The night was cold.
I was on my way to find Senior Delphine.
I was making my way through the chilly night air. The academy, with the end of the final exam period approaching, was quiet in the late hours.
It was the time when everyone should be holed up in the library studying.
Clearly, it was still morning when I left the temple, but as I lost track of time, before long, it was night.
It was because acquaintances who had heard about my discharge came to visit one after another.
At first, Celin and Reto came as if it was the most natural thing. Along with them was Seria.
Although it seemed like they were still quarreling every time they met, it looked like Celin and Seria had been spending more time together recently. According to Reto, Celin was participating in Seria’s training.
It seemed the recent practical training period had stimulated Celin in some way.
It was not a bad opportunity for growth as a swordsman. I was pleased that my two beloved juniors were getting along.
As soon as Celin and Seria saw me, they rushed towards me. There was no need to discuss who went first.
The haughty expression on Seria’s face changed instantly to a teary one, which was quite a sight. Celin slapped my back.
“Ah! Hey, Celin! You shouldn’t do that to someone who just got discharged…”
“I was worried, you idiot!”
Seeing Celin begin to cry, I couldn’t say anything. Seria, too, seemed somewhat weary, as if she had gone through a lot of emotional turmoil during this time.
I had to soothe my two juniors, who were looking up at me with teary eyes.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I was just barely on the brink of death, that’s all.”
“Please, Senior Ian… I’m going to lose it. Don’t ever do this again.”
Seria even clung to me, almost in a plea. All I could do was clear my throat and nod.
To be honest, I wasn’t confident in keeping that promise.
If a letter came tomorrow, who knows what might happen.
However, I couldn’t disrupt the atmosphere at that moment. I waited until the two sobbing juniors calmed down while patting their heads or their backs.
Reto just shook his head in disapproval.
“Did you write the scroll well?”
“Very usefully.”
“Then pay me back, you brat. That scroll costs more than my two months’ allowance.”
As always, my conversation with Reto was straightforward. We had nothing to hide from each other anyway. But, as a mage, he was more rational than Celin and Seria.
He briefly filled me in on the events that took place while I was away.
“They’ve initiated a large-scale investigation into the Gilford Orphanage. It seems there’s chaos between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire after the discovery of a mana beast that hasn’t been seen in years.”
While patting Celin’s head, I asked in a slightly subdued voice.
“What about the Flesh Nest?”
“It’s under investigation, but it’s such a ridiculous story that we’ve been requested to keep it confidential. Someone might come looking for you soon, too.”
I nodded, as that was somewhat expected.
Even if a mythical monster appeared, it would likely only raise public anxiety. After more confirmed investigations, a conclusion on the causes and response measures would be made before any announcements.
I had no idea how long that would take. It would likely take several months at the very least.
There wouldn’t be many places that have records from thousands of years ago, after all.
By now, graduate students in mythology or archaeology were probably screaming in frustration.
Whether their screams were of joy or the last gasps before death, I had no way of knowing.
Speaking of someone coming…
Worrying about it now was pointless. At least they wouldn’t harm me, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
Reto glanced around and lowered his voice.
“I heard that the name of the mastermind behind this incident has come to light.”
“…Where on earth do you hear such things?”
I looked at Reto with a bewildered expression. However, he just smirked and shrugged as if it was no big deal.
“Of course, it’s information I got while cooperating with the investigation as a person involved in the case. The name of the person who has been regularly transferring hundreds of gold to the Gilford Orphanage was written in the accounts.”
“Who is it?”
“…‘Miltram.’”
It was a name I had never heard before. As I mulled over the name, repeating it several times in my mind, Reto added with a wry smile.
“High probability it’s a priest of the Dark Cult.”
‘Dark Priest Miltram.’
For some reason, it felt like I would be hearing that name for a while.
While I was lost in thought, Celin burrowed deeper into my arms, burying her face against my chest. Seria quickly followed suit, trying to squeeze in.
Unfortunately, my arms weren’t wide enough to hold both girls at once. In the end, the weeping Celin and Seria stared fiercely at each other.
“…Hey, geek. It’s a bit cramped, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, if Haster moved, it would be just right.”
And then the two girls started growling.
I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Fighting among themselves in front of their senior, I couldn’t just intervene and sort them out.
After the three of them left, the person who came to find me in my dorm was Emma.
As soon as I opened the door, a teary face rushed into my sight.
With her reddish-brown hair and bright green eyes, she was an adorable girl.
She came again, burdened with something, and asked me anxiously.
“Ian! Are you okay?”
Her voice was filled with worry. So, in a moment of surprise, I let her into my room.
I felt a bit embarrassed by the alcohol bottles scattered around. They were remnants of solitary nights spent drinking to alleviate loneliness.
However, Emma looked around the room and seemed not to mind, as she began taking things out from the bundle she brought.
“Here, this is a potion that helps with physical vitality. And this is hornet honey, which aids in recovering fatigue when mixed with water. Also, this is porridge I made, which you can warm up and eat if your stomach feels upset….”
I was taken aback by the magnitude of the bundle that contained potions, drinks, and even food.
I had thought about it since last time, but isn’t this a bit too much?
Moreover, I had already received a favor from Emma. Thanks to the potion she gave me, I had managed to keep my life.
Had it not been for her, I wouldn’t be alive, boasting before the Lady Virgin Saint.
So I carefully tried to dissuade her.
“Emma, it’s okay. I’ve been fully cured for a while now; it just took time to regain consciousness.”
“But! Don’t you think you’ve gotten much weaker during that time? Look at how thin you are!”
It wasn’t that I had lost weight; rather, I had lost muscle from not being able to exercise, but for Emma, it seemed to break her heart to see it.
She immediately rolled up her sleeves and sprang into action.
“W-what if I make something for you right now? I’ve received quite a bit of cooking training from my priest classes, so I’m confident in cooking. And while I’m at it, I’ll clean your room too….”
If left to her, she would genuinely do anything. So I had to call her name softly.
“…Emma.”
However, Emma didn’t seem to hear me. As a typical alchemist, she didn’t appear to have a listening demeanor once she got fixated on something.
In the end, I decided to deploy my last resort.
“Let’s clear away the alcohol bottles first, and um… there’s a lot of dust over there, isn’t there? Since you’ve just regained consciousness, should we stick to porridge or soup…?”
With a tightening grip on her hands, Emma seemed flustered, her words trailing off. Her round, bright green eyes were fixed on me.
I offered a wry smile.
“Emma, it’s okay. I wouldn’t let you get your hands wet.”
It was only reasonable that a guest shouldn’t do housework.
However, Emma reacted completely opposite to what I expected.
Her face turned bright red, and I could almost see steam rising above her head. She lowered her head deeply.
After hesitating for a moment, she then sat down in a chair, brushing off her skirt.
“…Y-yeah. Okay.”
And then Emma started to fidget for some reason.
She glanced at me, turning red, and looked away repeatedly.
I let out a light laugh. I found her behavior rather endearing.
Just then, I had something to give to Emma.
I stood up and took out a pouch from the drawer. Carefully, I pushed it forward toward where Emma was sitting.
Emma’s eyes filled with curiosity were fixed on me.
I stated nonchalantly, “It’s for the potion.”
At my words, Emma’s expression went blank. She hurriedly looked around in the pouch. At a glance, it was filled with gold coins.
In reality, it was the bounty I received for taking down the wolf monster last time. Plus a few other things, it amounted to around 150 gold.
To be honest, I wanted to give her more, but the bounty for defeating the monkey monster and the mana beast had not yet been paid. The reward for discovering and destroying the Flesh Nest was the same.
If more money came in later, I was willing to pay Emma additional compensation.
However, Emma, after counting the coins in the pouch, looked mournful and slapped the pouch down onto the table.
“That’s way too much, Ian! And I don’t think of receiving money… I just want to help you…!”
“Emma, you are a valuable person.”
I spoke calmly, so Emma couldn’t continue and had to gaze at me with a troubled expression.
“I know it better than anyone else. So I can’t accept your help for free.”
“But I owe you my life….”
“This time, you saved my life.”
I picked up the pouch Emma dropped and carefully returned it to her hand.
Her bright green eyes looked up at me.
“This is all I have for now, but I’ll repay you someday.”
“…Even so, it’s too much.”
Emma’s voice came out as whiny, and I replied with a faint smile.
“Then let’s say you’re hired, for permanent employment.”
At those words, Emma hurriedly averted her gaze again. What could possibly make her this embarrassed?
I had no idea, but she was such a lovable and devoted girl.
Eventually, I had to live off Emma’s nutritious foods and porridge for several days after that.
The last person who came to visit me was Senior Elsi.
It happened while I was walking down the central street of the academy.
I noticed a hooded hat darting around from somewhere. A small girl was anxiously scanning the area.
Her expression looked quite anxious. With such an adorable appearance, that alone made for a pretty picture.
I quickly realized her identity.
Elsi Rainelle, once a terror at the academy, the ‘little villain.’
My hand raised slightly. As soon as I did, Elsi’s round eyes fixed on me.
I offered her a wry smile and greeted her.
“It’s been a while, Senior Elsi.”
To be honest, saying it had been a while didn’t feel all that real.
I had just closed and opened my eyes, and already a week had passed, so it was what it was.
However, it seemed like Elsi’s time had passed properly, as she greeted me with a beaming smile when she saw me.
Then she hurried over and jumped into my arms.
It was an emotional reunion.
It would have been perfect if Elsi hadn’t opened her mouth.
“…Master!”
Wait, when did that title change?
A cold sweat started to run down my back, and as I looked around, it was just as I expected.
Passersby were casting curious glances at me and Senior Elsi.
It seemed that the issue I had been worried about had indeed surfaced.
