It’s the day I will be visiting the residence of Duke Hermann Schult von August.
Don’t be nervous… Belial and Ekvar will accompany me, the three of us going together.
Since we are traveling by flying magic and wyvern to the mansion in the royal capital, I declined the offer of a carriage. Even in the district lined with noble mansions, this one is particularly large, with its grounds surrounded by white walls, and the iron gate with the family crest is tightly shut.
When I handed the invitation to the gatekeeper, they immediately opened it, and one of them guided us inside.
The splendid garden has geometrically arranged flowerbeds, and at the back stands a large three-story mansion. The paths are wide enough for a carriage to pass through, with beautifully maintained trees, gardens, and a fountain at the center. It’s like a painting.
After being led to the central entrance, the butler from before appeared.
“Thank you for coming all this way. The master is eagerly waiting for you.”
After bowing his head, the butler guided us to a spacious reception room on the second floor. It could easily fit twenty people!
A long table with many chairs lined up, and in the center, candles were placed, with a long tablecloth spread across it.
The man in front of us, a bit younger than the butler, around fifty years old, must be the duke.
Following Ekvar ’s bow upon entering, I also bowed and stepped inside.
“Welcome, I believe you are Iriya ?”
“Yes, I am Iriya . I am deeply honored to be invited.”
“No need to be so formal, I enjoy talking about magic and summoning arts. Is that gentleman a demon?”
The duke looked at Belial with a curious gaze, staring at him intently.
He looked like a child who had discovered something fun.
“This is the demon I’ve contracted with, Sir Belial,” Ekvar started to introduce him, but Belial smiled and stepped forward. Kneeling down, he lowered his head and began his speech.
“I am the protector of this lady. I humbly request, Your Grace, that you provide her with your protection.”
“…Protection? If you wish for financial aid, demonstrate your skills, and I’ll offer as much as you deserve.”
The duke raised an eyebrow at Ekvar ’s sudden proposal, but he seemed somewhat accustomed to such requests. Without showing discomfort, he continued the conversation.
“No, what I seek is for her protection from nobility, royalty, and foreign interference. I believe only Your Grace here in this country can provide such protection. Financial assistance is not needed.”
We had already discussed that we wouldn’t ask for money yesterday. It seems that I can leave all these negotiations to Ekvar .
“…I can tell from your recent magic enhancement that you are a skilled mage, but is it really to that extent? What do you mean by foreign interference?”
As if waiting for the duke’s question, Ekvar proudly took out his sword. Kneeling, he presented it with both hands, showing the crest on the scabbard.
“I am Ekvar Kroas Karlsroa, a member of the royal guard of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Egdualum. She was an apprentice court mage in our kingdom, but due to her commoner status, she was harshly mistreated by the noble court mages, and has secretly fled to this country.”
“What!? Egdualum!? I would have liked to welcome you myself if I had known!”
After leaving my country, I realized that the name of the magical powerhouse Egdualum is widely known, and most people have a very high opinion of the nation. I don’t have the same sense of its greatness, since I’ve never compared it to others.
“She is also a living witness to a certain wrongful incident in our country. Since there’s a possibility that the criminal might target her, I have been sent as her protector.”
A living witness to a wrongful incident… I don’t really see it that way. I think it’s because I submitted the elixir and kept it a secret. Apparently, just that could get the head of the Court Mages dismissed.
Maybe the person who’s obsessed with power couldn’t forgive that… In that case, I should have just not hidden it. After all, even commoners can make it, so it can’t be helped.
“Hmm… I see, I understand the story. First, let’s have you prove the skills you had while serving in the court. I never hesitate to assist those with talent. I’ll even promise to protect you, even if it means going against the royal family.”
…Hmm? How will I prove it…?
As I was thinking, Ekvar whispered to me, “You should start with the elixir.” Ah, right, it does seem like it would be something a court mage from Egdualum would do.
“This is an elixir I created.”
I took out one elixir. However, proving it is difficult. The healing power can be measured, but the restoration of the specific defects in the elixir won’t be proven until it’s used.
“Is that so…?”
The butler took it and looked at it with the duke, but they seemed to be struggling to tell if it was real or not.
“Lord, Hannes has arrived,” said someone.
“Oh, perfect timing! Hannes, can you tell if this is the real elixir?”
A man entered, wearing a robe the same color as his deep green hair. He seemed to be in his thirties. The duke called him over to evaluate the elixir.
Hannes looked at the bottle seriously, shaking it to check the magical power of the ruby-colored liquid.
“…Yes… I believe this is real. I can feel the concentrated magic, but it doesn’t leak out. It’s very well made.”
“What! This young woman is able to create the real elixir…!”
“…She made this elixir…?”
Hannes looked at me with a somewhat suspicious expression. It seemed he found it hard to believe.
Just as the atmosphere became tense, footsteps approached loudly.
“Hannes!! Just because a contract holder with a demon is here doesn’t mean you need to call me every time! I don’t care for these greetings!”
Following Hannes, the demon he was contracted with appeared. He was a noble-looking demon with brown hair and eyes, wearing a black coat with gold trim, exuding a gentlemanly air.
“…Bothering me? I see, that’s what you mean! Well said, Kimejes!!”
“Wha…! Ah…! …B-Belial-sama!!!”
When Belial raised his voice, a wave of intimidating magical power swept toward Kimejes like wind. Chairs toppled, and Kimejes’s face turned pale.
“Kimejes…? Marquis, what is this about?”
Hannes, with a bewildered look on his face, listened as the demon Kimejes spoke in a trembling voice.
“Shut up!! This person is from hell…”
“Do you have the right to say that!?”
“…Ah, no! My deepest apologies!”
Kimejes bowed deeply, bending to ninety degrees in a respectful gesture to Belial’s sharp gaze.
After watching the two, Duke August and Mage Hannes were left speechless for a while.
“…You two. How long are you going to make me and my contractor stand here?”
At Belial’s words, the frozen scene finally began to move.
Huh? What about Ekvar?
Tea and sweets were brought, and in front of me was the long-awaited afternoon tea stand!
On the bottom tier were several types of sandwiches and open-faced sandwiches with salmon, on the middle tier were warm dishes such as fried pastries and potatoes, and on the top tier were baked goods in cups, glass desserts, and small cakes. How cute!
On the right were scones in a basket with two types of jam and cream. On the left, there were chocolates, amuse-bouches, and soup, along with steaming hot tea.
I held back my excitement and started with the amuse-bouches and soup. Then, I carefully cut the sandwiches with a knife and fork, eating a little bit at a time.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
The duke asked as he took a sip of his tea. He had only sandwiches and scones in front of him. It seemed he didn’t like sweet things much.
“It’s delicious, I truly appreciate it.”
“I’m glad you like it. As for your protection, of course, I will offer it! I will help in any way I can.”
That seems to fulfill the purpose of my visit. The duke is in a very good mood.
“Your words are very reassuring, it is an honor.”
Belial was so graceful even while tearing apart his scone, and Ekvar, the nobleman, had such an elegant posture while drinking his tea.
I felt a little out of place. Hannes, diagonally in front of me, seemed to be struggling to eat. Maybe he’s not good at manners. It gave me a bit of a sense of closeness.
Kimejes hadn’t spoken a word since earlier. He kept glancing nervously at Belial’s face. His subservient attitude made Hannes, his contractor, seem a little troubled as well.
“…Belial-sama.”
“I know. My contractor will receive protection. Kimejes, I will overlook your rudeness.”
“Ah… thank you!!”
Kimejes responded with a perfect bow of 90 degrees.
Belial was a surprisingly serious demon. I thought that most of his magic was suppressed to the level of a baron or viscount to make his existence more inconspicuous, though he couldn’t disguise himself as anything lower.
Maybe it’s safer not to hide anything at all.
“Seems you’ve contracted with a wonderful demon. With that alone, you could probably get invitations from any royal palace.”
“…This kind of reaction from Kimejes is the first I’ve seen. It’s clear that the duke should offer his protection. If a foolish noble tries to interfere, it won’t just be their necks on the line, but their entire country.”
The duke and Hannes nodded seriously.
“By the way, what kind of activities are you involved in? If you wish, you could stay at my house, just like Hannes does.”
“Duke, I am truly grateful for your generous offer, but I live in Renant, casually creating magical items. I would like to continue my current lifestyle. I also recently went to the Fen Duchy to gather dragon materials with Gawkelena…”
At this point, the two of them interrupted me loudly.
“The Fen Duchy!? Wasn’t there an invasion from the military nation Trantinel!?”
“Dragon… material gathering!?”
Ah! I accidentally mentioned gathering dragon materials again out of habit! That was indeed improper!!
Moreover, in the Fen Duchy, I had been there right before the war might have broken out.
“Ah, yes… Belial-sama enjoys hunting dragons! As for Trantinel… well, uh…”
I stuttered in a panic, while Ekvar and Belial just laughed at me. This is terrible, there’s no one on my side!
“You’ve really dug yourself a hole, Illya. Why not just tell them everything? The duke already knows the situation,” Ekvar waved his hand dismissively.
Since he said that, I guess there’s no need to hide anything from this duke.
“…Well… the Fen Duchy was on the verge of being attacked, so I secretly cast a large-area attack magic to cause an earthquake, along with four wind-based attack spells. It seems the Trantinel army retreated…”
“You… You were the one who cast that magic!? I heard the wind magic had snow mixed in, what was that about? That shouldn’t be possible!”
Hannes’s loud voice echoed.
“I’m good with water magic, so I thought it would improve the effect if I mixed it. The four winds magic is easy to adapt, so it’s fun.”
…For some reason, I feel like I’m getting incredulous stares. Why?
