Heavenly Halo of Welcome
There were only two cities in the Müller territory that could truly be called cities. One was the capital, Muller itself, and the other was Hoffman, built for trade. Hoffman wasn’t particularly large either. It had plenty of space for commerce, but that was about the extent of it. Sure, merchants came and went, but… there wasn’t much worth seeing. Then again, that was true of most places. Unless a city was truly massive, the settlements in this world only contained what was strictly necessary. And when most of the population consisted of farmers, expecting anything more would be foolish.
“They’re here.”
The gates of that very city had swung wide open for the first time in a while. The reason was simple: to welcome the star of the coming-of-age ceremony that would be held in Muller. From the traces of magic power I could sense in the distance, they’d arrive shortly.
I pulled out what I’d prepared in advance.
“Still terrifying, huh.”
The mass of condensed water magic power held within. It remained quiet unless deliberately activated, but that very silence made it feel overwhelmingly ominous. If this was meant to symbolize the sea, I could understand why.
Anyway.
I took out the Scale of the Sea Dragon and placed my hand on it, focusing my mind. I had no intention of making it rain, which meant I needed even more precise magic control than usual.
My magic power had essentially undergone a class change to solar magic. Because of that, both the power and control I could exert over water magic had decreased compared to before. Still, I could manage this much.
-Fwoooosh!
It required considerable finesse. Good thing I’d already used solar magic to clear the sky earlier. I channeled the water magic toward the sun floating above both the sky and the city.
This part was tricky. I was essentially manipulating magic power several kilometers overhead. The number of times I’d practiced creating ice crystals, maintaining them, and shaping them into the desired halo—adjusting for the angle of the crystals and sunlight—was beyond counting. There had even been a time when the repeated flashes of light pillars in the clear sky caused the commoners to whisper about impending disasters. I’d had to personally calm them down.
Thanks to all that practice, my skill had improved to the point where I could practically paint pictures in the sky. It was almost an art form. Of course, I had no real talent for artistic design, so I borrowed motifs from Earth’s myths and religions.
First, it needed to be clearly visible to everyone nearby. If I created too many crystals, it would blur like cloud cover. Of course it would still be visible, but that was exactly why I’d gone through the trouble of clearing the weather across the entire region.
-Flash!
“……Wow.”
I thought I heard an admiring gasp from beside me. Naturally. I hadn’t stopped at a simple halo. I’d shaped the light into a cross centered on the sun, so from Irina’s group’s perspective it would look as if it were pointing directly at the city.
Hah. The amount of practice this had taken was ridiculous.
“This should be enough.”
I’d anchored it with magic power for now, but nature was never static. There was no telling when it might fade. Still, this was just right. Seeing the halo shining around the sun really was a magnificent sight.
Though I was starting to run out of ideas for new spectacles. Wasn’t there some other jaw-dropping natural phenomenon I could replicate? I knew halos used sunlight like rainbows, but still.
“Oh, can you see it?”
The group that had been approaching in the distance had stopped. It seemed they were seeing it clearly. As expected, welcoming guests properly was important.
I took a deep breath and looked at the people watching from nearby. Especially Triana.
“I did it this time, but you’ll have to try it eventually. I can’t keep doing this forever, you know?”
“Me?”
Triana stared at me in shock, pointing at her own face. Why the surprise? Her eyes were practically trembling.
“You watched me practice. You should be able to do it.”
“………Y-yes?”
Triana glanced around, but everyone avoided her gaze. Strange. I thought someone of her caliber could handle it.
“Can you?”
“Y-yes! I’ll do my very best!”
Hmm. I nodded. Well, she didn’t have solar magic power, so I’d need to infuse a Magic Stone with it first and have her practice using it alongside the water magic in the Scale of the Sea Dragon. That would double the effort, but if she worked hard, she’d manage.
* * *
“Welcome to Muller, everyone.”
Dozens of ornate carriages, followed by even more baggage wagons. Just from a single glance, I could tell how many nobles had come.
I stood casually before the city gates and greeted their procession.
“Thank you for such a warm welcome, Lord Leoric.”
At the head of the noble group stood a woman in splendid attire who greeted me with mature grace—Irina Boran. Her eyes sparkled, her face flushed red. I couldn’t see her hands from behind, but the way she gripped her fan with fidgeting fingers told me she was fighting the urge to rush forward without caring who was watching.
Ever since the day she’d pounced on me, she’d become completely open with her affection. But it seemed even she drew the line at doing so in front of this many people. That was a relief.
Still, while I’d read about it in her letter, more people had shown up than I expected. Most of them were young. Rather than coming as official representatives of their houses, they seemed to be participants in the social circle Irina hosted—essentially her friends.
Even so, the numbers were considerable. It was a good thing I’d hurried the city construction plans. Setting everything else aside, properly accommodating VIPs was essential. I had no plans to scale back agriculture, but it was time to prepare for more splendor, starting with the opera house.
“Hmm. I see both familiar faces and new ones. Please take good care of me, everyone.”
When I smiled and greeted them, they began returning the greetings one by one.
Unfortunately, I still held no title. My official status remained that of the second son of Count Franz. The territory I governed had significant shares belonging to both Franz and Boran, making things somewhat ambiguous, but I was the official lord.
So I intended to treat them well for Irina’s sake, but… why was that bastard glaring at me? Looking for a beating?
A young man with a slightly furrowed brow approached. Those dissatisfied eyes told me he was trouble.
“I am Enoch Tatra.”
He extended his hand. Hah. Just his name? Yeah, nice to meet you too, asshole. Not even going to lower your gaze?
“I am Leoric Franz, lord of the Müller territory.”
“……Please treat me well.”
I gave him a bright smile and finished the handshake. A quick look up and down confirmed he was nothing special. Tatra… the Tatra family. I had no memory of them. If they weren’t important enough to remember, they weren’t worth worrying about.
When I glanced at Irina, she was simply smiling and observing. The fact that she didn’t intervene said everything. I ignored him and moved on.
“Arwin. It’s been a while. Welcome to Muller.”
“I’m honored you remember me, Lord Leoric. Since that time, it’s been quite a…”
This one I actually knew. He was the scholar who had been genuinely passionate about his research at the academic conference. I smiled and shook his hand.
We continued greeting them one after another.
* * *
-Rub rub!
“Have you been well?”
“Yes! What about you, Lord Leoric?”
“Same as always. But……”
In the specially prepared carriage—quite spacious, with just the two of us inside. No matter how close we were, a man and woman riding together wasn’t exactly proper, but… the looks I’d received during the greetings had been too intense. I’d given up.
-Grin.
Irina had kept a perfect smile on her face from the moment she boarded until the door closed. The instant we were alone, she launched herself at me.
“Whoa there.”
“Hehehe. I missed you so much.”
“Hehehe? What’s with the hehehe?”
Her clothes were getting rumpled. I considered pointing it out, but when I saw her expression—looking like she might actually cry—I simply sighed and pulled her into my arms. I stroked her sky-blue hair as she nuzzled her face against my chest.
“Ah~ Lord Leoric’s scent~”
“……What kind of scent is that supposed to be?”
Ever since the day she’d openly confessed, her way of expressing emotions had become incredibly direct. Seeing her face completely melt like that, I couldn’t even bring myself to scold her.
Yeah. If something this simple made her happy, then fine. Whether her clothes got messed up or not. As long as she straightened them before we got off the carriage…
“So why did you bring so many people?”
I knew she’d invited them, but this was excessive. Not that we couldn’t accommodate them, but still.
At my question, Irina pulled away from my chest, climbed onto my lap, and hugged my arm tightly. This close, her eyes met mine directly. We were near enough to hear each other’s breathing.
Irina slowly leaned in toward my lips……
“No. Stop.”
“Tsk!”
I blocked her approaching lips with my finger. No matter what, I couldn’t allow skinship intense enough to ruin her makeup.
Irina clicked her tongue in clear disappointment. Still, she settled into my embrace as if to say she wouldn’t be denied at least this much. Her soft body, slender waist, and the captivating perfume rising from her entire being.
This close, I couldn’t help but be aware of her as a woman, but I held back.
“Why did I bring them? Oppa, your territory is short on people anyway, right?”
“Oppa?”
“……Lord Leoric.”
Do whatever you want.
“Short on people?”
“There won’t be many useful talents, will there? Many knights died, and there can’t be many quasi-nobles left either. Most of these people have nothing better to do, so I’m telling you to cherry-pick the useful ones.”
Hmm. That was actually a good suggestion. When I looked down at Irina, she was staring up at me with those large, sparkling eyes right in front of my face.
“I did well, didn’t I? Praise me.”
“…………Yes. You did well.”
“Hehe.”
I hugged back the tightly clinging Irina. It struck me anew how much she had grown into a proper woman. The soft pressure of her breasts against my chest… She really wasn’t a child anymore.
……Everyone was probably going to notice the perfume smell when we got off. Had she calculated even that?
“Hehehet.”
Seeing Irina smile like an idiot, purely happy, I simply let her be.