Morning Greeting (2)
In a certain research lab of the Red Magic Tower, Agresia spoke to me.
"You've worked hard."
The reason I was with her was simple: in exchange for learning magic from her, I was helping with her research. Specifically, research into the peculiar nature of my mana.
Mana that pulled in other people's mana. It was a trait that normally appeared in monsters called "Mana Eaters," but Agresia said she had never seen a human's mana behave this way before.
I had plenty of questions myself, so I was cooperating with her research quite actively.
"Are we done?"
"Yes, let's stop here for today."
"Any progress?"
When I asked, Agresia made a slightly troubled face. Then she gave an awkward little smile and answered.
"To be honest, I still don't really understand it."
She had been trying all sorts of things, but since it was a phenomenon she had never seen before, it was clearly not easy.
"Is that so."
"More importantly, stop worrying about my research and focus on what you're learning. You know you've been spacing out a lot during lessons lately, right?"
"Ah…"
Lately I had a lot on my mind, so my concentration slipped from time to time. She had never mentioned it, so I thought it hadn't shown—turns out she had noticed and just let it slide.
"I'm sorry."
"…Well, when a person suddenly starts acting like that, there's usually a reason, so I won't pry."
Agresia gathered what looked like research notes into one pile, organized them, and slid them onto a bookshelf as she spoke.
"You can go. Just don't be late next time."
"Ah, yes."
I had been late this morning because of my talk with Erinn. She had given me a light scolding, but Agresia let it pass without much fuss.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ah, you don't need to come tomorrow. Come the day after."
"Pardon?"
"I have to leave for an academic conference tomorrow, so I won't be here."
Ah.
"The Tower Lord is busy, I see."
"Well, capable people are always busy."
"Ah…"
Sometimes this woman had a subtle way of showing off… she was undeniably capable, of course. It faintly reminded me of Caesius, which left me with a strange feeling.
"Understood. I'll see you the day after tomorrow."
"All right."
I headed for the room that held the teleportation circle linked to my house. On the way I sensed some sort of commotion downstairs, but I decided it was none of my business and stepped onto the circle.
"Tower Lord!"
After Albrecht left, Agresia tilted her head at the mage who came rushing into the lab.
"What is it?"
"Um… a guest has arrived at the tower."
"A guest? No one was scheduled to visit today."
"Well, they insist they must meet the Tower Lord…"
"…"
If the unexpected visitor had been an ordinary guest, the mages would never have come all the way up to report it. They would have turned the person away themselves.
The fact that they had brought the news meant this was a guest the tower's mages found difficult to refuse. Agresia tilted her head slightly and rose from her seat.
"Fine. Let's go see."
As she descended toward the tower entrance, Agresia felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It was the same peculiar dissonance she had felt recently. She recalled when she had last sensed it, and her expression hardened.
"…A Hero?"
"Tower Lord, how did you know?"
"…I felt something similar not long ago."
Agresia answered briefly and took a single deep breath. Heroes who possessed this level of presence numbered only about three across the entire continent. One of them was Erinn, who had visited recently, but this aura was different, so Agresia could narrow the candidates.
And soon she was able to confirm which of the remaining two had come. It was a man with a rough, intimidating face—dark blue hair that looked as if it had been chopped off haphazardly, and sharp eyes.
Agresia recognized him and spoke.
"The Holy Spear Hero…? What brings you here?"
Karna, Hero of the Shah Zar Kingdom and the one chosen by the Holy Spear.
Until Erinn, the Hero chosen by the Holy Sword, had appeared, he had been one of the pillars of the strongest Heroes. His arrival left even Agresia a little tense.
Karna gave Agresia a slight nod and let out a low, deep voice.
"I apologize for the sudden visit."
"…It's fine. More importantly, what business brings you here?"
At Agresia's question, Karna asked simply,
"The Holy Sword Hero visited here recently, did she not."
"Pardon?"
Agresia frowned in confusion. Why was he suddenly looking for the Holy Sword Hero? And if he wanted to find her, the proper place to ask would have been the Dern Empire, not here. That was her homeland and the nation she belonged to.
Still, it was true that Erinn, the Holy Sword Hero, had recently visited the Red Magic Tower. Judging by the fact that Karna had come here instead of the Dern Empire…
"…She did visit, yes."
Pretending ignorance would only get her caught. When she told the truth, Karna's gaze shifted slightly. Seeing that, Agresia asked in return,
"Why are you looking for her all of a sudden? Has a legion moved or something?"
"Where did she go."
"I don't know where she went. She only came looking for someone herself."
"…Someone?"
Karna narrowed his eyes thinly and said,
"Who are you talking about?"
"Well, that is…"
Agresia hesitated over whether she should say it or not. To her, Karna said,
"I am searching for her on a royal mission, so I would appreciate your cooperation."
"…The Shah Zar Kingdom?"
Why would the Shah Zar Kingdom be looking for Erinn? The question rose in Agresia's mind, and then she recalled something. During the Dragon Jade auction where she had paid a fortune to claim the gem, the Dragon Jade had briefly been stolen.
She had heard that the culprit was an organization based in Mahendra, the lawless city of the Shah Zar Kingdom. Wondering if this was related, Agresia said,
"If this is about the Dragon Jade, the kingdom hardly has any right to speak, does it?"
"Dragon Jade? …I have no idea what you're talking about."
Agresia tilted her head at Karna's reaction. He seemed genuinely unaware. So that wasn't it.
"It isn't?"
"…Whether it's related or not, it wasn't in the information I was given."
Agresia hesitated for a moment. Karna clearly seemed ignorant, but what intentions did the royal family that had given him this mission hold?
As the head of a magic tower, her political instincts were extremely sharp. Considering recent events, anyone could see…
"…I'm sorry, but try looking elsewhere."
"…What?"
"I mean I don't want to get involved in this."
When Karna's expression hardened and his presence turned fierce, Agresia did not flinch; she only narrowed her eyes. Unlike with Erinn, she had no reason to take a step back for Karna.
That woman Erinn tended to prioritize her own feelings over the empire's position, but Karna was not like that.
"Why? Are you going to threaten my life to get the answer? Will that really be all right?"
"…"
"You know perfectly well how much help the Red Magic Tower provides the Shah Zar Kingdom, don't you?"
At the very least, Karna could not harm her—the master of a magic tower that maintained a cooperative relationship with the kingdom. Knowing that, Agresia could stand firm.
"…You're hiding something."
"…Pardon?"
"Teleportation magic was used here recently."
Agresia's eyes widened. Then she recalled one of Karna's companions. She had momentarily forgotten—if it was that woman, she would easily be able to grasp every flow of mana in the surrounding area.
Remembering that, Agresia was a little flustered, but she spoke as if it were nothing.
"And why does that matter all of a sudden? Is it unusual for a magic tower to use teleportation magic?"
"It isn't, but…"
Karna continued.
"I am curious why the teleportation coordinates were set to Parvata. The tower has had no reason to visit Parvata recently."
"…!"
"If you don't wish to tell me, so be it."
Karna spun on his heel. As he left, he left a short remark behind.
"I will find out myself."
"…"
Agresia watched Karna's departing back with a slightly troubled look. The sudden claim that he was searching for Erinn on a royal mission bothered her greatly. She also felt an uneasy premonition.
"Still… those two…"
If Karna's target had been some other Hero, it might have been different, but the fact that it was Erinn of all people… meant that, barring something extreme, it probably would not escalate into a major incident.
Both of them would know. If the two of them ever clashed head-on…
"…It wouldn't end as an ordinary affair."
Even the kingdom would struggle to handle the aftermath. Thinking that made her feel safer instead, Agresia closed the tower doors.
"Parvata, is it…"
Emerging from the Red Magic Tower, Karna pulled his cloak up to cover his mouth like a hood. To reach Parvata from here, he would have to cross a vast desert.
"I searched far for no reason… to think she was somewhere so close."
"…Karna, is this really all right?"
It was a question from the companion walking at his side. She was the mage who had detected the traces of the teleportation magic that had occurred at the tower.
"No matter how I think about it, that order is strange. Suddenly find the Holy Sword Hero and pass judgment on her… what could she possibly have done when she has no connection to the royal family?"
To her question, Karna answered simply.
"That is something we will confirm."
As he answered, he lightly stroked the woman's hair as if to reassure her. Compared to the cold attitude he had shown Agresia moments earlier, it was a completely different person.
Perhaps that was only natural.
She had once been the second-in-command of the Blue Magic Tower and a highly regarded candidate for the next Tower Lord… yet she had thrown all of that away to stay at the side of Karna, who had been chosen as a Hero.
"…Karna, let's try to resolve this amicably if we can."
Even at the woman's interjection, Karna did not take offense. He simply nodded lightly and answered.
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
"Albrecht!"
The moment I returned home via teleportation magic, Clara greeted me warmly. From the way she appeared so quickly, she must have been cleaning the backyard.
"I'm back."
"You worked hard again today."
"Yeah. But…"
I looked at the other person standing beside Clara. It wasn't Caesius. I could see her sprawled out inside the room through the window over there.
"Why are you two here?"
"Hi~."
"Ah, hello, Albrecht."
Erinn and Letisia, whom I had seen that morning, were there.
"…Right, hi. So what brings you here?"
"Can't neighbors just drop by for a visit~?"
"No, what kind of…"
I was about to ask what kind of ordinary neighborly visit this was supposed to be when Letisia spoke.
"We really just came because we were bored. If it makes you uncomfortable, we'll leave…"
"…"
I couldn't tell her to go, and I couldn't tell her to stay either. Dealing with Letisia was more awkward for me than with the others.
The reason was obvious. Letisia had laid her feelings bare to me. For someone who wanted to maintain a good relationship with Clara right now, she was an extremely difficult person to face.
Still, the fact that she had been let into the house meant Clara was all right with it, right? Judging by her attitude last time, she still seemed wary…
Is it because, separate from that, they're precious comrades?
Either way…
"…No, it's fine if you stay."
I was the only one who felt awkward. If Clara was fine with it, there was no need to chase them out. And considering the reason they were staying here in the first place, I could endure that much discomfort.
At that, Letisia's eyes widened, then she soon answered with a small smile.
"Thank you."
"…"
More than that, Letisia wasn't wearing her hat today. Her twitching cat ears were fully visible… which meant her emotions were fully visible too. The moment she heard she could stay, Letisia's ears perked straight up.
The clearer her feelings came across, the more carefully I had to treat her. Thinking it would be better to leave the spot, I said,
"Clara, I'll head inside first and rest a bit."
"Ah, okay. You must be tired."
"Yeah, a little."
I escaped into the house. Then Caesius, who had been sprawled on the floor, only lifted her head a fraction and said,
"Albrecht, you're back."
"…Yeah."
Watching her greet me while lying down and scratching her belly made me somehow want to give her a knuckle to the head—was that normal? It had to be normal, right?
"I'm going in to rest a bit."
"Albrecht."
Even though I had said I was going in to rest, Caesius suddenly called me back.
"…What?"
"Hey, just one glass of water."
"……"
Haah…
I walked to the kitchen, took out a water bottle and a cup, and poured some water. Then I brought it over to Caesius and…
"Get up and drink it yourself!!"
I dumped the whole thing straight onto Caesius's face. She shook her head this way and that, flinging water off, and said,
"What's so hard about giving me one glass of water! How petty!"
"Shut up. Go get it yourself."
I hadn't liked the way she had been lying there scratching her belly this whole time. Caesius looked at me with dissatisfied eyes, but I ignored her lightly and went into my room.
"Haa…"
Truthfully I could have put up with it, but my head was a bit complicated. Seeing Letisia still unable to hide her feelings and laying them bare… made my thoughts tangle.
Polygamy or whatever they call it…
For someone born and raised for over twenty years in a monogamous country, it was still an unfamiliar idea. And that was about taking a second wife after marriage… not about dating multiple people at the same time.
"……She'll give up eventually if I keep putting up walls, right?"
I figured if I kept hitting the wall, she would give up at some point. Thinking that, I closed my eyes lightly. After a short nap, both of them would probably be gone.
I must have dozed off for a little while thinking that, when I heard a rustling sound beside me.
"Ah, you're awake~?"
"……?"
Curious, I opened my eyes and found Erinn lying right next to me.
…Why is she here?
For a moment I couldn't process the situation and just stared blankly, until Erinn gave a little snicker and said,
"Hi~♡"