Chapter 236: That’s just Nimi’s personality
We arrived at the academy. I started work in the instructor’s office, and after a while the door was knocked. I took a pocket watch from my pocket and checked the time. It was past ten. I had no appointment to meet anyone, and I had been told Mirishu and Kuna were busy today. I did not know who had come. I looked at Teine, today’s escort, and we tilted our heads together. I had Teine wait near the door, answered toward the other side, and the door opened slowly. Relia and Tia came in. I let out a breath, smiled in a troubled way, and asked,
"Students should be in class... what in the world happened?"
"Good morning, Raide-sama. We have a small request..."
"You could also call it a complaint. Raide-sama, please listen."
"Hnn? Ah..."
The two who came into the room gave off a noble atmosphere and had troubled smiles. Teine guided them to the sofa. Karinal, who came in after, also smiled in a troubled way and bowed. I stood from my seat, sat on the sofa across from them, and looked at their faces while tilting my head. "First..." Tia took out a letter and handed it to me. She asked with her eyes if I could look inside and I nodded. There was a fear of not knowing what was written, but I could not grasp the situation without looking. I opened the letter paper timidly and read. I smiled wryly and rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.
"Ah~. A complaint, or what? It only looks like they’re asking for help... is this all right?"
"Yes. Father can be left alone with no problem. But Mother... is quite pleased."
"Father’s is a complaint, but Mother is in a good mood... I believe she has gone to see Lady Nimi today as well. A question. Does Lady Nimi have a skill that makes people like her?"
"There’s no way she has something like that. That’s completely Nimi’s personality..."
The letter was from King Adom. Summarized, it said don’t give the tonic to my wife because I can’t sleep. The two explained. The chancellor had suddenly taken time off until tomorrow, and his wife Karimarl-san was with him. Yesterday the castle got sudden word. Even if the chancellor was gone a few days there was no problem with the work. King Adom got worried about the chancellor, who had not been like this for years. He could not leave the castle so he sent the two queens, who were close with Karimarl-san, to visit. They were able to meet Karimarl-san at the chancellor’s house, but... when they stopped talking there the two remembered something, dyed their cheeks red, and said,
"That alluring Lady Karimarl... Mother and the others said it was the first time they had seen her like that."
"There Lady Karimarl told them she received the tonic from Lady Nimi. Mother and the others went to see Lady Nimi... and after that it is as you imagine."
"...I never thought she would get close with both queens. Even as her lover it’s terrifying."
It was fine that I had not been reported to. Hearing they handed over the tonic made me smile wryly. King Adom apparently had not slept since yesterday. The two queens’ state this morning, even from their daughters’ eyes, had given off a glossy atmosphere you could almost stare at. Karinal made a troubled face and whispered to Tia. Tia’s eyes went wide and she looked at Karinal. Then she smiled in a troubled way, looked at me next, and said apologetically,
"Raide-sama, do you have the tonic?"
"No. I don’t. If anyone does it would be Elysia and Nimi... I don’t know the details. What’s wrong?"
"Karinal’s mother seems to desire it as well."
"...Hn? Karinal’s mother too?"
I asked back with a slightly surprised face. Tia smiled in a troubled way. Relia turned her face toward Karinal and talked. Teine poured tea and set it on the table. I thanked her, lifted the cup, and took a sip. Honestly the amount of information had made my throat dry... that helped. I looked at Relia, Tia, and Karinal. They were wetting their throats the same as me and thanking Teine. If I was allowed an impression, it was good that the marriages were going well, and for the tiredness I could only say do your best.
To begin with I was involved with the tonic almost not at all. They had said it was something refined only for the lovers to use on me, so I had deliberately not asked in detail... Speaking as someone who had been used on, the effect was enormous and I could only really say do your best.
The lower half would not settle, and if you let your guard down you got heated... and you could not sleep. A tonic that showed quite an effect just from thinking the person you liked was beside you. Elysia and Nimi probably had not imagined it would even become popular with the queens.
If they had thought of it, the lovers were too amazing and I could only praise them... Tomorrow when I got home maybe I would ask? I explained to Relia and Tia that if they wanted it they could only visit Elysia and Nimi, and that I was not involved. The two looked at each other with troubled faces, hid their mouths elegantly with their fingertips, laughed, and started talking.
"See, Tia. Just as I said? We heard from the lovers and did not think Raide-sama would become necessary."
"I had heard as well, but the just-in-case bet missed."
"...For the record, what would you have done if I were involved?"
""We would have made a regular purchase contract.""
The two said it together with happy smiles. I almost laughed, could not raise a laugh out loud, hid my mouth with my hand, and looked away. However close we had gotten I could not burst out laughing in front of them. The purchase purpose would probably be found out as being for King Adom or the chancellor, which made it even worse. They had pretty much come to make me laugh. The three including Teine were laughing too so they seemed to think the same. The two stood, gave me a pretty, elegant bow, and started toward the door. Then both of them suddenly turned back together, smiled like mischievous children, and said,
"We will participate in today’s camping training. Please treat us well."
"Kusu. Please treat us well, Instructor Raide."
"...I expected it so there’s no problem. If anything I wanted you to experience it for if something happened. Two of you are among the people important to me."
"...Raide-sama’s surprise attacks are always unfair."
"Ane-sama, I agree. Making our hearts race this much, what exactly do you want."
I had only said something obvious and they smiled at me in a troubled way. I tilted my head. The two let out small breaths, shook their heads small as if it was nothing, and left the room. I took a sip of the cold tea and looked at Teine with a what-was-that gaze. Teine also smiled in a troubled way and I tilted my head even more.
The time was thirteen hundred after lunch. Students dressed in adventurer clothes sat on the training ground. I looked them over and checked the numbers and whether anyone looked unwell. I confirmed everyone was there and judged the faces were fine, then raised my voice.
"From here we head outside the royal capital. No problems with your condition!"
"Yes!"
"Good! I’ll say it first. Even if it’s training, staying tense the whole time will tire you and nothing will go into your heads! I can’t say play because it’s a class, but enjoy it moderately! Got it!"
"Ye~s!"
You don’t need to draw the voice out that much, I thought, smiling wryly as I looked over the students. They were talking happily with friends around them and still seemed to have a moderate tension, so I would call it fine. The female adventurers I had called for today’s camping training were waiting behind and laughing happily looking at the students.
When I put in a request to the clan and tried to pay, they refused and said free was fine. The older sisters seemed to have grown attached to the students and even said they would stay with them as much as needed. Among them were the sisters Folia and Shinku. I could not hold my head up to the older sisters including those two. I told the students to stand and head for the gate, then started walking toward the academy’s main gate in the lead. But... why was Hilbyid walking next to me? I looked sideways at Hilbyid walking on my right. She noticed my gaze, smiled wryly, and said in a small voice,
"Roy, Lucy, and Konru are getting heated."
"Ah... that can’t be helped."
I turned my face a little sideways and looked at Roy with my eyes. Lucy and Konru were each clinging to one of his arms and he had a troubled smile. I faced forward, smiled wryly, and muttered "Hot..." "Right?" Hilbyid muttered too, laughing in a troubled way. Probably Shinku would barge in later too. Would that be all right?
For Roy’s love relationships I could only say do your best. Not like Relia and Tia’s talk just now, but I got worried whether they had brought the tonic. Lucy’s mother Lucian was my lover, so it would not be strange if the talk had gone to Lucy. I’ll ask Lucy secretly later, I thought, then noticed I was worrying about something unrelated to training, smiled in a troubled way, and rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.