Chapter 409: Gold and Silver (14)
Chapter 409: Gold and Silver (14)
Celine was missing.
Immediately after hearing the news, I headed straight to my bedroom to pack my bags.
The matter was that grave.
It had already been several weeks since I parted ways with Celine. It wasn't that I had forgotten about her during that time, but I hadn't been particularly worried.
I had assumed she was simply immersing herself in her training at the Academy.
But then, out of nowhere, she was 'missing.'
It was a fact I found difficult to accept.
First of all, the Academy had a high population density.
This meant that no matter where one went, sightings were bound to circulate. Furthermore, wasn't Celine a celebrity, often called the flower of the Swordsmanship Department?
Additionally, the Academy was teeming with security personnel who conducted periodic patrols.
As a place where the continent's greatest talents gathered, its security was naturally ironclad.
Even if one wanted to leave of their own volition, the Academy was a place where one's movement path would inevitably be exposed. The possibility of a 'disappearance' occurring in such a location was extremely low.
This was why I couldn't help but press Ria even as I moved with hurried steps.
"Missing? Why on earth would Celine have a reason to disappear?"
"That’s why it’s a disappearance! Actually, it’s still a bit ambiguous to call it a disappearance, but..."
The more I heard, the more of a struggle it seemed.
If she’s missing, she’s missing. What did she mean by 'ambiguous'?
At my bewildered look, Ria hesitated before adding further explanation.
"It’s already been two days since she vanished without a trace!"
"She could just be out of sight for a couple of days, couldn't she? Celine might want some time to herself, too."
My counterargument was reasonable.
While many groups might target a woman wandering the night streets alone, that only applied to ordinary people.
Celine was a prodigy who had passed the Academy's entrance exam.
This meant she was an opponent that even seasoned mercenaries, let alone common street thugs, would struggle against.
The likelihood of her being in danger just by walking around alone was not high.
If anything, it was more likely that some unfortunate thugs would get hurt for picking a fight with her.
Of course, there was no way Ria hadn't anticipated this rebuttal.
"That can't be it. Senior Celine has been doing nothing but training all day lately... But no matter where we looked in her usual training spots, she was nowhere to be found."
"A swordsman must train the mind as well as the body. She might have found a lead and left to meditate—"
"Even if the last person she met was a young lady of the Alphenhauser family?"
That statement rendered all previous discussions meaningless.
I came to a dead stop, forgetting even to breathe. My eyes, filled with disbelief, turned toward Ria.
The Alphenhauser family.
One of the Empire's Five Great Noble Families, and the ones who had brought disaster upon the Haster Territory.
By tradition, the families called 'Great Nobles' in the Empire each had something they symbolized.
Yurdina of the North held military authority.
Lupemion of the East held the knights.
Findleston of the West held intelligence.
Arahorn of the South held magic.
And Alphenhauser of the Central region was considered to hold the gold.
Celine claimed that this was the very reason the Alphenhauser family had encroached upon the Haster family.
Specifically, it was caused by a gold mine discovered in the Haster Territory one day.
Countless families fought tooth and nail over those massive interests. Alphenhauser emerged as the final victor, and they immediately seized control of the trade routes leading to the Haster family, leaving the territory in a state of starvation.
The subsequent developments went without saying.
Baron Haster collapsed, unable to overcome his indignation, and the people of the Haster Territory were being exploited for pittance in the mines.
It was a tragedy far too horrific for the young only daughter of the Haster family to bear.
Since that day, Celine had sworn revenge against Alphenhauser.
Her antipathy and inferiority complex toward high-ranking nobles likely stemmed from the pain of that day as well.
However, there was one question I simply had to address.
"If it's a lady of the Alphenhauser family, you mean the twins? They already graduated, didn't they?"
That was right.
If it was a lady of Alphenhauser, it could only be those two.
The twin seniors who had taken the top and second spots in the Department of Commerce respectively.
They were one year senior to Senior Delphine and Senior Elsie, and since the Academy had no system for 'repeating a grade,' the two already held the status of graduates.
It was hard to guess why they would bother visiting the Academy.
Surely they hadn't made the trip specifically to meet Celine.
Ria couldn't provide a proper answer to this either.
"I don't know the details either. I heard they returned as guest professors, but would people like that move without a purpose?"
I hummed in thought, but nothing specific came to mind.
It was information I couldn't possibly know right now anyway. I decided to stop dwelling on it.
I could dig for the details once I returned to the Academy.
There was a more pressing matter to handle first.
"Ria, you head to the Warp Gate first. I'll go say my goodbyes to the others."
"Are you planning to leave right away?"
"Celine is gone, what else can I do? I'll just give them a quick greeting, so don't worry... Oh, and what did Reto say?"
At the question I tossed out as if just remembering, Ria fell silent for a moment.
Her golden pupils drifted toward the ceiling. Only after the girl tapped her lips a couple of times with her index finger did I hear something resembling an answer.
"......He told you to be careful."
It was a phrase I had heard countless times.
Usually right before standing on a battlefield, from my comrades or from the 'me' who came from the future.
But it was the first time I had heard it from Reto.
Leaving Ria's subsequent explanation behind, I began walking again.
"He said politics has begun at the Academy."
It meant it was time to face the field where I was most vulnerable.
Though, of course, it didn't particularly move me right now.
Only one thought dominated my mind.
Celine, where did you go?
I had to get back to the Academy as soon as possible.
As my decision was sudden, the reactions of the women seeing me off were varied.
First, there were many who could not follow me due to their own circumstances.
For example, Senior Delphine, Seria, and the Saintess were among them.
Senior Delphine was the woman who would become the head of the Yurdina family. Naturally, she could only return after finishing the cleanup here, and Seria's situation was no different.
Though Seria, of course, showed a determination to follow me no matter what.
"I will return with you."
"Seria, you still have work to do here on the frontlines—"
"That's for my sister to handle on her own."
The voice Seria used was thick with coldness.
At least she wasn't calling her a 'bitch' anymore, which was a relief. This was an achievement born from my persuasion over several days.
A vassal calling the head of the family a 'bitch.'
It was a rumor that would have a negative impact on both Senior Delphine and Seria.
Preventing it in advance was for the best.
In the end, I sighed and decided to soothe Seria.
As I gently placed my hands on her shoulders, Seria flinched, her eyes trembling with flustered surprise.
"Listen, Seria. Senior Delphine is precious to me."
At that calm confession, a blue spark flickered in Seria's eyes.
I heard the sound of her teeth grinding together. Before I knew it, Seria's hands were clenched with immense strength.
It was a terrifying pressure.
As if she had become a different person in an instant.
It was a reaction I had expected.
Without losing my composure, I persuaded Seria in a soft, steady voice.
"And you are just as precious to me. I know it might be selfish of me, but I don't want the two of you to fight."
"But—"
"I won't abandon either of you."
It was an incredibly brazen thing to say.
Claiming I would take both sisters—if the Marquis of Yurdina had seen this scene, he might have clutched the back of his neck and collapsed.
But what could I do?
This, too, was the price the Marquis of Yurdina paid for joining hands with the Dark Cult.
All the discord in the family originated from that, after all.
I spoke, trying my best to ignore the voice of my conscience.
"At least until I am free from my duties... So Seria, can't you just bear with it until then?"
It was a cowardly request.
Seria had no choice. She was a woman who had said that even life itself was meaningless without me.
If I said I wouldn't abandon either of them, Seria had no choice but to follow my will.
However, Seria was a more spirited woman than I had thought.
"......Fine."
Seria spoke to me with a chilly smile.
"I'll show you. Just how useless that bitch is... Her only superior qualities as a female are that pretty face and body, right? I'll prove it. While you're hesitating, Senior Ian."
It wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but at least she understood what I said.
I forced down a leaking sigh and nodded.
I felt somewhat relieved.
It seemed the conflict between Senior Delphine and Seria wouldn't escalate to an extreme.
As I was about to leave to say my other goodbyes, a voice caught my footsteps.
"Um, ex-excuse me... Senior Ian!"
I turned back with a questioning look.
Seria was clearly hesitating, fidgeting. Her murderous aura had long since vanished without a trace.
It didn't take long for the girl, her face flushed deep red, to bow her head.
"Cl-Clothes! Could you give me just one piece of your clothing!"
It was such an unexpected request that I stood there dazed, while Seria muttered with her face red all the way to her ears.
"Th-The longer the waiting time, the harder it is! U-Um, for the efficiency of... ugh, for the efficiency of carrying out my duties... wouldn't it be... n-necessary?!"
I silently looked around Seria's bedroom.
It was the same as ever.
Dolls that resembled me and items related to me were displayed everywhere.
In the end, I had to take off my coat and give it to her, trying my best to act as if it were nothing.
It was an embarrassing thing to do, but it was fine.
Because my precious junior had a happy smile spread across her entire face.
For Seria's sake, I could be as embarrassed as needed.
There was another woman who stubbornly insisted on following me.
It was the Saintess.
Even though there were countless people in immediate need of treatment, the Saintess obstinately declared she would follow me.
Still, the Saintess was the Saintess.
No matter how much she wanted to follow me, she couldn't just leave the groaning patients behind.
She spoke with a look of resignation.
"......I'll wrap things up and follow you within a week."
"Yes, I'll be counting on you."
I gave an awkward smile to the dejected Saintess.
I might not have known before, but after experiencing a few women, I had a hunch.
The fact that the Saintess held feelings for me.
Common sense dictated that she was someone who had allowed me her body. I had to assume her heart had already been won over.
That was why my head was even more complicated.
I would have to set a date and talk to her eventually.
About the tangled relationships involving Senior Delphine, Seria, and even Emma.
However, since it was something I couldn't even fathom doing right now, I decided to leave it for later.
The trouble could be pushed off to my future self.
The people I met after that didn't require much persuasion.
Senior Elsie and the Princess said they would follow me, and Senior Neris had to carry out her duties for the Intelligence Agency anyway.
However, Senior Delphine only left me with a cryptic remark.
"It's already begun."
"......Pardon?"
I could only return a dazed question at the sudden statement.
Regardless, Senior Delphine merely rested her chin on her hand with a weary look in her eyes.
"The games for the next throne. It doesn't matter for the Yurdina family since I'm the only legitimate child, but the other four great families make their successors compete. Depending on which imperial successor they align with... and who becomes the next Emperor, the position of the head of the family is decided."
"Would the Alphenhauser twins be related to that?"
"Absolutely."
Senior Delphine, facing me in her armor for the first time in a while, spoke in a quite serious tone.
"For your information, the Alphenhauser twins are on Princess Iris's side. I don't know for what purpose they returned to the Academy... but be careful, Husband."
After that, it was the usual.
I kissed Senior Delphine, shared our tongues, enjoyed a brief moment of pleasure, and then left the office.
On the way to the Warp Gate after that.
I was walking while holding Emma's hand.
Emma's face had long since turned a shade of red that looked like it might burst.
"I-Ian... you don't have to do this. I'm so embarrassed........"
"No, I can't. You still have a lingering fever."
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but I was sincere.
The scene of that day was still hammered into my mind like a spike.
The woman in the concentrated healing room, breathing faintly with a pale face.
Perhaps because of that, I was exceptionally sensitive to Emma's health issues.
Just like right now.
"Once we arrive at the Academy, just rest. Don't worry about your luggage. I'll bring it or send someone. Or I could hire a separate caregiver—"
Every time my needless worries continued in a stream, Emma's gaze drifted further downward.
Of course, I didn't notice this.
I didn't even notice what was happening behind my back.
I only felt it vaguely through a faint sensation.
The fact that Senior Elsie, who had been whispering with the Princess, was sending a peculiar look toward Emma and me.
On the day we returned to the Academy, a bomb was placed between us.
Senior Elsie continued to stare at Emma even after that.
Constantly, without stopping.