Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Ring of Promise (2)
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Mother's handwriting was slender and soft, mirroring her voice exactly. It was as if I could hear her speaking.
Mother had calmly written about her daily life in Prion without Father or me there.
Trees and flowers sprouting anew in the garden, scented teas and sweet pastries received as gifts, stories of days spent watching performances with the neighbors.
The letter was filled with peaceful tales that all conveyed, "I'm doing well, so don't worry."
"Mother seems to be doing really well."
I smiled happily as I said it.
But Father's expression, as he sat across from me peering into Mother's letter, was the complete opposite.
"Is that so? Well, that's a relief then."
"Why? Is Father's letter different?"
When I asked curiously, Father frowned and stared at his letter in disbelief.
"She's telling me to teach you how to cook."
"...Pardon?"
What was that supposed to mean? My eyes widened.
"And how to organize clothes, do laundry, mend garments too. She says if she'd known you'd leave so suddenly, she would've taught you sooner."
I burst out laughing. Only then did Father tear his eyes from the letter and crack a small smile.
"Your mother, honestly. She tells you everything's fine, but she pours all her worries onto me."
"I'll pick up those things eventually without needing to learn them specifically."
"Still, she can't help but worry... Hm."
Father's face suddenly stiffened again as he resumed reading the letter.
"Why?"
I asked, still chuckling. Father let out a heavy groan.
"You'd best forget what I just told you. At the end here, she's written not to tell you no matter what."
"Too late for that."
I grinned, and Father gave a wry smile in return.
"Can't be helped. Just pretend you didn't hear it. Anyway, if there's anything you need or want to know before the delegation leaves, tell me. I'll teach you whatever it is."
"Yes, got it."
I said that, but I wasn't too worried.
The Silver Guard Knights would be staying here, and Shuren, with all his travel experience, would be with me too.
"Alright then... time to handle business."
As Father picked up the letters from the Blue Guard one by one, I set Mother's letter aside and opened the one from Luwen and Claus.
The two had written on the same sheet of paper, but their handwriting couldn't have been more different.
The bold, sprawling script was Claus's, while the neat, precise lettering was Luwen's.
The key to untying knots was a good recovery. It's too dangerous an item to leave with mercenaries.
True to his personality, Claus dove straight into the key.
I set Luwen's letter down for a moment.
Master knew about the knot-untying key after all.
He hadn't mentioned it to me because it was an item his own master, Ragot Althur, had gifted to someone outside of his disciples.
Claus hadn't named who it was, only writing that I'd encounter them while touring the seal sites.
It's not all that impressive, really. My master devised countless diverse and complex spells over his lifetime, but there were just as many failures.
Whenever that happened, the spells would go haywire and drag the surroundings into the mess, so he made that key to clean it all up in one go.
Claus explained the key's origins like this, then added details on its effects.
So keep this in mind. The knot-untying key simply recognizes a spell's structure as a knot and undoes the incantation in reverse, like untangling it, to nullify the effect.
If the knot is too complex or tightly bound, the key can't exert its power due to mana limits.
And it can't function on imperial spells whose knot structures it doesn't recognize either.
"Ah..."
I see.
Feeling the key I always kept close, I understood Claus's explanation.
But only I and that woman probably know this. A 'key that undoes spells'? I can already see the flies swarming with their shady schemes.
Don't store it at the seal sites. It probably won't affect the barriers much, but it might disrupt the dragon vein flows. Too much hassle to manage.
Bring it to me if you can, but if that original owner makes a fuss when you meet her, just hand it over. She's a pain to deal with.
Who on earth could she be?
Someone Ragot Althur would gift one of his magic tools to must be a mage, and she seemed on friendly terms with Claus too.
His master, friendly with someone...? Hard to imagine.
Claus considered everything outside his own interests a hassle, so just remaining in his memory meant some level of acquaintance.
I finished the first page and turned to the second, where only one line was written.
Althur's study should still be intact, right? If you've wrecked it already, fix it before I get back. Contact me again.
I folded the letter, chuckling. It was so quintessentially Claus.
Next, Luwen's letter.
Starting with warm greetings, Luwen advised on how a mage should move in a magical beast ambush and kindly explained barrier spells for campsites.
He even recommended related books, saying they should still be sold at Elgrace's bookstores.
I read Luwen's letter filled with advice, feeling at ease.
He said things were the same as always with Claus—busy with work as ever.
He passed along greetings from Althur Tower's mages too.
Airan was especially lonely without Ash, apparently. I'd have to tell Ash.
After finishing Luwen's letter, I felt a warmth spread through me. I planned to keep it and reread it when I needed help later.
By the time I'd read all the letters and neatly folded them, Father was still buried in Blue Guard business.
He had letter paper draped over his inconvenient left hand, another sheet beside him, jotting down key points.
"Ah, done already? One moment."
Noticing my gaze, Father moved his pen even faster.
"Take your time."
"If I go slow, I'll be up all night and still not finish. There, that's enough for now."
Father folded the letters and paper, then stood.
As I blinked in confusion, he picked up the blue cloak draped over the right chair and approached.
"Let's head out for a bit."
He said, draping it over my shoulders.
"Out to the streets?"
"To buy clothes and travel gear. And look for a gift for your mother."
"Ah, yes. Sounds good."
I fastened the cloak's collar. Father must have planned to go out with me from the moment he brought the letters.
Father donned his own cloak and pulled the hood over my head.
"It'll be stuffy, but better than the hassle."
He pulled his own deep hood down too. It hid the hair and cast shadows over the eyes.
The shopping district Father knew of wasn't far from the branch.
It was a street of old buildings kept impeccably clean—one of Elgrace's old town districts.
Flower beds and street trees adorned the well-maintained road, and stalls tempted passersby to stop.
We left Prius's carriage at the outskirts and shopped from store to store, buying necessities.
Fortunately, most people didn't pay us much mind despite our deep hoods.
They blinked in surprise instead because we bought every eye-catching item we saw.
Father selected travel-friendly clothes for me and plenty for Shuren too.
We stopped at a general store specializing in travel goods, picking up all sorts of useful items.
And amid it all, he didn't forget a gift for Mother. Something memorable from Elgrace would be perfect.
"When sending letters and gifts, don't include valuables like jewels or magic tools—they could get lost. But since we're delivering it ourselves this time... pick freely."
Father said as we left the general store.
"Got it. Oh, there's a bookstore over there—mind if I pop in?"
"Go ahead. I'll call the carriage."
Father, arms full of packages, smiled and let me lead.
I hurried to the bookstore, eager for the books Luwen mentioned.
Father patiently waited while I buried myself in books for ages.
I bought five new ones, and only when leaving did I worry how to carry them all.
Luckily, Father had the Prius carriage waiting nearby.
We loaded the carriage full, then headed out properly for Mother's gift.
"Let's try that way. Elgrace is famous for glasswork. I saw shops over there."
It really was a great idea.
The glasswork shop brimmed with beautiful pieces unique to Elgrace.
Colored glass cups, mirrors, and jewelry sparkled, scattering light.
Father agonized over a glass flower brooch, multicolored lanterns, and an intricate tea set—then bought all three.
"Hope she doesn't scold me for buying too much."
Father fretted anew as we exited with the carefully wrapped gifts.
"She'll love them for sure. Since you got a tea set... maybe I should get tea leaves."
I said, taking one of his packages, struck by the idea.
"Good thinking."
Father brightened.
We returned to the carriage, stowed the glassware, and asked the driver—the old branch hand—where to buy tea leaves.
He directed us to a big teahouse on the plaza's edge.
"Elgrace has been famous since old times for its beautiful flowers. They say it was filled with floral scents everywhere, with flower gardens aplenty. Teas capturing those scents are renowned too."
Father said en route to the teahouse.
Even among the shops, flower sellers stood out. They sold floral decorations and perfumes too.
"Clemence told me before. They called it the 'City of Flowers.'"
"Right. That nickname was also a metaphor for the people living here. Not sure if they still call it that..."
Father said bitterly from beneath his deep hood.
"Sernia's Ciaran isn't much different, really. It was full of beautiful flowers and trees once... Lib, you'll get a chance to see Ciaran someday."
"Ciaran..."
The capital of the Luar kingdom Sernia. I'd only heard the name, having lived my whole life in the outskirts at Meribel.
"Grandfather and other relatives live there, right?"
"Yeah. We exchange letters occasionally, but honestly, I don't want to get involved."
Father had been the Eldrian family heir but defied them to devote himself to Prius.
"Still not on good terms?"
Father shook his head with a small sigh.
"I'm just sick of it all. Living among family and nobles in Ciaran. I'd rather you never know."
"The nobles there are just as bad as here, huh?"
"Worse. They're noble pureblood Luar nobles, boasting ancient traditions and history."
Father shook his head unusually emphatically.
Sernia's Luar nobles sounded intense.
Pureblood Luar lived longer than Denan by default, Sernia had deeper history than Lesion Kingdom, and it was isolated too.
"Must be that teahouse."
A fragrant tea scent wafted from the direction Father pointed.