Chapter 41

It's been a while since I've written, and I really can't figure it out. Somehow, Sir Clement.

"Well, I'm glad. Thank you."

"No, it wasn't much trouble."

"Don't worry about it," Nod said to the usual teacher from the Wyvern Research Institute. After the conversation at the Elysee residence ended, Nod still had some time to spare, so he visited the teacher's laboratory. The purpose was to deliver the item the teacher had asked for. Handing over the item, which was wrapped in white cloth and received from Instructor Rayson at the Magic Academy, the teacher put it away in a drawer of the desk. Nod's curiosity was piqued about what it was, but he suppressed the words "What is it?" in his throat, thinking that poking around might bring out a big snake from the bush. Even though it was just an errand, it was a mission. Nod believed it was necessary to only carry out what he was told and not stick his neck into matters beyond his duty. Instead, what came out of his mouth was the message from Instructor Rayson.

"Ah, Instructor Rayson said, 'Come yourself next time.'"

"Ahaha... I'm sorry, I guess I got scolded in your place."

"Do you know each other?"

Indeed, Instructor Rayson had called the teacher 'Eric.' Nod only knew the teacher's family name, but it was probably his first name. The fact that the teacher's request was fulfilled immediately after reading the letter suggested a close relationship.

"Instructor Rayson was my teacher when I was at the Magic Academy. Well, you could say we were close."

"Wait, does that mean you were a magician—sorry, a mage?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I do have the title of Instructor, but I got fed up with the Magic Academy and left. So, it's like I threw sand in the face of my mentor, making it a bit awkward to meet him."

The teacher shrugged.

"Fed up?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Nod inadvertently covered his mouth, but it was too late. The words that slipped out had already reached the teacher's ears. However, the teacher didn't seem to mind much and continued talking while sitting in his chair.

"You might understand if you've been to the Magic Academy. It's incredibly closed off. Basically, they're exclusive to anyone who isn't a mage."

Nod remembered the unkind stares he received from the mages he passed in the Magic Academy. They didn't seem very friendly. Perhaps they thought, "What is this out-of-place person doing here?"

"Exclusive... Yes, I could feel that."

"That's not all."

According to the teacher, the Magic Academy is a research institution, but in reality, it's a den of power struggles. Without the backing of a noble, you can't even get a budget, let alone conduct proper research. If you manage to get the backing of a noble, you're immediately drawn into factional disputes. It's a place where people who are good at flattery are valued more than those who are competent, the teacher said critically.

"Instructor Rayson was one of the decent ones. He was neutral."

"Excuse me, Mr. Teacher, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"It's about a mage I know."

Nod told the teacher about Elysee. How she was rejected by the Magic Academy's dignitaries, including Instructor Rayson, and how she was currently creating a magical artifact to demonstrate her abilities. He thought that since the teacher had actually attended the Magic Academy, he might be able to predict whether her plan would work.

The teacher's response, after hearing the story, was:

"Well, it's probably not going to work."

It was a cold and harsh answer.

"Why not?"

"I said Instructor Rayson was neutral, but that's not because he did nothing. He's from a powerful noble family. He could only act freely because of the strong backing of his family. I was the same."

Even so, the teacher said, the ties with his family couldn't be severed. Now, what about Elysee? Her talent is undoubtedly first-rate, but she has no backing. Being the top student at a young age is impressive, but the logic of the Magic Academy's power players is that they want to use her for their own faction. Those who don't align with their faction, no matter how talented, are seen as potential enemies. The more talented they are, the more troublesome they are. Elysee, to put it mildly, doesn't seem sensitive to such politics. She's more of a 'I'll do things my way' type of genius. Nod likes Elysee's easygoing personality, but in this case, it's fatal. Elysee has no particularly close friends among her classmates at the Magic Academy, which means she hasn't built the necessary connections for her future. Without the backing of a noble, Elysee could even be a liability in factional disputes. This is likely why she was rejected as a disciple.

"But if she can show her achievements—"

"I doubt it."

Nod, receiving a more severe prediction than expected, tried to find a possibility. He mentioned the creation of the magical artifact as a last-ditch effort, but the teacher was skeptical even about that.

"Listen, Nod."

If it weren't for his pride, the teacher seemed to like Nod quite a bit. Perhaps because of this, the teacher spoke gently but clearly, laying out the facts.

"Every mage who obtains the title of Instructor was once called a genius. I think this girl has wonderful talent, but it's rare, not unprecedented."

I got the title of Instructor at 18, the teacher said, ending the conversation.

—I'm so happy to have become friends with you, Nod!

With the task completed, Nod left the laboratory. The image of Elysee's smiling face and her words when they became friends lingered in his mind. If creating a magical artifact doesn't help her become a disciple, what can he do for her?

Looking up, he saw dark clouds covering the capital, which had appeared while he was away. Autumn weather can be unpredictable. Nod decided to head home before the rain started and drove the carriage. From the back, Nod heard Newton, who was sensitive to the change in humidity, make a small sound.

§

"Phew, that was rough."

"Kyur—"

"Welcome back, Master Nod."

By the time Nod reached the Felis family estate, the weather had worsened, and a sudden downpour hit the carriage. The heavy raindrops pelted the canopy, making it hard to see, and drenched Nod, who was sitting on the driver's seat. The canopy was designed to protect the driver, but the wind was against him, and he was quickly soaked to the skin. Newton, who was in the back, didn't get wet, but once the carriage arrived at the Felis estate, he flew out of the back and started flitting around the yard, getting drenched as well.

At the entrance, the butler, Alex, greeted Nod and brought dry cloths. Nod took off his armor while waiting for the cloths, leaving him in his undergarments, which were also soaked.

"My, what a state you're in..."

"Cut me some slack today, Alex. I might catch a cold if I stay like this."

"There's no help for it. I'll draw a bath early."

"Thanks."

Nod received two dry cloths from Alex and wiped himself down. Then, he started wiping the water off the General Spider armor. Even though he would do a thorough cleaning in his room, he didn't want to dirty the house, so he wanted to remove as much water as possible at the entrance.

"Here, Newton. Come here."

"Kyur?"

Newton's deep green scales were still glistening with droplets. Unlike human hair or the fur of dogs and cats, scales repel water, but Newton's body looked as if he had just sweated profusely.

"Kyur—"

Nod used a new cloth to gently but firmly wipe Newton's scales, starting from his head, down to his nose, throat, neck, back, and tail. Newton closed his eyes and purred contentedly, so there was no risk of hurting his eyes. After wiping the green scales on his back, Nod moved to his wings.

"Here, spread them."

"Kyur."

With a rustle, Newton spread his wings, sending droplets flying. Wyverns have wings that grow from their backs, separate from their four limbs. In human terms, they grow from the shoulder blade area. Nod gently wiped the wings, which consist of two parts: the bony structure covered with muscles that move the wings and the wing membrane that catches the wind when spread. The bony structure is sturdy, with thick bones and muscles, but the wing membrane is a softer area covered with thin scales, requiring delicate handling. After wiping both wings, Nod moved to the underside.

The white dragon skin was smooth and slightly softer than the hard scales. Despite Newton's considerable size, his belly still looked a bit round. When Nod playfully tickled his belly, Newton squirmed.

"That's better."

"Kyur♪"

After wiping Newton down, Nod led him inside the house, where the sound of raindrops hitting the eaves echoed. While in his room, Nod listened to the rain while cleaning his armor. Alex came in with a steaming cup of herbal tea.

"The bath will be ready in a bit. In the meantime, here you go."

"Thanks."

The tea, made from herbs grown in the Felis family's garden, warmed Nod from the inside. After finishing the cup, he sighed in relief.

Nod decided to enjoy the sound of the rain while petting Newton's head until the bath was ready.

§

Nod was ordered to bathe with his younger siblings. He helped bathe his brother, Eren, and his sisters, Iris and Helena, and then warmed himself in the bath. After drying his siblings and getting out of the bath, Nod returned to his room to find an envelope on his bed.

Who could it be from? He turned it over and saw it was from the head of the Aubier family, Johan. Nod took a paper knife from the drawer, cut the seal, and read the letter by the light of a candle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To my dear brother, Nod,

It's been over a month since you visited the Alba territory. Autumn has deepened in Alba, and the harvest is in full swing. Preparations for winter and the planting of winter wheat have also begun. This year, the cool summer made the crops grow poorly, and the harvest is expected to be low. Fortunately, thanks to your help in defeating the General Spider, we can now enter the forest, so combining the wild vegetables and meat from hunting, we should be able to get through the winter. We also managed to obtain the black soil, which is home to the earth spirits, so we can plant with peace of mind for next year.

(Middle omitted)

So, we're all doing well here. I hope the Felis family is also doing well. The younger sisters say they want to see you again, the one who defeated the spider. You're always welcome to visit the Alba territory.

From your brother, Johan

P.S.

It seems that a wyvern has made a nest in the Eastern Mountains. So far, there has been no damage to the villages, but if the adventurers don't act, the military might issue a hunting order.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing Johan's letter, Nod heard a knock on the door and looked up.

"Master Nod, dinner is ready."

"Got it, I'm coming."

The letter was long and detailed the recent events in the Aubier family and the Alba territory. It seemed they were leading a normal life, which was reassuring. He realized it had been quite a while since he started reading the letter, as it was already dark outside.

Nod extinguished the candle, called Newton, and headed to the dining room. The rain had stopped, and the sound of insects in the garden filled the autumn night at the Felis estate.

"Kyur... I was really looking forward to it."

This is where Fierman has to rely on Steyer's physical strength to win.

So, the errand is finally complete.

It's been a long time, huh.

I wrote a letter, but if it's not well-received,

I'll change it to

"～" (no promises).

Where I live, it's starting to get cooler. Please take care of your health during the changing seasons.

I'm just touching you... (that's all I wanted to do).