Chapter 76

Thanks to everyone, I received the [Net Novel Grand Prize]. It will be published as a book by Futabasha. I plan to update the details in my activity report from time to time.

"Sure is a nice day, huh..."

Working in the fields under the blue sky, white clouds, and the shining sun is incredibly fulfilling.

When I get a bit tired, I sit on the rocking chair in the yard, sway gently, and gaze at the sky absent-mindedly.

Then I get back to work in the fields. If I take good care of each one, these plants will bear delicious fruit.

"...I'm the happiest I can be."

It might sound disrespectful, but it's all thanks to the Cult of the Evil Deity.

I heard that the academy hasn't finished its restoration yet and will be closed for another two weeks.

As for the Cult of the Evil Deity, over 90% of the cultists who attacked have been captured, and with most of their power stripped away, they won't be able to do anything for a while.

We also recovered the operating funds without any leaks. I transferred all the money to Luna's family.

...They didn't take it all, though. They only took what they needed for the time being, so I'm holding onto the rest for them. After all, if they know I have money, some people might get the wrong idea.

So, I'm spending my days leisurely working in the fields.

Today, Luna, Yomi, Mirei, and Tiara are having a girls' day out.

And at my house... for some reason, Gra and Letia are still here.

Why are you two so comfortable at my house?

I wanted to call them freeloaders, but Gra gave me a set of rare minerals, and Letia gave me a dragon scale.

...I'll allow them to stay for another week.

By the way, Luna's family said they're going to look for a house, so they might only be here for another week or so.

Still, I think Luna has been truly vibrant lately.

I'm glad they managed to save her family.

"Alright, let's keep harvesting... Huh? Who's there?"

I sensed multiple unfamiliar presences near the entrance. When I looked at the house, Letia seemed to have noticed as well and nodded at me.

Gra is still sleeping. ...He really is a lazy dragon.

"Who might this be?"

At the entrance stood an elderly man in attire not commonly seen in the kingdom.

"Are you the hero, Aul? I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Kain, the butler of the third princess of the Mizeral Empire, Princess Lilinetta."

"I'm not really a hero, but I'm Aul. What brings you here today?"

"I have a letter from Princess Lilinetta. Please accept it."

The butler handed me a letter. It was on a high-quality, pure white paper.

I've always thought the empire has Earth-like technology.

The turnip, soybeans, and this white paper are all examples. I'd like to visit someday.

"Then I'll take it."

The butler left in a carriage, which also seemed unusual. I wonder if it has springs or something? It's a bit scary.

Still, this letter... I have a bad feeling about it.

The sender is that princess, right? The one who can make the son of the Duke of Rassam do her bidding.

It's not normal, but I'll at least read the letter.

I returned home and prepared tea and snacks for Letia and me.

"Who was that just now?"

"The butler of the princess of the empire. He gave me this letter."

"Hmm...? There doesn't seem to be any strange curses on it."

I checked too, and there were no strange mechanisms. It's just the content... surprisingly well-written.

What does it say?

...

Huh?

The text is heavily decorated, making it hard to decipher, but I think it says something like this:

- I'm sorry for sending the Duke of Rassam's sons.

- I was moved by your battle against the Cult of the Evil Deity.

- I would like to invite you to the capital as an apology.

- You can bring your companions if you like.

- I also want to meet you at the academy.

Is that about right? For more details, I can ask Franzsen or Mariana about noble letters.

If I go to the capital, it would be better after graduating from the academy. I'd like to take my time and enjoy the sights.

But if the academy reopens, it might mean I should meet her first?

"I'm not looking forward to it..."

However, as the saying goes, "Ride a horse and try a person," so it might be premature to make a hasty decision without knowing the situation.

I can meet her once, and if it doesn't work out, I can just end it there.

"Hehe, being popular is tough, isn't it?"

"It's not like that, I'm sure."

But I have no idea what her purpose is. What is she thinking?

That day, I spent the whole day working in the fields, and I felt like I recharged my farmer's spirit.

To be honest, I've been working too hard lately. I took a break, so maybe it's time to explore the dungeon?

I should take Luna, Mirei, and Yomi. It will help with leveling up.

Oh! Where did Sugale go? She was with Yomi and the others...

I'll check later.

While sitting on the rocking chair, I noticed Gra secretly beckoning me.

"What's up?"

"Shh! You're too loud, Aul."

"Got it, got it. What's up?"

"...You and Letia seem to be getting along well lately, don't you?"

"Well, I think it's a bit better."

Is he jealous? It's hard to imagine a dragon being jealous of a human...

"...I want to know who Tiara's father is..."

Ah, that's it.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be struggling... She avoids me, won't make eye contact, and won't talk to me."

Wow, she really dislikes him. I've never seen someone so averse to another person.

But does Letia really dislike Gra? From my perspective, I suspect she might actually like him.

If she really disliked him, she wouldn't be here. Besides, when Gra isn't looking, Letia follows him with her eyes.

She looks like a lovesick girl, but maybe it's just me?

When Gra looks at Letia, she puts on a stern face.

...Is that it? Gra! It's mutual unrequited love! Just one more step! This moment is so precious!

Gra probably turned into a zombie at my door the other day because of Letia's tsundere side.

But then, who is Tiara's father?

"...I'm curious."

It's too early for dinner, so I'll ask a little.

"By the way, who is Tiara's father?"

"Wh-What?! Why so suddenly?!"

"Well, I was just curious about who her father is."

"...Alright, I'll tell you, Aul. But you must keep it a secret."

"Okay."

"Tiara is the child of the Red Dragon Emperor... Granzar."

"What?!"

What's going on? Gra seemed completely unaware!

"Although the person in question doesn't remember at all..."

"What do you mean?"

"Granzar is the Red Dragon Emperor who governs fire. While he is usually revered by dwarves, he shares a common trait with them."

A common trait? Dwarves are known for forging and drinking... ...Drinking?

"Is it alcohol?"

"Exactly. The old Granzar loved alcohol, even though he couldn't hold his liquor, and would drink so much that his personality would change."

Gra... You really have a bad drinking habit.

"At the time, I was young, and the drunk and changed Granzar charmed me, and we spent a night together."

What? Letia was quite the player back then?

"Since then, there has been no relationship with him, but Tiara is the result of that night."

I see... Even dragons can have one-night stands.

"But from what I can tell, Letia likes you, Gra, right?"

"...Yes. Since then, I can't be honest and end up being cold. It's frustrating because he doesn't remember that day at all!"

Letia is so girlish. She's a bit sulky, but I don't dislike it!

"Since it's your relationship, I can't say much, but being a bit more honest might change the scenery?"

"...I'll think about it."

It's their problem, so I shouldn't interfere.

Still, Gra is really a pitiful guy.

"Aul, did you find out?!"

"Yeah, I got all the information."

"H-How was it?!"

Gra's face was completely serious. ...Does he really not remember anything?

"Maybe you'll find out eventually?"

"What?! Aul, you traitor!"

Whatever, say what you want.

"Well, it's about time for dinner. I'll start cooking."

I plan to make a pot with vegetables from the garden.

For the broth, I'll use the katsuobushi-like flakes I made before and the umami from cooking fruits. I'll adjust the flavor with miso.

I'll add Thunder Eagle meat and fish fillets from the dungeon, and fresh vegetables from the field, and it will be a perfect pot!

I debated whether to separate the chicken and fish, but I want to eat both, so I'll use two different earthen pots.

One with chicken and one with fish. I tried a little taste, and the miso flavor and fish umami match perfectly, and the broth is excellent.

Tonight's dinner is perfect.

I'll cook some barley rice for the end and make it into a rice porridge with eggs.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Hehe, it smells good today."

"Aul, I bought you a souvenir!"

"Aul! It smells so good!"

Luna, Yomi, Mirei, and Tiara seem to have returned from their girls' day out, but they haven't eaten dinner yet.

They have a lot of shopping bags in their hands. ...They could use storage, but I won't say anything.

I guess it's their way of not buying too much.

Franzsen and the others also returned soon after. They seem to be quite hungry.

"Let's eat, everyone."

"Yes!"

Everyone gives such good responses.

"Aul, this is a souvenir!"

"Thank you, Mirei. Can I open it?"

Well, I'll open it without waiting for an answer.

"This... cinnamon?"

"Ah, you knew? I wanted to surprise you. It smelled so good, so I bought it! I thought it might be good for some sweets."

"Sweets!"

Letia, Tiara, Mariana, and Moulan reacted suddenly. ...Girls really love sweets.

But I haven't made any in a while, so I'll try something with the cinnamon.

"I'll try making something next time."

After that, we all enjoyed the pot, and while making the rice porridge, I mentioned the letter.

Franzsen and Mariana, being former nobles, were particularly helpful.

"Hmm, the third princess of the empire. I haven't met her, but from this letter, she seems to be quite a headstrong princess."

"Yes, she might have been spoiled. Maybe she wants some excitement or something different in her life?"

I don't understand, but apparently, this is what it means.

- I want you to come play at the capital. I'll introduce you to the emperor and hold a banquet as an apology.

- I also want to meet you at the academy to discuss this.

- Would you like to serve me?

The actual content is more intense than I thought.

"...That's quite different from what I read."

"Well, you rarely get to read letters from nobles, royalty, or imperial families. This is written to mislead you."

"You wouldn't understand the unique phrasing of nobles. If you went without understanding, you would end up serving the princess."

...Nobles, or rather, royals, are scary. What is this? A single letter can have such power?

"To prepare such high-quality paper, they must have expected you to be suspicious. If I received a letter on this level of paper, I would be wary."

I thought the paper looked expensive... If the butler knew, he should have told me.

"Thank you, I almost got tricked."

"Hehe, it's a small favor. Thanks to the real estate agent Aul introduced me to, we might find a good house."

"That's great!"

When they find a house, I'll give them a gift as a congratulation. Something simple like furniture might help.

A jellyfish water bed, a rocking chair, and a quilt might be good.

I'll leave the rest to their personal preferences.

"...Huh?"

When I looked at Yomi, Luna, and the other four, they seemed angry. They were holding the princess's letter.

I have a bad feeling. I can see dragons behind them.

"Hehe, Luna, we need to meet this princess."

"Yes, it's like she's challenging us. ...We'll take this fight."

"I'll go too. Who does she think she is?"

"Then I'll go too! I'll follow my sisters!"

See?

What, are my kids so bloodthirsty? When did they become like this?

And Tiara has nothing to do with this.

"Luna, you've become so lively..."

"Yes, children grow up without you noticing. It's all thanks to Aul."

"Sis, you look so happy."

What, are there only idiots here? The ones trying to challenge the royal family are us.

The Inithium family seems so moved they're about to cry.

...Gra and Letia are enjoying the rice porridge.

"I'm worried about the future..."

Moreover, the four friends plan to tackle the fourth dungeon during the school break to level up properly.

At this point, the princess seems pitiful.

But if it turns into a serious fight, it could become an international issue, so I need to stop them at some point.

A small fight between students might be okay...

"Everyone, be careful with the dungeon, okay?"

"Hehe, Master Aul likes to joke."

"Master, you're coming too, right?"

"Of course."

"A date in the dungeon with Aul?!"

"I wish... I'm tired. I don't want to go!"

I can't say no when I look into their eyes. They have a forceful gaze.

When did they become so reliable? I can see a future where I'm dominated.

And Tiara, this isn't a date, so don't get the wrong idea.

Ah, I wanted to relax a bit more...

I'll update regularly.

I'd be happy if you could rate and bookmark it.

"Ride a horse and try a person" means that you should experience things yourself before criticizing or judging them.

Chapter 80 is planned to be the end of the Louina Magic Academy arc. I'll announce the next chapter in Chapter 79!

[Side Story] Updated on 2/22.