"Woof!"
Shiro gave an energetic bark as he nimbly descended into the canyon.
Beside him, Ril raced along, refusing to be outdone. Despite the steepness of the slope, neither beast seemed undeterred; if anything, they appeared to be having the time of their lives.
"By the way, the Wyverns have stopped appearing entirely," Sylpha noted.
Apparently, Alieze had convinced the Wyverns to back off and had even made them spread the word to their kin not to attack us.
"Hey, Lloyd, the sun is starting to set. Let’s prepare to stop for the night."
"Okay! Understood!"
Following Albert's instruction, I brought Shiro to a halt. There was water flowing at the bottom of the canyon, making it a perfect spot to camp.
"You worked hard today, Ril."
"Whine!"
Alieze praised the beast, but Ril wagged its tail as if to insist it could keep going. If anything, Albert and the others looked the most exhausted. Strangely enough, just sitting still for hours could be quite draining. We had been traveling at high speeds without a break, after all. Even I was feeling a bit tired.
"Master Lloyd, please, have a seat."
Just as I was about to sit on the ground, Sylpha produced a chair from seemingly nowhere. She quickly set out chairs, tables, and teacups for everyone else as well.
"You all must be weary. I have prepared medicinal herb tea. It should help relieve your fatigue."
"Heh, this tastes quite good."
Albert brought the teacup to his lips with elegant poise. I took a sip as well. Hmm, the flavor was a bit different from our usual blend.
"Um, I gathered some herbs along the way that are effective for recovery and brewed them. They were a bit harsh on their own, so I mixed in some aromatic herbs to soften the scent... How is it?"
Ren spoke haltingly. Now that she mentioned it, I remembered her stepping into the bushes during one of our short breaks. As I drank, I could feel my body beginning to glow with warmth.
"It’s delicious, Ren."
"Yes, that slight acidity is quite addictive."
"This is great. I can feel the tiredness just drainin' away. Much obliged, Ren-chan!"
"Y-Yes!"
Albert and Birgitte both seemed to enjoy it, finishing their tea with satisfied expressions.
"Naturally, I have prepared a meal as well."
When I followed Sylpha's gaze, I saw a wide array of dishes already lined up on the table behind us. When on earth did she prepare all this? There shouldn't have been anything on that table just a moment ago... Was it some kind of magic trick?
"Oh, I was just gettin' hungry. As expected of Sylpha, you're always so sharp."
"I am unworthy of such praise."
Sylpha bowed deeply at Birgitte’s words of appreciation. I was hungry too, so I was grateful. We all settled in to enjoy the feast.
"Phew, I’m stuffed."
Birgitte leaned back in her chair, patting her stomach. While we were eating, the sun had completely slipped below the horizon, and the distant cries of Wyverns echoed through the canyon.
"At this rate, it looks like we’ll arrive tomorrow."
"Well, early is better than late, right? Just means more time to study."
"I’m a bit anxious, though. This is the first time I've been away from the castle for so long. I wonder if Dian and the others are managing things properly..."
Albert looked genuinely worried, but it hadn't even been half a day since we left. He really could be a bit of a fretter.
"Woof! Woof-woof!"
"Hm? What is it, Shiro?"
Suddenly, Shiro began barking into the darkness. There was the presence of a person. Sylpha stood up and drew her sword in one smooth motion.
"Who goes there? Show yourself."
"...Alright."
A girl's voice answered from the shadows. The one who stepped out was a petite girl, her voice calm and unfazed by Sylpha’s intimidating tone. She had bright green hair cut into a neat bob, and she peered at us with large eyes from behind circular glasses.
She wore clothes that looked like work gear paired with short pants, and she carried an enormous backpack. There was very little emotion visible on her face, making it difficult to tell what she was thinking.
"Hmm, her features aren't bad, but she’s a bit plain. That dowdy outfit is just... no, wait, if I think of it as cross-dressing, maybe it barely works...?"
"You... so it's not like just any woman will do for you, huh..."
Grimo looked appalled as he listened to Jiriel’s lecherous muttering. Regardless, Albert addressed the girl as she stood there.
"Sylpha, you're scaring the poor girl. Put your sword away."
"Yes, sir."
At Albert's command, Sylpha sheathed her weapon. The girl bowed, seemingly not bothered by the confrontation at all.
"My apologies for my maid. I am Albert. And you?"
"I am Connie. Ah, my real name is Cornelia, but everyone calls me Connie."
"Connie, is it? That's a lovely name."
"Thank you very much."
The girl bowed once more. It was impressive—most people would have reddened at Albert's dashing smile, but she remained perfectly composed.
"Are you perhaps heading toward William Academy?"
"Yes. You all are as well, right?"
"Indeed. Well, considering where we are, there isn't really anywhere else to go. That means we'll be schoolmates. Here, if you'd like, why don't you sit down and relax for a while?"
Urged by Albert, Connie sat gingerly on the edge of a chair.
"Where are you from? Judging by your attire, I’d guess the south."
"The Limiadi Region. Are you from Saloom, Albert-san?"
The moment Connie spoke, Albert's expression shifted.
"You are Prince Albert, the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Saloom, right?"
Albert gave a wry smile at her hitting the mark so precisely.
"You've got me. I wasn't trying to hide it, but... yes, that's correct."
"I thought so... and that would be the Second Princess Birgitte, who commands the financial world; the Sixth Princess Alieze, who communicates with magical beasts; and the Seventh Prince Lloyd, who is dangerously obsessed with magic."
Limiadi was a distant land from which very little information ever reached us. I was surprised she knew Albert and Birgitte so well—not to mention lower-ranked royalty like Alieze and me.
Still, I felt a sense of relief. It seemed that in the eyes of the public, I was still just viewed as someone who really liked magic. I hadn't stood out as much as I'd feared.
"No, no, she said you were 'dangerously' obsessed, Master Lloyd."
"She didn't say anything remotely like 'ordinary magic enthusiast.' Not even a little bit," Grimo and Jiriel added.
I ignored their retorts. Surely it wasn't that bad.
"...Ah, I forgot to use formal speech. I'm sorry."
"Please, don't let it bother you. I hear many royalty and nobles attend the academy, but students are forbidden from using their status to lord it over others. Since we're classmates, feel free to speak casually."
"Thank you, Albert-san."
"Ahaha... you've got quite a bit of nerve. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Connie."
Albert took Connie’s hand and they exchanged a handshake.
"Listen, since we've met here by chance, why don't you travel to the academy with us? It’s dangerous for a girl to be on these roads alone at night, especially in a place where monsters roam."
"...Hmm, I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine on my own. I'll be going now."
With a polite bow, Connie turned and left the campsite.
"Ah well, looks like you got rejected, Albert. And here they call you the greatest lady-killer in Saloom; it’s enough to make me laugh!"
"Who's a lady-killer? ...Still, I wonder if she’ll be alright. It's worrying to see a girl all by herself out here."
"She made it this far alone, so she must be reasonably capable. There’s no need to worry. Besides, she probably just felt awkward around royalty," Sylpha offered, following up on Birgitte’s teasing with a more practical observation.
I didn't mind her leaving. Sometimes it’s hard to do what you want when there are strangers around. I understood that feeling well.
"Master Lloyd, you do whatever you want even when people are watching..."
"Actually, Master Lloyd is quite restrained in his own way. He's always mindful of how others see him."
"Wait, you consider that restrained...?"
"I do..."
Grimo and Jiriel were looking at me with strangely pitying eyes, but I was focused on something else.
"I didn't feel even a trace of mana from that girl," Ren whispered.
I nodded. It was true; I hadn't felt any mana from Connie at all. Even normal humans have mana, which leaks from their bodies in minute amounts. Mages manipulate it with Spell Formulas, and the Cursed Ones like Ren use it directly to cause phenomena.
That left only one likely possibility.
"She probably has the same constitution as Brother Shneider and Sister Cruse."
In other words, a Magic-Housed Constitution.
It was a rare condition where a person was born with immense mana, but by dedicating their life to martial arts, that mana was consumed to grant them abnormally high physical capabilities. However, if that were the case, her body should be much more muscular. I could hardly believe that the petite Connie possessed the same kind of raw power as Shneider. Still, she was traveling through a canyon crawling with Wyverns on her own, so she had to be strong in her own right.
"Alright, it's time for good children to get some sleep. We have an early start tomorrow."
"Okay."
At Birgitte's command, we all settled down to sleep.