CH 66

“Good evening, Renalge.”

“Ah… Good evening, Your Highness Nagi.”

I approached Renalge from behind, who was standing in the greenhouse in the moonlight.

The fact that he’s here…means that he trespassed in the royal castle. Still, I’m not sure what to say. It’s probably pointless to tell this to him.

Just as I expected, Renalge was staring at the Tsukuyomi buds that had grown overhead, which he had seen during the day.

“Did you come to see them bloom? If you had told me, I would have invited you.”

“I thought it would be faster to come straight here.”

I didn’t say anything about how fast! I wanted to retort, but I’m also happy to be able to talk to him again, so I can’t say anything strongly about it.

However, despite that──

This place is still the royal castle. The security was supposed to be strong, and if someone walked through a place where there were no guards or knights on patrol, the barriers would react.

(But the only thing that reacted was Mika’s barrier…)

Looking at Renalge standing there in a daze, I didn’t see any disorder in his clothes or hair, so I couldn’t say he had been…slipping through the bushes or such. Good grief, just how in the world could this “wizard” get here…

“How did you get here?”

“Hm? Through magic circle teleportation.”

Hearing those words said so casually, I was blown away.

(Magic circle teleportation…!!!)

He used an ancient and ridiculously difficult magic! My face twitched as I thought so.

To be honest, I didn’t even know such a thing existed, and if it did, royalty would be using it. Rather, this person is such a genius to the point I have to throw him in jail, which is far beyond my expectations.

When I looked in the direction Renalge said and pointed “Over there”, I did indeed see a magic circle-like mark in the courtyard.

(That kind of thing…since when was it there…)

I had read in a book that there was such a thing with the unique magic of a person who existed in the past. I had thought it would be much easier to travel if there was such a convenient thing.

Even if the magic circle teleportation was a fixed form of such non-attribute magic, one wouldn’t find out without knowing that person’s non-attribute magic. Or perhaps Renalge’s unique magic was teleportation. Many questions and predictions ran through my mind.

I froze still for a while with my eyes darting around, but Renalge was spacing off as usual and didn’t seem to mind at all.

I knew that he was called a “wizard” and was respected by the court magicians at the royal castle as well as by those in the research field, but I was sure that no one knew that he could even teleport. With a feeling of anxiety and tension that I didn’t quite understand, sweat dripped into my hands.

However…

Renalge yawned softly. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and stopped moving.

Then, with a serious look on his face as if he had made a life-long decision, he cautiously reached out his hand again to the magic plant.

*buuup*

The silly sound echoed through the silence of the night. My mouth gaped open.

How to put it? Right, I’m not really sure. Not only because of the silly sound, but I was already too shocked and surprised by his magic circle teleportation that everything became ridiculous.

“Pfft-”

Once I let that out, I couldn’t stop.

“Pfft, haha, ahaha, you…! Really, a wizard is so amazing!”

“…”

“It’s like anything is possible for you!”

I felt silly for being nervous about Renalge’s greatness, and I burst into laughter with tears in my eyes.

It’s not because I had been calculating about him and such, everything just feels crazy. A feeling of badly wanting to get along with this strange person named Renalge spread through my heart.

(I want to talk to him more. I want to know what kind of person he is.)

I was thinking this as I looked at Renalge, who was looking a little annoyed again. Then I heard the bell ring, signaling midnight with its sound.

Together with Renalge, I turned my attention to the Tsukuyomi buds that grew overhead.

The white buds swell and open, as if they have been bathed in the moonlight. The petals bloom softly.

Ahh, every time I look at it…

(…It’s always so beautiful.)

It’s like they’re in love with the moon, is what I think.

It’s as if the moment someone who’s unreachable turns to them, they’re overflowing with happiness.

I don’t know how the name Tsukuyomi came to be. But it’s a mysterious flower that means good luck will come around.

This is about a magical plant.

If they’re really in love with the moon, I wouldn’t know if they’re happy. But this sight of them always makes me feel happy.

As I looked up with a smile on my face, I felt a gaze from next to me. Then, Renalge looked straight at me and said.

“Beautiful.”

“Yeah, amazing isn’t it? It’s very difficult to get flowers to bloom like this.”

“…Hmm, why?”

“Every day, at a certain time, I have to give them a few drops of a fixed amount of nectar. I’ve been doing that for ten years now.”

It’s the least I can do for the flowers who miss the moon. They’re a very painstaking flower, but I can’t bring myself to stop.

As I was smiling, realizing that I was doing my best to raise the flowers, Renalge spoke.

“Your Highness Nagi… you’re strange.”

“Huh?”

I didn’t expect Renalge to tell me I was strange.

No, wait. Since Renalge is a strange person himself, perhaps everyone else is strange from his point of view. I felt convinced thinking of that. So, I decided to continue the conversation while looking at the Tsukuyomi.

“But, aren’t they beautiful?”

“…You’re a really strange person. What did you want me to do, Your Highness Nagi?”

“Huh?”

The sudden question made my eyes meet those of Renalge, who is about the same height as I am.

What did I want him to do…? What was it, again? I thought while I tilted my head, then Renalge continued.

“Most of the people who’re trying to get close to me are usually people who want me to do something with my magic, after all.”

When he said this to me with a sleepy look on his face, my shoulders trembled. I felt the sensation of sweat running down my back. And I thought.

(He already knew…!)

After I made such a big show of telling Mika what it’s like to be an aristocrat, to think that even Renalge knew about my ulterior motives! I froze in shock as if I had been hit.

Renalge looked at me for a while, and I wondered why his face didn’t seem to reflect any ill impression of me.

I wanted to be closer to Renalge, but I was embarrassed that he found out about that. Still, I had no choice, so I decided to be honest.

That’s right— I had something I wanted to ask of him.

I cast my eyes downward a little and sorted out my feelings. Then I slowly opened my mouth.

“I want you to create the everyday magic of ‘purification’ to save the people of this country.”

“…Sure. Now?”

“Huh? Ah, no…by next summer.”

“I see. That’s still a long time.”

Hmm, Renalge said, and he shifted his eyes to the Tsukuyomi again.

Wait, wait, wait. What did he mean by asking, “Now?” If I were to say yes, he couldn’t possibly finish it now, right…? It made me become slightly on guard. However, could it be that he said “sure” to me just now? I thought and blinked my eyes.

“Huh, are you sure?”

“Yeah. It’s not a big deal.”

“…”

Apparently, what I had spent six months trying to research was “not a big deal” to Renalge. Well, I didn’t want to leave everything to him, but I wanted to think about it myself as well.

I found out about it in the far back of the library, in a book about a unique magic that existed a long time ago. I’m not sure yet, but I thought that if we could develop that magic, the disease that will start to spread next summer could be prevented.

Not only the Kingdom of Pluvia.

The Kingdom of Malacia and even the Empire of Rubrum were involved. It was a deadly disease that shook the entire continent.

I was…trying to figure out how to prevent it somehow.

I wondered if perhaps lightning could be used to successfully purify, or if there was magic that could be combined with fire, or something that could be infused as everyday magic, or many other things. If Machina wanted to make water generation an everyday magic, it would surely help those who depend on unsanitary water to live.

But no matter what method I had to use— if Renalge was willing to help, it would be a hundredfold manpower.

(What should I do…I’m so happy.)

Until earlier, I genuinely wanted to get to know him, but I also feel a little guilty because of the ulterior motive I’ve had for a while. Still, the joy welled up in me.

“Thank you, Renalge.”

From now on, I can also do research together with Renalge.

Maybe the Tsukuyomi really did bring me luck.

—However, Renalge went on to say something that made me blink my eyes again.

“Yes. Then…please pet my head.”

“What?”

“Gislette said that everyone would pet my head if I did nice things.”

“Umm… Then, you should ask Gislette to do it for you…”

I didn’t really understand, but he presented me with his chick-colored head. The fluffy feeling of his hair made me want to touch it a little. Then, the moment my fingertips were sucked in and headed toward Renalge’s head—

My hand was grabbed from the side, and even though I wasn’t trying to do anything wrong, my body jolted greatly.

“Don’t touch him.”

“Whoa! Mi-Mika.”

“Hmm. So you were here too.”

Mika snorted and said to Renalge, who sounded dissatisfied.

“This is my prince.”

“No, that’s wrong. You are my knight.”

As always, Mika keeps saying weird things no matter how many times I correct him… That’s what I thought.

But then there’s a hard clanking sound. Huh? I thought and looked at Mika’s hand.

In Mika’s hand was a chain-like object, the loop of which was connected to both of Renalge’s hands. Hmm? Renalge and I both tilted our heads in confusion, and then Mika spoke with a disapproving look on his face.

“For trespassing. You get one night in jail.”

“Eh?!” “Eh?!”