A few days later, on the eve of the entrance exam for the Magic Guild (from Yuki's perspective).



...it's just a little too late.

　With a thud, I lay down on the bed at the inn.
　Outside the window, I could hear people's voices.
　Maybe it's because the inn is located in the middle of town, but I can hear the sounds of the street very well.

We've brought you some tea. Yuki-sama.
Martha. Can I open the curtains?
If you wish, Yuki-sama. I'll make sure that Martha will take full responsibility if anyone finds out, and it will be fine.
I'm sorry. I won't say anymore.

　Patience, my friend.
　I'm sure Martha would love to open the curtains as much as I do.
　The princess's visit is a once-in-a-lifetime event. She would have wanted to see the princess.

　This is the town's inn.
　I'm supposed to wait here while Her Royal Highness comes to the barony.
　The maid, Martha, and two servants from the mansion are with me at the inn. Martha is in the room next to me.
　I've told the other two to think of it as a vacation, so they're probably relaxing in their rooms right now.

　In the end, Brother Xelloss's exam was to be held as planned.
　No one said anything about Clara-san and Burns-san.
　I don't know about the royal family or the 'Magic Guild' but.......maybe after the exam, they will announce the teacher Kachel's mistake and punish him.
　As far as I'm concerned, as long as Brother Xelloss's exam is completed successfully, I'm fine with that.

I'll be quiet. It's not that I have any desire to see Her Highness.

　I sipped the tea Martha had made for me.
　It was the same temperature as usual, and tasted as usual. As usual.

'Would you like to join me for tea, Martha?
Yes. Okay, I'll go get a cup.
I'll see you soon. And I won't open the curtains.
I believe in you. Yuki-sama.

　Martha leaves the room and comes back with a cup in her hand.
　I scoot up a chair and she sits down honestly.
　This is not a mansion. You don't have to play by our rules.

"Would you like to read a book, Mr. Potter?　Yuki-sama.
Is that the one Dr. Kachel got for me?
I've been entrusted with three books: "The Wonderful Magic Guild," "The Glory of Those Who Joined the Magic Guild," and "On the Importance of the Status Quo,
I don't want to read it.

　I sighed, and Martha laughed in annoyance.
　This makes me think that being locked up in the inn isn't so bad.

　Besides........being outside makes me want to experiment with magic.
　The girl I met in the backwoods was using the 'ancient magic' of fire. I learned to move my fingers. If I write the same sigil, I should be able to use the same magic on me. What would happen if I used it on the bat dicks........

........that's a lot of work.

　This is what makes a sorcerer addicted to witchcraft.
　When you learn witchcraft, you can do more. The more you can do, the more you want to learn and increase.
　Sooner or later, the goal is to increase what you can do, not what you do, and your life becomes all about research.
　I've seen that happen in my past life. It wasn't a very good one.

Speaking of which, Martha, do you ever think about the future?
'Yuki-sama is smart enough to be a politician in this country.
It's not about me.
You told me that 'Lidhara Flower' is good for coughs. Thanks to you, my mother's condition has improved.　Where did you hear about it!
'Some merchant. I met him when he got out of the house and came to town.
After all, Yuki-sama is amazing...

　Martha's mother's illness is a chronic disease.
　Every time I go to visit her, I use my 'cleansing' skill, but it takes a long time to cure her.
　That's why I took some flowers to help with her cough. Someone I can put by my bedside to ease the throat irritation a bit.
　I told Martha that a trader from the east had told me about them.
　Of course, it's true. I'm talking about a previous life, not this one.

'I wish Yuki-sama could have taken the 'magic guild' test.
I don't want any trouble.
'Did you know?　I've heard that the exam is now held in 'Kittoral Forest'.
Not the mountains and the swamp.
There were three possible sites. There were three possible sites: the backwoods was a no-go and the swamp was a no-go because of the mysterious nature of the swamp.
Of course you do.

　A girl named Clara and an old man Burns would decide that.
　They were attacked by 'Dark Bear' in the backwoods, where the teacher Kachel reported that it was super safe, so Kachel already has zero credibility.
　So, then the swamp, which is hard to move in, is no good.
　The only other place where magic can be used undetected is the 'Kittoral Forest'.

　The princess should be in the territory by now.
　I wonder if Clara and old man Barnes will be accompanying her there.

　Clara-Listedes.
　She was a perfect match for Lyle's daughter, Alice.

"For example, Martha,
What is it, Yuki?
I'd like to ask you a few questions but first, I need a little more honey in my tea.
Make sure you brush your teeth before you go to bed.
I know.
It's just over 20 minutes.
You're not a child. By the way, Martha's an only child, right?
Yes, sir.
'For example, if there was a girl a little older than you, a little older than you, and she looked just like her mother, Melisa, would you suspect a blood relative?
Yuki-sama thinks there's something wrong with our home environment?
For example. People I know.
Do you know him?
'For example, if there was a girl who looked a lot like the daughter of the guy I thought of as my son, should I be suspicious of blood relations?'
They say there are three people in the world just like you.
Yeah.
So if I were you, I'd judge you by something else, not your face.
The other one?
'For example, my mom is very good at baking apple pies. My mom's pies are very good.
I know. Melisa's pie is my favorite too.
But that's what your mother learned from your grandmother. She got it from her great-grandmother. So everyone in my family loves apple pie.
So you're saying that you can judge by what I like?
'Hmm. But that's a habit you have to live in the same house to get across.
No, enough.

　It's unlikely I'll ever meet Clara-Listez again, though.
　I won't even have the chance to ask her what her favorite food is.
　It's also unclear if there's still 'venison in thin crust pie wraps with spicy sauce', which was Alice's favourite food in this era.

'That was helpful. Thanks, Martha.
It was good.
I'm grateful. If I had to leave the house, I'd want Martha to follow me.
'I wish to work in the house until Lady Lumiere is married.
'I find Martha's perspective helpful. As a layman's perspective.
If you're asking a passionate question, I'll consider it.
That's when I'll be a grown man about 15 years old.
Then I will answer you again when you come of age.

　Me and Martha sipped our tea together.

'Oh, by the way, there was a package delivered to my house when I was away.
Baggage?
"It was a 'dark bear' nail. They were charred, but they made good money.
I didn't know there was a nice man in town.
I wonder who it was. My mom was laughing at me.
You know.

　Me and Martha sipped our tea together again.
　This is not a bad time.
　It would be nice if Martha and I could spend the same time together.
　........If you go to the 'magic guild', will there be such 'ancient magic'.......if you go to the 'magic guild'?

I'm sure you're delusional (already). This is.
What kind of delusion? Yuki-sama.
I can't tell Martha that,
If it's a passionate offer, it might come true?
...I think you've made a mistake.
I'll be sure of that the next time I wash your hair for you.

　Stop sneering and holding your maidservant's chest. Martha.



'Yuki-sama!　Is Yuki-sama here?!



　Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps and the door to the room opened.
　The one who came in was a maid sent from the mansion.

'I'm here. Martha will be pissed if I disappear.
'You make it sound like you'd desert without this Martha.
I think I'm at least trying to avoid being noticed.
Martha's been very successful. She's a model for maids.
Great. Oh, pass the honey.
You're putting too much into it. Yuki-sama.

　As she said it, Martha turned the honey pot toward me.

'This is not the time!　Yuki-sama and Martha, too.
"Give me back my honey pot.
...The Baron has requested that Yuki return to his residence.

　.........what?

'I have received an order from Her Royal Highness's messenger to address the entire baronial family. Please return to the mansion at once. ''Yuki-sama!''