episode_0012

…How should I say it, just until now, I was just organizing my thoughts, deciding that I was merely friends with the main heroines,

but before I had a chance to reaffirm that feeling, a new task fell upon me.

No, precisely in times like this, I must think with even greater caution and carefulness.

As expected, to avoid harboring unnecessary misunderstandings, there’s nothing for it but to calmly compose myself and carefully read the letters that arrived for me once again.

First, let’s start with Elizior Gremlina’s letter.

Actually, I’ve known her since the academy entrance ceremony.

She is probably the first person among the main heroines that I met.

Naturally, since I was merely an extra, that meeting did not lead to a deep relationship.

In the first place, I merely provided help when the situation was chaotic due to a sudden attack by a Black Magic group,

and afterwards, we merely became people who occasionally talked at the academy or exchanged letters during the end-of-semester break.

… One could say that exchanging letters makes for a rather special relationship, but that is due to her introverted personality.

Elizior Gremlina is inherently introverted and tends to be shy, so when talking face-to-face, she would tremble or stutter severely.

However, in letters, this kind of problem didn’t exist, so naturally, the frequency of communicating with her through letters rather than words increased.

But now that I think about it, it was strange that I didn’t receive a single letter from her while I was back in my territory this year.

Just last year and the year before, it felt like I received about 100 letters each year.

Of course, the answer to that was already written in the letter.

‘To Ropel Toyfel.’

..? Looking closely again, there’s a trace of repeatedly erasing and rewriting before the words ‘To Ropel’.

What had she written?

It seems she tried to write ‘Dear’ and erased it once… ‘Adoring’…? ‘Lovely’…? Hmm… The erased marks are too messy, I can’t tell at all what words she was trying to write.

‘Hello Ropel, have you been well and healthy?

Actually, while I was in my territory, I intended to send you a letter directly a bit earlier, but I ended up being late.

This time, since I was back at the mansion, I was doing research that I couldn’t do at the academy.

I was so focused that I forgot about the passage of time and even sending letters.’

So that was it.

She was someone who usually sent letters about the efficacy of the drugs she was researching or complaints about the stress she was experiencing,

so I wondered why there was no contact for a while.

By the way, research that could make her, who usually manufactures any tool or potion without difficulty, so engrossed.

I felt a slight anticipation about what kind of results would come out this time.

‘I heard the news that you arrived at the academy.

I also want to leave right away and meet you but…

Unfortunately, the drugs I’m currently researching haven’t been completed yet.

The ones I’m making this time require materials that are so rare that they absolutely cannot be obtained unless it’s in our territory.

I think I might arrive just barely on the day the academy starts.’

Her family, Gremlina, can simply be called a family of scholars.

They have researched various kinds of academic fields and contributed to their development,

especially excelling in alchemy, and the laboratory located within their territory is said to have even better facilities than the academy.

Even so, the academy’s level isn’t poor…

Is it research dealing with materials so rare that they cannot be obtained even at such an academy?

My curiosity about her research increased.

I should ask her about it later.

‘When I arrive at the academy, the first thing I want to do is go to the cafe we always used to go to together.

It was only about 2-3 months, but you wouldn’t believe how much I thought about you, Ropel.

This time was particularly difficult and important research, so I missed having you by my side.

Like you did at the academy, I wish you would make tea for me and massage my shoulders.

If I’m eating alone, I wish you would find me, who was alone, and sit next to me, just like you did at the academy.

Haa… As I’m writing this, I feel like I miss you even more, Ropel.’

Ah, I must not misunderstand the content of the letter she wrote.

Because if you look at it point by point, it’s not a big deal…

When I met her, she often looked tired from focusing on her research, so there were many times I would give her small helps in my own way.

Things like finding tea she might like and making it for her myself, or if she looked tired, lightly massaging her arms, legs, or shoulders, etc.

All the actions I took were merely acts showing light favors that friends would do for each other.

And the content is simply her expressing gratitude for such favors of mine.

‘But you know… Hearing the news, I heard that you, Ropel, are scheduled to have marriage talks with other noble young ladies after graduating from the academy.

Ah! I had sent a letter to your family beforehand and asked, although you probably already know.’

One of the letters from ducal families that my father said he received must have been from the Gremlina family.

By the way, Seraphina is like this too, and why is she curious about my marriage talks?

‘Of course, there was no particular strange meaning behind it.

As it’s about time for graduation from the academy, I saw many students around engaging in marriage activities, so I became curious about you.

I really asked out of pure curiosity.’

Hmm… Is that so?

Indeed, as she was born with the qualities of a scholar, her degree of curiosity would also be extraordinary.

In a way, since I might also be the first friend she made after entering the academy,

is it not strange to be curious?

‘…Anyway, about those marriage talks… is it… really necessary?

Of course, your Loypel count family isn’t that powerful, and there’s nothing that promotes family stability as much as marriage, but…

If you’re going to look for a marriage partner anyway, wouldn’t it be right to choose someone close rather than young ladies you’ve never even met?

So… if you set the condition of being someone you exchange letters with and who is also an academy classmate, wouldn’t you be able to choose a better partner?

Since alchemy has recently been receiving national attention and support, it might be good to look for someone involved in that field.’

Certainly, it’s not good to decide a major issue like marriage based solely on the influence of both families.

More than anything, it’s important for the man and woman entering into a marriage contract to have matching feelings.

By the way, she even went out of her way to recommend what kind of woman would be good to meet,

it seems Elizior had a similar concern to Seraphina’s before.

She must have been worried that I, her friend, might end up marrying someone I didn’t want.

But there’s no need to worry.

As I said before, this is a problem that has already been resolved.

Since Elizior is worrying like this, it seems best to properly tell her about my relationship with Lilith after meeting her later.

‘As expected, it seems I can’t convey my thoughts properly through just a letter.

And also because there isn’t enough space on the paper.

Until I arrive at the academy and meet you, I definitely want you to re-organize your thoughts about the marriage talks I mentioned above.

And if we meet… even if I tremble and stutter when I speak, I definitely want to have a serious conversation with you alone.

…Please, I hope I can hear the answer I want from your lips.’

Your very close friend Elizior Gremlina

P.S. Thinking about your health, I plan to send you my special nutritious supplements that are good for your body.

There are absolutely no side effects, so please don’t forget and take them steadily every single day.

Remember not to miss even a single day.’

Nutritious supplements… Actually, I have already tasted various drugs she produced many times since long ago.

To be more precise, it would be better to say that I acted as her expensive guinea pig.

Although I am a noble, it’s only in name; I am not actually that wealthy.

During my academy life, unexpected expenses sometimes occurred, and there were many times when money became urgent because of that.

Whenever that happened, I often received money on the condition of tasting various drugs at the suggestion of Elizior Gremlina.

Well… that being said, there weren’t any major incidents like severe side effects occurring.

Although they were experimental potions, they were just mild symptoms that subsided overnight, as if to show she wasn’t called an alchemy genius for nothing.

If I had to mention times when something was wrong with my body… it was limited to things like my body getting hot, experiencing severe drowsiness, and my mind and memory becoming hazy.

Considering that potions from other alchemists, no exaggeration, cause arms or legs to grow by one or two as a side effect, this much can be called nothing.

Anyway, my impression after carefully reading Elizior Gremlina’s letter once again is…

that she, too, definitely sees me as merely a friend.

The content of the letter, from beginning to end, is solely about things that friends would talk about.

Asking about my well-being and at the same time, in the future,

asking about the marriage talks is probably because of her few friendships.

In Seraphina Serion’s case, it was perhaps due to her family’s characteristic chivalry,

whereas in Elizior Gremlina’s case, since I am one of her few friends, she must have been even more worried about my future.

Well… for someone else, there might be content that could be slightly misunderstood, but at least in my view, there’s nothing strange in her letter.

Therefore, I can be certain.

The fact that Elizior does not think of me as anything more than a friend!

Reading the letter again like this and organizing my thoughts makes me feel refreshed in my mind.

Then, let’s proceed to read the remaining letter.

The letter from Isabella Kshatri, the daughter of the Tower Master, who is called the troublemaker of the Magic Department.