The Unsettling Familiarity
The place Julian guided us to was a quaint, old-fashioned mansion tucked at the end of an alleyway, just a little deeper into the market district we had been wandering earlier. There was no sign hanging outside, and the building's appearance alone would likely discourage anyone unfamiliar with it from even attempting to enter.
“It's a members-only restaurant. Only a few merchant coalition people and select regular members use it. Right now, it's being run by the surviving descendants of the vanished Al Riz merchant family.”
Al Riz merchant group. I had heard of them before. They were a large coalition that operated camel cavalry units and focused their activities around the desert kingdoms. Their internal succession struggle had escalated into something like a civil war, and when civilians got caught up in the resulting incidents, the coalition essentially collapsed.
“The older coalitions that worked with them have been paying annual membership fees ever since they opened this place. In return, they always make room for us whenever we visit.”
So this was the solidarity of the trade, then.
“Welcome, Lord Julian.”
When the door opened, a manager with the dark skin typical of desert regions, thick eyebrows, and a well-groomed mustache bowed respectfully toward Julian.
“It's been a while, Ahal.”
“You have companions with you. Please, this way to the inner room.”
He led us to the deepest room in the mansion. Decorated with dark brown wood that looked almost red, the space carried a distinctly foreign atmosphere. The large dining table and chairs, which could easily seat twenty people, matched the house's antique style, and the small scratches accumulated over the years only enhanced the ambiance.
We naturally took our seats while leaving the head of the table empty.
“I will have the meal prepared.”
“Please ask Nadal to put some effort into it. These are very important friends.”
“Understood.”
Soon, various dishes were brought to the table. Until the meal ended, we talked about the state of the world, old academy days, and events after the great war. To be precise, Rowell, Julian, and Aegina led the conversation while I simply chimed in, and Bagloros focused on eating.
Of course, this was perfectly normal. I had never been the type to lead conversations anyway, and having to do so would have felt awkward. Still, my lack of active participation today wasn't solely because of that.
Nothing about the situation itself felt strange. The conversation flowed naturally, and Julian's demeanor showed no awkwardness whatsoever. He was exactly the same as he had been back when we used to spend time together. Yet, perhaps because I had only seen certain sides of him recently, I felt a faint sense of dissonance.
And because I was the one feeling this way, a cold sweat suddenly ran down my spine as I wondered if I was actually feeling jealous. Had I grown so accustomed to his affectionate attitude that I was unconsciously feeling slighted?
I prayed to the gods that this wasn't the case, but truthfully, what could any deity do about my emotions and subconscious?
“Next time you're in Amusbian, please stop by the village. It's modest, but we'll treat you. You can try the food I make, too.”
Because of my wandering thoughts, Aegina's mention of cooking didn't stir any particular reaction in me.
“Only if Anak allows it.”
“Pardon?”
I had been so lost in thought that my response came a beat late. Julian looked at my slightly dazed expression and smiled with a gentle yet mischievous curve to his lips.
“Honestly, Senior. There's no way Anak would object. Right, Anak?”
Rowell seemed to think it was just Julian's usual teasing, but remembering our conversation back in Amusbian, the words carried a subtle edge.
“Ah, of course. We'll be waiting.”
At my answer, Julian gave me an incredibly charming smile.
‘Hmm…?’
Yet something about it felt strange again. It was the same face, the same attractive and handsome smile. At least to my eyes, the expression didn't seem forced or fake. But compared to the smiles I had seen from him recently, it felt different somehow. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but thinking about it only made my anxiety and self-doubt rise again. Right now, his smile carried none of the heart-fluttering, pulse-quickening feeling I had come to expect.
‘This is… a good thing, right?’
If I faced him like this, I probably wouldn't feel any confusion about my own sexuality.
“Well then, since we've finished eating and it looks like Lord Bagloros has finished his dessert, shall we head back to the ship?”
The table and the plates in front of us had already been cleared for some time, but several clean dessert plates were stacked in front of Bagloros. The staff, unaware of his true identity, had brought him multiple children's special desserts.
He had completely devoured a small cake, a confection shaped like a branch bearing fruit made of candy and bread, and even a large pudding.
“Are we departing for the Parerin Archipelago now?”
“No. The supplies probably aren't fully prepared yet. The crew will need some free time as well.”
I was curious why he was in such a hurry to return to the ship, but I didn't ask. He might simply want to show us around the vessel. However, the words he muttered next only deepened my curiosity.
“It'll probably reach its limit soon.”
I wondered what exactly would reach its limit, but before I could decide whether to ask, he stood up and left the room. The moment Julian moved a little farther away, Aegina suddenly whispered so quietly that only we could hear.
“By the way, I've been feeling like there's another person here since earlier. Am I the only one?”
Huh? What was that supposed to mean?
As I stared at Aegina, wondering what she was talking about, Bagloros spoke up.
“I felt it too. But there's no killing intent, and it's not the kind of presence that can interfere with us either.”
Huh?
If both Aegina and Bagloros had sensed it, then something was definitely there. I looked toward Rowell for confirmation, and he nodded in agreement.
“It seems to be coming from the necklace Senior is wearing. I didn't notice it before, but it might be an item with some kind of enchantment. Like Bagloros said, it's not the kind that can interfere with us, so I didn't look into it too deeply. It would be rude to do so without saying anything.”
So I was the only one who hadn't noticed anything. Considering the difference between them and me, it wasn't particularly surprising, but it was still somewhat shocking in several ways.
“Ah, it's probably just a protective artifact. As the vice-leader of a merchant coalition, he travels to many places, so there could be dangers.”
Good. That was a reasonable explanation. There was no need to admit I hadn't sensed anything, nor any reason to do so.
“I'll ask him about it separately later. It might be that someone placed an enchantment on it without his knowledge.”
At Rowell's words, I nodded, and we stood up. It was time to follow Julian.
“We look forward to your next visit.”
Escorted by the manager and the staff, we stepped outside and headed toward the harbor. Even as we walked, my gaze kept drifting toward Julian and his necklace, causing our eyes to meet several times.
Again, it wasn't strange that I couldn't detect artifacts or enchanted items. Magic items were generally designed so that their enchantments weren't obvious. Without direct contact or detection magic, they were hard to notice.
However, the strange sense of dissonance I felt from him today, along with these unfamiliar feelings, made my thoughts race and my mind grow more complicated.
Could the mood I was in today be because of that necklace? But he had been wearing that necklace for a very long time. I remembered seeing it during our academy days, and it had always been there during our previous meetings.
‘Then… could someone have placed an enchantment on the necklace without Senior knowing?’
Of course that was impossible. So then, what exactly were these feelings I was experiencing toward him today? Was I really feeling jealous, or even just slighted?
“What's wrong, Anak? Do you have something you want to say?”
At Julian's question, I reflexively looked at Rowell. It was a silent request for permission, and Rowell nodded.
“Well, is that necklace of yours an enchanted item, Senior?”
For a moment, Julian's expression stiffened slightly, but he soon nodded casually and lifted the necklace a little.
“Yes. It has magic on it. My father gave it to me for safety a long time ago. But why do you ask? You saw me wearing it back at the academy too. Don't tell me you only just noticed the necklace now?”
From his playful tone, I could tell he didn't want me to dig any deeper into the necklace. Aegina and Rowell seemed to realize this as well and told him the truth.
“Actually, I felt something strange earlier. I was worried that an enchantment might have been placed on you without your knowledge.”
At Aegina's words, a hint of relief flickered in Julian's eyes.
“Thank you for worrying. But I'm fine. This necklace isn't dangerous or problematic for me at all. On the contrary, it helps me.”
His voice as he spoke sounded almost benevolent, and especially in the last part, I could feel a deep affection.
“I see.”
I wanted to ask what kind of magic it held, but since I already knew he didn't want me to pry further, I didn't. Given his personality, Rowell probably wouldn't examine it closely either. If it had been during the old war or with an unknown person, he might have taken precautions, but this was Julian.
That aside, then what exactly were these feelings I was experiencing today?
Upon arriving at the harbor, we boarded one of the ships under Julian's guidance. The vessel was just as large as it had appeared from below. A massive magic cannon was mounted at the bow, and the deck was wide enough to fit an entire training ground. And true to its size, even though the sound of waves grew louder with the wind, there was almost no rocking. Of course, that was because it was docked; things would be different once we set sail. If the ship I had ridden during the war had been this large, seasickness would have been far less of an issue.
“Please wait here for a moment. I'll go to my room and be right back.”
Julian showed us the cabins where we would rest during the voyage, then said he had something to take care of and returned to his own room. Watching his retreating figure, I had a feeling that someone was waiting for him inside, but I could only shake my head, overwhelmed by my own anxiety.
‘That's not what I meant. It's just a feeling. There's no other meaning. There shouldn't be!’