Chapter 25
Beldor still hadn’t gotten used to the changes, and the fact that he remained shy despite them was truly adorable to Velia.
“The dessert last time was good, wasn’t it?”
“What?”
“I brought it for you, remember?”
“Stop coming so often, it’s annoying. The head chef makes it anyway, so why bother bringing it to the training hall or my room?”
“What are you talking about? Last time I didn’t come, you asked Su if I was busy.”
“What?! When did I do that?”
“Su told me everything. Now you’d be sad if I didn’t come, wouldn’t you?”
Ever since that dinner together, Velia had made persistent efforts to improve her relationship with Beldor.
Whether he was in the training hall or in his room, if she happened to have something delicious, she would find him and pester him to eat together.
“No way! Why would I be sad? It’s just annoying! You make me take time out of my training… and when I’m studying, you ruin my concentration…”
“Don’t lie. You even skip the lunch dessert just so you can eat it with me… And what studying? You were reading your book upside down.”
“Who? Me?”
“Yup~ I saw it myself. And the kitchen maids say you don’t eat dessert because you’re secretly waiting to eat with me.”
“I only make time for you because you beg so much. I’ve got a generous heart!”
“That’s true. My brother really does have a big heart!”
When Velia stopped teasing and praised him instead, Beldor turned away toward the window with a grumble.
“Good thing you know.”
Velia grinned at the corners of his lips that he was trying to press down.
Beldor, when clung to, couldn’t refuse and always gave in to requests.
Even today, the fact that they’d come together in the same carriage proved it.
“We’ve arrived!”
At the coachman’s call, the carriage came to a stop.
“Hey, careful!”
“Ah, thanks.”
Beldor quickly caught Velia as she almost missed a step on the carriage stairs.
“Watch yourself.”
They stepped down together, and a large crowd came into view.
While Beldor gave some instructions to the coachman and knights, Velia looked around at the academy.
Before her regression, she had briefly attended the academy in hopes of uncovering the secret of awakening through magic.
As befitted the centennial celebration, the campus was decorated far more lavishly than she remembered.
Even though it was daytime, stars and a moon floated in the magically adorned venue.
As she wandered among the spectators waiting for the gladiatorial event to start, a familiar voice called out.
“Lady Velia!”
“Oh my, Lady Saroni?”
A young lady with neatly braided lemon-colored hair approached quickly, her face bright with delight at seeing Velia.
Velia returned the smile warmly.
Beldor’s face, however, twisted at the sight.
“Do you smile like that at everyone now?”
“Why? Don’t I look pretty?”
Velia shrugged and opened her arms wide.
“My lady! I’ve missed you!”
Lady Saroni, whom Velia had gotten close to by attending almost every tea party lately, threw herself into her arms.
“Oh, really? I’ve missed you so much too! I can’t believe we’re meeting here, I’m so happy!”
When Lady Saroni’s eyes grew moist with genuine emotion, Velia scratched her neck awkwardly.
The more she got to know her, the more she realized Lady Saroni was affectionate and sentimental.
“Oh, and this is…”
“Oh, my older brother. Beldor Arpedi.”
Beldor gave a small nod.
“Good day.”
It was a short greeting, but Velia smiled, knowing that this was him putting in his best effort.
For someone who disliked dealing with noble ladies, even this was his way of being considerate toward her.
“Oh, hello.”
Lady Saroni’s cheeks flushed slightly.
Velia glanced sideways at Beldor.
To her, he just looked like himself, but apparently that wasn’t how others saw him.
By going to tea parties, she had learned for the first time how popular her brothers were—Beldor and Barun were both regulars on the young ladies’ lists of most handsome men.
“Oh, and didn’t you say your aunt is a professor here at the academy?” Velia asked, steering the conversation away from Lady Saroni’s increasingly dazed look at Beldor.
“Oh, yes! In the swordsmanship department!”
“Professor Ferni?”
“Oh, yes! How did you know?”
“She’s my teacher.”
Beldor answered curtly, and Velia jabbed him in the side.
“Ah!”
“Don’t you think that was a bit too short?”
“I answered, didn’t I…”
He grumbled under his breath when Velia whispered to him.
“Oh my, really? Then are you participating in today’s gladiatorial event?”
“Uh… yes.”
Lady Saroni’s eyes sparkled.
“My goodness! That’s so impressive!”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Then you’ll be going to the arena too, right?” she asked, looping her arm through Velia’s.
“Well… probably?” Velia scratched her cheek.
She wanted to meet Calton right away, but since she didn’t know where he was, she had to look around.
The gladiator arena was the main event venue, so she thought he might show up there.
“Then let’s go together!”
“Uh!”
Lady Saroni also linked arms with Beldor.
He frowned at her uninhibited touch.
“Perfect! I came here on my aunt’s invitation, but I don’t know anyone else! Oh, there’s magical cotton candy over there—it changes colors, it’s so pretty! Let’s get some and then head to the arena. There’s so much to see here!”
She began leading them away.
“Wait, are we really going with her?” Beldor whispered, his face full of dread.
Velia gave a slightly awkward smile, then nodded.
“You should make some friends too.”
“Hey! I have frie—”
“Oh, look over there!”
Lady Saroni’s bright exclamation cut him off.
As she was pulled along, Velia kept glancing around, searching the crowd in case she spotted the person she was looking for.
The air in the academy headmaster’s office was heavy.
In the wood-scented room, the headmaster sat across from Calton with a tense expression.
“Hmm, I understand. But this is all our academy’s investigation turned up.”
The elderly headmaster adjusted his glasses and handed over some documents.
“So there really were traces of black magic in the Forest of Mist,” Calton remarked.
The headmaster nodded.
“Yes. Um…”
He hesitated.
“I have authorization from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
When Calton showed the papers from Allendo again, the headmaster cleared his throat and lowered his voice.
“The truth is, at the time, the matter was treated with extreme secrecy by the imperial family, so the investigation couldn’t be conducted properly.”
“I already know that.”
“Yes. Then I’ll speak plainly. As you know, traces of black magic were found… but public opinion toward the imperial family was poor at the time, and revealing that black magic had been used on the Crown Prince’s birthday was… problematic.”
“So it wasn’t recorded in the official documents?”
“That’s right. What you have there is the unofficial report.”
Calton flipped through the pages.
“When we first submitted the report, the imperial family’s opposition was so strong that we had no choice but to revise it to match the prevailing circumstances. You know well what the Forest of Mist near that estate is like.”
Calton nodded.
“A place dense with mana, inscribed with countless magical formulas—it’s not common for magical beasts to appear there, but it’s always possible. So the investigation at the time was concluded as merely a ‘mana anomaly’ within the Forest of Mist.”
“I heard you personally took part in the investigation. Is that true?”
“Yes, I was part of the team.”
“And what do you think? Do you really believe the Crown Prince’s estate fire and the magical beast incident in the Forest of Mist that same day were a coincidence?”
The headmaster slowly shook his head.
“…No. I believe the estate fire and the beast incident were connected. There were too many oddities for it to be mere coincidence. We could know for certain if we reinvestigated the forest, but ever since that incident, the Forest of Mist has become too dangerous—beyond the capabilities of most teams.”
Calton stroked his chin.
“I see. I can take these documents, correct?”
“Yes, since you have the Crown Prince’s permission.”
Calton rose from his seat.
“Oh, are you leaving already?”
“I’ll walk around the venue and make an appearance, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, I see.”
The headmaster, who had been anxious that Calton might simply leave after finishing his business, looked relieved and bowed.
“Then, farewell.”
Receiving the farewell, Calton left the office.
Dressed in his formal robes for the celebration, he drew stares wherever he passed.
First came admiration for his looks, and then curious recognition as people realized who he was.
Amid the murmuring crowd, Calton changed direction.
“Well, I do need to show my face.”
He headed toward the building where the gladiatorial event would be held.
