TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Before leaving Talian, Ian decided to leave all his companions except Belenka behind.
They wouldn't be much help dealing with a duke, and there was more potential for them to be useful in the domain than on the battlefield.
"I'm counting on you, Kira."
"Leave it to ."
Kira flashed Ian a smile with her eyes.
Since Lucy and Ian had to be away, they needed soone trustworthy to look after Talian.
Baron Damon and Kira were perfect for the job.
"I've already told Baron Damon. There shouldn't be any particular issues."
"Well... Baron Damon and I aren't complete strangers anyway."
In the past, Kira had been forced to work for Baron Damon.
At that ti, Kira wasn't a real wizard but a fake one, and had no way to escape the baron's coercion.
But the current Kira was different.
Not only did she have Ian as a reliable wizard companion, but she had beco a fire wizard who could wield the power of flas.
It should be fine to entrust the domain to her.
"Lady Kira! There's sothing I'd like you to look at..."
"Wait a mont. Can't you see I'm talking to Ian right now?"
Kira, who was already excellent at acting, had beco even more capable of playing a prickly wizard now that she had the background of a real one.
She could now intimidate country barons to the point where they couldn't even breathe.
"I-I'm sorry..."
Despite being a noble, Baron Lantro couldn't say a word against Kira.
This was the typical status of imperial wizards.
Wizards had tight connections among themselves, so if you offended one carelessly, you might witness a fantastic wizard assembly like the one that unfolded in Baron Vincents' domain.
Kira approached Baron Lantro with a smile curling the corners of her mouth.
Smiling with her bright red lips, Kira was the very image of an enchanting sorceress.
'Kira really is pretty.'
"Hehe. I'll co see you when I have ti. A good noble can wait until then, right?"
"Ah...! I can wait!"
"Good. I really like that about you, Baron~"
As Kira whispered, Baron Lantro grinned with a dazed expression.
Is a beautiful face so kind of ma?gic?
Ian was seriously worried about Baron Lantro, who looked like his brain had lted.
Being so weak to temptation. If an evil black wizard like Karenne attached herself to him, wouldn't she ruin the domain's finances?
"Well, I'm off then. Ian."
"Ah. Wait a mont."
Ian held out the fairy silk he had received from the Fairy Queen.
It was an item that Sister Mionia had processed into a ribbon.
"Oh my."
Kira hurriedly covered her mouth.
Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
"W-What's this?"
"A gift? Souvenir? Well. I'm just giving it to you."
It was truly a gift prepared without much thought.
Kira had been through a lot following Ian around.
Also, he had heard that she envied Lucy & Belenka's fairy silk accessories.
"A gift... you say?"
"Yeah. You've been through a lot so far. And I'm also asking you to help manage the domain."
The last part was more of an afterthought.
Ian knew well that Kira ca from the streets. He didn't expect her to actually manage the domain.
Anyway, Kira was like a human totem that lowered the chances of incidents just by walking around looking important.
And she could spit fire in ergencies. How useful.
"..."
Kira fiddled with the ribbon silently for a while, then.
"... Sniff."
She suddenly started crying!
Ian was flustered seeing Kira's tears.
She's crying from happiness, right? Please tell that's it!
Ian was fully prepared to accept it if Kira stord out saying, "How dare you throw this scrap of ribbon at !"
Well, won are incomprehensible beings after all...!
Fortunately, Kira was indeed crying from being touched.
"I haven't done anything for you, Ian...!"
"No! Lady Kira! Are you crying?! Agh! Ian! What injury have you inflicted on this delicate lady...!"
"Get out before I burn you to ashes!!!"
"Eek!"
Ian shooed Baron Lantro away, brushing off the flying sparks (real fire that Kira had summoned).
Ian felt secretly pleased.
Whew. He just saved soone's life...!
"Kira. Calm down."
"S-Sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't an to get angry just now...!"
Kira stamred with a bright red face.
While glancing with murderous eyes at where the baron had disappeared.
At this rate, they might have to dispose of a noble's corpse.
Ian grasped the ribbon, intending to divert her attention.
"No need to thank ."
"Ian..."
"Want to tie it for you?"
"!"
Surprisingly, Ian knew how to tie a ribbon in a woman's hair.
When he was young, Eredith occasionally asked him to tie her hair, aiming to feel Ian's cuteness (?).
"Y-You know how?"
"Yeah. Learned it from my master."
"... You really learned all sorts of things from your master."
Kira spoke in a quiet voice, lowering her eyes slightly.
"Okay... tie it for ..."
As she turned her back and lifted her hair, a slender, white nape was revealed.
Kira exposed her nape to Ian, pressing her lips tightly together and neatly folding her hands.
She couldn't even breathe deeply.
She didn't want to reveal how nervous she was, her heart pounding.
So Kira turned into a shy version of herself, her acting skills completely gone.
'This brings back mories.'
Ian skillfully handled Kira's red hair.
"Mmph...!"
"Sorry. Did that hurt?"
"No... it just feels a bit strange..."
Ian tied the ribbon without difficulty.
The fairy silk prepared by the fairies was black silk, a version with more of the sun's power, they said.
Occasionally, it protects the wearer from flas.
That's why Ian decided to give Kira the black ribbon version of fairy silk.
It was in case the mystery of fire ever went berserk.
There might not be as strong a protective effect as a magical artifact... but Ian thought it carried the aning of wishing for her safety.
"It's done."
Kira imdiately rushed to a mirror.
Befitting a noble lady's residence, Talian Hall had many mirrors bought from rchants.
"..."
Kira stared at herself in the mirror as if entranced.
"Ian. How do I look?"
She looked at Ian with an expression full of expectation.
"Hmm..."
But Ian... just had nothing to say.
With or without the ribbon, Kira was simply pretty.
Then shouldn't he say sothing about the ribbon?
He couldn't do that.
To Ian's eyes, the ribbon just looked like sothing sold at a dollar store...
How would a man know about won's ribbon decoration designs?
So Ian outputted Male Language Macro #1.
It was the quick-wittedness of a man who had majored in science and engineering in his previous life.
"It's pretty? Suits you well."
"...!"
Male Language Macro #1. Mindless complinting.
if input_word == "mindless complint"... and so on.
As expected, the macro's effect was trendous!
"Umm... thank you, Ian."
Kira spoke in a gentle voice, her face flushed.
Unlike when she was cosplaying as a confident wizard, the shy Kira now just looked cute.
Kira couldn't et Ian's eyes until the end.
'I've successfully diverted her attention.'
Ian decided to leave Kira alone so she could fully enjoy(?) her new ribbon.
"Well, I'll be going then."
"Okay... take care, and co back safely."
Kira finally looked up at Ian.
"..."
"..."
A mont of silence passed.
"Countess! Over here! She's here!"
Bang!
Suddenly the door opened, and Lucy and Baron Lantro appeared.
Lucy looked back and forth between Ian and Kira, her eyes widening.
"Eh?"
Lucy stamred, addressing Kira.
"Um... I heard earlier that you were fighting with Ian..."
Kira glared at Baron Lantro (reminding herself that Lucy would be away soon) and answered Lucy.
"It's a misunderstanding, Countess."
"But the tear stains..."
Kira slowly wiped away her tear stains.
"I was surprised and happy to receive a gift from Ian, so I cried."
"Ah..."
Only then did Lucy notice the beautiful ribbon tied in Kira's hair.
The atmosphere was sohow awkwardly strange.
---
---
Ian stationed all his companions except Belenka in Talian.
From what the Knights of Santiago said, orcs and other monsters were very active, so they needed to maintain vigilance.
Fortunately, Talian's forces weren't weak.
Baron Damon's subordinates, the Knights of Santiago, the werewolf Lewis, and Jubal could all serve as warriors.
With Kira providing magical support, they could easily fend off most monster invasions.
It would be different if a dragon flew in directly, but the black dragon had apparently been beaten by the Margrave of Haltramm and fled.
So Ian could leave Talian with a sowhat lighter heart.
The party consisting of Ian and Lucy, Belenka and Salvador, and the Knights of Santiago moved quickly towards Duke Araz's territory.
"What did you say?"
The Knights of Santiago, who were acting as guides, returned with unexpected news.
"Duke Araz isn't in his domain right now."
"Then..."
Ian let out a hollow laugh.
He really went to hunt the dragon...!
"They say he left for the Golden Mountains with the Margrave of Haltramm."
Ian imdiately changed their destination.
Since he needed to et the duke, there was no point in visiting a domain without its lord.
Ian's group changed course for the Golden Mountains.
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