Fiona was not in her room. Instead, she appeared at the far end of the corridor as Chronoa and Edgar walked through the manor.
"Lady Chronoa!"
Fiona broke into a light trot, the necklace featuring a jet-black gemstone on a silver chain swaying against her chest. She came to a graceful halt in front of Chronoa. "It has been far too long."
"Sorry for dropping in so suddenly."
"Not at all. I am delighted to see you again. But... what brings you here today?"
"To check on your condition, of course!"
"Honestly... I really am doing quite well. I heard you were having a pleasant talk with my father and the others."
"Well, business is important too," Chronoa replied with a wry smile, prompting a soft laugh from Fiona.
Chronoa placed a hand against Fiona’s neck and closed her eyes, focusing her senses. Fiona found the faint warmth emanating from the palm—a heat distinct from that of ordinary human skin—to be quite soothing. She yielded to that warmth, taking several deep, steady breaths.
"There. That should do it."
"Was everything... alright?"
"You’ll be fine without the medicine now. Your body is growing, so it shouldn't end up like before. You can rest easy."
Chronoa patted Fiona’s head as she spoke, then held up an index finger. "However..."
"Make sure to be careful of human malice. It’s possible that someone could artificially cause your special power to go berserk."
"S-Such a thing is possible!?"
"Mmm... probably."
Chronoa gave a vague smile to the panicked girl. She wasn't speaking with absolute certainty; it was merely a word of caution. Fiona seemed to realize this, as she gave a somewhat exasperated smile in return.
"Honestly! Please don't scare me like that!"
"Now, now, you can't let your guard down. It’s been a long time since the Demon King was defeated, but someone like him might appear again. If that happens, they might be able to cause trouble in ways we can't even imagine!"
"If that were the case, it sounds like it wouldn't just be my problem..."
"Heh... yeah. Actually, you're right about that."
As expected, she had just wanted to drive the point home. However, to Fiona, Chronoa's words carried the weight of a gospel. While exchanging these half-joking words, Fiona etched the advice into her heart. With the intent to follow it from now on, she spoke.
"I will approach the upcoming Final Exam without letting my guard down as well."
"Oh! Our academy's Final Exam is coming up soon, isn't it!"
"Yes. When I think that the long Special Merit Class entrance exam process is finally coming to an end, I feel a bit more at ease."
Compared to the entrance exams of ordinary schools, the Special Merit Class of the Imperial Academy was divided into many stages. It was a grueling marathon that lasted from summer until the winter of the new year. Furthermore, the reason Fiona was taking the exam for the military academy despite being a marquis's daughter was not only for the prestige of the degree but also because she could receive high-level instruction under Academy Principal Chronoa's direct policies.
"Don't ever take off that necklace I gave you, okay? I think your body is fine now, but we have to be prepared for any eventuality."
"Hehe. Is that because someone like the Demon King might appear?"
Vague hints of unease flickered through their conversation, but contrary to their words, smiles remained on both their faces. They were being cautious, and they weren't being careless. However, the sheer scale of the hypothetical talk invited a shared sense of amusement.
"Ah... I really have to go now."
Chronoa glanced at her wristwatch and grew a bit flustered. Realizing that their chat had taken up an unexpected amount of time, she pressed an index finger to her lips.
"I'm rooting for you on the exam—but let's keep that just between us, okay? I am the Academy Principal, after all."
Chronoa turned away while scratching her cheek awkwardly. Fiona bowed deeply, offering her thanks multiple times.
With this, Chronoa had no more lingering regrets. After saying her goodbyes to Fiona, she walked with Edgar toward the exit of the manor. Once they stepped outside, Marquis Ignat was waiting by the door. He was there to see her off.
"You know," she began as they walked. "I actually went to the Baldur Mountains recently."
"Ho... that is interesting. For what purpose?"
"One of the exam venues we had prepared became unusable. The Baldur Mountains were suggested as a candidate for a replacement, so I went to check it out along with some other sites."
Chronoa continued, "But it looks like the Baldur Mountains weren't suited for it."
"I ask out of curiosity, but why is that?"
"There were too many sheer cliffs, and I've heard talk that it's going to be terribly cold this year. It would be way too dangerous for the examinees."
Marquis Ignat nodded. "Indeed."
"So, will you report that to the Board of Directors as well?"
"Yeah. I've looked at various places up until this winter, so all that's left is the selection."
"Why not just leave the entire selection to the board at this point?"
"Ahaha, even though the members are all busy with their factional conflicts?"
"...That is a painful point to argue."
The reason the conversation turned this way was that the nobles on the Board of Directors naturally belonged to one faction or another. Nevertheless, the board functioned to maintain the fairness of the Special Merit Class. This was why Chronoa didn't voice any significant complaints and never took anyone's side.
"Since the information about the exam venue is classified, it must be nerve-wracking."
Entering the Special Merit Class of the Imperial Academy was as good as being guaranteed a brilliant future upon graduation. For that reason, to maintain fairness, only a select few were told the location of the Final Exam. Aside from the members of the board and the crew of the magic ship required for transport, information could only be obtained by the lord of the land chosen as the exam site. Information was not shared with the parents of the examinees, let alone other nobles or the Imperial Family.
"By the way, was it alright to tell me what you just did?"
"Don't worry. It's not something I'd shout from the rooftops, but it's just talk about a candidate site we won't be using anymore."
Eventually, just before passing through the main gate, Chronoa stopped and turned back to Ulysses.
"I'll be leaving Leomel before the end of the year, so I'm glad I could see Fiona one last time."
"Oh? And where are you going?"
"To the Holy Land for work. And for over a year! Over a year! When they first asked me, I thought about turning them down, but given the nature of the request..."
The Holy Land was located almost exactly in the center of the Elfen Continent. That land was the headquarters for the worship of the Main God Elfen, a neutral zone where people from all over the world gathered to offer their prayers.
"They say they're going to rebuild part of the Silver Holy Palace, Nodias."
"Ah, the Silver Holy Palace. That is the headquarters for all the temples in the world. I believe it had become quite dilapidated, so that makes sense."
However, Chronoa was neither a carpenter nor a sculptor. The reason she was being summoned was related to the many holy relics within the palace. The Silver Holy Palace was protected by numerous seals and barriers that could not be easily tampered with. Chronoa was going there to assist with the removal and re-installation of those protections.
"Other countries are sending people too, so Leomel can't afford to be left out."
Each country sent personnel to the Holy Land. It was a matter that smelled of politics, but since there were many people in Leomel who offered prayers to the Main God Elfen, it could not be ignored from a religious standpoint either.
"So, while I'm away, I suppose the Board of Directors will be the highest authority at the academy."
"That is good news. Seeing the board members, who are so devoted to their factional conflicts, become busy is a pleasant thought from an outsider's perspective. You should take this opportunity to relax and enjoy yourself, Lady Chronoa."
"Hmm... I wonder about that..."
Chronoa seemed a bit uncertain at Marquis Ignat's words, but then she glanced at her watch and cried out, "Ah!"
Realizing that more time had passed than she'd thought, she hurriedly exchanged farewells.
"Please be sure to visit us again when you return to Leomel."
"Yeah! Well then, thanks for today!"
And so, Chronoa left the Marquis Ignat manor. Naturally, she wore her vestments and pulled her robe deep over her head so as not to stand out. After that, she walked through the town for over an hour. She had considered catching a carriage, but decided to enjoy the scenic townscape as she headed for her destination.
Her destination was the magic ship terminal in Eupeheim. There, she inserted money into a ticket machine and bought a ticket for a magic ship scheduled to leave for the Imperial Capital in one hour. Splurging on a ticket for a private room, she looked out at Eupeheim from the window. Once aboard the airship, she could look down at the town from a significant height. As she burned the image of the town into her memory, she thought about her recent trip.
Ren-kun was cute. It would have been so much easier if I could have made the Baldur Mountains the exam venue.
Finally, she let out a long groan while stretching and collapsed onto a large sofa. Taking advantage of the fact that there were no eyes on her, she hugged a sofa cushion and kicked her legs in the air.
"Agh, I can't do this anymore! I'm going to sleep!"
She made the declaration to no one in particular. Rubbing her heavy, drowsy eyelids, she mustered her strength and headed for the bed. Stripping down to her underwear, she looked through her notebook. The pages were filled with plans starting from her return to the Imperial Capital, with no gaps until the morning of her departure from Leomel.
In short, she had no holidays. For Chronoa, this journey back to the Imperial Capital was her only vacation.
"Graaaah! ...Wait, what am I even doing?"
It was a meaningless act of resistance, but Chronoa growled at the notebook. However, she immediately thought better of it, lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes. Perhaps due to the massive accumulation of fatigue, she soon drifted off.
Around the same time, Ren had made his way to the Adventurer Guild. As soon as he arrived, the receptionist, who had already become a familiar face, greeted him.
"I see you received the letter."
Ren nodded. "I was surprised when the guild messenger came to the manor, but I read it immediately. It said there was a nomination request for me—what are the details?"
"Regarding that, I have heard from Sir Kai that it is an escort mission for a group of merchants."
"Kai...?"
"Oh? He is someone you have been chatting with frequently. Are you not aware of his name?"
Unfortunately, Ren had no memory of it. He didn't recall hearing anyone's name at this guild. Ren reconfirmed that he hadn't forgotten a previous introduction, then shrugged.
"I was talking about myself, Lord Hero," a voice boomed from behind him.
Ren turned to see a man with a rough, boisterous manner. This was the same adventurer who had first called out to Ren when he started visiting the guild.
"So Kai-san was you."
"That's right. Well, it's only natural you wouldn't know—I never actually introduced myself. Anyway, that's enough of that! Miss, I'll take it from here!"
With a nod from the receptionist, Ren was led to a booth. Waiting there was Kai's partner, the werewolf.
"I heard you. My apologies, Lord Hero. I completely neglected to introduce myself, as I should have," the werewolf said.
"No, I’m sorry as well."
After apologizing, Ren took a seat. Kai sat down as well and abruptly pulled out a map.
"The job I want to ask of you, Lord Hero, is an escort mission, just as you heard. The clients are merchants favored by some noble or another."
"Chartered merchants, then?"
"Most likely. Apparently, they came to Clausel to buy various things. Word is they're on good terms with a noble from the Hero Faction."
Ren’s expression warped instantly. Kai, who knew the circumstances, gave a broad grin.
"I know how you feel, but I want to rely on you for this. The schedule is expected to be one month for the round trip. What do you think?"
"A month... that's quite a long time," Ren replied with a troubled look.
To be honest, he wasn't very inclined to accept. Considering he was living in the Old Wing of the Clausel manor, a month was too long to be away from his duties as caretaker. The financial terms didn't seem bad, but not a single fiber of Ren’s being was moved.