Chapter 43: The Man, the Woman, the Wizard and…

“The Sword” Kurara.

This is a Magician who is unable to use any spells.

Kurara: “I…….took a real interest…...in you…”

Igni: “Me?”

Kurara: “Yes…...because…..you…..you can only use {Fireball}.....right?”

Igni: “Oh, yes. Well, that’s true that I can only use {Fireball}.”

Kurara: “So you see….you’re the same...as me.”

Igni: “Saーme?”

Igni repeated Kurara’s words.

Popularity Rule No. 11ーー”Find commonality with women.”

Igni: (Requirement Cleared…..!!)

Igni celebrated inside his mind.

Kurara: “That’s right…...so...that’s why….I like you…”

Igni: “Thank….you?”

Kurara: “hehe…”

Kurara quietly smiles and chuckles.

………..it’s here.

My spring is finally……..here……!!

Kurara: “Okay…..Lura. Let’s go…. We’re almost at ‘Lyheria’.....right…?”

Lura: “.....! YーYes! Igni, please get down from the carriage.”

Kurara: “Oh…..he can’t…...ride with me…….?”

Lilly: “NーNo, Lady Kurara!”

But it was Lilly who answered Kurara.

Kurara: “I see…...what a…..shame.”

And with that Kurara <looks at Igni’s face>.

She shouldn’t be able to see.

But she looked straight at Igni’s face.

Kurara: “I’ll…..see you….again…”

And ended the meeting with that.

Lura quickly hurries Igni off the carriage as he reluctantly follows her orders.

Iris: “SーSir Igni! Are you okay?!”

Edward: “Yーyeah! Igni! Did she cut you anywhere??”

Igni: “I’m fine. She was a nice person.”

His two friends approach him with concerns, but Igni laughs off the incident.

She did emit an abnormal amount of blood lust, but talking with her, she was just a regular girl.

Igni: (Just because she’s an [Extreme] doesn’t mean I should treat her differently. Yeah, it was a good reminder.)

Igni repeats the lesson he learned inside his head.

Popularity Etiquette Rule No. 1 ーー”Treat all women as special.”

To Igni, EVERYONE is the ONLY ONE!! (applying to females only)

And Igni was in an especially great mood right now because he got see something special in the carriage.

Edward: “Bーbut I can’t believe the ‘weapon’ we were transporting was an [Extreme]...”

Before reaching the city walls, Edward mentions this quietly.

Iris: “It’s not that unusual. The Kingdom and the Empire both use people as ‘weapons.’”

Igni was a little surprised to hear this from Iris.

And that also reminded him that a few weeks ago, he learned about Alicia being used as a “weapon.”

Edward: “I guess that’s true…”

Edward nods with Iris' words.

Edward: “With something as crazy as an [Extreme] around, I guess that’s how it will be naturally…”

And came to his own conclusions.

Edward: “I guess it’s the “Ultimate Light” Lucas who’s the only [Extreme] not associated with any country and lives freely.”

Igni raised a brow at the mention of his grandfather’s name and thought about saying, “I know! That’s my grandpa for ya!”, but reconsidered it immediately since it wasn’t something a popular person would brag about.

These things have more impact when it’s revealed more subtly like the bikini armor.

As Igni was considering and contemplating these theories(?), Lura turned around to smile right at him.

Lura: “Just a reminder to make sure to keep this a secret.”

She places her pointer finger over her mouth.

Igni: “Of course. I understand.”

Lura: “Thank you, Igni. I knew you would.”

Igni: “Yes, you can’t reveal something of that magnitude or it would cause mass panic.” Lura: “Thank you. I’m so glad that you understand.”

Igni smiles at Lura’s words.

If Alicia was here, she would have immediately realized that Igni and Lura were not talking on the same wavelength.

But she’s not, and there was no one else to point this out….

Iris: “But in that case, why are we doing the transport this carefully and slowly, Miss Lura?”

Lura: “Well, that’s just to make sure that nothing goes wrong.”

Iris: “Like how?” Lura: “Well, so if we guard the carriage too tightly, it would be like telling everyone around us 'We’re carrying something really important!' and bandits and the Kingdom-side people would all realize this. Then <we may have a problem> at that point. So we’ve limited the number of guards, but that also means that <something might happen> to Lady Kurara while we’re not keeping our eyes on her either.”

<Something might happen>.

It is just a possibility, but it is simply not a possibility that can be ignored.

Especially since it involves an [Extreme].

But….is this really true?

There was something primal and instinctive inside Igni that made him doubt Lura’s words.

Lura: “Especially because Lady Kurara cannot use any spells.”

But with these words, Igni forced himself to agree with Lura.

The one year that Igni couldn’t use spells…

Until he was rescued by Lucas, every day was just another day in Hell.

Lura: “Alright, let’s enter town.”

Edward: “Our duties were to help guard the Elves’ ‘weapon’ to the Lyheria. Doesn’t that mean that our mission ends here?”

Lura: “It does but it doesn’t at the same time.” Edward: “....what do you mean?”

Lura: “Technically, we are escorting Lady Kurara to the Grand Duke. Your duty is not over until she reaches him.”

Edward: “I see.”

Edward understands and nods to Lura’s words.

Lura: “But even so, we are just guards in the end. We will be standing before the Grand Duke, but you don’t have to be nervous.”

Lura laughs cheerfully.

Lura: “Okay, let’s go in.”

And with that, she shows the guards at the gate her official documents.

<<<<>>>>

“Hーhey, Miss Alicia. Do I really have to….dress like this?”

Alicia: “Yes.”

Inside the horse carriage, a white-haired girl and a girl wearing a large hat are sitting next to one another.

“Bーbut…...these are girls’ clothes….”

Alicia: “I know that. That’s why you’re wearing them.”

“IーI’m a…..boy though……”

Correction. It’s a white-haired <boy> sitting next to her.

Alicia: “You don’t get it, Yoori. Who would give us a discount for the carriage and at the inn if a man and a woman were traveling together?

Alicia didn't understand Yoori’s reservations and tilted her head at him.

Alicia: “Do you understand now? Because <two girls> are traveling together, we’re getting treated better with better discounts. That’s why you have to wear those clothes.”

“Bーbut…….”

Alicia is simply keeping down their travel costs.

With everything that’s happened, Alicia did receive permission to attend the Wizard’s Academy, but that is more in the form of a confidential acknowledgement.

Alicia will receive no support from her family, and she will have to find ways to pay for her own travel fees to the Principality.

She will receive something from her sister as soon as they arrive, but her sister will only be able to give Alicia money from what she has on hand.

And so….this is how it ended up.

It’s not that Alicia really, REALLY wanted to see Yoori in girls’ clothes!

And Yoori was also brought to help Alicia camouflage and go undercover better. If Alicia heads to the Principality on her own, the other countries’ intelligence groups will make a move to get in her way. But if she’s with Yoori, then she can pass for doing something related to the Wizard’s Academy.

Yoori: “AーAre you sure? I still get discounts even while wearing my normal clothes though…”

Alicia: “.....................ohhhhh…”

Alicia let out a deep sigh of grief at Yoori’s words.

Alicia: “.......that’s right. I forgot, Yoori. You’re that kind of person……”

Yoori: “Huh? Whーwhat’s wrong…..?”

Alicia: “You can get changed in the next town….”

Alicia got too used to being around Yoori.

Yoori is the type where people would question why he’s wearing boys’ clothes in the first place.

Yoori: “RーReally?! YES!!”

No matter how hard she tried, Alicia could not see a hint of masculinity in the boy celebrating next to her right now.