Ch.21Steam Locomotive (3)

I narrowed my brow after hearing the information Marie shared with me. I’m the actual author of the Biography of Xenon, so why was she bringing this up? For a moment, I thought she might be bluffing or lying.

But thinking about it carefully, if she were truly lying, there would be no need for this secretive conversation. Marie genuinely believed this was important information and asked me to lend her my ear.

‘…What’s going on?’

In my previous life, there was a famous meme about “a team without its key player.” It referred to situations where everything seemed perfect except the most crucial element was missing. Similar to saying “red bean bread without red beans.”

And that’s exactly what was happening now. The actual author was standing right here, yet they were inviting some strange person—I couldn’t help but be confused.

‘…Did Father make a mistake?’

I gathered my thoughts briefly before facing Marie again. She wore a confident smile, apparently believing I couldn’t possibly refuse her proposal.

Setting aside other questions, verification came first. I maintained my composure and asked quietly:

“…Is it true?”

“Yes.”

“They really found the author of the Biography of Xenon?”

“That’s what I said. Don’t you believe me?”

I couldn’t possibly believe it. They were inviting someone else while the real author was right here.

But since I couldn’t reveal the truth, I thought it best to understand how this happened.

“Of course not. As you know, it’s been a year since the Biography of Xenon was published. During that year, there have been countless speculations about who the author might be, but no concrete evidence. Even the imperial family searched for the author without finding any leads.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And now you’re saying they found the author? How?”

“I don’t know the details. The letter only said they found the author and would be inviting them to our mansion. Apparently my father stumbled upon a lead by chance?”

Hearing this, I recalled the process of how my manuscript reached the publisher. I don’t know the specifics, but Father said he would have someone deliver the manuscript to the publisher.

As a former captain of the Navy Knights, he must have many connections. Perhaps one of those connections was traced.

Moreover, before I came to the academy, Father mentioned that while we had managed to keep it hidden so far, it would eventually be discovered.

I habitually rubbed my pen hook while asking another question.

“Is there a possibility it’s an impostor?”

“Come on. What madman would impersonate someone to a noble family, especially to a ducal house second only to the emperor? If it were truly an impostor, they’d not only have their liver outside their body, they wouldn’t have one at all.”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

Did Father really make a mistake? It’s not entirely impossible, which makes me somewhat worried.

But the world is vast and full of crazy people. They might even be exploiting common sense. As Marie said, no one would dare scam a duke, but there are plenty of people willing to gamble their lives for one big score.

‘The possibility of an impostor seems high…’

If they had only said they found the author, it might be different, but they’re inviting the “author” to the mansion, which leans toward the impostor theory.

Therefore, I should first send a letter home to assess the situation. It’s best to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

After organizing all my thoughts, I let out a long breath through my nose. Then I looked at Marie and quietly spoke.

“So?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want me to do? Do you have something to ask of me?”

The topic has come full circle. If Marie was willing to share such confidential information, she must want something from me.

Marie looked momentarily confused by my question, then smiled broadly. Her confident expression was replaced by shyness.

“…Will you accept my proposal?”

“What proposal?”

“When the author comes to the mansion, I’ll take you along. You’re a fan of the Biography of Xenon too. It would be nice to get an autograph.”

An autograph… Come to think of it, I didn’t have my own signature in my previous life either. At most, I had a scribble I used when signing documents.

But hearing it from Marie made me seriously consider the necessity of a signature. At least in situations like this, it could help guard against impostors. I should include a handwritten signature in my next manuscript.

‘A mere handwritten signature wouldn’t be enough to track someone down.’

That would be difficult even on Earth with its advanced scientific technology. Even with magic, it wouldn’t be used for such trivial matters.

Anyway, I decided to accept her proposal. Whether it’s an impostor or not, I at least want to see their face.

“Alright. What do you want in return?”

Marie maintained her embarrassed expression and answered in a small voice.

“Could you teach me history?”

“History?”

“Yes.”

“Why suddenly? You hate history.”

“Well, you see…”

The situation Marie described was roughly this:

As everyone knows, you need certain scores to advance to the next grade. So Marie has been focusing on subjects she’s interested in, excluding history and a few other majors.

It’s relatively easy for her since it’s mostly reviewing knowledge she learned from her family.

However, the situation changed drastically after the letter arrived from her family. Marie’s father, Duke Reckyless, set one condition for her.

She must score at least 90 points in history. Otherwise, he said she could forget about ever reading the Biography of Xenon again.

I couldn’t understand why he singled out history when she could excel in other subjects, but Marie’s subsequent explanation made it clear.

“Our Reckyless family values history. We believe that by correcting the present through past mistakes, we can seize control of the future. That’s why we’ve emphasized history education since ancient times.”

“Is this ideology passed down from previous generations?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

I was inwardly impressed. I already knew she had solid concepts, but the Reckyless family is even wiser than I thought.

This is why the family has remained strong despite hundreds of years since the founding of the Empire of Minerva.

However, I can’t give their home education a positive evaluation. Marie’s dislike for history probably stems from rebellion.

In my previous life too, one reason children disliked studying was parental pressure.

So I asked Marie if my guess was correct.

“Is that why you hate history? Because your family constantly pressures you about it?”

“Oh! That’s right! How did you know?”

“Just a hunch.”

Whether Marie looked at me with admiration or not, I continued with what I wanted to say.

“But is it okay for a student to teach another student? I don’t mind, since it’s just review for me.”

“It should be fine since it’s not cheating? If it’s really not allowed, we can just do it secretly.”

“What are you doing secretly?”

While we were conversing, a familiar voice cut in. It was a voice that could stir the hearts of many men.

Both Marie and I turned our heads toward the voice. Somehow, Cecilly had seated herself in the seat behind us without us noticing.

She was looking at us with half-closed eyes and a mischievous expression.

I addressed Cecilly, who had appeared without my notice, in a flat tone.

“…When did you get here?”

“Just now. I saw the seat behind you was empty, so I came right over.”

As soon as I heard Cecilly’s answer, I checked where Rina was. She was surrounded by the chattering female students who had been there earlier.

I thought Cecilly had quite a few students around her too, so I wondered how she managed to slip away.

“Anyway, can you answer my question? What are you doing secretly?”

“Uh…”

I didn’t answer immediately and looked at Marie for cues. Marie was openly showing her discomfort. I couldn’t help but find it strange since she usually got along fine with Cecilly, unlike with Rina.

Due to the awkward atmosphere, I hesitated to answer. Marie rested her chin on her hand and spoke in a blunt voice.

“It’s nothing special. Issac agreed to help me study history.”

“History? Didn’t you say you hate history?”

Cecilly widened her eyes in question. She seems well aware that Marie dislikes history.

At that question, Marie sighed deeply and spoke in a slightly lowered voice.

“…My family told me to get good scores in history. They said if I don’t score at least 90 points, I’ll never be allowed to read the Biography of Xenon again.”

“Ah, so that’s why you asked Issac? Because he knows a lot about history.”

Marie nodded, not bothering to deny it. After confirming her affirmation, Cecilly looked at me with an intrigued gaze.

I flinched at her glowing red eyes. It was like a predator eyeing its prey. I felt uneasy.

“Can I join too?”

As expected, my uneasiness was justified. Marie seemed to have anticipated this development and answered with a tone of resignation.

“Do as you please. It’s not up to me, but Issac’s permission.”

“Can I join?”

“…Yes.”

I couldn’t refuse for fear of future consequences. When I gave permission, Cecilly smiled brightly and thanked me.

It was somewhat burdensome, but having a beautiful woman like Cecilly smile at me made my face flush.

I cleared my throat to compose my reddening face. It was also to change the subject.

“…Cecilly? I have a question, if you don’t mind.”

“About why I fought with Rina?”

“Huh?”

How did she know? Did she really learn mind reading?

Seeing my momentary confusion, Cecilly giggled and said:

“You might not know this, but Issac’s thoughts are quite transparent on his face. Don’t you agree, Marie?”

“To some extent.”

“…Is it that obvious?”

Hearing their conversation, I touched my face. I thought I was a good actor, but apparently that was just my delusion.

Marie snickered when she saw me touching my face in bewilderment. Her expression said it all.

“Remember when you accidentally gave me that drawing? Do you know what color your face was then?”

“Of course not.”

“That pale face of yours turned blue in an instant before returning to normal. Anyone could tell you were saying ‘I’m flustered’ without words.”

“No, that’s… sigh.”

Changes in facial color are unavoidable. Even the best actors can’t freely change their facial color.

“…Let’s move past that. Cecilly.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you fight with Rina?”

“It’s nothing much. And we’ve made up.”

“Then why did you fight in the first place?”

To my question, Cecilly shrugged and kindly answered.

“Rina almost revealed the entire content of the Biography of Xenon volume 8.”

“…”

“I guess Rina thought I had already read it. That’s why I got a bit angry. We’ve made up, but that’s also why we’re sitting separately. Every conversation I heard was about volume 8.”

It was an understandable reason.

*****

When the humanities lecture ended, while Issac briefly went to the bathroom, the white-haired beauty Marie was staring intently at a drawing. At that moment, Cecilly, who had finished her notes and stood up, suggested to Marie.

“Marie, don’t you need to go to the bathroom?”

“Huh? Not really?”

“Is that so? What are you looking at?”

Cecilly showed interest in the drawing Marie was holding. Marie glanced at Cecilly once before explaining in a calm tone.

“It’s an illustration from the Biography of Xenon volume 8. It’s a steam locomotive, which plays a pretty important role in the story. Want me to tell you about it?”

“No. Absolutely don’t tell me. You know what I mean, right?”

“Then never mind.”

With that, Cecilly also left the classroom. Once Cecilly was gone, Marie focused even more on the drawing.

“Hmm…”

The steam locomotive, which is essentially the core of the Biography of Xenon volume 8. It’s a masterpiece invented by an eccentric dwarf who dedicated his life to fulfilling his master’s dying wish.

Currently, most people are focused on the early criticism of nobility, but interest in the steam locomotive is also significant.

Many say it’s absolutely impossible to create such a means of transportation, while others evaluate that if invented, it would advance civilization by several stages.

But setting everything else aside, what caught Marie’s attention was the appearance of the steam locomotive. It has a cylindrical body with wheels underneath, and a steam-emitting device attached to the front like horns.

And Marie has seen something similar to this drawing before.

“It seems similar, but also not…”

She scratched her cheek in ambiguity.