Chapter 121

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 121 Last-Minute Commotion

The seasons were changing, and a new spring was coming.

It was the same not only in Ishtalika but also in the neighboring continent.

In the north of the continent.

There was the Republic of Rockdam.

It had the second largest military force on the continent after Heim and a huge land area. It was another great power with great wealth.

Then, Elena-sama. We will lead the way, so please do not be late.

Yes.

It all began with the initiative of the third prince, Tigre, who, like Ishtalika, had his own spies.

Just like Ishtalika, they would also spy. They would finally be put into action.

They were more careful than ever to prevent something like what had happened to Lili, but they didnt know if they would actually be discovered.

Its a really big port

The port city of Roundheart. It was Heims pride and joy, but the port here in Rockdam was no less impressive.

If they were to compare the number of s.h.i.+ps, they might be outnumbered. It was filled to such an extent with s.h.i.+ps owned by adventurers and wealthy merchants.

Looking at the personnel selected this time, there was no one more important than Elena.

Of course, it took a lot of hard work for Elena to partic.i.p.ate in this event.

Tigre said, No! Elena shouldnt have any ifs and buts!

Harley said, Im against it too. And Im worried about the boat trip with the adventurers themselves.

And both of them were against Elena going to Ishtalika.

But after several months of persuasion, she managed to get them to allow it.

Dear guests from Birdland. Its time to pack your bags!

They found seats on the s.h.i.+p carrying the merchants, and somehow, Harleys worries were eased.

Still, it was a dangerous journey.

Lets go, Elena-sama.

Okay.

The one calling Elena was an official.

He was also in good standing, but Tigre had prepared him for Elena.

He was older than Elena and usually took care of Tigres business.

(Well be at sea for the next few days.)

The way to Ishtarika was long and difficult.

But she still has to see Ishtalika with her own eyes. It will be useful for something Elena thought.

Oh, by the way, Ain. Im coming with you.

M-Mother? To where?

After the school day was over, Ain went back to the castle as usual, then ate and took a bath as usual.

After that, he did some work and then decided to rest and read a book or two.

Martha came to Ains room and left a message that Olivia wanted to see him

Then Ain left his room and went to Olivias room.

Oh dont move. Im not done yet okay?

And what was happening to Ain now?

Nothing weird, just Olivia combing Ains hair. Thats all.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. You take good care of it, good boy, Ain.

Thank you.

As he promised Krone and Chris, Ains hair was kept long.

But in this case, Ain was more careful with his hair than ever before because, with the same care, it would soon become rough.

Well, you know. What is it about Mother coming with me?

Olivia continued to comb Ains hair in a good mood while humming a melody.

Before going to bed, Olivia was quite exposed. Therefore, Ain was careful to avoid looking at such Olivia as much as possible.

Hmm? Oh, about that. That means Im going to Magna, too.

Eh? Mother is coming with me to Magna? I havent heard anything about that until now

This meant that if the second princess was also coming along, itn was important in its own way.

In fact, Ain had more say in the matter, but considering her popularity and past performance, there was nothing unusual about Olivias coming as well.

On the contrary, there were just two days before they departed for Magna, and he wondered if it was too abrupt.

Fufu I asked my mothers permission. She gave me permission to go to Magna with Ain.

Ain sensed a kind of balance of power in the Ishtalika family when she did not mention the name of her father, Sylvird, there.

But in the end, when she was allowed to go, Ain had no complaints.

When did this even come up

Going on a journey with Ain.

This was the happiest moment for Olivia.

Because its not fair. So far, Chris and even Krone-san have gone far away with Ain. Im the only one who couldnt go away with Ain.

Although he could not see her face, Ain could sense Olivias feelings from the tone of her voice, which sounded like she was dissatisfied.

You are the second princess. I thought you couldnt go out so easily

Yes, thats true. But Ain is also the crown prince, so sometimes I want to go out with you.

As far as Ain was concerned, he could agree with this thought. In fact, he and Olivia had never had the chance to go on a trip together, about the trip from Heim to Ishtalika when he thought about it, he couldnt say that they never did, but once they arrived in Ishtalika, they never had the chance to go away together.

Then, for the first time in a long time, Mother and I will be able to enjoy the city of Magna.

I look forward to that day. So, Ain, please take care of me, okay?

The stay in Magna would last about half a month.

This meant that there would be time to enjoy the city with Olivia if not the whole day.

Yeah, it looks nice now.

Thank you. Mother.

Ains hair had been combed, and Olivia was about to put the comb away.

Ah, Mother. Id like to comb your hair, too, if you dont mind.

There was still time before bedtime. Besides, it would be bad to end it there after his mother had combed it for him.

More than anything, he wanted to do the same for Olivia.

Are you sure?

Of course. Come on, Mother, lets take turns.

Olivias hair was neatly combed. She may have taken care of it herself, but, well, this level of care was good.

With that in mind, Ain looked at Olivia with reserved eyes and pulled her hand, forcing her to sit down.

Please let me know if it hurts.

She looked a little confused, but Ain didnt care and took the comb out of Olivias hand.

Oh Geez, Ain is a bit pushy these days, isnt he?

She spoke as if she were dissatisfied, but in contrast, her tone and expression were happy, so Ain laughed at her words and misinterpreted them.

Well then, lets begin.

Looking at her hair, which was exactly the same color as his own, Ain began to gently run the comb through it.

A short time later, Ain left Olivias room.

Thinking back to Olivias happy appearance, he went to bed in a good mood as well.

The day after Ain enjoyed a talk with Olivia.

He woke up and made his way to the Academy as usual.

However, considering that this usual commute to school would soon come to an end, he began to feel a sense of loneliness.

Well, thats all I have to say about the inter-school compet.i.tion.

Royal Kingsland Academy was full of atmosphere in the spring, as it was every year.

Soon, new freshmen would arrive, as well as those who wanted to move up and lead their cla.s.s to the top.

The air that the fifth year, in particular, were breathing was one of the biggest and most chaotic of all.

For some of you, its graduation. And for the other cla.s.ses, its a post-exam stress release. It took a while, but its a good time, right?

Ain and the other students in the top cla.s.s were about to graduate. So they should hadno connection to the atmosphere of the school, but this year was different.

A survey was conducted last year this issue is getting a lot of attention now.

Hey Ain! Youre going to partic.i.p.ate, right?

Seeing Butz talking to him in a cheerful voice, Ain wondered what to do.

( I dont want to be conceited, but I feel like I shouldnt partic.i.p.ate.)

Ain, who had gained enough strength to defeat Marco, wondered if he should partic.i.p.ate at the academy level.

Ain couldnt help but feel that the spectators and partic.i.p.ants would think that it was a rigged compet.i.tion. He was worried that he might spoil the fun.

Yes. Im thinking positively, but

Oh? Whats that? Im looking forward to having fun with Ain, you know? Im even more excited now that youve grown up!

As Butz said, Ain has grown up a lot.

Last year, several ideas were considered for the announcement. But in the end, they muddied the waters by announcing that it was the influence of a powerful dryad.

Dryads were few in number, and their ecology was still not fully understood.

So, it was not surprising that this was the case. The people of Ishtalika were convinced.

N-no, Im looking forward to it too, but

At the end of the day, he seriously crossed swords with Butz. It would be nice to have such an opportunity, but somehow, he couldnt make up his mind.

Youre not very clear! Whats wrong, Ain? Whats the reason?

What should he answer? Ain, not even sure what to say, was warned by Butz, who was making such a fuss.

Well Butz? Do you have an opinion? If you do, Id like you to raise your hand and speak up.

I got carried away.

Umu. If you know that, thats good.

Kyle called to him and then Butz closed his mouth.

Butz, His Highness will soon be on his way to Magna for an inspection. With that in mind, Im sure he wont be able to give an immediate answer.

Oh I see. I guess it cant be helped then

Leonard whispered to Butz.

Although it wasnt what Ain was worried about, he was still grateful for Leonards help.

Thank you, Leonard.

He thanked Leonard by thanking him in his heart.

But as Leonard said, Ain was indeed going to Magna.

In the name of inspection. Thats how it was announced, but in reality it was an investigation team sent to investigate the Red Foxes.

Compared to Ist and Baltic, Magna was closer to the royal capital, and there were many people coming and going. Therefore, Magna was less dangerous than the previous investigations.

This is the last big event a few days before graduation. I want everyone to take care to stay healthy until then. Thats all, Leonard.

Yes, sir. Stand and bow.

How many more times would the cla.s.s gather like this?

It was probably something Ain can count on one hand, but when he thought about it, graduation felt even more real.

Now that I think about it, the trip to Magna will be with a pretty big group

Suddenly, the trip to Magna comes to mind.

Two royals, Ain and Olivia, would be traveling, which meant that security would be tight.

In other words, a lot of Royal Knights would be mobilized, so it would actually be quite a large group.

Although they were not going to Magna for fun, Ain was of course looking forward to it when he thought of Olivia, who was looking forward to going to Magna.

By the way, he heard that Katima wanted to go as well, but the spoiled cat was rejected.

Highness! Your Highness! Are you all right?

While Ain was thinking about what happened with Olivia, he heard Leonards voice.

Huh? Leonard, whats wrong?

Your Highness seemed to be in a daze for a long time, so I was worried about what was going on

He noticed that the only people left in the cla.s.sroom were the usual four: Ain, Leonard, Butz and Roland.

A-ah Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking about Magna.

I see, thats what it was since its an inspection. Im sure your schedule is full, but please take care of yourself.

After all, there seemed to have been a bit of an epidemic lately.

Leonard spoke up and looked at Ain with worried eyes.

Yes. Thanks, Leonard.

He thought for a while, and his body stiffened. As he stretched out his arms, a voice was heard saying, Um

Sorry guys! Ill be late if I dont leave now, so see you tomorrow!

The atmosphere was friendly, but Roland suddenly left the cla.s.sroom in a hurry.

Now that I think about it, hes already a respectable technician.

Yes. But youre going to be a knight after graduation, arent you?

Oh? Well, yes. But Leonard, you said you were going to work hard at your fathers place, didnt you?

Each of them had a different career path.

But somehow, all four of them ended up working in the royal capital. In fact, Butz and Leonard will be working not far from Ain.

What about Ain?

What about what?

What do you mean youre the crown prince; what are you going to do now?

Huh? Well, Im the crown prince for now.

What are you talking about? he replied to Butz with a blank look on his face.

I dont think thats going to change. Once I am crowned, I will no longer be Crown Prince, but until then, I will always be Crown Prince.

Well, yes, thats true So youre doing royalty in the castle.

Yes. Thats what it means.

I think Ill be in and out of the castle from time to time, so maybe Ill get to meet Your Highness.

I dont know about that; I think Im still far from being a knight in the service of the castle.

To serve in a castle, a knight must achieve a high grade in a high ratio to be selected.

In order to be selected to work in the castle, the first step for Butz was to achieve such results.

Well, youll just have to wait and see. One day, Ill show you that I can be a Royal Knight too!

Thats a good att.i.tude. By the way, Butz, there are a lot of etiquette requirements to become a Royal Knight, but youre going to learn them well, right?

Ugh I-I know! Ill figure it out!

Also, Butz! If you want to be a Royal Knight, youll have to behave towards His Highness

Leonard reprimanded him, but he was right.

If he was serious about becoming a Castle Knight or Royal Knight, there were many things he needed to correct.

P-please, just let me off the hook while Im at the academy.

Ain looked at Leonard with a dumbfounded look on his face and started laughing out loud as if it had nothing to do with him.

After that, the two of them had other things to do, so Ain prepared to go back to the castle.

In fact, someone was going to pick him up soon, so it was just the right time.

Then they left the school one by one, and finally, Ain went to the school gate alone.

Today had been fun, as always.

His time at school would soon come to an end. Although he was sad about it, he was sure that he would see them again in the future. Ain did not forget this hope.

When I get back to the castle, I have to finish some work before I go to Magna

The long journey to Magna begins tomorrow.

In fact, compared to the time in Ist or in Baltic, the burden is much less.

This is not only because of the time it takes but also because Magna is less threatening in terms of danger and so on.

Perhaps because of this, there was not as much excitement as there had been on the previous trip when it came to preparations.

Ain-sama! Welcome back!

The person who greeted Ain when he arrived at the school gate was not the usual Chris but rather Dill, who was unusually alone waiting for Ain.

Huh? Thats unusual, Dill.

Chris was also attracting attention, but Dill was also being looked at by pa.s.sersby.

Recently, Ain heard that he was receiving even more marriage proposals. His appearance was so striking.

Actually, there are some circ.u.mstances that prevented Chris-sama from coming here

Is she busy or something?

Ain also asked Dill what was going on since this had never happened before.

She seems to have fallen ill, so she is resting at the castle When we arrive at the castle, Varra-dono will explain the situation so you can hear the details from Varra-dono. After all, I dont know much about it myself

Dill was also perplexed in his own way when he was suddenly asked to pick up Ain.

It was fine for him to pick up Ain. On the contrary, he was grateful, but it was too sudden, and he did not know the details of the reason.

The only information he could provide was that Chris had fallen ill.

Then lets listen together. Im worried, so Ill go home soon.

Hearing Dills words, Ain walked back to the castle faster than usual.

Its an epidemic thats been going around lately. If she stays in bed for a week, shell be better in no time.

After arriving at the castle, Ain took Dill and went to Varras place.

Varras workplace was built near the training center. Not only wounded knights went there, but also those who were sick or felt something wrong with their bodies.

Now that I think about it, Leonard mentioned it

It was just a topic of small talk, but Leonard had mentioned something about an epidemic. Remembering this, Ain was surprised to see the outbreak so close to home.

Occasionally, there are outbreaks at this time of year. Its not a major illness, and it goes away with a good meal and a good nights sleep.

Clad in a clean white lab coat, Varra confidently explained that she had grown so much since she was at Ist.

Deep down, she was still nervous around Ain, but she tries hard to hide it.

So, Chris-sama and Krone-sama will have to rest for about a week

Huh? Wait, Krone too?

The name Krone was mentioned by Varra.

As for Ain, he was puzzled by the sudden mention of Krones name, as he thought that only Chris was on the sick bed.

Y-yes, sir. The same goes for Krone-sama, who is also resting in the castle. Since it seems to have happened at about the same time, they will both take a break from today on

Im sorry, Ain-sama. I didnt hear that Krone-dono would be taking a break as well

This means that there would be many problems.

The two who were supposed to accompany him cannot go with him What should he do?

Its not your fault, Dill. But what am I supposed to do about the schedule from tomorrow on? Oh, thats right! My toxin decomposition is

It will heal if they rest, so in terms of boosting their immune system, I dont think you need to push it too hard this time

Varra said.

Well, she certainly had a point.

She said it would not get any worse, so they needed to eat and rest.

If that was all it took, then maybe he should just nod his head at what she, a medical professional, said.

But Krone was Ains a.s.sistant. And Chris was considered an escort for Ain and Olivia.

If the two of them couldnt go, there would be some problems.

Excuse me! Huh, Ain-sama! Welcome back!

The one who came cheerfully was Mei. The Knights were very fond of her, and she was known as the Angel of the Knights Cafeteria.

Hey, Mei! Youre acting like this in front of His Highness Its not right, you know?

Well, well. I dont mind, Varra. So, Mei-chan? Is there anything you need?

Yes! Martha-san said something about calling Ain-sama, so Ive come to call Ain-sama!

Maybe its about the epidemic? I see, where is Martha-san?

He just wanted an explanation, so Meis appearance was perfect timing.

Um, uh. She said she was on the terrace in the courtyard with the Queen!

With Grandmother? Then I cant keep her waiting. Varra, thank you for telling me. Can you send more details about their condition to my office later?

Yes, sir! Ill have it ready for you

The appearance of Mei made Varra lose her composure.

Ain wanted to go to Laralua, so Varra replied quickly.

Mei too, thank you for your help. Dill, Ill go then.

Yes!

Ain patted Meis head, and she smiled as if tickled.

Satisfied to see Mei like that, Ain left Varras workplace.

The terrace of the courtyard where he went for a quick walk.

Olivia and Laralua loved this place, which had many beautiful flowers, trees, and white stone waterways. The contrast was beautiful.

Grandmother. I heard you wanted to see me

Actually, it was Martha who called Ain.

But Martha would never call Ain without coming herself. In this case, it must have been Laralua.

Ah, Ain-kun. Welcome back. Lets have some tea first.

Laralua found Ain and gave him a gentle smile.

She still looked as youthful as ever, and even if you describe her as being in her twenties, she would not look out of place.

Now, if youll excuse me, Id like to take the seat across from you.

Dill stood a little further away and moved to escort Martha closer.

Come to think of it, its unusual for Martha-san to be around Grandmother.

Did you know about Chris and Krone?

Yes. Apparently, they were infected with an epidemic.

The good news was that it was not that dangerous.

Ain was relieved to hear that they would be cured if they just rested for a while.

Thats right. Beria is also taking a rare day off, so I asked Martha for help.

Beria was Marthas mentor and Laraluas exclusive maid.

She was also the head maid, but her main job was to take care of Laraluas personal needs.

Because of that, she was rarely seen by Ain and the others, but her skills as a maid were first-rate, and even Martha was no match for her.

Th-Thats unusual. She seems to take even less time off than Warren-san.

Thats true Well, Beria is old, you know. She wont admit it, but her body is getting weaker.

I see.

Ain swallowed the tea Martha prepared and moistened his throat.

Yes. It tastes good today, too.

Thats what I wanted to talk to you about, Ain-kun.

Lalalua clasped her hands and looked happy.

Even her movements were full of elegance and made everyone who saw her ecstatic.

Yes. What is it?

Chris and Krone will be joining you about a week late. So you can take Martha with you. Martha will be able to do some of the a.s.sistant work, right, Martha?

Of course. So please dont worry, Ain-sama.

It seemed that the appointment was made to fill a vacancy.

But Ain was grateful. After all, Martha could be trusted as an a.s.sistant without any worries.

Thank you for your consideration.

Its okay, this much. She will also keep an eye on that girl.

She seemed to whisper something, but the words did not reach Ain.

Also, Ain-kun. You shouldnt visit them, okay? Its not safe if something goes wrong.

Youre right.

Thats why you should write them a letter. They will still be happy, so when you write the letter, have someone give it to them. Okay?

He had not been informed in detail about the disease, but he should certainly be prepared for any eventuality.

As Laralua said, Ain decided to prepare a letter for later.

I understand. I will ask Varra to give it to them later.

Well, thats a relief then. Then, Ain-kun, would you be willing to have tea with me once in a while?

Thinking back, he felt that he had been very busy lately and had not spent much time with Laralua.

Since it was a good time and there was still some free time, Ain decided to enjoy the conversation with Laralua.

I wouldnt trust such a big role to anyone else.

Ara, Ain-kun, you have grown into a fine man, havent you? I will accompany you for a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince.

Seeing Ain speak like that, Laralua also felt that Ain had grown up.

After that, the two of them enjoyed a long, slow conversation until the evening.