How to Suck Honey at a Warrior’s Party

Everyone was called together before attending the dinner. The servants who were attending to us were gone, but I was uneasy, so I ran a thin stream of magic through them. There was no sign of life in this room.

The warrior’s stern gaze touched the side of my face. He patted my knee a couple of times as if to tell me to wait, then unfolded a soundproofing spell.

“What happened, Cylon?”

Herrin asked, his face suddenly filled with concern.

“I told you I wanted to see the lord.”

Seeing that they all nodded, he continued.

“You all heard their conversation in the tavern earlier, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah. I’ve heard of kids coming back from the woods late, and kids coming back and suddenly using magic….”

“Yeah. That thing.”

“Was there anything else you came to ask the lord about besides that?”

Apparently, he thought the reason I asked to see the lord was because I was a mage. It was as if he was looking out for me because I had something to do with magic.

I could have asked him if he had anything to do with Magi, Reg said. In fact, the warrior said nothing, waiting for me to say something.

If I openly said that the count was suspicious, wouldn’t it be offensive to him, a member of the same noble family…?

Everything that happened around the time of the demon’s appearance, even if it didn’t seem to have anything to do with magic, was somehow connected to the demon. It was as simple as unintentionally doing something bad and making it worse.

Trying to figure out how to get the words out, Herrin fiddled with her ears.

“The spirits keep screaming, there’s something unpleasant nearby.”

“Oh.”

As it turned out, elementalists could only talk to the spirits they had contracted with. Spirits disliked anything that disturbed the natural order of things, so it was understandable that they would be annoyed if something involving magic was happening in the neighborhood.

“…Cylon must have been expecting it.”

The warrior spoke quietly. His words startled both Herrin and Regs. The intense focus on me was disconcerting.

Of course, I had planned to lead the count into suspicion at some point, and then I was going to put you at the center of the case. Not that I’d be leading the charge.

I swallowed hard at the role Herrin had usurped. I’d planned to play dumb because she’d given me reason to suspect her first….

The warrior who had been so clairvoyant the whole time wasn’t helping me this time.

“Mmm….”

“Cylon, what is it, what do you know?”

“…I don’t know what, I just figured there was something to it since being a mage isn’t the easiest job to become.”

“Then why did you come to the castle?”

“Well, if someone has created a ‘wizard-looking person’, or did, it’s not a normal person, and it doesn’t matter if you know about it or not, it’s a problem, so I’m here.”

I felt like I was giving a press conference. I broke out in a cold sweat. If only I could simply shout that this world operated according to the laws of fantasy novels.

“Besides, a sudden increase in the number of permanent residents who are wizards in just one estate… doesn’t that sound too suspicious?”

“Silas is suspicious of Count Panko.”

“…I don’t know what, I just figured there was something to it since being a wizard isn’t the easiest job to become.”

“Then why did you come to the castle?”

“Well, if someone has created a ‘wizard-looking person’, or did, it’s not a normal person, and it doesn’t matter if you know about it or not, it’s a problem, so I’m here.”

I felt like I was giving a press conference. I broke out in a cold sweat. If only I could simply shout that this world operated according to the laws of fantasy novels.

“Besides, a sudden increase in the number of permanent residents who are mages in just one estate… doesn’t that sound too suspicious?”

“Cylon is suspicious of Count Panko.”

I looked at the warrior uneasily.

But the warrior’s face was calm.

“I’m sorry, but… yes.”

Sensing my anxiety, he smiled reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, Cylon, we’re not all that close, even if we are of the same noble family.”

I nodded, deepening the hood of my robe.

“So what do we do now?”

Reg changed the subject.

This time, his eyes were on me. Why did you leave the warrior alone and come to me, ughhh!

“First, we need to find out if there really are more mages in the manor, then we need to find out where he bought his bed, and then we need to sneak around the castle basement at night.”

As I pointed fingers, everyone’s faces grew puzzled, until Herrin grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“Wait! What’s the bed and why we are sneaking around the basement?”

“Because the bed is a personal favorite, and the basement, like any place, is a great place to experiment, and if you sneak it, you’re more likely to find something, right?”

The tower was a space where experiments and research were conducted throughout the day.

From the outside, you’d think the tower would be high up in the sky, but it’s not. There were more underground levels than above ground. The higher-ranking mages had their laboratories in the deeper basement levels.

The reason why they lived in isolation from the empire even though they were in the empire was because the tower was an underground city. Outsiders couldn’t find it, even though it was right in front of them, because of the prejudice that it must be high in the sky.

Others claimed that the tower was invisible due to illusionary magic, but they were wrong. The reason they couldn’t find it was because of magic.

Therefore, the sites of experimentation and research recognized by mages who live their entire lives in research and experimentation are underground.

“Very well, then.”

The warrior said crisply. He gestured toward the door. Puzzled, I released the soundproofing spell, and the door swung open with a snap.

“Count?”

Herrin muttered in disbelief. The Count stepped into the room, his face friendly.

“It’s almost time for dinner, and I was worried when I heard there was no movement inside.”

He gestured around the room.

I stared at the warrior. How did he know, I wondered.

“…It’s just that I’m getting older and more worried.”

Do you understand? The Count’s eyes were fixed on the warrior. The warrior smiled and said it was all right.

I found myself staring at the mage, who had checked the room in the intervening moments and signaled the earl with a nod. He seemed to be looking for signs of magic. I saw his eyes sparkle with magic.

I would have to find a way to leave no trace of magic in the future. It was annoying.

We headed straight to the banquet hall.

Once we were all seated, food was brought to the table.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve our heroes, sent down by the Lord.”

“I’m ashamed to say I’m not yet a hero.”

“Oh, no, there’s no way the heir to the Wood family will fail to slay the demon, not only this old man, but everyone else is looking forward to it, haha!”

Tongues rolled back and forth, greasier than in the daytime. This time, the warrior was calm and graceful.

After a few ping-pongs, he spoke our purpose.

“By the way, I heard a curious story on the way here.”

“A strange story, you say?”

“They said there were some people who went into the forest and became able to do magic.”

“That’s an amazing story, but…. What’s wrong with that?”

“Well, they were all acting like they’d lost their minds.”

“Gee…. That’s a shame, because they could have been a mage.”

“Yes, it is. So, did you get a report?”

I’m told the guards have been mobilized. The warrior stood, his handsomeness even more pronounced. The chandeliers sprinkled sparkling light.

The earl’s face hardened for a moment, then he smiled as if he knew something.

“My, did they do that on my estate? Let me see.”

The earl seemed to soften his words.

“By the way, warrior. You’re still in training to be the heir, so I’m guessing you didn’t realize this.”

I frowned.

“It is an unwritten rule that even members of the same noble family do not gossip about other nobles’ estates.”

The earl spoke as if he was about to reveal something great. It was a far cry from his laid-back demeanor earlier. It was like an elderly man reprimanding a child for a bad prank. The emphasis on the word ‘heir’ was particularly telling.

I wiggled my fingers in concern, and the warrior smiled even wider.

“Oh, you must have misunderstood. Don’t worry, I learned it all from the Marquis without the Count’s interference.”

“That’s true, but why….”

“But I am a warrior now, am I not, and naturally it is my duty to investigate when something strange and suspicious happens.”

Haha, I guess the count only knows about slaying demons and not much else. For the first time, the warrior’s words stung.

I carefully put my fork down in the freezing atmosphere. All good food, made with the finest ingredients. But my appetite dropped.

“…In other words, our estate has ties to the devil, is that what you’re saying? Can you take responsibility for that?”

The earl’s cheeks twitched in irritation.

“That will have to be investigated, sir, but wouldn’t it be a good thing if what happened in the manor could be uncovered and resolved, so that the ‘ever happy manor’ could be preserved?”

Their conversation grew more and more direct. It was a far cry from the probing, naked praise they had offered each other when they had first arrived.

Aristocrats say it’s either a war of words or a fiefdom war….

I was worried, by the way. I hadn’t realized the earl would be so eager to ask questions. I hadn’t even searched the castle yet. In this mood, questions like where he bought the bed would be out of the question.

What a shame. My eyes fell on the butler, who seemed to know the bedmaker second only to the count.

Maybe I could sneak up and ask him… maybe he’d tell me since I’m a guest?