Lunch time, table near the main entrance.
“You don’t have to help. No, don’t help.”
Dimitri’s eager words to follow the quest were firmly rejected by Caspal.
“what. are we friends Shouldn’t we help each other when we’re in trouble?”
“I don’t want to drag my friend into chores. To be honest, I don’t want to go to my parents’ house, and I’m not particularly troubled. It’s just that the family members are in trouble.”
Caspal sipped the tea after pouring it out. Still, the part where he didn’t deny that they were friends was a bit cute. I hate to say it, but
“Hmm. Caspal doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with his family.”
“Why are you quick-witted? Then calmly go to class… … .”
“Then I will follow you further. You’ll be relieved if I show you how I’m doing.”
“Why is that?”
Caspal rubbed his forehead and sighed. Dimitri and I agreed and smiled kindly. Beside him was Mi-ryung, with a face that didn’t know what it was.
“I don’t know, but I would like to help if possible… … . It would be impossible due to the limited number of people.”
“If you want to go, it doesn’t matter if you switch with me. no, change it Have a good time with Dimitri. I will be resting here worrying about you guys.”
“Caspal, I’m going to your family home, but you can’t get lost in it. It’s sad that Mi-ryung can’t be with me, but it can’t be helped.”
Dimitri soothed Caspal, who didn’t want to go even in exchange for Mi-ryung. As if nothing was going his way, Caspal sighed as if exhausted and slumped on the table. you’ve worked hard. but because of me
“Why are you so anxious to go to the abandoned mines of my hometown all of a sudden? I don’t understand.”
“Did you tell me? Recently, research on alchemy is in full swing. I am interested in Peach Blend.”
“What are you going to do with that, which is treated worse than poor quality coal?”
“I have something to write about. That’s why Berand and Ethel are taken.”
“Berrand Ethel… … . These are the kids who were standing up a while ago, right? Can you take the two of them and get permission? No, I prefer not to receive it.”
Just as Caspal said, Ver and Edel are punishing them by hanging a sign that reads, “I wasted alchemy materials” around their necks in front of the alchemy classroom. The alchemy class is going to be held only in theory for a while due to the lack of materials. I don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that there isn’t much talk about it because it’s an unpopular class.
“As long as there are you, me, and the crown prince, it will be fine. Calm down.”
“Because you’re saying you don’t want permission?”
“Come to think of it, Caspal rarely talked about his family. I’ve been curious about it, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“I don’t even listen to people’s stories, so I’d like to hear that you’re talking about your family.”
Caspal raised his head and grumbled.
“… … It’s not a popular family like you, so I don’t expect anything.”
And after a little silence, he muttered. It bothered me that he seemed to be trying to say something.
“You seem to hate your family quite a bit. Is there something complicated about it?”
“If I tell you, will you say no?”
When I asked, Caspal lifted his upper body and looked at me.
“I won’t, but.”
“Then don’t talk. If I have to go anyway, I will go quietly.”
Then he buried his head on the table again. I stopped Dimitri from saying that the attitude seemed rude.
“I get it. Please respect that opinion.”
There is probably almost no possibility of a quiet visit, but it was my minimal consideration that I didn’t want to make them talk about useless past history from the point of view of suffering.
In the evening, when most of the classes ended, Ver and Ethel, who had been punishing all along, managed to finish their punishment after receiving an admonition from the alchemy professor and came downstairs where I was waiting.
“Wow, you’ve been building for a long time. I thought my neck would drop from waiting.”
“Huh. If you think it’s taking too long, shouldn’t you tell the professor to stop?”
“Even if we achieved results, it was a mistake to waste the materials. If you do something wrong, you should be punished. If the professor hadn’t built it, I would have built it.”
To the grumbling Ethel, I said firmly. Ver has been on his knees for so long that he clings to the railing like a newborn deer and trembles. A pitiful look.
“Anyway, now I can tell you. You two, follow the quest.”
“quest?”
“Quest, a quest?”
As if Ethel didn’t understand, Ver suddenly asked what he was talking about. I sighed and explained the general circumstances.
“… … In other words, since a mine where Ber and I can obtain the materials wasted has appeared as a quest location, are you trying to solve the quest and secure a source of materials?”
“okay. It’s good that you understand quickly. I hope everyone is as quick as you are.”
“How can human beings follow the eye-roll of a thousand years? Whoops.”
Ethel quickly grasped my intentions. Compared to him, Ber seemed to be unable to understand what was what.
“I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I’m caught up in something very annoying… … .”
However, it was good as far as intuition. Even so, there is no option to avoid that intuition.
“But I, I don’t have any fighting power, is it okay? Ethel would be no different.”
“I can use simple illusion magic, but mind-based magic only works on creatures with some level of intelligence, so how about against monsters?”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t expect it to be useful in battle from the beginning. It’s your job to go and see the condition of the mine.”
“Then I’m glad… … . Are you really going to be okay?”
Ber was restless as if he was anxious. Even in the original work, it was an unavoidable reaction because Berri had no ties to battle.
“I’ll protect you, so you don’t have to be afraid.”
I can only reassure you by saying plausible things. Ver, who was restless, widened his eyes at my words, and instead became a distraught expression.
“… … I was thrilled at the moment, but in a romance novel, a character who says that usually can’t protect anything? It’s a pattern of blaming yourself and turning black afterwards.”
I don’t know what the answer is when I say I’ll protect you.
“Reality isn’t a romance novel, is it? Different genres.”
“Are there different genres?”
“It’s a trivial thing, and the reason why the situation happened like this in the first place is because you ran out of control, right? I want to take responsibility for that. It’s not a place to fall into. Both you and Ethel.”
“Ugh… … . I have nothing to say.”
“I am welcome to anything that is fun.”
Ber slumped and Ethel chuckled. I’m going to participate, but I wonder if everyone can be a little excited. If I were in a position to participate… … To be honest, I think I would have hated it.
“Then, at least who are the other members? Are you someone you can trust?”
“I wonder why I am not trustworthy. Caspal and Dimitri. They are good kids.”
Ethel was delighted with my answer, and Ver was also a little surprised.
“Ohh. Aren’t they both familiar faces?”
“Caspal and Dimitri are really popular among girls.”
“… … okay?”
Was it popular among girls? Yeah, they’re both pretty good looking. is it… … .
“Hmm. You have a face that wants to ask me how popular I am.”
As I was admiring the unexpected fact, Ethel hit the spot. I heard a whistle and coughed.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, but it’s true that I’m a little curious. How is it, Ber?”
“The Crown Prince… … . Umm… … .”
At my question, Ver put his hand on his chin and frowned. It is a reaction that makes people anxious.
“Rather than popularity as a love object, I would say it’s a slightly different direction… … .”
“aha. Is it respect? It can’t be helped!”
I was suddenly anxious and said in advance. I just wanted it to go away.
“No, it is different from that. what to say… … . Is it a viewing position? … .”
But Ver denied my words and narrowed his eyes as he stared at me.
“I can’t tell you more because it is s*xual harassment.”
Then he shook his head and said. It was an unexpected answer.
“Wait, what is that? Tell me more!”
“Really, do you want to hear it?”
When I questioned him in bewilderment, Ber whispered with a dark expression. From that face, I remembered something I saw in modern times.
“… … .”
It reminded me of the incomprehensible darkness I had seen on the fanfic bulletin board I had casually entered.
Instinct whispered to me never to ask, never to know.
“… … No, it’s fine.”
Sometimes, forever, there are good things you don’t know.
“Anyway, going back to the main topic, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll be at ease. We’ll talk about the details after seeing the professor in charge of the quest tomorrow.”
I sorted out the story. Ver and Ethel nodded their heads as if they couldn’t help it, but rather looked forward to it.
That night, a special room.
“I am going too.”
After hearing about the quest, Katyusha said firmly.
“Then it would be nice if it was me, but the party has up to five people.”
“It doesn’t matter if you are not a student. I will follow you as an attendant.”
Katyusha said in a somewhat determined tone.
“It’s okay if you don’t overdo it. The members were also well-chosen.”
“It’s not a bunch. This time, I just want to help.”
Katyusha shook her head and strongly expressed her desire to follow her again.
Do you feel a strange sense of responsibility for not being able to accompany the mission?
“hmm… … .”
If you think so, that’s why I couldn’t force you to follow me.
“There’s nothing I can’t do. Since I was only given temporary student status, I don’t think I need to worry about my grades. I will not allow you to participate.”
“yes. thank you.”
When I agreed to participate (to be precise, I would only follow as an attendant), Katyusha seemed genuinely relieved and relaxed, expressing her gratitude.
This determined the number of people in the quest party.
For men, me, Caspal, and Dimitri. The women’s team consisted of Ver, Ethel, and Katyusha.
‘The s*x ratio was unnecessarily matched, so it looked like a group meeting.’
Thinking of something irrelevant, I moderately pondered over how to talk to the professor tomorrow.
‘… … Well, it doesn’t matter if I push with moderate power.’
I didn’t have anything that came to my mind, so I decided to just say it casually.
From noble mtl dot com
The next day, the professor in charge of the quest… … .
“… … At this point, it’s kind of weird to even say anything. All right.”
Looking at the members I summoned, they approved the quest with a face as if they had given up on something.
“Are you going to have a group meeting?”
And muttered in a very low voice, as if grumbling.
I was stabbed because I thought so too.