Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Scene 051: Letter
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A few days later, I removed the bandages.
As expected of a magic world. Healing with the power of magic was incredibly fast.
However, because the injury had been so severe, a scar remained.
The doctor said that with consistent scar-removal magic, it would fade away, but I decided not to bother.
Every time I saw this scar, I would remember.
That if I let my guard down, another crisis like this could come at any moment.
That this world was never benevolent toward me.
I squinted my eyes, and a message appeared.
332 days until service begins
About a month had passed since I arrived here.
In that time, I'd met many characters and barely survived several near-death experiences.
There was still time.
But how I used that time would be crucial.
So, I created a routine.
..
..
..
First, exercise.
Using magic was more physically taxing than I'd imagined.
Just having mana flow through the body built up fatigue.
Even in a magic world, you couldn't neglect training your body.
Every morning, I went jogging with Wendy.
At first, Tristan's fat body made it tough, but now it was much easier.
Partly because I'd gotten used to it, but mostly because I'd lost a significant amount of weight in a short time after surviving that near-death ordeal.
It was no longer quite right to call it a pig.
Of course... I had no intention of dieting like that ever again.
You only get one life.
Fat should be lost through exercise.
Next came magic practice.
In the afternoons, while Wendy took magic lessons from Myohail, I practiced Moon Magic alone in my office.
My maximum mana capacity had increased as well.
What started as barely able to adjust a bullet's trajectory had evolved to the point where I could redirect it into impossible paths.
Knock knock.
"Count, may I come in...?"
"Uh"
O
99
The one who entered was the maid girl with her hair in twin braids, Wendy.
Had she changed her hairstyle? She looked even more neat and tidy.
They say the position makes the person.
She finally looked the part of an exclusive maid.
On the tray Wendy was pulling was a teapot.
Tea was the one indulgence from this world that I truly enjoyed.
"Th-this time, I brought a new kind of tea..."
"Hm."
The tea in this world was as flavorful as any in the real world.
It had a unique aroma you could never forget after one whiff.
Someday, if I got the chance, I'd like to try the alcohol too, but the grueling training left me collapsing from exhaustion every night.
For now, tea would have to do.
As I thought that and reached out for the cup Wendy was pouring...
"Kyaa?!"
Wendy's legs got tangled, and she dropped the teapot mid-air.
The teapot flew toward me in a parabola.
Fortunately, I had plenty of mana stored up.
But controlling an object that wasn't under my control from the start was on a whole different level of difficulty from firing a gun.
'Shall I give it a try...?'
I snapped my fingers, flicking out mana like sprinkling water.
In the brief moment the mana connected with the teapot, I twisted my hand.
The teapot shot straight toward me, pulled like a rubber band.
Once I knew its trajectory, dealing with it became much simpler.
I softly caught the incoming teapot with my mana-infused hand.
That part was manageable, but the trickier bitactually precariouswas sealing the lid and spout with mana.
The timing was tight, and that level of precise control was still a challenge.
In the end, a drop or two of tea sadly hit the floor.
"Tch..."
"A-Ahh! S-Sorry!"
Wendy, who had slid across the floor, jumped up and bowed her head.
"A-Are you okay?! Wh-What do we do! It was hot tea! C-Count, y-you're not hu...rt?"
She tilted her head, seeing me sitting calmly.
Her teary eyes blinked in confusion.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Th-That's a relief...? Ah!"
Wendy quickly fixed her slightly disheveled hair from the fall.
Then, she hesitantly asked me.
"Um... Count?"
"What?"
"Th-that is..."
Wendy was glancing at me cautiously.
She had something she wanted to say.
I decided to give her plenty of time to open up.
After about ten seconds of fidgeting with her hair...
"C-Count... Is your hand okay...?"
My hand?
It took me a moment, but she must have been referring to the cut on the back of my hand from the treasure vault sword.
It had healed long ago, so it didn't hurt at all.
"Wendy."
"Y-Yes...?"
"Worry about yourself first."
Where I nodded was Wendy's arm.
It was scraped from the floor, blood beading up.
"S-Sorry..."
She quickly pulled a bandage from her apron and stuck it on.
Her hands and arms were already covered in bandages.
Seemed like injuries from minor mishaps over time.
What a klutz.
"Oh! Count. Y-You got a letter!"
As if she'd almost forgotten, Wendy pulled a bundle of letters from her apron and handed them to me.
I checked them over carefully.
Aside from a few from within the family, they were mostly invitations from nobles.
No doubt, attempts to build ties with the Ruelverta family however they could.
The same nobles who badmouthed and feared the Ruelverta family to their faces were desperate to stay friendly behind the scenes.
I snorted and scanned the letters, noticing one with a different design mixed in.
Seeing the name on the envelope, I handed it straight to Wendy.
"This one's for you."
"Y-Yes...?"
"I figured the time had come."
"Meikahel University... invites you to the entrance ceremony...?!"
Wendy flinched in surprise, nearly dropping the letter.
Was it that shocking?
Burying her face in the letter, Wendy said,
"Uuu... Count..."
"What's wrong?"
"Th-the entrance ceremony... Do I really have to go...?"
She looked seriously burdened.
Well, the Meikahel University entrance ceremony was swarming with the children of prominent nobles.
It made sense that Wendy would feel intimidated.
I savored a sip of tea and said,
"You really don't want to go that badly?"
"Y-Yes..."
"That is a problem. The student representative skipping the entrance ceremony."
"A-Ahh... I-I'm not good with crowds... Huh? Student... representative...?"
"Yeah."
"Wh-who...?"
Who else...
I raised an eyebrow.
Wendy's face drained of color.
"C-Count... No, right? Please say it's not me...! Not me...!"
"No, it's you."
"Nooooo!!!"
Wendy twisted her body and wailed.
"Even if it was just an exam, you beat a sage. It'd be weirder if you weren't the representative."
"B-But... Doesn't almost no one know Myohail is a sage, except President Mondri and you, Count...?"
"Your examiners were Myohail and Mondri. Of course they'd give you full marks."
"Th-that's..."
I'd already heard from Myohail that Wendy had been chosen as the student representative, so I wasn't particularly surprised.
"If you go, you might even get to say a few words as the representative."
"I-I have no confidence in that...!"
"It's just saying a few words. If you're my exclusive maid, you should handle it easily."
"Uuu... Y-You're right..."
I picked up one of the letters I'd seen earlier and stood.
"Alright, let's head out then."
"Y-Yes...?"
"Going out. Prepare the carriage."
"Y-Yes!"
Wendy headed out briskly to call the carriage.
At that moment, something crossed my mind.
"Oh."
"Yes?"
Wendy paused on her way out and turned back.
"That hair. New style?"
"Y-Yes! I-I thought you might not notice... H-How is it...?"
It'd be weirder if I hadn't.
I nodded.
"Not bad."
"R-Really?! Ehehe..."
Wendy hid her shy smile behind her twin braids and trotted off.
Was that what she wanted to hear?
Women's hearts are a mystery.
Wendy Wingfield Spilling the Tea