The Start of the Second Semester

Cleaning up the traces of the demons in Grainstone Village was quite a troublesome process.

After organizing the chaotic demon camps while leaving just enough evidence to prove they had invaded the Empire, releasing the magic suction devices to restore the depleted mana concentration in the village to its original state, and freeing the bound spirits including the salamander in the furnace…

About a month had passed since the day we restored Grainstone Village to its original state.

Now, having spent most of the summer vacation at Blackwood Mansion, Ethan and I were boarding a carriage to return to Luminor Academy for the start of the second semester.

Though there was still about a week left until the semester began, there wasn’t much left to do at Blackwood Mansion.

Moreover, due to Harold’s temporary position as a professor, we had to return to the academy a bit earlier than regular students, so naturally, our return had to align with the schedule of Blackwood’s highest-ranking figure.

In any case, since we had to pick up Isabelle as well, we’d need a four-person carriage regardless, so there was no reason for Harold to ride separately.

“There’s no need to be so conscious of me in this space. Feel free to chat as you normally would.”

“Y-yes… Th-thank you for your consideration…”

“I-it’s not uncomfortable having you with us, Master…”

“……”

However, with Harold joining the three of us, the atmosphere became stiflingly awkward.

It couldn’t be helped. The reason I could speak casually with Ethan was solely because I’d been his exclusive maid for several years-not because I’d grown bolder after receiving a noble title.

Besides, it didn’t seem like Harold would appreciate me being as informal with him as I was with Ethan.

Yet, pretending to maintain a strictly master-servant relationship after all these years of familiarity felt equally unnatural.

Thinking it better to stay silent than risk saying something inappropriate, I naturally kept my mouth shut.

Even Isabelle, usually the mood-maker, seemed hesitant to speak up with two high-ranking nobles present.

And so, the carriage moved silently toward the Island of Knowledge where Luminor Academy stood.

‘What?! Why is everyone so quiet?! This is boring!’

…Meanwhile, this tiny salamander was chattering away nonstop inside the carriage.

Just to clarify, this was indeed the same fire spirit that had been inside the dwarf’s furnace in Grainstone Village.

It had chosen to follow me of its own free will, and we had reached an agreement with the blacksmith uncle to leave another fire spirit in the furnace, so…

This wasn’t a case of me forcibly taking it or extorting it from the half-dwarf uncle.

‘I don’t particularly like you, but your mana tastes delicious!’

“Glad to hear it. I was thinking the same thing.”

By the way, I did give it a name after it started tagging along. It felt awkward to keep calling it “Mr. Salamander.”

Though my naming sense only went as far as shortening “salamander” to “Sally.”

In any case, after just a month with this little spirit, my mind was already starting to wear thin.

It reminded me of Ethan back when he had no concept of manners-except without the sexual harassment and with the added penalty of clinging to me 24/7.

‘Why do I keep attracting these kinds of beings around me?’

Of course, having a fire spirit by my side was incredibly valuable and helpful in many ways.

In fact, with Sally as a companion, I received the “Blessing of the Flame Spirit,” which slightly boosted various auxiliary stats.

Most notably, it increased my Luck stat by 2, making it an essential item for me. Combined with the buff from my dagger, it gave me a total Luck increase of 4.

In that sense, from “Lilith’s” perspective, this was a fortunate encounter.

Still, there was no helping that this little spirit was annoying and irritating.

‘Aah, I’m so bored! Do something! Sing a song or something!’

“……”

“Don’t mind me too much, everyone. Just pretend I’m not here and chat as you normally would.”

“Ah, y-yes, okay…”

With pressure from both sides urging me to break the silence, it was getting harder to stay quiet.

Eventually, I ended up saying something I probably shouldn’t have.

At the time, I had no idea what kind of tragedy this would lead to.

“Since the journey to Luminor Academy is long and tedious, how about I give you all a simple quiz? After all, we’re all heading to the Island of Knowledge together.”

‘A quiz?’

“Lilith?”

“A quiz?”

“It’s not the kind of question that requires deep knowledge. It’s something Master, Young Master, and even Isabelle can all answer fairly.”

“Hmm?”

‘Me, me?! I want to solve the quiz too!’

“Yes. Of course, Sally can solve it too.”

“If even Isabelle and a spirit can solve it, wouldn’t the question be too easy, Miss Lilith?”

“Who knows? Why don’t you try solving it yourself, Master?”

“…Quite confident, aren’t you?”

Harold, intrigued by the idea of a question everyone could solve, fixed his gaze on me.

Ethan, Isabelle, and even Sally were all staring at me now.

I hadn’t expected a simple joke to draw this much attention.

‘Surely he won’t dock my pay for being unfunny…’

In the tense atmosphere, I finally blurted out the “joke” that had popped into my head.

At the time, I had no idea what this joke would lead to.

“What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

“Huh?”

“…Hmm?”

“A Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

‘What are you talking about?’

“Think carefully. What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

As they pondered my nonsense riddle, the three humans and one spirit made strange expressions.

While they were lost in thought, I leisurely gazed out the window.

The first to attempt an answer was Isabelle, sitting next to me.

“…It itches?”

“Wrong!”

“Ah, no…?”

“…Technically, that’s true, but I’m asking specifically about a ‘Spear Master.’ Everyone itches when bitten by a mosquito.”

“Umm…? I don’t know… I’ve never even seen a Spear Master…”

To be fair, I’d only seen them in games too, but this wasn’t the kind of question you could solve by having met one.

From her reaction, Isabelle seemed to have given up, so now it was up to the others.

Watching Ethan and Harold struggle was oddly entertaining.

“…Can’t you just tell me secretly, Lilith?”

“No. Someone might hear. And Sally hasn’t answered yet.”

‘I, I won’t listen! I won’t listen, so you can tell me!’

“Even if you sneak closer to my face, I won’t tell you.”

‘Me~an~ie~!’

Asking for the answer to a riddle you’re supposed to solve is the real meanie move.

Seeing my firm stance, Isabelle and Sally quietly waited for the others to answer.

Next, Ethan spoke up.

“The mosquito dies?”

“Huh?”

“A warrior of Spear Master caliber wouldn’t let a mosquito that bit him live. So, the moment it bites him, it’s already dead.”

“……”

“If everyone could kill every mosquito that bit them, mosquitoes wouldn’t even exist in this world. So, this answer is unique to a ‘Spear Master’…”

“Then does a Sword Master become a Spear Master if he kills a mosquito? And I can kill mosquitoes that suck my blood too, you know?”

“…W-well, that’s a flaw in my logic.”

Flaw or not, such a boring answer couldn’t possibly be correct.

Ethan seemed off the mark too, leaving only Harold.

Given his experience and the fact that he was at the age where he might enjoy such jokes, maybe he’d get close.

As I waited, Harold finally spoke.

“…Hmm, I see. It’s quite simple when you think about it.”

“Oh? Did you figure it out?”

“Yes. That was quite a witty question, Miss Lilith.”

His confident expression suggested he’d gotten it right.

Maybe Harold was a fellow appreciator of my humor.

Ethan and Isabelle also focused on Harold, waiting for his answer.

“Given that I know a Spear Master personally, this was quite easy for me, Miss Lilith.”

“……What?”

“A Spear Master friend of mine has wielded blades alongside me on the battlefield for many years. Of course, back then, neither of us were skilled enough to bear the title of ‘Master.'”

“……”

“In my reckless youth, I once sliced the Empire’s walls in half to test my sword’s limits. As punishment, I served as a mercenary in the military, where I first met him. Though he wasn’t a noble like me, I sensed something special in Quarty Jameson’s spear-something other mercenaries lacked.”

…Wait, what?

Why is he suddenly reminiscing about his past?

I tried interrupting a few times to steer the conversation back to the riddle, but once Harold started talking, there was no stopping him.

For the rest of the journey, we were subjected to Harold’s endless tales about his “Spear Master comrade from his war hero days.”

“…And so, during our time struggling with jungle insects at the campsite, while the rest of us suffered sleepless nights from bug bites, Quarty never had a single mark on him. By then, he was already at the threshold of becoming a Master, so his skill was nearly that of a Spear Master…”

“We’ve arrived, Master.”

“…Hmm, I got carried away. I’ll save the rest for another time.”

“Y-yes…!”

“Th-that was fascinating, Master!”

“…Truly an enlightening story, Father.”

“Good. You must all be tired from the journey, so rest well.”

With that, Harold walked off toward the faculty building, looking oddly refreshed.

As I watched him disappear between the buildings, I made a silent vow to myself.

I swear, I’ll never crack a joke in front of that chatterbox again.