Chapter 363: Side Story — Reunion (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 363: Side Story — Reunion (2)
"What about Tristan?" I asked Amy, the organizer of the reunion, over a drink. I’d been waiting for the right moment to bring him up.
Tristan Humphrey—the vain, blond noble. Among my classmates, he was someone who particularly stood out and annoyed me, so I found myself curious about his whereabouts.
He was the first classmate I fought after becoming Isaac, and he had boldly declared that he would eventually catch up to me.
Amy, swaying her head slightly from intoxication, reacted with exaggerated surprise. "Oh, that guy!?"
Ian, who was sitting beside her, had already collapsed face-down on the table, defeated by the alcohol.
"Humphrey? I don’t really know… Didn’t he say he was training or something…?"
"If you’re talking about Tristan, he said he was busy training and couldn't make it. It seems he’s making quite a name for himself as a mercenary these days," Mateo answered in her stead, being the least drunk of the group.
"A mercenary?"
Well, that’s interesting.
In the original story of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Tristan was nothing more than a third-rate villain who didn’t even show his face by the conclusion. I had assumed he would eventually take over as the head of the Humphrey family, but I never expected him to become a mercenary.
"He’s a graduate of Märchen Academy and highly skilled, you know. Apparently, his contract fee is quite steep."
"How do you know that? You weren't exactly close with Tristan, were you?"
"Just… I’ve developed an interest in that field."
Mateo’s lips curled into a slight smile as he looked down at his glass.
Well, this guy also became a famous mercenary later on. I remember seeing him in the ending of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
"Living the fierce life, huh…?"
"You’re no different, Isaac. You're busy with state affairs."
"That’s not exactly 'fierce' work."
In this world, I had no rivals. It was a simple matter of objective power. If I cast aside my emotions, I could likely take on all of humanity and win. Even the inevitable political games within the imperial palace held little significance in the face of my [Psychological Insight] and raw power.
Because of this, I was leading a life untouched by intense struggle. If work ever got too stressful, I could just bury my face in Dorothy’s chest. It felt as if the genre of my life had shifted into a soothing slice-of-life story.
"Hey, there’s something I want to ask," Ciel said, looking at me while sipping her drink.
She was sitting right next to me. Resting her chin on her hands, she stared at me with half-lidded eyes, looking like a dead fish.
"What is it?"
"First, promise me you won’t get mad or call me rude."
"I’m not such a petty person that I’d need to make a promise like that. Just relax and say it, you idiot."
"W-what…?"
"Idiot."
"…!"
I teased her with a wide grin.
At this point, I had nothing weighing me down. Unlike during the end-of-semester evaluation in my first year, I no longer had to grovel to Ciel or compose three-line poems to appease her. Now that I was in this position, I truly felt like I had made it.
Ciel’s head trembled slightly. "You’re making me feel like I’m about to cause a bloodbath…"
She only talked like that, of course. In reality, Ciel had never actually caused a scene. It was just a habit of hers.
"So, what’s your question?"
Ciel exhaled softly, then cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered quietly in my ear, "Your future wives."
"Yeah."
"Which one do you like the most?"
"…?"
Why are you even curious about that…?
She wasn't joking. Her eyes were filled with genuine curiosity. Whether he heard the whisper or not, Mateo also subtly leaned in, showing interest. He obviously knew who my five fiancées were.
"Is it hard to answer?"
"Pretty much."
"Hmm."
Ciel backed away, her expression shifting to one of disappointment.
"If that's too hard, can’t you at least tell us who you liked the most back at the academy? Like, who was your first love?"
"That sounds interesting. Isaac’s first love… Which of the five was it?" Mateo chimed in.
Typical. Nothing beats relationship gossip at a drinking party. I had no intention of honestly revealing which of my fiancées I liked first, but I figured I could play along with the mood a bit.
"Well…"
"Hehe. Isn't Isaac’s first love actually me?"
"…What?"
Amy, swaying her head in her drunken stupor, suddenly made the declaration. A brief, heavy silence followed. Before I knew it, Amy had her arms resting on the table and was gazing at me with a bright, sunny smile, like a sunflower.
Everyone at the table, myself included, turned to stare at her.
"Isaac, remember when you asked me out in our first year? You used that hilarious line about kidnapping me…"
Wait, hold on a second.
She was talking about the time I was part of Mateo’s gang and we literally kidnapped her. I guess she was trying to turn it into a fun conversation topic now that it was all in the past.
But the timing was catastrophic.
"Is that true?"
"Interesting…" Mateo asked in surprise, while Ciel stroked her chin, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Amy, wait…!"
"Oh no, did I break your heart back then?"
Damn it.
How could she say that here…?
I hastily adjusted my mana and activated [Clairvoyance], checking on Ella and Cheshire. They had both cast sensory-enhancing magic on their hearing and were listening intently in my direction.
So, they heard it.
"Hey, you have a boyfriend. Maybe you shouldn’t say stuff like that…"
"Ian’s already passed out, and your wives aren't here anyway. Why? Are you embarrassed?"
Amy waved her hands around and let out a silly giggle, chattering away without a clue. Suddenly, I broke out in a cold sweat. Come to think of it, since Amy could technically be considered my first "date," it was hard to firmly deny it.
"Let’s drop this topic. I mean, you can’t exactly call that a proper date request. It was… sort of similar, but—!"
"Hey now, we're friends! We're both marrying other people, so it’s fine to be honest, right? I understand, okay? I totally get it! Wow, I must’ve been really gorgeous back then, huh?"
Please, just shut up…!
*
When the reunion began, Ella, the white cat familiar, had arrived at Märchen Academy on Dorothy’s orders. Thanks to her starlight-infused magic, she had reached the destination in record time.
[Trust is important in love… If you get this anxious just sending Isaac out alone, how are you going to live in the future…?]
Perched on the rooftop of a building, Ella clicked her tongue and quietly observed Isaac. She had been sent by her master, Dorothy, to keep an eye on him. Dorothy had claimed she drew too much attention to go herself, so she sent Ella instead. It seemed a bit paranoid, but there was some truth to it.
In any case, Isaac would surely notice Ella was there. Essentially, Ella’s presence served as Dorothy’s "cute" warning for him not to do anything foolish.
[Yaaawn… Why am I being made to do this…? At this rate, she’ll have me babysitting their kids in the future…]
It was as Ella was grumbling to herself that a sound caught her attention.
[Meow~.]
[…!]
A low meow suddenly snapped Ella’s relaxed feline senses to attention. She quickly turned her head toward the source.
As expected, Cheshire—the chubby cat wearing a small bowler hat—was approaching her.
[Meow, meow, meo~.]
Cheshire approached, swaying his hips to a rhythmic beat. His steps were filled with confidence, as if proudly announcing his charm to the world. He even hummed a sweet tune, clearly in a joyful mood.
It was a blatant act of courtship directed at Ella.
[What is wrong with your voice…?]
Ella’s face was twisted in disgust. Misinterpreting her reaction as admiration, Cheshire let out a bright laugh.
[Long time no see, Ella! Look who I found here!]
[Ugh…]
[Is this destiny!?]
[More like a curse.]
Cheshire sat down beside Ella. She glared at him with sharp eyes and responded curtly.
[Did Alice send you?]
[Of course! She gave me the vital mission of keeping an eye on her husband! Can you imagine how much she trusts me to entrust me with this?]
[She probably sent you because you’re useless back at the manor.]
[Ah, Ella, your cold tongue is so charming!]
Cheshire winked playfully.
[Haa…]
There was no communicating with this idiot. Ella let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze back toward Isaac.
Cheshire sat on the roof next to her. Rather than focusing on the mission Alice had given him, he was engrossed in admiring Ella’s profile. Ella didn’t spare him a single glance.
[Ella, you’re still as beautiful as ever.]
[And you’re still as ugly.]
[No star in the night sky is as beautiful as you. I’m so happy I can gaze upon you with my own eyes!]
[If you don’t want to confirm the existence of the afterlife with those eyes, you’d better shut your mouth.]
[That arrogance! It’s the perfect trait for the future wife of the charming Cheshire!]
[I’d rather you just tell me to die.]
As the two cats continued their bickering…
[…Wait a second.]
Ella sensed a strange conversation coming from Isaac’s direction and enhanced her hearing with magic to focus.
[…]
Cheshire did the same.
[Did you hear that just now?]
[I heard it, Ella.]
Some random woman was claiming to be Isaac’s first love. It seemed like nonsense at first, but the remarks that followed shocked the two cats.
[Isaac asked someone on a date…?]
[Heartbreak… Isaac experienced heartbreak…?]
Both cats’ eyes widened in shock.
[That was during his first year, when things were going well with Dorothy, wasn't it?]
[Alice never knew about this, did she…?]
The woman with short white hair and a black rabbit-ear ribbon—while her boyfriend lay unconscious, she was drunkenly flirting with Isaac, wagging her metaphorical tail like a fox.
Is this not the sign of an impending scandal…?
Whether she did it consciously or not didn't matter. This was a dire situation.
Flash!
Ella and Cheshire exchanged a sharp glance and swiftly split up. Ella immediately activated her communication magic.
[Dorothy, fly to Märchen Academy immediately! Full speed! It’s an emergency!]
Meanwhile, Cheshire raced toward the otherworldly gate in Josena Forest—the gate leading to Wonderland. He used his own communication magic as he ran.
[Alice, this isn't the time to work! A woman claiming to be Isaac’s first love has appeared! She says they even went on a date! And Isaac didn’t deny it!]
Elsewhere, within the Düpendorf Empire.
"Huh…? First love…?"
Dorothy, having received Ella’s message, couldn't hide her confusion. The same was true for Isaac’s other lover in a different room.
[Shock! The dreaded situation has occurred! Isaac’s unknown past—something even Master didn't know!?]
Inside the laboratory, Bello, the small killer whale familiar, floated in the air, making a massive fuss. This was due to information passed on by a spy Luce had secretly attached to Isaac.
"…"
Luce, standing beside Bello, was speechless. She had stopped what she was doing and stood perfectly still, a dark shadow cast across her face.
Crack!
Outside the window, purple lightning surged as a thunderbird was summoned.
[Master, launch! Contain the enemy!]
Bello shouted with bold excitement.
Meanwhile, several hours earlier at the Astrea Duchy.
Kaya packed lightly, dressed herself in an elegant outfit, and left the mansion.
"Lady Kaya, please have an enjoyable vacation. You’ve earned it."
"Yes, I’ll be back!"
Isaac had sent a letter previously, asking if she could attend the reunion. She had replied saying she likely wouldn't be able to go because of her training, but she had somehow managed to clear her schedule. She had worked relentlessly and achieved her training goals ahead of time.
Isaac, I’m coming…!
Just thinking about him made her face flush. Kaya covered her heated cheeks with both hands and smiled happily. She enveloped herself in wind magic and soared into the sky.
None of Isaac’s other fiancées were supposed to be at the reunion. In other words, this was her chance to have Isaac all to herself. The thought of spending time alone with him, ahead of the others, thrilled her.
Kaya pushed her magic to the limit, flying toward the academy as fast as the wind would carry her.
