Chapter 250
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 250
Chapter Title: The Heretics' Request
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At the sudden remark, we all fell silent as if time itself had frozen.
"What did you say?"
The first to react was Duke Catsi.
"The heretics did come asking to arrange a meeting with Young Master Leon. They said it was obvious their heads would roll if they went themselves."
True enough. We didn't go out of our way to hunt down heretics, but we never let them walk away if they showed up right in front of us.
"Even so, why ask you to do it instead of handling it themselves?"
"Who knows. Maybe they thought I'd actually get through in a conversation."
Isna shrugged nonchalantly, picking up the Death God's mask that had been tossed carelessly beside the bed. She let out a giggle as she flipped it over her face.
Her eccentric antics weren't anything new, after all.
"Putting the heretics aside for a moment, there's something that's been bothering me."
The duke let out a sigh at Isna's behavior and fixed Luna with a steady gaze.
"May I ask how you even know about something like this?"
What he meant in a nutshell was simple.
Who the hell are you? How do you know that and still come out of it unscathed?
When asked that, Luna always gave the same answer.
She was just a fallen being.
Duke Catsi and Sword Saint Osberg seemed to realize they wouldn't get anything more out of pressing her, so they didn't pursue it further.
"For now, you're not to step foot outside the manor."
"Ah! I'm all better now... Urk..."
Overwhelmed by the duke's piercing glare, Isna grudgingly bowed her head.
At that moment, Luna glanced my way.
She had something she wanted to say to me.
"Your Grace, we've seen that the young lady has awakened. We'll take our leave now."
"Why not stay for a meal?"
"No, thank you. I have prior plans with my little brother."
The duke nodded quietly at my words. At the same time, Osberg held me back for a moment.
"Leon."
"Yes, sir?"
"Next time, let's go hunting together."
"Understood."
As we left the manor without another word, Luna turned the question on me.
"Not going to dig deeper?"
"If you're not telling, there must be a reason. Didn't I say that before?"
She let out a soft chuckle at my response.
"That's why I like you, Leon."
No need for complicated or grandiose words.
Just expressing our mutual fondness was enough to put our minds at ease.
"Big brother!!"
The moment she spotted me, Arsha dropped the doll she'd been playing with and came running over with quick little steps. I scooped her up in one swift motion, and she burst into delighted giggles.
"Were you good?"
"Yes! Arsha waited so well!"
She definitely looked much better than before.
Of course, Arsha's condition deteriorated rapidly if she was left alone for even a day.
"Is it all over now?"
"Yeah. No more academy, so how about we spend the whole day together tomorrow?"
"Yes!"
Arsha's beaming smile washed away the tangled emotions I'd felt because of that red moon bastard.
Afterward, Arsha nestled into Luna's arms.
"Leon."
"Yeah?"
"What about the heretics?"
"Not sure. Might not hurt to know what they're up to. We'll hear from them soon enough, I suppose."
Until then, I planned to enjoy the leisure we'd gained.
At least until nightfall brought an uninvited guest.
"Professor. I've dropped out of the academy."
"......"
I felt a sharp headache coming on and let out a short sigh.
"You... Do you ever think things through?"
"There's nothing left for me to learn there. You can teach me."
I shot a wordless glare at Melissa standing beside me.
"I heard you've already talked it over with her?"
"Have I ever made a decision ignoring your opinion and gone ahead on my own?"
"Yes."
Her bold response left me speechless instead.
Come to think of it, there were quite a few times.
"Ahem."
"I'm tired today, so I'll rest early. As for her... She's submitted the withdrawal request, but it won't be processed right away, so handle it as you see fit. And Ashuria Abelgard. You're a guest for now, so I'll show you to a room. Follow me."
Ashuria stared at me blankly before bowing her head and following Melissa.
"That crazy girl really... No, dropping out out of nowhere."
"I figured she was that type. She never seemed all that interested in the academy to begin with. So, what are you going to do?"
"What else? The academy teaches more than just magic. Send her back."
Of course, straight shooters like her wouldn't be swayed by simple persuasion.
"She won't want to go."
"Give her homework then. 'I won't teach you unless you graduate.' Something like that."
"And you'll teach her after?"
"By then, it'll be pointless who teaches her. She'll figure it out herself."
It wasn't worth stressing over.
I carried the soundly sleeping Arsha on my back and walked silently through the night streets under the starry sky.
Arsha loved these walks with me.
She preferred being carried by me over Luna or Melissa. Maybe it was just the sense of security.
My footsteps halted as I softly sang a quiet lullaby just loud enough for the snoring Arsha to hear.
"How did you escape after all that commotion?"
"It wasn't exactly an escape... Um... Grandpa sent me."
Emerging from the shadows was a figure in a large doll mask.
Isna Mielephon.
The most eccentric woman I'd ever met.
"Sword Saint Osberg, you mean?"
"Yeah... I guess Grandpa thought it might be better for me to be by your side than back with House Mielephon."
Fair enough. After clashing swords once, it wasn't a strange conclusion.
That said, the situation was utterly bewildering to me regardless.
"What about the heretics?"
"They said they'd come back soon. They're sharp, so it'll probably be quick."
A relationship where they'd kill each other on sight—what kind of wind was blowing now?
"Anyway. Mind if I impose on you for a while?"
I closed my eyes and thought it over. This was Melissa's call to make.
But recalling her resolute expression today, insisting I'd caused trouble on my own, a rebellious streak flared up in me.
And above all.
I had one lingering suspicion.
I wanted to test her out until I confirmed it.
Ashuria's abrupt withdrawal was bound to cause a huge stir at the academy, of course.
Professor Rommel looked at least three months and twenty days older than his fourth year—practically aged overnight.
"I heard Ashuria came to you."
"Yes. She even asked me to teach her magic."
"What's your take on it?"
"Honestly, she needs lessons in common sense before magic."
"Haha. Same here. But Ashuria seemed dead set on learning magic somehow."
"Well, I'm not doing it."
Trying to nail me down, huh?
"Haha. You're quick on the uptake, Young Master. If you became a professor, you could guide so many students for the better."
"I have no desire to be tied down like that."
A short contract might be fine, but anything more wasn't welcome.
"Cold assessment: We really shouldn't approve her withdrawal. But personally, if that's what Ashuria wants, I'd like to support her."
"I don't take disciples."
Her type had never put in real effort, leaving the teacher exhausted.
The fulfillment of nurturing a prodigiously talented disciple?
Reality didn't need such sentiments.
"Don't you feel rewarded watching your disciples grow?"
"Maybe. But I don't think just anyone should paint over a blank canvas willy-nilly."
In Melissa's case, I'd overlaid it because the initial picture didn't fit, but even that wasn't entirely pleasant for me.
"Fair enough. Everyone has their own path. In that case..."
"I'll send her back for now. So please don't process the withdrawal yet."
"I'll do what I can."
As I left Professor Rommel's lab, a familiar face who made me wonder why here? was waiting for me.
"Young Master. Long time no see. First time since the imperial palace incident, right?"
"Seems so. Lady Aurora."
She stuck her tongue out playfully at the formal address.
"Come on. Call me comfortably like before."
"So, what brings you to the academy?"
"I came to deliver goods for the academy and heard about you along the way. There's something we need to discuss about our business."
I nodded at her sly smile.
"Important?"
"Yes. Our shipments to Paradise Artifact and Mother Forest were raided all at once. Not your run-of-the-mill bandits. They killed every single professional escort and made off with a massive haul in one go."
What the...?
"It's our responsibility..."
"Of course it is. But their actions were a bit odd. This doesn't seem like the place to talk. Can we move somewhere else?"
"If you're done here, let's head to Cascadia."
"Perfect timing. If you would."
I swept my hand through the air, unfolding a magic circle and activating spatial transfer. The scenery shifted in an instant.
I then escorted Aurora to the drawing room.
"May I hear the details?"
"How about we catch up first? What happened after that day?"
"Nothing much since then. The princess seems to have backed off—no further contact."
"Hmm... She doesn't strike me as the type to give up easily. Well, if you say so."
"Let's get to the main issue first."
"Right... Okay. As you heard, our shipments bound for the artifacts and the elves' forest were ambushed en route."
"Yes."
"We knew how valuable the cargo was, so we had a heavy escort. But... they took them all out."
And after stealing it, they just left it for us to reclaim?
"Their pattern makes no sense."
"Exactly. We double-checked for missing items or tampering, but nothing. All pristine."
She looked me straight in the eye.
"So what do you want from me, Lady Aurora...?"
"Unlike us, you might notice something we missed. From a merchant guild's perspective, it's an absurd request. But I didn't want to lie to you."
I nodded at her words.
If she'd been with Labren, this wouldn't have happened. But the current Aurora was just the head of the unrelated Planetaria Merchant Company.