Chapter 36
"Your Majesty?"
A low, deep voice echoed from nearby. Eric immediately came to his senses and
looked in the direction of the voice. Mullin Cassus and Dante Renard, who was
holding a sphere of light, were standing there.
"And you..."
"Lucy Forte."
"She is under my care."
Dante stepped in front of Elisha as he spoke. Mullin let out a small sound of
surprise.
So this is the character from the rumors. She looks quite ordinary.
"What brought you both here?"
Eric then asked, his voice extremely cold. Mullin turned his gaze away from
Elisha and let out a hearty laugh.
"Master Renard said he had someone to return home with and brought me along."
"As you can see, Lucy has my entry card."
"You must use formal titles with His Majesty, Master Renard."
"As you can see, Lucy Forte has my entry card, Your Majesty."
Dante corrected himself, his voice sounding extremely weary. All the while, his
eyes were fixed on Elisha.
Why is Eric coming out from here, and what were these two doing? And since when
were the library lights out?
Answer if you hear my voice, Elisha.
Dante continued to stare at Elisha, his eyes darting. it was a silent gaze,
demanding an explanation for the situation. Instead of answering, Elisha
directed her gaze to Eric. I am sure Eric was about to say something.
"It has become very late, Your Majesty. Perhaps you should retire to rest."
In the meantime, Mullin also approached Eric a step and spoke gently. In
response, Elisha took a step back. This was the appropriate time for Lucy
Forte's departure.
"Then I will take my leave first."
"Lucy Forte."
Eric instinctively began to reach out for her, but after glancing around, he
lowered his half-raised arm awkwardly. His emotions were very volatile at the
moment. If he caught her in this state, he did not know what he might say. A
moment ago, wasn't he about to call her Elisha? And he knew exactly how Elisha
would respond to that.
"...Nothing."
After finishing his thought, Eric slowly closed his eyes and opened them as he
spoke. At the same time, Mullin Cassus raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips.
Nothing?
"Alright then, we will be off now."
At any rate, Dante grabbed Elisha's wrist and spoke, almost shouting, his voice
more animated than before.
Who cares about anyone else. I'm walking on my way home. Joyous departure,
exciting departure. The happiest time in the world is the time you leave work!
"Wait."
But before Dante could even take a step, Eric spoke. His gaze was fixed on
Elisha's wrist, which Dante was holding. Mullin Cassus noticed this silently as
well, stroking his beard.
Could it be that His Majesty...
"Dante Renard, I believe you have something to report to me."
"...What could it be?"
"Lucy Forte mentioned it. That a mysterious man appeared at the Shilan Plains."
Ah, so he just wanted to catch Master Renard slacking.
At the voice, cold enough to freeze a man, Mullin stopped his thoughts and
lowered the hand that was stroking his beard. Dante froze in place, not even
daring to turn around, and kept casting sidelong glances at Elisha. Elisha
naturally avoided Dante's gaze.
"From what I hear, it seems to be a matter that could pose a major threat to
Cardion."
"Th-that, Your Majesty. It's not that I was trying not to tell you..."
I was about to report it, but you changed the subject to Elisha, you bastard. Of
course, I should have said something after that, that part is correct, but!
"Is this a situation where I should receive a report from the mouth of a squad
member I met by chance?"
"I wasn't in my right mind for a moment..."
"You must have lost your mind completely."
"I apologize."
Honestly, there was no excuse for this. Dante immediately turned around and
bowed so deeply he looked as if he were about to kneel. Elisha, without paying
Dante any attention, stared in bewilderment at Eric standing before her. What
was he about to say? Since he said "El," he was either about to say her name, or
if not that...
"No, that is impossible."
Had he known, wouldn't he have immediately demanded to know the reason for her
presence here? Finished her thought, Elisha shook her head slowly. All the
while, Dante Renard kept casting sidelong glances toward Elisha, seething with
indignation.
It's good that she mentioned it herself, but still! No, if she had given me a
signal beforehand, I wouldn't have forgotten to bring it up! Of course, it's my
fault, but still!
Naturally, Elisha ignored all his looks. The suffering resulting from his
mistake was not Elisha's concern. After all, it was entirely Dante Renard's
fault.
"It is a pay cut."
The next morning, Dante Renard arrived at the magic knight squad breakroom and
spoke, his eyes hollow. Elisha pursed her lips, looking surprised.
"I thought you would receive a harsher punishment than that."
"Couldn't we consider the two days he spent torturing me without telling me the
punishment part of the punishment...?"
I really couldn't eat or sleep.
Dante muttered in a voice that sounded like it would break at any moment. Elisha
did not even look at him as she shrugged her shoulders.
"It is the price of what you did."
"If someone stabs you, will you simply die thinking, 'this is the price of my
mistake'...?"
"If I had done something I deserved, I would."
"I will not talk to you anymore."
Such a consistently stubborn personality.
Then he stretched his arms wide while grumbling. Elisha closed the book she was
reading before finally looking at Dante.
"Dante Renard."
"Do you know that when either you or Eric shows this expression, a chill runs
down my spine? If you don't know, I'd appreciate it if you knew it now."
"There is nothing more cowardly than avoiding your mistakes. That is true
regardless of how close you—."
At that moment, Elisha, who was speaking, suddenly closed her mouth. Dante, who
was letting her words go in one ear and out the other, looked up, surprised.
Elisha was not the type to stop a lecture in mid-sentence. Unless someone
interrupted her...
"Oh, you two are here!"
So someone had really come and stopped her. At Gabrielle's voice, which echoed
nearby in the breakroom, Dante jumped from his seat.
"Gabi, you are my savior."
"Hello, Lucy. Good morning!"
"Even if you ignore me, you are still my savior..."
"The Captain is delusional again today!"
Gabrielle spoke with a bright smile, then sat down naturally beside Elisha.
Elisha gave her a nod of greeting. Watching Gabrielle felt like seeing the
matron who always stayed by Eric's side. Perhaps it was because their way of
facing people always with a bright smile was similar.
"Nonetheless, the Captain looks more human today. Yesterday, I thought a corpse
was wandering around."
Gabrielle then laughed, and twisted the end of Elisha's hair with her finger.
Again, Elisha said nothing and stared at Dante. At any rate, Dante's gaze was
fixed on Gabrielle's finger as it twisted Elisha's hair.
Elisha is letting her do that?
He knew Gabrielle had a friendly personality, but he didn't know it would work
even with Elisha.
"You two seem to have become close."
"Talented people are my type. I am trying to win her over right now."
"Then why don't you try to win me over?"
"Because I look at character too."
Her characteristic cheerful voice once again stabbed Dante Renard's heart
gently. Then, as if she remembered something, she pursed her lips for a moment
before tapping Elisha's shoulder and speaking.
"By the way, Lucy."
"......"
"You haven't registered your mana yet, right?"
"Ah, that's right."
As soon as Gabrielle finished her words, Dante, who was pretending to have a
wounded expression, also nodded. Elisha tilted her head slightly. Mana
registration?
"People participating in the Allied Nations Conference are required to register
their mana. They said it started from this conference."
If it starts from this conference, it has to be Eric's idea.
"When I think about it, the magic research department is doing a lot of work
indeed."
Although half of the magic research department's achievements were likely Eric's
work alone. While she was lost in thought, Elisha suddenly realized something
that made her frown. Having to register her mana meant her mana would eventually
be revealed.
"Master Renard."
Elisha called Dante in a low voice. At the same time, Dante scanned Elisha's
expression and stealthily rose from his seat. He seemed to have known Elisha for
a long time after all. Or perhaps he learned the skill of reading Elisha's
expressions on this occasion. At any rate, the meaning of her current expression
was clear. Something was wrong.
"Can we consult for a moment, Lucy?"
"Suddenly?"
At the unexpected summoning, Gabrielle tilted her head and asked. But before she
could get an answer, Elisha also stood up and nodded. Gabrielle's eyes widened
in a way that showed she didn't quite understand.
"What, you two aren't planning to go for something delicious without me, are
you?"
"No, it's because my salary has been cut. It's a big problem if the sponsor
doesn't have money, you know."
"You're talking about that now?"
"We'll be back."
With that, Elisha and Dante left the breakroom quickly. Gabrielle, her eyes
still wide, stared in bewilderment at the suddenly empty room. What in the hell
were they doing?
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