Chapter 81

I'm sorry for the delay.

Leonard-kun! Ah, so bo! ...If we go like that, it would surely be fun, wouldn't it?

That night, while taking a bath, Ain was thinking about such things. Of course, it would be too cruel to actually do it, so it probably wouldn't happen. But he could imagine it freely.

Upon careful consideration, it turned out that this was Ain's first time going to a friend's house. ...He had visited the August Chamber of Commerce a few times. However, there was a point where he felt that Crowne was a friend, and it didn't quite fit the category of a friend.

—And while Ain was thinking such things leisurely, Leonard... At the Fors family mansion, a bit of a commotion was taking place.

"Say it again. I want to think it was a misunderstanding."

Albert Fors. The current head of the Fors family and the father of Leonard, who serves as the director of the Legal Bureau. He had finished his work at the Legal Bureau as usual and returned home. ...Or so it was supposed to be, but as soon as he returned, his usual routine came to an end.

"Father. I told you that the Crown Prince will be visiting our home on the next day off..."

For a moment, Albert was about to scold his son for his impudence. But seeing his son's face, he understood that there must be some reason.

"...Tell me more about the situation. It's too sudden for me to understand at all."

The calm and composed way his father handled such sudden events was, to Leonard, the ideal image of an adult.

But in his heart, Albert was rather in a state of shock. That's why he was showing a seemingly calm demeanor.

"Do you know about the school's social studies field trip?"

"I know. It's next month, right... What about it?"

"Thanks to the Prime Minister's kindness, we have been granted permission to tour the facilities inside the city gates."

Upon hearing this, Albert had a sudden realization, and a large crack appeared in his mental state.

"...The Prime Minister is involved in this... Leonard, what did you do?"

"W-well, I didn't do anything...! It's just, as a token of gratitude for the monster training session..."

"Ah, I see... In that case, there's no way to refuse. It will certainly be a good experience."

...For a moment, Albert felt as if he had lost his life. That's what he muttered.

"I understand. It's just like me during the day, Father."

He gulped down the tea he had prepared and took a deep breath. Both of them.

"For the field trip, I decided to lend Roland some clothes. So at first, it was just Roland coming to our house, but then it turned into a plan to deepen our friendship together."

"Why is it this house... It's not suitable for inviting the Crown Prince..."

"But if I say that, Father, you can't back out, can you?"

Seeing the resigned look in his son's eyes, Albert sighed deeply and asked.

"Tell me more."

"Actually... It's also the Crown Prince's wish."

Ah, I see. There's no way to refuse. Seeing his father nod in agreement, Leonard also agreed.

"What about Maarl?"

"Mother said she would arrange the necessary things and left the house a few hours ago."

"Of course. The Duchess should personally check everything... Maarl's judgment is correct."

Usually, when inviting a noble, the host would personally check everything at the end. But this time, it was different. After all, the Crown Prince was coming.

Even if it was an informal visit among children, it was not someone to be treated rudely.

"The Crown Prince said, 'Let's just play in Leonard's room...'"

In other words, the Crown Prince wishes for you to be the host. ...To have the Crown Prince as your first host is quite a promotion, isn't it?

"Y-Yeah, I guess I'll be the host..."

For Ain, who was leisurely taking a bath, it was a matter of 'don't worry about it,' but it couldn't be helped. No matter where he went or what he did, the fact that Ain was the Crown Prince would always follow him.

Ain would learn this through this incident... or so it was supposed to be.

*

Ain was heading to the Fors mansion with two friends. The weather was nice, not too hot, and just right. Today, Dill was not accompanying them as a guard, but a few guards were following at a distance, as Warren had informed him.

"Batts, what kind of meat is that?"

"It's a white bison that my father hunted."

"Oh, that one. It's delicious, isn't it?"

Batts, as he had declared, brought meat as a gift. Roland, on the other hand, brought the repair of a magical tool as a gift, which Leonard possessed.

And then, Ain, the main character, took out his gift from his chest.

"I got this. I was thinking about what to bring as a gift, and then I was given this."

"Gift...? It's just an envelope, isn't it?"

"Lord Ain. What is it? It just looks like an ordinary envelope to me..."

Incidentally, Warren had handed it to him. He had said that there was no better gift for the head of the house, Albert, and that he should bring this.

"It's some records of a noble's misconduct that Duke Albert is investigating. Warren gave it to me as a special gift this time."

"Don't bring such dangerous things as gifts..."

"I don't really understand, but it's on a different scale..."

Indeed, when did he investigate all these things? Warren is probably the person in this country who should not be angered the most.

"Frankly, I wonder if it's okay to bring this as a gift, but if Duke Albert, the head of the house, is happy, then it's fine, I guess..."

In reality, it wasn't something he had investigated in just a few days. It was something he had found among the things he was investigating. He decided to bring it as a gift this time, thinking it was a good opportunity.

"Well, it's fine. Let's go... There it is, that's Leonard's house."

They gathered at White Rose and walked for about 10 minutes. Finally, they arrived at the Fors mansion. The exterior was made of sturdy stone, with a beige color scheme. The symmetrical and precise construction, without a single flaw, gave a solemn impression, which somehow reflected the Fors family, known for their legal background.

Of course, as a ducal family, it had a large estate in the capital, and the mansion had a solemn yet artistic value. Even from a distance, the quality of the mansion could be seen.

"See? It's a great house, isn't it? That's why, even if Ain comes, he should be a bit more dignified..."

"B-Batts... I think Leonard is talking about 'class.' It's difficult unless you're a noble created from royalty, like a grand duke..."

For example, a grand duke created when a royal family member marries into another family. In that case, the class difference wouldn't be a big issue.

"Let's not talk about complicated things and go inside, shall we?"

Since they had come all this way, Ain wanted to go inside quickly.

"No, it's complicated... Ain, you're the problem..."

"Being free isn't something that just started... Ha. Let's go, then."

Ain, who was being leisurely, and the two others headed towards the main gate of the Fors mansion.

—There, Leonard was waiting with a slightly tired face. Next to him were his mother, who seemed to be the lady of the house, and the servants, waiting for Ain's arrival.

*

"It didn't have to be such a grand welcome, you know..."

He understood, of course, that they had done this for him. But considering the eyes of others, he thought it didn't have to be that grand...

"Your Highness... It wouldn't be proper to have no welcome at all."

"Even just Leonard would have been fine..."

"It's not possible."

Leonard sighed deeply. Roland and Batts also smiled wryly at the sight of Leonard.

"Leonard, it's no use talking to Ain anymore."

"Yeah, just give up already?"

"..."

The words of support from Batts and Roland should have reached Leonard's ears. But Leonard, who was holding his head and silent, was struggling with whether to give up on convincing Ain.

"But Leonard, your room is beautiful, isn't it?"

Ain looked around the room. The interior was mostly wooden, with brown furniture. A red carpet with gold threads was laid out, providing a comfortable walking experience. In a word, it was a cozy space.

Hearing this, Leonard finally looked up at Ain.

"That's what I was most worried about, Your Highness... I'm glad you think so."

Yesterday, from morning to night, a thorough cleaning was done. The room was cleaned so meticulously that it was almost impossible to find any dirt. His room, which was already clean, was even more beautiful today.

"By the way... I, I'm sorry for changing the subject. Your mother, Leonard, she's really impressive, isn't she?"

"Huh? Roland, what do you mean by that?"

Sitting on the sofa and relaxing, Roland started talking about what he had thought during the Fors family's welcome. Leonard, hearing the sudden mention of his mother, became curious.

"Well, she's the lady of a ducal family, right? While Leonard was subtly twitching, Lady Fors was so calm..."

"Twitching... I see. Twitching, huh..."

He must have been nervous and worried. During the welcome, Leonard had shown a rather suspicious behavior. But next to him, Lady Fors, the lady of the Fors family and Leonard's mother, calmly said, "Welcome, Your Highness," which left a strong impression.

"Oh, right. You were twitching, weren't you?"

"Ugh... Shut up! I couldn't help it! It's just for today... Really..."

Seeing Leonard finally becoming more natural, a smile appeared on Ain's face. He couldn't deny that he had played a bit too much, but he also couldn't deny that he had enjoyed it.

(Well, the women in Ishtarka are strong, aren't they?)

Thinking in his heart about the women of Ishtarka, including his own family. For example, Lalarua and Olivia. Both are intelligent and decisive, making them outstanding women. And Chris, when given a sword, is one of the strongest.

...Well, it's a bit of a stretch, but let's include Katima. She is intelligent and hardworking, but a few screws and circuits in her head are missing. That's all, just that.

—Crown, being born in Heim, was excluded from this.

"Your Highness, once the tea and other preparations are ready, I will show you a small fashion show."

"Fashion show...?"

Leonard started talking as if he had suddenly realized something. Questions filled his mind about what kind of fashion show this would be.

"Right. With Roland as the model, something like that."

"Wait, wait, Leonard! Why? Why all of a sudden!?"

"It's in place of lending the clothes! Roland, you should experience my hard work! Really, to say 'twitching'..."

The word 'twitching' was the trigger, which is understandable without saying. Leonard decided to use this opportunity to enjoy himself through Roland.

In short, he had 'let it go.'

"Roland..."

"Lord Ain? Surely you don't want to see it, right?"

Roland, whispering to Ain, approached him as if seeking help. But the result was merciless.

"Sure, it's fine."

"Alright, Roland, do your best. Ain and I will be the audience here!"

Looking at them, it just seemed like four students playing around. The Crown Prince's such a scene could only be seen by close friends.

—As the saying goes, 'Words are the source of trouble.' If Roland hadn't said 'twitching,' he could have borrowed the clothes without any fuss. ...Thus, the play at Leonard's house began amidst the commotion.

*

"Lord Crown. Here is the breakdown of Lord Ain's social studies field trip next month."

"Thank you, Lord Warren."

In the office prepared for Crown in the castle. It was unusual for someone of her age to have a personal office, but considering her position as the Crown Prince's aide, it was not strange.

While Ain was causing a commotion, she was diligently working in the castle.

Warren, accompanied by a few subordinates, was having a brief meeting with Crown.

"...So, you will be touring all the facilities outside the doors, including the training grounds?"

"Yes. However, for areas like the courtyard, which are outside the doors but require passing through a door, we request that they be excluded from the tour."

"Understood."

If it were a matter of authority, Warren's signature alone would suffice to complete all the procedures. However, to reduce errors, it is also a strategy to go through other dignitaries or, in this case, Crown.

Therefore, important matters are generally handled through several people.

"Although it will be a bit of trouble, Your Highness will be heading to the school on the day of the tour, correct?"

"Yes. It is a rule, so this time, we have no choice but to ask for your cooperation."

"Bringing up special treatment for such a small matter wouldn't be right... So, the tour will end with a dispersal on site?"

"Afternoon dispersal is planned, so Lord Ain will have other commitments after that."

"...I haven't heard about it, but what kind of commitments?"

"They were just decided. Lady Majolica will be visiting the castle, and we need Lord Ain to be present for the matter of the magic stone."

The simple sealing process is already complete, but due to the nature of the item, a more secure sealing device will be installed, and Lord Ain is scheduled to be present for this.

This was apparently just decided, and Crown was also hearing it for the first time.

"Is there any risk? And I don't understand the necessity of Your Highness being present..."

"There is almost no risk. We have a record of transporting it from Ist with Sir Chris. The necessity of Your Highness's presence is to provide an experience, to observe the process."

"Then, there's no need for Your Highness to be present. We can provide a similar experience