In that moment, my mind went blank, making it impossible to understand what Zoe was saying.
No, I mean...
Huh?
<...Ah, I see.>
‘What do you mean?’
<You're finding it strange that you're planning to visit the sick using the Duke's power.>
...So, is that roughly the gist of it?
Lucy suddenly wanted to visit the Barrow family and asked the duke for help.
She wouldn’t make such a request without any reason; there must be something behind it.
The only connection between Lucy and the Barrow family is the inferior prince.
So, Lucy is clearly interested in the inferior prince.
That’s what that last remark was, summarizing everything.
After a lengthy contemplation, I finally grasped the context, but that didn’t erase the feeling of absurdity.
I had so much to say.
But first, I needed to deal with the cost of the confusion you caused, Zoe.
“Your brain is all pink, huh?♡ Or are you perhaps jealous?♡ So, the idiot is interested in the inferior prince?♡”
“...No! That’s not true!”
“Don’t worry!♡ I have no interest in that waste of space!♡ Oh, but is it wrong to call someone I like a waste of space?♡”
“I’m telling you it’s not true!”
Zoe, as red in the face as her brain, screamed.
Seeing her react that way, it seemed she truly had no interest.
Then why are you trying to associate me with someone you’re not interested in, you idiot?
Considering Zoe's age and her high school girl personality, it's no surprise that she's crazy about romance, but could you please not involve me in it?
Am I really getting angry?
As I struggled to hold back my irritation, I sighed, and Zoe cautiously glanced at me.
“...Are you really not interested?”
‘Actually, the opposite...’
“Let me ask you this. Why would I have any interest in that kind of person?”
“That’s... well...”
Huh? Why is she stammering?
There’s definitely something more to her reaction.
When I silently gave her a reprimanding look, Zoe finally couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up.
“...There were rumors about it.”
Zoe was referring to when I tried to raise the inferior prince's affection.
I had tried to give him a necklace, but he had coldly rejected me.
After that, I gave up on raising his affection. From my perspective, what happened back then was merely a desperate attempt to survive, but the students of Soul Academy accepted it differently.
They said that Lucy Alrn had shown interest in the jackal Barrow but had been turned down.
“That rumor spread widely among the young ladies. It faded quickly after there weren’t any more interactions.”
Hearing Zoe’s words made my head spin.
If such a rumor existed, that changes things. From the perspective of the idiot, what they thought was a rumor turned out to be true.
It’s clear why I didn’t hear that rumor. If it was true, then bringing it up in front of me would be like poking a hornet's nest.
...I can't help but wonder, but is it possible that the jackal is under such a misunderstanding?
Could it be that the cold rejection back then was for this reason?
Did I end up getting rejected after unintentionally confessing?!
I had no such intention... well, I did try to raise his affection, but... so that’s...
Ugh!
I shouldn’t have asked! I feel terrible after hearing this!
Should I go to Luka and ask her to erase my memories?
“The fact that you’re not reacting well makes me think it was a false rumor.”
‘Of course!’
“Does that idiot really think that someone as cute, beautiful, and capable as me would be with him? Should I get him some glasses?”
“...Lady? The term ‘lady’ has vanished at some point.”
As I half-listened to Zoe’s words, I reflected.
In the end, the reason such rumors spread was that I had only given gifts to the jackal.
If that’s the case, then I should start distributing the gifts I had prepared to those around me.
After all, the gifts I had bought at the auction for the birthdays of my acquaintances were ready.
“Lady? Are you really not interested? Nothing is going on, right?”
Despite having asked several times, Zoe posed the question again.
Why can’t she trust what I’m saying! Is it really such a monumental deal that I tried to give him a necklace?!
Fine! I get it! I can just give a present to you, Zoe!
Annoyed, I pulled out an item from my inventory and held it out to Zoe.
“...What’s this?”
It was a necklace adorned with red jewels.
This item allows me to gradually infuse magic into it, replenishing it in critical moments.
While it does hold value as a piece of jewelry, its practical purpose is more significant.
‘Since your birthday is coming up soon...’
“Isn’t it also the idiot’s birthday? So since you keep bothering me, I’ll give it to you early. Are you satisfied now, greedy idiot?”
“...What?! No! That’s not why I asked!”
‘Is that so?...’
“Really? Then can I take it back?”
When I jokingly said this, feeling irritated by Zoe just a moment ago, she snatched the necklace from me.
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“It’s... it’s a birthday present, so I can’t return it!”
Seeing her hold the necklace tightly with both hands, as if it were precious, made me smile involuntarily.
Well, it’s a relief if she liked the gift.
After requesting the Duke of Partlan for help, I spent the week preparing for my visit to the Barrow family.
Most of the preparations were measures to detect anomalies, while a few were for survival in the worst-case scenarios.
For instance,
Measures to deal with a black mage residing in one of the territories of the Barrow family.
Preparing for the dangers that could arise in nearby dungeons.
And preparations against dangerous individuals with malicious intent toward the Barrow family.
As a result, I nearly spent all the money I received as a reward for the first successful dungeon clearance at the academy.
I can always make more money later, but seeing hundreds of gold coins slip away like that stings.
Fortunately, I succeeded in thoroughly preparing to the extent that my inventory is now full.
Outside of preparation, I dedicated my time to personal training.
In simple terms, I lived like usual.
I repeatedly trained personally.
Practiced handling divine power with the old man in practice mode while completing the techniques I had used against the Second Prince.
Every chance I got, I went to Luka to overcome suitable trials to raise my stats.
After advising Zoe, Arthur, and Frey on various grinding methods to help them grow stronger, I trained with them.
Paybi, who wanted to join the training, I put through physical training.
Ah, right. I successfully maintained my position as first place in the midterms of the second semester.
Of course, it wasn’t due to my own skills. Practicals were one thing, but there were still many clumsy aspects in the written tests.
It wasn’t with the old man’s help either. He insisted that if it wasn’t urgent, I should solve it myself, so advice was out of the question.
So how did I manage to maintain first place? I finally succeeded in using the log function properly!
Heh heh. By recording the exam scope in the log just before the exam, I successfully prevented the record from disappearing, achieving overwhelming results.
For reference, Arthur came in second, and Zoe came in third. I don’t know when he found the time to study, considering how intensely he’s been working alongside me.
He really is a genius.
Recently, I assigned a task to Zoe, Arthur, Frey, and Paybi to tackle the academy dungeon together.
It was a reason to stop relying solely on me as a cheat.
The conditions were simple. Completely clear the academy dungeon before the end of the second semester.
Even the rookies of Soul Academy could accomplish that in the first run if they just followed the strategy.
Considering the excellent composition of the members, it was hard to believe that it was the second semester of their first year at Soul Academy, and with a capable person like Arthur leading them, I thought this clearing would progress smoothly. However, an unexpected variable arose.
That variable was Frey beginning to refuse cooperation. The moment I let go of the reins, she began to act up.
“But the prince’s clearing is boring.”
“...That boring thing is usually called the standard, Kent.”
“Regardless, it’s still boring, isn’t it?”
It was clear to see that Arthur was visibly holding back his anger during the serious conversation with Frey, but I didn’t intervene.
If you’re the leader of a group project, you have to face a troll once.
Arthur, consider it an experience to help you grow.
<So, what’s your true intention?>
‘I can’t be the only one suffering.’
Feel the struggle I endured while bringing Frey along, Arthur!
And scream while watching Frey troll like the users of Soul Academy!
<Wow. What a personality.>
As I spent my time like this, one day, I received a call from the Duke of Partlan.
He said he was finally ready to go visit the sick.
On the morning that the Duke of Partlan had mentioned, after finishing my preparations and stepping outside, I checked the members I had gathered to identify the anomalies in the Barrow family.
“It’s been a while since I’ve gone out.”
First was the idiot fox.
Due to their significant perverse nature, I really didn’t want to be with them, but this time, it couldn’t be helped.
Among the members I could mobilize, there was no one more specialized in various spells or mental-related methods than this one.
“I hope it will be of help to the Barrow Duke.”
Next was Paybi.
With abilities in divine magic that still far surpassed mine, she would be a great help if the Barrow family’s issues were related to the dark gods.
Honestly, I didn’t think I would be able to bring Paybi along. It was uncertain whether the church would allow it.
Perhaps they deemed it beneficial to grant a favor to the Barrow Duke family, or maybe my request to Johan had been effective; either way, I successfully received permission.
Thanks to that, I now had a reliable ally.
“Lady? Am I allowed to go back?”
‘Whatever it is...’
“Didn’t you say to do whatever you want? You little sidekick. Are you backing out now?”
Third was Adri.
She was among the top necromancers currently existing on the continent.
I included her in the party because I believed she could quickly identify anything related to dark magic happening at the Barrow Duke's mansion.
Thus, I couldn’t send her back. It would be a problem if the dark magic detector ran away on the day of the visit.
Bishi? Bishi was merely a bonus to bring Adri along. Adri couldn’t move without Bishi.
“If you really think that, I won’t stop you. But...”
As I warned, I turned to see vigorous agreement from both Bishi and Adri.
Ha. Seriously. How many times do I have to tell you that Paybi said it was okay not to worry?
Look. She’s smiling at me, indicating she’s happy to help. Since she’s a good person, don’t freak out and just greet her properly. Got it?
“Was it Bishi? Since you’ve come here, there’s no helping it. Just do it. What kind of trouble do you think I’m trying to get into by making him hate me?”
‘Arthur?...’
“Poor prince. What have I done to you? Ah. So you want me to do something from now on. It seems I’ve become foolish because the person teaching me is dense. It can’t be helped. Starting next week, the training menu will be...”
“I’m joking! It’s a joke! Don’t try to kill me just because I said one word!”
And finally.
Arthur.
With his connection to the jackal, he would undoubtedly serve as a justification for meeting the jackal.
With that, all preparations were complete.
Now, I just had to head to the Barrow family and confirm the anomalies.
‘Let’s go.’
“Let’s go, you fools.”
Please, let it just be me making a fuss; I wish the unrefined prankster was just playing a trick on me.
...But that probably won’t happen.
Just like it never has before.