Ch. 210
“The Leader…… seems to really like you, Miss Geenie. I can tell just by looking.”
“You think so?”
“He looks like he’d even pretend to die if you told him to.”
“I think he would. The fact that he’s pretty strong despite how he looks is one of his cute points. He’d probably hold his own even if he fought Rovenin. I don’t know when he grew up and became so useful, I’m so proud of him.”
“……Um, um, I see that you… also find him… very… cute, Miss Geenie. The Leader… that is.”
Akia was smiling awkwardly for the first time since she met me.
She was avoiding my gaze a little… Ah, my intuition is super sharp.
“Akia.”
“Yes?”
“Ash is mine.”
I may be the incarnation of possessiveness, but I also know how to be generous.
“You can have any of the leftovers, though. Which of the three do you like?”
“……No. I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to refuse. They’re pretty decent guys, so pick one.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“They do as they’re told. I’ve tamed them with a reign of terror, so they’re all the type to offer their left cheek if you strike their right. They’re all pretty use… ful… aren’t they?”
On second thought, maybe Akia was too good for them.
She was a young, smart, and capable doctor with many offers, while those guys were nothing but kind and stupid.
It was only a few days ago that I’d almost died because of them.
“Still, their swordsmanship… is it mediocre? Enk’s face is at least… No, Ash is more handsome.”
“Miss Geenie…? You’re already seeing him through rose-colored glasses….”
“What about Gale? He’s the smartest of the bunch and is taciturn… but that’s all he has going for him. He’s a little good at hunting… but who lives off hunting these days? You just buy food at the market. Ah, what about Chad? He’s strong… but then again, where would you use that strength? It’s better to just buy a farm ox. Come to think of it, they’re all useless, yep.”
Knock, knock, knock.
There was another knock on the door.
I know, they can hear everything outside. I said it so they would.
“Should we just abandon them all nearby? Akia, what do you think?”
“Even if you ask me….”
I finally realized it. It’s a good thing to have someone you can talk to!
It’s also good that they can hear me bad-mouthing them from outside. Seizing the opportunity, I thoroughly insulted the trio.
I nagged them in every way possible and pretended not to hear them, no matter how much they knocked on the door.
[They must really want to wear earplugs.]
[Ha, so refreshing! I could go on for a week!]
***
That night, I lay in a sleeping bag next to the carriage to camp out, examining a book by the light of the campfire.
The waterlogged book was tattered, for one, and had also swelled in size. It was a pain to handle, as it would tear powerlessly with the slightest touch.
There weren’t many parts that were legible, and another problem was that I had to spend a long time poring over it just to read a single word.
The letters were so smudged that I first had to decipher what the original characters were behind those bizarre shapes, rather than interpreting their meaning.
Even when I managed to deduce the characters’ identities and interpret their meaning, it often turned out to be nothing special.
The book appeared to be a simple diary, filled with trivial personal thoughts.
If Ash hadn’t gone through so much trouble to bring it out, I would have thrown it into that campfire long ago to use as kindling.
「My master always told me that only people betray people. He used to emphasize that the thing I should be most wary of is people, and that included myself.」
That was all I had managed to translate after clinging to it for over 20 minutes.
Ah, my eyes hurt.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and suddenly thought of my master, Yael. It was because the part I was reading was going on and on about how important it was to have a good master.
Akia had said something similar during the day. She’d said she was lucky.
Did I have a good master?
In the first place, the fact that I was able to have a master at all was amazing, considering how few Mages there were and how reclusive they tended to be.
‘I guess… I was lucky, too. There was a dean of a powerful family who was burning with academic passion, I happened to attend the Royal Academy, and there was a spare Mage in the Royal Palace. Being able to learn just because you want to is incredible luck.’
Thinking about the academy for the first time in a while made me wonder if Annie was doing well.
Master Yael is a trustworthy person, so no matter how angry he is with me, he’ll surely be kind to young Annie.
Right, I should write a letter to Anel to reassure her. Though I don’t know when she, living in the jungle, will receive it.
[Ooh!]
When Rai pretends to be dramatically surprised, it’s highly likely to be nothing.
That guy is unimpressed by things that are actually serious. Did he get that from me, too?
[Master, just now! Were you thinking about Yael and Annie? What’s gotten into you? You, of all people, Master!]
[Whatever.]
[When I think of heartless people, I think of you, Master! Did that doctor put something strange in your medicine? What could he have put in it to make you think of Yael and Annie….]
[What are you talking about! I was just thinking about what a wonderful student I am, taking care of my master’s twilight years.]
[He’s not in his twilight years, is he? Yael is quite young. He’s not even forty in human years, is he?]
Was that so? I pretended to clean my ears and continued to flip through the book.
[Even I, a Spirit, know that it’s not human to dump a kid you picked up on your young master.]
[Who cares. Once a master, always a master!]
[…I don’t think that’s how you use that saying.]
[I’m pretty sure it is. Besides, his one and only student, who he thought was dead, came back alive. He must have realized how precious a student is, so isn’t it a student’s duty to fill that void for him? Or not.]
I tossed the book aside and, since it was on my mind, rummaged through my luggage to pull out a pen and paper. I’d be able to send letters when I got to the capital, so I should write them in advance.
I can have a video call with the dean, and Iruze and Mia… and Bright! I have to send one to my family home, too.
But where did I put the ink? Why is my bag always such a mess? That’s because I always just stuff things in carelessly. I’m so consistent.
“Rai, have you seen my ink?”
[I haven’t. Not since you hit me with your luggage and got angry that something broke.]
“……Right. That was the ink bottle.”
No wonder my hands kept getting stained with something black.
I grabbed a reluctant Rai and was rubbing my hands on his stomach and butt when I saw Akia cautiously approaching.
Awkwardly hugging a sleeping bag as big as herself, she looked like she wanted to sleep next to me.
“Miss Geenie…? What are you looking for? Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Akia. Do you have any ink?”
“Yes! Should I lend you some?”
“Hmm, then not right now. Can you lend it to me tomorrow?”
Akia’s presence played a part in making me suddenly think of my friends tonight. Seeing someone trying to get close to me reminded me of the kids who were always by my side—annoying when they were there, but comfortable when they weren’t.
“Uhm, if it’s okay with you… may I sleep next to you?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you!”
Unless she wanted to lie down all by herself or sleep among the men, Akia’s only option, like it or not, was next to me. The inside of the carriage was too small to sleep in.
“Your back will hurt if you lie there… This way would be better.”
Akia looked awkward even just spreading out her sleeping bag. She must not have much experience camping out.
“Really?”
“Of course it’ll hurt if you lie on a rock.”
“Oh my, I thought it would be fine since it’s small. I guess not.”
Showing her a good spot meant my sleeping bag ended up closer to hers, but well, whatever.
We somehow ended up lying almost side-by-side, looking up at the sky.
Akia, with only her face peeking out of the sleeping bag, looked around for a while before smiling brightly at me, for whatever reason.
I guess that’s what it means to have a good personality.
“You know, this is my first time sleeping outside!”
“Seems like it. I can tell.”
“Oh my, is it that obvious?”
“You look excited about camping out. I hate camping. This whole trip is just….”
It’s mostly because of Ash.
Before, Ash was about half the reason, but recently, it’s become more about not being able to leave him behind.
It feels like sending a child to the water’s edge. I know what will happen if I leave him, so I can’t bring myself to go.
What on earth is he doing?
Why isn’t he asking me to officially become his Guardian already! Ugh, so frustrating.
If I read his mind with the ring, I know it’s because he’s trying to be considerate, but as a shameless person myself, I couldn’t relate.
“Miss Geenie, you seem to be a noble… am I right?”
As I was grumbling to myself, Akia asked with a wide smile on her lips. She had turned over and was lying on her stomach inside her sleeping bag.
“That’s right. Everyone figures it out right away without me saying anything. Why is that?”
I turned on my side as well and looked at Akia.
“Well, for one, your attitude. You don’t use honorifics despite the age difference… which means there’s something you prioritize over age when establishing a hierarchy. It’s probably social status… Ah! And you spoke so casually about taking a Warp, didn’t you? That’s when I was sure. That you were born different from me.”
“So I was just as obvious.”
Warps are extremely expensive. So much so that even a professional doctor couldn’t easily take one unless a noble paid the cost and summoned them.
“Don’t you have any questions for me? Anything is fine.”
“Nope.”
As if I would.
“But if we’re going to get close… something.”
“I don’t plan on getting close. We’re going our separate ways in a week, aren’t we?”
But I didn’t plan on making her cry either, since we still had to be together for another week.
Akia became visibly downcast, which made me feel a little guilty. Rai’s earlier comment about me being heartless was still on my mind, so I asked grumpily.
“My interests are set. Spirit Arts, Rovenin. Do you know anything about either?”
“……No.”
“Then we have nothing to talk about!”
“Ah! I heard a story about Lord Rovenin saving someone!”
“No way… There’s no way that psycho would do that.”
“I definitely heard it! They were attacked by bandits and had everything stolen, but a red-haired swordsman appeared out of nowhere like the wind, killed all the bandits, and disappeared!”
An unknowing Akia recounted it as if it were a great heroic tale, but I could see the truth.
“……He was just passing by and warming up. I guarantee it.”
“What…? Is that what happened?”
“Yes! That’s the kind of guy he is!”
“Oh my? Could it be, Miss Geenie… since you’re a noble. Are you acquainted with Lord Rovenin? You speak as if you know him very well.”
“You think there are only one or two nobles? As if being a noble means I’d know him.”
Honestly, there wasn’t a noble who didn’t know of Rovenin. If you were personally acquainted with him, you’d have to be a really high-ranking noble.
Like Epiros!
“But you also said he was one of your interests, didn’t you?”
“Ah, ha, ha, there’s a thin line between a fan and an anti-fan. Which one do you think I am, Akia?”
There are some things in the world where you can just tell the answer by looking. And if Akia had any sense, she would easily figure out which side was the answer just from my rotten smile.
“……You hate him.”
“Enough to get angry just seeing red hair.”
“Then you must be cheering for Count Trenpe in the duel, right?”
“Of course. I’m going to buy a light stick, too. One this big!”