Two months have passed in the blink of an eye.
It’s been quite hectic.
It was an afternoon with a warm day for winter. On the terrace of the Alway Ducal Family Villa, Jared and Olivier were spending quiet time together.
The garden flowers had become quite bare, but he knew the family was tending to them for spring. The boy had been helping when he could, but recently he’d been busy preparing to become a Court Mage.
Fortunately, no major incidents had occurred, but it goes without saying that these past two months had been full of changes for both Jared and Olivier.
It must have been years since I last attended a noble’s event.
Hahaha, everyone was surprised.
He recalled how surprised everyone was when Olivier, who had for the first time in years appeared in public as a noble at the party hosted by Court Mage Tres Brauer and Adelina Bischof, had attended.
The incident that occurred two months ago resulted in a major reorganization of the Royal Knights and the Royal Mage Corps. They were unified and renamed the Royal Magic Knights. Tres, whose rank had risen to fourth in the Court Mage hierarchy, was now in charge.
Fortunately, there were no voices of opposition. The former Commander of the Royal Knights’ full cooperation was a significant factor.
Furthermore, with the addition of young Court Mages like Jared, Adelina’s rank also rose to fifth.
Jared, who could be called their friend, was invited to the celebration they held and attended with his family.
The two, who already had relationships with his family, had kindly invited everyone.
How rude of them. While it’s true that only bad rumors were spread, and I even used those rumors, to be stared at as if I were a demon…
Having a past where her mother, Hannelore, was targeted by her father’s consort, she couldn’t trust anyone and continued to push others away to avoid involving them.
She orchestrated the spread of malicious rumors to make people want nothing to do with her. She even enjoyed the process somewhat, which is why many people are afraid of Olivier.
Of course, those who knew her circumstances understood it was a misunderstanding, but it was understandable that people would develop a false impression of the Duke’s daughter, who had not stood in public as a noble for many years and whose name was only heard through bad rumors.
I know it’s my own fault, but to be feared just for greeting someone… just how scary am I?
Tres’s lover had apparently heard about Olivier’s character from him, and since they were close in age, she greeted Olivier with a smile. Recently, they had been exchanging letters and having tea, so not only Jared but his entire family were happy that Olivier’s circle of friends had grown.
However, it seemed that many people still misunderstood. The nobles who approached to greet the Duke’s daughter were cautious, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.
Some even showed obvious fear, letting out a gasp, which shocked Olivier.
Something similar happened at Adelina’s party, and Jared found himself having to smooth things over many times with a troubled expression.
However, perhaps it paid off, as she seemed to be recognized as “not as bad as the rumors suggested,” and recently Olivier seemed happy to receive a letter from a friend from her student days asking to meet again.
The woman who continued to fight, even sacrificing herself to protect her family, had embarked on a new path.
Little by little, the misunderstandings seem to be clearing up, and I’m sure time will resolve them.
I hope so.
Although Olivier seemed dejected, she moistened her throat with tea and changed the subject, switching her emotions.
By the way, you met Dennis Beckman the other day. Did you hear about your mother?
Thankfully, Dennis told me a lot. Most of it was heroic tales, which were hard to react to, but I’m glad I got to know a different side of my mother.
Yes, that’s good.
Jared returned the smile to his fiancée, who smiled at him as if it were her own matter.
When he learned that Dennis Beckman of the Mage Association, whom he knew, was the First Seat of the Court Mages as he prepared to become one himself, he was surprised.
He had heard that Dennis knew his deceased mother, so he understood the truth when he learned it, but he never expected him to be working as a mere staff member.
The First Seat of the Court Mages is shrouded in mystery, and the public only knows that he is the King’s trusted confidant. It’s likely there are other reasons, perhaps to avoid revealing the nation’s full military strength.
Jared signed a non-disclosure agreement at the same time he learned Dennis’s true identity.
Dennis’s achievements include rebuilding the once corrupt Mage Association from the ground up and improving relations with the Royal Palace.
While relations between the Royal Palace and the Mage Association are close now, it wasn’t always the case. Information about mages was bought and sold through backroom deals, and they collaborated with nobles to incorporate mages, receiving many rewards in return.
Now, those who were involved in such activities are either in prison or dead.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one surprised to learn of Dennis’s true identity.
Laurentz Herring and Pfeil, who would become his peers as Court Mages, felt the same. The former was surprised by the background of someone he thought was just a regular staff member, and the latter wished he had recognized their true abilities.
The stories of his mother, told by such seniors, were both surprising and new.
While his mother had been kind and cheerful to Jared, she was a completely different person according to Dennis. He had heard before that she was feared as the “God of Destruction,” but when he heard other heroic tales, he was dumbfounded.
She broke into an enemy country alone and defeated its main forces. She charged into a horde of magical beasts and returned unscathed. She defeated raging dragon species and used them as mounts—honestly, the content made him doubt it, but Dennis, who shuddered even while recalling those days, didn’t seem to be lying, and Jared realized just how extraordinary his deceased mother had been.
Tell me about Jared’s mother too.
With pleasure.
I will become a Court Mage worthy of my mother, who protected the country while causing such a ruckus, Jared vowed.
