By Zephyria 
I was speechless. I listened quietly. Marianne squeezed out her words with a face that wanted to scream.
“I’m so incredulous and angry, I almost raised my hand, but I held back. Just because that bastard is a Young Master of a Count’s family.”
“…Hmph.”
“Instead, I screamed a bit. Cursed too. To make him hate me, I threw the desk around like a complete lunatic. I left after watching him run away, and I don’t know what happened after that. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t, because I felt like crying would make me look like I lost.”
Her face, with tears welling up, was pitiful.
I suppressed a sigh and handed Marianne a handkerchief. Marianne wiped her face with the handkerchief, sniffled, and continued speaking.
“So I’m so, so, so angry, but there’s nothing I can do. That’s why I’m going to the Yuil Mountains.”
“…What? No, why is that the conclusion…?”
“It’s because I’m the Young Lady of House Philodendor that I can do this kind of thing. I’m going to get stronger and take Glee Oppa back from that bastard Oliver Combine. Before Oppa marries another woman, with my own strength, with my own hands.”
“…Hmph.”
“The only one who can help me with that is Michael.”
“Huh?”
Marianne’s red, tear-soaked eyes shone clearly. I was helplessly captivated by the child’s voice. Marianne’s voice gained strength. I didn’t push away the child’s hand as she suddenly grabbed mine.
“I know it’s shameless. But we’re close, aren’t we? Since you’re going to the Yuil Mountains anyway, take me too. I can be useful.”
“…Even though there’s only a year and three months left.”
“It’s okay.”
After a long moment of thought, I revealed that I was running in the martial arts training ground every morning. Marianne, as if what had happened was a lie, burst into laughter and easily agreed to join me.
In any case, I was glad if I could be of comfort to the child. I was happy that there was something I could do to help.
However, before we parted, I suddenly had a question, and I asked, dusting off the clothes I had spread on the floor.
“By the way… can we trust what Young Master Glotin Tenner said?”
“No.”
“…No, then how…”
“I just want to believe him. Because I love him.”
I closed my mouth. Love. It was a topic that became more difficult the more I knew.
In truth, for students like me in the Swordsmanship Department, it was natural to ascend the Yuil Mountains if one was at the level of a First-rate Warrior or Sword Expert or higher.
However, very few students from the Department of Magic went to the Yuil Mountains.
While it was excellent for skill improvement, as they could receive sufficient Mana Stone support and use magic in extreme situations at the limit of their Circle, the problem was stamina.
Didn’t even that Edwin Kiadris pant after walking a little faster from the dormitory to the Department of Magic?
The Yuil Mountains were a high mountain, and no one had ever reached its summit. It was not a place one could go with ordinary resolve.
Therefore, students in the Department of Magic who aimed for the Yuil Mountains were already making their own preparations, such as training their stamina or collecting Artifacts.
Every single day was precious and valuable.
Starting the very next day, Friday morning, Marianne, with her swollen eyes, came out and ran laps with me in the martial arts training ground.
Normally, when I ran alone, I ran as fast as I pleased, but today, with Marianne by my side, I ran side-by-side, calling out the cadence.
I couldn’t teach her how to regulate her Circulating Qi. Therefore, the breathing method I taught Marianne was Wilton Roberts’s. It was about taking long breaths, controlling one’s mind, and pushing the body to its limits.
It was not an easy task, but Marianne gritted her teeth and managed it well.
After sending Marianne back, I washed up briefly and went to intermediate swordsmanship class.
Rubel approached from across the way, his expression worried as he scanned my complexion, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Uh… You look… happy…?”
“…Mmm. Yes, a little.”
I smiled briefly at Rubel, who was anxiously wondering if I had heard the news.
“I heard about Marianne. But she’s using a difficult experience as a stepping stone to pursue a big dream.”
“A big dream?”
“Yes. She said she’d go to the Yuil Mountains with me, and she ran five laps in the martial arts training ground this morning.”
“…Young Lady Philodendor, to the Yuil Mountains too?”
He seemed greatly surprised. Rubel muttered to himself several times, “Young Lady Philodendor is going too?” He answered the second question but not the third.
Thinking he might be upset that I was going to play without him, I was about to say something to appease him, but Rubel was a step ahead.
“…By any chance, Young Master Kiadris…”
“That senior said he’s going straight to the Magic Tower. He’s such a neat freak that he has no intention of climbing the Yuil Mountains.”
“Ah… I see.”
Rubel let out a long sigh. I didn’t want to see him looking dejected any longer. I raised my hand and gently pressed and rubbed his furrowed brow, speaking in a gentle voice.
“If I get strong quickly, I’ll be able to protect senior too. Isn’t senior destined to become Emperor?”
“…Mm.”
Rubel, who had responded prettily, trained even harder than usual today.
I felt very pleased.
❖ ❖ ❖
Throughout this semester, I spent most of my weekends with Rubel.
I felt it was a waste because I thought I wouldn’t have many opportunities to play with Rubel like this in the future. After returning from the Yuil Mountains, we might become people who have to use formal address with each other. My heart ached whenever such thoughts crossed my mind.
I was someone who had endured long years. I had experienced countless times when those who were very close grew distant. It was natural for companions who seemed to be together forever to drift apart as they grew older and started families.
Even though I knew this well, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret and kept looking after the child.
Therefore, as soon as the exams ended, I set a date and went out with Rubel. Rubel looked puzzled when he heard where I was going, but he didn’t refuse.
We arrived at a herbalist shop with neat eaves, where medicinal herbs were hung like curtains. Since the previous semester, after providing excellent bundles of herbs that matched the price in the intermediate alchemy class, this was a place my companions and I visited diligently every month.
Thanks to requesting various things in advance before the exam date, we were able to receive the prepared bundles immediately.
A friendly woman with a familiar face laughed heartily.
“My, where did you learn to cook it like this? I boiled it whole as you asked, but I don’t know if it’s good for the body… Oh dear, I’ve never smelled anything like this in my forty years.”
“May I taste it?”
“Of course, of course. The ones in these bags are for one serving each.”
I opened one of the bags. It was said that in the Central Plains, they boiled medicinal herbs for every meal and ate them from ceramic bowls, but since I couldn’t boil medicine for Rubel every meal, I had made a request in advance.
I opened one bag and tasted it.
It didn’t taste much different from the medicinal soup Jegal Amugae ate with every meal. It was sweet and bitter, and it was good for the body because it had a yang energy. I slowly savored it and swallowed, nodding in satisfaction.
“How is it? Is it okay?”
“Yes. It’s exactly as I requested. Thank you.”
I called Rubel, who was standing blankly, and opened another bag, handing it to him. As he smelled it, Rubel asked with a bewildered expression.
“…Are you going to eat… this? Me…?”
“Yes. I ordered it specifically for you, senior. Please taste it.”
“…What, what did you put in this…?”
“I added a few herbs to turtle.”
“T-turtle…?”
“Yes.”
While the child hesitated, I handed him a lunchbox containing several bags. When he hesitated for a long time without eating, I urged him, and Rubel closed his eyes tightly and swallowed it in one gulp.
Worried he might choke from eating too quickly, I observed his expression. After finishing one bag, Rubel swallowed with a gulp, unable to open his eyes or mouth.
Seeing him like that was so cute and funny that I put a pre-prepared candy in his mouth.
Children who eat bitter medicine are always similar. I soothed him with praise, calling him lovely and good.
“You did well.”
“…Sob. Cough, hic.”
Rubel coughed a few times. The herbalist woman couldn’t help but laugh as she watched me pat his back a couple of times.
If he was so adorably cute in my eyes, how much cuter must he be in hers? As I was about to throw away the empty bag, I took the empty bag from Rubel’s hand and handed it to the woman.
“Thank you for your hard work. We’ll be going now.”
“Yes. So, this medicine… is for the young man next to you?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Seeing Rubel jump in surprise, I handed him the lunchbox. Rubel, who had received it, looked back and forth between the lunchbox and me, so I kindly explained.
“Senior has been feeling tired lately, so I paid some attention. Take one packet after each meal.”
“…”
Rubel opened his mouth, then closed it again. He tried to say something, then stopped again. I led the now-quiet child out of the herbalist shop.
After rolling the candy around in his mouth for a while, Rubel asked in a listless voice.
“…Does House Ernhardt… eat things like this?”
“No.”
“…Then why…?”
“I want senior to be a little healthier.”
It was the unvarnished truth. After hearing my answer, Rubel pondered for a moment, then carefully transferred the lunchbox to his other hand. I felt very proud and pleased.
Rubel squeezed out his words in a pathetic voice.
“…You’re giving it to me, thinking of me, right?”
“Yes.”
“…Mm. Thank you…”
As we walked, Rubel suddenly grumbled in a very aggrieved voice that he wasn’t that weak. His whining sounded as cute and lovely as a bird’s chirping, so I just humored him.
To appease the child who was begging to see a play because he felt it was too soon to go back after just visiting the herbalist shop, we went to see a play together.
Rubel had heard me grumble a few times before that I didn’t like the play about the Countess. He had already decided on a play he wanted to see in his mind and suggested it, so I readily agreed.
It was a play about three gods weeping, fighting, and clinging to one human. I had heard a lot about the story of the Nine Gods, but seeing it with my own eyes was still fresh.
The sight of the ninth god, after killing two fellow gods, embracing the corpse of his beloved and crying out in anguish was deeply moving.
The six gods standing far away sang in hushed voices.