The Deeds Of An Extremely Arrogant Villain Aristocrat - Chapter 67: On the Road

Occasionally, I find the status of nobility to be a nuisance, and now is precisely one of those times. The influential nobles of this country stand before me. I wondered why they remained after the party celebrating my defeat of the Ice Dragon… now I understand.

“Luke-kun!! It’s finally happening!!”

“…”

It’s all Abel’s fault… this idiot’s doing.

Now, I must officially go to the Empire as a noble, which naturally brings more troubles. Despite deliberately creating the status of an adventurer to avoid such issues, it’s all for naught.

But, I remember now, in situations like this, that Abel is merely a commoner. The gazes cast upon him are not entirely of goodwill. Even as a student of Aslan Magic Academy, it seems he cannot be fully accepted.

The discrimination ingrained in the noble society of this country is something I cannot comprehend beyond one’s abilities.

“Dia.”

“Y-yes…!”

Dia trembled and quickly bowed her head in response to my call.

“Obey the orders of father and mother without fail, understand?”

“Yes! O-of course…”

“And…”

“Yes, is there something else…?”

“It’s cold.”

“Eh?”

“Being near you makes me feel cold. Control your magical power.”

“Hiii! I-I’m so sorry, so sorry!”

Considering the attack on Aslan and the fact that there seems to be forces targeting me, I could handle it if they came after me directly.

The trouble is if they go after my family. Well, they are my parents. It’s unlikely they would be bested by any ordinary foe, but there’s also the matter of the magical artifact that neutralizes magic. It’s better to be over-prepared than not at all.

“Luke, be careful out there.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Luke, if anyone dares to—”

“Mou, Dear… Also, Amelia-sensei, Freya-sensei, please take good care of our Luke.”

“Leave it to us.”

“We will take full responsibility.”

Although Freya is somewhat understandable, I’m still not used to Amelia-san behaving as if she’s a person of common sense. Well, that’s a minor detail.

“…Kuku.”

I didn’t expect to be this excited.

After finishing the tedious greetings, we boarded the carriage.

Wondering how Alice and Mia ended up coming along as well, leaving a trace of question.

Really… influential nobility is such a nuisance.

By the way, I don’t see Porupon around. He should have been here, but perhaps he’s already returned to the royal capital.

I’m somewhat curious about what the Second Prince came for… but well, it doesn’t matter.

In addition to Lily, who complained to Abel about not being invited, there was also Eleonora, who could use spatial magic. If it had been just Luke as originally planned, using spatial magic could have significantly saved time compared to traveling by carriage as we are now.

However, there are two problems with that.

One is that Eleonora’s spatial magic cannot interfere with multiple beings possessing too much magical power.

The other is their status as great nobles of the Myrstia Kingdom. Even if spatial magic were feasible, the propriety they must maintain prevents its use.

That’s why they’re now traveling with a large entourage, including many knights.

“L-Luke-kun… I think we’re about to arrive, so I’d like you to wake up… ahaha…”

Luke wakes from his doze to a voice that sounds as if it’s seeking help.

Indeed, the voice’s owner, Abel, was seeking help. There were four people in the carriage. With Luke asleep, only Alice, Mia, and Abel remained. But to say Abel got along well with the other two would be a stretch. The atmosphere was so stifling it felt like he was suffocating.

(I can’t stand it anymore!! Please wake up, Luke-kun!! Alice-san sometimes glares at me with a terrifying expression, and Mia-san keeps making dangerous faces while looking at your sleeping face!!)

Since Luke had fallen asleep, Abel had tried to break the ice a little. He prides himself on his ability to make an effort. He believes from the bottom of his heart that any high wall can be overcome with effort and ingenuity.

But no matter what he said, Alice would ask him not to speak so casually, and Mia, with a dreamy expression, never responded. This was truly a deadlock. He called for help from his friend Lily in his mind several times, but she wasn’t there.

He had made the effort, so the next step was to try a different approach. Abel thought to change his thinking and decided to try sleeping himself. However, between being on a carriage for the first time and the excitement for the long-awaited Sword Saint Festival, various factors kept him from sleeping at all. He was at a dead end.

“What should I talk about?” “Should I even start a conversation?” “What did I usually talk about with my friends?” Everything became unclear, and he felt as if he was wandering in the dark.

(It’s… suffocating… can’t… breathe…)

A silence as if frozen.

Unable to sleep but deciding to at least close his eyes and pretend, Abel made up his mind when—

“Are we arriving already?”

Luke woke from his sleep.

At last, a helping hand was extended.

“L-Luke-kun, Luke-kun… uwaa…”

“…Why are you crying?”

Rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, Luke pondered the presence sitting to his right. From his perspective, it was utterly baffling why Abel was tearfully clinging to him.

“Good morning, Dear.”

“Ah… hmm, who are you calling ‘Dear’?”

“Is there anything you’d like me to do for you upon waking? Any wish you have, I’ll grant.”

“Quiet, I don’t need anything.”

Abel thought to himself while witnessing this scene.

(She’s talking! Alice-san has suddenly become talkative! Just a moment ago, the atmosphere was like she’d kill me if I spoke…)

“Uh, um! Good morning, Luke!”

“Yeah.”

“…”

The Mia Abel knew was very sensible, often getting into verbal fights with Alice, who occasionally makes extreme statements.

But now, the girl before him seemed off in some way. It’s hard to articulate, but she occasionally squirmed and her eyes carried a somewhat dangerous vibe.

(Somehow… it’s scary…)

Indeed, with the sharpened senses of a warrior and the instincts of a living being, Abel sensed something perilous about Mia.

Nevertheless, with Luke’s awakening, a slight smile returned to Abel’s face.

Meanwhile, in the other carriage.

“That’s why, Alfred-san, have you ever seen Luke-kun’s magic? You haven’t, right? Luke-kun’s swordsmanship is wonderful even in my eyes, but I believe emphasis should be placed on magic.”

“With all due respect, Amelia-sama. How well do you understand Luke-sama’s swordsmanship? Speaking as the former vice-captain of the kingdom’s knight order, I must say his talent is extraordinary. It’s not just rare; there is no precedent at all. After all, wasn’t it his swordsmanship that subdued the Ice Dragon?”

“Then let me speak from my position as the current director of the Magic Research Bureau and a magic knight, Luke-kun’s dark magic is historically—”

“…”

A heated discussion between Luke’s teachers of sword and magic was unfolding.

(Fufu, Onee-chan seems to be having fun. That’s good. Haah, I’m so hungry. I’ll eat lots of sweets when we arrive.)

Amidst this, Freya looked out the window, hoping they would arrive soon—.