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Ambush 1

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Around the time the sun had completely set and the voices of drinkers began to echo festively throughout the Royal Capital.

Finished with work for the day, I was walking along the brightly lit main thoroughfare on my way home.

「I can't believe I got so focused on alchemy that I lost track of time.」

I had been so thrilled with my newly acquired Enchantment skill that I kept thinking, Just a little more. Just one more, and ended up doing nothing but making Holy Water.

As a result, I stayed well past my shift. Eventually, I felt the "white eyes" of Master Clein and Leon—their cold, exasperated stares—stinging so much that I reluctantly decided to call it a day.

Now that I was out, I was startled by just how dark it had become. Since I rarely wander out alone late at night, the moonlit streets of the capital felt a little bit frightening.

「Maybe I shouldn't have been so stubborn and just accepted Master Clein’s offer...」

Master Clein had been concerned, noting that a noblewoman shouldn't be out alone at night, but I had politely declined. Since it was my own selfishness that caused the work to run late, I couldn't bring myself to make him tag along.

I figured that as long as I stuck to the main street at this hour, I wouldn't run into any trouble... or so I thought, until a man suddenly emerged from the shadows of a back alley and approached me.

Looking down at me from his tall stature with a needlessly overbearing attitude, this person was—

「Working quite late, aren't you, Mia Hopewell?」

It was Master Segrus, the Court Alchemist whom Leon serves.

Encountering him in such an unexpected place, I instinctively braced myself.

「Wh-what is it? Coming out so suddenly like that.」

「Don't be so guarded. I have no interest in laying a hand on the runt’s little fledgling.」

(...) His way of speaking was as terrible as ever—always looking down on people. If he didn't want me to be guarded, I wish he’d fix that intimidating attitude of his first.

As a precaution, I slipped my hand toward the firecrackers I kept for self-defense, ready to use them at a moment's notice.

「Good grief, what is that runt thinking? When sending a girl home at night, the least he could do is arrange for a knight to escort her.」

Hm? Was this some kind of trap? For him to emerge from a dark alley as if he’d been lying in wait, only to toss such considerate words my way...

I couldn't read his intentions, so I made sure to stay alert to ensure I wasn't caught off guard.

「Master Clein was concerned, but I declined. It was my fault the work ran late.」

「Don't be foolish. Do you want to be kidnapped? Public order in the capital is stable, but you never know what might happen, or where. From now on, make sure you're escorted.」

「But, since I'm the one who caused the overtime—」

「Understood!?」

「Y-yes... My apologies.」

I found myself completely overwhelmed by this sudden show of kindness.

It had been hard to tell in the dark just a moment ago, but in the light of the street lamps, Master Segrus’s expression was unexpectedly gentle. Despite his rough language, he seemed like a different person compared to when we first met.

「Changing the subject... is Leon doing well?」

「Eh? Ah, yes. Well, he’s doing fine.」

「I see. He’s always been the type people like. Even if he leaves my side, I’m sure he’ll manage well enough.」

Now I was truly confused; he was even worrying about Leon, whom he had essentially dumped on us with a dismissive air. Perhaps this was the true Master Segrus, but...

「With all due respect, I find it hard to believe Leon stays under your tutelage by choice.」

「What's that supposed to mean?」

「You can take that exactly as it sounded.」

Since I didn't have a good impression of him, I thought a little pushback might reveal his true colors... but then—

「In the world of alchemy, where nobles are the majority, there are struggles that only a commoner can understand. You're free to misunderstand, but don't assume that what you see on the surface is everything.」

He spoke with an air of composure befitting his age, and what he said was perfectly reasonable. Compared to him, my snapping at him felt like the height of rudeness.

「You're right. You seem like a completely different person than when you were arguing with Master Clein.」

「I simply don't see eye-to-eye with that runt. He talks of nothing but ideals and fails to see the reality that matters.」

「That’s not true. He simply pursues his ideals after facing reality. When you're making potions, you start to see the people you can't save...」

Remembering the uproar from the monster outbreak, I instinctively looked away from Master Segrus.

By creating the EX-Potions, many lives were saved, and I’ve received thanks from various people. But there were still casualties, and several people lost their lives.

I have no intention of shouldering the burden of "what if I had made more potions." Even so, a lingering sense of moya-moya remained in my heart.

Master Clein, who was working so hard to ensure another outbreak wouldn't happen, seemed to me like someone looking reality straight in the eye.

As I was feeling a bit sentimental, Master Segrus seemed to catch on. He scratched his head awkwardly, looking like he felt out of place.

「I'll admit his skill in alchemy is the real deal. But trying to move the world based on ideals is proof he's still a runt. If you let yourself be crushed by a sense of responsibility, you'll only end up torturing yourself.」

Perhaps Master Segrus really wasn't a bad person. In his own way, he was being considerate and showed that he cared about others.

He was a man who had earned a barony starting as a commoner and had long experience as a Court Alchemist. He probably just gets irritated because his way of thinking truly doesn't align with Master Clein's.

Realizing I had been disrespectful, I took my hand off my firecrackers and bowed deeply.

「I am very sorry for my rudeness earlier.」

「...For the runt's fledgling, you're surprisingly quick on the uptake. Did you eat some bread you found lying on the street or something?」

「I did not!」

Ugh... I take it back. This man really is unpleasant. I should stop getting deep with him and just go home.

「So, why were you waiting for me, anyway?」

「What an interesting thing to say. Is your brain a fledgling's, too?」

「Muu. And what is that supposed to mean...!」

「It means I have no interest in laying hands on fledglings, nor do I have a hobby of lying in wait for them. I am currently waiting for someone who is slightly... no, extremely troublesome. To be honest, I'd rather be escorting a fledgling home than dealing with them.」

Why is this man so combative with everyone? I'm mostly used to it now, so I guess it's fine.

「Who on earth are you waiting for? There's no way someone that troublesome exists in this city—」

「Guess who~? Mia-chan, you’d know, wouldn't you?」

There was one... There was exactly one free-spirited, troublesome person...

Even as a grown adult, there is only one person in this world who would cover someone's eyes like this.

「I wasn't the one who had an appointment, so could you please stop that? Vanessa-san.」

「Bingo~! Honestly, Mia-chan, you’re as shy as ever.」

Once Vanessa-san let go of my eyes, she immediately started clingily hugging me.

Since I had been working with Leon all day, I wanted to ask her about the necklace... but since I didn't know what Master Segrus was thinking, it was hard to bring up. I needed to gauge their relationship first.

「It’s surprising to see that you two are close enough to meet up like this.」

「Is it? Despite appearances, I’ve known Zeg-chan here for a very long time.」

Z-Zeg... Zeg-chan!? What kind of nickname is that!

That is so incredibly unfitting! To call a middle-aged man nearly two decades older than me "Zeg-chan"...!

「Hey, fledgling. Don't laugh.」

「N-no. I’m not laughing at all.」

「Fix your twitching mouth before you say that. This is exactly why I hate meeting with her.」

His gentle expression from a moment ago vanished, and Master Segrus turned away in exasperation.

Thinking back, Master Segrus had been waiting while partially hidden in the alley. If he hadn't stayed out of sight, Vanessa-san would have likely arrived shouting 「Zeeeeg-chaaaaaan!」 at the top of her lungs.

Even if it made him look suspicious, I could fully understand why Master Segrus wanted to hide in an alley.

Considering that, the fact that he called out to me might have been purely out of genuine concern for my safety.

「I don't have time today. Vanessa, let’s go.」

「So impatient. Since we're going anyway, Mia-chan should come with us. We'll walk you home.」

「Oh, yes. Thank you very much.」

And so, the three of us—an undeniably odd trio—began walking through the nighttime streets of the Royal Capital.

*****

Zeeg and Vanessa a thing? I love these middle-aged romance.

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