Chapter 6.10

The carriage of the Marquis Bartshire family, which protected the Demekia Temple, had mythological masterpieces painted even on its interior ceiling. The carriage carrying the four of them set off directly for the capital, but no one spoke a word.

Only after several minutes had passed since they boarded did Diashi, unable to withstand the awkward atmosphere, speak up first.

“Ha ha, thank you so much for giving me a ride, Sir Lusellion! Honestly, I never imagined I’d receive such an honor.”

“Not at all. I’m just carrying out Miss Brienne’s orders today. If you want to thank someone, thank Miss Brienne.”

It seemed Diashi and Lusell already knew each other, as both had the reputation of being top graduates of the Academy. Brienne, who had been watching Diashi—who seemed to dislike people from the temple—waved her hand in surprise.

“What are you saying? It’s all thanks to you, Lusell, for thinking ahead, knowing the Academy and Association are close.”

“Oh? Miss, you call Sir Lusellion by his nickname?”

“Ah, it’s not a nickname…”

“It is a nickname. I’m actually quite close to Miss Brienne.”

Lusell winked at Brienne, who hurriedly tried to deny it. He seemed to want to send a secret signal like Zen, to keep the investigation of heresy secret, but Lusell’s gesture was so clumsy it looked more cute than sly.

“That’s right, close friends.”

When Brienne couldn’t help but burst out laughing, Lusell tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just something. Oh, since we’re talking about it, Lusell, why don’t you call me by my name too?”

Now that she thought about it, it felt awkward for Lusell to use honorifics with her. Besides, this wasn’t Rontiano, and both Lusell and Brienne were nobles.

But Lusell seemed to think differently.

“Um… I appreciate the suggestion, but I’m comfortable as it is. Actually, I’d need permission from His Highness.”

“Permission?”

“Yes.”

Lusell smiled awkwardly and nodded.

“I also have a similar situation, just like you, Miss Brienne. Ah! By the way, did you know? In the past year that I’ve watched, His Highness hasn’t eaten vegetables even once.”

“Oh my. Are you trying to change the subject? That’s not funny at all.”

“…Ahem.”

Lusell coughed loudly and rubbed his neck, avoiding Brienne’s eyes. In that friendly atmosphere, only Herace remained quiet.

Diashi, watching Lusell and Brienne interact warmly, turned to Herace and changed the topic.

“Um, but Sir Herace, why are you going to the Association? Are you getting permission to use magic?”

“…There’s a trial.”

“A trial? As a spectator? Oh, actually, I have to stop by the Association before going to the Academy too. I’ve been selected as a new researcher for the Academy’s new course curriculum.”

“I see. Is the new course in the field of magic studies?”

“Yes, practical magic studies. Anyway, I’m supposed to meet Professor Ruyten, who will sponsor my research. Oh, come to think of it…! That professor said he’d be attending today’s trial too! I heard it’s a really funny trial.”

“……”

“In this day and age, what kind of idiot would use magic for a natural disaster…”

Diashi laughed exaggeratedly, but Herace said nothing. Diashi’s expression, usually quick to read the room, stiffened.

“Uh…? Don’t tell me, is it…”

Suddenly, the carriage was filled with silence. Diashi, who had been trying to break the awkwardness, sensed something had gone wrong.

Diashi urgently whispered to Brienne.

“…What did I just say?”

“You said, uh, ‘idiot’…”

Brienne’s face turned red as she coughed and quietly answered.

Diashi took a sharp breath.

“Ahem, ha ha… People make mistakes sometimes, right? Right?”

Diashi shifted her eyes, seeking Brienne’s agreement. Sweat seemed to be breaking out on her face as she glanced at Herace.

“I’m fine.”

Herace smiled lightly and looked out the window, but after that icy moment, no one could speak. 

The long silence was finally broken by Lusell.

“E-everyone, good news. We’re almost at the Association!”

“Oh, really?!”

Diashi jumped up in the shaking carriage and slung her bag over her shoulder. Brienne thought she heard a sigh of relief from Diashi, but pretended not to notice and greeted her.

“This is really goodbye now. It was nice being together, Miss Diashi.”

“Me too. Sir Lusellion, Sir Herace, it was great meeting you all!”

As soon as the carriage stopped, Diashi almost leapt out the door and shouted loudly.

“Oh right, Miss! You haven’t forgotten we’re meeting next week, have you?”

“Huh? Next week?”

“Yes! We promised to go to the bookstore together in a week. Don’t tell me… you’ve already forgotten?”

“Ah, well…”

Diashi, who had been smiling brightly, looked at Brienne in disbelief. Faced with her hurt expression, Brienne tried hard to remember.

But, to Diashi’s disappointment, it was the first she’d heard of it. As Brienne struggled, Herace quietly whispered to her.

“Maybe you don’t remember because you were drinking. Brienne, you did that last time too.”

“Last time?”

“Yes, when we first met.”

‘If that’s the case…’

‘Was he talking about when I went down to the estate?’

As Brienne tried to recall, her face showed her confusion.

‘Right. I drank wine with Shylo and Herace. No wonder I couldn’t remember anything the next day.’

Feeling embarrassed, Brienne avoided Herace’s gaze and stuck her head out the carriage window. She comforted Diashi, who was still disappointed.

“Sorry, Miss Diashi. I just remembered. I must have forgotten for a moment.”

“Really?! Then you’ll keep the promise and meet me that day!”

“Yes, please send me a letter.”

With her mood brightened, Diashi waved and left first. Only then did Herace lightly get up and step out of the carriage.

“Then, once my business is done, I’ll come find you at the Academy. I’ll listen to the story we were going to share then.”

“Oh, yes, take care. I hope the trial goes well…”

Brienne hesitated as she said goodbye, and Herace smiled faintly and turned away. But he paused, then came back to the carriage.

“…Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a while. I’ll keep helping with Derrick Harrington’s matter. Until your heart is completely at ease about it.”

‘Derrick Harrington?’

Brienne, who had half given up on the matter when she decided to enter Roeta Academy, was a little surprised to hear Herace mention it.

‘So he was thinking about that while looking out the window…’

He’d been thinking about that. As Brienne followed Herace’s gaze out the window, she wondered what he saw and what made him frown. In truth, even when she pretended not to care about Herace, all her attention was on him. After talking with Diashi, she wanted to ask him even more.

“……”

Brienne regretted having acted pettily toward him just because he had upset her. She still couldn’t fully understand Herace’s intentions when he acted coldly toward her, but sometimes there are feelings that can’t be explained in words. With a faint smile, Brienne nodded.

“Thank you, for thinking of me.”

“Instead of saying thank you.”

Herace, leaning on the carriage doorframe, looked up at Brienne and smiled gently. As Brienne tilted her head in puzzlement, Herace took her hand and pressed his lips to it.

“I’d like it if you told me you’ll miss me.”

“Wh-what are you saying…? We’ll see each other soon.”

A kiss, not on the back of the hand, but on the palm. Brienne, startled, tried to pull her hand away, but Herace gently tightened his grip on her wrist. His calm, deep gray eyes looked toward Brienne.

“Even if it’s only for a few minutes. I will miss you a lot, Brienne. The time I spend apart from you is not precious to me at all.”

His soft laughter tickled her heart, making it tremble. Now that she realized all the words she had considered mere jokes were actually sincere, she couldn’t get upset or tell him not to tease her as she used to.

Somehow, even more than before…

Brienne bit her lip and turned her gaze away from his face, which now held no trace of a smile. Suddenly, she recalled their first meeting on that stormy night.

‘Just when did he start liking me?’

She couldn’t look straight at Herace’s face, who was gazing at her with the same eyes as back then.

* * *

“Um… Miss Brienne, Sir Herace said he would help with Derrick Harrington’s case. Does that mean things haven’t been resolved?”

Even after the carriage started moving, Lusell cautiously asked Brienne, who was still watching Herace’s receding figure through the window.

Brienne blinked and turned her gaze to Lusell.

“Oh, right. I meant to tell you about that…”

Having hurriedly prepared for her admission, she hadn’t been able to explain the details to Lusell and had only said things weren’t going well. Brienne opened her bag and took out the Rontiano newspaper she had brought to show Lusell.

“Derrick Harrington disappeared the very day I returned. This is another article from before he went missing.”

Lusell, frowning, read through the article Brienne handed him. After a while, Lusell’s face grew as serious as when he was investigating heresy in Rontiano.

“It’s certainly suspicious. Even if something like this happened, it wouldn’t be enough for him to disappear on his own. Besides, wasn’t this newspaper published after you reported it, Miss Brienne?”

“That’s right. It was published the day after I returned to the capital.”

“…Oh dear, then this really is bad. If someone intervened, I wonder if the underground prison, which His Highness and I submitted as evidence to the temple, is still intact.”

“But, isn’t the ledger you brought as evidence still there? And the translation of the ancient language written on the wall?”

“That’s true, but…”

Lusell sighed deeply and returned the newspaper.

“The problem is that the ‘Hamartia’ Inquisition is still organizing their investigation team.”

“Ha…mar…tia?”

Brienne’s face showed her confusion. Lusell scratched his neck and smiled apologetically.

“It’s the name we use for heretics in Roeta. There are so many sects that just calling them heretics isn’t enough, so His Highness and I suggested that term.”

“Ah, I see…”

Hamartia. Somehow, it sounded familiar. After a moment’s thought, Brienne raised her hand to comfort Lusell.

“Lusell, you must be worried if the investigation hasn’t even started yet. I thought everything had been resolved.”

“Well, the nature of the case means there are a lot of people it must go through… That’s always how official institutions are. That’s why His Highness and I moved directly, to speed up the process.”

As Diashi had said, it was indeed complicated in a country where the King, the Pope, and mages coexisted. Brienne nodded in understanding, and Lusell continued.

“By the way, I wish I could comfort you, but I’m not very good with words. If His Highness was here, he would have lifted your spirits with a witty remark…”

“No, Lusell, you’re witty enough. By the way, how is Zen—no, Prince Garzen?”

“He’s currently having an audience with His Majesty the King, so he couldn’t come. But when I told him you were arriving today, he said, ‘To think I cannot greet Miss Brienne myself… On a day like this, I must present His Majesty with a lake made from my tears in front of the palace.’ He asked me to tell you.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

“How did you memorize something so long?”

“He muttered it into my ear a hundred times.”

“That’s just like him.”

As Brienne and Lusell talked about Garzen, the carriage soon stopped in front of the Academy. Lusell hopped out and offered Brienne his elbow.

“Take my arm.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Brienne, grabbing her luggage, squinted at the sunlight, which was even brighter than before. Then, a beautiful sight unfolded before her eyes. She stared blankly for a moment, then turned to Lusell in disbelief.

“Lusell… Is this really the Academy? Not a palace?”

“Yes. Do you like it?”

A strange look appeared on Brienne’s face as she looked forward again.

“…No one could dislike this place.”

The grand main gate reminiscent of the Rontiano Imperial Palace, the beautiful gardens on both sides of the path, the towering clock tower, the massive statue in the center, and the golden fountain. Brienne had heard of the grandeur of Roeta Academy, but the scene was far more splendid than she had imagined.

A look of pride filled Lusell’s face as he glanced at Brienne’s sparkling light green eyes.

“To think calm you are left speechless, Miss Brienne—this is a first.”

“Of course. Just being able to attend such an Academy feels like a dream.”

“I hope you’ll still like it at the end. From here, someone else will guide you. Soon, I think…”

Lusell took a pocket watch from his coat and looked around. At that moment, a man with glasses came running from inside the main gate.

“Sir Lusellion! Sorry I’m late!”