Chapter 148

[Ah, really! Aiden! Are you congratulating or cursing? Please, shut up for a moment.]

A new voice was heard in between Aiden’s words.

When Yurina raised an eyebrow and looked at Reynard, he said it was Nathan’s voice. He explained that Nathan’s voice had changed due to puberty.

For Yurina, who only remembered the clear and high voice of a thirteen-year-old, this was quite a shocking news.

“Well, it is the right age. Boys change a lot during puberty.”

“Yeah. He’s fifteen now.”

“He must have grown a lot taller.”

“He started growing rapidly when I graduated, so he must be pretty tall now.”

Reynard, possibly thinking of old friends he hadn’t seen in a long time, gazed at the letter on the floor with a somewhat nostalgic look in his eyes.

[Ugh, Aiden, you!]

It seemed that Nathan was trying to silence Aiden.

[But Thomas, is it really possible that if we talk to the letter like this, our voices get delivered to Reynard? Is that really possible?]

[Well, according to the invention team, yes. But it’s still an experimental product, so I can’t be sure.]

[Hey, what the hell. So you’re saying it could just be a blank card.]

[Just try it. From what I understand, it seems like all our chatter is being recorded too. Just speak to the point. If you’re worried, you can write a separate letter and send it together.]

[Ah, right! Reynard, can you hear me?]

Reynard found himself nodding to the innocent question.

[Hey, hey! This isn’t telecommunication magic. What’s the point of asking if you can’t hear the answer?]

[I just wanted to ask once! Ah, really! Thomas, please take Aiden out. I can’t do anything because of Aiden!]

[What did I do… Uh!]

Reynard shook his head as if to say, ‘That guy’s still like that.’

[Thomas bro, I’m holding tight to Aiden bro! Where were we? Oh, right! Reynard bro, I heard you’re getting married in the spring. The whole academy is in a frenzy over your wedding news. You’re marrying that really pretty sister we saw, right?]

Then, Yurina nodded her head, saying Nathan has a crush on her.

[We want to go to your wedding too… But as you know, we’re not as smart as you, so we’re not sure if we’ll graduate this time. Everyone is busy writing their graduation thesis, but the professors’ reactions aren’t very good. But if there’s anyone graduating this time, we’ll definitely go.]

Yurina was calculating the dates in her head. It was mid-March now. Reynard’s friends, who had finished their seventh year, were in the midst of struggling with their graduation theses.

[You should have done it a year later! We’re young, why are you getting married already!]

[Can we graduate next year? Looking at you now, even if it’s next year, it seems like we won’t be able to go!]

The light argument between Nathan and Aiden started again. Just by hearing their voices, she could imagine the scene.

Yurina unknowingly smiled happily and observed Reynard’s face.

When did he first cover his card because it was noisy, but now he was concentrating on this noisy conversation. At some point, his eyes became red and moist.

Yurina leaned her head on his shoulder and patted his hand resting on his thigh.

Reynard flipped his hand and tightly held hers.

[Ah, I really don’t understand why our academy doesn’t allow us to leave the kingdom before graduation. Anyway, Reynard bro, congratulations on your wedding! Even if we can’t go, we’ll congratulate you here. So don’t be too upset if we can’t go. We’re really writing our thesis hard! It’s just that we’re not as good as you.]

[Bro, congratulations!]

[Me too, congratulations! Be happy!]

After Nathan’s voice, Alex’s and Thomas’s voices continued. And then there was a moment of silence.

“Is it over?”

“Um, I don’t know…”

Aiden’s greeting, the most important one, is missing? Yurina glared at the voice letter missing the most important part. As if reading her thoughts, Reynard muttered nonchalantly.

“Aiden must have really been kicked out because he was noisy. I guess he forgot to finish the letter.”

Reynard, who took a breath through his nose, muttered calmly, got up from his seat, and walked towards the letter he had thrown on the floor.

He was about to bend over and pick up the card.

[Hey, Reynard. Are you listening? Don’t tell me you’ve already cut off without listening to my congratulations?]

Aiden’s voice, calm compared to his earlier chirpy voice, flowed out.

[What’s up, Aiden bro. When I asked you earlier, you said it wasn’t communication magic, and all that.]

[I’m talking seriously for the first time in a long time, so be quiet, Nathan.]

[Humph.]

Reynard had already picked up the letter and carefully brushed off the dust that had touched the floor.

Yurina got close behind him and hugged his waist from behind.

[Hey, I’ve always known you would end up with Lady Carthia. Are you happy that you even graduated early to meet Lady Carthia, leaving us behind? For you, love is more important than friendship, right?]

“…”

[You little bastard. I’ve only not seen you for a year now, but I already miss you so much! Without you, I have no one to spar with. The swordsmanship kids don’t want to spar with me, saying they lose every time. Even though you always lost, you sparred with me. My siblings keep asking when you’re coming to play again in their letters. Those little brats. They never asked me when I would come.]

Reynard chuckled, shaking his shoulders.

[I guess Sarah will cry a lot when she hears the news of your marriage. Do you remember her singing that she would marry you during the last winter break? The news must be late in the Tessie territory, they probably haven’t heard about your wedding yet. There’ll be a big fuss once they hear it.]

With that, there was silence again. Seizing the moment, Yurina stood on tiptoe and rested her chin on Reynard’s shoulder and asked,

“Who is Sarah?”

Reynard coughed lightly.

“Aiden’s eldest sister.”

“But what’s this about marriage? You told me not to meet the Crown Prince, what have you been doing behind my back?”

“That’s because…”

Just then, Aiden’s voice flowed out of the card again, like a savior.

[Rey, my dearest friend. Can I call you Rey? What will you do if you can’t? If you have a complaint, come here!]

[He’s not a child.]

Nathan’s tongue-clicking sound was heard.

[Rey, congratulations on your wedding from the bottom of my heart. From now on, don’t be lonely alone but live happily with lady Carthia. Even if I can’t be there, I’ll congratulate you from here.]

Yurina could tell he was choking up just by his voice, even though she couldn’t see his face. That’s how much his voice was trembling.

[I wonder when I’ll be able to see you again, as you’ll live in the Empire from now on. As soon as I graduate, I’m going to visit your place first, so wait for me! This year will be tough, but I’ll definitely graduate next year and come, so please wait!]

[Do you think you can graduate next year? Bro, how about transferring to the Sword Department now? From what I see, it seems much easier to spend 7 more years in the Sword Department than passing a graduation thesis in the Magic Department!]

[Nathan, be quiet a bit! Even if I have to threaten the professors, I will graduate next year! I can’t rot here anymore! No, I can go!]

Aiden began to speak in a higher voice, as if he had suddenly realized something.

[No mere graduation thesis can block our friendship! You just wait! Even if I get caught crossing the border, I’ll definitely go to your wedding!]

[Bro, if you get caught, you might not be able to graduate!]

[Shut up a bit! Whether I can’t graduate because I cross the border, or I can’t graduate because of my thesis, it’s the same! Just thinking about my thesis wakes me up in my sleep! I’m going to crush these professors, really! Just because they are professors doesn’t mean they’re everything!]

[Bro, bro! Lower your voice! Someone might hear you!]

[Let them hear! Whether they hear or not, I can’t graduate anyway!]

The serious atmosphere quickly became noisy again.

‘As expected of Aiden.’

The voice message ended with a choked voice.

Since Aiden’s voice became serious, Reynard, who had been breathing roughly, buried his face in the letter as soon as it ended. Yurina patted his back, which was bobbing up and down.

‘He must miss them a lot.’

Reynard never showed it, but he must have missed them all along. They were friends who had been together every day for a whole 6 years, so there was no way he wouldn’t have missed them.

Especially Aiden, he had taken Reynard around everywhere to make sure he wasn’t lonely in a strange place. He even took him to his mansion during the holidays when he had nowhere to go.

Knowing their friendship well, Yurina asked if it would be better to have the wedding next year.

Even though graduating this year would be tough, it seemed better to wait a bit longer for Aiden to attend as he should be able to graduate next year.

If they were to get married now, there would be no guests on Reynard’s side. He was alone, without parents, relatives, or friends to serve as groomsmen.

Yurina was bothered by this, but Reynard just shook his head saying it was okay. As Nathan suggested, there was no guarantee that all four friends could come even if they postponed it until next year.

“I would rather want to become a family with you a little earlier.”

Yurina couldn’t bring herself to suggest postponing the wedding any longer when he said that much. But seeing Reynard miss his friends so much, it hurt her inside.

It was too late to postpone the wedding now. Reynard wouldn’t want to postpone it either. So the only way was…

“Rey, shall we go on a trip to the Crohn Kingdom?”

Reynard, who had been burying his face in his hands for a while, turned his head to look at Yurina at her words.

Yurina wiped the tear stains left on his cheeks and whispered softly.

“It’s not that Aiden can’t come,  it doesn’t mean we can’t go. It’s a pity that Aiden can’t attend the wedding, but we can go see him.”

“…”

“If we time it with the summer vacation, we might be able to visit Tessie’s territory as well. I’m curious to see what the countryside territory Aiden talked about looks like.”

“…”

“So let’s go.”

Reynard, who had been staring at Yurina blankly, made a complicated face, but soon slowly nodded.

However, he still couldn’t shake off his gloomy mood.