Chapter 31
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 31: Inside the Battlefield Called Mansion
A few days later.
After Iden left the mansion saying he would briefly visit the Main Castle, Erwin was feeding fish in the pond of the mansion's garden.
Early afternoon sunlight was spread thinly, and the training ground beyond the garden was quiet.
It was rather awkward that the space where mana bounced until yesterday was this quiet.
Erwin, having sprinkled all the feed, looked down blankly at the fish opening their mouths and eating.
Last night's scene kept coming to mind.
The perfect spherical flame forming on Iden's palm.
That Fireball with no shaking, nor unstable afterglow.
Smirk.
The laugh that she must have made several times burst out again.
The time it took her to realize the fire element was exactly 1 year.
Opening the mana circuit itself was a hurdle, and there were countless failures until succeeding in granting attributes.
Flame that burst at fingertips then went out, mana that flowed backwards burning her palm, even headaches and dizziness.
How much effort and sincerity did she burn to stably implement one Fireball.
Elemental magic isn't a technique simply handling mana.
One had to realize from the operating principle of the circuit to the fundamental concept of the element.
It's not an area pushed simply by physical strength.
Passing the threshold like that, the subsequent growth speed is divided by individual differences.
The limit of innate total mana amount.
And mental critical point.
How long, how precisely can one compress and maintain mana.
That eventually determines the upper limit of skill.
Erwin recalled yesterday's scene again.
Iden passed that threshold casually after a few failures.
'Must be because of Summoning Arts.'
She deduced like that.
Summoning Arts is also a technique using mana as a medium.
Even from what she heard from Iden, the operating principle was somewhat similar.
It's just the difference between connecting outside or composing inside, the foundation is the same.
If so.
Since he already learned the structure of mana circuits through Summoning Arts, the understanding of elemental magic could also be fast.
But even so, showing that level of stability in one breath is hard to explain.
His Summoning Arts growth speed was overwhelming.
That huge defense line seen in Hamelon, the appearance filling the gap just before collapse alone.
That wasn't something a person whose 'full-scale' training period was 2 years could achieve.
Eventually, from his personal capability and utilization of mana circuits, and above all innate talent and excellent brain with high understanding, the potential Iden possesses was at a level transcending imagination.
Let alone doing Engineering Unit work he had never taken charge of skillfully, he even achieved a monumental accomplishment in 1 year.
Truly a man no different from an envoy sent by the Main God to look after the Northern Territory.
Erwin naturally bowed her head.
Especially she had never heard of a case of a Summoner using elemental magic.
Even if handling two systems simultaneously is theoretically possible, those who actually succeeded were almost non-existent, so she shouldn't have heard of it...
Strangely.
'If it's Iden...'
It was accepted.
Erwin laughed softly at her own thought.
For some reason, even if Iden said 'I am actually the hidden successor of the Royal Family', it seemed she would believe it.
It was then.
"Erwin-nim, someone came to visit."
A maid approached and informed of a stranger's visit.
"Who is it?"
"Just said he definitely has something to tell Family Head Summonfield."
"Really?"
Erwin headed straight to the gate.
Opening the door, a middle-aged man in antique attire stood there.
Coat with exquisite tailoring, shoes with subtle gloss, and an excessively polite smile.
Noble. Or a middle-aged man appearing to be someone doing work closely related to nobles bowed his head.
"Excuse me. I came to see Baronet Iden Summonfield."
"He is away from his seat right now."
Erwin's tone was calm.
The man smiled as if waiting.
"Ah, I see. I am a matchmaker. These days there are quite many families looking for marriage talks with the Baronet, so I visit like this. Isn't his reputation so widespread."
Matchmaker.
Erwin's eyes narrowed subtly.
"Several families have officially expressed their intentions. There are families you would know if you heard. So please definitely deliver this business card."
He handed a business card.
It was a luxurious black business card.
Erwin accepted it without a word.
"I will look forward to good news soon."
The matchmaker greeted politely and withdrew.
The door closed, and the mansion's garden became quiet again.
Erwin looked down at the business card in her hand.
'These days there are quite many families wanting to have marriage talks with the Baronet.'
Those words hover around her ears.
She thought it was natural, and a story she would hear someday.
Since noble young ladies were endless by his side even at the banquet hall.
Ability, fame, future, Grand Duke's trust, and even a handsome face.
Who wouldn't covet him.
Even herself looking at him naturally comes up with child plans.
"......."
She looked at it for a moment, then slowly put strength into her fingers.
The sound of paper crumpling rang quietly.
And tore it without any hesitation.
Once.
Twice.
After putting the finely divided paper pieces on her palm, she chanted magic and bloomed flames.
Erwin exhaled softly looking down at the burning paper pieces.
"......No need to deliver it."
He is already busy treading the path of growth and success.
If it's a capable attendant, it's naturally right to remove elements that would bother the employer in advance.
Furthermore, he goes out to the battlefield tomorrow.
It was a time when concentration and stability were absolutely needed.
Crackle...
The business card turned into pitch-black ashes flies away somewhere riding the wind.
Erwin looked at it indifferently then started to return to the mansion.
It was when Erwin took a few steps.
"E, excuse me Erwin-nim!"
The maid who just informed the guest's visit approached calling her again.
With a different voice from just now.
Erwin turned her head.
"What is it?"
"That's... again, a guest came."
Erwin's eyebrows twitched subtly.
"Again?"
Don't tell me.
Another matchmaker?
Has the rumor already spread this far.
She crossed her arms and asked seeming slightly fed up.
"Where is the matchmaker from this time?"
However, the maid's reaction was strange.
Flustered expression and appearance reading the room with two hands gathered.
"Th, that is... not a matchmaker...."
"Then?"
"I... don't know well if I can escort them in."
Erwin looked at the maid quietly for a moment.
It was quite rare to see her this flustered. No, it was the first time.
"Who is it that you are like that?"
"I think it's better... for you to see directly."
One side of Erwin's chest rang strangely.
She moved her steps towards the gate without hesitation.
As she opened the gate and stepped outside, winter sunlight poured dazzlingly.
In front of the mansion gate.
A woman containing that dazzling winter sunlight stood.
Looking as if she just got off a horse, next to her a man appearing to be an attendant was holding a well-wrapped rectangular object, and behind them, the Grand Duke family's elite knights were escorting like an iron wall.
Erwin's steps stopped.
Woman wearing luxurious attire with pure white hair combed neatly.
None other than Northern Grand Duke's daughter and Princess Emiline Wintel.
Looking up at the mansion, she discovered Erwin and smiled softly.
"Sorry for visiting suddenly. Can I perhaps meet Iden Summonfield-nim?"
Erwin caught her breath momentarily and straightened her back.
"For Princess Your Highness... to come to this place."
It was a visitor completely different from expectation.
Not even comparable to a matchmaker.
The bloodline of the Grand Duke family personally visited Iden's mansion.
Strong wariness dwelled in Erwin's pupils.
**
On the way back to the mansion after finishing business at the Main Castle, I looked at Helon's streets flashing by beyond the carriage window.
Streets overflowing with vitality and energy.
Laughing and running children and street peddlers raising their voices.
It was a street scenery that would naturally excite just by looking, but today my heart didn't settle down strangely.
Short conversation with Galliard and preparation for expedition.
Tomorrow we march towards Saloon Central Plains.
Fierce battles will take place, and I must accumulate experience points through that.
Things to organize in my head were piled like a mountain.
The carriage stopped.
The iron gate of the mansion opened, and familiar garden entered my vision.
Creak—
However, as soon as I got off in front of the mansion entrance, I felt something.
Air is different.
Hard to explain, subtle tension.
Footsteps of servants moving busily usually were exceptionally cautious, and noise heard from the garden side also disappeared.
And.
In front of the entrance, knights I hadn't seen were guarding the entrance.
What is going on?
As soon as I opened the entrance door and entered, Erwin revealed herself.
Seemed no different from usual, but was stiffened somewhat awkwardly.
Besides, knights I hadn't seen were also standing catching the angle in the corridor.
"Is something wrong?"
As I asked first, she hesitated for a moment then said.
"......Princess Your Highness came."
"Huh?"
Understanding didn't follow momentarily.
Princess?
Then are these knights the Princess's guards?
"Princess Emiline?"
"Yes. In the reception room."
It was outside expectation.
Why of all things did the Princess personally take steps to a mere Baronet's mansion.
The Princess's position should be fit for 'summons' not visits.
I organized my thoughts for a moment then nodded.
"I got it for now."
For now, steps are priority over thoughts.
Although unintended, a low-ranking noble who made the Princess wait must do so.
Erwin followed silently from the side.
Stopping in front of the door, I caught my breath lightly and opened the door.
And.
She, who was standing by the window in the center of the reception room, raised her head.
Dazzling pure white hair catches the gaze even though there is no sunlight.
I bowed my head to her standing with neatly organized attire and a posture feeling dignity unique to the Northern Grand Duke family.
"I greet Princess Your Highness."
"Ah, you came."
Emiline smiled.
"I didn't know I would meet Princess Your Highness here. I apologize for official duties being late."
"No. I didn't wait long. It's my fault for barging in without notice in the first place."
Her voice was soft.
But her gaze was strangely examining me, and two hands gathered in front were wriggling.
"Then."
Erwin bows and retreats her steps backward.
Recognizing it's a situation to yield the seat.
She backed away bowing her head and left the reception room, and the door closed softly.
Click.
That small sound rang exceptionally loud.
Silence continuing for a moment.
Awkward air current began to flow in the small reception room.
Meanwhile, Erwin, who stepped outside the reception room, became a cicada and stuck closely to the door.
It was midsummer.