181 – Doubt (11)
“There are slight scratches… “There’s nothing special.”
I completed the sparring evaluation and had my physical condition checked by healers from Eternia.
“Beep! “Beep!”
“Look at him! So cute.”
“Let’s eat some of this.”
“Flap your wings!”
Meanwhile, several seniors in the art department, including Xenia and Hayley, were watching and holding their breath.
Peepyak is withstanding the endless barrage of attention from touching, stroking, and pinching here and there.
No, seeing that there is no resistance makes me wonder if they are enjoying it. Anyway, that guy didn’t know how much I was anxious and gained momentum.
Haley, head of the art department, asked me as she placed the pout in her hand and kneaded it.
“Is his name Piyak? “When I saw you before, I was wondering what the identity was, but the new person was the owner?”
“You’ve seen it before? Did Piyak come to the art club too?”
“I came to the greenhouse sometimes. “Mount Grace is such a unique place that I thought spirits sometimes come there.”
Xenia also added a word.
“I also saw it when I was painting in the greenhouse. “I wonder what I ate so my stomach was always full?”
“Actually, he doesn’t listen to me very well, so I don’t know where he goes.”
This guy has been moving around Eternia like it was his own home without my permission.
While I was dealing with a senior in the art department, I was also feeling anxious on the inside.
This sparring evaluation was overall satisfactory.
Just one. Except for Piyak’s one behavior.
I was in trouble because one of my most important plans went wrong.
Actually, I shouldn’t have shown myself in front of people.
I told him to hide in the ice prison and come out when enough steam rises, but Piyak got so excited that he suddenly came out and ran away.
I once used Beep to lure Cecil in the form of Sang-gi.
So, since I used Piyak in this sparring evaluation, the probability that Cecil would recognize me has jumped.
My head hurts. If I suddenly pretend not to know, will I be able to get away with it?
No, considering Cecile’s personality, I don’t think she would be able to gamble.
And another thing I’m worried about is Olivia’s safety.
Rus Kus even sent his fiancée to find out my weaknesses, but she must have been very upset because she was broken by me for no gain.
I felt uneasy because it was clear that the anger accumulated during the sparring with me would be directed at the innocent Olivia.
I cannot directly intervene in their relationship. The marriage of nobles is not a matter of one individual, but a contract involving several families and powers. Even if I show up like a prince on a white horse and beat up Ruscus, the fundamental problem will not be solved.
The sparring evaluation is over, but there are still things left to solve.
Soon after, Trisha, who had left after receiving my request, returned. She had been noticed by the seniors in the art department before, so she crept towards me as unnoticed as possible.
She whispered in my ear.
“Damian… Something doesn’t feel right.”
“What is it like?”
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“Cecil said she should take a look at you… !”
“…… Do you know the detailed reason?”
“I’m not sure. I guess he made up his mind after seeing the sparring! This was Cecil’s face when she was there. “I tried to stop you, but you didn’t listen!”
“… Okay, thank you. “Let’s talk about it later.”
The recovery room was occupied by seniors from the art department, including me, so it was not a good place for the theater department, my arch enemy, to come and go.
“First of all, I’ll try to stop Cecile as much as I can… !”
Trisha quietly walked out while receiving glares from her seniors in the art department.
Hearing the story about Cecil sent a chill down my spine. I really feel like I’ve been caught, but is there no way out now?
While she was seriously thinking alone, there was a knock on her treatment room.
Soon, an unexpected person entered inside.
“Is Lord Damian here?”
The ambassador of the principality who was sitting in the observer’s seat came to see me in person.
The recovery room, which had been noisy for a moment, suddenly became quiet. Xenia and Hayley took a step back, then widened their eyes and looked at me.
The ambassador of the principality brushed his trimmed beard once and gave a flattering greeting.
“It is a great honor to meet Sir Damian. As I heard, it was lightning-fast swordsmanship and amazing movements.”
I quickly got up and greeted him.
“What’s going on?”
He glanced at the seniors in the art department and spoke.
“You were with her ladies…” . “Do you mind if I speak to you here?”
“It’s okay.”
“No other than that, I came because I received orders from Princess Bibi and had something to tell you.”
“… ?”
“Hurry and bring it in.”
When the ambassador of the principality gestured to the back, two knights entered the recovery room, each holding a bouquet of flowers and a letter tied with a silver string.
Xenia and Hayley exchanged meaningful looks with each other without saying a word.
“This is the princess’s letter and a light gift to Damian.”
It’s been a long time since I received a bouquet of flowers as a gift. When I was young, Lisa had knitted several pieces and given them to me as a gift, but this was the first time I had seen something this big and colorful. I knew the name because I had seen it in an herbal medicine dictionary.
“It’s a Finlandis flower.”
“That’s right. “Do you know the language of flowers?”
“No.”
“It is ‘eternal friendship.’ “There was an order from the princess to clearly convey this part as well.”
“….”
Xenia said, covering her mouth and hitting Hayley’s shoulder with her palm.
“Oh my, my.”
The ambassador of the principality added, leaning slightly towards me so that others could not hear.
“Hmm, this is presumptuous advice, but I think it would be best to send an answer as quickly as possible.”
“… “You don’t have to worry about that part.”
“And we were asked not to spare any support for Damian as he lives in Eternia. “The Yulician Embassy located in Rigbed will provide generous support for whatever you need.”
A thought suddenly occurred to me. Although it couldn’t save Olivia entirely, it was a way to empower her.
“It’s okay because there are a lot of people around me who help me. However, there is something to discuss closely… “Could you please give me a seat?”
***
After finishing my conversation with the ambassador of the principality, I approached the door of the recovery room to gather my luggage. After the sparring evaluation, I had to check my physical condition compulsorily, but since I had not received any effective hits throughout the sparring, it was actually okay to leave.
I could hear Xenia and Hayley, who were left in the recovery room, talking.
“… A new recruit goes to the real principality academy… “Isn’t that okay?”
“I guess not…. “The professor plugged it in here, how can I take it out?”
“The Principality Academy specializes in swordsmanship… You could go there. The fact that people from there keep coming…. “I’m starting to feel it.”
“Oh sir… Then princess… Be sure not to lose your mind… “I have to let it go.”
“… Against a princess?”
“Haley, you are on the Empire side… By borrowing the power of the family….”
It felt strange to be eavesdropping, so I opened the door and entered the recovery room.
They were whispering darkly in the corner, but when they sensed my presence, they naturally changed the topic of conversation.
“Oh my, there’s another sparring evaluation left for our members.”
“Is there a new member?”
“Beep!”
Beep was sitting on Hayley’s head. It looked like he was joining Xenia and Hailey and participating in the secret meeting.
“….”
“Oh, that’s right, newbie, this is it.”
Xenia sat down in her chair, took out a letter, and held it out towards me.
“A fox-like girl suddenly appeared in front of us and spoke clearly to us without even batting her eye. “Please pass this on to me.”
I asked after receiving the letter.
“Do you remember your name?”
“It’s Cecil. Are you close?”
“No, we don’t know each other very well.”
What is coming has come.
I immediately opened the letter. There was only a short sentence written there.
[If you see this, come straight to the guardian tree. Because I’m waiting.]
“Can I go somewhere for a moment?”
“Yes, but I have to support the Favela sparring evaluation soon, so don’t be too late.”
***
I couldn’t make up my mind until I saw the Guardian Tree. Should I cover it up until the end or reveal it as it is?
Are there any lies to be covered? What a plausible alibi to deceive someone like Cecil….
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer.
Cesil was standing quietly in the shade, looking up at the guardian tree. It felt like he was going to stand there all night until I came.
When she heard my footsteps, she slowly turned her body.
Then he looked straight at my face and said.
“Damian, right?”
I dealt with her bluntly. Although it was a very familiar face, Damian had no relationship with Cecil.
“Okay. “What is your business?”
“I saw you fighting during the sparring evaluation. “Your skills are better than what is known.”
“Did you call me to talk about that?”
“And your spirit. “It’s just like someone I know was dealing with.”
“So?”
For a moment, anger appeared in Cecil’s eyes.
“…… So what?”