CH 78

[Scouting]

A while after Sakurai left Julia von Knaust’s mansion.

After a meeting with her, the mansion owner, Amanai and co headed for the academy following his lead.

“Hayato, was that really fine?” (Reika)

Amanai was asked by Akano who was walking next to him. Ethel also turned her gaze to him as though wanting to know his answer to that question.

Amanai thought that there was no mistake in his choice, but it was also true that if the royal guards stationed at that mansion were present, it would not be strange if they were detained on the spot.

Exactly because he knew that, Amanai could understand their tinge of anxiety. So, he answered, “It’s fine.”

(I got no other choice.)

Amanai lightly closed his eyelids.

And as if to reaffirm that the choice he made was not wrong, he began to remember the exchanges at the mansion.

———

“Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Julia von Knaust. I apologize for the sudden call, it’s just I want like to talk to you by all means, see.” (Julia)

“Nice to meet you too, Knaust-sama. I am the leader of this party. My name is Amanai Hayato. We are all of commoner born, so we are very much lacking in terms of etiquette, but I hope you can pardon us.” (Amanai)

Following Amanai bowing, the girls standing behind him also bowed in courtesy.

Julia standing beside the table in the courtyard made a gentle smile receiving their bows, and after saying, “Raise your heads,” prompted them to take seat.

“Thank you for your polite greetings, Amanai-kun. And I don’t mind if you speak casually. I’m currently not a royalty, but the student president of the military academy, just a student like you all. Just knowing that you are people who understand courtesy is enough for me.” (Julia)

“However.” (Amanai)

“Or would you only be at ease if I give you permission after vowing on the crest of the royal family?” (Julia)

“……If you insist. Then I’ll talk casually.” (Amanai)

“Of course, I want you to do so as well, misses.” (Julia)

Julia spoke to Akano and Ethel, who were still stiff after taking their seats.

Ethel was able to relax her shoulders at her words, but Akano, overwhelmed by the noble atmosphere surrounding Julia, just nodded with her lips clamped tightly together.

Maybe she found it amusing, Julia chuckled and joked lightly, “Relax, I won’t bite.”

“Oh right, I haven’t served you tea yet, she should be here soon, but… oh, speak of the devil.” (Julia)

“——Eh, it’s a lie, right? Hey, Amanai, isn’t that person!” (Ethel)

“Luisina, Mateos……?” (Amanai)

“What’s with you guys. Got a complain? Even though I’ve went out of my way to brew the black tea. Hmph, I’m not letting you drink my black tea.”

Ahead of Julia’s gaze, the one who appeared in long-skirted maid outfit was the perpetrator of the opera house incident, the executive of Black Sword, and, for that matter, the demon-kin who should have died, Luisina Mateos.

Amanai and Ethel – who knew that Sakurai had defeated her during the turmoil in the opera house, but did know about their deal – made a look as though they saw something unbelievable and showed vigilance.

Subsequently, Akano also had a surprised look, but she was a little less tense than the two, because the only thing she knew about was Luisina had committed the assault.

Anyway, Luisina became moody because she was directed with vigilance as soon as she came; immediately after sitting next to Julia, she monopolized the tea set she had brought, and without trying to hide her displeasure, drank the black tea alone.

“Ah, umm. Please forgive us, Mateos-san. We were rude.” (Reika)

“You don’t have to apologize, Akano-san. It happened because of my lack of consideration. I should have been able to easily imagine what kind of feelings you all, who were involved in the incident, had toward her, and yet…” (Julia)

“Not at all! Knaust-sama don’t need to apologize!” (Reika)

“No, apologize to me. Isn’t it strange? You said you were going to give me tea leaves, so I went out of my way to come and brew it, and yet this is how I get treated?” (Luisina)

“Luisina too, forgive me. I’ll have some sweets wrapped along with the tea leaves as an apology.” (Julia)

“Rather than the actual sweets, just give me the recipes. I will have Brown make them at home.” (Luisina)

“Amanai. To think she would ask for the recipes of sweets served for a royalty, what a shrewd woman. I think we should drop our vigilance for the time being, and think about how to get the recipes too. I’m sure they would fetch a good price.” (Ethel)

In the midst of the tea party that began to turn chaotic, what Amanai could most sympathize with was Ethel’s opinion that she whispered to him. However, it was only the “I think we should drop our vigilance for the time being,” part.

(Sakurai was the one who dealt with Luisina in the opera house. It’s useless to think about it deeply, so I should proceed with talking with Knaust-san.)

Amanai, who had a growing understand of Sakurai as a person, decided to keep Luisina’s presence to the corner of his head and get the derailed talk back to its track.

In the first place, the reason why they were called over was because Julia ‘wanted to heard about the opera house incident’.

Though Julia von Knaust was a royalty, she spent her days as a student at the military academy. Therefore, she had no connection with the Thieves Guild, which was an intelligence organization that reported directly to the royal family, and was not even let to know that the Thieves Guild was under the royal family’s control according to the policy of the reigning king.

She wanted to do her own investigation into the incident that caused the knight order to be in uproar. That was why she summoned them… or so what she intended to do at first.

That premise was overturned when the fact that Luisina still alive came to light.

She could find out more about details of the incident by asking her, the perpetrator, than them who were just tossed about by the situation. She no longer had a reason to talk to them at this late hour.

No, perhaps she just wants to check the situation from multiple viewpoints to improve the objective accuracy.

However, given her personality, she is likely more interested in the people involved than the incident itself. In that case, her reason for calling us is most likely only a front, and her real aim is us—so the conclusion Amanai naturally came to.

“So, what do you really want to talk about, Knaust-san? Since she’s here, I don’t think you need to hear about the incident from us, however.” (Amanai)

Amanai’s words, which he said to return the derailed talk back on track, were said in a lower tone than he himself imagined, exposing that he was blatantly in alert.

Then Akano and Ethel, who sensed the change in his atmosphere, began to watch the situation with their mouths shut, whereas Julia put her hand on her mouth and chuckled as if she liked his attitude.

“Fufu, you are making a good expression, Amanai-kun. That kind of expression makes my heart flutter. It seems that I don’t need to beat around the bush, so I’ll just say it straightforwardly.” (Julia)

Silence fell as if waiting for her next words.

Meanwhile, Amanai predicted what she was going to say based on his knowledge on the original game and began to think about what to response.

Seeing that Amanai’s eyes became more serious, Julia put her elbows on the table, entwines her fingers, and put her chin on top, staring at him.

And, as if teasing a kid, she said the main subject with a mischievous smile,

“Amanai-kun, Ethel-kun, and Akano-kun. Would you like to join the military academy and become members of my knight order?” (Julia)