Chapter : 134

I was tormented for two hours.

It felt as if my brain was threatening to explode if I was made to do anything more.

To make matters worse, Father was smiling as if he were satisfied, which only made my heart ache more.

"Father, I have something to tell you."

After the lesson ended, I caught Father as he was preparing to leave.

I told him about what had happened at the campsite today as he gestured for me to speak.

The mercenary in question named 'Bell'.

The potion that saved her and the unidentified person who gave it to her.

It was a trivial enough matter to simply pass over, but it was just enough to weigh on my mind, making it hard to ignore.

The mercenaries thought nothing of it, but I couldn't deny that it felt dangerous.

"It certainly is suspicious."

"Could it be related to the escaped Pope?"

Contrary to my expectations that he would reach out with his evil influence at any moment, it was too quiet.

It was right to be happy that he was safe rather than suspicious, but I couldn't completely erase my anxiety.

"As you say, he is the most suspicious at the moment, but he is not the type to move so hastily."

A strange conviction resided in my father's eyes as he spoke.

"The moment he is caught, it's summary execution, and the moment his traces are revealed, Fel will also be a free man, so he won't be able to move easily."

"Is one of the reasons Fel returned to the Academy related to the former Pope?"

Father smiled silently, as if he couldn't say anything directly.

However, his smile was answer enough.

There must have been a deal between the Church and Fel.

He would leave the Church and stay only at the Academy.

In return, if Caelus Levian revealed himself, he would begin to act in earnest for the execution.

That's probably the kind of negotiation it was.

"Does the Pope know that Fel will be free if he moves?"

"He is a man who reigned as Pope for decades.

Even if he was ousted, he is the type of person who would have prepared a couple of ways to access the Church's confidential information.

Above all—"

Father's gaze slowly fell upon me.

As if the thought of Caelus being audacious crossed his mind within that gentle gaze, Father roughly tousled my hair.

"I intentionally leaked the information, so there's no way he doesn't know."

Ah, Father's explanation finally made me understand.

If Caelus moved, Fel would also leave the Academy and begin to act in earnest.

In other words, he had tied Caelus's hands, making him unable to move for fear of Fel.

"And Fel just accepted that?"

"He was rather pleased."

Was he?

Then again, if it were me, and an enemy I wouldn't be satisfied with even if I chewed them up and swallowed them was unable to move because of me, I might not just welcome it but dance a dance of frenzied joy.

"Caelus knows that and still won't be able to move."

In any case, as long as he didn't move, Fel was as good as trapped in the Academy.

It was a deal with complicated calculations on all sides.

"It would have been a difficult deal without the support of the new Sword of Doctrine.

Besides, I told Hartain Ignos a good method."

"A good method?"

"There is such a thing."

Father smiled immaculately.

At that incredibly bright smile, I had no choice but to give up asking further.

Hmm, I'm so curious, but I'm not curious at all.

Maybe Father actually has a bad personality. Such a question quietly raised its head.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Father."

* * *

After confirming that Father was leaving, I came out of the watchtower and ran right into Cecilia-sunbae.

Was this why Father didn't send me back to my room with teleportation magic?

So I could have a chat with Sunbae.

"Is something wrong, Sunbae?"

"It's not that anything is wrong."

Cecilia's gaze, scanning the inside of the watchtower like a cat wary of its natural enemy, was unusual.

It was obvious she was on guard, wondering if Father hadn't left.

"Father has gone back."

"Really?"

No matter how uncomfortable she was with Father, wasn't she being too openly happy?

A feeling of dissatisfaction suddenly raised its head.

However, it was a natural attitude for an ordinary Academy student, so I resolved not to be upset.

"Laurel is coming."

"You mean Laurel Arens-sunbae?"

"Yeah, she said she was working on a request from Lilia's side in the Viscounty of Bellone during the vacation anyway, so I decided to borrow her."

Lilia Bellone, a name I had heard before.

The vice president of the Vivian Rose Society I had encountered at the Flowering Festival was Lilia Bellone.

It was amusing to see her throw daggers at Laurel-sunbae with a smile.

Trying to scam an innocent lamb was not amusing at all.

"Laurel-sunbae would certainly be reliable."

Even though she may seem that way, if she's properly dressed in her magical girl outfit, she's one of the strongest in the Academy.

It's only because she hates being a magical girl to death that she's a 1-star, even taking penalties.

If she came out in her magical girl version, it wouldn't be strange if she were a 3-star.

"Magical girls are cute, you know."

I just can't understand why Laurel detests the magical girl outfit so much... or can I!

Yes, the magical girl outfit itself is cute, but apart from being cute, the fact that you have to fight in those clothes is embarrassing.

Moreover, true to the phrase 'Magic for All the Magical Girls in the World,' it even transforms men into girls... I'll skip the rest of the explanation. It's too cruel and scary!

"If you're so envious, why don't you join the club, Sunbae?"

"Being envious and actually being able to do it are two completely different things."

Cecilia smiled bitterly, as if disappointed.

Goosebumps! What is she talking about, when she can't get enough of cute things!

"I just don't understand why you hide your preferences to that extent, Sunbae."

"I don't seek your understanding."

Cecilia's voice was firm.

The force in her tone, which would accept no further opinions or rebuttals, even had a knightly dignity to it.

In other words, Cecilia was being perfectly stubborn right now.

"The heir to the solemn Loren family cannot like cute things."

...She can say that because she doesn't know who passed on that preference to her.

The problem would be easily solved if she just talked to her father a little.

Then again, a conversation with one's father is never easy for anyone.

"Think about it carefully."

Sunbae is under a huge misunderstanding about her father, Viscount Loren.

She thinks her father would be disappointed if she liked cute things, but in reality, the one who likes cute things is Viscount Loren!!

* * *

Viscount Loren had the rugged and burly appearance of a mercenary rather than a knight.

But the Viscount and his wife had a love marriage, not an arranged one.

For reference, the Viscountess has a taste for calling men who others would admire as 'manly', "Cute~".

In that case, who was the one who passed on the 'propensity to like cute things'?

Of course, it's Viscount Loren!

A burly old man liking cute things, it's a strange scene, but...

"To think this actually worked."

I looked at Viscount Loren with a slightly empty feeling.

As soon as I let Albedo and Lou loose in the garden, just as I expected, Viscount Loren appeared like a butterfly seeking a flower.

The Viscount hastily cleared his throat, ahem, and put down Albedo from his shoulder and Lou from his palm, but he was already completely caught.

An awkward silence fell, and just in case, I cast a protective spell on myself and asked.

"Were you thinking of killing me to silence me?"

"......"

In the long silence that followed, the Viscount sharply turned his gaze away.

He thought about it! He thought about it!!

Even if I am his daughter's school junior, to think of murder for even a moment to silence me, he's a scary person.

"Are those animals yours?"

I answered with Albedo on my shoulder and Lou on my head.

"Yes."

"Then this was a trap."

"I suppose so."

Though I didn't expect him to show interest in Albedo as well.

If Albedo's cuteness was an acquired taste, Lou was an existence that anyone would find cute.

So I thought it wouldn't be easy for him not to reveal his preference, but I didn't expect him to be found out so quickly.

"I've been stressed lately... I failed to restrain myself."

"Stressed?"

"I'm talking about your father."

What's wrong with my father?

A complaint suddenly reared its head, but at the same time, I couldn't offer any rebuttal.

To be honest, I don't think my father has a very good personality.

But I just decided to be brazen.

"Where else in the Empire would you find someone as good as my father?"

Wow... a person can make such a bizarre expression.

His lips twisted ambiguously like someone who had been forced to swallow bitter medicine, and his eyebrows slowly rose and fell repeatedly.

"I was joking.

There are probably one or two people better than my father."

His face said, It's not one or two, it's hard to find someone with a worse personality than your father.

"If my father finds out that Viscount Loren spoke ill of him to me..."

"Did I perhaps commit a great wrong against you?"

Viscount Loren gripped my shoulder tightly, looking as if the world was ending.

When a burly man who seems to fear nothing in the world acts like that, well... I feel sorry.

"I'm joking."

At my words, the Viscount finally let out a sigh of relief.

His first impression was scary, but he seems like an interesting person.

I carefully held Lou and offered him to Viscount Loren.

"You like cute things, don't you?"

"How can a knight like cute things!"

"Is there a connection between being a knight and liking cute things?"

"I am a noble with a fief and a title."

"Oh, come on, you're just making excuses."

This is why Cecilia is so obsessed with hiding her own preferences.

Just be more free with your self-expression!

"It's fine to hide your own preferences."

Though I called it an excuse, it's true that if a noble from a knightly family with a fief and a title likes cute things, there are quite a few people who wouldn't look kindly on it.

Being mindful of such gazes and hiding one's preferences is, in the end, one's own choice, but—

"Still, don't you think it's a bit much for Cecilia-sunbae to hide her preferences because of you, Viscount?"

That's what I wanted to say.