Ch.46Luid’s Incident Log (2)

Ruide lay in bed with only his head peeking out from under the blanket.

He was in the middle of listening to Amelia’s nagging.

“Rui, if you weren’t going home, you should have at least said so.”

“Sorry.”

“Shouldn’t you have told your sister first?”

“Yeah.”

Ruide was nodding off drowsily.

Amelia could only sigh.

‘Thank goodness.’

She was happy that Ruide had stayed in the territory out of consideration for her.

“Alright. If you’re sleepy, just go to sleep.”

Amelia stroked Ruide’s head.

Ruide soon fell asleep, breathing softly.

Amelia tiptoed out of Ruide’s room and closed the door very carefully.

Her expression, which had been gentle until just now, instantly hardened.

“Was Ruide, a Windsor, really that easy to push around?”

The Lazy Young Lord Ruide.

This nickname was famous even before the Academy.

The North wasn’t particularly isolated, and everyone in the Windsor Duchy knew about the youngest son who would come out and sleep anywhere on nights when the crescent moon appeared.

People’s attitudes toward such a brother varied.

Some hunters would take off their hats and show respect.

Some housewives would quietly say a prayer and leave.

If children playing happened to disturb Ruide’s sleep, their parents would come out and scold them severely for disturbing the young lord’s rest.

Generally, the reactions were warm like that. The commoners living in the Windsor Duchy respected and revered the Windsor family members who risked their lives to lead subjugation missions for their sake.

The problem was nobles visiting from other regions. The duchy’s land was vast, and there were many tourist attractions.

Among them were many disrespectful people.

People who would casually treat him as an inferior, saying they should get along without formalities, despite him clearly being the son of the empire’s second-highest ranking duke.

People who would wake the sleeping Ruide, trying to establish connections by cozying up to him.

There were quite a few such ill-mannered people, and it was because of the nickname “Lazy Young Lord.”

The epithet “lazy” gave the impression of being lenient.

It was true that he didn’t get angry easily. Ruide had never shouted at anyone or used his authority to call someone impertinent.

But that didn’t mean Ruide was completely incapable of feeling irritation.

He simply disliked conflict. Her brother inherently disliked fighting with others and expending emotional energy.

That led to stress. Amelia had often told Ruide since their time at the northern mansion, “If you keep bottling things up like that, you’ll eventually break down.”

“…He really loved Dellin’s Lake.”

At the beginning of the semester, she could clearly remember Ruide’s happy face when he said he’d found a nice place.

The fact that he had left Dellin’s Lake, which he liked so much…

Meant he was very angry.

Meant he was under a lot of stress.

It meant he had left the Academy because things had become unbearably excessive.

“I should return the favor. As much as they made Ruide uncomfortable.”

In the North, Irene would mercilessly deal with ruffians who disturbed Ruide’s peaceful sleep.

Irene wasn’t at the territory. If that was the case, she needed to take on Irene’s role.

**

Imperial Academy Headmaster’s Office.

“…You’re saying there are no unit members available?”

Clifford let out a groan.

“Yes.”

Amelia answered stiffly.

“I’m currently handling a case.”

“Postpone that investigation. This matter is more important right now.”

Clifford handed over a document.

Amelia just stared at it without taking it.

“I refuse.”

She answered coldly.

Clifford clutched his chest in frustration.

“Listen here, are you completely ignoring the headmaster’s orders?”

“Even the headmaster doesn’t have the authority to move the investigation unit as he pleases.”

The Academy Investigation Unit belonged to the Imperial Family according to imperial law. This was to prevent potential corruption. In other words, their lord was the Emperor, not the headmaster.

“To begin with, the Academy has no authority to order the Swordsmanship Department around.”

It wasn’t for nothing that all previous Academy headmasters had been Grand Mages.

The Swordsmanship Department had few areas that could be interfered with, so they generally operated on their own.

The downside was that they couldn’t receive much attention, but the upside was the freedom they had.

In reality, most members of the Swordsmanship Department didn’t consider themselves lower in position than the Magic Department professors.

“…That’s not the important issue here.”

“Are you saying the kidnapping cases happening in the territory are trivial?”

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve spent this much time but haven’t found any evidence. It’s right for the official Knights to take over, and for the Academy Investigation Unit to focus on Academy matters.”

“I’ve already told you. The Swordsmanship Department’s lord is His Majesty the Emperor. Our priority should be the Imperial Family.”

“But the result is the same! Finding the Black Mage is more urgent than the kidnapping case.”

Clifford spoke earnestly.

“Isn’t it the right loyalty to eliminate the filthy roots of the Black Mage before they dig into this land? Everything you say is correct, but this is necessary.”

In other words, Clifford was asking the investigation unit to find traces of the Black Mage, just as he had asked Ruide.

“It seems you’ve failed… in finding the Black Mage’s trail, if you’re asking us to abandon an ongoing case to handle this.”

“……”

Clifford felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

That was correct.

Despite mobilizing the faculty and even taking action himself, he couldn’t confirm the thread of the Black Mage.

If it couldn’t be resolved magically, the only option was to entrust it to the Knights, but…

That would be announcing the Academy’s inadequacy. It would be no different from advertising that they lacked the ability to solve problems on their own.

The Academy’s position, already a regular topic among nobles, would become even more precarious.

As the Academy headmaster, that was the worst future he needed to avoid.

“You’re right. You’re absolutely right. Isn’t there any way you can help?”

Clifford honestly admitted and asked for help.

But Amelia cut him off immediately.

“My brother is currently in the territory, not at the Academy. The kidnapping case is more important to me.”

That was a ridiculous statement.

Who would dare kidnap Ruide Christopher Windsor?

Beyond his noble status, his abilities themselves were formidable.

But Clifford understood what Amelia was saying.

She was saying:

‘I have no help to give to an Academy without Ruide.’

Clifford’s head throbbed.

“And I have another purpose for visiting today.”

Amelia handed over an envelope from inside her coat.

Clifford took the envelope and opened it. A document with a red seal. His pupils dilated as he read it.

It was a certificate terminating the Windsor Duchy’s sponsorship.

“Windsor’s consideration ends today.”

Amelia stood up as if she had no reason to stay longer. After a brief salute, she turned and left.

Clifford stared at the document for a long time.

He remained frozen in that position for quite a while.

**

When Ruide opened his eyes, it was around noon.

As soon as he got up, he yawned widely and rubbed his eyes.

The room was quiet. Miho seemed to have gone with Hersy.

‘Still, she’s being put to good use.’

At first, he thought he’d gained a troublesome burden.

But she was very efficient as Hersy’s bodyguard.

Thanks to her, he was able to leave the Academy. If it weren’t for Miho, he would still be at Dellin’s Lake.

“I’m hungry.”

Ruide clutched his hungry stomach and headed to the kitchen.

The mansion was quiet. Usually, Sherry would always greet him when he woke up, but since she hadn’t come, she must have gone somewhere.

Arriving at the kitchen, Ruide approached the shelf. Various ingredients were piled up. He picked up a baguette as tall as himself.

Ruide held the baguette with both hands and munched on it.

…It was hard. But the more he chewed, the more flavor he could taste, which wasn’t bad.

It would soften if he had it with milk, but he didn’t bother. This was fine as it was.

Ruide ate the baguette in a trance with half-closed eyes. Perhaps because he was eating very little at a time, it didn’t seem to be getting any smaller.

Realizing it would take a long time to eat, he thought:

‘I should eat it in bed.’

But this baguette was too big.

So he wanted to cut it to take with him, but he didn’t want to use magic.

For some reason, he felt the urge to break it by smashing it on the table.

Ruide doesn’t resist his desires. Without a moment’s hesitation, he took the baguette and slammed it hard on the table.

Bang—!

“…Huh.”

Ruide stared at the baguette with a blank expression. It didn’t even have a scratch.

…This was hurting his pride. Even if he was small, he was still a man, and he couldn’t break one baguette?

Ruide struck it again.

Thwack!

“……”

But it didn’t break this time either.

“Let’s see who wins.”

Ruide began striking the baguette repeatedly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

No matter how hard it was, bread was still bread.

Cracks began to form gradually.

Ruide looked at the baguette and sneered.

‘Is that all you’ve got?? That’s it??’

Crackle-

He felt it coming. It was like the feeling of a hero delivering the final blow.

At that moment, a fire lit in Ruide’s blue eyes. The surrounding mana responded to his emotions with a humming sound.

Ruide raised his arm high and struck the baguette with all his might.

Crack—!

The baguette split in two and flew off.

The problem was that it flew toward Ruide’s forehead.

Bonk.

Taking a direct hit, Ruide lost his balance and fell.

With a dazed expression, he looked at the baguette that had hit his head and was now flying through the air.

Rumble.

“…Oh.”

As luck would have it, the baguette hit a huge pile of ingredients.

The ingredients trembled, making an ominously unstable sound, then crashed down with a rumble!

Among them, the monster baguette rolled on the floor, knocking something else over, and the impact caused the table to collapse completely.

Crash!

…Along with various dishes and such.

Fortunately, Ruide’s entire body was surrounded by a faint protective barrier, so he wasn’t hurt at all, but—

What unfolded before Ruide’s eyes was absolute chaos.

“……”

“Ruide!”

“Young master!”

Amelia and Sherry entered the kitchen.

They wore astonished expressions as they saw Ruide covered in flour and the kitchen in shambles.

Ruide subtly averted his gaze and said:

“The fox did it.”

**

Amelia wiped Ruide’s face with a wet towel.

Of course he would bathe, but she couldn’t leave him covered in flour while the water was being heated. Sherry had gone to prepare Ruide’s bath.

“Were you sleeping?”

“Ah, yeah. I stayed up all night.”

“Seems like Sherry didn’t sleep either.”

“She has to grade papers.”

Amelia and Sherry had been taking a nap, she said. That’s why they were in their nightclothes.

“Why?”

“Because of the case. They say the culprit moves around at night. But Ruide, it’s okay to make mistakes, but you shouldn’t blame your familiar for them.”

Amelia spoke gently as she stood up. She tossed the towel into the laundry basket.

“Want me to help?”

Ruide suddenly asked.

Amelia’s body flinched.

She looked at Ruide with serious eyes and said:

“No. This is my successor test. Even if you’re not interested in the position, I don’t want to be recorded as a pathetic sister who received help from her brother.”

The content of Amelia’s test would be permanently recorded.

What achievements she accumulated, what she did. What were the deduction factors.

‘I don’t like that.’

Ruide didn’t like that Amelia couldn’t sleep and had to work.

He wanted her to finish quickly and rest comfortably. It’s bad for her health.

But as Amelia said, helping her arbitrarily would be counterproductive.

So Ruide decided to use a trick. He reached into the air and pulled out a book.

It was an empty book with the “never-decreasing pages” spell, which he had once tried to use to write a novel before giving up.

Ruide looked up at Amelia and said:

“I’m going to start keeping a diary from today.”

“U-um?”

Amelia was taken aback.

“It’s my choice to keep a diary, so don’t worry about it, sis.”

“…?”

Amelia didn’t understand Ruide’s intention.

But since Ruide was always incomprehensible anyway, she nodded with a dubious expression.

“If you say so.”

‘Good. I’ll follow her around and help her secretly.’

Ruide conveniently omitted the phrase “following Amelia around” before saying he would keep a diary.