NOVEL WEB Chapter 62: Unclouded Goodwill
“Ah, it’s Mia. Good morning… or should I say good afternoon?”
“Who cares about that! W-why are you often not dressed? Put some clothes on!”
“…”
The sound of knocking echoed, and Luke, who was properly dressed, appeared. The moment he realized it was Mia, Alice, who for some reason was not dressed, peeked out.
Perhaps this just showed how much Alice trusted Mia, but from Mia’s perspective, it was hardly tolerable.
“Luke, say something! Why are you so indifferent?”
“…Really, why aren’t you dressed?”
“I dislike bothersome things. Clothes are one of them.”
“…I see.”
“That’s not ‘I see!’ Why are you convinced by that?”
“Different strokes for different folks. It’s futile to think about it.”
“That’s right, Mia. Do you understand?”
“Huh… why is the atmosphere making it seem like I’m the weird one…? I don’t get it… I don’t understand anything anymore…”
What was right, and what was wrong?
Mia had lost her bearings on how to live for tomorrow.
“So then—”
However, the next question Alice threw at her snapped Mia’s hazy consciousness back to reality in an instant.
“Did you come to be intimate with Luke as well?”
“…Eh?”
With just that question, her mind went blank. Correspondingly, her face turned bright red.
“Wa? Wa-wa-wa-wa-wa…?”
“Ah, you want to do it seven times? That’s a lot.”
“…That is a lot.”
“No, that’s not it!”
To be honest, Mia knew.
She knew what kind of relationship existed between Luke and Alice.
She also had her own judgments about what they were doing. Her mind understood that it was not something to be praised.
But—deep in her heart, the feeling of jealousy did indeed exist.
“…”
Therefore, she hesitated to speak. She knew that if she were to remove her mask, now would be the time. But taking off something she had worn since birth wasn’t easy.
“You’re also a fiancée. I don’t mind.”
“I… want to…”
Before she knew it, those words had escaped her lips. Realizing a few seconds later that her face had turned bright red, she immediately looked down. Luke’s words had melted Mia’s heart.
All too easily.
“Then, the three of us will do it.”
“…Eh?”
“You should leave.”
“No. But… I don’t want to see the body of another woman. It’s disgusting.”
“It’s not disgusting!”
“It is disgusting. Especially this—”
“W-w-w-where are you pointing at!”
That day, Mia experienced her “first time.” For her small body, it wasn’t just a pleasant experience, but there was definite happiness in it.
And so, she had matured, just a little bit.
§
Nobles with power began to gather at the venue one after another. Not only members of the noble faction but also, although not many, members of the royal faction were visible.
At the entrance of the venue, several knights owned by the Marquis of Gilbert were lined up—a rare sight for a noble party, but there was a clear reason for it.
“So, this is…”
“An ice dragon, you say?”
It was because an entity that looked down upon them disdainfully was present.
—The Ice Dragon.
It was a reception that no one in the room had ever experienced before.
Nobles often possess an aptitude for magic. Hence, they understood even more clearly how monstrous the entity before them was. It had an overwhelming, violent, and chilling magical power.
Seeing is believing, as the saying goes. The tension was palpable; if that monster showed even a sliver of hostility and moved even a single finger, panic would ensue immediately.
“Everyone, please be at ease.”
A knight called out at that moment.
“This ice dragon is under complete control by Luke-sama. Please, rest assured.”
“………”
However, the words of a single human had no persuasive power. The nobles’ feet remained still, their instincts keeping them from moving. But all of this was within expectations.
The knight gave a subtle glance toward the ice dragon, known as Dia. Recalling the phrase she had practiced many times, Dia slowly opened her mouth.
“W-Welcome… Thank you for… coming.”
Then she slightly bowed her head, regretting that she had stuttered a little. The sight filled everyone who witnessed it with awe.
The heir to the Gilbert family was a monster, capable of controlling such a mighty being. There was no room left for doubt.
“Umm, Ehehe… May I take a closer look?”
“This is—Gah!”
Hesitant, the nobles began to step into the venue. The knight, believing his task was done, let his guard down. The moment he saw the expression on the face of the person who spoke, he instinctively recoiled, blurting out, “Gah!”—an unthinkable blunder when facing a being more noble than himself.
“I-I am terribly sorry! Welcome, Amelia-sama!”
He immediately bowed his head in an attempt to smooth things over. However, it couldn’t be helped; the Amelia he saw was oddly panting, drooling from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes seemed completely gone.
“Ahh, I thought so… that collar is made with dark magic… ehehehe.”
“…”
Just like the knight present, Dia couldn’t hide her confusion. With her dragon perception, far superior to that of humans, she could easily tell that most people held a “fear” toward her.
However, the human female before her was different. Clearly different. Something was off.
(…Let’s just stay quiet for now.)
The resolve to not cause any trouble for Luke led her to choose silence.
Dia didn’t know that the emotion Amelia harbored was called “curiosity.”
“The magical power of elemental dragons even affects their environment. That’s why the habitat of an ice dragon is covered in snow. But this collar is absorbing the ice dragon’s magical power. And furthermore! Due to that, this collar will exist semi-permanently! That’s awesome! Luke, as always, you—”
“Sister, please read the room.”
“…”
Somehow, the human female in front of her suddenly started shouting. Dia’s confusion deepened even more. But then another human with a similar aura appeared and stopped her. Unknowingly, Dia felt relieved.
“Look at this, Freya!! This is really awe—”
“I understand. However, greeting Lord Gilbert comes first.”
Amelia’s younger sister Freya, who also served as a teacher, calmly stated what needed to be done in a monotone voice.
“R-Right… I really can’t help myself when I see such incredible magic.”
“Let’s go, Sister. We shouldn’t keep them waiting—”
Just as they started to walk, Freya tripped spectacularly over the hem of her dress. But without changing her expression, she stood up instantly and said a single word as if nothing had happened.
“Excuse me.”
Facing the knights who were taken aback, she simply stated that and walked into the venue with Amelia. This minor incident wasn’t enough to break the iron mask she had built up over the years.
§
“Long time no see, Luke!”
“Everything well?”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations on this occasion! So, um… hehe, sorry for asking so soon, but about that magic—”
“Sister.”
“…Yes, sorry.”
While I understood that it was just social niceties, I was getting fed up with the meaningless greetings from many people. Just then, a familiar face appeared.
Amelia, as always, gets excited when it comes to magic. Our homeroom teacher, Freya, remains expressionless. However, this teacher had once hidden in a locker while maintaining that same emotionless face. Truly, it’s more difficult to understand what she is thinking…
For a while, trivial conversation continued. But then—
“So, when are you going to the Empire?”
“…What?”
A shock so overwhelming that it completely halted my thoughts hit me.
Questions filled my mind.
…Why did she know?
“Departure is a week from today, right? You’re going to see the Swordmaster Festival in the Empire?”
“…Wait. Why do you know about this?”
I had established my identity as an adventurer and planned to go to the Empire without any obligations. But that plan just fell apart. Where did I go wrong? Where did I—
“Aren’t you aware? Abel submitted an application to the academy, and it was accepted. My sister and I will accompany you.”
“Nice to meet you!”
“…”
Abel…
Abel…!
ABEL…!!
“There’s something called the Swordmaster Festival held every year in the Empire, did you know?”
“Experts of the sword from various countries gather there! It’s exciting, isn’t it?”
That damn kid!!
There was no hint of a scheme. It was all due to his sheer good intentions that my plans got destroyed. And knowing that made me even angrier.
With just one move… just one move, everything got turned upside down.
What is going on, really…?
Are you always at the center of everything…?
Ah, damn it… I can easily imagine Abel’s face, smiling without a care in the world.
“Sigh… What is it this time?”
Just when I felt like going home and going to sleep immediately, I noticed the nobles in the room were strangely abuzz.
“Uh, is that…?”
The reason for the commotion became clear immediately.
—The Second Prince, Porupon, was waving his hand in our direction.
The Gilbert family is at the forefront of the noble faction. For the Prince to show up at their party was exceedingly unusual. The nobles of the royal faction present must have felt quite uncomfortable.
“…”
Porupon proceeded straight to where my father was and then, for some reason, disappeared into a room at the back.
What on earth did he come for? I could only pray that this wouldn’t make things more complicated.
…Ugh, my stomach.
“Luke-sama, may I have a moment?”
As I was rubbing my stomach to alleviate the sharp pain, someone addressed me.
“What is it, Alfred?”
“A young boy named Abel wishes to see you. What would you like to do?”
“…Huh?”
One after another. What is really going on here?
§
In a certain room.
Only three people were present: Claude, Porupon, and Edmund, who served as a secretary. Claude had cleared the room in accordance with Porupon’s wish, creating an atmosphere of unusual tension.
“Kuk… Your Highness, perhaps I heard wrong. Could you repeat what you just said?”
“I’ll say it as many times as needed. Marquis, are you considering usurping the throne?”
“…”
Porupon’s question made the already tense atmosphere even more piercing.
(I want to go home, I really want to go home… Ugh, my stomach…)
Edmund suppressed his sharp stomach pain while breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lily, Luke and Abel in the Cover.
Red Hair Girl – Eleonora
Blue Hair Boy – Porupon (Prince)