Second Semester Preparations
One afternoon, about a month after the incident at the Count's estate, in the Royal Capital Friselium…
"Whew…"
Sitting on a bench beneath a large tree in the plaza, Rudell fanned himself with his hand.
"It's so hot…"
He could have lowered the temperature with magic, but in such an open space, he would have to continuously cast the spell, and his mana would surely run out before long.
"When are they coming…?"
It was already past noon.
And yet, no one had arrived at the meeting place.
‘I hope nothing happened to them…’
Rudell muttered to himself, frowning. Just then…
"Rudellheit."
Turning his head at the sound coming from behind him, he saw a boy with dark, tanned skin, red eyes, and light-colored hair.
Kurt Kasha.
A Nord friend Rudell had made during the vacation and a boy who would become a reliable ally in the future.
"You're late."
"My apologies. I'm not used to looking at clocks."
Kurt replied in a calm voice to Rudell's jab.
Having lived a life far removed from civilization, it was understandable.
"Still, you seem to have adapted quite well."
"Thanks to Master Kyle."
What Kurt learned from Kyle during the vacation wasn't just about fighting.
He learned how to live, behave, and think as a person of the Kingdom…
He taught him everything he needed to live in the academy, coming from the Nord tribe of the Plain of Eternal Winter.
Except for his slightly unusual skin color, no one would think he was from the Plain of Eternal Winter.
"So, when is that girl… I mean, the Princess coming?"
"Well, it's already past the meeting time…"
Rudell replied to Kurt's question in a troubled voice, glancing around.
"Hm?"
Then, seeing a familiar carriage approaching in the distance, Rudell fixed his gaze on it.
The carriage stopped at the roadside nearby, and the door opened, revealing a familiar girl who started running towards him.
"Rudell!"
"You're late."
"Hehe, sorry… I had more to prepare than I thought."
Leje giggled at Rudell's words, winked, and asked, "By the way, how do you like this dress? Does it suit me?"
"Huh? Dress?"
At her question, Rudell examined her outfit.
A sleeveless white dress and the same wide-brimmed white hat he had seen before.
A blue ribbon tied around her waist accentuated her figure.
"Well, that…"
Feeling his heart pound at her question, Rudell trailed off.
"Hehe…"
As if that was enough of an answer, Leje let out a low chuckle and grabbed Rudell's hand, leading him towards Kurt, who was standing a short distance away.
"So… your name was Kurt, right? I didn't properly introduce myself back then because things were hectic."
Extending her hand towards him, she looked Kurt up and down.
Technically speaking, for her, the Nord tribe was something she might see once in a lifetime, so her reaction was understandable.
"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Leje El Lagrind, Rudell's 'first' friend, as you might have heard."
Leje subtly emphasized the word 'first,' revealing her possessiveness.
‘She's so cute’ Rudell thought, letting out a low chuckle.
"It's a pleasure. My name is Kurt Kasha, a descendant of the Great Winter and the son of Pamubeck Kasha, chieftain of the Frost Wolf tribe. I look forward to spending time with you today."
"N-Nice to meet you too. I look forward to it as well."
Of course, Kurt, with his straightforward personality, didn't grasp the hidden meaning in her words and simply extended his hand with a calm voice.
Leje, with a slightly disappointed look, shook his hand.
"Pfft…"
Rudell chuckled as he watched the scene unfold.
For the sake of the future, it was necessary for her and Kurt to build some rapport, but being too hasty could backfire.
In that sense, the fact that Leje had lowered her guard against Kurt was enough to make this meeting worthwhile.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, shall we get going?"
‘This should be enough for introductions.’
With that thought, Rudell started walking…
Leje and Kurt followed behind him.
***
"There are so many things to buy…"
Kurt let out a low groan, his hands full of bags.
He was carrying school supplies, textbooks, and other necessities.
Since he was transferring in the middle of the semester, he had to buy everything in a hurry.
"It can't be helped. These are all necessary for you to become stronger."
By the end of the academy's education, Kurt would be among the top two in terms of combat ability, along with Leje.
To accelerate his growth even a little, there were quite a few things to prepare.
"If you say so."
With a low groan, Kurt accepted another box that Rudell handed him.
Meanwhile, the sun began to set, painting the sky red…
"A-Are you sure we need this much stuff…?"
"Of course! But this is the last one!"
Rudell placed a fountain pen in Kurt's pocket, which was already overflowing with items, and patted his shoulder.
"I-I see. That's a relief."
"Alright! Now that we've bought everything, let's take a break and then head back."
Leje, watching Kurt breathe a sigh of relief, pointed to a nearby cafe.
The three of them moved and took a seat at a table outside the cafe.
"What can I get for you?"
"One iced coffee, one iced tea, and what about you?"
Rudell asked Kurt in response to the waiter's cheerful question.
"I'll have a beer."
Kurt replied after a moment's thought.
One might think that fifteen is too young to drink, but in this world, fifteen is considered the age of adulthood.
Moreover, there were no laws prohibiting minors from drinking, so no one questioned children drinking alcohol.
Furthermore, the Plain of Eternal Winter was one of the coldest regions on the continent.
Therefore, it was commonplace for the Nord people to drink alcohol from a young age.
"One iced coffee, one iced tea, and one beer, please."
"Got it!"
The waiter, with a bright smile, took the order sheet with Rudell's order and headed to the counter…
"Haa… I'm tired."
Letting out a short sigh, Rudell slumped his head onto the table.
It was a little past seven in the evening, so they had been walking around for almost six hours without a break.
Leje and Kurt, with their exceptional stamina, wouldn't have a problem, but for Rudell, it was more than enough time to get exhausted.
"Rudell."
"Hm? What?"
Rudell lifted his head, tilting it at Leje's voice calling out to him.
Leje hesitated, gauging Rudell's reaction, then nodded as if she had made up her mind.
"Did you talk to my father that day?"
"Cough!?"
At the same time, Rudell felt a choking sensation and started coughing violently.
"Cough! Hack!! Hack!!"
"Here's some water."
"Thanks… Cough! Cough!!"
Kurt, who had been watching, poured water into a glass and handed it to him.
Rudell emptied the glass in an instant and only after coughing for a while longer was he able to breathe a short sigh.
"Wh-Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"It's strange. My father isn't someone who changes his mind easily, but he lifted my confinement as soon as he returned."
"Hmm…"
‘I thought he wasn't going to bring it up since he didn't say anything in the letter, but I didn't expect her to ask directly…’
Feeling a cold sweat run down his neck, Rudell let out a troubled groan.
[I would appreciate it if you could keep what happened today a secret, no matter what.]
That applied to Leje as well.
"So? What happened with my father that day?"
"I just… talked to the Duke. I asked him to lift your confinement."
"Is that really all?"
Rudell answered after organizing his thoughts, and Leje looked at him with suspicion.
"Yes, that's right."
‘A physical conversation is still a conversation, after all.’
Rationalizing it that way, Rudell nodded.
"Hmm…"
Leje narrowed her eyes at his answer, but there wasn't much she could do.
In the first place, only Dathos and Rudell knew about that incident.
If they both decided to keep their mouths shut, there was nothing Leje could do.
"Fine, I'll believe you. For now."
"Thanks for that."
"Don't mention it. I should be the one thanking you."
Leje said with a faint smile to Rudell, who was still clearing his throat…
"Your drinks are here!"
The waiter approached with a cheerful smile and placed the drinks on the table.
"Here's yours."
"Thanks."
"And this is yours…"
"Thank you."
The drinks were placed in front of each of them, and the three of them took a sip almost simultaneously.
"Phew!!"
The cold drinks were like a godsend to their bodies, which had been heated up from walking for six hours straight.
The three of them emptied their glasses almost at the same time, let out a long sigh, and put the glasses down.
Thus, a peaceful moment passed by.
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