Chapter 83: Intermission

(My name is Alfonso Spinazora. The grandson of Margrave Rune. I’m nineteen this year. My parents have already died, so if nothing happens, I’ll be Rune’s next lord. No, that doesn’t matter now. The bigger problem that lay in front of me right now is a certain woman who has been in a bad mood for the past few days.

The woman, whose name is Sera, is my swordsmanship teacher. Teacher is an elf and very beautiful. So beautiful that even that word doesn’t do her justice … Yes, she’s beautiful.

Of course, her beauty has nothing to do with her skill with the sword.

Once, I made a mistake. I tried to forcefully make Teacher mine. As a result, I had my shoulder crushed and a sword thrust further into it. Yes, after crushing my shoulder, she purposely thrust her sword into my shoulder as well. It was terrifying …

Of course, it was the price for my stupid deed … Since then, Teacher became the subject of my awe and admiration. She hardly laughs and is a taciturn person. I’ve never heard her talking about anything other than training. Teacher also teaches the Knights, but the Knights said the same thing, so I believe she is that kind of person.

My mistake is also known to the Knights … they know that my shoulder was crushed and pierced with a sword … but no one said anything in particular after that … although it would be normal to be despised …

After that, I tried to change my mind. Ashamed of my stupidity, I put in the effort to become a nobleman who would not be spoken badly of behind my back by anyone as the next Margrave of Rune. Of course, I don’t believe I’ve reached there yet, but I’m still working hard.

Let’s end the talk about ourselves here.

The big problem is that teacher has been in a bad mood for the past few days.

Of course, just because she’s in a bad mood doesn’t mean she rebukes me unreasonably or becomes violent. It just feels a little uncomfortable.

And most of the people in the mansion, including the Knights, feel it, not just me.)

(My name is Reylita, and I am a maid at the lord’s house. I mainly take care of Sera-sama, who is the swordsmanship instructor.

However, for the past few days, Sera-sama hasn’t been well. Of course, she performs her swordsmanship instructor work as usual, and she treats us, maids, kindly. However, I can tell because I meet her every day that she’s not in good spirits.

When I asked, she only answers that she’s okay, as usual. So I don’t know the exact reason.

But … I think the reason is related to the mock combat at the training ground the other day.

I’m just a maid, so I don’t really understand swords or magic. Still, Sera-sama and her companion … Ryo-sama, the battle between them was amazing.

Working here, I often see the practice done by the Knights, and as Sera-sama’s maid, I often watch her battles with the Knights. But … compared to that battle between the two, it was a difference between an adult and a baby … no, I think it was a difference between a god and an ant.

And after that battle was over, Sera-sama hugged Ryo. She left immediately, but that was the first time I saw Sera-sama appear so excited and happy. Moreover, when separating, she said that he was a “cherished person” …

Sera-sama is a very beautiful person … she’s even called the goddess of beauty. However, there has never been any romantic gossips about her. Of course, with such beauty and strength, the Knights and other people in the mansion watch her with longing eyes. However, she is indifferent to it all …

I digress.

Anyway, Sera-sama hasn’t been acting normal for the past few days. All of us maids are very worried about her.)

That day, Sera, who rarely came to the Adventurer’s Guild, entered.

By the way, the directions she followed to get there was the North Library, Hoshoku-tei, and Adventurer’s Guild Dormitory Room 10.

Yesterday, she found documents about alchemy and golems in the North Library forbidden archive.

It was not a book, but dozens of very old parchments.

Not to mention the owner of the Northern Library, perhaps even Sera, who knows more about the collection than any librarian, was the first to see that bundle of parchments.

She followed the above route to tell Ryo, who was looking for golem-related alchemy, about it.

Another reason was that she hadn’t seen Ryo in the library or at Hoshoku-tei for the past five days.

As she passed through the guild door, some eyes turned toward Sera. Then, after looking away once, they turned back to look at Sera properly once more.

There were many double-takes.

“Hey, that’s …”

“Sera of the Wind …”

“Sera-sama …”

“That’s really rare.”

“Eh? Who is that beautiful woman?”

“Idiot! That’s Sera, the person in the solo B-rank party!”

As if she couldn’t hear such words, Sarah went straight to the reception.

“It’s been a long time, Nina.”

“Welcome, Sera. What kind of business do you have today?”

The receptionist Sera greeted was Nina.

“I’m looking for Ryo, a D-rank adventurer. I want to tell him that I’ve found a clue to what he’s looking for.”

The guild basically sends messages to adventurers and safe keep their belongings, but does not give information about the adventurer’s 『activities』 to others.

This was because it was often part of a request and the confidentiality of information related to the request should be taken with great care.

Sera, a B-rank adventurer, was well aware of that, so she used the above phrase. ‘I’m looking for Ryo to convey what he was asking for’.

In fact, it was not a complete lie.

“Oh … Ryo and his friends aren’t in town due to a request.”

“I see … then, I’ll come back tomorrow.”

That said, Sara was about to turn around.

“Ah, Sera, please wait.”

Nina stopped her in a hurry.

Then she beckoned her to come closer and said softly.

“Sera, Ryo and his companions went to another city on a request, so they won’t be back for a while.”

The moment she heard that, despair covered Sera’s face.

Nina also noticed the change.

“Se-Sera, are you okay?”

“Ah, yeah, I’m okay … I’m okay … About how long would it take …?”

“I don’t know the exact duration because the request form only stated 『Contract period: one week or more』, but maybe it will take another week or more …”

Nina speculated that he would be returning after the Whitnash Port Opening Festival ended as it was a round-trip escort request to Whitnash, but she couldn’t tell Sera that much. Therefore, she told her that it was more than a week.

“I see … I understand. Thank you.”

Sera replied and left the reception.

Her appearance was shocking to everyone, and the adventurers saw her off without calling out to her.

For the next week, Sera’s heart wasn’t clear.

(Just a month ago, I didn’t know about Ryo’s existence, so I just went back to that time … yeah, I know that but … Sigh … I understand well why did the Fairy King like Ryo …)

Even though she was told that he wouldn’t be back for a week, she went to the North Library and Hoshoku-tei every day, thinking that she might find him.

But the figure she yearned to see wasn’t there, and Sera always returned to the lord’s mansion crushed with sadness.

And eight days after meeting Nina.

After training the Knights in the morning, Sarah headed to the North Library.

At the library, she looked at every corner of the large reading room, as well as the forbidden archive that he wouldn’t be able to enter … but she didn’t see the person she was looking for.

Next, she headed to Hoshoku-tei in a stricken state even more than yesterday.

It was a little after noon, and there weren’t many customers at that time.

However, it was during this time that she met Ryo previously.

Sera opened the door to Hoshoku-tei and entered.

There … she saw a Water Magician eating curry deliciously!

Sara almost cried.

She didn’t know the reason.

But it was a straightforward feeling.

Ryo was tackling the curry wholeheartedly … Seeing that figure, Sera couldn’t move for a while.

Suddenly, Ryo raised his eyes. And he caught the figure of Sera in his field of view.

With a spoon in his right hand, he beckoned to her to come with his left hand.

Sera walked up to Ryo with a big smile.