第１６８７堀：彼女が生きてきた国について (Part1)
Chapter 1687: Regarding the Country She Lived In
Side: Ruhau
At the request of Lady Nonoa and Principal Magis, I was assigned to serve as a support assistant in the archives for Lady Cleena and Lady Samantha.
To be honest, I already knew of Weed’s high level of technology from my time as a tourist, so I wasn't particularly interested in a class dedicated to learning about Weed all over again. I had figured that reading books while attending to them would be a relaxing way to pass the time.
Of course, given that they were high-ranking figures from Weed, I did have some concerns about them being like those tyrannical aristocrats one hears about. However, that was just needless worry; the two of them basically just buried themselves in books and took notes, making it an easy time for me as well.
Occasionally, they would ask me about the content, but since I had already compiled my own opinions on the process of converting magical power into magic—the very topic I had brought up initially—it wasn't particularly busy. It was quite fulfilling, actually...
The following day, to my surprise, Lady Rurua—the legendary Saint, even if she is technically a "former" one—paid us a visit.
She wasn't there to teach a class, but rather because she had taken an interest in the theories regarding magical power and magic that I had discussed.
Honestly, even a child like me had heard the name of Lady Rurua, so I was shocked that she would go out of her way to see me.
However, she spoke to me with such sincerity—no, she spoke in a way that eased my tension—and suggested we have a social gathering, which she called a "tea party." That is how I ended up at the school cafeteria...
"How is this one?"
"Thank you very much. I suppose I do get tired of nothing but sandwiches."
I said that as I accepted an *onigiri* from Lady Rurua.
For some reason, we are having a proper meal. Well, it is true that I am hungry, so I suppose I can treat this as a replenishment of energy.
"...You have no resistance to *onigiri*?"
"It is strange, isn't it? I heard that it is not something one can easily eat around here."
"Ah, I know of it because I ate it when I went sightseeing in Weed. Honestly, I love this taste."
That’s right; I had eaten *onigiri* during my trip to Weed.
The hotel had all sorts of varieties prepared, and my absolute favorite was...
"Mm, the saltiness is just right."
"...Surprisingly refined taste."
"Is that so? You can really taste the flavor of the rice, so I quite like the simple salt seasoning."
The more you chew, the more the sweetness and umami of the rice emerge, so I think salt—a seasoning that is minimal yet draws out the flavor of the ingredients—is excellent.
"That is true. Salt draws out the flavor of the ingredients. However, we have other varieties with fillings as well, so please, help yourself."
"Yes. Thank you. It’s not that I dislike them; it’s just a matter of which one is the best."
"I am glad to hear that. Please, enjoy the other flavors we have prepared."
"I will gratefully accept."
Rice isn't exactly something that makes its way into this university or the surrounding area. It’s not that it’s completely non-existent, but the preparation process is incredibly tedious, and since the supply is low, it becomes quite expensive.
It’s to the point where, if you wanted to eat rice in this region, you might as well just go sightseeing in Weed instead.
After all, you need to prepare a rice pot and go through the specific process of cooking it.
It’s not that the bread we’ve been eating until now is so bad that we’ve been forcing ourselves to eat it, so it just hasn't become a staple here.
After we finished munching for a while and took a breather with the tea they had prepared, Lady Rurua spoke.
"...Well, we've had our meal, so let's chat while we snack on sweets and tea."
"Indeed. Am I the only one who thinks it’s a sign of growth that those words came from Cleena?"
"Is that so? I actually thought Cleena was quite talkative."
For some reason, a social gathering began, leaving me on the sidelines.
No, it was a technique to ensure the questions weren't focused solely on me, and by talking about themselves, they were encouraging me to speak as well.
That said, it is a fact that this is a good opportunity to learn about the inner workings of Lady Cleena and the other two, so I am grateful to be able to listen.
I wouldn't know what kind of people these three are unless we talked like this.
Whether she knew of my intentions or not, Lady Samantha, who had steered the conversation, looked toward me and said...
"When Lady Rurua and Lady Cleena first met, they were already completely captivated by Lord Yuki. They were full of curiosity."
"...Mm. Naturally. Yuki is our husband, and my interest in him is inexhaustible."
"Haah, well, that is how it is now, but believe it or not, back then, there was a place just like the archives we were in earlier at the academy we attended, and she would spend all her time buried in books there."
"Buried in books? Isn't that normal for a student?"
It is only natural for a student to read books and accumulate knowledge, so I wondered what the problem was.
"Ah, the rules at that academy were different from here. There were certain achievements—specifically, it was divided into the Combat Department and the Magic Tool Department—and generally, your rank within the academy was determined by fighting."
"Oh. That is interesting. But wouldn't it be difficult for the Magic Tool Department to fight?"
"...That is correct. But it was evaluated separately, and there was no need to fight if you didn't want to. However, if you could fight, your evaluation would be higher."
Indeed, someone who can fight as well as craft tools is more useful to an employer than someone who only makes tools.
"Well, such people are extremely rare. Cleena-san achieved excellent results in those rankings, and she won the privilege of being exempt from classes."
"That is amazing."
"...Yes, I am amazing."
Being exempt from classes means it was judged that there was nothing left at that school for her to learn.
And so, she spent her time researching in the archives.
Lady Cleena is indeed talented. She looked quite proud of herself, too.
"Haah, and because of that, her interaction with others was minimal. It was rare for her to talk like she does now, you know?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, I have heard of that. My husband once said that because she is the type to speak in single words, I shouldn't take offense to it."
"...Guh, that is a story of the past."
"You haven't changed much even now, you know."
I see, so she was just too absorbed in her research.
Well, I suppose I’m not much different myself.
"...If we are talking about that, Samantha is even worse."
"Worse, you say?"
When told that Lady Samantha, a young lady who carries herself with such aristocratic grace, has a "worse" story, I couldn't even imagine what it could be.
"Ah, hey now."
Lady Samantha seemed to have some idea of what she meant and hurriedly tried to stop Lady Cleena, but...
"This chesty woman turned away Lord Yuki when he came with recommendations from two countries."
"Eh?"
I heard something truly unbelievable.
Turning away an envoy—especially one from two different countries—is synonymous with picking a fight with those two nations.