Chapter: 298
Last year’s fair saw waves of guests. Nobility and royalty, those hoping to meet future saints, and socialites all gathered to purchase desserts crafted by the esteemed Executive Manager, just to boast, “I ate pastries made by a royal!” In reality, the reasons to attend overwhelmingly outnumbered those not to.
And this year, there are even more reasons to show up. Ainter, who until last year was merely a name among the royals, has regained his power, and Marcilio, the legendary wizard and idol, made a grand entrance. Plus, eating cookies made by Marcilio grants the effect of consuming potions, regardless of one’s skill level?
“That’s a lot.”
So here we are. The pastry club booth, set up in a pretty secluded spot, was swiftly overrun once the fair opened, ignoring all other booths.
At least half of the visitors to the academy are nobles. Some might be too embarrassed to skip their juniors, while others may stroll by leisurely to maintain their noble dignity.
The real issue is the other half—totally mad wizards with no sense of decorum.
“Long time no see, Duchess!”
As I tried to admire the guests, the most prominent elder bowed respectfully to Marcilio.
But who the heck is that? The first to greet him must be someone important, yet I can’t quite recall his name or title. I have a vague sense of déjà vu, like I’ve heard or seen him somewhere…
“Oh, it’s Manfred. Yes, I’ve been well.”
‘Ah.’
Hearing the name jogged my memory. A historical figure—former Vice Dean of the Magic Tower!
Wow, he’s still alive! I thought he might have bitten the dust during retirement, but I guess he just found a nice little mountain to hide away in.
“I’m so glad I could see you after not sending any greetings for so long.”
“At your age, no news is often good news. When I hear from the kids your age, it’s usually bad news!”
That casual quip from Marcilio would turn heads. It’s not every day you tell a Gandalf-like elder, “Glad you’re not dead,” right? But hey, seems like it’s fine.
“Hehe, that’s true.”
Judging by his response, all seemed well. Given that Manfred was the former Vice Dean, he must have known Marcilio for ages. He’s probably used to dark humor stemming from their differences in species and longevity.
Or maybe he’s just amused to see an old boss after so long.
“Here, take this. We haven’t seen each other for a while; I should at least give you a gift.”
“Ah, this is too much for a guest arriving empty-handed.”
Marcilio smiled slightly at Manfred and handed him a small box. It was a regular-sized package in common wrapping—you could probably find it at any local shop.
“No need to participate in the auction; just relax.”
Those words made Manfred’s eyes widen. Mentioning an auction meant he probably thought there was only one thing to go around.
“T-This, Your Grace—”
“Shh.”
As the almost god-like Marcilio signaled for silence, Manfred dutifully shut his mouth. It wasn’t so much that he was quiet; the bewilderment on his face was plain to see.
Marcilio’s cookies have the effect of mana doping, and the fact that they’re being sold at auction was already publicized at the academy gate. That’s probably why Manfred was so rattled. He thought he’d have to throw piles of gold just to snag one, only to have it handed to him like a gift!
“It’s just that I’m making them anyway. It’s fine to give a few to someone I haven’t seen in a while.”
Hearing that he still remembered his old acquaintance caused Manfred to gaze at Marcilio with misty eyes. Such indifference coupled with thoughtfulness must make him someone worthy of the respect of all wizards.
‘Kid…’
From where I’m standing, it’s hard to stifle my laughter. The words and actions look like a grandmother giving a treat to a grandchild, while the reality is a grandfather and granddaughter situation.
But I held back. If I laughed here, Marcilio would surely be deeply wounded. Even Erich, whose IQ seems to have regressed to primitive levels, could grasp that much.
Manfred either didn’t notice the mana-doping cookies or lacked the guts to make a fuss in front of Marcilio; other wizards greeted him calmly before quietly departing. Besides, as guests, they probably bought a few cookies too. It seems they still have a semblance of conscience.
‘Maybe I should have said they didn’t need to buy.’
Now I’m slightly regretting it. They probably wouldn’t care without those special cookies from Marcilio, and if I had urged them not to purchase, they might have refrained. We probably could have had more stocked up.
A brief glance shifted to Louise, who was busy creating pastries in real-time; Ainter was responding to rushing noble guests along with his club members, likely feeling the pressure from the crowd.
‘That’s a lot.’
While the wizards were abundant, the nobles were no less numerous. In fact, locals would likely outnumber those arrived from far-off lands, and there were foreign nobles mixed in the crowd.
I really shouldn’t be selling to wizards. I can barely keep up with the noble orders!
“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Highness.”
“Ha ha, likewise, Count! I hear there was a bit of a ruckus in your territory; was everything resolved well?”
“Yes, thanks to your concern, Your Highness, it was handled well.”
I sighed softly and fixated on Ainter, who was deeply engaged in conversation. His face remained fixed in a grin; worry washed over me, but simultaneously, I was proud of him.
‘Thank you.’
I could tell that after last year’s fair, people were flocking to see the Executive Manager, and this year’s surprising appearance of the third prince brought everyone’s focus onto him. Because of that, the noble guests had spent some intimate time with Ainter before arriving at me.
Of course, they’d come to talk to me after the sweet one-on-one with the third prince, but unlike before, they’d introduced themselves and discussed crucial matters, making my turnaround much smoother. It’s such a huge relief to not have to scramble to remember who anyone is!
‘First-class elegance.’
My heart warmed at the thought. He truly is a high-level talent sent by the Crown Prince himself. I appreciate the help from the second and third aides, but nothing’s as draining as dealing with nobility.
Hence, I kept my gaze fixed on Ainter. While his club members were taking the heat for him, it only felt right for me to step in should he encounter any trouble—that’s just basic decency, right?
—And just as I thought that, trouble hit.
“I’ve come to see His Highness the Third Prince.”
With poise, a young woman with silver hair tied in a ponytail and striking red eyes approached Ainter and respectfully bowed. Ainter, who had been eagerly talking, suddenly lost his words upon seeing this newcomer.
Most of the nobles at the New Year’s greeting were seasoned aristocrats. Who would have expected a youthful noblewoman like this? Perhaps she hails from a high-ranking family; he must be racking his brain speculating about her lineage.
But here’s the kicker—she’s not just any noblewoman; she’s a peerage aristocrat.
“Count Horfelt.”
Lucky me, there’s no guest right in front of me, so I swiftly moved closer to Ainter.
It’s typically rude to butt in when two people are having a chat, but leaving Ainter in the dark was just cruel. It would be like forcing him to dredge up old memories, so I can just say I’m jumping in to greet an old friend.
“Oh, Carl, you’re here too!”
Count Horfelt waved her hand as soon as she spotted me. I feared she might not remember me at all, but thankfully she hadn’t forgotten.
“Count Horfelt?”
Hearing our conversation, Ainter’s eyes widened in interest.
Yep, she’s Count Horfelt. After the surprise retirement of the previous Count Horfelt, this poor girl ended up with the title and a seat in the imperial council at just nineteen.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’m Zenobia Hiden of Horfelt. I had a chance to see you at the New Year’s greeting, but I was too foolish to greet you back then.”
“Haha, not at all. It’s well known that the Count works hard for the imperial family and the empire. I understand.”
Count Horfelt bowed again, and Ainter quickly waved his hands as if to brush it off. It’s only natural that they’d be meeting for the first time. After all, why would someone of his stature meet anyone other than the Emperor or Crown Prince?
Still, it was weak of Ainter not to have memorized the face of the newly crowned Count.
…No, wait. Maybe it’s leftover from the days when knowing too many high-ranking folks could get you killed? Thinking about it that way is a bit sad.
“However, it seems you’re acquainted with the Executive Manager.”
“Yes, the Hiden and Krasius families have had exchanges for years, so we have met a few times.”
Responding to Ainter’s attempt to change the subject, Count Horfelt spoke plainly. To be fair, her bond with Erich is likely stronger than mine, but they had indeed shared a few encounters.
“And because of that, I unintentionally offended the Executive Manager. My apologies.”
This surprise apology was directed at me, leaving me puzzled. It’s likely she was irked that she didn’t call me “Carl” instead of “Executive Manager.”
“It’s all good. It was just a slip of the tongue.”
Honestly, it’s not even considered a mistake. It’s not like we were strangers; being called by name is only fair. As long as she doesn’t greet me with, “Hey you, jerk,” I’m good.
The small grin on my face as I watched the former Count Horfelt was satisfying. This is working wonderfully!
She’s no longer the mischievous little girl but confidently stands as an Imperial Count and proud member of the Imperial Council. It’s admirable how quickly she acknowledges her mistakes and places importance on their public roles over personal ties. I’m sure the Executive Manager, my brother, is pleased with that level of maturity.
‘This is how you score points.’
With Carl out here on academy duty while I linger in the capital, I’m doing my best to make the most of our uncommon encounters.
So now, every word and action has to be on point.
‘I really need to impress my brother-in-law.’
Erich’s brother is destined to be the next head of the Krasius family. Winning his favor can only serve to smooth my path toward marrying Erich.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.