Chapter 21: The Steam Locomotive(3)
Chapter 21: The Steam Locomotive(3)
I couldn't help but furrow my brow at the information Mari shared. I was the author of the Xenon Biography, so why was she saying this? For a moment, I thought she was bluffing or lying.
However, upon further reflection, the possibility of a bluff seemed slim. If she were truly lying, there would be no need to speak so secretly. Mari had pulled me aside because she genuinely believed this was vital information.
...What is going on?
There was a famous meme from my past life about a "team without its star player." it referred to a situation where everything was perfect, but the most crucial element was missing. A similar expression would be a "red bean bun without the red bean paste."
That was exactly the situation here. The actual author was standing right in front of her, yet she claimed they had invited some stranger. I was utterly bewildered.
...Did my father make a mistake?
I took a moment to organize my thoughts before meeting Mari's gaze. She was grinning confidently, clearly believing I wouldn't be able to refuse her offer.
Setting aside my other doubts, verification came first. Maintaining my composure as best as I could, I asked quietly.
"...Is that true?"
"Yep."
"The actual author of the Xenon Biography?"
"I'm telling you, it's true. Don't you trust me?"
Of course I didn't. How could I, when she had invited the wrong person while the real author was right here?
But since I couldn't say that out loud, I figured it was best to figure out how this had happened.
"Naturally. As you know, it's been a year since the Xenon Biography was first published. For that entire year, there's been nothing but wild speculation about the author's identity, with no real clues. Even the Imperial Family searched for the author and couldn't find a single lead."
"Yeah, that's true."
"And yet you found them? How?"
"I don't know the details. The letter just said they found the author and were inviting him to our mansion. Apparently, my dad accidentally stumbled upon a trail."
Hearing that, I recalled the process of how my manuscripts reached the publisher. I didn't know the specifics, but my father had said he used an intermediary to deliver them.
As a former commander of the Navy Knights, he surely had many connections. Perhaps a trail had indeed been left behind.
Furthermore, before I left for the Academy, my father had mentioned that while we had hidden well so far, we would eventually be discovered.
I habitually rubbed the writer's callus on my finger before asking another question.
"Is there any chance it's an impostor?"
"Oh, come on. What kind of crazy person would try to scam a noble—especially a Ducal family second only to the Emperor? If they're really an impostor, they don't just have guts; they have a death wish."
"Hmm... I suppose so."
Had my father really made a mistake? It wasn't entirely impossible, which made me a bit worried.
Then again, the world is vast and full of lunatics; someone might be exploiting common sense. As Mari said, few would dare scam a Duke, but there are always those willing to gamble their lives for a big score.
It's highly likely to be an impostor, but...
If they had only said they found the author, that would be one thing, but the fact that they were inviting him to the mansion made me lean toward the impostor theory.
Therefore, I needed to send a letter home first to grasp the situation. It was best to keep the worst-case scenario in mind.
After sorting through my thoughts, I let out a long breath. I looked at Mari and spoke quietly.
"So?"
"Huh?"
"What do you want me to do? Do you have a favor to ask?"
The conversation had come full circle. If Mari was sharing such top-secret information, she must want something from me.
Mari looked blank for a moment at my question, then gave a sheepish grin. Her confident expression vanished, replaced by shyness.
"...The offer? Will you accept it?"
"What offer?"
"I'll take you with me when the author comes to the mansion. You're a fan of the Xenon Biography too, right? It would be great to get an autograph."
An autograph... Come to think of it, I didn't have a unique signature in my past life either. At most, I just scribbled my name when signing documents.
But hearing it from Mari made me realize the serious need for one. At the very least, it could help prepare for situations like this—dealing with impostors. It seemed like a good idea to include a signature starting from the next manuscript.
They won't be able to track me just from a signature.
That was difficult even on Earth with its advanced technology. Even if magic existed, it wouldn't be used for such trivial matters.
Anyway, moving on, I decided to accept her offer. I wasn't sure if it was an impostor or not, but I at least wanted to see the person's face.
"Alright. What do you want?"
At my question, Mari maintained her embarrassed expression and answered in a small voice.
"Can you teach me History?"
"History?"
"Yeah."
"Why all of a sudden? You hate History."
"Well, you see..."
The situation Mari explained was roughly as follows:
As everyone knows, a certain grade is required to advance to the next year. So, Mari had been focusing on the subjects she was interested in, excluding a few majors like History.
Since it was mostly reviewing knowledge she had already learned from her family, it was relatively easy for her.
However, things changed drastically after a letter arrived from her family. Her father, Duke Rekilis, had set a condition.
She had to get at least a 90 in History. If she didn't, she shouldn't even dream of reading the Xenon Biography ever again.
I couldn't understand why he singled out History when she was doing well in other subjects, but I understood after hearing Mari's further explanation.
"Our Rekilis family values history. We believe that by correcting the present through past mistakes, we can seize the initiative for the future. That's why we've been educated in history since we were young."
"Is that a philosophy passed down from your ancestors?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm..."
I was inwardly impressed. I already knew they were a sensible family, but the Rekilis family was even wiser than I thought.
There was a reason the family remained powerful even hundreds of years after the founding of the Minerva Empire.
On the other hand, their home education... I couldn't give it a very high rating. Mari's hatred for history likely stemmed from a sense of rebellion.
Even in my past life, one of the reasons children hated studying was because of their parents' coercion.
So, I asked Mari a question to see if my guess was correct.
"Is that why you hate history? Because your family is always nagging you about it?"
"Yes! Exactly! How did you know?"
"I just had a feeling."
Regardless of whether Mari looked at me with admiration or not, I continued.
"But is it okay for a student to teach another student? I don't mind, since it'll just be a review for me."
"It's not cheating, so it should be fine. If it's really a problem, we can just do it secretly."
"What are you doing secretly?"
As we were talking, a familiar voice cut in. It was a seductive voice, capable of stirring the hearts of many men.
Both Mari and I turned toward the source of the voice. Cecile was sitting in the seat behind us, though I hadn't noticed when she arrived.
She was looking at us with a mischievous face, her eyes half-curved in a smile.
Startled by her sudden appearance, I spoke in a hesitant tone.
"...When did you get here?"
"Just now. I saw the seats behind you were empty, so I came right over."
As soon as I heard Cecile's answer, I checked to see where Lina was. Lina was surrounded by a group of female students who had been chatting away for a while.
I knew Cecile usually had quite a few students around her as well, so I wondered how she had slipped away.
"Anyway, could you answer my question first? What are you doing secretly?"
"Uh..."
I didn't answer immediately and glanced at Mari. Mari was making no effort to hide her discomfort. It was strange, as she usually got along well with Cecile, unlike with Lina.
As I hesitated to speak due to the awkward atmosphere, Mari rested her chin on her hand and spoke bluntly.
"It's nothing much. Isaac agreed to help me with my History studies."
"History? Didn't you say you hated History, Mari?"
Cecile's eyes widened in surprise. She seemed to know about Mari's distaste for the subject as well.
At that, Mari let out a deep sigh and spoke in a slightly lower voice.
"...My family told me to get a good grade in History. They said if I don't get at least a 90, I'll never be allowed to read the Xenon Biography again."
"Aha. So that's why you asked Isaac? Since Isaac knows a lot about history."
Mari didn't deny it and simply nodded. Seeing her confirmation, Cecile looked at me with an intrigued gaze.
I flinched at her glowing red eyes. It was like the gaze of a predator looking at its prey. For some reason, I felt uneasy.
"Then, can I join too?"
Sure enough, my intuition was right. Mari seemed to have expected this development as well, answering with a tone of resignation.
"Do whatever you want. It's Isaac's permission you need, not mine."
"I can join, right?"
"...Yes."
I couldn't bring myself to say no, fearing the consequences. When I gave my permission, Cecile beamed and thanked me.
It was a bit overwhelming, but having such a beautiful woman smile at me made my face flush.
I cleared my throat to try and compose myself. It was an attempt to change the subject.
"...Lady Cecile? May I ask you a question?"
"About why I fought with Lina?"
"Huh?"
How did she know? Did she really learn mind reading?
As I stood there momentarily stunned, Cecile chuckled.
"You might not realize it, Isaac, but your thoughts are written all over your face. Don't you agree, Mari?"
"To some extent."
"...Is it that obvious?"
I touched my face as I listened to them. I thought I was a decent actor, but it seemed I was mistaken.
Mari smirked as she saw me touching my face in bewilderment. It was a look of slight mockery.
"Remember when you accidentally gave me that drawing? Do you know what color your face turned then?"
"Of course I don't."
"That pale face of yours turned blue in an instant before returning to normal. It was so obvious you were panicking; how could anyone miss it?"
"No. That was... Haa."
Changing facial color was beyond my control. No matter how good an actor is, they can't freely change the color of their skin.
"...Let's just move past that. Lady Cecile."
"Yes."
"Why did you fight with Lady Lina?"
"It was nothing much. And we've already made up."
"Then why did you fight in the first place?"
At my question, Cecile shrugged and answered kindly.
"Lina spoiled almost the entire plot of Volume 8 of the Xenon Biography."
"..."
"I guess Lina assumed I had already read it. I got a bit angry because of that. We've made up, but that's also why we're sitting apart. Every conversation I overheard was about Volume 8."
It was a relatable reason.
*
Some time later, when the Humanities lecture had ended.
While Isaac had gone to the restroom for a moment, the white-haired beauty, Mari, was staring intently at a single drawing. Cecile, who had finished her notes and stood up, made a suggestion to Mari.
"Don't you need to go to the restroom, Mari?"
"Hmm? Not really."
"Is that so? But what are you looking at?"
Cecile showed interest in the drawing Mari was holding. Mari glanced at Cecile and explained in a calm tone.
"It's an illustration included in Volume 8 of the Xenon Biography. It's called a Steam Locomotive, and it plays a pretty important role in the story. Want me to tell you about it?"
"No. Absolutely not. You know what'll happen if you do, right?"
"Fine then."
With that, Cecile left the lecture hall. Once Cecile was gone, Mari focused even more on the drawing.
"Hmm..."
The name of this drawing, which was essentially the core of Volume 8 of the Xenon Biography, was the Steam Locomotive. It was a masterpiece invented by an eccentric dwarf who had poured his entire life into fulfilling his master's dying wish.
While most people were currently focused on the critique of the nobility in the early parts of the book, interest in the Steam Locomotive was also significant.
Many believed it was impossible to build such a mode of transport, while others evaluated that if it were invented, it would advance civilization by several stages.
But putting everything else aside, what drew Mari's attention was the appearance of the Steam Locomotive. It had a cylindrical body with wheels underneath, and a steam-venting funnel on the front like a horn.
And Mari had seen something similar to this drawing before.
"It seems similar, but then again, maybe not..."
She scratched her cheek, feeling a sense of ambiguity.
