Ch.45Luid’s Incident Log (1)

After sending Lydia away, Ruide and Hersy walked through the streets.

‘I’m feeling a bit sleepy.’

Ruide rubbed his eyes. Drowsiness always came suddenly.

Usually at times like this, he would sleep somewhere soft nearby. Straw was good, and so was a laundry basket. But this time, he decided to endure it.

‘Big sister will worry.’

He hadn’t told Amelia yet.

Above all.

‘There’s nothing more terrible in this world than being hungry when you need to sleep.’

He didn’t want to eat at the mansion. After tasting that sweet and savory stew earlier, his body could no longer be satisfied with noble cuisine.

“Oh, there’s a crowd gathering over there. Want to take a look?”

Just then, Hersy spoke. Feeling languid and generous, Ruide nodded unconsciously.

Where people had gathered, a shell game was in full swing.

“One, two, three. Pick correctly and double your money! Eat and earn money by eating!”

“Number two!”

“Oh my~ You failed, young master. It was actually number one.”

“Hahaha!”

A clearly naive-looking nobleman pulled out some shillings from his pocket with disappointment.

“How unfortunate… I was quite confident in my eyesight.”

His tone was filled with regret. The shell game operator laughed heartily.

Ruide focused his attention on the man. The voice sounded very familiar.

Sure enough, it was someone he knew.

“…Sir Gilbert?”

“Huh.”

Seeing Ruide, Gilbert was startled and hurried over.

“Young Master Ruide, it’s been a while.”

Gilbert gave a brief bow and cleared his throat. A bit of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Are you… on duty?”

Hersy asked cautiously. At this hour, walking around in uniform rather than civilian clothes could only mean that.

“…Gambling while on duty?”

Ruide tilted his head. Gilbert hastily waved both hands.

“G-gambling? Hahaha. What an amusing joke. This is… well. It’s a folk game of the commoners. I, I was…”

Gilbert flailed his hands around as he made excuses. Ruide watched with interest.

“…To see things from a commoner’s perspective. As a demonstration.”

Gilbert put his hands on his waist and bowed his head at a 90-degree angle.

“Please overlook it just this once! Please, at least don’t tell the captain!”

Ruide turned his gaze to the shell game operator. With slightly protruding front teeth, he looked just like a mouse.

‘Should I give it a try?’

It was strange that Gilbert, a knight, hadn’t noticed the trick.

As Ruide stepped forward, the operator looked him up and down with an expression that said ‘what luck!’

“Haha, a new young master. Would you like to try?”

“Yes.”

Ruide took out a gold coin.

Seeing the gold coin, the operator’s expression changed as if he’d hit the jackpot.

“Well, well, what a generous young master. Very good! If I win, the gold coin is mine, but if you win, you get two gold coins.”

“Sounds good.”

“Come on, come on, eat money and make money! The person who finds the black marble wins. You only get one chance!”

‘It’s probably a scam.’

Shell game scams were like an unwritten rule. If there hadn’t been any cheating, Gilbert wouldn’t have lost his money.

So this wasn’t about finding the marble, but finding the trick.

The operator’s hands moved busily. It was an incredible skill, almost leaving only afterimages.

Ruide’s eyes spun around. He didn’t use mana. That would be unfair. Besides, would any magician use mana for something like this?

The operator’s dazzling hand movements stopped. Without hesitation, Ruide pointed to the rightmost cup.

“Number three! Are you sure about number three?”

The operator grinned and said.

“I’ll give you one chance to change your mind!”

“No thanks.”

“Are you really sure?”

“Yes.”

With a defeated look, the operator slightly tilted the cup. Ruide paid close attention.

There was no foul play. And there was no marble.

“Hahaha!”

The spectators laughed exactly like before. Ruide guessed they were probably shills hired by the operator.

“What a shame!”

Just as the operator was about to take the gold coin Ruide had placed down, Ruide quickly grabbed the third cup with drowsy eyes.

“W-wait a moment.”

The operator reached out belatedly, but it was too late. Ruide had already seen the marble stuck to the inside of the cup.

Hersy, who was watching from the side, glared and accused:

“How dare you cheat?!”

‘So that’s why Gilbert was fooled.’

Something sticky was applied to the inside of the cup. While moving the cups around flashily, the marble had climbed up the inside of the cup.

“I’ve been had.”

Gilbert made a groaning sound.

He hadn’t even considered the possibility of being cheated.

Rather than being angry, he was embarrassed that a knight aspirant hadn’t noticed such a simple trick.

Ruide held out his hand.

“Two gold coins.”

“I, I…”

The operator looked around nervously.

Then, as if giving up, he slumped his shoulders with a dejected face.

“I don’t have… two gold coins.”

“Give me what you have.”

Ruide held out his hand. The operator flinched, then took out some shillings from his pocket and handed them over. It was four shillings.

“…This is all I have.”

Of course, Ruide didn’t believe him, but he decided to let it go. The goal was to recover the money Gilbert had lost.

Ruide took the money pouch and chided him.

“Stop taking money from nobles who don’t know any better.”

Then he turned away without regret and handed one shilling to Gilbert.

Gilbert bowed his head in shame.

“Thank you, Young Master Ruide. Thanks to you, I was able to save my lunch money.”

Then he spoke anxiously.

“Um… I know this sounds pathetic, but could you possibly keep this a secret…?”

Ruide smiled brightly.

“If you want to keep me quiet, there’s a way.”

There’s a saying.

If you want to find the best donut shop in America, ask a local police officer…!

Ruide believed without a doubt that Gilbert would make a good knight.

**

Ruide sat on a low wall.

“Yum.”

He took a bite of the skewer that Gilbert had just bought him.

It was a simple skewer with salted meat, but it was quite delicious.

“What kind of skewer is this?”

“Probably goblin…”

“Chicken skewer.”

“Excuse me? No, this is—”

“Chicken skewer.”

Hersy shook her head quickly while looking at Gilbert. Gilbert closed his mouth.

Ruide, whose appetite had momentarily diminished, glared at the skewer.

He hypnotized himself.

‘Chicken skewer… this is a chicken skewer.’

And as he took another bite, he chewed thoughtfully.

‘Delicious.’

Indeed, it’s beneficial in many ways to think of it as a chicken skewer.

“Hmm. The texture isn’t very good.”

Meanwhile, Hersy had an indifferent expression. That was natural. She was eating with detoxification magic cast.

Ruide offered some advice.

“It tastes better without detoxification magic.”

“…While I don’t want to disparage Ruide’s taste, isn’t it problematic not to use detoxification magic on commoner food?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Well… the hygiene isn’t good. Honestly, you don’t know what might be in it. I’ve heard they sometimes put drugs in it.”

Ruide raised one arm. With a hand glowing blue, he patted his stomach.

“I can cast it on my stomach.”

“Hmm, it still feels unsettling somehow.”

“You eat food I make without casting it.”

“T-that’s because it’s made by you, Ruide! You’re clean, and you wouldn’t do anything strange to the food.”

Casting detoxification magic on food.

It was considered so normal that not doing it was seen as dirty.

‘I’d probably think the same if I’d been born and raised here.’

Meat tastes like chewing rubber, and vegetables taste like chewing liquid monsters.

Ruide thought commoner food was better, even if it was a bit dirty. Besides, not all commoners were dirty. Especially something like these skewers, which were grilled right in front of you, so there was nothing strange about them.

“By the way, what were you doing here, Sir Gilbert?”

Hersy asked.

“Ah yes, I was investigating. Crime has been increasing on the island recently.”

After wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, he spoke somewhat seriously.

“Kidnapping crimes targeting children have been increasing. Young Master Ruide should be careful too. Regardless of your strength, encountering criminals is an extremely unpleasant experience. But…”

Gilbert spoke respectfully.

“Please speak to me less formally. This isn’t the academy, and I’m a commoner.”

Ruide tilted his head.

Gilbert didn’t show the typical characteristics of commoners. His etiquette was perfect.

“What? Sir Gilbert is a commoner?”

Hersy was equally surprised.

“My father is a baron, but we have no territory.”

“Ah.”

Ruide understood immediately.

In the empire, inheritance depended on whether one had territory or not. If there was territory, the title could be passed down to children, but without territory, inheritance was impossible.

So the actual lifestyle of a baron without territory was not much different from that of an upper-class commoner.

A baron without territory was one of two things: either they sold their territory because they had no money, or a commoner bought the title.

Judging by Gilbert’s perfect etiquette, the former was more likely.

“But if you write me a recommendation, I can enter the Imperial Knights, so I don’t worry too much about it. Haha.”

Gilbert smiled as if to say not to worry.

However, his eyes looked anxious, as if asking, ‘…you will write it, won’t you?’

Ruide turned uncertainty into certainty.

“Yes. I’ll ask my mother.”

“…You mean the Duchess?”

Gilbert was surprised.

“Promises are meant to be kept.”

“…Thank you so much. I didn’t expect you to go that far. I’ll have to work even harder then.”

Gilbert stood up from the wall.

With his back to the moonlight, he said:

“I’ll be going now. The case hasn’t been solved yet. It was a pleasant time.”

“You mentioned you were investigating. My sister too?”

“Yes. She’s been running around lately without proper sleep.”

‘…Have I been too inattentive to Sister Amelia?’

Feeling apologetic, Ruide asked:

“So she’s outside now too?”

“That’s right. In cases like this, witnessing the crime scene takes priority. Would you like me to guide you?”

“No.”

Ruide gave the remaining skewer to Miho, who was on his shoulder.

It was a reward for behaving well. Miho took the skewer with a bite and jumped down from his shoulder.

“She probably wouldn’t like being disturbed while working.”

“Is that so…?”

Gilbert was puzzled. The captain he knew was a complete doting sister. So much so that there was a saying in the fencing department: ‘If you want to please the captain, praise her brother instead of her.’

“Instead, tell Amelia that I’ll be sleeping at the mansion, so wake me up when she comes.”

“Yes. I will.”

But Gilbert wouldn’t have the chance to deliver that message.

“…Sister?”

From far away, Amelia approached staggering, looking haggard.

“C-Captain?”

Gilbert rushed to support Amelia.

As they got closer, an unmistakable smell of alcohol stung their noses.

“Oh my… I’m seeing hallucinations. Hiccup.”

Ruide looked at Amelia with narrowed eyes.

‘She’s drunk.’

And properly drunk at that.

“Hehehe, it’s Ruide’s friend.”

Amelia put her arm around Hersy’s neck.

“A-Amelia?”

Hersy didn’t know what to do.

“Sister.”

“Huh…? The hallucination is talking.”

Amelia, swaying, now approached Ruide and crouched down.

Hiccupping, she stroked Ruide’s head.

“Wow… wow… I can touch the hallucination.”

“I’m not a hallucination.”

“You’re so cold… so cold, Rui. You could have at least said goodbye… Why did you leave me behind? Sniff.”

Now she was starting to sob.

Just like a drunkard.

A crease formed between Ruide’s eyebrows.

He took out his staff from his pocket.

He lightly struck Amelia’s crown.

With a snap! sound, Amelia’s eyes widened.

“?!”

At that moment, the alcohol’s influence over Amelia disappeared.

Amelia clutched her head and sat down. She was completely flustered.

“R-Rui. How are you… I thought you went home?”

“I haven’t gone yet. Why would you think that?”

“…Because you left the academy. There’s no reason for you to stay on the island.”

Ruide heaved a deep sigh.

“I don’t plan to leave until you graduate, sister. We came together, so we should leave together.”

“Ruide…!”

Amelia hugged Ruide tightly.

“I actually believed it! I never doubted you!”

“…Liar.”

Amelia rubbed her face against him with a happy smile.

But that happiness didn’t last long.

Something occurred to her.

“Wait a minute…”

Amelia felt a chill down her spine.

“Mother and sister must still be waiting.”

**

Windsor Castle.

Splendid interiors and shining chandeliers.

At the end of a grand feast sat the Duke of Windsor.

Irene sat beside him.

Irene sat still, looking straight ahead with a smiling face.

The Duke of Windsor waited calmly with his fingers interlocked.

Neither of them showed any movement.

“…They’re late.”

“They are late.”

“Perhaps not today.”

“The day hasn’t completely ended yet. Let’s wait another hour, Master.”

“Let’s do that.”

Already the second day.

They had been waiting without moving.

Their wait…

Would likely continue for quite some time.