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While Mr. Novak and I were leisurely enjoying the Huley blossoms, we heard footsteps and talking from the alley.
Could it be soldiers on patrol?
“It seems like someone has come…” (Nyango)
“Ah, they must be a servant at some mansion.” (Novak)
This secret spot is not exclusive to Mr. Novak but seems to be well-known among the servants of the noble mansions.
Although it is known, that every mansion has daily work to do, so it seems that the servants do not come in droves.
Two women in their early twenties came up the stairs, and after looking around, they walked toward us, but when I peeked out from Mr. Novak’s shadow, they stopped walking with a start.
It’s a little shocking to think that it’s okay for them to share a table with Mr. Novak, who is just one step away from being around 40, but not with a catkin.
Just when I thought this, the two women suddenly knelt down on the spot.
“With all due respect, are you Sir Nyango Elmer?” (Woman)
“Eh… yes, that’s true, but I was a commoner until the day before yesterday, so you don’t have to be overly polite.” (Nyango)
“May we join you?” (Woman)
“Please, please, uh… this isn’t my property, so isn’t it weird for me to give permission?” (Nyango)
I tried to talk to them in a friendly manner, but the women looked at each other.
“It’s okay, the person here is just a gluttonous catkin who is worried about his belly sticking out, so there’s no need to hold back.” (Novak)
“Mr. Novak, it’s unnecessary to mention my belly sticking out.” (Nyango)
“Hahahaha, I’m sorry, I was just trying to relieve the tension between you and the ladies, so please forgive me.” (Novak)
After listening to the conversation between me and Mr. Novak, the two women seemed to decide that it was okay, so they joined our picnic.
The sheepkin woman sitting next to Mr. Novak is called Roxanne, and the black sheepkin woman sitting next to me is called Monique.
“Oh, do you two work in different mansions?” (Nyango)
“Yes, everyone who isn’t off duty has work to do today, so it’s difficult for people from the same mansion to invite each other to come.” (Monique)
The two met while shopping in town on a day off, and since then they have occasionally invited each other out for fun.
Roxanne is a maid for the Viscount Grietto’s family, and Monique is a maid for the Marquis Escalante, she said.
“Master praised Sir Nyango freely last time.” (Monique)
“You mean Sir Ambris?” (Nyango)
“Yes, Master is a very harsh judge of people, perhaps because of his position as the Knight Commander, but he is full of praise for Sir Nyango.” (Monique)
“Maybe it was because I was able to protect Master Derrick’s life, but I still ended up letting him get injured…” (Nyango)
“No, rather than protecting the young master, he praised the fact that you were able to protect Her Highness unscathed and also your skill in repelling the attackers.” (Monique)
“Is that so.” (Nyango)
“Yes, it is.” (Monique)
I don’t know why Ms. Monique is so proud of herself, but I guess that’s the way it is.
When me and Mr. Novak were alone, they were just admiring the flowers and looking quietly, but as soon as the two women joined them, the place became livelier.
“Have you met the King?” (Monique)
“Yes, I met His Majesty.” (Nyango)
“Her Royal Highness Princess Elmerine must have been extremely beautiful.” (Roxanne)
“Yes, she’s so beautiful that I think she was otherworldy.” (Nyango)
“I heard that you were able to receive treatment from Her Highness’s healing magic…” (Monique)
“Yes, my left eye was injured and I was blind there, but it’s completely back to normal.” (Nyango)
“I heard that you kissed Her Royal Highness after the treatment…” (Roxanne)
“Nyaa, nyoo, no comment…” (Nyango)
“I heard that you also proposed…” (Monique)
“Nyoo, no, no comment…” (Nyango)
Just a little while ago, I was enjoying the warm and peaceful spring weather, but now I’m sweating and my sleepiness has disappeared.
Somehow, before I knew it, she was stroking the fur on my arm in a swooshing motion, and I felt like her flickering gaze was aiming for my tail.
“Nyango, it’s time for lunch.” (Novak)
“Yes. Then the packed lunch…” (Roxanne)
“This is… eh?” (Monique)
Ms. Monique tried to pick up the packed lunch, but they were in a case so she couldn’t touch them.
“Sorry, I took the lid off, so could you lift it from the top.” (Nyango)
“Eh… it’s warm, how?” (Monique)
“It’s a warming case.” (Nyango)
“Eh, this one is cold…” (Monique)
“That’s a cold storage case. Oh, that’s ice cream for dessert, so that is for later…” (Nyango)
“The ice cream… is not melting?” (Monique)
“It’s been thoroughly chilled, so it’s probably okay.” (Nyango)
Roxanne is also wide-eyed on the other side of Mr. Novak.
Even an ordinary case looks like it is floating inside, so it is natural to be surprised to hear that it even has a temperature control function.
She seemed to be ready to ask a lot of questions, but that didn’t matter now, we were about to eat, so let’s do it before it gets cold.
“Yummeow! Rich cream, soft chicken, yummeow!”
“Hey, Nyango, please be a little quieter.” (Novak)
“Yum… meow… Maybe the secret ingredient is cheese, yummeow…” (Nyango)
“Oh yeah, I’ll ask that you keep it that in that level, hehehehe…” (Novak)
The little-known spot that Mr. Novak brought me to is great for seeing flowers, but it’s not good for tasting food… well, I guess I should act like an adult here.
“Hmm… Isn’t it yummeow? The marinade enhances the flavor of the plain white fish, and combined with the crunchiness of the vegetables… yummeow!” (Nyango)
“You’re still going to shout as expected!” (Novak)
Roxanne and Monique held their mouths and were trembling.
I remember that you can’t even open your mouth or smile in front of a noble person, right?
The menu at the lunch shop recommended by Mr. Novak has a more rustic flavor than the banquet at the Royal Castle, and I prefer it.
We exchanged the packed lunch with those brought by Monec and the others, and had a chance to compare the dishes.
Both of them are quite good cooks, and the food was delicious and tasted like home, which is different from what is served at a restaurant.
At the end of the meal, we shared a fruit tart, and I was full again today.
“Nyango, you forgot…” (Novak)
“Mew? That’s right, the ice cream…” (Nyango)
Everyone seemed to think it had already melted into soup, but on the contrary…
“It’s so cold that the spoon won’t scoop…” (Nyango)
“Hahahaha… that’s amazing in a way. It’ll soften if you leave it out for a while, so please wait quietly.” (Novak)
“Meeew…” (Nyango)
While we were waiting for the ice cream to soften, we started talking about Mr. Novak acting as the driver of the magic carriage.
Apparently, a certain level of skill is required to become a permanent employee of a noble house.
Mr. Novak’s story gradually became more passionate, as he needed knowledge of magic tools to operate it smoothly, and perhaps he was trying to show off to the two young women his our side.
From the middle onwards, it has gotten pretty boring, and of course, Roxanne and Monique were looking a bit bored.
“Oh, by the way, it seems that the person in charge of maintaining His Highness Ernest’s magic carriage committed suicide.” (Monique)
The topic that Ms. Monique quickly tried to change the subject was something that only a person who works at the Knight Commander’s mansion would have talked about.
Even if it is a story that will eventually spread to the general public, there are probably very few people who know about it at this point.
“Did they admit that by committing suicide they set the pulverization magic tool in the magic carriage?” (Nyango)
“No, when the Knights investigated, he apparently said he didn’t know, but the day after the investigation, he was found hanging in his quarters.” (Monique)
It seems as if he was involved in the assassination, and it is also a situation that makes me suspect… if he was really killed for his crimes.
“Nyango, should it have softened by now?” (Novak)
“Ah… that’s right.” (Nyango)
The walnut ice cream and milk tea ice cream were both quite tasty and delicious, but there was one thing that bothered me more than that.
“Mr. Novak, if you set up a pulverization magic tool in the magic carriage, can it be set to activate from a distance?” (Nyango)
“From a distance? I guess it can be done if a magic wire is connected.” (Novak)
“Without a magic wire?” (Nyango)
“I guess that’s impossible. How will magic be channeled into it?” (Novak)
“That’s right…” (Nyango)
If it can only be detonated with a wire, then in order to detonate the puilveriztion magic tool placed in a moving magic carriage, you have to be on the magic carriage to activate it.
“I wonder if anyone on the magic carriage survived…” (Nyango)
“I heard there was none…” (Monique)
Again, according to Ms. Monique’s information, the magic carriage that His Highness Ernest was riding in was blown to pieces and everyone on board was killed.
“I wonder if it was self-destruction like when the Lagart family was attacked…” (Nyango)
“No… that’s not necessarily the case. It depends on the structure of the magic carriage, but there is a way to set it up in advance and let it activate.” (Novak)
“Does that mean you can stay in a safe place without being noticed by the people on board?” (Nyango)
After giving a deep nod, Mr. Novak shared information unique to a magic tool craftsman.
“Some high-class magic carriages are loaded with multiple propulsion magic tools. For example, when climbing a steep slope, you activate an auxiliary magic tool in addition to the magic tool you were previously using. This increases the propulsion force.” (Novak)
“But then, you never know when it might explode.” (Nyango)
“Nyango, please remember the terrain of the Royal Capital.” (Novak)
“Terrain…? Ah!” (Nyango)
Mr. Novak reminded me that the Royal Castle was built on a hill within the city.
The road from the castle to the cathedral is downhill, and of course the road back is uphill.
“Originally, you connect the magic wire that should be connected to the auxiliary magic tool, but if it was connected to a pulverization magic tool…” (Novak)
“You mean that if it reaches an uphill and tries to increase its power, it will explode?” (Nyango)
“Well, there’s a possibility… Or rather, if you want it to explode without getting involved, that’s the only way I can think of.” (Novak)
I have not seen the actual magic carriage that was blown up, nor have I been to the scene of the explosion, so I can only make a complete guess, but I think it seems to hit the core of the matter unexpectedly.
“Huh?” (Nyango)
“What’s wrong, Nyango?” (Novak)
“By the way, did you know where the explosion site was?” (Nyango)
“Huh? What are you talking about? We’re on our way back to the Royal Castle from the cathedral, right?” (Novak)
“But we just came through.” (Nyango)
“Eh, ah… that’s right, we did come up from the second block through the west gate, but we didn’t notice any traces of the explosion, did we?” (Novak)
“So, did it happen after they entered the first block?” (Nyango)
“No, I heard that the explosion happened in the second block.” (Novak)
“If that’s the case, I wonder if it’s been cleaned up without leaving a trace?” (Nyango)
When I tried to go back to check, Ms. Monique stopped me.
“If someone as conspicuous as Sir Nyango goes in and out of the west gate many times, there is a concern you will be targetted.” (Monique)
“What… are eyes gazing all over the place?” (Nyango)
“It’s just a possibility, but if there are people who can tamper with His Highness Ernest’s magic carriage, they should be careful to destroy the evidence afterward.” (Monique)
Right now, everything is still in the realm of speculation, so I decided to casually relay the story from Ms. Monique to the Knight Commander.
“Sir Nyango, I will not mention Mr. Novak’s name, so please rest assured.” (Monique)
“Yes, thank you. I will also inform His Excellency Viscount without mentioning the names of Ms. Monique and the others.” (Nyango)
The plan was to spend a leisurely time, but the conversation took a strange turn and the Huley blossom viewing was interrupted.
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