Chapter 226: Arpentia (4)
Menoruka and Behad headed toward the park near the Library.
It had originally been a place rarely visited by people, and with the Festival period overlapping, there was no sign of anyone nearby besides the two of them.
Even so, he subtly and deliberately shifted his steps toward a more secluded area.
Menoruka simply walked quietly at his side.
“The weather is truly nice.”
At the words he casually tossed out, Menoruka hurriedly nodded.
“Ye, yes…… As you say, the weather is truly pleasant.”
“Indeed. It feels like the kind of day that makes you want to go on a picnic somewhere.”
When Behad looked at her and smiled gently, Menoruka unconsciously lowered her gaze, her face flushing red.
Even as she did, her heart pounded ceaselessly in her chest.
“Um, I feel terribly sorry that you had to spare your time because of me. I hope I have not become a burden…….”
“A burden? Not at all. Rather, the honor is mine.”
Behad smoothly accepted her words.
His natural demeanor allowed Menoruka to relax at least a little.
“In truth…… Lady Menoruka seemed to be in quite low spirits, so I asked you to come like this in hopes it might offer even the slightest comfort. But I wondered if perhaps I had been too forceful.”
“Th-that……! That is not the case at all!”
Watching her startle in surprise, Behad shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes, I am truly relieved that I did not do something useless.”
“…….”
Menoruka did not answer and instead gave a couple of small nods.
As he glanced around, Behad subtly pointed toward a bench set at one side of the garden.
“We have walked a bit. Shall we sit for a moment and rest?”
“Ye, yes……!”
Menoruka nodded as if she had been waiting for those words.
Concerned that dust might be on the bench, Behad even showed the consideration of taking out his handkerchief and placing it over the spot where she would sit.
At the sight of him doing so, Menoruka’s cheeks deepened in color.
“Here.”
“E-excuse me…….”
When they sat side by side on the bench, Behad untied a small bundle that seemed to have been prepared in advance.
Inside were several skewers that still gave off a strong, stimulating smell.
“This is……?”
“A simple snack. I prepared it in case you felt a bit hungry.”
“Ah, to even prepare something like this…….”
As she murmured in what seemed like deep emotion, Behad gave an embarrassed little smile.
“The smell is a bit…… quite strong, isn’t it? But once you acquire a taste for it, it becomes so addictive that you look for it for quite a while. Would you like to try?”
As he said that, he added as if in passing,
“In truth, I wondered if I had made the wrong choice. But it is something I truly love…… so I hoped Lady Menoruka would try it as well. I wanted to share what I love the most.”
“……!”
With a moved expression, Menoruka carefully accepted the food he held out.
Then she took a small bite.
‘Mm…….’
There had been a reason he warned her that it was very strong.
A flavor as stimulating as the smell burst throughout her mouth.
Barely holding back a sneeze, Menoruka carefully moved her mouth.
‘The first food he has given me…… what Lord Behad likes…….’
Murmuring so to herself, she did not show it outwardly and ate nearly half of one skewer.
“I-it is delicious……! I believe this is the first time I have tasted such food.”
“Ha ha ha.”
Behad let out a laugh.
“You do not have to force yourself. I brought other things as well.”
“N-no, that is not so. It is truly delicious. It perfectly suits my taste!”
Saying so, Menoruka bit into the skewer a couple more times.
Watching her intently, Behad gave a small nod.
“I am glad it suited your palate.”
Even while chewing, she continued eating without pause, and Behad looked at her with a pleased smile.
As if something had just come to mind, he opened his mouth.
“I truly like this dish.”
“Is that so?”
“Ah, just a moment.”
Behad took out a handkerchief from his chest and wiped the corner of her mouth.
Startled, Menoruka tried to lean her head back, but he gently held her head in place as he said,
“Just a moment. You had a little on your lips.”
“I-I……”
I can do it myself.
Menoruka, who had been about to say so, quickly shut her mouth.
The smell of the skewer she had just eaten…… to be honest, it had been extremely strong, and not even empty flattery could call it a pleasant scent.
Since she had eaten that, she feared perhaps her breath might carry the smell.
“Yes, that will do.”
Saying so, Behad tucked the handkerchief away.
Feeling slightly regretful that the time, which had felt like a dream, had passed in an instant, Menoruka lightly shook her head as if to regain her composure.
‘How careless…….’
Was it merely her imagination?
She truly felt dazed, as though wandering inside a dream.
“Shall we continue our conversation?”
“Yes, yes. Please.”
“Mm, as I mentioned earlier, I truly like this dish.”
As he spoke, Behad lightly lifted the skewer.
At that moment, Menoruka found herself staring intently at his lips.
‘……I want to kiss him.’
Gasp.
At the sudden thought that crossed her mind, she shook her head again.
What on earth was wrong with her?
‘Focus, pull yourself together……!’
Even as she thought so, she stared at Behad’s lips moving as he spoke.
Lips.
His lips.
Unlike her own, they were clean, having not touched any food.
“Because it masks the smell.”
“……?”
Menoruka could not understand what he meant for a moment.
“The smell…… is that what you mean?”
“Yes, the smell.”
Behad nodded.
As he stared at the skewer, he whispered quietly,
“The scent is so strong that it can numb even a Dragon’s nose.”
“What? Whatever do you mean by that……?”
“And yet you ate it so well without even knowing what had been put into it.”
“What do you mean by th—?”
Menoruka’s body suddenly collapsed.
What.
What is this?
She kept shaking her head as if trying to regain her senses.
The faint dizziness she had felt at first now spread throughout her entire body, rendering her powerless.
“Ugh, ah……?”
Falling back against the bench, Menoruka struggled to lift her head.
What she saw was no longer Behad, but her grandfather, Urkubar, sitting in his place and looking down at her with cold eyes.
“Gr-grandfather?”
“You foolish thing.”
Staring at her widened eyes, he spat out the words as if chewing on them.
“To be bewitched by nothing more than a human male and act so foolishly and stupidly. You looked ready to hand over your scales and even your heart.”
“Why……?”
“Does one need a reason to look after a foolish granddaughter?”
As he said that, Urkubar slowly rose from his seat.
“It was a medicine I prepared myself. Once you sleep deeply and wake, it will likely be tomorrow.”
“N-no…….”
Menoruka shook her head repeatedly to keep herself from falling asleep.
Watching her, the corner of Urkubar’s eye trembled faintly.
“……You are nothing like your aunt. If it had been that child, tricks like this would not have worked at all.”
He muttered under his breath.
“Thanks to that, this has become troublesome. ……In any case, sleep. When you awaken, everything will be over.”
“N-no…….”
Menoruka shook her head again.
Blood streamed down from the corner of her mouth.
She had bitten the inside of her mouth to wound herself and keep from losing consciousness. Seeing this, Urkubar muttered in exasperation,
“……Even that look is exactly like that child.”
Urkubar slowly reached his hand toward Menoruka.
At that moment—
“Hup!”
Behad suddenly appeared and swung his sword at him with all his strength.
Urkubar raised his arm and easily blocked the blade.
Chaeng!
A metallic sound rang out, as if iron had struck iron.
Immediately after, Urkubar roughly grabbed the sword blade that had struck his forearm.
Crunch—
The sound of the blade crumpling echoed, but Behad let go of the sword without the slightest hesitation.
Instead, he seized Menoruka’s body and hastily retreated.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
“…….”
“…….”
The two faced each other in brief confrontation.
It was Behad who spoke first.
“……Impersonating a member of the Imperial Family in this country is punishable by death. Did you happen to know that?”
“Why should I care?”
Urkubar muttered as he shook the remnants of the sword from his hand onto the ground.
“Human laws.”
“Well, I suppose that is true.”
Behad nodded.
Then he glanced down at Menoruka in his arms.
Seeing the blood at the corner of her mouth, he gave her a faint smile before looking back at Urkubar.
“Still, giving drugs to a young girl—your own granddaughter at that—seems like behavior that would not meet even the standards of other races, let alone human laws.”
Behad glared at him.
“Drugging your own granddaughter? Even beasts would not do something like this.”
“Say what you will.”
Urkubar looked at him indifferently, as though he did not care in the slightest.
“In the end, it is merely the wailing of an insect. There is no need to give it meaning.”
“Bzz, bzz.”
At that moment, a woman’s voice imitating the cry of a cicada was heard.
The instant the voice rang out, Urkubar hurriedly spread both his hands.
It was an entirely different attitude from when he had been facing Behad.
“Now that I think about it, there is not really any particular insect cry that comes to mind.”
The owner of the voice was none other than Professor Windy May.
She appeared quietly and muttered in her characteristic languid tone.
Then she tilted her head curiously at Urkubar, who stood with both hands spread in a combat-ready stance.
“Have you truly gone senile now? What are you doing—practicing gymnastics by yourself?”
“……Mutt.”
“Ahaha.”
Windy May let out a small laugh.
Her eyes, however, were not smiling at all.
“It seems you tried to take your granddaughter away through somewhat forceful means. I do not have children myself, but I can somewhat understand the feeling. When I look at my disciples, I sometimes feel the same way.”
She murmured quietly.
“So would you not simply return? If you come through proper procedures, I will treat you as a guest.”
As she spoke, she lightly raised both hands.
Red and blue energies flared into form around each of her palms.
“There seems to be no need to fight.”
“……Hmph.”
At her words, Urkubar gave a small snort.
He had not missed the fact that her gaze was fixed precisely on one part of him.
“You speak well for someone who has no intention of letting me leave peacefully.”
“…….”
“Judging by your eyes, it seems you have found a way to detect it. So you have already seen through my intentions.”
Windy May did not answer.
Urkubar slowly nodded.
“Yes, indeed…… If you could not manage even that, it would have been more disappointing.”
With that, he snapped his fingers.
At the powerful aura that followed, Windy May immediately turned her body.
The energy of an Iron Needle.
A corpse puppet.
If she fired the magic gathered in her hands at once—
If she fired—
“……Huh?”
Windy May muttered blankly.
“……Master?”
Before her stood a man she could never forget in her lifetime.
Archmage Edas.
He was reaching his hand toward her.
“Ah.”
Too late.
Windy May realized it only after a beam of light pierced through her body.
Menoruka could not understand what he meant for a moment.
“The smell…… is that what you mean?”
“Yes, the smell.”
Behad nodded.
As he stared at the skewer, he whispered quietly,
“The scent is so strong that it can numb even a Dragon’s nose.”
“What? Whatever do you mean by that……?”
“And yet you ate it so well without even knowing what had been put into it.”
“What do you mean by th—?”
Menoruka’s body suddenly gave way and collapsed.
What.
What is this?
She kept shaking her head, as though trying to regain her senses.
The faint dizziness she had first felt now spread throughout her entire body, leaving her powerless.
“Ugh, ah……?”
Half falling against the bench, Menoruka struggled to lift her head.
And there, instead of Behad, sat her grandfather, Urkubar, looking down at her with cold eyes.
“Gr… Grandfather?”
“You foolish child.”
As she stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, Urkubar spat out the words.
“To be bewitched by nothing more than a human male and behave so stupidly and foolishly. You looked ready to hand over your scales and even your heart.”
“Why……?”
“Does one need a reason to look after a foolish granddaughter?”
With those words, Urkubar slowly rose from his seat.
“It is a medicine I prepared myself. Once you sleep deeply and awaken, it will likely be tomorrow.”
“N-no…….”
Menoruka shook her head repeatedly to avoid falling asleep.
Watching her, the corner of Urkubar’s eye twitched faintly.
“……You are completely unlike your aunt. If it had been that child, tricks like this would not have worked at all.”
He muttered quietly.
“Thanks to that, this has become troublesome. ……In any case, sleep. When you awaken, everything will be over.”
“N… no.”
Menoruka shook her head.
Blood streamed down from the corner of her mouth as she spoke.
She had bitten the inside of her mouth to wound herself and keep from losing consciousness. Watching this, Urkubar muttered with visible displeasure,
“……Even that look is exactly like that child.”
Urkubar slowly reached out his hand toward Menoruka.
At that moment—
“Hup!”
Behad appeared as if from nowhere and swung his sword at him with all his strength.
Urkubar raised his arm and blocked the blade without difficulty.
Chaeng!
A metallic clang rang out, as though iron had struck iron.
Immediately after, Urkubar roughly grabbed the blade that had struck his forearm.
Crunch—
The sound of the blade crumpling echoed, but Behad released the sword without the slightest hesitation.
Instead, he seized Menoruka’s body and hastily retreated.
All of it happened in the blink of an eye.
“…….”
“…….”
The two faced each other in brief confrontation.
It was Behad who spoke first.
“……In this country, impersonating a member of the Imperial Family is punishable by death. Did you happen to know that?”
“Why should I care?”
Urkubar muttered as he shook the remnants of the sword from his hand onto the ground.
“Human laws.”
“Well, I suppose that is true.”
Behad nodded.
He then glanced down at Menoruka in his arms.
Seeing the blood at the corner of her mouth, he gave her a faint smile before turning back to Urkubar.
“Still, giving drugs to a young girl—your own granddaughter at that—goes beyond human laws and would not meet the standards of other races either, would it?”
Behad glared at him.
“Drugging your own granddaughter? Even beasts would not do something like that.”
“Say whatever you wish.”
Urkubar looked at him indifferently.
“In the end, it is merely the wailing of an insect. There is no need to give it meaning.”
“Bzz, bzz, bzz.”
At that moment, a woman’s voice imitating the cry of a cicada echoed through the air.
The instant the voice was heard, Urkubar hurriedly spread both his hands.
It was a completely different attitude from when he had faced Behad.
“Come to think of it, I cannot really recall any particular insect cry.”
The owner of the voice was none other than Professor Windy May.
She appeared quietly and muttered in her characteristic languid tone.
Then, tilting her head, she looked at Urkubar—who stood with both hands spread in a combat stance—with an expression of puzzlement.
“Have you truly gone senile now? What are you doing—practicing gymnastics by yourself?”
“……Mutt.”
“Ahaha.”
Professor Windy May let out a small laugh.
Her eyes, however, were not smiling at all.
“It seems you tried to take your granddaughter away by somewhat forceful means. I do not have children, but I can somewhat understand the feeling. When I look at my disciples, I sometimes feel the same way.”
She murmured quietly.
“So could you not simply return? If you come through proper procedures, I will treat you as a guest.”
As she spoke, she lightly raised both hands.
Red and blue energies flared into form around each of her palms.
“There seems to be no need to fight.”
“……Hmph.”
At her words, Urkubar gave a small snort.
He had not missed that her gaze was fixed precisely on one side of him.
“You speak well for someone who has no intention of letting me leave peacefully.”
“…….”
“Judging by your eyes, it seems you have found a way to detect it. So you have already seen through my intentions.”
Professor Windy May did not answer.
Urkubar slowly nodded.
“Yes, indeed…… If you could not manage even that, it would have been more disappointing.”
With that, he snapped his fingers.
At the overwhelming aura that followed, Professor Windy May immediately turned her body.
The energy of an Iron Needle.
A Corpse Puppet.
If she fired the magic gathered in her hands at once—
If she fired—
“……Huh?”
Professor Windy May muttered blankly.
“……Master?”
Before her stood the man she could never forget in her lifetime.
Archmage Edas.
He was reaching his hand toward her.
“Ah.”
Too late.
Professor Windy May realized it only after a beam of light pierced through her body.