Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Intruder in Daily Life (5)
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"Hold on. So, exactly where did you say you met him?"
"W-Well, my specialty is spatial transfer magic, so I randomly teleported over to the Empire side and happened to run into him there."
"What did he look like?"
"Um, blond hair, blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple shirt, and he seemed about a handspan taller than me."
"Hmm."
Her senior by three years. Karin did her best to answer Namei's probing questions. The cafe manager had seemed keen not to reveal his identity, so she'd phrased things indirectly, but it was disconcerting to see this woman—who had greeted her kindly when she first entered the dorm room—reacting so irritably.
"Oh, sorry. I'm not mad at you. Just thinking of one damn guy."
"...Could I ask who it is you're thinking of, Senior?"
"Some deranged romantic. A moron who took all the problems onto himself to protect his fiancée and self-destructed."
Huh? A question mark floated over Karin's head. That didn't match the manager she'd met at all.
He'd seemed rough around the edges, simple, the type to chat amiably with folks around him.
As if reading her puzzled expression, Namei turned her head and stared into the box. She pulled out one of the bottles, uncorked it, sniffed, then took a sip.
"Ugh."
Her face scrunched up at the intense bitterness. Namei grabbed some water and a cup from nearby, diluted it, and tasted it again.
She took another sip, her expression turning a bit teary as she muttered.
"See? Where the hell did you go without a word?"
"Uh, um. You okay?"
"It's nothing. Sit down there."
Despite her claim that it was nothing, her reaction suggested otherwise. Karin awkwardly settled into a chair, fiddling with a thorn protruding from the wooden box. She felt out of place. Bluntly put, she was a bit scared. After all, Namei was the most celebrated prodigy in the kingdom's magical circles, no matter what anyone said.
She wasn't sure how to handle this woman, whose face mixed anger with a hint of a smile.
"Relax. I'm not grilling you on anything important, so make yourself comfortable."
"Yes, ma'am."
"So. How's he doing?"
"He said he's doing well, just living life on his own terms..."
"Hmph. Figures. Glad to hear he's okay, at least. Try this. With what you brought."
Namei offered a bread topped with what looked like sweet cream. She poured some of the bottle's contents into a clear glass, added a splash of water, and dropped in ice.
She'd drunk it herself, so it should be fine. Thinking that, Karin took the fork, scooped some cream and chiffon, and ate it, then sipped from the glass.
It had a smoother, cleaner taste than the coffee she'd tried before, pairing perfectly with the mini cake.
"It's delicious."
"Of course. We used to make it together as a hobby—the guy who brews that coffee and me."
"Ah."
That must have been why he'd specifically suggested she visit Senior Namei. From an outsider's perspective, it was hard to judge their relationship, but they must have been closer than she'd imagined.
He'd told her not to say anything, but could she really pretend ignorance with Namei right there, watching her eat with a bittersweet look?
"That fool told you not to mention him, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then we're good. If that's what he wants, he has his reasons. He absolutely despised academy life and carrying on his family line, so maybe he's even relieved."
With that, Namei sat down and began brewing tea.
Coffee was great, but for something reliably enjoyable, black tea couldn't be beat. They seemed to share that preference.
"And that moron? I'll deal with Rias Calamity. Unbelievable she still hasn't learned her lesson."
"Th-Thank you."
"There's a limit to incompetence. He should be too ashamed to face his fiancée, who took the blame for him. If it weren't for the Calamity Duke house, I'd have dueled her and yanked out every strand of her hair."
Namei's words piqued her curiosity, but Karin didn't pry further. There were probably more complications. Given her positive take on a man with a fiancée, romantic entanglements seemed likely too.
Best not to get caught between two scary seniors. Her back might break.
Karin quietly nibbled at her cake.
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"Atchoo!"
"Someone must be trash-talking the manager."
"That academy girl from the other day. She brought nothing but heavy, weird stuff, so I sent her packing."
"Ow, if I'm getting cursed, it's not from her. And you two got nothing better to do? Why are you glued here every day lately?"
"I'm free."
"I'm shoving today's work onto tomorrow-me."
"Leimi Sis, go do your job. Dras, don't you have dwarf guild business or something?"
"Hmph. Picking only the depressing tales for a guy enjoying his day off."
"Right? I just gotta hit deadlines."
I gave up and started polishing my newly bought glassware. In this world, mages handled most tough or laborious tasks with magic, and glass crafting was no exception.
That kept a variety of glassware circulating at decent prices, but intricate, beautiful artisanal pieces demanded top-tier mana control, jacking up their cost exponentially.
Anyway, maybe living as a noble with fancy tableware had spoiled my tastes—nice glasses were either nowhere to be found or way over budget.
Finally snagged one.
"That's the new one? Pretty."
"Picking pretty tableware and furniture for orders is my life's little joy. Just sitting and admiring it makes life feel richer."
"Rare hobby for a guy."
"Explains why I have so many gal pals. They get it when I geek out over hobbies."
"Heard you're good with a sword too."
"That was out of necessity."
A world of magic and swords sounds cool, but reaching the top takes grueling effort. Living up to family expectations meant grinding your life away, so my childhood wasn't exactly joyful.
If my dad hadn’t brought back coffee from some remote relief trip, my life would’ve been pure gray.
Noble life really sucks.
Mom and Dad were pretty strict with me as the heir, so while I felt their affection, it wasn't particularly warm or fuzzy.
That's why I can live solo like this without getting homesick.
"Want me to forge you a sword later?"
"Outta nowhere?"
"Eh, handy to have something decent for light use. Guys like you, who look like freeloading pretty boys, get challenged without arms."
"Eh, fair point."
"I'll whip up something solid. Use it when you're out."
Hard to refuse after that, so I nodded.
My actual sword was a high-end family heirloom stamped with the crest—too conspicuous to carry around. A backup weapon might come in handy in this savage world.
Dras chuckled, clearly pleased with my bemused acceptance.
"Make me something too?"
"No, really, I'm good."
"Magic swordsman style? Accessories are best. Always short on hands."
"Why are you two like this today?"
Like they'd made up their minds, they dropped today's payment on the counter and vanished to their workshops. I'd told them to go work—why head off to make my stuff?
I was left alone at the counter. No Mina today either, so the shop was dead empty. Not that downtime's bad, but the sudden void felt kinda lonely.
"Lonesome without people, huh."
Never would've crossed my mind back at the academy. Always crushed in crowds, mentally drained—yet here I was, missing the few folks I knew when they dipped.
Life's full of surprises.
The sun had barely tipped westward; plenty of day left till closing. Maybe I shouldn't have shooed them off to work.
"Wonder when the next customer's coming."
The sunlight scattering off the windows was gorgeous, but the empty space below felt oddly forlorn.
"Seeing an academy uniform after so long must've stirred me up."
If another academy kid drops by, I should treat 'em right next time.
I picked up the glass I'd set down and resumed polishing.
For a moment, it felt like a tiny crack had formed in the peace I'd found in my heart.