Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: String Figures
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I headed to the location I had received from Carnel earlier.
The place was Yoram’s main gate.
Soon, I arrived at the boundary line of the barrier that separated Yoram and the Empire.
‘Oh.’
My view brightened in an instant.
Gorgeous carriages were lined up in rows.
Decorations embedded with all sorts of jewels without restraint, patterns densely embroidered with gold thread.
A true feast of extravagance.
“Sparkling.”
The Loach muttered while tapping my head chop-chop with its tail.
Look at that—how flashy must it be for even this guy to let slip an impression like that.
‘Don’t talk in front of other people, got it?’
“To not even let me speak, that’s too much, human.”
This was seriously problematic.
A talking fish, and me walking around with that fish.
No one who saw us wouldn’t get suspicious.
‘Where is it.’
I wandered between the carriages, searching for the one Carnel was in.
And after a short while…
One carriage caught my eye.
Not overly flashy, nor crude… just neatly stylish in a balanced way.
‘Is that the one?’
Given Carnel’s personality, she wouldn’t ride something glittering, so it was most likely that one.
Then…
“Huh? Little bro’s here?”
The carriage door opened, and Violet spotted me.
Her gaze slowly shifted up from me to the top of my head…
“…Little bro, what’s that fish on your head?”
Her eyes locked right onto the Loach, sprawled belly-down atop my head.
[Loach.]
“Ahh… a Loach.”
Violet nodded once.
She fell silent for a moment, then furrowed her brows again and asked.
“…What’s that?”
[A fish.]
The moment I wrote that Loach was a fish, its fin slapped my head—chop.
“A fish that… can breathe out of water?”
[Yes.]
“I see… Fish these days are really something, huh?”
Every time I repeated the word ‘fish,’ The Loach’s fin angrily drummed on my head—chop chop chop chop chop.
“That… fish doesn’t get along with you very well, does it, Little bro?”
[We get along great.]
Chop chop chop chop chop chop!
Violet stepped back a pace, eyeing the Loach with a subtle expression.
“…Doesn’t look like it.”
The Loach whipped its head away on top of mine, neither denying nor confirming—just turning aside.
“Doesn’t seem like just any fish….”
The Loach gave a subtle nod.
“…It understands people?”
This time, the Loach boldly bobbed its head up and down twice.
Violet’s eyebrow twitched.
“…Something’s weird.”
The Loach made no denial or affirmation, just tapping my head chop-chop with its tail like, ‘figure it out yourself.’
And soon…
“Ah, you’re here.”
The carriage door opened again, and Carnel appeared.
Her gaze headed straight to the top of my head, just like Violet’s.
“Uh…?”
Violet approached the flustered Carnel and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“This is a fish super close to our little bro—It's a Loach. Carnel.”
Carnel blanked out for a second before nodding with a creak, like rusty gears.
But… hadn’t Carnel seen the Loach once before?
Thinking that, I stepped up into the carriage.
And the instant I entered…
“Hehe… What do you think?”
Carnel spread her arms wide, grinning proudly.
“You're surprised, right?”
Small on the outside, but stepping in revealed a whole other world.
A vast room the size of my dorm.
Luxurious furniture crammed the space, catching my eye.
[But are we really going?]
I still couldn’t wrap my head around going to Carnel’s house.
That meant spending the next month living together—eating, sleeping, under one roof…
It felt off.
“Hehe… Once your foot’s in the carriage, no take-backs!”
[Isn’t this kidnapping?]
“Kidnapping? It’s an invitation! Invitation!”
Carnel threw her head back, laughing triumphantly.
I set the whiteboard down and flopped onto the plush sofa in the corner.
[But is it okay for a commoner like me to go to the duke’s house?]
“I said it’s fine—what’s the issue!?”
“That’s only your say-so, Carnel….”
Violet muttered with a sigh, but Carnel brushed it off entirely.
She rang the little bell on the table—ting!—and the carriage smoothly began to move.
“No issue at all.”
Chop chop.
The Loach’s fin tapped my head from above.
I sighed and lifted it up to eye level.
‘What.’
Mikurebi flicked its tail toward Carnel.
Its face screamed, ‘What’d you do to make her act like that?’
‘I dunno either.’
The Loach crossed its fins then, glaring at me like I was hopeless.
Tail swaying like ‘so frustrating’—I couldn’t tell if it was pulling faces or just taking it out on me.
“Hmph, Adel worries way too much.”
Carnel propped her chin, nose in the air.
I raised the whiteboard.
[I've got good reason to.]
“No need to worry—I’ve got it all handled!”
Chop.
The Loach, having crawled back up, smacked my head with its fin.
Staring right into my eyes this time, like ‘You can really trust her?’
‘No clue.’
I scoopedit up and leveled our gazes.
It shook its tail at Carnel, gesturing ‘she’s weird.’
“…Why’s that fish always pointing at me?”
[It wants to get friendly, probably.]
“Hmm… Guess it doesn’t trust me, huh.”
Chop chop chop.
The Loach smacked the back of my hand three times with its fin, straight-up agreeing.
“What?! Are you doubting me?”
Carnel shot up, and the Loach quivered its tail before scampering to the top of my head like it was fleeing.
Poking its head out, it glared at Carnel with big round eyes, like ‘beat it.’
“…Isn't that fish too full of itself?”
The Loach straight-up turned its head away.
Carnel crossed her arms, huffing and glaring; It just lazily wagged its tail atop my head.
“Urgh…!”
She reached for my head.
“I’ll grab you!”
Chop.
The loach spun a circle on my head, then zipped sideways just before her hand closed in.
Nimble moves for a loach.
“Oh my, isn't it super quick?”
Violet propped her elbows on the table, watching with keen interest.
“Stay put! You cheeky fish!”
Carnel swiped again.
But sit pringboarded off my shoulder, spun three loops midair, and slipped past her hand with a graze.
Chop chop.
Fin slapping her fingertip on the way out.
A perfect taunt.
“Ha… You’re done if I catch you.”
Carnel gritted her teeth and lunged; the Loach plastered itself right back on my head.
It craned its neck to peer up at Carnel, tail swaying.
Chop.
Slapping my head once more, testing her patience.
“…You wanna fight me right now?”
It blinked its round eyes from my head and crossed its fins.
The pose said ‘come at me.’
“…I can’t share space with that fish.”
[Same.]
What kind of nonsense is this on a person’s head.
***
Before long, Carnel and the Loach had forged a peace treaty.
…On paper, anyway.
Carnel’s eyes still shot it dirty looks.
She pursed her lips, glaring at it snoring belly-down on the sofa, even grinding its teeth in its sleep.
“Grrr….”
Solid breathing for a fish.
Carnel sighed, then turned her gaze to Adel.
“…What?”
Adel was silently looping mana strings between his fingers.
Threads of every color twisted and flowed, giving off a faint glow from his fingertips.
The slender mana strings linking his hands shifted through all sorts of shapes.
Carnel cocked her head, stood, and approached Adel.
“What’re you doing?”
[Making string figures.]
“String figures…? What’s that?”
[A game where you make shapes with string.]
“…Game.”
Carnel narrowed her eyes, staring hard at Adel’s fingertips.
Adel hooked his fingers into the airborne mana strings to finish the shape, but…
In a flash, the strings lit up and unraveled.
The structure collapsed; his fingers tangled in the mess.
“…Something’s off.”
[Yeah.]
Adel shook his head and spun out fresh mana strings.
Soft light spilled from his fingertips, weaving new ones into the air.
“How’s it work?”
Carnel snuck the Loach aside and shoved it far off, then glued herself next to Adel.
“…Urk.”
It sounded almost human, but Carnel ignored it.
She focused as the mana strings reformed between Adel’s hands.
[Left pinky first.]
“Like… this?”
[Hold thumb and index steady, loop the string over here.]
Carnel followed Adel’s lead, gingerly manipulating the string.
At last…
Colorful mana strings stretched a little star between her hands.
“…Got it!”
Carnel’s face lit up with a beaming smile.
[You're better than expected.]
“Hmph… Obviously. It's child’s play for me.”
Chop.
The loach cracked its eyes halfway on the sofa, fin-chopping it.
With a face like ‘child’s play, my tail.’
“…Gonna have to fry that fish after all.”
[Easy, President.]
“Ahem… Next step.”
[Next one’s trickier.]
“You’ll show me, right, Adel?”
Carnel’s fingers wiggled eagerly, eyes shining.
Adel paused, then drew new mana strings.
Slender threads aglow with colors trailed his fingertips into the air.
[Hook your right index finger, then twist your thumb opposite it.]
“Thumb… opposite? This way?”
[Nope.]
“Eh…?”
[Lemme have your hand.]
As Adel adjusted Carnel’s grip, their fingertips brushed—the mana strings sparkled.
“…Eh?”
[Whoops.]
Chop chop.
The loach hopped onto Carnel’s head, tapping her forehead.
It had a ‘No funny business’ face.
“This blasted fish… is it doubting me now?”
[Pretty much.]
“What?!“
Carnel bristled; the Loach sprawled casually atop her head.
Pure defiance.
“Hmph… I’ll prove I’m better than that fish.”
There were no fingers on it, yet Carnel bit her lip, fuming.
She poured herself into string figures, but…
Strings knotted, hands knotted—Adel and Carnel’s fingers ended up hopelessly tangled.
“…Hold up, why won’t it untangle?”
[Dunno.]
Glittering mana strings bound their fingers, pulsing light—a sharp zing shot through.
“Eek…! What kinda game is this!”
[It's tough.]
“…You did that on purpose, admit it.”
[I'm innocent, President.]
Chop chop chop chop!
The Loach, tickled pink by the scene, whacked Carnel’s head with gusto…
Fin flapping like mad.