For a week after returning to the capital, Jared Murphy had been ordered to lie low by his fiancée, Olivier Alway.
He was allowed to visit the Mage Association to submit his report and provide a verbal explanation. He also sometimes went shopping in the merchant district to buy daily necessities for Emilia Alway, Olivier’s younger sister, with whom he had started living.
The shopping trip was hurried but enjoyable, accompanied by Hannelore Alway, who had been afraid of assassination and had never left her mansion before, Olivier, who had stayed by her mother’s side to protect her, and Emilia, who, as a young lady of the Ducal Family, had never shopped herself due to merchants visiting the mansion.
Not only the four of them, but also Trane Glasler, their family member and companion, Riao, a royal of the Dragon Kingdom who sought fun and excitement, and Almeida, Jared’s mentor, who also served as a bodyguard, joined them in town.
Although it was a sweet yet tiring time with six women and only one man, Jared was genuinely pleased to see their smiles. He didn’t say it out loud, but he felt like a father spending time with his family.
After a week dedicated to family time, Jared, now dressed and ready, was heading to the mansion of Court Mage Tres Brauer for their meeting. He had received a letter from Tres expressing concern for Jared, who had recently returned from Duke R’s territory, and a request to meet at a later date. It was clear that Tres wanted to hear directly about the Orthodox Magician Army Jared had encountered there.
At the same time, Tres was worried about Ernesta Kaif, who had become Jared’s secretary officer and the family of his deceased friend. He likely wanted to inquire about her as well.
The secretary officers had also been told to take a week off—by Olivier, that is. Lily Rüdiger, the secretary officer and daughter of Duke Rüdiger, had not sustained any particular injuries, but Ernesta had been discovered collapsed by Pfeil. Furthermore, since she had no memory of what happened during that time, rest was deemed necessary.
Fortunately, the Mage Association seemed to agree. If Olivier hadn’t requested that Jared and the others rest, they would have likely proposed it themselves. Thanks to this, Jared had no magician-related work and only trained to adjust his body with his mentor. Jared, having regained his full strength, was set to consult with his mentor on how he should fight going forward and undergo retraining.
He had promised Olivier—so he wouldn’t lose again.
“Well, I’m off.”
“Have a good trip. Please give my regards to Luzer and Tres.”
Dressed in a school uniform, the formal wear for students, Jared stepped outside his mansion, seen off by his fiancée, but was suddenly called back.
“Wait, Jared. I have something to tell you.”
“Rosa?”
Turning around, he saw Rosa Roen, who lived with him in the mansion. She was one of Waalthe’s successors and a colleague of Pfeil. At the same time, she was Jared’s aunt.
Rosa, who said she had something to discuss, seemed somewhat bewildered. Her expression, peeking out from her fiery red hair, was restless and uneasy. Her uncharacteristic behavior, so unlike the combat professional she was, made Jared frown.
“What’s wrong?”
Although they had an aunt-nephew relationship, their close ages allowed for informal language. They had once been targets of assassination attempts, but now they acted as if they had forgotten, with no animosity between them.
“It’s about Pfeil.”
“What happened to him? Don’t tell me—”
Jared worried that something might have happened related to Waalthe’s missions. As a member of an assassination organization, Pfeil was constantly in danger. Jared, who had fought him, knew his strength, but there were no absolutes in combat.
“Calm down, nothing has happened to him. Or, has it?”
“Which is it!”
Jared’s voice rose in annoyance at Rosa’s vagueness, but she, unfazed, searched for words as if troubled. Then, finding the appropriate ones, she turned her serious gaze to Jared.
“Pfeil is secretly meeting with a woman.”
“Haaaaaaah!?”
Despite being prepared for something, Jared couldn’t help but let out a loud shout at Rosa’s unexpected words. He couldn’t imagine Pfeil, who was stoic yet hid a passionate heart, secretly meeting with a woman. If he were to be open about his actions, his demeanor wouldn’t change even if he had a lover. Much less would he do something so sneakily.
“Isn’t it just your imagination?”
“No, it’s not. I used the techniques I learned from my father to tail him last night, so I’m sure!”
“…Don’t waste your skills like that.”
Jared couldn’t help but feel utterly exasperated. Whether Pfeil met women or had a lover was his own business. While it was a lie to say he wasn’t curious about the other party, it would be cruel to forcefully uncover it.
“And the person he was meeting was your secretary officer, Ernesta Kaif!”
“—*Pft*”
Jared couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He splashed saliva on Rosa in front of him, but he was too busy choking and coughing to care. He wouldn’t oppose their relationship, nor did he have the right to, but he couldn’t help but wonder when and where it had started. He was shaken by the unexpected revelation, and his heart pounded. He recalled how Pfeil had spoken with concern about Ernesta in Duke R’s territory.
“I thought for sure you were smitten with Hannelore, but it seems that’s not the case.”
“I thought so too at first, but I think my feelings for Hannelore are more of admiration and maternal affection.”
Jared himself, having never known his mother, sometimes saw a motherly figure in Hannelore’s kindness.
“Hmmm…”
“What is it? Waalthe doesn’t forbid love, does it? After all, Wahash himself is having children, so marriage should be possible, shouldn’t it?”
“Certainly, romance and marriage are not a problem as long as they don’t harm the organization. But—”
Rosa paused, then her eyes widened, and she raised her voice.
“I’m restraining myself to just watching Konrad from afar every day, and he’s secretly meeting with a woman—how unfair!”
In response to her heartfelt plea, Jared blurted out,
“Don’t go stalking Konrad!”
Jared couldn’t help but retort, wondering if that’s what she had been doing.
