Sigrid

Suddenly, she started giggling. Both Morris and Sigrid looked at Lowengrin in bewilderment. Trying to contain her laughter, she said:

“It’s about Marie. She once asked Sigrid to lose to her in a duel. Imagine if Siri had actually agreed to that.”

Morris rolled his eyes, and Lowengrin laughed again.

“Wouldn’t that be hilarious? Goodness, an Aura Core user losing to an ordinary knight.”

As she chuckled, the sound of footsteps approached.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh my? Speak of the devil.”

Referencing the proverb about fairies appearing when you talk about them, Lowengrin shook her head.

“No, it’s nothing. Did your talk go well?”

Marie-Chez answered with a sigh. Sigrid’s face darkened. Morris stood up and asked:

“Where’s Alkerto?”

“He said he’s going to practice more…”

“I see, I’ll go check on him.”

As Morris passed by, he lightly patted Marie-Chez’s shoulder in a comforting gesture before leaving. Marie-Chez slumped down into the seat Morris had vacated. Lowengrin asked:

“What happened?”

“I apologized. But… Alkerto said he’s still not sure.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s not bad. There’s still hope, isn’t there?”

At Lowengrin’s words, Marie-Chez sat up and said:

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, give Alkerto a bit more time.”

Marie-Chez’s face brightened a little at Lowengrin’s words. Lowengrin then said to Sigrid:

“Hurry up and tell Marie too.”

“Oh, right.”

“Tell me what? What’s going on?”

Marie-Chez’s eyes immediately sparkled with curiosity. Sigrid cleared her throat and said:

“I’m actually an Aura user.”

After three seconds of silence, Marie-Chez let out a cry of astonishment.

“Aura?! Really?! For real?! Show me!”

“Like this?”

A crimson aura shimmered around Sigrid’s white fingers, like mist, smoke, or flames. Both Lowengrin and Marie-Chez stared at it intently. Marie-Chez cautiously reached out her hand.

“Can I touch it?”

“Sure.”

Marie-Chez touched the aura.

“I can’t feel anything.”

“That’s because I haven’t given it any properties yet.”

“Properties?”

“Like making it sharp or hard.”

“I see… It’s amazing… To think my friend is an Aura user…”

Marie-Chez exclaimed in wonder.

“So I received a scouting offer from the Imperial Guard.”

“Ah! So that’s why Lord Lunatil!”

Marie-Chez slapped her knee. Lowengrin also nodded as if she finally understood.

“I was wondering why suddenly… I see. So that’s the story. Then it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

“Huh? Well… Since I caught that magical beast.”

At Sigrid’s admission, Marie-Chez narrowed her eyes.

“Why didn’t you say anything? I was really worried about you then.”

“I didn’t want to reveal it yet…”

“Then why reveal it now? Have you decided to join the Imperial Guard?”

At Lowengrin’s question, Sigrid nodded. Marie-Chez’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re going?!”

“Yes, not right away, but around autumn.”

“How could you, leaving us…”

Marie-Chez’s eyes immediately began to well up with tears. Sigrid said:

“Even if I go to the Imperial Guard, we’ll still see each other often, right? Because we’re friends.”

“Well, that’s true… But it’s still disappointing.”

“It’s not like Siri is going off to die, why are you crying?”

Lowengrin said coolly, making Marie-Chez pout.

“Lowie, you’re so cold-hearted.”

“But it’s not like she’s going far away, just changing her workplace.”

“But even things like that can make people drift apart quickly.”

At Marie-Chez’s words, Sigrid shook her head.

“No, that absolutely won’t happen. Would you do that, Marie-Chez?”

“No, I wouldn’t either.”

“Then we’ll continue to be friends.”

At Sigrid’s words, Marie-Chez dabbed at her teary eyes and sighed.

“I’m glad you’re not leaving right away. The Imperial Guard, an Aura user… By the way, is there really an Aura Core? Can you show us?”

“Sure.”

Sigrid started unbuttoning her shirt, but Marie-Chez grabbed her hands to stop her.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“You asked to see the Aura Core, right? Mine is between my breasts.”

“Then at least let’s go to a room! Why in the reception room—”

Marie-Chez looked around anxiously. Lowengrin said with a smile:

“Shall we move to a room?”

“Yes.”

Marie-Chez nodded deeply, and Sigrid followed the two of them. Only after setting up a partition in an empty room could Sigrid unbutton her shirt.

Marie-Chez marveled at the crimson, diamond-shaped core protruding between Sigrid’s undergarments.

“So this is the core… It’s beautiful. It looks alive. Can I touch it?”

“Touching is a bit…”

“I see.”

Lowengrin glanced at it once and said, “Fascinating,” while Marie-Chez stared at the core for a long time before sighing.

“It’s really beautiful.”

Marie-Chez buttoned up Sigrid’s shirt herself. At the same time, she didn’t forget to admonish her:

“Never, ever unbutton carelessly. Even if it’s just us.”

“I understand.”

Sigrid obediently agreed.

“Good.”

Marie-Chez put her hands on her hips and nodded. Lowengrin asked:

“When in autumn? Autumn when?”

“I’m not sure exactly… Maybe late October?”

Sigrid answered vaguely.

“It would be nice if you went after winter, during the New Year’s gathering. We could have the year-end party together too.”

Marie-Chez said wistfully.

“Year-end party?”

“Oh, Siri, you’ve never been to one, have you? It’s such a shame~ We eat a lot, drink, and dance to our heart’s content—”

“I see.”

Sigrid carefully replied, trying not to show that she wasn’t particularly disappointed. Eating and drinking were one thing, but dancing was still something she wasn’t comfortable with.

The last ball she attended had been enough.

“By the way, if it’s the Imperial Guard and Lord Lunatil, it must be the 1st Imperial Guard, right?”

When Lowengrin asked, Sigrid nodded. Marie-Chez looked proud.

“Then it’s the strongest among the knight orders.”

At those words, Sigrid looked skeptical.

“Well, the Western Nobles Alliance is also formidable.”

“Ah— I’ve heard rumors too. They say their knights are battle-hardened and tough.”

At Lowengrin’s words, Marie-Chez pursed her lips.

“They’re just barbaric.”

The West, which shared borders with barbarians and magical beasts, saw frequent battles. Moreover, there were many people of mixed blood with barbarians, who tended to be looked down upon by the central nobility. When people spoke of Western nobles, they were generally considered a step below the central nobility.

Furthermore, the imperial family was wary of those with excessively strong private armies. The current Emperor, in particular, was using even harsher policies to suppress the Western nobles.

There hadn’t been any major incidents in the West for several years, which led to the belief that the Western nobles had grown too powerful.

In contrast, Crown Prince Serios was more lenient towards the Western nobles.

“It’s because of those people guarding the borders that we’re safe.”

Sigrid honestly expressed her thoughts. Marie-Chez said, “Is that so?” then shook her head and continued:

“Still, I don’t want to be associated with Western nobles. Everyone says they’re barbaric. Like that Berserker person or whatever. Isn’t he mixed with barbarian blood too?”

“You mean Lord Utulu Mihas.”

Unlike his surname Mihas, there were stories that his unique first name was due to his mother being a barbarian. Sigrid tried to recall him from before she returned. His face was certainly closer to that of a mixed-blood than a pure imperial.

“A knight should be judged by their skill. What does bloodline have to do with it?”

Sigrid said decisively. She had now become someone who could strongly express her own opinions. Lowengrin nodded.

“That’s right, and Duke Fienscha, the leader of the Western Nobles Alliance, is of central noble blood, isn’t he? Yet he’s a Western noble. Calling them all barbarians is prejudice.”

As Lowengrin and Sigrid’s opinions aligned, Marie-Chez started to say “But—” then shook her head.

“Well, that could be true. You’re right, we can’t know without meeting them.”

Marie-Chez shrugged.

“While I dislike rumors spreading, I’ve been badmouthing Western nobles based on hearsay without knowing anything about them. I’ll stop doing that.”

At those words, Lowengrin’s eyes widened, saying “Oh my?” Marie-Chez lowered her gaze and said:

“Talking with Siri and dealing with the Alkerto situation has made me think about a lot of things. But I still fall into these habits unconsciously.”

Lowengrin’s brown eyes curved into crescents.

“That’s impressive, Marie.”

“You think so?”

Marie-Chez’s ears perked up. Lowengrin nodded.

“Yes, how should I put it? It makes me reflect on myself.”

“You, Lowie? Why?”

At Marie-Chez’s question, Lowengrin smiled enigmatically.

“Just for various reasons.”

In truth, she had thought people don’t change easily. That’s why she disliked putting effort into relationships and various other things. But after meeting Sigrid, Marie-Chez was gradually changing. She was trying to change.

‘Have I changed a little too?’

Looking at Marie-Chez, Sigrid had such thoughts.

“And you’re amazing, Sigrid Ankertna.”

Lowengrin said, poking her shoulder. Sigrid was dumbfounded. Lowengrin just smiled, and Marie-Chez seemed to finally understand what she meant.

“That’s right, you’re amazing, Siri.”

“Huh? What is?”

Seeing the confused Sigrid, the two women just laughed.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Morris watched Alkerto pouring water over his head at the well before approaching and asking:

“Want me to pour it for you?”

“Nah. Ugh, this well water is really cold. It’s summer, but my head feels numb.”

Alkerto roughly dried his hair with a towel. It had been prepared by a maid.

‘I’m relying too much on Lowengrin… How can I repay her?’

As Alkerto pondered this, Morris asked:

“What about Marie-Chez?”

“Oh, I heard her out.”

“Did you listen well?”

At Morris’s question, Alkerto chuckled and hung the towel over his shoulder. His shirtless figure was quite a sight, drawing glances from the maids across the way. Alkerto flashed them a smile. Morris kicked his leg.

“Do you want to cause trouble?”

“What’s wrong with just smiling?”

Though he looked wronged, Alkerto quickly averted his gaze.

“I talked with Lady Inglet. She apologized. I’m not sure if she was sincere, but…”

She seemed sincere.

To be honest, even if she apologized, he had expected her to do so with an arrogant attitude. That was the Marie-Chez Inglet he knew. But surprisingly, she spoke with difficulty, twisting her clasped hands. With her navy blue eyes downcast, she glanced up occasionally as she quietly said she was sorry.

It was so different from what he had imagined that Alkerto couldn’t bring himself to turn her away coldly.

“So I told her I’d think about it.”

At Alkerto’s words, Morris briefly replied, “I see.” After a moment of silence, something suddenly occurred to Morris. Thinking about it made him angry again, and he kicked Alkerto’s leg once more. Alkerto jumped and growled, rubbing his thigh.

“Ow, what was that for?!”

“Why didn’t you tell me Sigrid was an Aura user?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“Sig told me.”

“Oh, she did? She asked me to keep it a secret.”

While that may be true, it still felt vexing.

“Wait, then even when we went to fight that magical beast, don’t tell me—”

“Sig killed it. That Aura thing is really incredible.”

Alkerto sighed. And now Morris understood why he had felt so inferior to Sigrid. Of course he would feel that way if he saw someone who had been training with a sword for about the same time suddenly using Aura right in front of him.

“So did it get credited to the 1st Knight Order because Sig didn’t want to reveal it?”

“Well, something like that. I don’t know the exact details because that damn annoying Imperial Guard captain interfered and knocked me out.”

“What are you talking about?”

Morris frowned and asked, so Alkerto briefly explained the facts. After hearing everything, Morris was flabbergasted.

“What kind of bastard does that?”

“Right? Right?”

He felt relieved to finally be able to vent about it.

“I don’t like how that guy is getting too close to Siri either.”

Alkerto said bluntly. Morris’s face immediately filled with worry.

“But Sig said she’s going to join the Imperial Guard.”

“The Imperial Guard?!”