Chapter 111

Whoosh-

Blue fire erupted, and from Rao’s summoning circle, Parita and Joy appeared.

Eddie smiled faintly as he saw the summoned pair.

Unlike Parita, who had a calm expression, Joy, experiencing summoning for the first time, had her eyes squeezed shut.

“We’ve arrived. Open your eyes.”

At the sound of Eddie’s voice, Joy finally opened her eyes.

“Whoa…”

Joy looked at herself and marveled repeatedly.

She seemed fascinated by the fact that she had been engulfed in flames yet wasn’t burned or scorched in the slightest.

Parita and Rao smiled faintly as if they found Joy cute, and Leodimir also wore a gentle smile.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly on a holiday, Joy. You must have been having a pleasant time with your grandfather.”

At Leodimir’s apology, Joy hurriedly shook her head.

“Not at all. When I told my grandfather I had been summoned by the Dean, he was actually delighted.”

“That’s something to be thankful for.”

“But… where is this? I thought we were going to the academy.”

“This is my private estate in Navia.”

“Na… Navia?”

Joy’s eyes widened in surprise at the name of the city located at the far end of the empire.

Eddie then added an explanation.

“It will also be my residence for the time being. I’ve put my life as a retainer behind me, but I’ve ended up freeloading in someone else’s house all the same.”

Eddie spoke with a mix of humor to ease Joy’s tension.

Until now, she had only spoken with him one-on-one, but now, with several adults including Leodimir watching her, she was bound to be nervous.

It seemed to have an effect, as Joy let out a small laugh, her stiff expression relaxing.

Eddie clasped his hands behind his back, walked past her, and said.

“Follow me. This place is too good to discuss things in a confined space.”

With those words, he started walking toward the orchard, and Joy followed behind him.

* * *

The two walked for a long while, smelling the fragrance of fruit scattering in the wind.

Joy followed the leading Eddie, continuously looking around with a face full of admiration.

The endless fruit trees, touching the blue sky, were like a painting.

As someone who lived in an even narrower alley within a narrow alleyway, she had never had the chance to see such a landscape.

‘Should I ask if I can bring my grandfather here later….’

Joy’s expression, which had been taking in the scenery, clouded for a moment.

She herself knew well that it was an presumptuous request.

But then, she heard dream-like words from Eddie.

“It’s a grassy field, but the soil is firm, so a wheelchair should have no problem.”

“…Huh?”

“Bring your grandfather with you next time.”

Joy was so surprised that she stopped following Eddie.

Was what she just had a thought or had she said it out loud?

Fearing she had made a mistake, she thought, Oh no!, but looking back, it was definitely a thought she had kept to herself.

And yet, Eddie had read her thoughts exactly as if he were a mind reader.

“Really… is that… okay…?”

“Yes. If you keep walking in this direction, you’ll also see the sea. It’s quite a nice view, so be sure to see that too.”

“…Thank you.”

Eddie showed no reaction to her thanks.

He simply walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

For a moment, his back looked like that of an elderly person around her grandfather's age, and Joy rubbed her eyes.

Once they had walked far enough that the cabin was no longer visible, Eddie stopped.

It was now time to talk about the plan, as he had mentioned in the letter.

Joy, with a now familiar expression, faced Eddie and waited for him to speak.

“As you know, I am no longer a retainer of Kirhausen. I fought a bloody battle to get out.”

“A bloody battle?”

Eddie told the surprised Joy everything that had happened in Shainborough.

Subduing Sylvia and Alta.

Confirming the family's corruption to Marcel through a private meeting with Furas.

And even the death of Mercury Daz during the escape.

Gulp.

“Phew…”

After hearing the whole story, Joy exhaled a trembling, nervous breath.

Perhaps 'fear' was a more fitting expression than 'nervousness.'

He said someone had died.

That someone who followed Eddie's plan, just like her, had died from a spell cast by the head of the Kirhausen family.

Seeing Joy's trembling eyes, Eddie spoke calmly, as if it were only natural.

“Remember what I said in the closet? That making the current Kirhausen family an enemy is a matter of life and death.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“This is what I meant. Furas von Kirhausen now genuinely wants to kill me.”

“……”

“An all-out war is about to begin. This means that everyone who helps me will now be in danger. So…”

Step-

Eddie turned his body.

Joy, who had been focused solely on Eddie, finally saw something hidden behind his back.

Eddie continued.

“You and your grandfather also need to move to a safer place.”

“……!”

Joy's eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

That 'something' was a two-story house that blended well with the picturesque landscape.

Joy looked at Eddie, her eyes asking if what she understood was correct.

Eddie nodded.

“You’ll have to persuade your grandfather and bring him here. When he needs to go to the hospital, a skilled healer named Gail will take care of him.”

“Ah…”

For a moment, Joy was speechless, her gaze alternating between the house before her and Eddie.

It felt like a dream.

But she couldn't just be happy, and a complex mix of emotions showed plainly on her face.

Eddie fully understood her feelings.

She would be happy, but also scared and at a loss.

Even explaining the reason for the move to her grandfather would be an immediate hurdle.

But if she intended to stay with him until the end, Joy had to move forward from here.

If she chose to stop, he couldn't be with her.

Even for Joy's own sake.

Eddie silently asked Joy with his eyes.

‘What will you do?’

Joy pondered for a moment, then, her trembling gone, she looked at the house before her.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she strode resolutely toward her new home.

* * *

After looking around the new house, Joy sat facing Eddie in the living room.

The very act of entering this house signified her intention to join him, so Eddie got straight to the point.

“From now on, our cooperative relationship will become more apparent. This means we’ll be sticking together often at the academy.”

“So Kirhausen will soon be digging into my background.”

“And they’ll try to find a weakness. That’s why we need to move your grandfather to this safe place.”

Joy nodded, accepting the situation.

Eddie nodded as well and continued.

“And more and more people will start showing interest in you. Among them will be those instigated by Kirhausen.”

“Right, you told me I need to filter them out and let you know.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay, I understand that part… but I don’t know if I have the eye to filter them out. How do I judge whether the interest is impure or not?”

“You just have to see if they meet these conditions.”

The three conditions Eddie mentioned as he unfolded a piece of paper were:

Does someone with no prior connection try to approach you?

Do they offer favors without context or conditions?

Is the person of high standing, capable of being someone’s backer?

It was a method of distinction that Eddie knew from having experienced high society throughout his entire previous life.

But after hearing all the conditions, Joy’s eyes gradually widened.

Surprisingly, she had recently experienced something that perfectly matched these three conditions.

“Don’t tell me… that time…?”

“Why, what happened?”

Eddie asked in surprise.

He had expected an approach, but this was too fast.

“Yeah. I was in a bind with my friends because we had nowhere to practice for the mock duel exam, but there was a senior who offered the Rancross practice field as a practice venue.”

“The Rancross practice field?”

“Yes. He had no connection to any of us, helped us out of the blue, and was from such a prominent family that we were very grateful but also very puzzled.”

“…Wait. The senior you’re talking about, could it be…”

“That’s right, the famous Kylie Penrose.”

Eddie almost dropped the water cup he was holding.

Kylie Penrose.

That name shouldn't be coming up now.

“W-wait a minute. Are you serious? Are you sure? It was really Kylie Penrose?”

Eddie, uncharacteristically flustered, asked again.

Joy, surprised by his rare reaction, retraced her memory once more.

But no matter how she thought about it, her memory wasn't wrong.

“I’m sure. It was Kylie Penrose.”

“Haa……”

Eddie’s expression hardened as he let out a deep sigh.

Joy, flustered, asked him what was wrong.

Of course, she too had wondered, 'Could the great Kylie Penrose really have been instigated by Kirhausen?'

But seeing Eddie become this serious, it seemed there was a problem even greater than that.

Eddie stared into the air for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

Where should he start explaining?

After a brief thought, Eddie chose to first explain only the parts Joy needed to know for now.

“Kylie Penrose must be brought to our side if we are to investigate Tuksen, another place where Kirhausen's conspiracy is unfolding.”

“What?!”

“To be precise, we need to move the Penrose family through Kylie. Only the Penrose family can politically tie down the Imperial Guard that protects Tuksen.”

After hearing the explanation, Joy’s face turned ashen, just like Eddie’s.

Then she let out a deep sigh, just as Eddie had.

“Phew…. So this situation could be either a blessing or a curse.”

“That’s right. Thanks to Kylie approaching us first, we’ve saved the trouble of approaching her. But if that approach was really instigated by Kirhausen…”

“Not only would we have to completely revise the plan, but we would also have to consider the formidable enemy that is the Penrose family.”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

Eddie agreed with Joy’s words with a bitter expression.

It wasn’t a possibility he particularly wanted to consider.

However, just as when dealing with the West family, one always had to prepare for the worst.

“But she's the next head of the Penrose family, the family of the Dowager Empress. Would she have been instigated by Kirhausen?”

“I have the same thought. But the possibility of Kylie showing interest in you by mere coincidence is just as small…”

Tap-tap- Tap-tap-

Eddie tapped his fingers on the table.

It was a habit that appeared whenever his thoughts deepened.

A moment later, Eddie gulped down the cold water in his cup.

His worries were deep, but there was only one answer.

He had to find out for himself.

Whether Kylie’s approach was a coincidence or a misfortune.

“Joy, you’re good at sports, right? I saw you use break-fall well last time.”

“Suddenly? Well… yeah. I’m pretty good with my body.”

“Good. Listen carefully. As soon as the holiday is over, we’re submitting applications to join the Rancross team.”

“Quick and decisive. Right, we need to confirm as soon as possible. But… do you think we can pass?”

“That depends not on us, but on Kylie.”

Joy tilted her head as if to ask what he meant.

But she soon realized Eddie’s intention and let out a soft exclamation.

“Ah-.”

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