Chapter 37 - The Magic Otaku is Doted On
"We are making a mistake."
As Saki stood up from the sofa and began to speak, Ester let out a heavy sigh in her mind. Ah, here we go again. Her grandson, Saki, would sometimes, based on knowledge only he possessed, offer insights that would startle those around him. The Triple Circle Method, the Mana Forging Method, techniques like Spell Gesture Omission, and even the deciphering of their family's ancestral scroll—none of these would have been possible without Saki's knowledge.
The source of this knowledge, according to him, was the rather dubious claim of "a revelation from the goddess," but its usefulness was undeniable. Ester herself was living proof; thanks to the Mana Forging Method, she had reached the Seventh Tier, a feat she had failed to achieve for decades, in an extremely short period. The disciples who had entered The Academy with Saki had also greatly improved their skills since their time at the private academy, all thanks to his teachings.
However, this knowledge was so novel, or rather, so shocking, that even those like Ester who benefited from it often struggled with how to handle it. For now, it was taught only to a limited number of people, but if it were to become known to other noble houses or neighboring countries, it would, to put it mildly, become extremely troublesome. As someone who had been repeatedly presented with such things over the past year, she honestly wished he would go a little easier on them.
What is he going to tell us this time? I really hope he doesn't bring up anything too complicated.
Whether he knew of Ester's thoughts or not, Saki looked at everyone present and began to speak.
"Our Arcalai family is a peculiar one. Its peculiarity lies entirely in the fact that we are both kingdom nobles and have produced generations of magic users."
It was true that families where a magic user was the head of a noble house were extremely rare. Aside from magic users like Azadh who were ennobled for a single generation, there was only one other family besides the Arcalai. And in that case, the head of the house had died young, and his younger brother, who had become a magic user, had hastily taken over.
To begin with, magic users were not commoners, but they were not exactly nobles either; they were treated as a unique class of their own. To put it another way, they existed outside the class system of King—Noble—Knight. Like the priests of the temple, magic users existed outside the realm of secular power, and within their own circles, a vertical structure of tiers and master-disciple relationships was formed.
"Indeed, our family could be called a rare existence among the nobility. But what of it?"
Saki nodded at his father Levi's words and replied.
"The Arcalai family may be excellent as a family of magic users. But what about as a noble family? At best, we get a passing grade. At worst, I believe we fail."
At Saki's words, the adults present exchanged surprised glances. Only Ruria, who had intertwined her fingers with the hand of the now-standing Saki, listened to his words with her usual sleepy, expressionless face. After a moment, Ester, on behalf of everyone, asked Saki the reason for this failing grade.
"Now that you mention it, I may not have been the most diligent head of a noble house. But Levi, to whom I passed the title, seems to be managing the Arcalai Viscounty without any major issues. What exactly is so wrong with what we've been doing?"
"You are too secretive with information."
Saki's reply was concise. So concise, in fact, that the adults couldn't understand what he was getting at. Noticing his audience was not on the same page, Saki elaborated on the problems of the Arcalai family as nobles.
"For us magic users, secrecy is a virtue."
But as soon as he began to speak, Saki paused. Ah, he thinks he just said something clever, only Ruria noticed. However, seeing no particular reaction from the adults, Saki cleared his throat with a soft "ahem" and continued.
"Magic should not be made known to those who are not magic users; it is best that they simply fear it. I believe this is the correct approach. The relationship between magic users and others is fine this way. Among magic users, each other's secrets are respected, and non-magic users are not allowed to even touch upon the slightest secret. There is no problem with this."
There, Saki once again looked at the adults before continuing.
"However, the Arcalai family is also a noble family. And in the competition among nobles, our house is a very strange existence, and we are difficult for other houses to understand. Though we are a lower-ranking noble house of viscounts, we hold a high position in the royal court. We possess the powerful military force of magic, yet we do not display it openly. The only thing that is clear about us is that we are loyal vassals of the royal family. Our stance towards other nobles, the combat capabilities of the magic users under our command—none of the details are known. This is because our house does not let such information leak, and the power of magic makes this possible."
Saki's explanation flowed without hesitation, echoing quietly in the reception room of the Guest Hall. Everyone present listened in silence.
"Magic users keep their distance from the nobles, who are led by the King, and are feared by the commoners. If they don't get involved, they aren't bothered by the affairs of the nobles, and since the commoners hold no power, it doesn't matter if they are feared. But what happens if a noble family does the same thing? If there is a noble house that does not try to get deeply involved with them, yet possesses power, it is only natural that they would be viewed with caution and hostility. No matter how much they try to investigate, they can't find out the details about this noble house that excels in the mysterious power of magic. What's more, that power has shown signs of growing rapidly in recent years. Are they not planning to eliminate us at any moment? Will this house not grow even more powerful in the future? In that case, should we not strike first? Roughly speaking, I believe this is how the Marquis Katzir house thought, leading them to try and assassinate me."
With his lengthy explanation finished, Saki sat back down on his sofa. As if on cue, a collective deep sigh escaped from the adults. For a while after, Ester, Levi, and Azadh each sank into their own thoughts, and a heavy silence filled the reception room. After some time, Levi tilted his head and spoke.
"In short, it was a mistake to treat other nobles the way a magic user would treat a non-magic user. Bringing the common sense of magic users into noble society was the problem, is that it?"
"Exactly. From now on, while we should still keep matters related to magic secret, we should start releasing information about our house as nobles, even if only a little at a time. In particular, we should actively spread the word that we do not desire any more power or territory. Of course, we must be careful not to be unnatural about it."
Perhaps pleased that his father had summed up his explanation so well, Saki replied with a slightly cheerful voice. However, the other two, Ester and Azadh, remained with troubled expressions, deep in thought. Eventually, Ester looked up and spoke with a grim face.
"I think there's some truth to what Saki says, but I don't think it explains everything. For a start, why 'now'? For over thirty years since I was ennobled, our house has lived peacefully without getting into any major trouble. If the reason the Marquis Katzir house acted was 'fear,' as Saki says, why didn't they bare their fangs at the Arcalai sooner?"
"Indeed, thirty years ago, the number of magic users in the Arcalai school was not so large, and the younger generation of magic users like Levi and Sarah had not yet been trained. Of course, they were preoccupied with the aftermath of the war... Ah, I see. So that's it."
Azadh, who had spoken after Ester, looked at Saki with understanding midway through his sentence. Receiving his gaze, Saki began to explain with a pleased expression.
"Yes. As the Commander has realized, for some time after the war thirty years ago, there were no nobles who would have thought of messing with the Arcalai. After all, they would have seen Grandmother's... exploits with their own eyes."
"...Indeed, if even half the stories I've heard about Mother are true, anyone who actually saw it wouldn't even think of defying our family."
"What's that, Levi? Don't say such misleading things. What kind of stories have you heard, anyway? Why don't you share them with this old woman?"
"Mother, please forgive me. Those are not stories that can be told in front of children of Saki's and Ruria's age."
Ester and Levi exchanged lighthearted banter with smiles on their faces. However, a dangerous glint shone in both their eyes, and seeing it, Saki quietly averted his gaze.
"Anyone who participated in the war thirty years ago, like myself, wouldn't even consider making an enemy of Master. However, the noble houses have changed generations, and those who know the old days are now very few. Those who have only heard stories of the war, who cannot imagine the terror of the Arcalai, are now in positions of power and lead their houses. One such person was this Oz Adoni Katzir. Is that what you mean?"
Completely ignoring the murderous exchange between mother and son happening next to him, Azadh sought confirmation from Saki. Saki, also making a point not to look at his grandmother and father, answered Azadh.
"For the most part, I believe that was the situation. That person named Oz could understand that our house was a threat, but he couldn't imagine its true terror. And he was forward-thinking enough to understand that if the Arcalai family was left alone, its power would only grow, and he also had enough authority to take various measures. I believe it was an unfortunate accident caused by the intertwining of all these circumstances."
Nodding at Saki's words, Azadh still couldn't hide his bitter expression as he said.
"That doesn't mean we can forgive them for trying to kill you, though. So, in the end, was it really all right not to take action against the Marquis Katzir house itself?"
"If we had gone all out and crushed the Marquis Katzir house this time, no noble house would have underestimated our family again. However, we are not at war, and more importantly, the times have changed. By taking the head of the mastermind, we have sent a warning to the Marquis house and its subordinate noble houses. I believe it is best to end it there."
Hearing Saki's words, Levi, who had been engaged in a fruitless argument with Ester, spoke to his mother as if his point had been proven.
"You see, Mother, Saki says so as well. As I have repeatedly told you, there is no need to resort to further use of force."
"Don't say that so happily. But if we back down here, won't they look down on us? I think it would be better to crush them cleanly, without leaving any loose ends."
In contrast to Levi, Ester asked with a pained expression. Saki did not answer her directly but turned the conversation to his father.
"Father, what is the situation on that front?"
"When they found Oz's belongings placed conspicuously at the Katzir mansion in the capital, the Four Marquis Houses and other noble families who had a vague idea of the situation were terrified. They now know that if we wanted to, we could eliminate someone close to the head of a major noble house without anyone knowing. They're probably on edge, worried that the trouble might come their way next."
"So, even without destroying the Katzir house in the fires of war, the deterrent effect was sufficient?"
"Perhaps being eliminated by incomprehensible methods without their knowledge is more terrifying than losing in a straightforward, open battle. At least for now, there's no sign of anyone underestimating our family."
Levi's intelligence network was the best in the kingdom. His confident voice was filled with absolute certainty in his information-gathering abilities.
"That's good to hear. If a Marquis house were to suddenly disappear right now, it would cause chaos in the country. It would be a different story if we had time to prepare and could replace the Marquis Katzir and his subordinate noble houses with members of the Royalist Faction. But if there were problems with the food and other goods coming in from the west and north, it would have a negative impact on the capital's economy as well."
"And so, given the circumstances, you will entrust the handling of the Marquis Katzir house to me, won't you, Mother?"
Pressed by her son and grandson, Ester's grimace deepened.
"Oh, alright, I get it. Still, the way you talk so happily about such things, Saki, you really take after Levi in personality. If you start scheming like that from a young age, you won't grow up to be a decent adult, you know?"
"And if one becomes accustomed to crushing everything with brute force from a young age, that would also be a problem, Mother. Especially for those around them."
Once again, Ester and Levi glared at each other, their lips smiling but veins popping on their temples. Azadh, unable to watch any longer, finally admonished them.
"Master, that's enough. Levi, you should restrain yourself as well. In any case, is the matter concerning the assassination attempt on Saki settled now?"
"That's fine. Well then, the preamble was quite long, but it seems we can finally get to the main topic."
At Ester's words, Saki turned to her in surprise. Beside him, Ruria, who had completely lost interest in the conversation, was leaning her head on his shoulder, dozing off. It seemed she was about to depart for the land of dreams.
"Grandmother, didn't we gather today to decide on the punishment for those involved in this incident?"
"That's just a trivial matter. There's something much more important that we need to discuss with this group, isn't there?"
To Saki, who tilted his head in confusion, Ester declared with a completely matter-of-fact expression.
"Saki, it's about your fight with Melek Halari. I want you to tell me in detail how you, a new student at The Academy, managed to defeat a Second Tier magic user."
When Saki glanced at the other two, Levi and Azadh both looked back at him, their faces full of curiosity. With a troubled expression, Saki offered a reply that could be taken as an excuse.
"Regarding that matter, I already reported it to Professor Azadh when I informed him of the attack. Have you not heard about it?"
"I don't want to hear it secondhand; I want to hear it from you. I heard you used Spell Gesture Omission in actual combat. How was it?"
"As a father, I believe it's necessary to know the details of my son's first battle."
"I've only heard a summary myself. As someone who sits in a professor's chair, I am very keen to learn about the new possibilities in magical combat."
Once again, Saki found himself completely surrounded with no escape. Even Ruria, who had been on the verge of sleep just moments before, now looked up at Saki's face with a gleam of curiosity in her half-lidded eyes. Letting out a single sigh, Saki opened his mouth in resignation.
"Very well. I am not used to talking about such things, so please forgive any shortcomings in my explanation. At that time, first—"
That night, Saki was made to give a detailed, microscopic explanation of his battle to the three veterans. They threw sharp questions at him about every little aspect of the combat, and each time, Saki had to frantically dredge up his memories to answer. The meeting, which had turned into a debriefing, lasted past midnight, and in the end, Saki and Ruria were unable to return to their dorms that day either, spending another night in a professor's quarters.
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"Haaah... To be able to hold both Saki-san and Ruria-chan at the same time, perhaps this is the fabled land of dreams I've heard about. Ruria-chan, you may wrap your arms around my neck, you know?"
"Saki, can I erase this woman?"
"You must not, Ruria-chan. A lady should not use such language. As I've told you before, you should call me 'Onee-chan,' you see?"
"I'm sorry, Ruria. This is all my fault. Please forgive my powerlessness."
Last night, I was forced by the assembled parties to reluctantly recount my own heroic tale. The following day, I found myself in an even more unwilling situation.
The place was our usual spell experiment room. Elisha sat on a chair that had been brought in, holding me with her left hand and Ruria with her right, savoring the sensation of having both of us on her lap at the same time. From time to time, she would press our faces against both of her cheeks and let out an inarticulate sound of delight. It was a scene I could never let my other classmates see.
Even Roche and Isak, who were used to her behavior, were clearly put off by this. They tried their best not to look our way, repeating their spell practice on the opposite side of the room.
The reason I was silently enduring this outrage was for the sake of Honey Pot's pancakes.
During the assassination attempt against me at The Academy, I had dropped and ruined the pancakes that were meant to be delivered to the Head of the girls' dorm, Idis-senpai. To apologize for that, I ended up promising to secure pancakes for both the client, Lug-senpai, and Idis-senpai.
I had already consulted Hanna through Ruria yesterday about acquiring the Honey Pot pancakes, but the reply I received was despairing.
Hanna had already been trying to get the pancakes at Ruria's request even before I asked, but the popularity of Honey Pot showed no signs of stopping, and the difficulty of obtaining them was only increasing. Every day, a large crowd of customers would gather at the store before it opened in the early morning, and a lottery would be held for the few portions available for general sale. Hanna's response was that she didn't know when she would be able to buy them through normal means.
Now I was in a bind. I had promised the hall heads that I would apologize properly, so I couldn't make them wait too long. After much deliberation, I decided to play the trump card I had been saving as a last resort. That was to ask Elisha, the daughter of the Marquis Shamir house, for help.
Whether due to the power of her Marquis house, she was able to get her hands on Honey Pot pancakes regularly. I bowed my head and asked her to secure two portions for the hall heads on my behalf. The expression on Elisha's face at that moment was a smile so good it sent a shiver down my spine. I thought that a hunter who had just had prey fall right in front of him would probably make a face like that.
And so, a sordid transaction over pancakes was made, and Ruria and I both ended up on her lap. I am truly sorry, Ruria. You can hate me for not being able to pay the price alone.
"Still, I was wondering why Saki-san wanted pancakes, and it turns out it was to give a gift to Head of Hall Idis. I heard it from her herself, you know. My, my, Saki-san, should I call you precocious or promising? You certainly know what a woman wants."
"Please don't say things that could be so easily misunderstood, Elisha-jou. I'm not just giving them to Head of Hall Idis; I'm giving them to Head of Hall Lug as well."
Stop poking me in the cheek while intentionally misinterpreting my words. Also, Ruria, stop kicking my leg while being held. You know the full story. That said, I'm aware that I've dragged you into my mess and subjected you to the fate of being captured by this pervert, so I'll just endure it in silence.
"Giving them to those two... that's quite suggestive in its own way... By the way, Saki-san. I did say I would prepare the promised pancakes right away, but I'm afraid I must ask you to wait a day or two. Would that be alright?"
"A day or two is fine, but was there some kind of problem?"
"My cousin from the capital has suddenly come to the academy city. It's not that she came to see me specifically, but just stopped by on her way back to her territory. She came without any prior notice, so our family retainers stationed in this city are busy dealing with her. Because of that, there's going to be a delay in picking up the pancakes from Honey Pot. Will you forgive me?"
"No, I'm the one asking for a favor I know is difficult. Under those circumstances, I will gladly wait."
As we had this conversation, we spent the rest of the day being doted on by Elisha, unable to practice our spells. Honestly, I want to forget it as soon as possible.
Incidentally, the reason Elisha's cousin suddenly had to return to her territory was, as I later found out, indirectly caused by what Grandma had done. And since Grandma's actions were, of course, triggered by the assassination attempt on me, it meant that the reason for the delay in getting the pancakes was, in a way, my own fault. What a world.
I apologize for the significant delay in this post as well. Thank you so much to everyone who left comments. I look forward to your continued support.