Chapter 41

Yoshioka and I were jogging down the road from the office to my apartment. I figured it was better to be summoned from my own room if I had the choice. We had seventeen minutes left until the re-summons.

On the way, I spotted a bakery that was about to close, so I bought a few items for dinner and breakfast. I didn’t have time to be picky, so I just grabbed things off the shelves and piled them onto the tray without checking what they were. After paying, we hurried back to the apartment. We were sprinting by the end, but thanks to Yoshioka casting healing magic on me every now and then, I didn’t lose my breath at all.

We jumped into the small room in the gap, and I changed my clothes. Going back over there in a suit would make me stand out far too much. I threw on my usual attendant’s garb and prepared to “get” today’s skill card!

This is incredibly convenient! Now I can grab the remote without ever having to leave the comfort of my kotatsu!

As a test, I aimed my hand at a magazine lying on the floor and activated the skill. It flew right into my hand. The gravure idol on the open page seemed to wave at me in congratulation. Thank you!

“This is super useful!”

“That seems like a skill with a wide range of applications. I want one too,” Yoshioka said, looking envious.

I managed to get another good skill this time. I gave a prayer of thanks to the Card-Del machine and stepped through the blue door.

I was summoned to a place I had never seen before. In the darkness, Clara-sama was smiling gently.

“We have returned. I apologize for requesting a summons at such a late hour.”

It was 8:00 PM in Japan, but it was already 11:00 PM here. By the standards of the Kingdom of Saxens, this was the middle of the night.

“It matters not. I can sleep more soundly knowing you two have returned safely.”

She must have stayed up waiting for us. She had changed into her indoor clothes, though her hair was still tied up. As a small token of apology, perhaps a nightcap?

“Clara-sama, Yoshioka and I are about to eat dinner. If you would like, would you care to join us for at least a glass of wine?”

Clara-sama looked startled.

“W-wine, you say? Very well… I suppose I shall join you for one glass.”

Since Clara-sama was joining us, I decided to open one of the better bottles. As my eyes adjusted, I realized we weren’t staying at a temple today, but an inn. When we moved to the room, I saw Fiene was fast asleep. She looked so innocent while sleeping that it was hard to believe she was eighteen. I felt a sudden, impulsive urge to poke her cheek.

I set up an LED lantern and prepared the meal. We toasted with glasses of red wine and the sandwiches I’d bought at the bakery earlier.

“What town is this?”

“It is Loppur. We moved thirty-two kilometers south from Lakenhain.”

While we were back in Japan, Clara-sama had continued our journey toward the Royal Capital.

“Was Fiene alright on her own?”

“Yes. She handled it quite skillfully.”

I had left the operation of the bike to Fiene, and it seems she did a great job. The sun had melted the snow over the last few days, and Fiene, being naturally nimble, had mastered the controls almost immediately after I taught her. Plus, there are no pesky traffic laws to memorize here.

“I would have ridden it myself, but Blitz would have been furious,” Clara-sama added.

Blitz cannot stand the idea of Clara-sama riding another horse or any other vehicle. Furthermore, he refuses to let me, Yoshioka, or even Fiene onto his back.

“That guy has high pride, but he’s actually a big baby with a strong streak of possessiveness,” I remarked.

“Heh. He must take after his owner, then.”

Wait, what?! Perhaps it was the wine, but Clara-sama was more talkative tonight than usual.

“R-really? Is that so?”

“Is it such a surprise?”

“No, it’s just… I couldn’t have imagined it from your appearance…”

When Yoshioka said that, Clara-sama burst into laughter.

“It is the same with Blitz, is it not? To the eye, he is a gallant warhorse. In truth, he is selfish and a spoiled brat. He is exactly like me…”

Watching Clara-sama indulge in such self-deprecation, I realized something: she must be incredibly stressed!

As I poured more wine into her empty glass, she gave a firm nod and took a hearty gulp. Yoshioka and I exchanged a knowing look. We decided right then that it was best to let Clara-sama vent all her daily frustrations tonight.

“Now, now, Clara-sama. Some food will make the wine go down even better. How about one of these roast beef sandwiches?”

“Thank you, Akito. Mm… this is delicious.”

Clara-sama ate the sandwich and tilted her glass once more.

“We haven’t even reached the halfway point on the road to the Royal Capital. Let us build up our strength tonight.”

Neither Yoshioka nor I had much experience in “host entertainment,” but we were going to give it our all for Clara-sama’s sake tonight!

Our little banquet continued, and by the time we opened the second bottle of wine, the conversation turned toward magic.

“By the way, I know nobles in this world can use magic. Does that mean every single one of them can use it without exception?”

I asked the question that had been bugging me for a while. If that were the case, the number of magic users would increase exponentially with every generation.

“No, that is not how it works. Being of the noble class does not guarantee the ability to use magic.”

According to Clara-sama’s explanation, while the aptitude for magic is indeed an inherited trait passed down through genetics, it typically only manifests in the firstborn child—the eldest son or daughter.

On rare occasions, a second child might inherit the talent, but for third children, it is exceptionally rare. By the time you get to a fourth child, there are almost no recorded cases in history. Children born without mana are still considered sons and daughters of nobility and hold their rank, but their status is only guaranteed for a single lifetime. Consequently, the next generation of that line becomes commoners.

Incidentally, if a second child does inherit magical talent, it is customary for them to establish a branch family. Sometimes, a commoner child is born with the ability to use magic, but if you trace their ancestry, you usually find a second or third son of a noble house. It’s what you might call an “atavism”.

“The Ansbach house was knighted in your father’s generation, right? Does that mean if you trace your lineage back, the Ansbach family is descended from some other noble house?”

When I asked, Clara-sama shook her head with a faint, happy smile.

“The Ansbach house is a bit… unique. To explain, I must tell you about my grandmother.”

Wetting her throat with more wine, Clara-sama continued.

“My grandmother was a truly strong and beautiful woman. She was so powerful that even if ten of me stood against her at once, we would be no match.”

Back home, we call that a monster! There’s no way someone could be ten times stronger than the already-overpowered Clara-sama. Yet, as she spoke of her grandmother, Clara-sama’s eyes were brimming with joy. She must have truly loved her.

“At that time, the territory of Ebba-berg was not technically part of the Kingdom of Saxens. Until about sixty years ago, it was land inhabited by a minority group, and my grandmother was the daughter of their chieftain.”

The minority group was called the Gylir people. While the Gylir were granted autonomy, they paid taxes to Saxens, which effectively meant they were under its rule. Because of this, tax collectors visited the Gylir village several times a year.

“Don’t tell me the tax collector was your grandfather?”

Clara-sama laughed.

“No, no. My grandfather was one of the soldiers escorting that tax collector.”

The soldier was an utterly unremarkable man. He wasn’t particularly wise, nor was he skilled in martial arts. Even his face was slightly below average. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on the chieftain’s daughter, he abruptly proposed marriage.

“Grandmother said she was furious. She likely thought he was making a fool of her.”

However, no matter how much she vented her anger, the soldier wouldn’t back down. He kept insisting she marry him. When asked for a reason, he would only say, “Because I have fallen in love with you.”

Finding it absurd, the chieftain’s daughter decided to set a condition.

“As I mentioned, my grandmother was incredibly strong. I hear she had won the martial arts tournament held in Bremen for five consecutive years starting from the age of thirteen.”

Yep, definitely a monster. Growing impatient with the soldier who wouldn’t leave no matter how much she yelled, the chieftain’s daughter declared that if he could defeat her in a sword match, she would consider the marriage. The soldier, realizing this was the only way forward, accepted the condition, and the two faced off.

The soldier had heard of her strength and didn’t think he could actually win, but he entered the match clinging to a sliver of hope. The result, however, was disastrous.

“I am told it did not even take a second. My grandfather was struck down and knocked unconscious by my grandmother the moment the signal to start was given.”

When the soldier woke up a while later, he slunk away, muttering, “I’ll be back.” The chieftain’s daughter breathed a sigh of relief, certain that after such a humiliating defeat, he would never return.

However, three days later, the soldier was back. A match was held again, but the result was the same; he was defeated in less than a second. Yet, he returned ten days later, then seven days later—challenging her whenever he could find a moment of free time. This went on for two years, until their matches became a daily sight in the village.

Then, one day…

“My grandfather’s sword finally grazed my grandmother’s arm. At that moment, she accepted his proposal and they were wed.”

“So your grandfather eventually grew strong enough to land a hit through his daily training!” Yoshioka said, looking moved. Since Yoshioka has the potential to become a Sage through training himself, he was clearly encouraged by the story.

But Clara-sama denied it with a smile.

“No, it seems my grandfather didn’t get stronger at all. My grandmother used to say she was so dumbfounded by how weak he was that she simply forgot to dodge his sword.”

Talk about “single-minded devotion can move even a mountain.” But still…

Back home, we call that a stalker! It’s hard to measure the difference between passion and obsession. I guess the key is that he wasn’t just being self-centered.

“To return to the original point, this grandmother of mine possessed an incredible amount of mana. However, because the Gylir were not strictly Saxens citizens at the time, she could not be granted a title. Instead, she married my grandfather, a Saxens man, and my father was born and recognized as a citizen of Saxens.”

As a result, Clara-sama’s father, who could use magic, was able to become a Knight Bachelor.

“I do not mean to boast, but I inherited my grandmother’s power even more strongly than my father did. That is why my mana is slightly greater than that of other nobles.”’

I see. So Clara-sama’s strength comes from the blood of the Gylir minority.

“My grandmother used to say it often: ‘I wonder why I couldn’t dodge that sword back then?’”

Well… I think the rest of the world calls that love, right?