Chapter 14

I stretched my legs to the capital's artisan district to order a custom saddle for Ryu, who had been born two weeks ago.

Ryu, growing rapidly with the magic I bestowed upon him, had now reached the size of a house. Ryu, who had been given a sleeping place at the edge of the academy, was probably playing in some forest far from the capital. Even though he would come immediately if I called him, I couldn't help but feel that he was growing up too fast. I was sad.

I rode on Ryu's back, which could carry a person and fly just a week after his birth, without any saddle. However, I fell off Ryu's back after flying too wildly in the sky. Unfortunately, the impact of hitting the ground tore my clothes to shreds. Moreover, I created a crater in the academy's courtyard, which earned me a stern lecture from Patrick.

I thought that if I proposed that Patrick ride on Ryu's back and fly, he would cheer up. However, he insisted on having a saddle made to secure the body. Furthermore, I was forbidden from flying with Ryu until the saddle was ready. Since I owe Patrick a lot, I couldn't argue strongly. As a result, I spent the past week secretly enjoying flights in the sky without his knowledge.

To fly legally, I thought about immediately ordering a saddle, but Ryu was growing rapidly. Even if I made a saddle to fit his body, it would be too small by the time it was completed. Like a parent of a child in the growth spurt, I decided to wait until Ryu's growth stabilized.

After finishing the order for the saddle in the artisan district, I decided to wander around the capital before returning to the academy. As I walked down a street lined with food stalls, a man walked alongside me and started talking. Was he trying to pick me up?

"Please listen without responding. I am an intelligence officer of the Kingdom of Remrest. I have something to discuss with you. If you are willing to listen, please enter the restaurant on the right. It's a two-story building with a red roof."

Yeah, I knew it wasn't a pick-up line from the start. The man spoke one-sidedly and then moved away from me. What should I do? The Kingdom of Remrest is the name of the neighboring country. It borders the Ashbaton March, Patrick's homeland. I could have predicted that an intelligence officer from a potential enemy country would contact me, but it seemed too late. Perhaps something had happened, or it was just a recruitment attempt.

Curiosity overcame the danger, and I decided to enter the designated restaurant.

The restaurant looked upscale for a place in the commoner's district. Perhaps nobles visited incognito. When I entered, a waiter guided me to a room at the back of the second floor. The atmosphere of a secret meeting slightly raised my spirits.

A man was waiting in the room.

"Are you Yumiera? Thank you for coming today. I am from Remrest, you can call me Linus."

Linus was an ordinary-looking man with no distinctive features. He offered me a seat and a menu, saying, "Please, here is the menu. Order anything you like."

Since he seemed to be treating me, I decided to order without hesitation. Although I didn't lack money from selling monster materials, it was better to save with a large child to raise.

"I'll have the stewed offal."

The stewed offal would come out quickly since it was pre-prepared. Perfect menu choice.

"O-Okay, I'll order it for you."

He suddenly acted suspiciously and left the room to place the order with the waiter. What's up? Did he think I was going to eat his offal or something?

"Usually, it's cake, right?"

He muttered this outside the door. Ah, I see, it's all my fault.

"Let's eat. You can start talking whenever you're ready."

While eating the stewed offal, I had a secret meeting with the intelligence officer from the neighboring country. Actually, seeing it like this, it seems unlikely.

In such a relaxed atmosphere, Linus began his talk.

"Well, where should I start... First, I was an intelligence officer stationed in the capital of the Balshain Kingdom. There are a few others, including the one who approached you. I knew about you right after you entered the academy. We gathered information about you and studied your character."

Studied, as if I were a new species...

"As a result, we concluded that it would be very difficult to bring you to our country. You seemed uninterested in titles and wealth. Even if you had a reason to leave this country, there would be no reason for you to come to nearby Remrest."

That's why you didn't contact me. Then, what made you act now?

"However, my superiors in the home country were not satisfied with this. Other nobles also interfered. The dragon issue made it difficult for me to control the situation. The people from the home country always give orders from the outside..."

The latter part of Linus's talk turned into work complaints.

"Um, good work?"

I didn't know what to say, so I offered him words of encouragement.

"Let me ask, just in case. Do you have any intention of coming to the Kingdom of Remrest? We can provide anything you need."

"What would I have to do in return?"

"Probably join the military."

If I joined the military, my enemy would be this country. Moreover, the battlefield would be Patrick's homeland.

"I decline."

"Understood."

He seemed to have anticipated my answer and showed no signs of disappointment.

I braced myself for what the intelligence officer from the neighboring country would say, but it turned out to be unexpected, or rather, far below my expectations. In a way, Linus's job might have been a success because I felt sorry for him.

"I have one question, out of curiosity."

It seemed Linus had finished his main topic but had something else to say.

"What is it?"

"The reason you are staying in this country. We predicted that you would leave for a distant place within half a year. The discrimination against black hair in this country is particularly severe."

Indeed, I had intended to live incognito in a distant country right after entering the academy. However, during my search for a suitable country, the academy had an outdoor training session.

I met him.

Even if he only talked to me out of pity, I met him.

"I'm staying in this country to defeat the Demon King. It's a crisis for the world."

Lies. If he knew I cared about him, he might be taken hostage.

"Wait, the Demon King only attacks this country, right?"

The Demon King only targets the Balshain Kingdom? I had never heard such a thing. The king and the headmaster of the academy seemed to know something about the Demon King, but did they know this? Linus's information might be incorrect.

"What do you mean... It seems our time is up."

I tried to question Linus further, but it seemed we didn't have enough time. I heard the sound of someone preparing to storm the restaurant. It was probably soldiers from the Balshain Kingdom. I had expected this, but it seemed this country also had an intelligence officer watching me.

"Time's up?"

"Someone is storming the restaurant. The back door is also secured. I think you can escape by going out the window and onto the roof."

Linus's actions were quick. He immediately followed my advice and jumped out the window.

"Thank you. I will repay this favor someday."

I wanted to know more about the Demon King, but I didn't want to see him again...

However, I gained something. Linus's question made me realize my feelings for him.

I probably like Patrick.