Kays Translations

Chapter 451: The End of Summer Vacation

With the cause of the monster outbreak eliminated, peace returned to the eastern region. I thought that meant my work was done, but Lord Leon would not release me so easily. In the end, we left House Mulan for the royal capital around the time his summer holiday ended.

“Master, I don’t think there’s anything left for me to learn at the academy.”

“You still have to go. Attend the academy and make plenty of friends.”

With help from Marquis and Marchioness Mulan, I finally persuaded Leon, who insisted that the academy had nothing left to teach him. With even his parents opposing him, his selfish request naturally went nowhere. What a relief.

“I apologise, Julius-sama. As you can see, Leon can be rather stubborn. I will speak to him properly.”

“Please raise your head, Marquis Mulan. It is enough that you understand.”

That finally settled the matter. I had taught Leon everything I could for now; from this point on, he needed to continue honing his skills himself. I repeated that several times, but he struggled to accept it. Leon seemed to have mistaken me for some sort of god. I was human, just like him. I had only met a god once, and even then only briefly.

A few days later, we set out with Leon for the royal capital. Axel and Ijidol accompanied us. The unrest in the eastern region had subsided, so there was no reason for us to remain in the Mulan Marquisate.

“Axel, you’re going to miss her, aren’t you?”

“I will, but the social season will begin soon. Caro will come to the capital then.”

“That’s right. When she does, we’ll have to invite her to your family’s home.”

“W-wait, what?”

Axel immediately became flustered. The rest of us grinned, and when he noticed, his face turned bright red. Caro, who had been listening nearby, blushed as well. It looked as though they only needed one final push.

“Caro, you’d like to visit Axel’s home too, wouldn’t you?”

“Y-yes, I would. Would that be all right?”

Caro looked up at Axel as she asked. No man could refuse that. Victory. We had done a good deed. Even Ijidol covered his mouth and quietly watched; he had read the mood perfectly.

“T-then I’ll ask my family whether you can visit. Should I send the letter to the townhouse in the royal capital?”

“Yes. I’ll look forward to it.”

The two gazed at each other, making even me feel embarrassed. I needed to find someone for Ijidol too. He was starting to look left out.

Our carriage pulled away, and Caro continued waving until we were out of sight.

The journey to the royal capital passed without incident. Unlike on our way to the Mulan Marquisate, the main road was now crowded with wagons. As expected of a major trade hub, there were merchants everywhere. It made me realise once again how safe the road had become.

There was no road from the Heine Margraviate directly into the neighbouring country. The mountains forced travellers to make a long detour through another territory. If we dug a tunnel, they would no longer need to go so far out of their way.

Should we dig one? No. The territory that profited from trade with the neighbouring country would lose a great deal of income, and we would only earn its resentment. There was no easy solution. Besides, the mountains made the border easier to defend. They were not entirely a disadvantage.

“We can see the royal capital now.”

“We’re only stopping for a short time before heading home, right?”

“Yes. Father and Mother are probably in the capital. I also want to inspect the magic tools at Axel’s and Ijidol’s homes. And I need to contact Commander Giovanni and ask him to look after Lord Leon.”

“It sounds as though we’ll be busy.”

“Yes.”

When we reached the royal capital, we parted ways. Leon returned to the academy, while Axel and Ijidol went home. Naturally, we headed for the House Heine townhouse. Brother Cain and Sister-in-law Meeka might still be there, and I wanted to greet them if possible. We had not seen each other during the summer holiday.

“Welcome back, Julius-chan!”

“Sister-in-law Meeka, I’m back.”

Sister-in-law Meeka welcomed me as though the townhouse were her own home. Come to think of it, didn’t she need to return to her parents’ residence? Her family had a home in the royal capital. When I asked Brother Cain, he explained that the two of them visited House Raniemi every morning.

I was glad they were getting along so well.

“I received reports by letter, but I want to hear what happened directly from Julius.”

“Of course.”

With Father, Mother, Brother Cain, and Sister-in-law Meeka gathered, I told them what had happened in the eastern region. I did not think I had done anything that should make them despair, yet Father and Mother looked strained. Sister-in-law Meeka beamed and said, “That’s Julius-chan for you,” while Brother Cain wore a complicated expression.

“I see. You received the Forest Spirit’s blessing, as well as materials from the World Tree…”

“These are the blessings.”

The four blessings appeared on the back of my hand. Faced with undeniable proof, Father had no choice but to accept it. Had I given him even more to worry about? He studied my hand, then released a deep sigh.

“Letters have also arrived from House Draken and House Mulan. Both families say they owe you a great debt, Julius, and that they would like to use this opportunity to deepen the ties between our houses. That is not a bad thing. Expanding our circle of allied houses is beneficial.”

Father sounded as though he were trying to convince himself. He was right—it was not a bad thing, though House Heine’s influence might grow even stronger.

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