Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Build Stacking (3)
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Ever since becoming Aren Eldiad's personal summoning mage, Amelin still wondered if she was dreaming.
It was so different from her life up until now.
"Lady Amelin, it's mealtime. Shall we go?"
"Ah! Y-yes, yes!"
No one had ever come to fetch her for meals before.
In fact, if there was even a departmental dinner, she had to personally inform everyone in the department.
"Today's menu features fresh steak made from beef brought in from the lower village."
"Wow……."
"You should be used to it by now, but you're still amazed every time. Eat up already."
"Y-yes, Your Highness!"
She had never shared such lavish meals with anyone else every single mealtime.
When hunger struck while writing reports, all she had were preserved rations swallowed down with water.
"R-rather than blindly compressing mana and firing it off, it's more eff-efficient to compress a set amount and then split it into multiple spells."
"Can you demonstrate?"
"L-like this?"
"Wow, that really works. I learned something good, Amelin."
Even when she offered her opinions, she had never received praise or a smile in response.
Even if her idea led to positive results, it was taken as a matter of course—what she was supposed to do anyway. And if something went wrong or wasn't to their liking, she got scolded and called stupid as if that were natural.
"Lady Amelin, don't you ever change your robe?"
"Yeah, it looks pretty worn."
"With your figure, Lady Amelin, something a bit more revealing would suit you……."
"M-my figure? This is just excess f-fat…… A-and this is my f-favorite robe……."
It was the first time maids in the mansion had commented on her outfit or complimented her figure.
The robe had become a cherished item ever since she started wearing and washing it upon entering the academy, and since no other mages inside the academy said much beyond staring, the self-deprecating Amelin had assumed they were all judging her for being fat.
But even for someone as self-deprecating as Amelin, these days made it impossible not to feel a spark of hope.
Mikel's house for her familiar was under construction, and while she was astonished daily by how quickly Aren picked things up, teaching him brought a real sense of fulfillment.
The meals were delicious, and chatting with the friendly maids was gradually easing her insecurities.
"Lady Amelin, why not try some different clothes next time?"
"Yeah, you're pretty, after all."
"R-really?"
"Of course~ His Highness hiring you must have something to do with your looks, right?"
"He's a man, after all~ He hasn't laid a hand on Lady Ridel yet, though."
"Still, he's imperial family. Don't you think he'll take concubines? If things go well with Lady Ridel later, maybe he'll order you to attend him at night too? Kyaaah!"
"Hey, haven't you been reading too many of those novels from the village?"
'N-night attendance? H-his Highness wouldn't give a command like that to me…….'
Blushing at the maids' provocative words, Amelin flushed red.
She told herself no such thing would happen, but the thought lingered for a moment—what if it did?
Being summoned to Aren Eldiad's bedroom, watching him undress before her as he commanded her to attend him at night.
The sight of Aren Eldiad's firm pectorals revealed right before her eyes.
"……!"
"Lady Amelin, your face is completely red."
"What are you thinking about~? So naughty~!"
"N-no! I-I didn't think anything sp-special!"
"Quit teasing Lady Amelin."
"M-M-Mikel's feeding time is now, so I'll head out!"
Amelin hurriedly left the conversation with the maids.
'Th-the maids sure know how to joke. H-his Highness wouldn't show interest in a clumsy, fat girl like me. And Lady Ridel is here too.'
Having spent a few days in the mansion, Amelin could tell that Aren and his exclusive maid Ridel shared an unusual relationship.
Moreover, Ridel was the daughter of a count who had chosen to become Aren's maid of her own accord.
She was worlds apart from an orphan like Amelin.
'I-I'm just here with Mikel as his personal mage. That's all. Yeah.'
With that thought, class time approached, so Amelin headed to Aren's room.
Upon reaching Aren's door, Amelin reached for the handle.
That's when she overheard Aren and Ridel talking from inside.
"So you're saying you'll hire a new tutor?"
'Huh? A new…… tutor?'
Amelin's hand froze on the doorknob.
"I've learned enough magic for now."
Amelin's mind raced at Aren's words from beyond the door.
'Why? A new tutor? Then what about me? Mikel's house is still being built? Will it be canceled? Why? His Highness learns fast, but there's still so much to teach. Does he not need me anymore? Already? Is this the whimsy of royalty? What do I do? Go back to the academy? For real? Back there?'
The over a decade at the academy paled against the few days here.
And if asked which was better, there was no hesitation—the time in this mansion.
That's why.
Bang!
Amelin flung open the door.
"Ah. Amelin, you're here. I was just about to talk to you……."
"Waaaaah! Please! Please don't abandon me! Your Highness! Anything! Anytthiiing! I'll do whatever! You're all I have now! If you say strip, I'll strip! If you want night attendance, I'll offer this lowly body of mine, anything, pleeease!"
She grabbed Aren's pant leg and begged.
"Wh-what's wrong!?"
Magic mastery was progressing smoothly.
That's why I decided to seriously start building my build.
With mana manipulation familiar thanks to Amelin, it was time to learn secret techniques from Gillek or experiment with summoning magic and spirit arts at her request.
But what I needed most was……
'An evasion mobility skill.'
Savior of World had plenty of great armor pieces.
But most top-tier gear dropped from bosses.
And those bosses were mostly monstrous beings corrupted by evil gods.
Of course, some humanoid bosses dropped good weapons or armor, but most were uncorrupted nobles ruling their domains well.
Reading the item descriptions closely, those pieces were often heirlooms or infused with family secrets.
'Even as a prince, I can't just demand them outright.'
So I needed an evasion move.
A mobility skill to dodge enemy attacks nimbly.
And the person with exactly the evasion mobility I wanted wasn't some noble, royal, or mysterious entity—he was a hunter.
In other words, someone imperial authority could sway.
Someone who wouldn't refuse to teach a secret technique for a fat stack of gold.
That's why I asked Ridel.
"Commission the Hunter Guild to track down this person?"
"Yeah. I heard an interesting rumor in the capital. There's a hunter using a unique secret technique. A martial artist mainly using fists and feet, so he should be easy to find."
"What do you plan to do once you find this hunter?"
"Swords are great, but I want to learn techniques using fists and feet too. Ideally, that secret technique as well. With my current mana manipulation, learning secret arts should be a breeze, right?"
Bare-handed combat has always been a dream.
"So you're hiring a new tutor?"
"I've learned enough magic for now, so time to branch out."
Amelin wasn't really a tutor—she'd been promoted to personal mage on day one—so technically, she'd be my first proper tutor.
'I should tell Amelin I'll be inviting someone to teach martial arts and secret techniques, so we can adjust magic lesson times.'
I was thinking that when.
Amelin burst into the room, grabbed my pant leg, and started spouting nonsense.
After somehow calming her down and asking why, I learned she'd overheard the tail end of my conversation with Ridel and misunderstood—I was ditching her for a new tutor.
Of course, I cleared it up right away.
"Hic! S-so I'm not being abandoned?"
"You still have plenty to teach me. And we already settled that you're my personal mage. Keep teaching me magic by my side, then serve as my guard once that's done. Why would I abandon you?"
"Hic! S-sorry, Your Highness! I-I didn't understand your intentions and made a stupid mistake, hic! Uuuh!"
"No, anyone could misunderstand. Anyway, relax. We still have class."
"Y-yes, Your Highness!"
"And…… you should get new clothes."
"Pardon? Ahh!"
Maybe because the robe was so old, it had torn in the middle, exposing her belly.
It looked quite slim despite her self-deprecation.
"M-my cherished robe……!"
It was a cherished robe?
Then Ridel asked Amelin from beside me.
"By the way, Amelin? Why did night attendance come up with His Highness earlier?"
"Eek!? Th-that's, ah, aaaah! I-I'm sorry! I spoke out of turn, s-s-sorry……!"
Amelin's face turned beet red.
'I thought she was only interested in familiars and magic, but Amelin knows her stuff in that area too.'
Or maybe, as a commoner, she figured that was the surest way to gain favor with nobles or highborns?
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't worry. You don't need night attendance—you're already my excellent personal mage. Just being helpful is enough to earn my favor going forward."
"Yes, Your Highness……."
"Master Aren, that aside, you don't mean you have zero need for night attendance, right?"
"I'll call when the time comes."
If the world goes to hell, forget night attendance or whatever.