Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 12 – The Bureau of Mysteries
From what Sera had said, she and the others were planning to leave the city.
Licia thought it would be improper to decide on her own, so she asked Sera to wait and stepped away for a moment.
She went to Lessard’s guest room, explained the situation, and obtained his permission before returning to Sera.
“May I come along for a while?”
“Yes! We’ll wait downstairs, so join us once you’re ready!”
After seeing Sera and Vayne off, Licia returned once more to her father’s room.
“Father, about what we were just discussing…”
“I considered assigning Weiss as your escort, but with members of the Seven Hero Houses present, there should be nothing to worry about.”
“I understand. They won’t do anything reckless either.”
“Precisely. Still, Licia, do not get too carried away simply because Ren is not there.”
“Father! You make it sound as though I do whatever I please whenever Ren isn’t around!”
“…”
Lessard fell silent.
He placed a hand on his hip.
“It means I trust Ren that much.”
Without saying anything more explicit, he left his explanation at that.
In truth, he was not genuinely worried that Licia would behave as freely as she had suggested. His warning had been little more than a precaution—a customary word of advice before seeing her off.
“Return before it grows too late. Understood?”
“Yes, I understand.”
By the time Licia had finished speaking with her father, returned to her room, and prepared to leave, more than ten minutes had passed since she parted from Sera.
When she reached the inn’s first floor, she found Sera and Vayne waiting in the lobby with several others.
Kaito, Nemu, and other members of the Seven Hero Houses were gathered there. Among them stood a girl carrying a bow on her back.
Those who had not been invited aboard the Guardian Knight had come to Eupheim for their own reasons, or had arranged to spend the holiday together. The gathering made it easy to see how close Vayne had become to the heirs of the Hero Houses.
The bow-carrying girl stepped toward Licia.
“A pleasure to meet you, Saint.”
Her voice was rich, and her smile alluring.
She was slightly shorter than Licia, though still tall by ordinary standards.
Her figure possessed the kind of curves that could make other girls envious, and together with her beautiful features they lent her a strikingly mature charm. Her lustrous hair was purple.
Even so, she had not lost the youthful cuteness appropriate to her age.
Licia faced the girl’s beauty without the slightest intimidation.
“My name is Licia Clausel. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
When the two beautiful young women stood side by side, their presence alone created something almost like pressure.
Surprised by the unexpected encounter, Licia continued.
“I never imagined I would meet you here, Lady Rofelia.”
She already knew the girl’s name.
Charlotte Rofelia was a second-year student in the Imperial Military Academy’s Special Class.
They had never spoken, nor even met at a party, but Licia recognized her as the daughter of House Rofelia, one of the Seven Hero Houses.
She had also heard about Charlotte from Sera, who occasionally found herself put in a bad mood by the older girl’s attention toward Vayne.
Seeing her in person, Licia found that the stories had been accurate: Charlotte was a beautiful and alluring senior who seemed capable of captivating the opposite sex merely by walking past.
Licia could not help thinking that she was a formidable rival for Sera.
“Licia, you don’t need to take Sharo seriously,” Sera said.
“Sharo? You mean Lady Rofelia?”
“Yes. If you respond earnestly to everything she says, you’ll only exhaust yourself. It’s better to let most of it pass.”
Perhaps because of the connections among the Seven Hero Houses, Sera and Charlotte were already friends.
Sera had recently spent more than a few anxious days wondering whether Charlotte might steal Vayne away, but the bond between those born into the Seven Hero Houses remained firm.
“Remember this,” Sera continued. “When it comes to pestering people, Sharo has no equal.”
“Ahahaha! Nemu thinks so too!”
“Yeah…” Kaito agreed. “Whenever I see how she clings to Vayne, I think the same thing.”
Charlotte listened to the descendants of the Seven Heroes with an elegant smile. She radiated complete confidence.
“How cruel. You’re making me sound like a beautiful but irritating senior.”
“Not ‘making you sound like’—that’s exactly what we’re saying! And don’t call yourself beautiful!”
Charlotte brushed aside Sera’s protest.
“Yes, yes. How adorable. Little Sera is as energetic as ever today.”
“Hey! Don’t start patting my head without warning!”
“Why not? You’re adorable.”
“Th-That’s not the point! Argh! Talking to you always throws me off!”
Watching the descendants of the Seven Heroes banter so warmly, Licia smiled.
She was surprised to discover that Sera, who had formed friendships in places Licia knew nothing about, had such a close relationship with this older student.
The moment made Licia keenly aware of the broad factional world in which they had been raised.
“Gah! That’s enough! Let go of me!”
Charlotte had begun pestering Sera in earnest.
Sera finally shook off the arm wrapped around her and steadied her breathing.
“We’re leaving!”
She strode ahead of the group.
Everyone else began following her, and Licia joined them.
Sera did not directly answer Licia’s unspoken question about their destination, but she called back over her shoulder.
“We came all the way to Eupheim, so we have to visit that place!”
In the original game timeline Ren knew, this was one of the rare occasions when Saint Licia joined the party.
It was a small scene from the closing stages of Legend of the Seven Heroes I, set in a place unlike any they had visited before.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Ren’s carriage was carrying him toward Eupheim’s administrative district.
Radius, who had been waiting for him, explained what would happen next.
“We will proceed directly to the Bureau of Mysteries.”
“Got it.”
The Bureau of Mysteries was one of Leomel’s public institutions: a state-run research organization devoted to magic.
Its work frequently involved ancient sacred relics, myths, and other subjects that sounded almost unreal. It also handled historical materials connected to the Lion King in cooperation with the Lion’s Holy Office.
One of the Bureau’s researchers was the person who had once taught Radius.
“By the way,” Radius asked, “how was your journey aboard the Guardian Knight?”
“It was enjoyable. The atmosphere was unlike anything I’d experienced before, and starting tomorrow I plan to take my time exploring Eupheim.”
“I am glad. It was unfortunate that I could not join you this time, but perhaps we can ride together on another occasion.”
“Of course. I’ll look forward to it.”
They made the promise as casually as though one of them were not the Third Prince.
That was simply normal for the two of them.
“Still, if you were able to arrive in time for today, you could have traveled with us.”
Ren did not mean to dismiss Radius’s schedule. He simply thought the journey would have been even more enjoyable with his friend present.
Radius, however, had been especially busy over the past several days and had possessed no such freedom.
“My apologies. There was a matter I absolutely could not neglect.”
They would have to wait for another opportunity.
As they talked, ten minutes became twenty.
The carriage continued through Eupheim until it entered the administrative district. Another ten minutes later, it stopped discreetly behind its destination, where the Third Prince’s arrival would attract less attention.
“We have arrived.”
A knight called to them from outside.
Ren stepped down and looked up at the enormous Bureau of Mysteries.
“Wow…”
For the moment, simple admiration was all he could manage.
So this was the famous Bureau of Mysteries.
Like the Lion’s Holy Office, the ivory-colored, towerlike building possessed numerous spires. Its most striking feature was its height: it rose even higher than the Hanging Garden, Elendil’s enormous integrated station.
“All required procedures have already been completed,” Radius said. “You may enter without concern.”
Even the rear entrance revealed the extraordinary security surrounding the institution.
Layer upon layer of defensive magic tools protected the building, while elite knights stood guard. The floor was paved with polished brass-colored stone. Walls and ceilings of the same hue, together with the chandeliers illuminating them, drew the eye wherever Ren looked.
The footsteps of Ren and Radius echoed through the halls.
“—the investigation report from the ruins—”
“Wait. I received a message from the professor—”
“Tell the Imperial Court of Justice this: do not intrude upon the Bureau of Mysteries’ jurisdiction—”
Researchers in white coats passed around them, along with men and women wearing expensive suits.
“I don’t really understand what they’re talking about, but do the Bureau of Mysteries and the Imperial Court of Justice dislike each other?”
“Immensely. The Bureau possesses numerous privileges concerning research and investigation, but the interpretation of law has been troublesome in every age. The two institutions frequently quarrel over differences of opinion.”
“Ah… that sounds exhausting.”
It was a complicated subject, so Ren did not pursue it further.
Among the adults filling the halls, Ren and Radius stood out.
Several people initially regarded them with puzzled expressions, but recognition quickly changed their reactions.
“Y-Your Highness the Third Prince!?”
“This is—!”
They immediately stopped and bowed deeply.
Radius acknowledged them with small nods as he walked beside Ren through the long corridor.
After following Radius, who moved through the building as though he knew it well, Ren reached a magic-tool elevator several minutes later.
The two stepped inside and began ascending the enormous Bureau.
They passed the tenth floor, the twentieth, and then the thirtieth. The elevator finally stopped on the thirty-third floor.
Its folding doors opened onto a single, extremely long corridor.
At the very end of that corridor stood only one room.