“Hmm?”
Right after receiving an explanation about Adams’ authority from Gloria, I felt something unsettling from the south. If it’s south from the Elf Village, it would be Pars—no, that’s further away, isn’t it…? It was just a feeling, so I wasn’t entirely sure.
“What’s wrong, Kelvin? Did you have a bad premonition or not…? You’re making a face that suggests just that.”
“How can you read my mind so precisely…? Is my face that easy to read?”
“Well, compared to Adams, whose expressions are impossible to read, you are rather transparent.”
I nodded deeply at Gloria’s words, agreeing with her. Yeah, compared to Adams, my face is practically an easy mode.
“You see, I felt a strange, hard-to-describe presence in that direction. It was only for a moment, so I thought I might have imagined it… Hmm, something is still bothering me. Efil, Gloria, did you sense anything?”
“A strange presence? …No, I didn’t feel anything in particular.”
“I apologize, Master. I also did not feel any particular presence like that.”
“I see…”
Then, was it just my imagination? Hmm, if the perceptive Sera or the Kashua with her exceptional sensory abilities were here, I’m sure we could have figured it out more clearly. But that’s how it is. Sera is currently staying in the Northern Continent, and Kashua is likely at the Academy in the Western Continent, so they’re too far away. It’s impossible to—
“Your Highness! Didn’t you just feel a disturbing presence!? Just for a moment! It felt like it came from the southern part of the Eastern Continent, didn’t it!?”
—Suddenly, a telepathic message arrived from Mel. Wait a minute, you’re supposed to be in Reigand, the Ice Country in the Western Continent, aren’t you? You’re much farther away than I am, so how could you sense it? …No, perhaps it was because it was related to Mel?
“What a coincidence. I’m in the Elf Village right now, and I thought I felt a strange presence from the south. Efil, who was with me, didn’t notice… Mel, what do you think?”
“So, only we were able to notice it…? Let me see. For example, perhaps that person has some strong feelings towards us, and that desire was projected as a presence. The person might have been protected by a barrier that blocked their presence, but their feelings were so strong that a trace of their presence leaked out from the barrier—something like that?”
“Um… that specific guess, isn’t it ninety-nine percent likely to be about Rukil? If you ask whether it’s a positive or negative presence, I’d say it was definitely negative.”
“That’s right. Further information would be that Adams and Maria might also be involved.”
“Yeah, they’re not the type to just wait till the ceremony day quietly…”
Rukil revived from a mysterious near-death state, where even healing magic was ineffective, in such a short time and managed to win a spot in the “Wait a moment” event. He’s truly amazing, considering he’s just recovered from an illness. However, I don’t think that fanatic will be satisfied with just that. He’ll probably willingly drain his recovered life force to desire even more power.
And Adams and Maria won’t be leaving a Rukil who desires such power to his own devices. Whether it’s for some deep strategic reason or just for fun, the reasons might vary, but I’m absolutely certain that’s the flow it will take. Yes, I can be confident about that kind of talk.
“Well, as long as they don’t do anything bad, I welcome them getting stronger no matter what they do. But, I see. So, Rukil is trying so hard to become stronger… If that’s the case, it will really help us with our preparations for the main event!”
“Help us with what, Your Highness?”
“Whi—!”
“See, Lalanua is shocked too—and wait, Lalanua? Are you letting Lalanua join the telepathic conversation too?”
“Huh?”
“Hau?”
Oh, that’s right. Lalanua must have woken up without me noticing and joined the telepathic conversation— Wha—!?!?
“Um, Your Highness?”
“Ah, ah, sorry. I was just a little surprised… No, wait a minute. I’ve given you the doppelganger Kuroto as a guard, but I haven’t taught you how to use telepathy yet!?”
“So, Lalanua did it on her own? …Um, Lalanua can’t even crawl yet, can she?”
“Well, she can barely hold her head up. But, you know, Lalanua is a genius! Actually—”
Regarding the bow magic Lalanua demonstrated, my explanation was vague.
“I see, so that’s how it is… And now, she’s even learned how to use telepathy on her own.”
“Awo!”
“Lalanua, you truly are a genius…!”
“Your Highness, our Kuromel is also a genius, you know!? She’s the youngest admitted genius at Lumiest, you know!?”
“O-oh?”
Sometimes I wonder. Isn’t Mel just as much a doting parent as I am? At any rate, the discussion about the disturbing presence went somewhere else, and the subsequent telepathic conversation was all about Kuromel and Lalanua.
“—Phew, that was a fruitful time. It’s nice to have these kinds of conversations during training breaks once in a while.”
“Training? Weren’t we supposed to be going to the refuge in Reigand to prepare for the ceremony?”
“That’s part of it, but I can’t afford to fall behind Rukil. Well then, I’ll be returning to ceremony preparations and training. You can’t afford to fall behind Lalanua either, Your Highness?”
With those words, the telepathic connection with Mel was severed. I don’t quite understand, but it seems Mel is also working hard in her own way. Yeah, I really don’t understand it, though.
“Master, were you talking on telepathy?”
“Yeah, it just ended. I got a message from Mel, and I was surprised when Lalanua suddenly started participating in the telepathic conversation.”
“Lalanua? That’s truly daunting, even for my own child… Besides, joining telepathy without permission is a breach of manners. We need to teach her properly about that!”
“Ah, that’s what you’re focused on?”
Efil’s eyes are overwhelmingly focused on the future rather than on surprise. My, she’s quite composed. Well then, I should also act with the future in mind. Even if it involves some unreasonable demands.
“Gloria, do you have any plans before the ceremony? If you have some free time, I was hoping you’d spar with me like last time… And, if possible, with the other Ten Authorities involved too?”
Even though I subjected her to what felt like a harassing training session last time, I’m making this proposal to Gloria. It’s natural to expect a refusal, but if I can somehow arrange training with the Ten Authorities, it would allow me to regularly interact with the powers of authority. That would be so productive, so productive!
“Training? Ah, that’s fine. I don’t know what the busy Kelvum will say, but I’ll talk to Isabel and Rem about it.”
“W-well, please don’t just dismiss it? I understand that I’m asking for a lot. But, I want to do what I can— Y-you mean, yes!?”
I was flustered by the immediate acceptance. Aren’t you being unusually agreeable today!?
“Except for Kelvum, the others are relatively free at the moment. It’s better to spar with you than to spend our time idly. Besides, Isabel would gladly lend a hand for a wish of that nature. A Guardian subject with ambition is a very desirable existence for Isabel. As for Rem… well, she’ll probably be fine. She’s surprisingly cooperative.”
“O-oh…!”
My request, made on a whim, was accepted so smoothly. Not only that, but she’ll also act as an intermediary for the legendary Isabel and Rem. Dammit, Gloria is starting to look like a goddess to me… Her presence is dazzling!
“Ah, looking at me like that with my wife right there, I think it’s a bit much, don’t you? Well, seeing as there’s a lot written in that Adventurer’s Journal, I suppose it’s understandable in a way.”
“Master~?”
“Eh? …Ah, no, it’s not, it’s not! That wasn’t that kind of look! It was a look of gratitude!”
Immediately after, I was met with Efil’s smile and the pressure of her gaze, prompting me to reflect.
