Chapter 19
…No, the distinction was meaningless. As long as they all, this entire world, were creations of Recola. I couldn't love any of it.
That was why Lilac and Sebastian were precious. Extras untouched by Recola's hand. And created by my own hand… Martin's dog.
“Hoo….”
I could feel my left hand was soaked with Sebastian’s slobber. Even knowing he was precious, sometimes I just sighed.
By the time I gathered my emotions, it was already time.
[The airship will be landing soon.]
The airship landed at a dedicated dock provided by the Petrak Royal Family. It was a dock used within the kingdom itself.
The Royal Knights were personally providing security for their junior knights, and the butler and maid corps, who had diligently practiced their welcome, were distributing identification badges necessary for activities.
Even the King and Queen of the Petrak Kingdom personally came out to welcome the cadets. It seemed they were currently conversing with the Vice Principal.
“Woah! This is the real deal!”
“Right? I didn’t expect such a grand welcome.”
Bord von Ludin Tauforos muttered excitedly. Gilbert Offer Cosmos also smiled and accepted it.
Besides them, the excited Class A cadets chattered amongst themselves.
“Class A, assemble.”
At Instructor Hectia’s single command, the first-year Class A students instantly lined up in neat rows and columns. It was a pre-arranged formation by number.
Other classes were like this too.
It was a showy event to demonstrate that Imperium Academy was still the best in the world.
Instructor Hectia also came out wearing the armor and cape she wore as a Knight Commander, adorned with a string of medals she had received.
“Thanks to the King of Petrak’s various conveniences, a high degree of freedom has been granted for this field trip. As explained beforehand, once you have toured the mandatory courses, the rest is free time.”
In other words, if you didn't tour the mandatory courses, it was an automatic demerit. It was a reason I couldn't refuse either.
“Well then, off you go.”
As soon as Instructor Hectia turned her body, the cadets noisily rushed out in a crowd.
‘Should I follow the protagonist party….’
No. If I did that and got misunderstood later, it would be troublesome. Since I didn't have skills like tracking detection, the possibility of my tailing being discovered was infinitely low, but I disliked even having such a thought.
‘The protagonist party will go to the museum first. I should go to the Symbol of Peace first.’
As I opened the cadet handbook, a holographic map of the Petrak Kingdom’s capital and a guide narrative unfolded. Know-It-All began to memorize and analyze.
“This is the Symbol of Peace, erected by the Petrak Kingdom 500 years ago! His Majesty, the Peace King, who inherited the will of the first Emperor, called for continental peace…!”
I viewed the giant dove sculpture symbolizing Petrak’s harmony and peace. It was a colossal dove statue made of flawless, pure white marble.
‘Next is Hwadamgwan, huh.’
Hwadamgwan, meaning a place for pleasant conversation, was once a royal guard post but had been renovated and was being operated as a teahouse symbolizing peace.
Fortunately, true to its nature-friendly kingdom status, pets were not restricted from entering the teahouse. I couldn't have just left Sebastian and gone in.
Inside the shop, there was a magical device that maintained air purification, and it was quite a tempting product.
Besides that, it was a fruitful time to sample various teas and conceive new recipes to add to the café I would open.
‘Next is the ecological park, I guess.’
“Welcome to Petrak Ecological Park! We also welcome the cadets from Imperium Academy!”
Petrak Ecological Park was an educational place. It was an ecological park themed around nature taking over a city abandoned by humans, so it was supposed to make one feel the greatness of nature… but it was just close to a jungle.
I twitched my eye and neurotically brushed my shoulder.
Oh, for crying out loud. There was no need to recreate so many jungle spiders.
I walked endlessly through the ecological park.
“Oh, oh! Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin!”
“…?”
My reaction was slow. Was he calling me? There couldn't possibly be someone who called me so politely…?
“Ah, hello! Student!”
Short in stature, with flowing green hair, and a youthful appearance close to that of a boy. Most importantly, he wore the distinctive uniform of Imperium Academy.
“Student Matthew von Yulha Animas.”
“Y-You remembered me!”
His flustered appearance under Elisha von Tresha Harmadun’s oppression was quite memorable.
It was awkward to say it truthfully….
“You just, remained in my memory.”
“Th-Thank you!”
“There’s nothing to be thankful for….”
“Ah, hello! Sebastian!”
[Woof!]
Sebastian raised his paw in greeting. He was indeed an animal empath.
After finishing a polite and elegant conversation with Sebastian, Matthew von Yulha Animas looked at me and exclaimed.
“Perhaps!”
Matthew von Yulha Animas, who had shouted, was startled by his own voice.
He seemed quite nervous.
When I waited patiently, Matthew von Yulha Animas, reassured, got to the point.
“I-If… if it’s alright with you… would it be okay if I treated Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin?”
“…Me?”
“Yes! We’re the same age, but I respect you! Student!”
I never imagined something like this would happen. I was a bit perplexed by this unexpected situation.
‘It’ll be good for killing time until the incident occurs.’
I looked at my watch; there was plenty of time.
“…Alright.”
Matthew von Yulha Animas guided me to the deepest part of the ecological park. It was a route that made me wonder where on earth he was taking me, but the answer soon came.
“…Hah.”
It was so grandiose that it made me let out a dry laugh. I never imagined there would be a nobleman’s mansion in the very center of Petrak Ecological Park, which was considered the largest park in the world.
In the center of the mansion, there was a tree taller than all other trees, and behind the mansion, a giant waterfall was creating a rainbow.
‘This… wasn’t even in the original settings….’
Matthew von Yulha Animas took my hand, which was lost in admiration, and led me.
“Come on, not much further now! Let’s hurry!”
“…Alright.”
“Hey, just speak comfortably, Student!”
“…….”
Upon arriving at the mansion, the first thing that greeted us was a huge garden. All sorts of fruit trees were bearing fruit, and mountain birds and animals were napping. In the distance, the sight of two baby kittens tumbling around was even fatal.
‘….’
Right. It was fatal. To Martin von Targon Ulvhadin, who was a bundle of solitude and malice, it was.
Because it dulled the blade of his heart.
“Oh, Young Master! You’ve arrived!”
The old butler, who was enjoying the rhythm of the chirping mountain birds’ song, put down the watering can he was using in the garden and hurried over.
“It’s been a while, Butler! Have you been well?”
“Of course, Young Master. I heard news that you would be visiting from Imperium Academy for a field trip and have been waiting for your arrival.”
“Thank you.”
Eventually, the old butler also bowed his head to me.
However, seeing him flinch for a moment, it seemed he knew me very well. Commoners might not know, but in noble society, I was famous as a trashy ruffian.
However, the old butler greeted his master’s guest with an extremely gentlemanly demeanor.
“I am the head butler of the Animas County. Welcome, Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.”
Calling me ‘Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin’ was the old butler’s way of being considerate of the rumor that I had been kicked out of my family. I had eyes and ears too, so I knew such rumors were circulating.
“I will show you inside. We have prepared luncheon.”
It was a welcome moment as my plan to return to the airship and eat the in-flight meal was disrupted.
Guided by the old butler, Matthew von Yulha Animas and I arrived at the banquet hall.
I had imagined a splendid banquet hall where an orchestra playing classical music and dancing performers were reflected on jewels strewn like stars.
I was spectacularly wrong.
It was an unusual banquet hall where vegetation was beautifully tended, mountain birds sang, and animals frolicked.
Matthew von Yulha Animas scratched his head as if embarrassed.
“Haha…, the banquet hall is a bit different, isn’t it? The banquet halls of the nobles in the capital are amazing. Like, decorated with jewels and silk, and, uh, umm… I’m sorry if you’re disappointed because it’s different from what you imagined.”
“No, it’s fine. This is more to my taste.”
Matthew von Yulha Animas looked up at me with a touched expression.
We naturally sat in two chairs arranged under a wide table. Matthew von Yulha Animas also sat in the opposite chair, smiling and checking if the special guest he had arranged for and invited on the day was lacking anything.
I felt a sense of unease from this situation itself.
“This mansion, are you using it alone?”
“My parents are leading a volunteer corps in the Eudialyte Desert Kingdom.”
“Ah.”
I think it was mentioned in passing in the original work that such a volunteer corps existed.
“Well, let’s eat before the banquet gets cold! It’s a good thing it’s mealtime!”
“…….”
“Come on, eat up!”
“…Alright.”
He seemed determined not to move until I ate, so I had no choice but to pick up my cutlery.
Since Wild Instinct or Know-It-All wasn't warning me, I probably didn't have to worry about poison.
‘So, the owner of this mansion right now is the student in front of me.’
What was he trying to gain by dragging me all the way to his home base? Was he trying to make an unreasonable demand? Assuming Matthew von Yulha Animas was hostile towards me, I would be in a very difficult position.
The current Martin von Targon Ulvhadin was a noble in name only, no different from a commoner.
Seeing Matthew von Yulha Animas approaching with a smile, the first thought that came to mind was, ‘It wasn't in the original work, but maybe he was harmed by Martin von Targon Ulvhadin and has been secretly sharpening his blade of revenge.’
Such a possibility was also open.
It wasn't for nothing that the children of the Four Great Ducal Families had ganged up to socially bury Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.
I stopped my hand that was picking at the food and put down my knife and fork for a moment.
“…Student Matthew von Yulha Animas.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you invite me?”
There was no interrogation more intuitive than a direct question.
“Uh, umm…, well, that is….”
Matthew von Yulha Animas looked troubled, then slowly put down his cutlery like me. Then he scratched his cheek with his hand.
“That… Sebastian.”
“Sebastian?”
I turned my head to look at the German Shepherd dog with its head buried in its food bowl. It had been hyper ever since we arrived, as if this place was paradise.
But why that kid with his head in the clouds?
“Our family, animal communion is our secret ability. So… the things that happened in the classroom… well, my perspective is different from others, shall I say….”
“…….”
“Sebastian always worries about Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin. He licks you to cheer you up, and even when other pets doze off or leave during the long class hours, he stays by Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin’s side without moving an inch.”
“…….”
“Student Martin von Targon Ulvhadin too… after that… incident and returning to school, you seemed to rely only on Sebastian… Seeing that all the time… I just… wanted to get closer….”
Matthew von Yulha Animas squirmed as if embarrassed.
‘So, there are kids like this too.’
The students appearing in the early part of the story were all 17 years old. They lacked the maturity to be called adults yet, and as such, they were children who still possessed a childlike innocence.
I loosened the reins on Wild Instinct, which I had been forcing myself to pull up.
‘I don’t know what will happen later, though.’
Since I was invited out of goodwill, I should try to get along.
Matthew von Yulha Animas asked various questions to change the awkward atmosphere. The feeling of being treated with such careful consideration was unfamiliar.
I answered as sincerely as possible. Though it might have sounded stiff on the outside.
I also received an unexpected gift. A hint about new strength.