Julius headed to the drawing room when he got word that there was a rchant there to see him.
"Sir, is there so fun event going on today? You look to be in a good mood."
"Oh, Laina." Julius smiled at her, following him like always. "I think Im going to be able to buy so decent goods at a reasonable price."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, and this is all thanks to my reputation. Once people get famous, good things really do start coming to them, huh.
Laina wondered if there had been an order sent from above.
I thought nothing was supposed to happen for a while.
All she had to do was look after Julius until he went to the Academy.
"Congratulations."
"If there's anything good for sale, I'll share it with you.
Julius entered the drawing room with a confident face.
Click!
In the drawing room, a young rchant jumped to his feet with surprise.
"H-hello! Nice to et you!"
It seed as if he had only just begun to learn the trade.
Laina was suspicious of his appearancefar too young in the face to be considered a top-notch rchantbut kept quiet as she sat behind Julius.
For the most part, those whod tried to pull one over Julius hadnt t good ends.
Ti would tell if he, too, would et a similar fate.
"Yes, nice to et you. Im Julius Reinhart.
"Yes, yes, I know. I've heard much about your reputation!"
Julius chatted a little longer rather than making a deal right away, perhaps because he liked the way the rchants flattery made him feel.
Well Im sure you have access to plenty of other suitable clients, so why did you choose to co deal with ?
He had an elder brother and a father that the rchant couldve chosen instead.
"Cough, cough. What? Well, um Would you like to take a look at what I have to offer?
He couldnt stop himself from bursting out into laughter for much longer.
"Alright."
As soon as those words left his lips, the rchant took out the various items that he had prepared in advance.
"Yes, first off, this item is a potion called Carrens Beam of Light. It changes the bodys mana composition.
"Wow So then, what would you say to
Thus, Julius was able to obtain the helpful potion at a price much lower than the market value.
When the deal was over, Julius smiled and began, "Yes, well, if you continue to acquire such items I'll continue to keep an eye out for you.
Julius needed conditions to be set up where he could buy high-quality goods, and the rchant needed a reliable supporter to protect him.
"Thank you so much!"
"Likewise."
When Julius showed signs of getting up with his newly acquired items, the young rchant politely reached out his hand.
"Please take good care of us in the future, too!"
Karik, the young rchant, bead at him.
"Yes. I look forward to working with you."
Julius returned his smile with a wide one of his own, left unaware.
* * *
Ti was like a raging wave.
When news of the incident first spread, people showed great interest in the order of succession. A chira sorcerer who captured people. Bandits invading the festival. Witches spreading curses. And now, even dark sorcerers infiltrating the Heavenly Forest. No matter how normal the incidents may have been, the events preceding one after the other and the aptitude that the Reinhart family displayed in solving them were bound to draw attention.
However, as ti passed, people beca accustod to the news and the changes that ca with them.
The Reinharts were attempting to restore their relationship with the elves, and they had begun to inquire after becoming more engaged in trade with the surrounding territories.
As the ti to leave the manor approached, Allen processed what had been obtained from the Heavenly Forest.
"Hmm Was this the only thing you found?
There were several maps in front of him, traces of fire burned across its surface.
"Yes. Just as you said, sir, I looked around a few more places All the remaining hiding places had already been cleared out."
Shortly after the giant was killed, Allen had ordered Inellia to investigate so of the hiding places listed in the black book.
If things had gone as they had before his regression, they could have gotten information about who was behind it all.
I didnt expect the dark sorcerers to do this.
He thought hed been careful about the butterfly effect. He thought hed prepared enough so he could use the changed future to his advantage.
But that had just been an illusion.
Allen's present, which he had accidentally changed little by little, had in turn changed the future he knew, causing enough of an effect that the dark sorcerers decided instead to sacrifice themselves in order to trigger the gods trials.
And in the process, they also wiped away all trace of themselves.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you."
Inellia looked somber, thinking she hadnt been useful.
"No, it cant be helped. Their behavior was different than expected."
Not getting the information was upsetting, but hed had a vague suspicion that it would turn out that way.
In the end, they hadnt gotten any intelligence they could use, not even from the site from which the giant appeared to have escaped.
"Even so"
"Ill say it again, it's not your fault"
What are you doing? Tell her that its all okay by giving her a little pat! Thatd be even better than a real hug! Vestla cried in a teasing tone.
so theres no reason to feel as though you should take responsibility.
Allen ignored Vestla's words ringing in his head.
Oh! You're ignoring again! Just trust . Tell her shes a suuuper talented, beautiful genius!
You are absolutely insufferable Allen looked at Vestla with an annoyed expression.
What! Am I wrong? Hurry up and tell her shes pretty!
Rejecting whatever she said, he turned his back on her, half-ignoring her words as she repeated them several tis.
"I see."
Even with his consolation, Inellias expression remained cloudy with discontent.
Look! Trust .
Allen glared at the distracting sound.
Sooner or later, I'll have to learn how to talk back to her in my head.
He figured his patience would run out at this rate.
* * *
* * *
Allen suddenly realized that she had co alone and changed the subject, asking a question, "What is Linbelle doing right now?"
"Oh, Linbelle is
Inellia answered with an ambiguous smile.
"She headed to the kitchen to make a dessert for you."
"Again?"
Allen looked fed up.
"Yes, I'll tell her to stop if you're uncomfortable."
"No, it's fine. It's not like I dont enjoy the food or anything.
Linbelle had changed. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was about her, but it was easy to identify the biggest change.
Knock, knock.
"Sir, I'm coming in."
She wasnt in a hurry anymore.
"Alright."
It was so different from how impatient she used to be. So much so that Allen was nearly certain shed gained sothing significant from the trial the god had given her.
'I think sothing happened during her trial
But the thing was, even she didnt know what it was.
It was because the god had been overwheld when the trials were triggered. Usually, each of them would have rembered the events of their trials.
Perhaps it was due to just how well developed the gods abilities were. The trial had been triggered for hundreds of people at once. However, even Linbelle, who was believed to have passed her trial, could not avoid the aftermath of the ordeal.
Give it a taste, sir.
Having been permitted to enter the office, Linbelle arrived with the prepared tea and refreshnts, setting them on the desk with an experienced touch.
Alright."
The peaceful scent of woodlands and nature sent a wave of refreshnt as she approached.
Is this sll woodsy? White sandalwood?
"You started using perfu."
"Yes! Miss Eliza recomnded it."
"I see Then did Mother choose this scent for you?"
"No, I chose it myself.
"It slls good."
She answered with a big smile. "Thank you, sir."
It was the sa kind of sll that appeared in his dreams. Dreams where Allen thought hed seen her making tea skillfully, unlike before.
It seed clear that there was a reason why her attitude had changed so much.
However, claiming that she couldnt rember much herself, she had no choice but to give up on explaining her personal developnt.
"It seems like there's sothing lying just under the surface, but
She also didn't know anything about Julius, so he was able to dismiss that.
"Sir?"
He turned his head toward her voice. Linbelle was facing him with sparkling eyes.
Allen couldn't ignore her surely aningful gaze and picked up a cookie with a bitter face.
"It's delicious again today.
A flavor that seed to have been specially tailored to his taste. The tea was to his liking as well.
It almost felt as though shed been with him for years.
anwhile, Inellia seed shocked by Linbelles new cooking skills, arguably better than her own.
"I'm glad you liked it.
"As I said before, you don't have to do this."
She smiled softly, as if she had an opinion on his remark, replying firmly, "I am your maid, sir."
"If thats what you Do as you please."
"Yes, sir!"
Allen didnt quite know how to handle her change in attitude, but he didn't say much.
It's better than before.
A month had passed.
Allen called in Acadners to ask for a few things as he prepared to leave.
"Finish up getting the organization ready over the next half-year, and then have everything prepared by the ti I arrive at the Academy.
"When you say the Academy, do you an that place in the Galshdin Desert?"
"Yes." Allen nodded and handed him the papers that compiled all the information on Baron Fern's whereabouts.
However, he did not tell him about the forces that helped Julius nor his suspicious appearance.
'He wouldn't believe it anyway.
Having him discover the information on his own would be more effective than just telling him directly.
Acanders looked a little doubtful about whether he could receive information so easily.
'I thought he'd give so light information at best.
For years, he tried to build others trust and gather clues little by little. So he didn't expect to be handed over what appeared to be the whole of the information from the outset.
"I don't think it's my place to say this, but Do you really trust that much? What if I were to betray you?
All the more so because he didn't think he'd give him all of the available information about his father in the first place.
Allen shook his head, as if he had nothing to say.
"I don't trust you. But I do trust your desperation. Didn't you say you wanted to find your father?"
Acanders bowed his head, looking torn. "Thank you."
Soned and Karik were also instructed to send information regularly on top of a few other requests.
After dealing with issues big and small, Allen had completed his preparations.
"If sothing dangerous happens, it's okay to co back."
"I'll keep that in mind."
It was ti to leave.
"Don't do anything reckless," Eliza said to Allen, who was looking toward Julius as he greeted Gaielle. "I don't know what you're thinking, but Don't do anything too dangerous."
"Alright."
He would be carefulmaking a plan before acting.
She sighed, wondering if she could find signs of regret on his face. "You'll be fine all on your own."
Allen nodded silently at her words.
"Now, go. Isnt your brother waiting for you?
Julius shouted from behind her.
"Allen! Welco!"
The buds, dormant during the winter, sprang up, and even the cold wind had transford itself with the changing season, filling the air with the fresh life of spring.
"Okay, don't rush ."
It was ti to head to the Academy.
* * *
He had to matriculate into Galshdin Academy.
That was the conclusion he ca to after realizing that Julius had been possessed by the protagonist from a novel.
Fwip.
It was a logical plan.
Following so slight character growth in the beginning of their story, the Academy was to be the setting for the full-fledged story to begin.
After arriving at the Academy, he found it to be quite splendid.
A place filled with all of the present knowledge of mankind.
A place overflowing with relics and new knowledge sourced from the ruins of the Great Desert.
Fwip.
There was much there that could be compared to that of modern tis, as elves and dwarves, and beasts and humans all ca together to create its unique atmosphere
Well, it was only natural.
The purpose of that setting was to foster the next generation of warriors who would succeed the First Warrior and lend themselves to his original purpose.
Although that purpose had lost its clarity over ti, its obscurity had not changed that talented people from each country flocked to
Thump.
Allen closed the black book.
The next line was blurry, and the succeeding words illegible.
That would change, becoming more clear over ti, but hed ascertained enough information for the ti being.
Galshdin Academy.
Allen didn't know much about it.
At most, he knew that the place had been built on top of the Holy Sword used by the First Warrior, and that the Holy Sword had yet to find its next owner. That, and the fact that two of the Top Eight always resided there.
Further information was difficult to confirm because of the variety of circulating rumors, making it hard to be sure of anything.
But one thing was certain.
I could find a way to get my little brother back there.
He had hopes for things like the Great Library, which was open to the students of the Academy, and the auction house, which was said to have just about everything pass through its doors.
As Allen planned out in his head what he had to do at the Academy, Vestla's voice rang out through his thoughts.
Tell a funny story! What about one about defeating a dragon? I can talk back, too, since itd be pretty boring otherwise! Isnt it so nice how we help each other out?
Allen sighed.
"Can't I enjoy a little bit of contemplation?
The Great Desert.
It had already been a month since hed left his family.
Personally, I've had enough of that already! Lets have a conversation!
Allen and his party were heading to the nearest city to the Academy.
The Reinhart family was located on the west side of the continent, so it took a long ti to reach the Great Desert, located in its central region.
"Sir, are you really talking to the sword?
Linbelle had seen it occur several tis, but the more she saw it, the more amazed she beca.
Inellia didn't say anything about it, but she, too, believed it was strange. Whenever she saw the sword floating in the air on its own, she focused in with her ears, peeping into their conversation.
Have you never seen a sword speak? I guess it is pretty cool, isnt it?
"What are you saying now?
Ah! Youre so frustrating! Hey, hurry up. Tell a story!
Allen's head was throbbing.
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