The airship that came from the Bartholfort domain touched down in the capital, and Noel stepped out.
She held a brown leather travel bag, and when she stood at the port she stretched up.
“The ground feels nice, doesn’t it?”
Noel’s reason for coming to the capital was to enroll in the academy.
She’ll be transferring in as a second‑year student this year.
The next person to disembark was Finley.
She had a bob cut with the ends curled inward.
A petite, slender girl with a cute vibe.
“—This is the worst.”
But her expression was sour, ruining whatever charm she had.
Noel turned to her new little sister Finley and made a troubled face.
“You, seriously, cut it out. You heard Nix‑san nagging you nonstop on the airship, right?”
“You’re mad because brother kept telling you stuff. Why can’t I buy a slave? I thought coming to the academy would be a dream life.”
Finley’s generation is at a dramatic turning point.
The nation and the academy’s policies have shifted, and keeping a demi‑human slave as a personal servant is now considered uncouth.
Uncouth—well, the kingdom has basically eradicated it.
If you force yourself to enroll, you could be expelled.
“The kingdom’s customs are weird, huh? Taking lovers around openly and all that, I think it’s messed up.”
“Whatever. It used to be normal, didn’t it?”
From Finley’s generation’s point of view, being told this out of the blue is just annoying.
From the Bartholfort airship, Nix and Jena also stepped down.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the capital.”
When Nix said that, Jena, still in civilian clothes, looked like she might burst into tears.
“The good old capital— I’m staying here from now on.”
Seeing Jena get all emotional, Finley clicked her tongue.
“What’s that? All because your sister’s slaves are getting handsy with brother, it’s your fault. Dragging us into it too, how low.”
Jena shot back.
“Are you trying to blame me? First of all, it wasn’t because you went after Leon that the exclusive servant system disappeared. Don’t hold a grudge.”
The two sisters started snapping at each other.
Noel could only give a wry smile.
(—I wonder how Relia’s doing.)
Her hometown must be a mess.
Nix called out to the fighting sisters and Noel.
“Everyone, let’s go. I’m busy too, so don’t make a big fuss.”
Nix’s reason for coming to the capital was—an arranged marriage meeting.
When Noel started walking, she fell into step beside Nix.
“Nix‑san, when’s the marriage meeting?”
“From tomorrow, I’m meeting six people a day. Even then it won’t finish in a few days, which is a pain.”
A mountain of profile sheets piled up.
That just means there are plenty of nobles who want to tie the knot with the Bartholfort family.
Jena looked bitter.
“If we used Leon’s legend, we could marry a rich guy in the capital.”
Finley, hearing that, gave Jena a smug smile.
“Sis, just give up. Mom was furious that she’d never let us go out. Well, I’ll marry a rich noble using brother’s legend, that’s all.”
“—You, follow the order. I’m getting married first, okay?”
“—There’s no set order! Besides, if I keep waiting for you, I’ll never get married!”
“What the—!”
Seeing the sisters brawl, Nix covered his face with both hands.
“Don’t fight like this, sisters.”
The Bartholfort clan’s lively troupe.
But the port was noisy, and they didn’t stand out.
Noel glanced around.
“So many people.”
A crowd had gathered at the port before the academy enrollment.
“—I wonder how Leon and the others are doing.”
Noel was looking forward to meeting Leon.
◇
The academy.
Just before the entrance ceremony, the dorms were in a frenzy—something was wrong.
“Are‑chan, stay well!”
“If you’re being bullied, speak up!”
“You can come back anytime.”
When Noel went to the boys’ dorm to see Leon, the entrance was a scene of chaos.
“What’s this?”
The one apparently being expelled from the boys’ dorm was… Aaron, who looks like a girl.
Aaron—Are—was wiping away tears.
“Everyone, thanks. Keep talking to me as usual at the academy.”
A bunch of boys were crying.
Some staff were among them too.
Noel had no idea what was happening.
The person who noticed a troubled Noel was Angelica.
She seemed about to go meet Leon.
“Noel, you’re already here?”
“Angelica? What’s going on? Why is a girl being expelled from the boys’ dorm?”
Confused, Noel got a blank stare from Angelica.
“—She turned from male to female. So they’re moving her out of the boys’ dorm. I can’t really explain; I don’t get it either.”
Gender change like that was unprecedented even in the Holfart Kingdom.
The academy, after much deliberation, decided to transfer Are to the girls’ dorm.
“The kingdom really is strange, huh.”
When Noel made that comment, Angelica wanted to retort but said nothing.
“Don’t think that’s normal. It isn’t. But right now, the important thing is Leon.”
Seeing Angelica’s serious face, Noel grew uneasy.
“Did something happen?”
“—You’ll see when you get there. This way.”
The two headed to the room Leon uses.
Leon, a marquis with the rank of Third Rank Upper, had a house near the boys’ dorm prepared for him.
Waiting there for Noel was—.
◇
“Erika‑chan is!”
‘So precious!’
“And Erika‑chan is!”
‘So beautiful!’
‘And on top of that!’
‘So cute!’
Inside the room, Noel watched Leon shouting “Claire!” at the top of his lungs.
“—Huh, what’s this?”
Angelica had her right hand on her forehead.
“Ever since we met Lady Erika, it’s been like this.”
Leon and Claire were cackling loudly when Libya spoke up.
“Leon‑san, pull yourself together! Lux‑kun, say something too!”
Luxion, who had been silent, reported to Leon.
‘Master, regarding the next meeting with Erika, I’ve prepared the offering. About thirty kilograms of platinum bars.’
“Is that so? Anything else?”
‘All sorts of items are ready, no issues.’
“Good work!”
Even Luxion, who usually dishes out snark, was in sync with Leon.
Libya looked like she might burst into tears.
“Leon‑san, you’re broken.”
Leon hurriedly tried to reassure her.
“That’s harsh, isn’t it? I’m just normal.”
“That’s obviously wrong! Ever since you came back, you’ve been going on about ‘Erika‑chan, Erika‑chan’!”
“Uh—well—! Angelica and Noel just showed up!”
Leon, unable to retort, turned his gaze to them, and Angelica sighed.
“Leon, how many times have you met her now? You’re meeting Lady Erika almost every day, aren’t you?”
“I applied, got permission, so I thought I’d bring a souvenir.”
“—Thirty kilograms of platinum? Are you stupid? How much value do you think that is?”
“Well, the palace probably needs a lot of stuff right now.”
“Don’t give someone a gift that’ll trouble them. Luxion, you stop too.”
‘I’ve judged it necessary, so I must decline.’
Platinum in this world is a superior form of gold—an alloy with magical value.
It’s a rare metal with beautiful luster and high utility, not something you’d give as a simple souvenir.
Noel asked Libya.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Leon‑san, ever since the arranged marriage meeting with the princess, he’s been acting weird. Even Are and Lux look off.”
He’d just had a sudden engagement with Erika and was acting like he’d been brain‑washed into adoring her.
Noel looked at Leon.
Other than that, he seemed the same as before.
(What the heck is going on?)
Libya continued.
“Marie‑san also met the princess, and—she went weird too.”
“Marie‑chan too?”
Libya glanced out the window.
“—Leon‑san saw how much the princess needed help, and he said he’d do the same. ‘Just to help Erika, I’ll go find a Lost Item!’ He went on an adventure with Prince Julius and the others.”
Hearing that, Noel thought.
“The kingdom really is weird. So, when are they coming back?”
Libya, prompted, answered,
“Huh? Come to think of it, they haven’t returned even though the new term’s almost here.”
Claire approached the two.
‘Yeah, we should get back soon or we’ll miss the new term. Maybe— they got lost or something?’
“No, that’s not happening.”
Noel laughed, and Leon, Angelica—and even Libya—sweated coldly.
Luxion said,
‘Knowing Marie and the others, the odds are high. Shall we go retrieve them?’
◇
In the forest.
There was Marie swinging a hatchet.
“Everyone, just a little more!”
Deep in the rugged woods, Marie led the way.
All of this was to give Erika a Lost Item as a present.
Leon kept delivering gifts to Erika every day, and watching that made Marie wonder what she could do.
She didn’t have Leon’s wealth or cheat‑like abilities.
So what to do?
—She decided she’d find it herself.
She recalled game knowledge and set out on an adventure to collect an item she thought she could actually hunt down.
“Marie, I don’t want to say this, but—haven’t we been here before?”
Julius, mud‑splattered and bruised, voiced everyone’s thoughts.
“Huh?”
Kyle looked around the forest,
“This is the third time we’ve passed this spot. Master, are we—lost?”
“What!?”
Cara, out of breath, plopped down on the ground.
“Marie‑sama— we’re low on food. If we don’t get back soon, the new term will start.”
“—Lies.”
Greg and Chris, standing beside a halted Marie, spoke up.
Even the two weren’t in loincloths.
“Hey, where’s the airship?”
“Ha, you think you can figure that out in this forest? If you knew, you wouldn’t be lost.”
Brad and Jilk were also chatting.
They carried maps and gear, pondering the forest.
“Since we’ve been lost three days, this place must be pretty dangerous, huh?”
“Probably. We should’ve prepared better.”
Then Julius told Marie,
“We’re stranded. But in times like this we wait for rescue. Luckily, Bartholfort has been told where we are. It shouldn’t take more than a month for them to come.”
Julius’s group are descendants of adventurers.
They’ve been taught how to act in situations like this, so they’re not panicking.
Greg and Chris sprang into action.
“Then I’ll go find a dead tree or something.”
“I’ll look for anything useful too.”
Brad folded his map and took out a notebook.
“I’ll scout what’s around here.”
Jilk unloaded his pack and pulled out tools.
“I’ll make a shelter from the rain and wind.”
Everyone was buzzing with energy.
Julius and the others—
“First, let’s secure some meat. Skewer it and eat.”
They were ready to spend a while in the woods.
“Hey! Why are you so relaxed!?”
“Why—? When you’re lost you’re supposed to stay put, Marie. But don’t worry. We can survive out here!”
Only Julius’s crew stays sturdy in moments like this.
Marie thought they should show reliability more often.
“Wait, if we keep this up we’ll miss the new term, right?”
“Yes!”
—Marie froze in place.
(Wait, that means I’ll miss Erika’s entrance ceremony!)
Wanting to be at Erika’s entrance ceremony, Marie clutched her head and shouted,
“Brother, help meeee!”
Perhaps in answer, the trees rustled and an Einhorn appeared overhead.
Kyle and Cara held hands and cheered.
“The marquis is here!!!”
“This will save us, Marie‑sama!”
Sure enough, they were rescued.
But Marie collapsed onto the ground.
(I couldn’t retrieve the Lost Item… I can’t give Erika a present.)