Chapter 242: Invitation(1)
Chapter 242: Invitation(1)
As exams draw near, summer vacation inevitably follows. Consequently, my academic life has become incredibly hectic with the task of drafting exam questions.
One might wonder what’s so hard about making an exam, but it’s surprisingly taxing. Especially for a major like history, which leans toward the liberal arts, most questions must be subjective—and I’m not the only one with a say in the matter.
Elena told me to handle the drafting, but since grading must be fair, a great deal of back-and-forth is required.
If the questions were multiple-choice, I could just throw them together and be done with it, but that’s not how things work here. Every professor has their own distinct set of beliefs and philosophies, so multiple-choice is non-existent; it’s essay-style or nothing.
So, I racked my brain, agonizing over what kind of subjective questions to submit. The sooner I turned them in, the sooner my free time would increase.
However, the world always offers a way to skate by. A brilliant idea suddenly struck me, and I made a suggestion to Elena.
"Can't we just use the same questions from last year?"
"That was the plan all along."
"...Then why did you ask me to do it?"
"I was curious to see what kind of questions you’d come up with. It’s a bit of a shame, really."
"..."
And just like that, I managed to breeze through the exam preparation. Honestly, for freshmen, there’s no better question than "What is history?"
Of course, I’ll actually have to draft the history questions myself from next semester onward. Since Elena said she’d handle the second-year exams personally, I was granted a generous amount of free time.
During that time, I focused on writing Volume 19 and researching historical materials. I was making the most of my days as vacation approached.
This spare time also included sending out invitations for the exhibition. Marie, Cecile, and Lina were guaranteed to visit the territory, and since Adelia was my guard knight, her attendance was a given.
However, the situation was a bit different for Leona and Cherry. Unlike the others, Leona had become my wife due to the unique culture of the beastkin, but she possessed a strong sense of independence.
This meant she might spend the entire vacation working a part-time job. She had always done so in the past, and there was no guarantee this exhibition would be any different.
"I'll buy you everything you need for next semester."
"Hey now. Even so, that's a bit..."
"That includes food. How much steak do you want to eat?"
"I love you, Husband."
Naturally, inviting Leona—who had been thoroughly tamed by steak—wasn't difficult. The moment I promised to buy her all the steak she could eat next semester, she began nuzzling her face against my chest.
It was a good thing we were alone in the cafe; otherwise, anyone watching would have glared at us with icy eyes.
With her ears twitching atop her head, she gave off the distinct vibe of an affectionate cat. Well, lions are felines, so I suppose it fits.
Leona often rubbed her face against me as a sign of affection, regardless of whether it was my cheek or my chest.
Much like an animal leaving its scent, Leona tended to be particularly fond of skin-to-skin contact whenever we were alone.
"Your territory has lots of delicious food, right?"
"Yeah. Tons. It's the Xenon Biography exhibition, after all."
"The more I see of you, the more amazing you seem. How is it that Xenon’s birthplace is your home?"
That’s because I am Xenon. For the record, I haven't told Leona that I'm Xenon yet.
Normally, I should have told her by now, but I plan to introduce her to my parents first.
The reason is none other than my father. He has extensive experience fighting not only Elf scouts but also savage beastkin in the border regions.
Naturally, he likely harbors a fair amount of prejudice toward beastkin, so getting his approval is the priority.
Knowing my father’s personality, he’ll probably accept it begrudgingly, but I feel like I should at least let him know Leona is a beastkin beforehand.
"So, when are we going to mate? I'm ready whenever you are."
"Uh... this vacation might be difficult."
"Aha. You already have a prior engagement with someone else?"
"It's not exactly a prior engagement, but..."
I gave a troubled smile, unsure of how to explain. Leona was definitely next after Adelia.
However, the question was whether I would actually spend the first night with Adelia after this exhibition. I wanted to gift her a first night so joyful it would make her forget all her past traumas, but that was easier said than done.
I had vowed to make her choose me even after I revealed I was Xenon, but I had to consider the others as well.
Marie and Cecile were likely sharpening their blades for this vacation, so I wasn't sure if there would be any room for Adelia to squeeze in.
She was so happy when I celebrated our anniversary, too.
On the exact day marking one year since Marie and I started dating, I gave her a ring set with a ruby. It was quite an expensive piece, purchased with the royalties from the Xenon Biography.
According to my mother, noblewomen who enjoy showing off prefer expensive jewelry, and they especially cherish and wear pieces received from the man they love every single day.
My mother also always wears the same ring on her left ring finger. As it turns out, it was an anniversary ring my father bought by emptying his entire retirement fund. I remember being shocked when I heard that.
Anyway, when I gave Marie the ring, she practically jumped for joy and confessed her love for me over and over. Seeing her so happy made me feel fulfilled as well.
And after that... well, everyone can guess. Perhaps her love and affection for me had reached its peak thanks to the ring, because she became incredibly passionate despite it being exam period.
She even went as far as making a near-frenzied declaration that academics didn't matter and that we should have a child immediately.
It was a relief she managed to regain her reason; otherwise, we would have been preparing for a wedding right then and there.
"It is a prior engagement, in a way. So it might take a little while. Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay. It'll be a bit tough during estrus, but I can endure it."
"Right, right. Thanks for being understanding."
"Purrr..."
I accompanied my sincere words by stroking her head. As I did, Leona let out a low rumble of a purr, her ears twitching.
Though her tail was hidden by her trousers, I imagined it would be wagging back and forth if it were visible.
As I continued to stroke Leona’s head, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Come to think of it, I seem to be sleeping with a different woman every vacation...?
The first summer break was Marie, the last winter break was Cecile. And while not set in stone, this summer break is slated for Adelia.
Does that mean next winter break is Leona? Truly, as Nicole said, I’m a scoundrel and a playboy who goes around seducing women.
Well, what can you do?
I suppose it’s just my lot in life. I calmed my mind while continuing to pet Leona’s soft hair.
For some reason, it felt addictive. Even in my past life, I had always been fond of petting cute dogs or cats.
After losing both my parents in an accident, I found solace in looking at photos of cute puppies and animals. I wanted to raise one myself, but my circumstances never allowed it, leaving me to live a lonely life.
Though Leona wasn't an animal but a beastkin, she was still of the same feline family. I wanted to keep feeling this texture against my hand.
"Purrr... purrr..."
"Do you like it that much?"
"Yes, Husband. Please pet me a little more."
"..."
It was official. Leona was a cat, not a lion.
I let out a small chuckle and didn't stop my hand, fulfilling her wish. It seemed she intended to keep calling me "Husband."
I've invited Leona, so the only one left is...
Cherry, the rookie who had just begun to sprout the seeds of dream and hope. I hadn't made the offer to her yet, but I planned to soon.
However, given her oppressive family environment, there was a possibility they had barked at her to not even dream of attending an exhibition.
I’d had many consultations with Cherry, and her family, House Roseberry, boasted an incredibly rigid education system.
They didn't treat people as people; they treated them like robots. Just hearing about it made me feel suffocated.
Apparently, things were relatively normal during the time of the previous head—her grandfather—but the current head of House Roseberry was exceptionally severe.
She told me that this tendency had worsened particularly after the publication of the Xenon Biography.
I'll have to meet her in person and talk first.
If possible, I wanted to invite Cherry to the exhibition. If that wasn't feasible, I planned to send an official invitation directly to her family.
And if even that failed... I’d gently coax her into coming secretly. She needed to see with her own eyes how the Xenon Biography was transforming into a cultural phenomenon.
It was a form of motivation, so to speak. The public was already speculating that she was Xenon’s disciple.
Despite only having one volume out, her work was garnering significant attention due to its unique "regression" premise.
If Cherry’s recognition continued to grow, her family wouldn't be able to touch her so easily. Currently, this was the most certain method.
Lick—
"Eek?!"
"Ah. Sorry. I did that without thinking."
I was startled out of my thoughts by a sudden cold sensation on my neck. Leona’s apology followed immediately.
Wondering what had happened, I looked down to see her smiling awkwardly with her tongue poking out.
It seemed she couldn't resist her instincts and had licked my neck. An action commonly known as grooming.
I stared blankly at her beaming face before touching my neck. Meanwhile, Leona licked her lips strangely, her golden eyes sparkling as she spoke to me.
"The scent of flowers was so strong I thought you'd taste like them, but I guess not. Actually, you might even taste good?"
"..."
"Can I lick you one more time? You can lick my neck too."
"...Is that also a beastkin custom?"
"It's less a general beastkin thing and more a trait of lion, tiger, and cat beastkin. So, can I?"
For a moment, I almost told her to lick somewhere other than my neck.
*
About a month remained until the 2nd Xenon Exhibition was to be held in the Maishal Territory.
By the standards of humans and beastkin, it was a fair amount of time, but for races with much longer lifespans, it felt like a mere blink of an eye.
Furthermore, those involved in the arts had to transport their "works" to the Maishal Territory, making the window feel even shorter.
Because of this, most artists were already busy moving long before the exhibition began, working diligently to secure the best spots.
And among those working hard to display their creation was...
"You're saying this thing actually moves?"
"I'm telling you, it does. Don't you trust me?"
It was Ains, the inventor of the magic engine and a dwarf who had resolved to attend this exhibition. Currently, he was showcasing his "work" to other dwarves.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary carriage, but several differences were clearly visible upon closer inspection.
First and foremost, a carriage is, by definition, a vehicle pulled by horses, yet there were no fixtures to hitch a horse to it.
Instead, there was a seat for a driver, and further back, seats for passengers.
However, one part stood out particularly: a strange device attached to the rear.
It was the "magic engine," originally invented for the magic locomotive but now mounted onto a carriage. Ains had attached it to a coach.
"So, you said it was coal? How far can you go if you put those black stones in?"
"I haven't tested that yet."
"You idiot! You're planning to go all the way to the Minerva Empire without even testing that? You've gone mad."
At Ains’s blunt answer, another dwarf spat out a harsh critique. It was only natural; the distance between Machina, the land of the dwarves, and the Minerva Empire was vast.
While they didn't have to cross the sea like those from Albenheim, traveling by land would take at least a month.
And that was assuming one used a carriage, not traveling on foot. If it took a month with a standard carriage, how long would it take with an untested one?
However, Ains crossed his thick arms and spoke with a confident attitude. His lush brown beard stood out prominently.
"I'm doing this because it's possible! One ride and all your doubts will vanish. You lot didn't think I could build a magic engine either."
"Well... that's true. But why did you make this instead of the magic locomotive?"
"This is a prototype of sorts. The locomotive is too big, so it has to be built on a large scale as a group project. The important thing for now is that it moves."
"That makes sense. So, what's it called? A magic car?"
"That's a bit lazy, isn't it?"
"Magic locomotive sounds like it has some weight to it, but 'magic car' definitely lacks something. It sounds like a cheap knockoff."
The dwarves were already piling on the criticism before he had even revealed the name. But Ains remained unfazed.
He had fully expected this reaction. Furthermore, to a dwarf, their invention must be treated as dearly as a child.
That applied to the name as well. A name had to be chosen carefully so it wouldn't become a laughingstock in the future.
Ains clicked his tongue as the dwarves threw out names at random, then spoke in his characteristically confident voice.
"Do I look that thoughtless to you? Me, Ains Martinsen, the inventor of the magic engine?"
"Yeah. You look incredibly thoughtless."
"You probably made that thing because you're a thoughtless moron. We acknowledge your achievement, but you're definitely reckless and lacking in the brains department."
"You bastards. Anyway, the name of this invention is very simple. Requiring no horses, moving solely by the magic engine...!"
If Isaac had seen this scene, what would he have thought?
"Behold, the Magic Automobile!"
"That sounds even worse than before."
"Just call it an automobile."
He probably would have chuckled. Or perhaps he would have reconsidered the plot of his World War II novel more carefully.
Ains ignored the harsh evaluations of the two dwarves, who were more like frenemies, and nodded as if he were satisfied.
He then pointed a thumb at the Magic Automobile behind him and made a casual offer.
"So, do you want to try it out? If you lot want, I'll give you the honor of being the first passengers."
"Well, I'm bored, so why not?"
"Sure, let's do it."
However, there was one thing even the inventor, Ains, hadn't anticipated.
"Wait, how do you stop this thing?"
"Uh."
"What do you mean 'uh'?! Dammit! Stop it right now!!"
He had forgotten to create "brakes." It was a good thing they were only just about to start; otherwise, they might have caused the world's first traffic accident.
And so, with one month left until the exhibition.
"You reckless bastard. Move aside. Looks like we need to make some kind of stopping device."
"Let's add a gear shift for speed while we're at it. What's the top speed on this thing?"
"Probably a bit slower than a horse at full gallop? Whatever you put in eventually gets converted into mana."
"Hmm. That's a bit problematic. Why don't we make a separate mana reservoir? Store the excess mana, and if it gets too overloaded, just vent it outside."
"That sounds good."
Following culture and religion, science was now steadily approaching.