My grandparents, whom I had just t, were wonderful people.
They didn't seem to mind the color of my hair, and they always had a warm smile on their faces, so kind and gentle that it could lt your heart, making it hard to believe they were Dior's parents.
"Sheriel, you must be tired. If there's anything you want, just let us know."
"Thank you, Grandma."
The guest room they led to was even larger and tidier than my room in the castle. It was also conveniently located near Sergio's and Didier's rooms, which gave it a sowhat curious feeling. Since I had packed lightly for the journey and wore casual attire that allowed for relaxation, I considered staying in those clothes. However, I was advised to change into sothing similar, as my current outfit was sowhat soiled.
When it was ti for dinner, I was escorted to the dining room, where a wide variety of dishes had already been laid out, and only servants brought from the castle were serving the food.
"I understand that you like vegetables, Sheriel, but can you also eat at?"
"Thank you. I can eat anything, and it's all delicious."
"Here, this is a specialty fruit from a nearby village. It's refreshing, so it goes well with at."
Ah, this feeling. It was just like being at my grandparents' house. Food kept appearing endlessly, and I ate an unimaginable amount. Could it be that even in the Beriard family, if you didn't inherit the curse, the atmosphere beca so harmonious...?
There were no unsettling smiles or piercing glances. I was actually surprised by how peaceful the dining table was.
"How far do you plan to go tomorrow?"
"I thought we'd extend our journey a little to visit another territory. After all, it's Sheriel's birthday celebration."
That was news to . It was my first ti leaving the castle, so was it really okay to head to another territory right away? However, when I listened further, it turned out we wouldn't be visiting the lord of another territory, just making a slight detour. I was moved by the fact that Sergio, who disliked making plans, had planned this trip for .
"Didier also expressed an interest in going, so it worked out well."
"Oh my, the ever-studious Didier is interested in sightseeing. He has truly grown."
Didier looked at with his usual top student smile.
"Yes, it's all thanks to Sheriel. The castle has beco quite lively lately. Grandma, you should co visit the castle again."
"Oh, that would be delightful. You should co to our place next year."
"Yes, let's do that."
Seeing this, I regretted not inviting Julius more properly. I hope he's eating properly and not just surviving on jerky.
Life in the castle was enjoyable, and I had no complaints. However, the warm smiles of my gentle grandparents gave a different kind of warmth.
"Um, is it really okay for us to keep eating like this?"
"Oh, we're already quite old, you see. We can't eat as much anymore. Please, don't hesitate to eat our share."
They hardly touched their als and occasionally ate stead chicken, mainly focusing on fruits. It seems that relying solely on at can be challenging in old age.
"If you'd like, I can leave you so recipes for vegetable-based dishes to try."
"That would be delightful. I've heard about them from Hers-san and wanted to taste them."
That's good; it seems they have no resistance to vegetables. I'll ask the chef to provide them with so recipes. If they like them, perhaps we can arrange to have locally grown vegetables sent to them.
With a bit of ddling and so calculation, I ended up giving the chef more work.
"We might not have talked much, but please rest well tonight. Long journeys can be tiring."
"Goodnight, Grandpa, Grandma."
Back in my room, I had Mary help change out of my clothes. Since there was no bath available during the trip, I decided to cleanse myself using cleansing magic.
Oh, could it be that Dior volunteered for the role of staying behind because there's no bath here?
Dior had beco such a fan of baths that she claid she couldn't sleep well without one. While thinking about this, I enveloped my whole body in warm water. I also practiced cleansing Mary, who could only be cleansed partially.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, I fell asleep quickly, even though it wasn't my usual room.
The next morning, we left the mansion early. Grandpa and Grandma ca to see us off, their eyes filled with emotion as they bid us farewell.
"It really passed by in the blink of an eye. Thank you for the recipes, Sheriel. Let's talk more leisurely next ti."
"Yes, Grandma. Please take care of yourselves. I look forward to seeing you again."
After saying our goodbyes, we got into the carriage, and from sowhere unknown, Noah appeared. He curled up in my lap, and the second day of our journey began.
"Sheriel, how were the Beriards who didn't inherit the curse?"
"They were incredibly kind, almost to the point where it's worrying."
It's not in a bad way, but they are so good-hearted that you'd fear they might buy strange things like cursed pots. Dior had also learned peculiar beauty thods from foreign rchants.
"That's right. Those among the Beriards who don't inherit the curse tend to be overly kind; it's a common trait."
"It's amusing, isn't it? It's like they're collecting the conscience that we lack."
Didier laughed heartily as if it were soone else's problem. Although our extended family wasn't very large, everyone seed to be unusually selfless and sensible.
In the main branch of the family, those who didn't inherit the curse usually took on the role of assistant to the lord, representing the family's conscience. But currently, it seed there was a lack of conscience.
I had been considered for that position at so point, but honestly, after eting my grandparents, I didn't think of myself as that good-hearted.
"What if I had inherited the curse, what would you do?"
"Well, that's why we gather nothing but sensible people among the servants and aides. The Zaris family has served our house for generations, and they're all so serious that it's almost boring."
Ah, so that's why there are only good people in the castle. While I did face confusion about my hair, there was never anyone openly disdainful or an. Thinking that a few lunatics required hundreds of sensible people, it seed like quite the task.
After a few breaks, we had breakfast just like yesterday. Today, we planned to verify magic circles using the carriage.
Julius had ntioned that he had finished his tasks and was on his way, so it seed like we could have a relaxed lesson today.
"Is this the grimoire Sergio used? Indeed, these symbols in this section are different."
"That's right. He said that if even one part is different, the circle won't work, but it seems that's not the case."
Or maybe it's not a mistake. If both symbols have the sa aning, then there's nothing strange about it.
"Symbols with anings, huh? Magic circles are like a form of language."
"Once again, you're saying strange things."
"Is that so? But look, there are identical symbols in multiple places, and even for water and wind, the sa symbols are used. Oh, this one resembles a crest."
Unlike emblems based on animals or plants that I had seen in my previous life, noble family crests in this world looked like marks combining abstract symbols within a circle.
That reminded of basic magic circles, and I noticed that so of these symbols appeared in advanced magic circles.
"Family crests are granted by the gods. It's not strange for them to resemble each other."
"Then maybe magic circles are a divine language after all. Let's try deciphering it a bit."
"Can you do it?" "Can you!?"
For so reason, Didier also joined in, and they both looked at expectantly. I didn't know if I could do it, but since I learned foreign languages this way, there was a possibility with languages.
"I'll give it a try. Don't expect too much though."
With that disclair, I started flipping through the grimoire and began morizing various magic circles. I already knew most of the basic ones because I'd been taught them. But now, I focused on the magic circles related to the Gifts, morizing the ones I didn't know.
"Julius, if Sheriel doesn't respond for a while, you can leave her alone."
"In that case, shall I step out for a bit? If anything happens, call ."
I overheard their conversation from a distance, and eventually, I couldn't hear them anymore. I began identifying common elents among the magic circles I knew and cross-referenced recurring words in the spells. I looked for symbols that might correspond to deities and used them as starting points for deciphering.
However, interpreting seemingly scattered symbols without forming coherent sentences was challenging. It might be more important to find the inherent logic within the magic circles. So, I decided to start deciphering the largest magic circle---the Baptism of the Rite.
Perhaps the symbols where the mage stands are... it resembles the basic magic circle, perhaps a simplified version. Oh, these must be the nas of the gods. I don't know how to pronounce them, though. And this might be an offering...
The carriage suddenly jolted, and when I looked up, Julius was no longer beside , and I could hear bustling voices from outside. Moreover, it was getting close to sunset.
"Oh, where's Teacher?"
"Sheriel was so absorbed that he decided to co back later. And by the way, didn't you notice we've already entered another territory?"
"I didn't notice at all."
Peering outside again, it appeared we had reached a lively city. It was a neighboring territory, but it seed we hadn't strayed too far from our course.
"The sun is about to set. Are we staying here tonight?"
"Hehe, I've prepared another birthday celebration for Sheriel tonight. Look forward to it. Oh, should we invite Julius too?"
"Let's do that!"
This city is famous as a tourist destination, and it seems that even nobles visit it regularly, which is quite unusual. Since there aren't such places in the Beriard territory, this seems to be a sort of social studies field trip for . Nobles usually have a culture of hiding their hair color under robes with hoods, so I asked Noah to relay that to Julius and call him.
As I moved to the platform to change clothes, Julius leaned in closely.
"Sheriel, were you able to decipher it?"
"Co on, Julius, forget about the lessons for once and let's go sightseeing!"
Sergio put a hood on , and Julius was taken aback with wide eyes. Didier muttered, "Give it up," and dressed in the smaller robe I had commissioned.
"Oh, you guys should tie your hair. Julius, co over here, and I'll do it for you."
I had Mary tie my hair low to prevent it from coming undone, and when I looked over, Julius had the sa hairstyle. There were no hair ties or anything, so we held our hair in place with our hands and tied it with strings. I still wasn't very skilled at doing it myself.
"Big brother, you can tie your hair too! That's amazing!"
"During swordsmanship lessons, neither the adjutant nor the maids can help , so I have to do it myself."
Julius, who obediently allowed himself to have his hair tied, finally seed ready to enjoy sightseeing after putting on his hood.
We disembarked from the carriage and entered the city. The city was bustling with people, and the magical lamps had been lit, casting a warm glow. Commoners mingled with nobles wearing hoods, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Shall we have dinner first? This city has turned into sothing like a market, so you can buy food from stalls and eat it right away."
Led by Sergio, we walked through the city with minimal security. Since groups wearing hoods were scattered throughout, we didn't stand out too much. The aroma of roasting at, spices, and the sweet scent of fruits filled the air.
Since the food was prepared by commoners, there were even stalls selling stead sweet potatoes. We each sampled the food while walking, with the adjutants taste-testing for poison.
"Is Didier alright? This must be his first ti eating als like this, right, as he's never been on a subjugation mission?"
"He seems a bit uneasy. After all, it's his first ti having a al in a place with so many people."
Indeed, after getting used to life in the castle, he might not be familiar with commoner culture. I looked at Julius, who was staring at a skewer of at.
"Professor Julius, is sothing wrong?"
"Aren't these skewers dangerous?"
"Oh, you an you're not sure how to eat them? You can turn the skewer sideways and slide the at off like this."
"You've done this before? It's your first ti, isn't it?"
That's right. Julius didn't know that I had mories from my previous life. I quickly pretended to imitate Sergio and started eating my at.
"Father, where are we going next?"
"Haven't I told you? We're going to the Dark Auction."
I didn't hear that? I was about to choke on my at when he ntioned it.
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