Chapter 72. The Whereabouts of the Wish Voucher
The Founding Festival, which had lasted for several days, was over.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Radel was returning to the academy with Inette in his newly purchased carriage.
It was because Inette had insisted on riding Radel's new carriage.
"Where did you buy this carriage? The Spear Guild?"
"Yeah, it's pretty good."
"Hmph. They must have come out with better ones than when I bought mine. The seats are comfortable too."
At first, she had grumbled that it was just black and plain, but now that she had ridden in it, she was showing interest as if it was okay.
"When I ordered it, I added a newly developed seat from the Spear Guild."
"A newly developed seat? What's that?"
At Inette's question, Radel suddenly realized.
That Inette was a potential customer with enormous possibilities!
Wasn't Inette's mother, the 3rd Imperial Consort, the only daughter of the Duke of Dastion, one of the richest men in the empire? She was a woman of wealth who could buy several of these carriages if she set her mind to it.
Now that Inette was in the carriage, it was the perfect opportunity to promote the carriage he had developed with Baron Spear.
Radel pretended to hesitate and started.
"This seat is really good, but there's no way to explain it..."
"Ah, if you can't explain it, just show me!"
The short-tempered Inette fell for it right away.
Not missing this opportunity, Radel activated the magic circuit installed in the seat.
As he showed her the heating and ventilation magic in turn, Inette's eyes began to sparkle.
"Crazy... I have to buy this!"
A seat that becomes warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot!
Inette's heart was already pounding with the thought of ordering a new carriage.
Seeing Inette's reaction, a smile bloomed on Radel's lips.
If Inette bought a carriage, she would ride it around the capital with the 3rd Imperial Consort, and the rumor that the two of them had bought a carriage from the Spear Guild would spread, and then the carriages with the newly developed seats would sell like hotcakes.
Radel's mood improved at the thought of receiving a hefty royalty.
'Why is that guy happy?'
Inette, who had no way of knowing why Radel's mood had improved, shook her head, thinking that he was an incomprehensible fellow.
Come to think of it, there was something else she didn't understand.
"By the way, why did you give up the wish voucher?"
At Inette's sharp question, Radel answered nonchalantly.
"I didn't give it up. I wasn't the one who caught it, so what."
Only Inette's heart felt stuffy at that answer.
'You caught it all at the end.'
The biggest prey in this hunting competition was the red-headed fire centipede.
And there were two of them.
The 3rd Princess, Shartea, had also caught a Giant Black Bear and a saber-toothed tiger, but she was at a loss for words in front of the overwhelmingly large red-headed fire centipede.
Everyone predicted that the winner of this hunting competition would go to the one who had caught the fire centipede.
The problem was that three people had caught the red-headed fire centipede together.
Since individual participation was the principle, it was a difficult situation to decide the winner.
Just then, the Emperor, who had been quiet, stepped forward.
How about making the three of them co-winners and giving the wish voucher to the one who had dealt the final blow to the centipede?
But the Emperor's proposal was not accepted.
The very person who had dealt the final blow to the red-headed fire centipede had declared that they would not take the wish voucher.
'Only a fool would miss such an opportunity.'
That fool was sitting in front of Inette.
"Don't be ridiculous. You're the one who dealt the final blow, right? Of course it should be yours!"
Inette, frustrated by Radel's actions, shouted.
Was the opportunity to speak a wish directly to the Emperor common?
Radel shrugged.
"It's really not like that. I didn't do much."
His words were sincere.
It was true that he had dealt the final blow with his sword, but it was Leon's magic that had inflicted the fatal wounds on the two centipedes, and it was Venus's ability that had neutralized the two centipedes.
Radel recalled his memory of the hunting competition.
* * *
Swoosh.
A downpour of rain that shook the forest and fell fiercely.
It was no exaggeration to call it a torrential downpour.
Venus opened his closed eyes.
A blue light, which appeared when he used his ability, flickered in his golden eyes.
It was the ability of the 5th Prince of the Cretian Empire, Venus Esven Cretian, the ‘Tears of the Sky’.
'Amazing.'
Radel was inwardly amazed.
He had seen the abilities of the royals, such as Inette's ‘Essence of Flame’ and Leon's ‘Dragon’s Blessing’, several times, but this was the first time he had seen an ability that even changed the weather.
A pure ability, without borrowing the power of magic.
'It's also proof that they have received the blessing of the Supreme Deity.'
That's why the abilities of the royals were themselves proof of the existence of the Supreme Deity.
The abilities of the royals had a large share in the reasons why the Cretian Empire had been strong for a long time. It was because the royals would step forward and solve the various crises, large and small, that befell the empire.
'Although it's being used to catch a red-headed fire centipede right now.'
He wondered if it was okay to use such a great ability for such a trivial matter, but it couldn't be helped.
The 5th Prince's ability was a natural enemy to the fire centipede.
And Radel's prediction was correct.
The centipedes rapidly lost their combat power after being hit by the heavy rain. As expected, drowning them was the best strategy.
- Kki, kkieek...
Thwack!
Radel swung his sword and cut the centipede's windpipe in the subsiding rain.
At the same time, an alert sound was heard in his ear.
Tiring.
[You have defeated an enemy stronger than yourself.]
[The conditions for skill promotion have been met.]
[Skill: Hayden's Normal Mana Training Method (C)]
[Do you want to promote the skill? (Y/N)]
It seemed he had already fulfilled the promotion conditions for Hayden's Normal Mana Training Method.
It was an unexpected gain.
Pitter-patter.
Soon, the rain stopped completely.
Venus was withdrawing his hand that he had extended to use his ability.
Then, the blue light that had been flickering in his eyes also slowly disappeared.
"Did you get it?"
Venus, who had finished using his ability, approached Radel and asked.
Unlike Radel, who was soaking wet, he was not wet at all.
"Yes, it's thanks to you, senior. By the way, you're not wet at all."
"It's always like that. Because of my ability."
It seemed to mean that he didn't get wet even if he made it rain with his ability.
Venus answered perfunctorily and approached the centipede.
He was like a true Cryptozoology major, seeing him become lively as he got closer to the monster's carcass.
Leon also confirmed that the red-headed fire centipede was dead and immediately turned his back.
"I'm leaving."
"Huh? Wait!"
Radel stopped him.
There was still something to settle.
"...What is it?"
"This size should be a win in the hunting competition, right? What about the wish voucher?"
Leon glanced at the red-headed fire centipede lying behind Radel.
It certainly seemed like it would be an unconditional win if he dragged something like that.
However, winning the hunting competition had little meaning for Leon.
Because his goal this time was to get rid of that pathetic guy.
He had failed this time, but a better opportunity would come next time.
Leon roughly swept back his rain-soaked hair and answered coldly.
"I don't need it. I wasn't the one who caught it."
"Oh..."
Radel let out a small exclamation at his answer.
As expected, his pride was extraordinary.
When he had plunged his sword into the red-headed fire centipede's neck, Radel could tell.
That this one was already out of strength.
Although Venus's ability was decisive, he wouldn't have been able to catch the two of them so quickly without Leon's magic.
"But the prize for the hunting competition is a different story."
Although it didn't seem likely, Leon might change his mind later.
Radel wanted to clear up the situation neatly and move on.
Leon's expression crumpled as he looked at Radel.
"Are you still thinking about such things in a place like this?"
He couldn't stand it anymore.
He had felt it while fighting earlier, but that guy was acting as if he had really forgotten everything.
His mood became extremely foul seeing his calm face as if he knew nothing.
"...It seems you don't remember anything from the hunting competition."
"What?"
Radel asked back, but Leon spat out coldly and turned his back and disappeared.
He doesn't remember anything?
That meant that he had hoped he would remember something from the hunting competition.
There was only one thing that the two of them could remember together.
'He must be talking about our mother's accident.'
Could it be that Leon also thought that there was something strange about that accident?
Venus approached Radel, who was speculating on Leon's words, with a nonchalant expression.
"Are the twins done fighting?"
"We weren't fighting."
"That's what they all say."
Venus was holding something in his arms as if it were precious.
It was a severed centipede leg and a black something the size of a fist.
"What's that?"
The leg was one thing, but what was that black thing?
When Radel asked, Venus said nonchalantly.
"An eye. Isn't it pretty? You can have the rest."
It was a centipede eye...
Seeing Venus call that pretty made him think about the peculiar tastes of Cryptozoology majors anew.
"...Thank you. Then I think it would be best for you to take the wish voucher, senior. If you're going to receive it."
"Good. I just so happened to have a magical beast egg I wanted."
Venus nodded and answered Radel.
"Instead, I'll grant you a favor later."
It was as if he had traded a wish voucher for a wish voucher.
Along with that, an alert also rang.
Tiring.
[The target's affinity has surpassed 10.]
* * *
Inette's eyes widened at Radel's words.
"That Venus said he'd grant you a favor?"
"Yeah. So I said okay."
Although the Emperor's wish voucher was a great prize, it was a surprising thing that Venus had said he would grant a favor.
Venus Esven Cretian.
His maternal family, the Esven Marquessate, was a prestigious magic family that had produced many renowned magicians.
Although it was famous for being a family of eccentric magicians due to its great interest in non-mainstream magic, it also held a position that could not be ignored in the magic world.
Just obtaining one of the Esven Marquessate's family secret magics could be called a great harvest.
"I'm fine with just this."
Radel, regardless of whether Inette was surprised or not, looked at the luggage loaded on the seat next to him with satisfaction.
They were the ingredients he had collected at the hunting competition and the byproducts he had obtained from the centipede.
The thought of going to Marcellent to sell these things made him feel full even though he hadn't eaten.
"...Right. That's you."
Inette shook her head from side to side, looking at Radel's proud expression.
The carriage had soon arrived in front of the Grand Temple.
Gusto, who was standing outside, approached.
"I'm glad to see you're safe, Your Highness."
Gusto looked relieved to see Radel in good condition.
Inette, who saw that, clicked her tongue.
"If you were so worried, why didn't you follow him? You're acting like an escort knight."
"Oh my, you were here too, Your Highness. I've been in the temple for a long time, so I've gotten used to the good aura, so I just..."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"The evil aura doesn't catch my eye well. That's why I must not have seen you, Your Highness."
"What? Are you done talking?!"
The two of them were fighting as soon as they met.
Radel, looking at the two of them, which now felt peaceful, felt that the time had come.
Now that he had won over Tunia, he had to tell these two about the assassin.
Now was the right time.