Ch.149149. Organizing and Preparing (2)

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Enjoy…?”

Friel repeats my words.

Behind her, I can see Elisa showing quite deep confusion on her face as she looks at me.

Well, even at the shooting range, she probably thought my words were nonsense from someone wet behind the ears. For someone like her, this current situation must be quite surprising.

“Enjoyment… yes, it was quite fun. You, not only is your scent strong, but you clearly have considerable skill in spirit arts.”

“Scent…?”

As Sione’s wary glance and voice come from behind me, Friel approaches slowly, one step at a time, calmly receiving them.

However, with Sione watching with such intense vigilance, she seemed to find it difficult to approach too closely.

She stops her steps cleanly, as if hitting a wall, once the distance has narrowed somewhat.

“I never thought a human, especially a male, could demonstrate such a high level of artistry.”

“I’m honored by your kind assessment.”

“That makes me all the more curious. May I ask you something?”

“If it’s a question I can answer, I’ll gladly do so.”

“Good. Then—”

The elf’s eyes glimmer.

“I’m curious how you acquired spirit arts.”

“By that you mean…”

“Whether you had a master, or if you reached this level through self-study. Can you tell me?”

The blonde elf asks, lowering her voice.

I suppose from her perspective, she would be curious.

While spirit energy can accumulate through innate talent or its affinity can be sensed through a deep scent,

Handling those spirits requires not just natural ability but also numerous trials, errors, and practice. The more flashy the technique shown earlier, the more this is true.

‘Someone like Friel would have obviously investigated my background.’

She’s shown such greed, seeing me as a special toy or trophy.

With an elf’s covetousness, she must have done some background checking on me.

She must be wondering how I’m handling spirit arts so skillfully when it’s obvious that “this slave” couldn’t have found a master.

Though she phrases it that way, she must know well that the original owner of this body wasn’t in a position to find a master.

She probably asked to confirm her own thoughts.

‘…This is troublesome.’

If I start talking about self-study or whatever,

The longer I speak, the more her expectations of me, the unwanted volume of interest, will rapidly expand.

I was momentarily keeping my mouth shut, thinking about how to answer her question, when that moment came.

As Sione and Elisa approached from behind us, and time was about to push my back, urging my answer—

“A fireball shot up from here—”

A familiar woman with silver-white hair appeared out of nowhere.

Siabel Sianella stares at us, holding a sharp sword.

The situation where Friel and I are standing quite close, and Elisa following behind Friel with a stiff, expressionless face.

And Sione, still unskilled at hiding her emotions, letting her discomfort leak out bit by bit despite trying to conceal it.

Siabel, taking in the current scene, frowned.

“…What’s going on here?”

Behind her words, I sense multiple presences.

Muscular women who had run with neat yet swift strides appear, snorting heavily.

“Lady Siabel! Is this an attack?”

“We await your orders, please command us!”

“Ah, wait, those people are…”

The knights’ gazes turn toward us.

“Um… well… I think I’ll have to postpone my answer.”

Friel looks briefly at me and those burly female knights before nodding slightly.

It seems clearing up their misunderstanding comes first.

* * *

“Haah…”

Siabel let out a deeply suppressed sigh.

“So that fireball that burst in the sky just now was all because you were having a conversation about spirit arts with Friel Arielt. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’s a relief, really a relief. Right, Ray?”

“……”

Siabel forces a weak smile and gives a hearty laugh.

She brushed back her bangs covering her right eye and continued.

“I thought… like a bolt from the blue, you might say. When suddenly the clear sky above our county estate turned red…”

“……”

“I thought it might be an attack from the remaining cult members.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“The same goes for you, Sione.”

“Y-yes…?”

“You didn’t give any notice to anyone at the training ground, and when you saw such powerful magic being used, you should have stopped it. How could you just watch? Do you know how surprised the soldiers at the training ground were?”

“Uuu…”

Siabel pulled at both of Sione’s cheeks.

Her cheeks stretched like rice cakes.

Only after Siabel released her sideways-stretched cheeks did Sione rub her cheeks with a dejected expression.

“Since you displayed spirit arts so spectacularly, quite a few servants watching from the mansion must have seen it too. Is there someone who can relay my message?”

Siabel then asked a knight who approached her to explain the situation to the workers and Ainel who must have been startled.

Siabel’s gaze, which had been watching the knight’s retreating back, finally moved away from me and Sione.

She calmly took in our accomplices, Friel Arielt and Elisa.

Fortunately, that blonde elf seemed to read the atmosphere and situation well, facing her with a static expression, having erased her usual friendly smile.

Siabel quietly looked at Friel for a while before opening her mouth slightly.

“You said you arranged this to give advice on spirit arts to someone from our family.”

“Yes, since the spirit energy I sensed from him was unusually strong. I wanted to offer a small help…”

And in the end.

The high-nosed elf. That unbending neck that rarely bows, finally curved as she lowered her head.

“I didn’t know things would get this big. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize.”

Siabel, unable to say anything to Friel who was showing such humility, simply raised her lowered head again.

“Regarding spirit arts, if you give us notice in advance next time, we’ll arrange a separate place for you.”

“Thank you, my lady. However, the next advice on spirit arts will likely be after we’ve taken to the carriage road… not at the county estate, so you needn’t worry about this happening again.”

“…?”

Siabel tilted her head slightly to the side.

Carriage road.

Yes, Friel Arielt and the other elves came from the Great Forest.

They can’t stay forever in the foreign county estate.

It’s a given fact that they will once again take to the distant carriage road, but…

“What do you mean by carriage road?”

Why on earth would she say she would continue to have contact with Ray regarding spirit arts even after taking to the carriage road?

It’s almost as if she’s saying Ray will be heading to the Great Forest with them.

Siabel, with insufficient information, stiffened her expression again in front of Friel, which had softened earlier.

“Seeing that reaction… it seems you haven’t heard from the head of the family yet.”

“No. Could I ask for a brief explanation?”

“I requested help from the head of your family. The head accepted my request, and Sione Sianella and her exclusive attendant Ray will be heading to the Great Forest with us.”

“Hmm.”

“To discuss this more deeply here—”

Friel’s eyes roll around.

Her green eyes take in the several knights lined up behind Siabel.

“It’s quite an important matter. There are many eyes and ears here. It would be better to hear the rest from the head of your family.”

“…Let’s do that.”

After saying that, Siabel stepped a few paces away from Friel and surveyed the surroundings one last time.

The situation had ended and was somewhat resolved. There was no reason to remain here any longer.

Siabel sent the knight back to the training ground and briefly bowed her head to Friel.

“Then I’ll be going first.”

“Yes, see you next time.”

Friel finally responded to Siabel with a small smile.

Siabel turned around and approached us briefly.

“Sione, Ray. I think it would be good for us to have a separate conversation later, just among ourselves. I’ll send Bronte separately later.”

“Understood, sister.”

“You know you need to keep a good eye on Ray to make sure he doesn’t use such spirit arts again, right?”

“…I will absolutely not let him out of my sight.”

“Good.”

Only then did she show her usual playful smile before gradually moving away from the place.

As her figure grew smaller and eventually disappeared in the distance, the elves who had been quietly observing the situation began to move again.

“Whew… I was startled when the knights suddenly rushed in. Rather than continuing with spirit arts in this kind of atmosphere, it would be better to plan for later… I think it’s best to end here for today. I enjoyed seeing Ray’s spirit arts.”

“…You’re too kind. That’s excessive praise.”

“Excessive? Any other elf who saw your spirit arts would say the same as me. That’s why—”

Friel naturally crossed her arms.

“I’m really looking forward to after we take to the carriage road. Once we enter the less populated forest path, you’ll be able to use spirit arts more freely. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“……”

“Well then, shall we go in for today and prepare for the days ahead? Given the situation in the Great Forest, both the young lady and Ray need to prepare diligently.”

“By that you mean…”

“We elves will be leaving the county estate within five days at the latest. We’ll travel non-stop to the Marquisate of Kallia via the royal capital, so in the remaining five days.”

Friel uncrosses her arms.

As she bathes in the sunlight flowing above her, she creates a warm and gentle tone like a saint.

“Please take care of finishing your remaining business at the county estate and preparing for the expedition.”

The time remaining is just 5 days.

We must prepare to go fight in a distant place with those suspicious elves.