The three of them, having arrived in the royal capital, went straight to the House Rosemary townhouse.
It hadn't been that long since they'd last left, yet coming back here felt like it had been ages.
"Hahh... It's like coming back home. Such a relief."
"It really is, practically our old home. You just feel at ease here."
Viola and Primula both let out sighs of relief.
This was, strictly speaking, just a townhouse. Their true hometown was, in the strictest sense, the Marquisate of Rosemary.
But ever since they'd grown up, they'd spent more and more time in this estate, making it a place they could truly call a second home.
(Same goes for me, honestly...)
Rest agreed silently.
Rest's hometown was the lower quarters of the royal capital, where he'd lived with his mother.
After that, the estate of House Eberun, where he'd been taken in, he'd never really thought of as his own home.
This place was where his life had changed. His second hometown.
"Welcome home, Lady Viola, Lady Primula, Master Rest."
"Welcome home, Young Miss, Young Master."
The marquis's servants greeted the three of them at the entrance to the estate.
Rest had once served as a butler's apprentice here, but... ever since he'd been granted a peerage and become a noble himself, the servants had begun treating him with far greater deference.
They now addressed him with honorifics — even calling him "Young Master," of all things.
"You must be weary from your long journey. Meals and a bath have been prepared — which would you prefer?"
"A bath first sounds lovely, doesn't it?"
"Yes, so am I."
Viola and Primula answered the maid's words.
It wasn't exactly a long journey, but it had taken several hours to travel from the frontier settlement in the Sabnock Plains to the royal capital.
They had been jostled around in the carriage for a long time and were quite exhausted.
"I'll head over later, so Rest, you go on ahead."
"Please go ahead, Young Master Rest."
"……Yeah."
As a matter of course, it had been decided that they would bathe together.
Viola and Primula disappeared down the corridor, and the remaining servants cast warm, knowing glances in his direction.
"Well then, see you later……"
Feeling awkward, Rest hurried away from the entrance.
"Oh my, if it isn't……Young Master Rest. Have you returned?"
"Master Diebl."
On his way to the bath, a butler with salt-and-pepper stubble approached him.
He was the right-hand man of Albert, the head of the marquis household. He was none other than Diebl — a former court magician and Rest's mentor in magic.
"I've heard the rumors. It seems you've been quite active in the frontier development work."
"That's all thanks to Master Diebl. Without your guidance, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Those words came straight from his heart.
Rest possessed infinite mana and extraordinary magical aptitude.
However, had he not received instruction from a practical magician like Diebl, that talent would have surely gone to waste.
He had been defeated by Sabnock and Rodele, and frankly, he might not have even been able to enroll in the academy in the first place.
"If you'd like, how about another mock battle sometime?"
"Hahaha... You jest. There's no way I could beat you now, Lord Rest."
Diebl forced a wry smile and raised both hands in surrender.
"There isn't a single spell I can cast that you can't. Your techniques and combat skills have surpassed mine as well. I'm afraid I don't stand a chance of beating you anymore, Lord Rest."
"I don't think that's true, but..."
Before he knew it, he had surpassed Diebl.
He felt a strange mix of happiness and loneliness.
"I'd be delighted to hear more about your frontier development adventures at your leisure. Now then, the young lady should be arriving soon, so please, go ahead to the bath."
"Mmm..."
"I won't intrude, so please take your time."
"........."
Rest scowled at Diebl, who seemed to be enjoying himself ever so slightly, and headed toward the bath with an increasingly awkward air.