Chapter 7.3

“Oh dear, everyone’s been trying to pass me around like a bomb. That hurts my feelings.”

“With a face that happy?”

Not convinced, Professor Ruyten shook his head.

“Anyway. Now that it’s come to this, you can’t work as an assistant without any preparation. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do.”

Herace’s neat answer showed he’d already expected as much. Professor Ruyten sighed.

“Where’s Diashi? Weren’t you together?”

Herace, with a polite smile, shook his head. Professor Ruyten clicked his tongue.

“……Fine, whatever. No point asking you. If you’re not talking, she must be around here somewhere.”

After looking around, Professor Ruyten shouted loudly.

“Diashi! If you don’t come out right now, I’ll cancel your research funding!”

“Eek.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Diashi peeked out from behind the pillar. Seeing his favorite student’s sheepish smile, Professor Ruyten shook his head in exasperation.

“Herace, Diashi. Let’s go to my office.”

“All right, I’ll escort you.”

* * *

The loud whistle of a train sounded, and a crowd of people poured out of the station. Brienne, who had only heard rumors of the railway, looked around in surprise.

“There’s a railroad right in the middle of the shopping street!”

“Right……! So many people, and the train is noisier than I expected!”

She’d heard that steam locomotives ran through the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Roeta, where the academy and Association were located. But she’d never imagined it would be like this.

“There are too many people! It’s more complicated than I thought!”

“Exactly!”

Brienne nodded at Aaron’s words after nearly bumping into a child running by. She’d rarely visited such lively shopping streets, even in Rontiano. The only place she knew well was the plaza’s shopping district where she used to go with Kaiden.

But the scene before Brienne was far busier than that. Unable to step into the crowd, she stuck close to the wall and looked at Aaron with a troubled face.

“Do you remember the way back?”

“Yes! I always memorize any path I’ve walked, so I’m absolutely confident about that!”

“That’s a relief.”

“Sorry? What did you say?”

“I said, that’s a relief!”

It was lucky she’d come with Aaron. If she’d come alone, it would’ve been a disaster. Earlier, she’d been a little upset with Herace for assigning Aaron as her escort, but now she was starting to feel grateful.

“I’ll just trust you then, Aaron! Just in case, don’t get separated and stay close to me!”

“Yes, yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”

Hearing Brienne’s words, as if she needed him, Aaron answered with a proud face. He thought to himself that he should tell Lord Herace about this. But as Aaron had that thought, his expression gradually stiffened.

‘……Went to the shopping street together, huh. Who do you think you are, going on a date with Brienne?’

It was because Herace’s voice once again echoed in his head. Aaron suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Why…… why do I keep thinking like this……?’

What was so special about that ridiculous fortune-telling ticket!

“Aaron…… should we, ……go over there?”

“Pardon? Please say that again!”

Aaron quickly shook his head and listened to Brienne.

“My throat’s dry from all the shouting……. Let’s go over there!”

Brienne, raising her voice with effort, pointed to a relatively quiet stall. It was a stall selling all sorts of miscellaneous items.

“Oh, yes! If you lead the way, I’ll escort you from behind!”

Brienne and Aaron took advantage of a gap in the crowd to walk quickly. Brienne, who couldn’t understand why everyone was walking so fast, soon realized that if she didn’t move like this, it might take an hour to get where she wanted.

Brienne barely reached the stall and muttered with a sigh.

“This is really tough. Just thinking about going back is overwhelming, and I feel like I shouldn’t have come out……”

“D-don’t worry about the way back. I’m here.”

“Thank you. Do you want something to drink?”

“That would be great!”

Brienne carefully examined the menu board at the stall. As expected of a country advanced in magic, it was fascinating that they sold cold drinks right in the middle of the street.

“I’ll have orange juice. Aaron, what about you?”

“Ah, then I’ll have the same……”

Brienne nodded and approached the stall owner. The man, who had been pouring a drink for the previous customer, asked casually,

“Your order?”

“Ah, yes, two orange juices, please!”

“All right, two orange juices. Just wait a moment. While you wait, why don’t you try a draw over there in front!”

“Pardon?”

Brienne’s gaze followed the man’s chin to the stall filled with various accessories. Inside the glass jar he indicated were pieces of paper folded into bird shapes.

“W-what’s this?”

“What? You don’t know?”

The man looked at Brienne in disbelief, then nodded as if he understood.

“Aha, now that I look closely, you’re from Rontiano! This is a draw from the Demekia Temple, a tradition to predict your fortune for the day.”

“Fortune?”

“That’s right, a lucky fortune! These papers are originally blank. Until our god recognizes your soul and gives you a hint!”

“A hint? So, until someone opens it, it’s just a blank paper? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Aaron, what’s wrong?”

Aaron, who had been eyeing the man suspiciously since he suggested the draw, frowned.

“No, actually, I bought three of those on the ship earlier and they all had the same content……”

At that moment, the man burst out laughing.

“So, you thought all of us in Roeta are swindlers selling the same fortunes? That’s exactly how an outsider would think!”

Laughing heartily, the man reached out and picked one of the folded birds from the glass jar for Brienne and Aaron.

“These slips are imbued with divine power, so no matter how many you draw in a day, you’ll keep getting the same fortune.”

“Is that true?”

Brienne’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at the man. Aaron stepped slightly in front of her, shaking his head.

“My Lady, don’t fall for these sales tricks……! It’s all just a gimmick.”

“Really? Was your fortune bad, Aaron?”

“Ahem……”

Aaron scratched his neck awkwardly and looked off into the distance. Brienne, finding his reaction amusing, let out a light laugh.

“Well, we can check if it’s a trick or not. Excuse me, can I buy three of them?”

“Ah, since you’re getting two drinks, I’ll give you one more for free.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

The man handed Brienne the slip he was holding. Smiling lightly, Brienne reached into the jar and picked out two more birds after careful thought.

“Um, just saying, you might get a bad one, so don’t take it too seriously……”

“Aaron, when in another country, you should enjoy their culture. Even if it’s just for fun.”

“Well…… that’s true.”

“See? Aren’t they pretty cute?”

“The birds, you mean?”

“Yes, I used to raise birds when I was little. So I like birds.”

She wondered what meaning the birds held. Arthur from the Roeta myth, and the draw slips sold at the temple were both shaped like birds, which made her curious about the connection. While waiting for the juice, Brienne opened each slip in turn.

All three slips on the stall had exactly the same content written on them. Brienne’s eyes widened in surprise.

They said the god of Roeta really exists. Could it be true?

Just as Aaron had said, even after buying three, the result was the same. Aaron, looking a bit pale, hurried over.

“……A noble person you’re seeking? Isn’t that the person you said was at the shopping street earlier?”

“Right. How did it end up like this?”

Brienne, amazed, held the slip up high.

* * *

At the same time. After the official meeting discussing the academy entrance ceremony, Garzen sat at the formal dining table and looked at the princes sitting around him one by one.

‘They said I only had to attend the meeting, but now there’s a formal dinner too…….’

He must have been tricked by that wretched King. Garzen sighed and turned his gaze to the wall clock in the dining hall.

‘Is Lusell doing all right?’

He really should go check if that young lady arrived safely. Since morning, his mind kept wandering elsewhere. He wanted to throw away the meeting and the dinner and just leave.

At this rate, he might end up giving His Majesty the King a lake made of tears in front of the palace, just as he’d said to Lusell.