Viscountess Round took a sip of tea before speaking.
“As the Tower Master mentioned, there was a monster problem at our family’s magic stone mine in the west. It wasn’t a major danger, but it’s worrisome.”
“But isn’t Sir Colin and the mine’s protection staff guarding it?”
If it wasn’t a major danger, they would have taken care of it quickly. Her mother slowly nodded.
“That’s right. We received a report that it was all handled, but the family needs to inspect it once. Your father and I are busy with work, so… Kana, please go and check it next week.”
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
Kana answered energetically, her eyes shining. Viscountess Round looked at her daughter with worried eyes and earnestly requested.
“Oh, and you can hire mercenaries. Just in case.”
“I will.”
Kana had a more detailed conversation about the mine with her mother during tea time and wrapped up with some light chatter.
She returned to her room and fiddled with the communication sphere. Since she had a promise to keep, she had to contact Kiriel. He answered immediately, perhaps because it was his break time.
— Miss Kana?
“Lord Kiriel, is it okay to contact you?”
— Yes.
Kana took a deep breath before conveying her message.
“I talked with my mother and contacted you to keep the promise we made at Teahouse Fria. I’m scheduled to go to the west next week.”
— That’s great. You can go with me then.
Kana blinked in surprise at his eager response.
“…Is the schedule okay?”
— Of course. Do you have any companions?
Kiriel seemed determined to go all the way. Kana thought of potential mercenaries to hire and then answered.
“Not really, but I was thinking of hiring a few mercenaries.”
— Are you worried that there might be problems while inspecting the mine?
“Yes. I heard it was well taken care of, but you never know.”
In a novel, something is bound to happen no matter what.
Kiriel’s relaxed voice flowed slowly.
— There will be knights from the Round family there… If you’re going to hire someone, it would be mages or weapon handlers.
“You’re sharp.”
— Is there a need to hire a small elite group of mercenaries? You could just take me.
From his words, it seemed he intended to not just accompany her but to help out as well. Kana hesitated before responding to his natural suggestion.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the means to hire a high-level personnel like the Tower Master. Besides, Lord Kiriel, you have your own business, don’t you? I don’t want to hinder someone else’s work to get help with mine.”
— It’s fine. If you feel that bad about it, just give me five high-grade magic stones.
Although I tried not to involve major figures, his words were tempting. Kana tapped her fingers on the desk, lost in thought.
She could afford to give him five high-grade magic stones. Moreover, that was a cheap price to move Kiriel, a genius praised even in the Curtis family, which was known for its magic prowess, and who had taken on the role of Master of the Magic Tower.
Kana asked in disbelief.
“Is that really enough for you?”
— Yes.
“Hmm, it seems like too good of an offer for me. Perhaps I’ll have to pay more later….”
As Kana trailed off, he firmly denied it.
— If that were the case, I would have told you beforehand.
“Alright. If Lord Kiriel joins me, I would be grateful. Let’s travel together in my carriage next week.”
— Okay, see you then.
The communication sphere turned off.
After careful consideration, Kana decided not to hire additional mercenaries. She judged that Kiriel, herself, and her family knights would be sufficient to handle any unexpected situations.
* * *
A week later, Kana dressed in a modest dress and packed comfortable clothes to wear while inspecting the mine. She planned to change after hearing the explanation at the western villa.
“Miss, there won’t be any monsters appearing, right?”
“It’ll be fine. If it were dangerous, would my parents send me? You don’t have to worry about coming to the mine with me.”
Kana reassured Lena, who was more anxious than the person who would actually be moving.
Before heading to the west, she stopped near the Magic Tower. Hope gleamed in the eyes of the loyal maid.
“You said you hired a mage from the Magic Tower in advance, right?”
“Yes. He’s reliable because he’s very skilled.”
Kana fiddled with the pearl on her necklace as she waited. Before long, Kiriel appeared suddenly. The navy robe he wore fluttered in the wind. He caught on to her words and responded smoothly.
“That’s a nice thing to hear.”
“Oh, I was just stating the facts.”
Kana shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Lena’s eyes shook violently at the natural flow of their conversation.
“T-the person you hired is the Master of the Magic Tower?”
“Yes, Lena. His schedule overlapped, so he kindly offered to accompany us first.”
“Oh my, I see.”
Lena, moved, clasped her hands over her mouth with sparkling eyes. Kana extended her hand to Kiriel.
“Lord Kiriel, let’s ride the carriage together.”
“…I’m being escorted by Miss Kana.”
Kiriel hesitated with a peculiar expression. There was no particular description in ‘Fake Saint’ that he was uncomfortable with such situations. Kana responded with an awkward smile.
“Oh, I’m the one taking you along, Lord Kiriel. Besides, I don’t really mind who escorts whom… Are you uncomfortable?”
“No.”
In the end, Kiriel shook his head and carefully placed his hand in hers. Kana, not making a big deal of it, led him into the carriage and gestured for Lena to join them. Lena quickly climbed in.
Kana summoned a spirit in advance. A translucent, sky-blue, cloud-shaped spirit settled softly on her lap. Kiriel glanced at her calm face.
“Miss Kana, why don’t we use a teleportation magic circle to go to the west?”
“Yes, I got permission in advance. I thought it would be better to get there quickly, even if it’s a bit troublesome.”
The Arsen Empire had a total of six long-distance teleportation magic circles. The magic circles were located in the capital, the Magic Tower, the east, the west, the south, and the north.
The magic circle in the Magic Tower was owned and used by the Magic Tower, while the others were managed publicly by the imperial family. Therefore, the procedures for using them were strict and limited, and the records of usage remained, and the cost was high.
Moreover, it was mentioned that if one was not accustomed to teleportation, they would feel extremely nauseous. This was less so for those who possessed mana, spirit energy, or aura.
The carriage stopped at the long-distance teleportation magic circle in the capital. Kana submitted the pre-prepared documents and nameplate to the staff.
“Miss Kana Round, moving to the west. Confirmed.”
Receiving her nameplate back, Kana moved Celia onto Lena’s lap. Lena’s eyes widened.
“Miss?”
“You’ll feel nauseous. It’ll be less so if you have a spirit with you. I can manage with spirit energy, and Lord Kiriel has a lot of mana, so he’ll be fine.”
“…Thank you.”
Lena, moved, teared up. Kiriel watched Kana, who was taking care of the maid meticulously, with a seemingly indifferent gaze.
When Kana was about to speak, the space distorted. She quickly operated the spirit device.
Before long, the space returned to its original state. Celia moved to Kana’s shoulder.
She slightly lifted the curtain attached to the carriage window to check outside. It was the location of the western teleportation magic circle.
“We’ve arrived in the west.”
“Yes. We’ll stop by the villa first.”
“Got it.”
Kiriel cooperated with her surprisingly smoothly. Celia’s round eyes turned into a line.
[Is he really the prickly sub male lead?]
‘I don’t know. Maybe the keyword was wrong? Or perhaps he’s not that prickly for a prickly type. Well, it’s better than being hostile. Let’s leave it be.’
[Okay.]
The wind spirit lost interest in him and stuck to its contractor.
The carriage headed towards the family’s villa. Before long, they arrived at the villa, and the manager and the villa staff greeted them warmly.
“Welcome, Miss Kana. Huh? Is the person next to you the Master of the Magic Tower?”
“Yes, I happened to receive his help. Please prepare a guest room for him.”
“Yes.”
Kana took a moment to catch her breath in the guided room, changed clothes, and moved to the office to meet Popin, the manager who also oversaw the mines.
“Although my parents have already contacted you, let me reiterate. I’m here to inspect the magic stone mine. After reviewing all the documents, I want to check it out in person.”
“Here are the documents, Miss. Sir Colin will be here soon, so please wait.”
“Got it.”
Kana quickly scanned through the documents. Given her experience as a ruthless aide in another novel, reviewing the document was not difficult.
‘…There was damage to the magic stones when monsters appeared, resulting in losses.’
The documents were clean and detailed. The manager was extremely nervous and stiff as she meticulously reviewed the documents.
Kana closed the documents. Popin swallowed hard and asked.
“…Have you finished already?”
“Yes, Popin. You’re working hard. It must have been tough to handle.”
“Thank you for recognizing that.”
Popin, who had indeed struggled, wiped away tears with her sleeve.
As Kana received a report on the mine’s status from her, Colin, whom they had been waiting for, arrived at the office. He exchanged greetings with Popin and respectfully greeted Kana.
“It’s been a while, Miss Kana.”
“Yes, Sir Colin. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Kana welcomed him with a smile. Colin cautiously began to speak.
“Yes, Miss. But did you come alone?”
“No. I brought a powerful mage. He will accompany us when we check the magic stone mine later.”
“Understood.”
Colin accepted the instructions without question. She told them to wait, then left the office and walked towards the guest room where Kiriel was resting.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Usurpadora
Kiriel se esforçando para ficar perto dela, e arranjar encontros e ela alheia kkkkkkkkk coitado, tem muito caminho pela frente ainda.
Estou querendo ver um pov do Kiriel de novo, estou curiosa para saber o que ele está pensando…