It's the reason for this tea party.

　At Lithia's statement, which he had just heard for the first time, Ars inwardly let the "Was it a tea party?" tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk. A tea party with a head of state, that would be the most blissful thing from a lowly person, but Ars almost crumbled the affectionate smile he had made into a distortion.

'The merit of the war that saved Balmes is immeasurable. That's why there should be an ordination ceremony and a glorification ceremony...''
'That's very troublesome. Besides, Alpha is getting what he's getting this time.

　Cicernia has created a composition for Alpha to take on the Balmes crisis and extract mining rights to the deposits where Mithril is available as a priority.

'That's why. 'I'm appalled at Cicerunia,' he said. I'm just so frustrated with the state of emergency. It is the duty of a head of state to care for his country's magicians.

　As expected of Lithia, who frowned as if she were complaining of a headache, Ars couldn't say that he had missed the ordination ceremony many times.
　All he wanted was something that would satisfy his own needs, and that was all he needed to receive. Anything else was really useless. It's a more venerable situation to have that ceremony take up so much of your time.
　Leti's troops are also paid huge sums of money, so there's nothing wrong with that.

　Apart from Ars, who swallowed such unnecessary words, an enemy force appeared. The blonde young man gently dismisses the head of state's words with a bitter smile. It seems that he has already stopped paying attention to every word as a mere discourse by not having the extra people in his mind.

'Master Lithia, it's useless when it comes to Ars. It seems that this guy has already been absent many times, so even if all seven countries are present for the ceremony, he will just miss the main role.

　I don't know where he got the information from, but it was so true that no rebuttal was forthcoming. Ars decided to take on that attack with resignation.
　I feel like I'm splitting a belly that I don't even want to split.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who knows what's going on. But I still don't want to go there.
Well, you're as selfless as you've heard.
'That's not true. All I want is a quiet life. It's just the right amount of research on the side of that.
As far as Master Arth is concerned, he's been doing a lot of work on what should be a one-sided project, but if no one stops him, he just keeps on going.

　Ars can't stop tasting bitter at the silver-haired Fushinji. This is what he has been nagging about on a daily basis. Loki was worried about Ars's physical condition as he was so engrossed in his research that he forgot to even eat.
　He glances sideways, but is swept away by the coolness of the situation. Because he was right, Ars wasn't so insensitive that he couldn't see the concern.

　Lithia casually asks him how he received that exchange.

''So I've always been curious, Loki-san, is this one of Arus-dono's?''

　It may be that she meant to wrap it up in an oblique meaning, but the gesture of holding up her little finger was a bit of a disruption to her intellectual impression.
　It may be that she is also a woman, after all, and the topic of conversation naturally turns to romance just because she is with the same s*x, or perhaps it can't be helped.
　But the dignity of being a head of state is gone.

　Faster than Loki could open his mouth, Jean stepped in to admonish him. It was probably because he had taken pains to get in Loki's good mood at the academy.

''--!　Master Lithia, that's too abrupt and unnecessary intuition, no matter how much it is.
Do you think so?　But this is important for a single wizard, right?　You can't ignore that for the country.
Yeah, that's true.

　The state encourages single wizards to have children. Not outwardly, of course. There was a tendency to encourage it everywhere. That's why it was quite natural for Lithia, the head of state, to ask.

''So, so, how is it?''
No, no, it's just that we're partners.　

　Loki's cheeks tinted and he turned over. It was the best she could muster out of her mouth.

　But the vague denial didn't discourage Lithia in the slightest and aloofly told her that she hadn't expected it.

'Oh, dear, I'm sorry to hear that. I thought you would be a good match for me.'
Lady Lithia, we're still students.
Things are moving fast in this day and age, Lord Ars. It's never too late, but it's never too early.

　What's fast, Ars was too confused to say back right away.
　When he somehow understood the meaning of the nuance alone, he struck up a bit of a counterargument.

''However, you can't afford that for a single. And neither can Jean, single mages are doomed to not get married.'
'That's prejudice. It doesn't sound like you've been out in the world without a pull as far as our singles are concerned, does it?　So I hope Jean can get herself together soon, though.

　Jean's face was unusually bitter at the spike. It's that kind of atmosphere that is said on a daily basis.

''Lithia-sama, I'm much busier than Lithia-sama thinks, so I can't do that...''
'Oh, dear, that's hard to hear. I always thought you had enough time on your hands to be considered quick.
That's the prejudice.
'Oh, well, you seem to have a lady with you, so what's wrong with my eyes?　And you're sprinkling them all with good looks, aren't you?　You've got a very womanly personality.

　The blonde beauty pauses in a rare take-charge pose at the irony of Jean's personality in reverse.

''Haha~ At this point in time, you can marry every one you like. I'll allow up to ten under my authority.
'Give me a break. Is the single wizard a stallion?
Isn't that a perk?　All men are going to be very happy about it, aren't they?
No, of course not.

　The husband-and-wife comedy scene had already swapped the subject of Ars and Loki.
　Preparing to bring fire to himself, Ars sent out a rescue. It was because he had an intuitive feeling that this storyline was not good. The usual phrase for situations like this is Ars's saving grace. It's a line that has helped me a lot in the past.

'Li, Lady Lithia?　In case you're wondering, though, we've concluded that magical talent is not inherited.
Oh, Lord Arth, that information is a bit outdated.
What?

　It was Ars that made the sound of a crazy voice. For a single wizard, the word "child-bearing" is an octopus in the ear. It's a good thing that you're able to get away with it, because Ars has been avoiding it by bringing up data from studies that show it's not genetic.

The research that Rusalka is running as a national project shows that while there is no evidence of magical inheritance, it does affect potential growth. Systematic inheritance has been seen before, but it's only recently been discovered that the supposed sample models are unreliable. I mean, children born with no direct genetic talent are born with the same training as the average child, but the data are not comparable. It's not proven scientifically, of course, but it's still a good level of experimental data to back it up. We don't know what the upper limit is, but I wouldn't presume to reveal it to the public.

　What an afterthought!　The reason for the voicelessness of this is because Ars is able to understand its usefulness.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. I'm not sure I'm going to be the only one who can do that. It could be said that a wizard with a conscious sense of inferiority was very much a concern for the decline of national power.

　However, Lithia has a hunch that this will not be the case. Not that there was any proof, but the fact was that current single mages didn't seem to have anything to do with the fact that their parents were good at what they did. Some singles even have non-magicians as their parents.
　The proof of this was next to Lithia. Jean was from a noble family, but his parents were not mages.

''And that means, Lithia-sama.''

　The voice that established these conflicting emotions, which seemed to be caged with apprehension and expectation, was Loki.

'Yes, if it's officially recognized, it's hard to ignore it as a single wizard. Maybe one of the countries will make it mandatory to have children. I don't know how it will turn out, but it's not out of the question.

　All of us can guess such included lines without revealing their names.
　There is no one who doesn't realize that Cisernia's scramble at the Seven Nations Goodwill Magic Convention is to keep Ars from being pulled out. I didn't have to expect it, as I was the first to speak out against the deregulation of Balmes.

　Knowing this research data, Jean had no way out.

''If you both wimp out, you'll end up marrying someone you don't expect.

　Letting out a somewhat dumbfounded sigh, Lithia gave a follow-up remark such as, "Men aren't forceful enough these days.

　That expectation also makes me feel that it's too late to laugh it off from the current Ars. At the very least, he asks so that there is no unnaturalness to divert the topic from its trajectory. If this is the case, the girl next to you is likely to get lost in the maze of thoughts. It is obvious that they will have trouble dealing with it on the day that they have made a bad plan.

''However, aren't none of the single mages married now, either?

　As far as Ars knows, or rather, I don't think a single mage can afford to do that. Aside from their duties, they're more of a one-trick pony. At worst, they are single mages who are somewhat crazy. And Ars tries to evaluate them based on his own criteria.
　Besides, starting a family might be the only thing that might make them fall into the tendency to avoid the duties of the outside world, which would be natural for a human being.

　It's a common sense decision as to who would want to leave their family behind to get ahead of them. At the very least, such concerns should also be a factor that prevents you from stepping forward. We all wonder if we can fulfill our natural destiny.
　It is not a simple matter. It's a wedge that binds wizards to the country, and it would be troublesome for them to be too defensive than they expect in the future.

　Maybe that's why Lithia thought about that, too, and said she didn't care who it was.

　Marriage without the intervention of love may be empty, but having a child would be a treasure that would give it its own meaning. It may be the only way to give them the happiness of a human being.
　An uncomplicated story should be turned around and simple.

　The strongest will of all is the will to fight, to protect your family, rather than the thought that you may die at any moment in the outside world. It can make you cunning and greedy for survival. Such a figure makes a mage happy. It's happiness like a person should be.

　It is also, oddly enough, what Beric wishes for Ars.

　But it is not necessarily true that this is conveyed to Ars. Maybe he's still not fully grown up in this area.
　Although it can be understood as knowledge and experience, the one who cannot realize it is Ars.

　As if to return to the subject, Lithia mentioned the name of the person she thought of on the spur of the moment.

''Not really. 'Hispida-san is........' she was about to say and was at a loss for words. It was as if reason had stopped without letting it flow.

''Lithia-sama, it's not something you should talk to others about too much.
That's true, too.

　Loki poked the bushes at the fact that it had been completed between them.

'You were married to Lord Hispida, weren't you?
Well, no, it's a little different than...
Loki, this doesn't sound very pleasant.
"--!　And I'm sorry.

　Loki immediately bowed his head in acknowledgement, but Jean frowned once before opening his mouth with difficulty.

'No, it's not a pleasant story, but it's also a well-known one in Rusalka. You'll have to figure that out, because it's not something we're going to tell you.

　Having created an awkward atmosphere, Lithia didn't even give them a pause to feel awkward, but used her fluent speech to change the subject with her own fluency.



　Ars and Loki collected the AWR they had deposited at the reception desk in the doorway. I didn't bother to see them off, but I guess they are still very thorough in their consideration for single mages, even if they are heads of state.
　With the Cayenos Palace behind them, Ars and Loki take their leave in the late afternoon. It seems like they've been sitting around for a long time, but it's only a little bit past noon.

'Are you going home already?'
Yeah, well I'd better get a few things done first.
Well....

　Jean whispered as we parted next to Lithia and Loki talking behind me.

'So, I've only received a lazy explanation of the case, what should I do?

　Ars answered the question immediately. He tells it with the same volume of voice and a blank expression so that no one can hear it.

'If it's an explanation, it will be heard when things actually happen. And I can't give you a signal. I'll leave it up to Jean's judgment, but you'll know for sure when it starts, maybe.

　If this was the first time Ars had asked him to do something, even that explanation was too sketchy. But Jean replied without a second thought, "Okay.
　Because he was able to determine what it was all about. He knows Ars's skills during their only joint operation. Then I don't think he would neglect to share the necessary information. In other words, we don't have the information.
　The evidence also suggests that if things happen, that is, if things happen, there is a chance that it won't happen. But that possibility itself was unlikely, Jean saw in Ars's face.

　From the look of things, Jean could smell a kina, but that didn't mean this good-natured fellow would refuse Ars's request. It's not just the fact that the troops had been taken care of during previous joint operations, but Jean was aware that he and Ars were friends without barriers.
　As expected of a good people-pleaser, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about anyone.
　That's probably why I feel like I have to help out strangely, without regard to lending and borrowing, etc. That's how lonely it is to be a single magician. Jean tries to protect these connections.

　Maybe it's because he felt the same thing about Ars. Their methods are somewhat different, but at its core, Ars can't allow anyone to die. To be precise, he feels an abhorrence of not being able to save a life that can be saved. It's a big bad feeling to lose something that is within your reach before your eyes.

　That was the only thing they shared in common, and it made Jean aware of the thickest connection.

　It's just that Ars is just clumsy, Jean thinks.


　Firmly, Lithia parted with Loki, attaching the promise of her next visit to Loki.
　Arus refused the golden carriage for the pick-up and drop-off, and for some reason, he arrived home exhausted. But the destination is not the hotel where we are staying as we told Jean.......nor is it Alpha.