Birthday Banquet Preparations (2)
Chloe's porcelain-pale face froze in pallor.
She had jolted awake with a voice far louder than expected—practically a scream.
Was she having a wet dream or something?
And of all things, she'd mentioned me in it. Naturally, I hadn't cast any spells on her. It was all Chloe's own lewd imagination at work.
Chloe frantically scanned her surroundings, mortified. Waking with such a racket was bound to draw attention.
But the cadets and professors didn't glance up at our seats on the upper tier. Plenty of other cadets were dozing too, and their neighbors were just shaking them awake.
"What happened? Whew..."
Chloe's expression eased a bit. If that embarrassing sleep-talk had reached the ears of the cadets in this lecture hall, her carefully built image as class representative would have crumbled in an instant.
In the Alchemy Order, even Chloe was an object of worship.
It was a little different from Rozette's popularity in the Magic Order. Both were overwhelming standouts representing the cadets, sure.
But Chloe had her status as the marquis's daughter and heir to the Aiterne Merchant Group—a background that overshadowed other nobles.
And then there was her signature cold charisma, the untouchable aura of a classic villainess noble. It all let her reign like a queen in the Alchemy Order.
I tossed her a casual opener.
"If the other cadets had heard that sleep-talk of yours just now, it would've been awkward. Don't you think?"
And clever Chloe caught my implication right away.
"Could it be... Viscount Reinhardt helped me out?"
Exactly. Moments ago, my quick-witted sylph had quietly blocked Chloe's shameful moan from spreading.
Sound travels through the air. A sylph could subtly manipulate the surrounding atmosphere, bending noise to its will.
Of course, sylphs were lower spirits—not all could react with such finesse. Mine seemed a bit special.
Instead of answering, I moved the sylph right in front of her. Chloe couldn't see it without spirit sight, but she'd feel the breeze.
Sure enough, she clutched her cleavage and bowed her head in thanks.
"Th-thank you, Viscount Reinhardt. If not for you, I might've been in real trouble."
Chloe bowed quite obediently. But a glint in her eyes hinted she half-expected me to punish her for it.
That sleep-talk had been utterly unbecoming of a high noble.
Right on cue, with so many cadets asleep, Professor Elmaier called a five-minute break. Perfect timing to chat more with Chloe.
I obliged, scolding her in a stern tone.
"Tsk. For a marquis's daughter like you to show such an embarrassing display in the middle of lecture. You nearly tarnished a high noble's honor in front of everyone."
"I'm sorry... Viscount. I pulled an all-nighter on last night's assignment. I just couldn't fight off sleep..."
She hung her head in feigned shame, but couldn't hide the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"And that sleep-talk just now. Sounded like you were going on about some viscount... Not me, I hope?"
"N-no, that's not it!"
"Then it means you're fooling around with other viscounts in the capital. Well, the capital's young nobles are all debauched, so I suppose you're no exception..."
"Absolutely not! You know better than anyone that I'm not like that, Viscount Reinhardt!"
Her face flushed as she blurted it out.
"Y-you took my... virginity, after all..."
I ignored that and pressed on coolly.
"So it was me in that sleep-talk, then. Even if it was a dream, to have such lewd fantasies about me? I let your rudeness in the dungeon slide quietly, but isn't this crossing the line with the margrave's heir?"
"I-I'm sooo sorry..."
Plus, since she'd name-dropped me in her sleep-talk, I hammered home how rude that was too. Chloe's reactions only grew sweeter.
"Th-then... Is there no way I can earn your forgiveness for this rudeness?"
I'd been waiting for that line. I needed Chloe's help preparing the emperor's gift anyway.
But asking her first would've put me in her debt. No thanks.
Now she was the one bowing and coming to me. Another win for me. I stated grandly,
"I don't really need anything from you, but... I'll think about it. An opportunity for you to reflect on your rudeness, that is."
"Eek?! Thank you, Viscount Reinhardt! Just say the word, anything at all!"
She let out a little moan that almost slipped the barrier. I pretended not to notice. The five minutes were nearly up anyway.
"More importantly, Chloe—why not wipe that drool from sleeping? It's embarrassing to watch as a fellow noble. You'll leave a mark."
"Heek?!"
She panicked, hastily fanning her face. Of course, it was just a joke.
Once she realized, she bit her lip in frustration. Not my problem.
***
Professor Elmaier's continued lecture was just as excruciatingly dull.
But Chloe's thoughtfully offered minty concentrate elixir let me endure it wide awake. The toothpaste-fresh zing sharpened my mind.
The elixir's buff lingered even after class ended. While most cadets bolted like they'd been revived from the dead,
I headed straight to Professor Elmaier's office, mind clear as ever.
"Changes in tri-elemental properties for special minerals? Excellent question. And right on the tail of today's lecture topic, too."
That had been the week's final class. Friday—weekend ahead.
But it's still not enough. To raise my Alchemist trait proficiency further...
The tribute heading up from Essemont to celebrate the emperor's birthday. I planned to process it myself. For that, I needed to bump my standard alchemist rank from B-grade. Couldn't waste the weekend.
Grandfather Wilhelm put real effort into that tribute. If the old wastrel me volunteered as envoy and presented it personally, I'd get plenty of rewards from Demon King Slayer...
That alone had let me snag good items to catch Lucia up a bit.
But it wasn't enough. Even a puppet emperor was still the empire's pinnacle. If I could butter him up properly,
it'd be huge for me, already plotting Demon King Slayer Part 2. Winning over Professor Elmaier first was key too.
"Ho ho. Ice crystal stone, you say? Fascinating topic you've brought."
I'd had Eirin prepare materials on it from the Pantheon Central Library ahead of time.
Had to, to avoid rudeness toward a side-branch imperial scholar like Professor Elmaier. As expected, he perked up.
"Ice crystal stone... Rare mineral. Just a stone, but it holds the essence of ice and chill—precious stuff. And it's an Essemont specialty, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
He was spot on.
The barren northern margraviate of Essemont, bordering the worst Kaotic Gate, the Eternal Frozen Land. There was a reason its economy thrived.
Rare, unique resources unobtainable elsewhere. That's what made it tick.
Grandfather Wilhelm—my maternal grandfather—not only a martial powerhouse but a domestic genius, had diligently mined and distributed those resources.
Thanks to the demonkin... er, dwarf prisoners' cooperation.
And for this emperor's birthday, Wilhelm Margrave's tribute was none other than Essemont's specialty: ice crystal stone.
Professor Elmaier pored over the materials I'd handed him. True to a lifelong researcher, he dove right in.
"Ice crystal stone. Ice properties mean tri-elemental: water, wind, earth. But that chill essence oversaturates the balance. Makes alchemical transmutation tricky. Physically processing the raw stone ruins its aesthetic value as a gem..."
He muttered on. Scholarly mutterings, but listening closely bumped my trait proficiency steadily.
Not enough, apparently.
He grabbed blank paper, scribbling furiously. Complex formulas—definitely alchemy theory.
Then he belatedly noticed me standing there.
"Oh dear. Kept you waiting while I got lost in thought. So, to answer your question, viscount: Let's start with the basic earth-elemental formula for this mineral."
"Understood, Professor."
I listened silently from the side.
I'd already pulled an all-nighter on assignments. Even mother's milk buff had worn off during his dreadfully boring lecture.
I'd forced myself awake for proficiency, but I was hitting my limit.
Without Chloe's minty concentrate, I'd have lost all gains by now.
Good thing it lingered post-lecture. I owed her one.
Enough to forgive her past attempts to drug me with other elixirs. Not that I'd ever tell her that.
I endured, standing, fighting sleep. Finally, his explanation wrapped up.
"Impressive, Viscount Reinhardt. Tough and boring material, yet you stayed focused. Remarkable."
"No, Professor—your explanation was masterful."
"Heh heh. You know how to say the right things. Anyway, it's surprising for a sword clan heir to take such interest in alchemy. Never imagined you'd attend lectures so diligently. I heard about last year in Istia Hall."
Sleeping through Alchemy Order classes, setting up a snack bar in the back, demanding the professor who called him out be fired from Pantheon... classic wastrel antics. Professor Elmaier brought it up.
"Seemed too absurd to believe. Even high nobles don't pull that. Probably some inferiority complex from that professor or the cadets. Anyway, even a swordsman like you could use alchemy. If you're serious, I'll help."
As side-branch imperial, he felt kinship with me, Lilia's fiancé.
"Lately, only you and Chloe show real zeal. Can't just shove high nobles like you into grad school. Headache... Better off with obedient low-rank noble kids who follow orders despite poor grades. No, that's the way!"
Off he went into his thoughts again. I bowed quickly and slipped out.
***
That evening back from Pantheon, my alchemy studies continued.
Always did in the capital, unless quests or heroines demanded otherwise. Couldn't slack on growth. Sword practice or cross-Order studies for heroines otherwise.
Surviving as the Demon King's son in a holy empire. True to Demon King Slayer's title, I was desperate.
Early dinner post-Pantheon, mana cultivation to perk up, then deep into the ice crystal stone transmutation formulas Professor Elmaier had outlined.
"Wait... Did I doze off a bit?"
Even I had limits. Agnes's rosario stabilized my mind, but sleep deprivation was biological.
Unlike Chloe, I drooled hard in deep sleep. Wiped my mouth with the handkerchief on the desk. Then felt something off.
Slept slumped over... lower body's got a weird sensation...
I shoved the chair back—and freaked.
"M-Master!!"
"Eirin? What are you doing under there...!"
To my shock, Eirin was under my desk.