Kays Translations

Chapter 20: An Invitation to Old Town.

The Ignat mansion truly was enormous.

Ren regularly had opportunities to see the Imperial Castle while living in the capital, yet as a private residence, this estate was so far beyond ordinary standards that he could find no better description.

Seeing it firsthand only reinforced that impression.

House Ignat’s private soldiers stood before the massive main gate.

When they saw Ren approaching, they quietly tensed.

They might already have heard a description of him.

Even so, they weren’t foolish enough to decide his identity before confirming it. Their restraint was worthy of experienced gatekeepers.

To Ren, however, they also appeared to be growing visibly restless.

When he stopped roughly ten meters from the gate, one of the soldiers addressed him.

“Excuse me. May I ask your name?”

“I’m Ren Ash—invited here by Marquis Ignat.”

That was easy to say, but words alone proved nothing.

Thinking about it, Ren had received no invitation for this visit. The only formal invitation associated with the journey had been the one allowing him aboard the Guardian Knight.

He had dressed carefully to avoid disrespect, but that only made him look like an ordinary boy—or perhaps the son of some noble family.

…Wait.

Ren suddenly remembered something.

He had placed it inside his coat precisely in case a situation like this arose.

When his hand entered the coat, the soldiers before him swallowed.

It wasn’t thirst or hunger. They were imagining what Ren was about to produce.

None seriously expected him to draw a weapon.

Their tension came from anticipating a very different object.

“Here. I apologize for the trouble.”

Ren withdrew a jet-black card—an old invitation.

Years ago, Edgar had left it with Ren after visiting Clausel as Marquis Ignat’s representative.

The private soldier accepted it and immediately understood.

The others unconsciously shifted closer to see it for themselves.

“…There’s no mistake.”

“Yes. This is the invitation Sir Edgar prepared.”

“So this is the one we’ve heard about…”

After examining the famous invitation with almost excessive solemnity, the soldiers gradually regained their composure.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Both girls wanted to stand beside Ren.

The recent change in the way Ren and Licia addressed each other had affected them as well. Fiona in particular had begun to feel that she couldn’t remain as she was.

Some time had passed, and the two girls were still talking in the garden.

Perhaps a magic tool was hidden somewhere nearby, because the garden remained comfortable despite the season.

Lessard was being entertained inside the mansion, but this time together was important to the girls too.

“My ladies, Lord Ren Ashton has arrived.”

An Ignat attendant hurried over to deliver the news.

Licia and Fiona, seated on chairs on the terrace, nodded and rose at the same moment.

The attendant quickly withdrew.

They expected Edgar to bring Ren to them. To go and welcome him, both girls stepped forward with their right feet at almost exactly the same time.

Then they looked at one another.

“…”

“…”

They had considered the matter many times before, so neither needed another reminder that the other was exceptionally beautiful.

They merely confirmed once more exactly how formidable the other was.

Both released a slow breath.

The atmosphere was one they hadn’t felt for some time—perhaps not since the night they first met at a party in the Imperial Capital.

As on that night, a platinum-feather hair ornament and a Star Agate necklace swayed softly.

The girls remained still while watching one another.

For an instant, the nearby attendant sensed something dangerous in the air.

Even so, Licia and Fiona hadn’t forgotten to respect each other’s positions and feelings.

They remembered the relationship they had discussed in the girls’ dormitory.

“Today, I’d like you to let me—” Fiona began.

“I won’t yield.”

“I-I haven’t even finished speaking!”

Fiona wasn’t asking Licia to hand Ren over as though he were an object.

Neither girl would ever say anything so foolish. Licia had merely become overly cautious in the presence of her powerful rival—Fiona.

“I was going to ask you to let me thank Ren today! I promised him long ago that I would serve him tea in this mansion!”

“I-I’m sorry! That’s what you meant!”

The tension drained out of both girls.

They finally resumed walking to greet Ren.

“Honestly…” Fiona sighed with an expression appropriate to her age.

It wasn’t resentment, but an adorable little sulk.

Surprised, Licia had accidentally spoken to Fiona in a much more casual manner than usual. Neither girl noticed.

Nor did they yet realize that they were now able to treat each other more naturally than before.

The attendant who had withdrawn watched from a distance and smiled at the heartwarming scene.

After taking a breath, the girls exchanged one final pair of words to settle the matter.

“I’m not going to lose.”

Licia’s unusually forceful declaration came directly from her heart.

“Neither am I. I absolutely won’t lose.”

Fiona usually accommodated others and behaved modestly, but this time she refused to retreat.

Was it a renewed declaration of war after the night several years ago, or merely a statement of resolve?

Whatever the answer, their feelings had remained unchanged for a long time. The present had been reached because those feelings continued to advance, slowly but steadily.

Then the voice of the person they both cherished reached them.

“Sorry I’m late—oh?”

Edgar had brought Ren to the garden.

Ren looked at the girls and noticed something unusual.

Their cheeks were red, and neither appeared entirely calm.

“Both of you look flushed. Are you feeling all right?”

The girls felt conflicted that Ren had failed to understand the reason. Still, neither complained. They accepted that it couldn’t be helped and approached him together.

“It’s nothing.”

“Yes. Nothing at all.”

Their voices overlapped, followed by a shared sigh.

Perhaps the sigh expressed frustration with their own hesitation—and the maidenly hope that Ren might notice their feelings despite it.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

They later moved to the reception Ulysses had arranged.

According to Fiona, she couldn’t remember a party ever being held in the mansion.

When she had been ill, Ulysses had used other venues out of concern for her health. Even after her recovery, he had rarely wished to invite outsiders into their home.

A separate reception facility had therefore been built elsewhere on the estate.

The last party-like event held inside the mansion itself had taken place—

“Ha ha ha! It was before I inherited this house from my father!”

Ulysses spoke with an enormous smile.

“My lord, your years of restraint have finally paid off,” Edgar said.

“Indeed! Holding parties at home was always troublesome, but today I’m enjoying myself so much I no longer understand why!”

For House Clausel, still counted among the lower nobility, the gathering carried a considerable weight and significance.

Their one advantage was that they had grown accustomed to dealing with Ulysses.

The reception hall was decorated with extraordinary luxury.

Rare furnishings made it more prestigious than any party venue they had previously visited, and the servants’ conduct was on an entirely different level.

Lessard offered a formal greeting.

“It’s an honor to receive an invitation from Marquis Ignat.”

“Ha! Viscount Clausel, you never change.”

The reception continued for some time.

It was a special occasion eagerly anticipated not only by Ulysses, Fiona, and Edgar, but by everyone who served in the mansion.

Lessard, Licia, and Ren were nervous at first, though the feeling gradually faded.

They enjoyed speaking with the members of House Ignat, and several more hours passed.

Time moved astonishingly quickly.

The light entering through the great windows had passed beyond the western glow of sunset and was gradually dimming.

“Viscount Clausel,” Ulysses said shortly before the gathering ended. “Would you care to discuss the business venture we mentioned before?”

“Would that be acceptable? I would be grateful, but it’s already growing dark.”

“Please don’t concern yourself with our household.”

House Ignat’s hospitality wasn’t merely adequate; it was flawless.

“Why not stay the night?” Ulysses continued.

“Stay… here at the mansion?”

“Yes. Both I and the servants would be delighted. We can send word to your inn.”

The sudden proposal caught Lessard off guard.

Yet it offered clear benefits.

Lessard and Ulysses lived far apart, so their practical means of communication were limited to letters or journeys by magic ship.

They cooperated closely in their work and considered the time they could spend speaking face-to-face as valuable as gold. Continuing their discussion that evening would also produce practical advantages.

“For the further prosperity of both houses, what do you say?”

“My lord,” Edgar interjected after remaining silent until then, “you said you wished to entertain House Clausel. Is it truly appropriate to begin discussing work so quickly?”

“Having them stay overnight will allow us to entertain them even more. Don’t interfere.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

The exchange was deliberately theatrical.

Had Ulysses intended from the beginning to keep everyone overnight, he would have informed them in advance. The conversation had simply gone better than expected.

In other words, the invitation was spontaneous.

Lessard glanced at Ren and Licia. Both immediately nodded.

Nearby, Fiona clasped her hands with a delighted smile.

“Marquis Ignat, might we also share a drink later? It’s been some time.”

Lessard’s answer accepted the offer.

No one objected, and the matter was settled.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Evening passed, but dinner hadn’t yet begun.

Ulysses’s study had once been visited by Chronois and Radius.

Ren had also been invited to sit in and listen to the discussion. The adults thought it might prove useful to someone expected to succeed his father as village chief.

“Excuse me.”

Edgar entered during the conversation and handed Ulysses a bundle of papers tied together with cord.

Then he immediately left the study.

“This is the report from Old Town.”

“Ah, it’s nearly that time again.”

Old Town was the place Ren had repeatedly heard mentioned since the previous day.

Licia had also passed it while traveling with Sera’s group.

“Has something happened in Old Town, Lord Ulysses?”

“Nothing serious. It’s only a routine report.”

Since the subject had arisen, Ulysses asked, “You know about Old Town too?”

“Yes. I had heard of it before, and it came up at the Bureau of Mysteries. Licia also told me that she passed it yesterday.”

“Ah, you spoke with that laboratory director. Did he mention that the area is regulated?”

“That’s one of the reasons I was curious.”

“Then this will be easy to explain. Old Town requires regular patrols, and the report concerns that work.”

Ulysses glanced over the writing and said, “Just as expected.”

Perhaps he read quickly because the contents matched his prediction. Or perhaps he only skimmed it because Ren and Lessard were present.

“The same response again.”

Ren asked, “Was something unusual discovered?”

“No. This has happened many times. According to the Bureau of Mysteries, the light is produced when a submerged magic tool gives off some kind of response. Naturally, they investigated whether it was a danger signal. Apparently, it merely indicates that the device is still operating.”

Reports were sent to Ulysses as a precaution.

The time had also come to dispatch another regular patrol, but Ulysses decided to consider that later and prioritize the present conversation.

However—

“Old Town…”

Ren’s voice revealed his interest.

Hearing it, Ulysses made a casual suggestion in his usual tone.

“Would you like to visit it?”

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter