~Chapter 81~
“Seriously, you need to do your homework carefully. It feels like you’re always trying to find ways to avoid doing it.”
“Hmph, the king of nagging…”
Watching her whine made me feel like I was raising a child.
‘Well, I guess she is still a child.’
I flopped onto the bed, exhausted.
“Ugh, you’re lying on the bed without even taking a bath!”
Shiz looked at me in shock as I lay there.
“Hurry up and take a bath! You dirty adult! Full of germs!”
“You were calling me the king of nagging just now, but look at you now. Let me rest today, okay? I’m really tired.”
“Well, if you rest a little, you’ll definitely have to take a bath afterward.”
“Fine.”
Shiz grabbed my pinky with her own little finger, struggling a bit. She was like a sponge soaked in water, heavy and droopy. Suddenly, something was bothering her in her pocket. She pulled out a small bottle that Aska had given her.
“What’s this?”
“This? It’s medicine.”
“Medicine?”
She stared intently at the bottle, which was glowing faintly. I also looked at it, trying to figure out what was going on.
I couldn’t help but think of the person who had handed it over.
Aska—what was he thinking? I could never quite figure out what was going on in his head, and lately, it had been even harder to understand.
‘He suddenly got involved in the exchange event, and he didn’t even like getting involved with these things. First, the demonstration duel, now this.’
He gave me medicine, pushed me hard, then acted like he hated it when I overexerted myself.
‘So strange.’
As I shook my head, Shiz jumped into my arms.
“Did you already take a bath?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then why did you call me dirty?”
“Because I’m small, so it’s fine. You’re a big adult, so it’s different.”
“That’s not how it works.”
Shiz wriggled and snuggled into my arms, but there was something odd about her expression. She looked a bit sad.
“Why do you look like that? Did something happen? Are you hearing strange things again?”
When I asked, Shiz looked up and met my eyes.
“Do you think I can really be like you?”
“Huh?”
“You’re such a great mage, but I don’t know much magic.”
Ah, I guessed right. After seeing the magic demonstration yesterday, she must have been feeling a little insecure. She couldn’t believe she could grow up to be like me.
“Well, not right now. But if you work hard and study magic, you’ll grow. One day, you’ll be just like this.”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t feel down. You can become even better than me, way better. But before you return to your original time, you should study hard here. Understand?”
“…Original time?”
“Yeah.”
For a moment, Shiz didn’t say anything. After a while, she nodded quietly.
“…Okay.”
***
The next day, the exchange event continued.
With the hardest part—the demonstration duel—done, I felt lighter.
Now that it was over, I was looking forward to watching the competitions and performances with Shiz. I was planning to let her do anything she wanted today since she seemed a bit down yesterday.
‘Except for eating fried frogs…’
The area near the arena was crowded early in the morning. I had dressed lightly and went out with Shiz to look around.
“Hold my hand tightly, okay?”
“Hehe, you’re the one who should hold on!”
Shiz was excited as soon as we left the mansion. It was nice to see her so lively.
The streets were buzzing with people, and a light betting game was becoming popular.
“Now, let’s guess who will win the combat finals today!”
As I glanced at the list of competitors, I was shocked when I saw a familiar name.
“Felix Guffero?”
“Oh, you know him? This red-haired guy is pretty strong! If you want to place a bet, here’s your chance.”
I was still shocked when I heard Shiz pulling on my clothes.
“Mom, I saw him yesterday! The investigator was really strong. He zoomed around!”
“Guess so. He’s a walking weapon…”
It seemed like Shiz had watched the preliminary rounds while I was resting. It wasn’t the best thing for a child to see, but I had a feeling Felix could hammer nails into planks with his bare fists.
The list also showed the names of the countries participating in the event, like Bispatch, Mavel, and Wincans—familiar names.
“Wincans is here too.”
That means ‘he’ must have come too. But then I shook my head.
‘Since I didn’t get any contact, he probably didn’t come.’
I briefly placed a bet on Felix and walked away with Shiz.
***
Not long after, a tall man with striking features, much taller than the average pedestrian, appeared. It was Felix Guffero, the investigator who had mercilessly defeated his opponent in the combat preliminaries yesterday. Some people recognized him.
With golden eyes resembling those of a beast, Felix quickly grabbed a black-haired man walking nearby.
The man, realizing who had stopped him, paled in fear.
“Hey.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Do you know this person?”
Felix pulled out a picture from his coat like he was showing off a secret transaction item.
The photo showed a woman with brown hair, looking flustered but still attractive.
“Take a good look. This is the great magician from yesterday’s opening ceremony. Do you know her?”
“I… don’t know.”
“Really? Then why were you staring at her?”
“Ah, I was wondering if I might remember her…”
“Ugh, forget it. Go.”
Felix gave the man a cold look, sending him on his way. He then started searching again, scanning the area.
Felix stared intently at the photo.
“Finding this is like looking for a needle in a haystack…”
It had been a while since they started the ‘ex-husband search mission’ for Relshiz Baltain.
***
The mission started with Aska’s strange intuition about her ex-husband, a noble from the Southern Continent. When the cultural exchange was announced, Aska had shared all the details with the team.
‘Relshiz’s ex-husband is a noble from the Southern Continent? How do you know?’
‘It’s just a guess based on the facts. Most of the guests are nobles.’
‘Why?’
‘Magicians are rare in the Southern Continent.’
Relshiz was a magician from Edelheim, a place where the Magic Tower and the Mage Association coexisted. She held a title, though it was mostly ceremonial. She was treated with respect everywhere.
‘And she sent her daughter here secretly while raising her alone? That means she had financial stability and a secure status.’
‘So we’re gathering all the nobles from the Southern Continent to find this guy?’
Felix, who had become impressed by Aska’s persistence, agreed to join the mission.
***
Felix remembered the photo he had just shown. He frowned slightly as he looked at it again.
“I should have taken a better picture. She looks way better in person…”
He muttered to himself before freezing, realizing something.
“Wait… since when have I been thinking she’s pretty?”
Suddenly, his face turned red.
