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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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There was a figure who, despite being present for only a fleeting moment, remained unforgettable in my life. For me, that figure was Delt.
He was the one who, in order to kidnap Lagnis, mobilized two wyverns, their riders, and four individuals approaching the level of semi-knights, striving for perfection even in a remote village.
Although because of him I had to perform a skydive without a parachute… my amazement at him didn’t diminish just because he made me struggle at the brink of death.
After all, it was he who gave new meaning to beheading someone, which was originally intended to end things painlessly.
Even now, when I recall Delt’s eyes as he accepted that unavoidable, unstoppable strike, there’s an inexplicable chill.
In less than a second, he understood everything and accepted it not with resignation, but with comprehension.
Those eyes had a power that commanded respect, despite him being an enemy.
I wondered what kind of person he was, why he had chosen to act against Lagnis.
Many questions followed, but with no way to resolve them, I simply put them aside.
That incident became a catalyst for me to blindly trust in the advantage of surprise attacks, while simultaneously teaching me the lesson that I should never let my guard down.
You’re wondering why I’m suddenly reminiscing?
Sitting alone pathetically in a cafe, various memories suddenly surfaced.
This led me to contemplate the differences between the strong in this world, connecting it to Gwillo and Rag, who had caused a sword fight in the morning.
Since I gained the ability to handle magic, I’ve been living without major issues.
Of course, a few days ago, fighting with demons was a bit touch-and-go… but fortunately, that was within expectations.
It wasn’t a threatening situation where death loomed with every swing of the sword.
In the end, the only time I truly faced an unexpected situation was when I encountered Delt’s double trap.
Although I’m living quite smoothly now, the day of adventure to kill the destroyer of my hometown will come, whether it involves invading demon territory or something else.
There’s no guarantee that it will be like now, so honestly, I had a desire to meet an overwhelmingly strong opponent in a safe situation to concretely understand my current state.
But that seemed to be the most difficult thing to resolve.
If I had a chance to compete with Lord Ekaf or Radnelbandes, it might be helpful, but they were all far too busy for me to dare approach them.
Even the more prominent knights of the Ogatorf family weren’t free enough to engage in one-on-one duels, so my desire remained unfulfilled.
“Oh, my fate…”
Glancing out the window, I could clearly see enthusiastic followers lurking, waiting for me to leave the cafe.
Come on, don’t they have classes?
A student’s primary duty is to attend classes, not stalk idols.
Left alone while Lagnis attended additional magic classes, I was at a cafe recommended to me when I first came to the Academy, eating dessert and drinking coffee.
It wasn’t that I particularly wanted this.
I had just overheard from Sieg that in the Empire, there was a culture of leaving people alone when they sat by themselves drinking tea without even reading a book or newspaper, assuming they had something to contemplate.
I happened to need to escape from my fanatical followers.
At that moment, a mysterious white-haired girl opened the door of the shop and walked directly towards me with an incredibly confident gait.
Just from her walk, it was obvious she was nobility, but that wasn’t unusual here in the Academy where nobles were common.
Her white hair, so pale it seemed almost transparent like someone with albinism, and her snow-white skin weren’t particularly surprising either.
The golden eyes seemed a bit chuunibyou-esque, but… this world had even stranger things.
Even in my previous life, amber-colored eyes existed depending on pigmentation, so it wasn’t surprising here.
The way they beautifully shimmered was a bit unusual, though.
And while all of these features combined to create an appearance as cute as a small doll, which wasn’t common, this too wasn’t shocking.
After all, I was a man who had lived with an elf for over five years.
I was confident that I wouldn’t be surprised by mere beauty.
The problem was her gaze.
As soon as she entered the shop and our eyes met, my instincts raised a small alarm.
It was a purely calculating gaze that seemed to analyze people to their core.
Although she looked no older than 12, those weren’t eyes a child could possess.
She must have been older than she appeared, just with slower growth, and clearly in a position to handle people.
Having made this assessment, I calmly asked the girl who was still approaching me, maintaining direct eye contact:
“Would you like some cake?”
“Uh, huh?”
“It seems like you have something to say to me, and it’s a bit awkward eating and drinking alone. Or would you prefer a drink?”
“I-is that so? Then… a drink and cake…”
What was this?
The hesitant behavior seemed to have completely erased the gaze from earlier.
Had I been mistaken?
Was she just an ordinary girl?
Although I was a bit confused, I used my butler experience from the Ogatorf family to escort her, in case she was just an ordinary girl who might feel intimidated by me.
The height difference between us was nearly 50 cm.
If she really was a child, just facing someone so much taller could be threatening.
I didn’t want to be remembered as the bastard who made a young noble girl cry in a foreign country.
So, I stood up with a gentle demeanor, pulled out a chair for the girl to sit, recommended menu items before she could worry about choosing, selected a matching tea, and after finishing the order, I returned to my seat to find the girl looking at me with a very surprised expression.
“W-well, you’re quite skillful.”
Natural use of informal speech.
Unique way of talking.
If nothing else, she must be quite a high-ranking noble.
Yet, she maintained etiquette… This suggested she wasn’t consumed by noble pride like Gwillo, but genuinely high-ranking.
“I’ve learned just enough not to be embarrassed.”
“… Do you know who I am?”
“No, I’m sorry. This is our first meeting, and I’m not well-versed in social circles, so I have no idea.”
However, I could tell that her way of speaking, which seemed more fitting for an elderly person, was seriously cute.
Is this how grandfathers talk?
In my memories from my previous life, I recall characters like royalty or dragons in novels referring to themselves as “we,” but there’s no way a dragon would be strolling in the middle of the Empire… and since Esselua was blonde, she’s probably not royalty either.
Well, she might be a somewhat high-ranking noble, but as long as she’s not royalty or a dragon, I should be able to manage somehow!
“I-is that so? You treat me this way even without knowing who I am?”
“I may not be of noble birth, but I’m not so uncouth as to have never learned basic etiquette.”
“Hmm. Birth is not important. Even in the Empire, there are plenty of people wearing the mask of nobility who are worse than butchers. A person’s worth is not bound by such things.”
She’s so tiny, yet she speaks such truths without stumbling over her words – it’s too cute!
This might mean the Empire’s future is brighter than expected.
I almost want to show her to Sieg.
She’s so admirable that I decided to add a bit of flattery.
“You have great insight. Indeed, you must be a noble of the Empire, where an academy exists that embraces both commoners and nobility.”
“Hmm…? How did you know? Didn’t you say you didn’t know who I am?”
“Well, you’re not wearing a uniform, so you’re not a student, and if you were an envoy here to meet the hero, your entourage would have accompanied you inside. Moreover… the students who were watching me from outside disappeared as soon as you appeared.”
The girl, who had been eyeing me suspiciously, adorably opened her eyes wide, looked back and forth between the window and me a couple of times, and then burst into laughter.
Honestly, seeing how the students had almost frantically disappeared, I was starting to feel a bit nervous about who she might be, but I didn’t show it.
“My! I hadn’t thought of that. By the way, I heard you’ve only been at the academy for three days, but you already have followers?”
“It’s just that some people have given me an excessive evaluation despite my insufficient ability to teach others.”
“Haha! ‘Insufficient ability to teach others,’ you say! I see. You have no intention of being modest about your skills that defeated the hero and killed the young lion of Rudra!”
Watching the girl catch my exact intention from my words without missing a beat, I smiled slightly and was certain.
Whatever else, she was no ordinary person.
Judging by the reaction of the waiter who brought the cake and tea while trembling, she must be from a family with considerable power.
I was starting to want to ask outright who she was, but seeing her eyes sparkle at the sight of the cake, I decided to just enjoy the scene as if watching a cute little sister for now.
“Do you know? They say sweet foods are very helpful when you need to think. Not only for calming anger but also for clearing your thoughts.”
Wasn’t glucose like fuel for the brain?
I had definitely picked up that knowledge once in my previous life, but I couldn’t mention it here, so I just smiled slightly and answered appropriately.
“I had no idea. But considering how I always crave sweets when I have a lot of thinking to do, it seems likely to be true.”
“Indeed it is. Even I find myself craving cake every hour when dealing with work, which is quite troublesome.”
As she ate the cake triumphantly, saying she hadn’t eaten any today so there was no need to worry, I was a bit concerned whether the cake would suit her taste, but seeing her satisfied expression, it seemed she wasn’t particularly picky.
Honestly, I had hoped to see her stuff her cheeks like a hamster, but the girl ate the cake in small, cut pieces, maintaining almost old-fashioned table manners.
How disappointing… so disappointing!
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[Eldmia proving once again that he’s the top G, better detective than batman]
Eldmia, this u?
Well, not actually. After all, he gave her significant respect
See, she already likes him
He has this uncanny ability to—get bitches!