TL Note: The Red Oath will be Crimson Vow from now on.
“Then, we are staying here one week–that’s fine with everyone?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Got it.”
That’s right, because they had mostly finished their work, they went to Blundell kingdom and that’s why they stopped by for a while here again as it fell on their route. They were going eastbound this time, as it would be boring to head west again.
When Reina told everyone that, Mile was really eager to go east, so the matter was settled that they would be going east. At that moment, Mile was even getting hyped up, saying stuff like ‘advancing east plan, the east project!’.
“We will be staying in the capital for 6 days from tomorrow. We will depart on the 7th day morning after accepting an escort quest by the merchant party. If there are no perfect quests like that available, we might have to leave a bit early or late. Any objections?”
“””None!”””
As the 4 of them didn’t have any particular situation or thing they had to do, it didn’t matter to them… or rather, they weren’t really fixated on anything so they didn’t have a dispute.
“Well then, from tomorrow till the day we depart, we won’t be having any work as a party! Everyone, finish up your personal tasks and rest up.”
And like that, they had gone to sleep at the nostalgic inn.
* *
It seemed like this one week without any plans is very long but it was actually quite short.
Pauline didn’t have enough time to go and visit her mother and brother at her home. It takes about 8 days for a round trip there even with a carriage and finding such a carriage going that way right that moment was also hard so she had no way of doing that within a week.
It was the same for Mavis and she was also worrying that if she went back home alone now, they would try to set her up for marriage again and would obstruct her from coming back.
And Reina, who had lost both her family and circle of friends, didn’t have a hometown to return to as she didn’t know where her parents were from and she didn’t even have any friends to meet.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs such, the 3 of them mostly spent the time idling about in the inn, meeting the few acquaintances they knew in the capital such as some shop owners, classmates of the hunter training school, and giving advice to their underclassmen. At night, Mavis and Pauline were also writing letters to their families.
Of course, they also went out as a group this week. It was not as if they had to work separately or anything.
There was no one who thought their activities to be suspicious.
Being a hunter isn’t necessarily a job which requires incessant working. Severe quests are very exhausting and there are also times when they are wounded or sick. Taking on a quest without being in top condition would be a fool’s act as not only would it expose themselves to danger, it would also be putting the party in harm’s way. As such, it was natural for hunters to interpose breaks in between jobs, sometimes even long ones.
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Moreover, one week of vacation is far too less for a party which just came back from a long expedition. The Crimson Vow worked too much to begin with. Even though they earned manifold of what other parties earned.
………And, about Mile.
“It has been a while~!”
“Ohh, Satodeil-sensei, so you have returned from your trip! You really saved us by sending the manuscripts even while you were on your data collecting trip. You’re our biggest earner, after all!”
“Ah, no, that’s…”
This is the Olfis publication office, the publisher who is monopolizing that popular author Miam Satodeil-sensei’s book. The president of the company’s name is Melsaks and he is a skilled, young person, still in his mid thirties.
“Well, will you be settling down in the capital now and concentrate on your writing?”
“No, I was actually thinking of departing again, six days from now…”
“Eeeeeehhhhh!”
He let out a surprised shriek involuntarily but soon regained his calm. He was used to it. He was used to the authors’ eccentric behavior, drafting, travelling journal, and even horseback riding……
(TL note: this is a pun using different words with same pronunciation–
作家の奇行にも、起稿にも、寄稿にも、紀行にも、そして騎行にも……。
Sakka no kikou ni mo, kikou ni mo, kikou ni mo, kikou ni mo, soshite kikou ni mo)
“What should I do about the manuscript?”
“As always, deliver to the guild’s mail-post.”
“What about the royalty on the book?”
“Same rate as always. I have deposited all the amount up to now into the business guild’s account. Please check.”
“Fufufu, Olfis business, it seems like you’re very wicked yourself…”
“Satodeil-sama as well!”
“”Fuhahaha””
Melsaks was a precious person, who could get on with Mile’s–no, Satodeil-sensei’s ‘story make-believe’… Although that was kinda obvious as he has read all of Satodeil-sensei’s works.
Mile was happy having a person who understood.
And then, after going around the familiar dining hall, orphanage and the deserted house where the children of the slum live, Mile distributed food as a souvenir and made herself invisible with light magic to enter the academy.
August academy.
It was one of the two academies here in Tyre kingdom just like the two academies in Mile’s motherland Blundell, Eardley academy and Eckland academy.
It was the same as Eckland academy, which Mile–Adele went to, the academy for lower ranked nobles or wealthy commoners.
Mariett, from whom she took a solo quest before, goes to this academy, which has full boarding system, as a private tutor. Being curious as to what’s going on with her, Mile thought she would check up once.
“I wonder if she’s doing well…”
“…..I shouldn’t have seen it………”
A few hours later, still hidden, Mile exited the August academy all depressed.
‘Overdoing’ something is not good.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMile had realized that.
“How are the girls doing?”
“Yes, it seems like they are taking a break after coming from their round trip. They haven’t been accepting any quests, just checking on the guild’s info board. Other than that, they have been visiting their acquaintances and the library and idling around the inn, it seems.”
“Haha. Well, humans do need those times, as well.”
At the king’s office, the king and count Christopher were having a delightful conversation.
“And how is the groom selection for miss Mavis going?”
“Yes, we are looking for count heirs and 2nd or 3rd son of the marquis’. We plan to make them meet indirectly as soon as we find someone good.”
“Hmm, don’t force it, do it naturally. People like that believe in fate and romance so they might oppose being forced.”
“Understood.
Ignoring the person herself, the king and count Christopher were trying to decide her partner by themselves.
“Right, how about we invite them to the royal palace once? We will make Mavis and his partner sit together with an appropriate reason and so when they meet again later, it will be easier for them to start talking like ‘a-about that time…’, right? Besides, I want to meet them once, as well.
Don’t you think if they meet me, their affinity towards my country will increase a lot compared to other countries?”
“I see… Those girls have helped in exposing a criminal landlord before, so inviting them with that pretext won’t be unnatural. At that time, let me attend the meeting too, please.”
“Hmm. You’re a great upperclassman to the hunters and the ‘admirable hunter who became a noble, a living legend, the swordmaster count Christopher’, so I am sure it will be effective.
Ah, let’s make the kids join in, as well! There are two of them aged 12-13 years in the Crimson Vow, right? The prince and the princess are also of the same age so they might feel more loyalty towards the royal family if they get along!”
“Ohh, that’s an excellent idea! Then I will find a proper candidate immediately and send them the invite after a few days.”
And like this, the king and count Christopher were enjoying making plans.
It is more fun planning and doing things to make two people meet than seeing them actually meet. And so, those two were having the most fun at the moment.
Unrelated to the actual success……