Chapter 26 - A Fairy and a Troublesome Rival in Love
How many days had it been since then?
Just like on that one day, Claire called out to Louis after the morning council had disbanded.
『The lunch you always eat, that was made by that Elenoa person, wasn't it?』
『Yes, it was.』
『I've been interested for quite some time, but... well,』
I want to try eating that bento or whatever it is.
Claire herself didn't understand why she couldn't say just those words.
The meals in the dining hall were delicious. There were appropriate cooks, and their skills were reliable.
She had been wondering for some time what kind of food it was that he brought with him, bypassing those meals.
She had heard that many within the Research Institute were concerned about Louis's dining habits, and this food was easy to carry, perfect for this training camp. So she had decided to ask.
It was such a simple matter, yet her tongue wouldn't move. She wanted to curse her own nature, so far from being honest.
Louis, however, understood Claire's intentions.
『If you're interested, I'll ask her for you. It would be just right to bring along to the camp, after all.』
『R-really!』
『I'll only ask. The decision is hers. ...Though I doubt she'll refuse.』
As he had said, Elenoa had apparently accepted the request willingly.
On the morning of the training camp, Louis handed Claire a small box wrapped in thin orange cloth. Come to think of it, this might have been the first time she had ever received something from him. Claire felt a moment of embarrassment, slightly conscious of the lukewarm gazes from those around her.
But then she remembered that this package came from the person he loved, and her spirits sank slightly.
—I'm the one who asked for it. I know that much.
Taking a break in the fields, Claire reached for the package Louis had given her.
She untied the cloth, letting it fall away, and opened the lid.
She was shocked.
Inside such a tiny box, various dishes were packed in small portions.
Half of it consisted of sandwiches made with soft bread. The fillings were fish cooked and dressed with sauce, and scrambled eggs.
The fox-colored fries, perhaps because time had passed, were not crispy. But when she cut them with the kindly provided fork, a rich white sauce dripped from within.
Next to it was a rare, bite-sized hamburger steak. The potato salad beneath it was buried between the cabbage lining the bottom.
There was a single small tomato, and she thought it didn't contribute much to filling her stomach—so she removed just that one, only to find that, indeed, the contents looked strangely lonely without it. She put it back in its original place.
『This is... amazing.』
She hated herself for not being able to say "cute." So she said it without voicing it. Cute.
—It feels wasteful to eat this, but still...
After hesitating with a straight face, Claire resigned herself and began to eat.
Although everything was cold, the oil hadn't congealed in the corners. The taste was impeccable.
—If I were to make this, would I pack only my own favorite foods?
If so, would that include those meat sausages, fried eggs, or perhaps even sweet corn soup?
As she thought about such things, she had already finished eating.
Crossing mountains, crossing valleys. The place the party arrived at was deep in the mountains.
It was an unnamed land, considered remote even within the country.
There was a shallow, fast-flowing river, so water was not an issue. It was chilly.
Their arrival was delayed by unexpected rain, but regardless of what they were doing, the first step was to pitch the tents.
They erected a single pole in the center, used it as a support to stretch water-repellent cloth, and secured the surroundings with multiple poles, ropes, and stakes. Since it was only temporary lodging, it was fine as long as it could withstand the wind and rain to some extent.
Claire believed that the harsher the training, the better, but having a roof and being allowed to bring three personal items was also her kindness.
Those who didn't prioritize entertainment and brought soft cushions were mostly the veteran Platoon Leaders. The newcomers didn't know the hardness of the ground with only a thin cloth laid over it, experienced after being worked over in training.
By the way, the mage whom Louis had repeatedly entrusted with "please let them rest" was, astonishingly, building a villa.
One of the figures in black robes was cutting down trees with wind magic. Another was floating the cut timber and assembling it. Yet another was holding a blue-glowing stone up to the sky while laying out a large-scale magic circle on the ground where the timber was being assembled. It was a minor construction site.
Claire approached the mage laying out the magic circle. He was a man in his mid-thirties. His sunken eyes had dark circles under them, and he looked as if he might collapse at any moment. He had unkempt facial hair, and his neglect of self-care was evident.
"...What are you doing?"
"Building a house."
"I can see that."
"Then what are you asking?"
"Is it necessary to build such a large-scale temporary residence here?"
"It's necessary. If I don't sleep when I can, I'll collapse again. They said, 'You don't need to worry about the knights.'"
"Oh?"
Certainly, their superior had said "treat them well for tourism purposes," but seeing them so faithful to their own desires was almost refreshing.
"This stone is also an Auxiliary Magic Stone handmade by Louis-sama, though calling it auxiliary is misleading—it's more like the main power source."
Magic Stones. They were special minerals created by mages packing information along with magic power into stone, allowing even those without magic power to use them.
As for this Auxiliary Magic Stone, in Louis's words,
『The magic power contained within is negligible, holding only the layout information for the cottage, so please do your best with the rest.』
Thus, some magic power was required to use it.
What was currently laid out on the ground was a magic circle drawn by Louis.
And the "negligible magic power" of the Auxiliary Magic Stone depended on the discretion of the caster who created it.
"He's truly a monster, that person."
"I won't deny that."
The word "monster" was filled with affection.
Claire stared intently at the structure taking the shape of a villa, then shifted her gaze briefly to the man beside her.
"You are Louis's Adjutant, aren't you?"
"Huh? Ah, well. Yes. By the way, Corps Commander, where should I set up the Transportation Magic Circle?"
"Anywhere around here is fine. I'll have you participate in the training as well, though."
"Is that so?"
Was proceeding at his own pace something he inherited from his superior? Saying "well then," he extended one hand and made a magic circle appear some distance away. It was near the bonfire lit in the center of the campsite.
Although using the Auxiliary Magic Stone made it easier, casting another spell while activating magic was something only a highly skilled mage could do. The fact that he did it so casually confirmed that he was indeed the Chief of the Royal Capital Grenole Magic Research Institute.
—As expected of his Adjutant.
She nodded with a "hmm," and beside her, the man took out a white piece of paper from the inner pocket of his robe.
"What is that?"
"It's a report."
He clipped the active Auxiliary Magic Stone between the pinky and ring finger of his right hand, took out a pen from somewhere, and scribbled something on the paper.
He showed it to Claire.
『Set up. Ars.』
"...Is that all it takes?"
"I was told to report at least the form once the Transportation one is set up."
The paper took the shape of a butterfly and vanished into the Transportation Magic Circle that had appeared earlier.
Ars said, "It's a reply to the Chief's letter."
In essence, because Louis's magic power was infused into the paper, it could transfer to the magic circle on the other side. It was the same principle as a Pass.
"Louis entrusted me with you all, saying it was for tourism purposes."
"Heh."
"He is tired as well, so it would have been good if he could have come."
"The Chief has healing methods beyond nature itself."
"I know."
She knew that much. Claire correctly understood who and what constituted his healing.
Noticing that Claire's voice had lowered, the man hesitated for a moment, then said,
"I'm a Healer. Besides my main job, I've only learned a few handy tricks like divination and transfer magic."
"Oh?"
"I tried divining a little on the way here, and there was one thing that concerned me."
Claire looked up suspiciously.
"When you return to the Royal Capital, something shocking will happen."
"Shocking...?"
"Well, it's just a bit of knowledge, so please don't take it too seriously."
He was a man whose appearance inspired little confidence. She did not take his words to heart.
After returning from the training camp, Claire headed to Louis's house to return the washed bento box and the collected Passes.
Her steps were heavy and sluggish.
Several Passes had not been returned, despite having no occasion to use them. Gilrem, who had helped collect them, had checked multiple times, but the count was still short.
The thought of having to apologize to Louis weighed heavily on her mind.
"...Haa."
But she felt she had to convey this matter early, and she needed to thank Elenoa. If possible, becoming friends with her and learning how to cook might be a good idea.
Claire considered her own ways to compete with her rival in love.
She had absolutely no intention of letting her childhood friend be taken away.
When Claire had visited House of Stylus before, his feelings had not reached Elenoa.
She hadn't lost yet.
She had even chosen colors for her clothes that she wouldn't normally wear. At the clothing store where she had learned of his unrequited love, she had chosen this outfit for herself this time. It was a girl's armor, cute enough to be called a battle outfit.
She wore a pink dress with a white open-knit cardigan over it. Her hair was not in its usual single tie, but styled in a half-updo. The only thing out of place was the rugged leather bag she held carefully in her arms. A knife was sheathed in the holder on her thigh, but it was in a position not visible from the outside.
Since it was her first time visiting on foot, she walked while comparing the map.
And so she arrived at one house. It was an ordinary commoner's home, like any other.
If she were welcomed into this house as family. Was it wrong to think such things?
Claire knocked on the door knocker three times and stepped back a few paces.
The door opened timidly, and a blonde girl peeked out from the gap.
"Hello?"
"Ah, ah, hello. Sorry to bother you, but is Louis... is he here? I apologize for the late introduction, but my name is Claire. If you tell him the name, he should know."
"Claire-san. You're Onii-chan's friend, right?"
—So she is Louis's sister.
Come to think of it, she did resemble him.
Lumina said, "Please wait a moment," and disappeared inside. After a short wait, the door opened again.
Louis was there. He was not wearing his usual robe.
"It's been a while. Thank you for your hard work. What's the matter?"
"I'm here to return the Passes and the bento box, and there's also something I need to apologize for."
Louis said, "You could have come tomorrow," and invited her into the house. She was acutely conscious of him opening the door to welcome her, but Claire managed to keep a straight face.
Urged to take a seat, Louis sat directly opposite her.
Being alone with him in his home—a completely private space—made her nervous.
"So?" he asked gently.
She opened her mouth to answer, but a third party entered, interrupting her.
"Ah, sorry."
It was Elenoa. She was holding two cups of tea.
"Were you talking? Sorry."
"It's fine. We haven't started yet."
"Really?"
Elenoa placed the tea in front of the two of them and asked Louis.
"Claire-san, will you be staying for dinner today?"
She asked Louis specifically because guests were bound to say, "I cannot impose on you with such a sudden visit." Understanding the Housekeeper's intent that the host's wishes could dictate the outcome, the decision was left to Louis's discretion.
He turned the question to Claire, asking, "What will you do?"
"Would it not be a bother?"
"It seems she can prepare enough for one more person. Our Housekeeper is excellent, after all."
"You're saying that kind of thing again."
Claire found Elenoa, who turned her face away suddenly, cute. Even though her dishonest gestures were similar to her own, why were they so different?
Claire wished that, if possible, she would appear equally in Louis's eyes—
Huh?
She noticed something strange.
"If you're not satisfied with 'excellent Housekeeper,' should I just say 'bride' or 'wife'?"
"My apologies. Besides, we aren't married yet."
"It will happen eventually, so it's fine. Besides, just because we haven't registered the marriage, what we are doing hasn't changed."
—Bride? ...Wife? Eventually?
Feeling as if the air in her lungs had frozen, Claire held her breath.
Louis looked away from Claire, who was directly in front of him, and turned his gaze gently, sweetly, toward Elenoa. Accepting his gaze, the silver-haired girl asked, "So, what will you do?" while acting shy.
An atmosphere different from before.
It was surely just that the relationship had changed because the Housekeeper had accepted the host's feelings. Therefore, this house was enveloped in an air of happiness, thick as honey.
By a result Claire did not desire.