Chapter 7.4

“Thank you very much for your help today”

The princess and I are in the reception room of the detached building.

The tea that Martha had made for us was long gone. Not knowing how to pass the time, I drank it in small sips until it was all gone. I don’t know what to say to the princess.

Mainly because she reminds me of Lyle’s daughter, Alice.

“Apologies. It wasn’t just ‘today’. You already did save me ‘the other day’, too”

“It was Clara-san that I saved the other day”

“That was me in disguise”

“Why did you use an alias, Your Royal Highness?”

“I sometimes help the ‘Magic Guild’ with their investigations. As a princess, it’s not easy for me to go out, after all. When I want to move freely, I use the name ‘Clara’”

“So that’s why you were in the mountains…”

“Yes. So, I was wondering if you would accept my proposal”

“About me becoming an apprentice at the ‘Magic Guild’, right?”

“I was so excited earlier that I declared it without even asking for your opinion…”

Princess Iris’s face turned bright red.

“But it’s also true that I was amazed by Yuuki-sama’s abilities and that I want you by my side as someone I can trust. If you stay by my side, I will be able to do my research at the ‘Magic Guild’ with peace of mind”

I understand that.

After all, the princess has been attacked by monsters in the mountains and by Kachel in the Baron’s territory.

Having more guards would be better.

“Is that why you want me to join the ‘Magic Guild’?”

“It’s odd, isn’t it? That a member of the royal family would be so obsessed with magic”

“I don’t understand why you would go so far”

“…I’ll tell you the reason why I’m so obsessed with magic”

The princess looks down as if deep in thought.

Then she looked me in the eye.

“Actually, there is something different about me from other princes and princesses”

“Something different?”

“My grandmother was a commoner who married off to a marquis two generations ago as they fell in love at first sight. She was very beautiful, wise, and also had a great talent for magic, but… she had a slightly unusual constitution”

“Are you sure you want to tell me about this?”

“I don’t mind”

“Why?”

“I can’t ask you to do me a favor while hiding things from you. Besides ──”

Princess Iris, choosing her words carefully.

“I have a feeling that if it’s Yuuki-sama, you will listen to me seriously. It’s just a feeling though”

“I understand. I’ll listen”

“Back to the story. There were two things about my grandmother that were unusual. One was that she had a larger capacity for magic power than most people. The other was that she always remained young. When I was young, I met my grandmother, and she was so young that I thought she was in her twenties even though she was in her fifties”

“What happened to your grandmother?”

“She passed away some time ago. My mother married into the royal family, had me, and then had an accident”

“Are you perhaps also in your thirties, Your Royal Highness?”

“No-no, I’m only thirteen years old”

“Right”

She has a large capacity for magic power. And she always remained young, huh….

Come to think of it, the familiar to whom I gave blood to, have lived longer than a normal bat. Their capacity for magic power also increased.

But I’ve never given ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood‘ to a human before ── no, there was Lyle’s daughter, Alice.

How much ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood‘ did I give Alice when I cured her illness in my previous life?

I can’t remember.

But I remember giving Alice a lot of my blood because her ‘Death Crest Disease’ was very serious….

“May I ask for your grandmother’s name?”

“My grandmother’s name is Rachel. Are you interested?”

“Yes”

If she was in her fifties when the princess met her, she’s probably not Alice.

“I would love to hear your story…”

“I understand. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like to live forever”

“Do you know the cause of your grandmother’s constitution?”

I asked.

The princess shook her head.

“I don’t know. My mother said she didn’t know either”

“Has the constitution been passed down?”

“I think so. After all, my magic power capacity is larger than most. There are very few people in the royal family who can use ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’, you know?”

…Is that so?

I’ve drawn the crest of ‘Fire God’s Relentless Barrage, Ifrit Blow’ on the wings of Dick and his companions.

I was able to analyze it when the princess used it in the mountains.

“In the marquis’s family, my grandmother’s constitution was not a problem. But not in the royal family. I was told many things about my constitution. The reason I joined the ‘Magic Guild’ was so that I could know what I am”

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

“It’s all to find out my roots”

The princess smiled.

“I want to train at the ‘Magic Guild’ and become a mage recognized by everyone. I want to become a high-ranking mage, study hard, and know what I am. That’s why I’m obsessed with the ‘Magic Guild’. If it can be realized, then I would like Yuuki-sama to help me with that”

“Very well”

I understood the circumstances of Princess Iris very well.

I also understood why her hands were trembling.

She has told so much to someone she doesn’t know well. It can’t be helped that she is scared.

“Yuuki Grossalia will obey Her Royal Highness Princess Iris’s request and join the ‘Magic Guild’”

“Thank you very much!”

The princess grabbed my hand.

“I-If you don’t mind… would you be my knight escort?”

“A knight escort?”

“Yes. Children of the royal family can choose a knight to guard them when they reach the age of thirteen. Though many of them choose from among the nobles, I would like to ask Yuuki-sama to do it”

“Is that… different from studying together at the ‘Magic Guild’?”

“It’s something more intimate. We will be under the same mentor and work together at the ‘Magic Guild’. While we study together as apprentices, I would like you to be my friend and protect me”

“But I’m an illegitimate child of a Baron family?”

“I’ve seen what Yuuki-sama is capable of”

“I have no objection to being Your Royal Highness’s knight escort”

Conversely, I would like to help Princess Iris find her roots.

If she is a descendent of Alice from ‘Fila Village’, her ‘constitution’ might be my fault.

Maybe me giving Alice ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ two hundred years ago affected her descendants.

“May I ask you something? Your Royal Highness Princess Iris”

“Please. Go ahead, Yuuki-sama”

“Does Your Royal Highness Princess Iris like ‘Spicy Venison Thin Crust Pie’?”

“…I beg your pardon?”

The princess became puzzled.

Well, just to make sure.

That’s what Martha told me. She said that the taste of family is something that is passed down from generation to generation.

“…No, I’ve never had it before”

“Right”

It is a village dish. How could the royal family eat it?

“But I do like spicy food”

“Thank you very much”

Let’s put it on hold whether the princess is a descendant of Alice.

Even if I know she is a descendant… It’s not like I can say anything about it.

However, this is also a chance. We can be together while we are at the royal capital.

“Well then, I will serve as Your Royal Highness’s knight escort after joining the ‘Magic Guild’”

I stood up and knelt before Princess Iris.

“…Is this a verbal promise?”

“No, officially, I have to get permission from my father ── His Majesty the King”

“After joining the ‘Magic Guild’?”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to my father. There will be a briefing and orientation for new members at the ‘Magic Guild’, so I was hoping that Yuuki-sama could come to the royal capital before that”

If it’s before the briefing, it’ll be about a month from now.

“I understand. Then I will go to the royal capital before the briefing”

“You are really an amazing person. Yuuki Grossalia-sama”

Princess Iris put her hands together and smiled.

It is a strange, childlike smile ── or rather, since we are of the same age, we are just children.

“You have the ability for quick decision making, fast reaction speed, and a sense of humor as well as magic skills. I was surprised that you asked me what my favorite food is. If it’s someone like you, I can understand why your brother would want to teach you magic”

“Is that so”

“I’m also looking forward to seeing how much talent you will show at the royal capital”

Princess Iris stood up, picked up the skirts of her dress, and bowed.

“Please tell me one last thing. The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ has been destroyed, right?”

“Yes”

“Then why would Kachel do that?”

“Barnes and the others searched his room and found a copy of a letter”

“A letter, you say? Is it addressed to his friends?”

“It wasn’t addressed to anyone, but the content was praised to the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’. It’s not clear where he got the amulets from. It’s just that…”

Princess Iris pondered a bit before continuing.

“I’ve heard that there is an organization that idealizes the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’”

“…Such an organization exists, huh?”

“The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ is taboo, but I’ve heard that some people are studying it. If Yuuki-sama is interested, I can arrange for you to meet with the researchers”

“Thank you”

“Very well. Now then, I shall take my leave”

With that, Princess Iris left the reception room.

“So I’m to guard Her Royal Highness while she is an apprentice at the ‘Magic Guild’”

The terms are not bad.

If there’s someone looking into the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’, they might be able to get some information on it.

Given that Kachel was a worshipper of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’, there may be others like him.

There is no telling what they will do, after all. So let’s take some precautions.

“…Well, that will be after I go to the royal capital”

I left the reception room.

Let’s have Martha bring me some snacks and then take a nap.

The next day, I was summoned to Xellos nii-sama’s room.

“You’re here. Yuuki”

“How nostalgic. I haven’t been in this room for three years”

It has changed a lot.

There used to be maps of the territory and books about the tales of this countryside, but now there are only materials related to the ‘Magic Guild’ and the examinations.

Xellos nii-sama is sitting behind his desk, with his back to the window.

I can’t tell what facial expression he has because of the backlight.

“I wanted to ask you something. That’s why I asked you to come here”

“To ask whether I am really the reincarnation of the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’?”

“That doesn’t matter”

“That doesn’t matter, you say?”

“Yes. It’s not what I wanted to ask”

Xellos nii-sama stood in front of me and looked me right in the eye.

“I’m going to keep your secret, no matter who you are. Do you believe that?”

“I believe you”

“Why is that?”

“Because nii-sama is prideful and does whatever he says”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah?”

“…I see”

Nii-sama’s shoulders slumped and sighed.

“You’re amazing. Yuuki”

“What’s with that sudden praise?”

“I’ve always disliked you. I always thought it was because we had a different mother ── that you are my half-brother. But I was wrong. I’m no match for you. I knew that, and that’s why I’ve always disliked you…”

“I’m not that big of a deal”

“Yuuki. Take this”

Xellos nii-sama took out a sword from behind his desk.

He pulled out a sword and pointed the tip of the blade at himself ── wait, why would he give me the grip?

“This is an oath. Xellos Grossalia will always be on your side no matter what. If you doubt me, push the sword and take my life”

“No, I will not take a knight’s oath here”

“This is to set things to rights. Yuuki, I was saved by you. And so I’ll repay the debt”

“Nii-sama, aren’t you being too serious here?”

“I can’t help it. It’s in my nature”

In the first place, Xellos nii-sama is not the one to be blamed here.

Nii-sama had been under the influence of Kachel through that amulet.

It was also the reason why he said this and that to me.

And so I tried to convey this to Xellos nii-sama, but ──

“No, that’s another story. This is to set things to rights”

“You sure are troublesome!”

── Seriously.

Nii-sama is way too serious. I can’t help but think that he is devoted to the family in a weird way.

He sure is troublesome.

That is why I cannot leave humans alone.

“Yuuki Grossalia accepts Xellos Grossalia’s oath. I accept my brother’s oath to always be on my side. This should be fine, right?”

“I still owe you more though”

“You need to work on your overly serious nature, nii-sama”

“No, as a legitimate son of the Grossalia family, I have to be better than that”

“That’s the issue, nii-sama”

“…I don’t understand what you’re saying, Yuuki”

Nii-sama smiled with his head tilted to the side.

While we were talking, there was a knock at the door.

It seems that a maid from the main building had come to tell us that lunch was ready.

“You can also eat in the main building, Yuuki”

“No, Martha is waiting for me”

“Just eat twice. You are in your growth period, after all”

“Don’t be absurd, nii-sama”

We left the room together.

*Rustle* There was a noise.

I looked, and there stood Rumia across the corridor.

She was staring at Xellos nii-sama and me, paying no attention to the book she had dropped.

“Yuuki nii-sama… and Xellos nii-sama… are getting along well”

“Rumia?”

“Sorry for making you worry, Rumia. It’s as you said, Yuuki and I are getting along well…”

“It’s been a long time since I last saw this… I-I’m happy. I’m so happy”

Tears fell from Rumia’s eyes.

“Yuuki nii-sama!!”

“R-Rumia!?”

“I’m so glad. Yuuki nii-sama has always wanted to reconcile with Xellos nii-sama…”

“Why are you hugging me!? Go hug Xellos nii-sama”

“Xellos nii-sama has been very stubborn, so I won’t hug him”

“…No, I’m good”

Did Xellos nii-sama look chagrined just now?

“Yuuki will soon be going to the royal capital as an apprentice of the ‘Magic Guild’, after all. You should fawn on him while you still can”

“Is it okay!? Yuuki nii-sama”

“…It’s not fair to ask me that now”

“As the legitimate son, I’ll allow it. I’ll also tell Father about it”

Why do you have that “I got you” look on your face? Xellos nii-sama.

Rumia is… well, too clingy. You’re the daughter of a Baron family, aren’t you? Seriously.

And so Xellos nii-sama and I, for the first time in a long time, talked as brothers ──

As it is, I was free to go in and out of the main building as I pleased.