Chapter 291

“And it seems to be someone quite close to you.”

I continued, not taking my eyes off his face. Emanuel grinned and rested his chin on his hand.

“Why do you think so?”

“Well. A hunch?”

“……”

Firstly, Insight and Connoisseur’s Eye, while similar in nature, were clearly different abilities.

With Insight, Narce could read others’ thoughts, discern the nature of objects or people, and grasp a shallow understanding of the truth of an event. Most of it was guesswork on the level of ‘it seems like it’s probably ~,’ but he could intuitively envision images we couldn’t know.

Connoisseur’s Eye, judging by its name and my previous experience, was the ability to discern the truth or falsehood, good or evil, or specific qualities of a subject. I didn’t know if he possessed all these abilities or just one. I, too, knew nothing about it.

To sum it up, they each had the core characteristics of ‘intuitive image’ and ‘discernment’.

How did he, with his ability of discernment, know that I was looking for someone from the Austro-Hungarian Empire?

A few days ago, I had approached him in the wrong way, but I had still survived his ‘Connoisseur’s Eye’. From this, I could infer that his ‘Connoisseur’s Eye’ possessed the function of judging good and evil.

And from the fact that he just asked a question he couldn’t possibly know with his ability, I was able to deduce a more detailed function of his Connoisseur’s Eye. His good-and-evil-discerning Connoisseur’s Eye didn’t work on a subject as a whole, but on the individual relationships that subject had with other subjects. Since no single person can be good to everyone, it was actually quite logical.

He had judged that I would not be a harm to the Kingdom of Bavaria, and even thought I would be a benefit, sending me to the tournament. But at the same time, his Connoisseur’s Eye must have perceived that I could be a harm to someone in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then why someone from the Austro-Hungarian Empire of all places? Might as well look for someone on the other side of the planet, why don’t you?

This was why I had asked him, ‘I suppose you know them’.

‘It must be an ability to simulate the interaction between a being he knows and a new subject. And that person from the Austro-Hungarian Empire must have gotten caught in the process.’

Of course, if I were a great harm to that Austrian person, he wouldn’t have let me set foot in here in the first place, so he was probably feeling ambiguous about it too.

It was all in the realm of inference, and I was merely formulating a plausible hypothesis.

Despite my lukewarm answer, he stared at me with a smile before turning his head.

“Want to go for a drink?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You’ll be pestered by the Prince soon enough. Hmm, and he was already watching us from over there.”

“……”

Emanuel’s hand, pointed towards the Crown Prince’s palace, was raised quite high.

I didn’t have the confidence to turn my head in the direction he was pointing. I tried to keep my eyes from straying as I spoke.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah~ excellent.”

In that moment, Emanuel warped somewhere with me.

It was a familiar pub. Before taking the train to Anhalt, I had drunk here with Elias.

Is it okay for royalty to come here? Dressed so shabbily? Of course, Elias is also Prussian royalty. And Imperial royalty at the same time. The two of them would make perfect friends.

“It’s not playing around, it’s looking after the people’s welfare. Hofbräu is truly the best, you know.”

“I didn’t ask, but you’re very kind.”

“Haven’t you felt that since before?”

Emanuel found a window seat and ordered two glasses of beer. With Weisswurst as well.

‘Leonard said he liked this.’

I thought, looking at the steaming white sausage.

I’d learned many new things this time. It was uncertain whether the 17-year-old Leo still liked this, but after being pestered for three whole days, I naturally came to know a lot about the 5-year-old Leo. Of course, knowing it wasn’t particularly useful, but it was new.

“Cheers~ Let’s not toast to anything and just drink.”

Emanuel held his glass out in front of me, gesturing for me to hurry up. I lightly clinked my glass against his and brought the drink to my lips.

Drinking from broad daylight. Of course, beer is water here, so it’s culturally acceptable.

“I watched the tournament from afar. You did splendidly.”

“Thank you for your favorable assessment. It is all thanks to Your Highness.”

“I am rather flexible. Thanks to that, His Majesty seems pleased as well. Keeping a mage like Sir Everett in the kingdom was a good choice.”

He gestured with his head toward my glass, as if telling me to drink again.

“Are the lessons with His Highness the Crown Prince manageable?”

“Yes, he follows along well, so there are no problems at all.”

“Good.”

After that, he brought up trivial topics, just as I had with Leo.

He was calmer than Elias, but still a free-spirited person compared to ordinary royalty. This man was still in Bavaria 12 years later. He must have been there when I received the Order of Saint Hubertus from Leo. Other than that, I had never had any reason to encounter him, so I didn’t know he had this kind of personality.

And….

‘He’s an expert.’

Unlike Elias, his skill in getting someone to drink was exceptional, flowing like water. At some point, I had to fight off the drowsiness that was creeping in. As I rested my chin in my hand, I heard Emanuel ordering from across the table.

“Here, another glass please.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it right away.”

“I’m not drinking.”

I grabbed my head and closed my eyes. Did the ghost of someone who died because they couldn’t drink possess me…? Just inject the alcohol straight into my brain.

“How did you know I ordered a drink for Sir Everett? Here, drink up.”

“Haven’t you been forcing me to drink this whole time? You drink it.”

“I’ve already had seven glasses.”

“Honestly…. Don’t you need to use the restroom?”

“Hmm, I just came back and ordered a new one.”

“……”

I realized my mistake, but he was already smiling and nodding.

“It’s fun to take a break from teaching and hang out like this, isn’t it? What should we go eat next?”

After that, he began to drag me around downtown Munich.

“Is there a reason you’re deliberately not warping?”

“……”

“I don’t understand why an able-bodied mage wouldn’t want to warp. Besides, is there any reason for a mage as powerful as you, whom everyone admires, to be reluctant to warp? You should be overflowing with Magic Power.”

I slowly turned my head. Neatly dressed people were sitting at tables. This place was more of a restaurant than a pub. That’s right. After being dragged around to drink all day, by the time I heard those words, it was already dinner time. Emanuel, who had changed clothes at some point, was dressed appropriately for the occasion.

This one too was a booze fiend like Elias and Heike, perhaps burning off alcohol with Magic Power. He had me chugging bottled beer while we walked around, and he fairly drank just as much, but he didn’t seem very drunk. Or maybe he just appeared that way. After all, the difference between my own sober and drunk appearance wasn’t that significant either.

I scrunched my face and pressed my forehead.

“The lesson…”

“It’s over. Isn’t the Crown Prince’s combat magic lesson in the morning?”

“He comes with questions in the afternoon too.”

“It’s not in your contracted hours, so one day is fine. A teacher needs a day off too. Here, let’s cure the hangover with wine.”

“With what? Please say something that makes sense.”

Ignoring me, Emanuel raised his wine glass for a toast. When I didn’t respond, he drank the wine by himself. I grabbed my head and pushed my chair back.

“I’m sorry, but I must be going.”

“Have you ever met the Archduke of Austria-Este?”

“……”

“He’s a friend of mine. Just as you said, Sir Everett.”

He disassembled the escargot that came as an appetizer and speared it with his fork. He was about to bring it to his mouth but waved it around.

“Don’t just stare at my fork, you have some too. Don’t you like snails?”

“Asking if I’ve met the Archduke of Este. So you dragged me around all this time to ask this.”

“You’ve found me out.”

“I knew from the beginning.”

“I suppose you did. You stayed sober for longer than I thought, so I figured I couldn’t keep it up.”

He said that, feigning a chilly expression, then smiled brightly.

“Just kidding. Honestly, I can’t say I didn’t have that intention, but I also had things to prepare, so that’s why we went around. Was my first impression that bad?”

“Not at all.”

How would I have gotten this far without you?

Anyway, I couldn’t reveal my true intention for seeking the Archduke of Austria-Este here. How could I say, ‘His possessions are stolen under suspicious circumstances 12 years from now, so I’m investigating to see if there’s any connection to the Pleroma or something similar from early on’? Since his ability wasn’t Insight, I needed to find an appropriate way out.

The important thing here was not to say, ‘It’s all your misunderstanding, I have no interest in the Archduke of Este.’ One might think I could feign ignorance if his ability could only discern good and evil, but there must have been a reason he specifically brought up the person from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to me. Saying that would be taking on an unnecessary risk alone.

How could I successfully extricate myself while maintaining the above conditions? There was a way.

“I’ve recently taken an interest in occult relics.”

“…Occult?”

He frowned, looking flustered.

“I don’t know the Archduke of Austria-Este well, but I heard a rumor somewhere that he is well-versed in the occult.”

“Hmm…”

He still couldn’t hide his bewilderment and wiped his mouth with his hand.

So he does know him well. He must be flustered. I just connected two completely unrelated things.

In the first place, I studied the occult to find the Lignum Crucis and the Holy Nail. The Archduke of Austria-Este’s stolen items were jewels.

We had previously decided to target both the occult club and the jewel trading club, and it was just a coincidence that the occult came first.

“Even so, I have never met him in person. What I heard is very likely to be a baseless rumor. I have many questions, but I don’t believe it to be entirely true.”

“I see. It seems you didn’t only hear good rumors?”

As expected, my earlier reasoning seemed correct. He must have thought that even if it wasn’t outright ill will, a slight change in the information I possessed could tip the scales towards either positive or negative feelings. It was true. The possibility was extremely low, but if by some chance he was involved with the Pleroma, I couldn’t let it slide.

“Well, I did hear rumors about things like black-market relic trading, but again, I don’t really believe them. Such rumors are common baseless gossip that circulates about royalty. Especially since it’s a rumor from across the sea in America, I can’t be sure at all.”

“Mmm~”

He listened to me and nodded with a serious expression. Then he said something completely pointless.

“If you’re not going to eat the snails, should I have asked them to change it to something else?”

“No.”

I picked up the escargot tongs and fork.

Good. This is a success. Since I’ve spouted nothing but nonsense, he’ll think he misunderstood me. The suspicion he read can be resolved with this.

“His Majesty’s birthday banquet is soon.”

“I know. In ten days.”

“Would you like to go together then? I will introduce you to the Archduke of Austria-Este. Your misunderstanding will be cleared up if you meet him in person.”

“……”

He’ll introduce me personally?

This… is unexpected. My plan was to go and carefully strike up a conversation myself, but if he’s offering an introduction, it’s easier than approaching him without any foundation.

I thought for a moment and then answered.

“Alright.”

*  *  *

It’s already seven o’clock. Seven in the evening.

There’s no particular reason, but I’m slowly getting anxious. After finishing the meal at a crazy speed, we now came to a tailor’s shop. There was no moment to escape. Because he warped right along with me.

“Your clothes are too plain. We need to prepare if you’re going to the banquet… After getting this fitted, what should we do for fun next?”

“I’m going to the Crown Prince’s palace. Do you not need to take any more measurements?”

“Yes, that’s all. Now, Your Excellency just needs to choose the design you want. Please come this way.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ll come next time. I don’t have time right now.”

Emanuel raised an eyebrow at my words.

“You’re going back this early? It’s the weekend. And you need to order the clothes in advance to receive them before the banquet.”

A perfectly valid point. But then we should have come here from the start, not spent the whole day at pubs, is this something to say now? If I had known this beforehand, I would have dragged him here myself.

“You told me to act like I’d play with kids forever even if I was leaving soon.”

“……”

“It might be a bother, but please choose anything for me, Your Highness. I’ll be going.”

Your nephew is going to cry. I shook him off and moved to the warp point of the Crown Prince’s palace. Since I was entering from the outside, the place I moved to was the outermost warp point.

And at that moment, I made eye contact with the child waiting in front of the warp point. As I lost my balance, the secretary caught me.

But more than that….

“……”

He was waiting? My vision goes dark….

I’m not this kid’s secretary, so going out during my free time isn’t a huge problem officially, but on a human level, knowing that some little kid follows only me, being away for so long pricks my conscience. In this case, it’s even worse because he’s not following my magic, but just an ‘adult’ who treats him well.

“Have you been waiting here?”

“Yes.”

The secretary answered for him. Then, he smiled apologetically at me and said.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“What? Where are you going? You should take him with you.”

What am I supposed to do if you leave? You’re the nanny. Leonard answered my question.

“I asked him to.”

“…I’m sure you did. Let’s go inside for now.”

I led him inside the building. Even though it was late March, his cheeks were red, so the air seemed cold for a 5-year-old. As we walked, Leonard looked up at me and asked.

“Teacher. When we go to the banquet, will you be with the other adults?”

“Of course I will.”

“Then I don’t want to go. I want to have lessons that day too.”

What’s he talking about…. There it is. The typical nonsensical stubbornness of children.

As I thought that, I remembered that the 17-year-old Leo wasn’t much different. His personality really doesn’t change.

‘This one is at least 5 years old, but what’s with the 17-year-old being stubborn?’

Suddenly, I want to flick him on the forehead again. Anyway, I placated Leonard.

“You can’t not go. If His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t participate that day, it will undermine the purpose of the event.”

“I suppose so. Because people will only talk about me. Everyone will try to find out what kind of problem has befallen the Crown Prince.”

“……”

Whether it was because he was more educated than his peers or because he was naturally sharp, he accurately pointed out the facts. Does one have to be this sharp to become a politician at 17? Of course, it’s not a social climate where starting at that age is strange… but this is definitely Leo’s past.

Perhaps not the type to rebel for long, Leonard said with a sullen face.

“I know. I have to go.”

“Good. You’ve thought it through well.”

“If I don’t invite you to the banquet, Sir Everett, His Highness Emanuel will invite you, right?”

He’s not calling me ‘teacher’? Look at this kid. As expected of royalty, their ability to use their status from a young age is extraordinary. While I was just laughing in disbelief, Leonard stopped walking and said to me.

“Sir Everett. Please go as my guardian.”

“……”

What he’s saying now is for me to play with him even when we get there.

I’ve already arranged to be introduced to the Archduke of Austria-Este by your uncle….

How on earth do I say that here? In a situation where I don’t even know how many hours he’s waited for me. A hollow laugh escapes me.

My time to talk with the Archduke of Austria-Este might be reduced because of this, but how can I refuse?

My first plan was to attend the banquet with Leo in the first place. From the moment the King informed me that he could give me a higher position than I expected, it became fine not to hold Leo’s hand, but anyway, that was the initial plan. As such, I can manage on my own, so there’s no need to shatter a child’s innocence.

“I will.”

*  *  *

“So in the end, you’re going to the banquet with my nephew? And I only found out about it yesterday?”

For once, Emanuel wore a displeased expression and crossed his arms. The sight of him with his feet up on the desk was not good. It was a marvel that this kind of person had sat up properly during our first meeting.

Ten days had already passed here, and it was the day of the banquet. And I was now at his mansion in the suburbs of Munich. I glanced around my surroundings and replied.

“You’ll be there anyway when we go, Your Highness Emanuel. But more importantly, why did you call me before we even left?”

“Hoo…”

Emanuel shrugged and stood up from his seat.

“I was thinking of giving you a gift.”

“What for?”

“I guess you’ve gotten quite comfortable with me now?”

I wasn’t being snarky, just asking. Emanuel smiled and continued.

“Anyway, you’ll have to follow His Highness the Crown Prince around all day today, so I thought it would be good to let you meet in advance.”

He gestured for me to follow.

I followed him outside. The mansion was so vast that the end of the garden was not in sight.

‘What else could be here.’

I expect there will be alcohol. I’m not even hoping for anything else.

Emanuel stopped somewhere and stood still for a long time. It was clear that asking anything would just be a waste of my breath—I had learned that over the past ten days—so I too stood there silently. After a while, Emanuel spoke in a low voice.

“He’s here.”

Thwack—

“Emanuel!”

“…!”

Someone called his name loudly. Turning my head towards the sound, I could see someone landing after vaulting over the wall.

“Uh.”

I was at a loss for words, unable to believe what I was seeing. I now realized that the Lion’s Duke’s treasure chest, which required Holy Water and Holy Blood to open, was nothing. That thing over there was the real deal.

I made eye contact with a person standing awkwardly, covered in occult relics. Something like a medieval helmet and bizarre, patterned decorations that I had no desire to know about caught my eye. I had no idea what he was wearing for shoes, but it seemed he had flown over the wall with them.

And that person also seemed to be at a loss for words, as if he hadn’t expected anyone else to be here. I could see the soul leaving his face in real time. While everyone’s faces were frozen, Emanuel, the only one smiling, tapped my shoulder.

“Say hello. That is the Archduke of Austria-Este.”

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