Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don't Have Magical Powers?! Chapter 69

Published at 23rd of May 2023 05:35:34 PM

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Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Adeline, Margravine of Vanderwall, Percival's mother

Nigel Bosworth, Marquess of Jermaine's son

“Sapphiras.”

“Sapphiras-sama.”

For some reason, Percival and Aurora are standing in front of me with scary faces.

“……Eh? What? What's going on with you two with your scary faces?”

I was just enjoying my after-school tea. I wonder what it is, this pressure between the two of them.

“Did you know that suspicious people were found in the warehouse room of the training grounds earlier?”

“Yeah, well. People are making a lot of noise about it.”

“Did you know that these suspicious people were found with outrageous appearances?”

“……Um,”

I look at them and my gaze can't help but flicker.

Percival and Miss Aurora seem to realise that it was me. Certainly, I'm the only one who can use unique magic to stop an opponent's movement.

“……Did they do anything to you?”

Percival, whose brow wrinkles deeply, asked, but I haven't been touched by them. There's no way they could have done anything to me at that level. They pushed me from behind, but that doesn't count as something they did to me.

“They didn't do anything to me. I can clean up those thugs even while dozing.”

Miss Aurora opens her fan to cover her mouth and sighs deeply for some reason.

“It would be nice if nothing happened. Sapphiras-sama would jump into danger himself while being very defenceless, wouldn't he? That's why we're worried.”

“I'm sorry if I worried you. But I don't want to get hurt myself either, so I'm very careful.”

The two still looked at me with suspicion, even though I insisted so.

“Eh? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……I don't expect anything to happen to you, Sapphiras-sama, but please don't do anything too dangerous. So, if you don't mind me asking, can you tell me how it happened?

“Of course.”

It's certainly something that will affect the security of the academy in the future, so it's probably necessary to talk about it properly.

I told them that I had heard that Percival was looking for me, that I headed to the warehouse because I thought there would be something, and that I was trapped in the warehouse and almost attacked, so I fought it off with magic. Miss Aurora is also there, so I'll omit the part where I stripped their lower body.

“Besides, those guys had a key to the warehouse.”

That means that person who gave them the key is inside this academy. Anyway, if you say that the academy's security is full of holes, they are going to have a major review of that matter in the future.

“Do you have any idea who it was that summoned Sapphiras-sama?”

That would probably be Nigel. He seems to hold a grudge against me. But I have no hard evidence, so I'm afraid to name names.

“Well, that's…….”

“……I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on.”

When I hesitated, Miss Aurora seemed to understand what I wanted to say.

Since suspicious people in outrageous appearances were found, from the next day onwards, knights were stationed here and there in the school building. Especially in deserted areas, vigilance is very strict, and a single stray cat cannot sneak in. With this much vigilance, he won't be able to plot anything bad for a while. He's still glaring at me from afar, but that kind of thing doesn't hurt or itch. Well, even if he were planning something, it would end in vain.

A few days after the incident. I received an invitation to tea from Madam Adeline.

“The venue was my mother's parents' house. It's not a formal tea party, only my mother will be attending, so please feel free to come.”

According to Percival, the members of the Belisario family never leave their territory, so they don't have a residence in the royal capital. When they come to the royal capital for business, they are taken care of by Madam Adeline's parents' house, so there seems to be no particular inconvenience. That's why I was invited to Madam Adeline's parent's house.

“……Percival is going too, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Great. Even though it was Madam Adeline's invitation, I was still nervous about visiting a stranger's mansion by myself.

The Marquess of Giddings, Madam Adeline's family, has been in charge of diplomacy for generations, and now her younger brother has taken over the Marquess and his work. Her father is still very much alive and is a consultant to her younger brother. Going back in history, it seems that princesses of foreign countries have married into the family, so he has a very impressive lineage.

On the day of the tea party, I put on the clothes I received and headed to the Marquess of Giddings' house with Percival. Although not as grand as the Duke's house, the Marquess' house is also quite a magnificent mansion.

I was welcomed by a pleasant butler who led me to the garden, where I was greeted with a smile from Madam Adeline in a gazebo beautifully decorated with ivy roses.　

“Welcome, Sapphiras-san.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“I'm so glad you wore your clothes. It suits you very well.”

Madam Adeline was the first to compliment me on my clothes.

“……Thank you for all the care you've given me. I wish I could take better care of surroundings, but I don't seem to be very good at it.”

Even if you told me to come casually, it would have been bad for me to wear old and shabby clothes to visit someone else's castle. I didn't forget to prepare for the trip, but it would have been more perfect if I had put in a few fashionable everyday clothes.

“You're not an adult yet, so it's only natural that you can't do it. More importantly, why does Sapphiras-san have a dormitory room in that place when he is supported by the ducal family?”

Apparently, Madam Adeline was worried about that too. The reason why I'm still using a room for lower nobility is because I found it bothersome. I must make it clear that it is my intention, lest there be any misunderstandings.

“His Excellency the Duke has asked me to move to the dormitory for high-ranking nobles, but I've already settled into that room. However, I'm planning to move when the academic year starts.”

“……I see. That's fine then. So, is there any inconvenience in your everyday life? Is there anything you're missing or having trouble with?”

Madam Adeline asks question after question. She's very attentive, but I wonder if it looks like I can't do anything.

“I'm fine. I get more than enough money every month to buy what I need and I can do most things myself.”

“……Sapphiras-san is very solid, isn't he?”

Madam Adeline gently stroked my head. I was a little surprised by her warm palm. I suddenly remembered my mother in my previous life. I remember that Fortis' mother used to stroke my head like this too. She praised me when I did something good, even if it was a small thing. But when I did something bad, she would get angry like an ogre.

I, Fortis, left home at 14 to become an adventurer, so I never saw my mother again.

“Until now, you've never relied on anyone, and you've done everything on your own. That's a wonderful thing. But you're not yet an adult, so you can rely on people closer to you. Even solo adventurers sometimes need someone's help to complete a request, don't they? In the same way, it is not a bad thing to ask for someone's help. Above all, since you and Percy are going to form a party in the future, don't hesitate to ask for help from Percy and us.”

Saying this, Madam Adeline smiled.

When I thought of that soft and gentle smile that was directed at me, the depths of my chest itched. I'm bashful or embarrassed, my face suddenly heats up and I have mixed feelings. I, Sapphiras, am not used to such kindness.

I couldn't say anything, so I turned my gaze to Percival as if asking for help, but for some reason he looked extremely serious and just nodded.

The warmth of madam convinced me once again. In Perfectio, I was not their family. I knew it, and since I remembered my previous life, I didn't have any expectations, so I don't feel sad anymore. However, I think Sapphiras was pitiful after all.

“The Belisario family will always welcome you, Sapphiras-san. You must come back to Vanderwall for your next long vacation. We'll be waiting.”

“……Yes.”

The atmosphere of the tea party was a little unsettling to me, but it was by no means uncomfortable.

I ate sweets and snacks as recommended, and returned to the dormitory completely full, so I couldn't eat dinner that day, which made Percival worry.

The day after the tea party, Madam Adeline left the royal capital. I offered to send her home by transfer, but since she left the territory after a long time, there are places where she has to show her face.

“I still have a lot of ground to cover.”

However, since you never know what will happen in the frontier region, I guess you need to deepen your friendship with the neighbouring nobles so that you can ask for their cooperation in case of emergency. It's not easy being a Margravine.

I had been thinking that things had settled down after the holidays, but it was only a few days after Madam Adeline left the capital in a hurry that I received an invitation to the castle.

Eh? Is something happening again?

Chapter end