Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Coffee Exchange
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"..."
"..."
An awkward atmosphere flowed through the room.
It was a phenomenon where one side stared piercingly at the other, while the other desperately tried to avoid that gaze.
"Excuse me. Mister."
The side staring piercingly.
Hainya, the lady of the great house Mastien, spoke up.
"Didn't you say you weren't participating in the Starbirth Festival?"
"Well..."
The side avoiding the gaze as best they could.
The mister, Rishir, replied.
"Circumstances came up..."
"What circumstances? Suddenly want to crash the kids' playground and cause a scene?"
"Hainya, technically I'm still in that 'kids' category myself—"
Rishir looked at Hainya with a wronged expression.
Compared to other participants maxing out the age limit, he was on the younger side even among those kids.
"..."
Hainya still seemed to struggle accepting that fact; when Rishir brought up his age, her face twisted in anguish.
"Sigh."
Finally, with a sigh, she spoke.
"Fine. You're right. No rule broken, so if you wanna join, join. Me complaining would be ridiculous, right?"
"Pretty much."
"...Here you should say, 'No, I understand how you feel, Hainya' or something."
"Was gonna, but figured you'd nitpick if I gave you an opening. Better escape the pressure while I can."
"Oh please, as if..."
Hainya sighed again, then slumped forward over the desk like her body was melting into the chair.
She spoke in a sluggish, slime-like tone.
"It's all over~ My dreams~ My goals~ My life~"
"Why so dramatic, Hainya? You're too young to give up everything."
"Was gonna win this Starbirth Festival and rebuild my crushed confidence~"
"Talking like you'd have won for sure if I wasn't entering?"
"Obviously~ It's the Starbirth Festival I'm in; who else would win~?"
"That confidence crushed? Feels crisp as fresh paper to me."
Don't know.
Don't know.
My life's ruined.
Hainya rolled around, lamenting.
Rishir watched the lady and said,
"Still, no need to worry too much, Hainya. I might drop out midway."
"Oh, gonna forfeit if you run into me!? No need to go that far~"
"Of course not that far—"
"Tch."
"Participating in the Starbirth Festival is just a means to an end, so if I achieve my goal midway, I'll probably quit the tournament right then."
"Starbirth Festival as a means? What's this goal anyway?"
"Rooting out a spy."
"Spy? From where?"
"Demon worshippers planted one in the tournament, apparently."
"Oh, really?"
Demon worshippers.
At the mention, Hainya pondered briefly before saying,
"Hope they catch 'em quick then."
"Wait—"
At that moment.
Sharlotte, who as usual had invited a friend to Sir Rishir's class, spoke up.
"Hainya, you okay with that...?"
"What can I do? Guy wants to enter, what right do I have to stop him?"
"No, I mean— There's a demon worshipper spy hiding in the tournament."
Sharlotte wondered if her head was messed up after hearing Hainya.
A spy from demon worshippers infiltrated the tournament she's entering, and that's her reaction?
"That's why Rishir's entering, right?"
"...?"
Was the conversation flow feeling unnaturally twisted just imagination?
Sharlotte had so much to say, but her lips only silently mouthed words.
"R-Really...?"
Sharlotte felt strange understanding this warped context even vaguely.
"Ah."
Then.
Sharlotte remembered something and asked Rishir,
"So, sir, your Starbirth Festival participation is confirmed?"
"For now, yes."
"Then— are you going there too, by any chance?"
"There?"
"Landeia sis is hosting a get-together for Starbirth Festival participants before it starts."
"Landeia sis?"
"Oh, sir— you don't know Miss Landeia?"
Rishir examined Sharlotte's expression closely.
If she was teasing or looking down as usual, he'd hear a stifled 'pfft', but Sharlotte looked genuinely surprised.
"Lady of the Relloza family."
Hainya added from the side.
"Ah."
Only then did Rishir nod.
He didn't know who Miss Landeia was—
But he knew the great noble house Relloza.
"Since Miss Sharlotte phrases it that way, this Landeia must be quite famous beyond her family name?"
"You know the Coffee Exchange?"
"Coffee Exchange?"
"Most famous social club among nobles our age— Landeia's the president."
"Oh..."
Suddenly, Rishir thought of his colleague Rona.
Bondales social circle's young noble.
Rona wielded influence beyond most nobles in the city just from that position.
'So Landeia surpasses local fame like Rona's to continental fame?'
Already immense as a great house's lady—
Plus a social celebrity across the continent.
Rishir immediately filed the name Landeia in his mind.
As a person of interest.
"Anything else I should know?"
"Hmm. Most Coffee Exchange members are entering this Starbirth Festival? And that get-together— basically them strutting in the new city?"
Rishir's eyebrow twitched once.
He caught the thorn hidden in Hainya's words.
"Hainya, just to check— not on great terms with those Coffee Exchange folks?"
Pffft.
Hainya blew air from her mouth and waved dismissively.
"Every day, every hour, every moment, obsessing over how to look good— get it?"
"Hm..."
Rishir roughly got it.
'Average young nobles' club, huh.'
He understood why Hainya was so fed up.
From what he knew, few things were as tricky as young nobles.
Even unique personalities like Hainya and Sharlotte seemed mature compared to average young nobles.
They at least had skills and talent matching their huge egos.
"Separately, yeah, bad blood too."
"Is that so?"
"Rishir. You know I only started learning magic recently, right?"
"Yes."
"Meaning until recently, I was a total outsider who couldn't even handle mana, let alone magic. Know how those Coffee Exchange guys treated me when we crossed paths?"
"Ah."
Rishir let out an involuntary chuckle.
"No way. They looked down on you? Sneakily, slyly?"
"You get it."
Hainya shuddered, recalling it made her sick.
"If ignoring, just ignore openly. They wanna ignore but scared of my family name. So petty and sly. Can't even talk to them. Just being in the same space fills me with disgust! Surge after surge!"
Rishir chuckled softly at Hainya's exaggerated gestures of revulsion.
"I get it. That vibe. That's why I had a pretty good first impression of you, Hainya."
"Oh? Really?"
"Seeing you openly look down with overflowing confidence— couldn't be more refreshing."
"...That's a compliment, right?"
"Sure—"
Then.
Sharlotte glanced at Hainya's mood and ventured,
"Hainya. Not thinking of attending Landeia sis's get-together this time?"
"Why would I go there?"
"She invited you. You're the only one she'd invite personally, probably?"
"Ugh. Should I be honored or touched? Why invite me anyway? To show off crushing me in front of others. Those sycophants will puff up seeing it and strut in front of me."
"...That bad? Or exaggerating 'cause dragging me along's a hassle?"
"If you insist, I could take you. To correct your delusions."
Good lord.
Rishir, watching their exchange, chuckled unwittingly.
"What on earth happened with those people—"
"Curious? No reason not to tell. When I just started learning magic."
"When you self-studied magic at an insane speed?"
"Yeah! Love that!"
"Pardon?"
"See what you said! You focused on me self-studying at insane speed?"
"Well, yeah...?"
"But those jerks— they subtly ignored me based on my magic level alone! 'Self-study, so can't grasp this~? Still can't handle this~?'"
"Haha... Typical of our age's nobles."
"Exactly. That's why I'm skipping the get-together. Predictable— they'll nitpick flaws with lame excuses and cling. Dealing with them alone—"
Hainya's words cut off there.
Her olive eyes fixed on Rishir.
"..."
Soon, a meaningful smile curved her lips.
"Rishir. You interested in that get-together, by any chance?"
"Pardon?"
Rishir decided to attend the get-together with Hainya.
In hopes of contacting the spy there.
The moment they arrived at the venue hosting it.
'Ah. So that's why.'
He instantly understood why Hainya loathed it so much.
Shortly after Hainya entered the hall.
"Hainya. What brings you? Didn't expect you'd actually accept the invite."
A red-haired woman appeared before Hainya—
And the crowd trailing her like a tail quickly surrounded Hainya.
'Those the Coffee Exchange people?'
That gaze. That atmosphere.
Seemingly respectful to the great house lady Hainya—
But underneath, sly and insidious feelings lurked.
Nobles' classic mind games, perhaps.
'Huh, speaking of, this woman—'
Then, Rishir looked at the red-haired woman facing Hainya.
Her face seemed familiar—
She was the woman he'd bumped into at Sharlotte's door when leaving her room before.
"Just wanted to introduce someone to you."
"Introduce someone? To this Hainya?"
Her attitude was like delighting in a bratty little sister's growth.
Plenty to disgust Hainya, and her expression mixed in subtle disdain.
"Curious. Who could it be?"
Thus, gazes from Landeia and the noble crowd turned to Rishir.
"Hey, that guy—"
A voice from the group.
"Isn't that him?"
"You know, the one asking if you can enter both swordsmanship and magic in this Starbirth Festival—"
Giggles.
Amid the murmurs, stifled laughs mixed in.
Landeia watched her entourage briefly.
Shot Rishir a meaningful smile, then to Hainya,
"New friend of yours is pretty famous? Even my kids already know him."
Hainya clicked her tongue inwardly.
She felt Landeia already looking down on Rishir, and herself for bringing such a person.
Plus the nobles projecting through Landeia, sending insidious gazes though useless alone.
Hainya thought,
This.
This is why she avoided contact with Landeia.
Truly unpleasant experience.
"..."
Yet why.
A very amused smile played on Hainya's lips as she endured the displeasure.
"From their reactions, seems you all know Rishir well? Nah, opposite."
"Hm?"
Hainya slyly smiled back at Landeia.
"From reactions, seems you barely know Rishir."
"..."
The two smiling women's gazes clashed fiercely in the air.
How long did that last.
"Anyway— Hainya. And Rishir, was it?"
Landeia smiled sweetly at them.
"You two came at the perfect time. We were in the middle of a fun game."
As Landeia beckoned them, the crowd parted instantly, making way.
At the end of the opened path, a table—
A single sword lay atop it.
"Hainya, interested in spirit arts by any chance?"
"Spirit arts?"
Landeia approached the table and picked up the sword.
"Trend spreading in our Coffee Exchange— or fad? This sword holds a spirit's aura; only spirit art users can fully draw its power, they say. You're a mage, so you can handle spirit arts, right?"
"..."
Hainya frowned at Landeia's tone.
Not all mages could use spirit arts.
Yet Landeia spoke as if Hainya naturally could.
Taking it for granted if she could—
Embarrassment if she couldn't.
"No need to ask Hainya— what about you?"
Landeia's gaze shifted to Rishir.
"You're versatile enough to enter both swordsmanship and magic in Starbirth Festival, so naturally you can do spirit arts too, right?"
"To some extent, yes."
"Oh, really? Wanna try?"
Landeia eagerly offered it to him.
Forcing it into his hand so he couldn't back out.
"Go on."
Urging him.
"..."
Rishir reluctantly went along.
He hesitated looking at the sword, then said,
"You there?"
"..."
Landeia swallowed a laugh watching.
But futile— a 'pfft!' erupted from the crowd.
Rishir calling a spirit showed no basics of spirit arts.
'You there'?
If versed, he'd start with 'Great spirit dwelling in the sword' or similar.
Spirits tend to view humans beneath them.
Above all, this wasn't spirit arts.
In spirit arts, voice is mere medium for aura and mana.
His voice held neither.
He was just mumbling to the sword.
"You always like that?"
"Pardon?"
"When communing with spirits."
"Ah, well. The ones I've met were mostly unusual cases—"
Landeia was convinced watching Rishir trail off.
His claim of handling spirit arts was bravado.
As Landeia was about to smirk subtly at them.
"That's not it!!!" "My name is Weslen of the Grazing Winds! Call my name properly!"
⟨ Weslen ⟩
Her slowly rising lip corner froze.
The arrogant, picky spirit, who never revealed its true name to anyone, suddenly declared it.
"Hm."
Rishir nodded and looked at Landeia.
Such a confident expression as that voice reached him.
Landeia felt confusion at his bold attitude.
Mumbled to the sword, and the spirit replied on its own.
Could you call that spirit arts?