magician who defeated the magical beasts shows up?　

Of course, I have no intention of coming forward.

But it’s very complicated to think that I also have the blood of that thieving magician in my veins. But in the first place, it was my handiwork, so I myself shouldn’t have anything to do with the thieving lineage, right?

……I’m not sure what’s going on anymore.

Anyway, I don’t really care who subjugated the magical beasts. The Earl’s family is the one who will be in trouble later on for spreading such rumours.

“……Fuu, that sounds like Sapphiras.”

Percival says so and smiles.

Ugh……the sun knight’s smile is as dazzling as ever.

“……I’m fine as long as I get to live a peaceful and pleasant academy life, that’s all that matters.”

“Good day to you, Sapphiras-sama and Percival-sama.”

As Percival’s dazzling smile made me dizzy, Miss Aurora came over. The amethyst gaze, with its perfect ladylike smile but with a hint of reproach, glanced at Veritas.

“……It seems that everyone is talking about a story that is quite different from the truth, Sapphiras-sama?”

Miss Aurora seems to have her own feelings about Veritas’ stories. When I think that it is for my sake, it tickles my back.

“I don’t really mind. It doesn’t change anything for me.”

“Well……! Is that so. But it’s very Sapphiras-sama-like.”

Aurora says the same thing as Percival and smiles in a broken smile. Her inner glow leaks out, and she even looks faintly glowing. What do you call this if not a feast for the eyes?

The ladies sitting at a nearby table are glancing at me, their cheeks tinted, but I know how they feel. This table is a bit dazzling thanks to the two of them, and being bathed in their sparkle somehow makes me feel at peace.

“But I hear there’s been a bit of a dispute between the Order of Magician’s Adviser and the Order of Knights over this matter.”

I, who had been enraptured and purified by the two’s radiant aura, suddenly came back to myself.

“Eh? Why?”

The Commander of the Second Order of Knights knows that it was Sapphiras-sama who subjugated the magical beast in the royal capital……so he said that it was not the advisor’s son who defeated the magical beast. The adviser of the Order of Magicians is angry that the Order of Knights, who don’t like the Order of Magicians, are trying to take credit for his son’s work.”

If I’d been there listening to the conversation, I’d have said to the best of my ability that that’s just because he doesn’t like the Order of Knights.

It is true that feuds between knights and magicians have been phenomenal since long ago.

The knight who fights in the vanguard with their bodies as a shield does not like the magicians who fights in the rear guard while being protected, is what I have heard. But even those who say that must have been saved by the magician’s powerful attack magic at times. Those who think that the sword is the power are blind to this. A magic swordsman should know the advantages of both, but sometimes they are imprinted with a biased view when they join a knight order.

In most cases, swordsmen and magicians have a good relationship with other adventurers. They know from experience that they have each other. Inside, they wonder ‘what are you doing?’ There are very few guys who think that the sword is everything.

Fortunately, in this country, as long as there is no adviser, the relationship between the Order of Knights and the Order of Magicians seems to be good.

The Earl must have something against the knights. If that’s the case, I think it would be better to stop him from getting involved with the organisation. The matter is about the defence of the country.

Even if they take credit for it, if it is not accompanied by fruit, they will eventually be in trouble. If that happens, I’ll never lend a hand.