Chapter 28: Future-Sight Elbow!!

After wrapping the lifeless body of the silent child in cloth deep in the forest—

We quietly followed Rita, who had gone completely silent, toward an opulent mansion.

Apparently, this was the lodging she had been staying at. When we gave Rita’s name at the gate, the flustered guard hurriedly ushered us inside.

“So you’re the ones who were with Lady Rita… I can’t believe she actually went into the forest.”

Once we were led in and heard the full story, we learned that Rita was the daughter of His Highness Prince Garius—the King’s younger brother.

Garius was two years younger than the current monarch. While he held no direct authority over domestic affairs, he was a prominent figure who served as the head of the Nobles’ Assembly, the council that represented the aristocracy.

It seemed he governed this region, Yowin, as one of his personal domains, and had been staying here on an inspection visit.

And during the ball held just last night in his honor, Rita had attempted to escape—and went missing.

The disappearance of a royal had thrown the entire estate into chaos. They were even preparing for a full-scale citywide search under suspicion that she had been kidnapped by anti-government factions.

“Father, I—”

“Come here, Rita.”

After hearing how we had found her in the forest, His Highness Prince Garius bowed his head directly to Karl. For a member of the royal family—let alone a powerful one—to bow to a commoner was something truly rare.

It showed just how deeply grateful he was.

“Rita. Stand there.”

“……”

And yet, his treatment of his daughter was merciless.

He ordered her to stand—his daughter, who had spent the entire day crawling through the woods, so exhausted she could barely remain upright—

“You damn fool!!”

—and then slapped her across the face and roared in fury.

“Y-Your Highness Garius—!”

“Return to your room, Rita. I’ll determine your punishment later.”

Without making the slightest effort to hide his wrath, Garius addressed his daughter—now collapsed on the ground from the blow—with an icy voice.

His sheer force of presence left everyone speechless.

“Brave adventurers. In the name of the royal family, I promise you the highest form of hospitality. However, I must ask for your patience tonight.”

“Y-Yes, of course… It’s an honor…”

“Please, return to this mansion tomorrow evening. I insist on properly thanking you for what you’ve done.”

His daughter had just barely escaped death—yet his words showed not even a flicker of affection. Without so much as a glance at her, he continued speaking to us.

Rita, having received such cold treatment, clenched her teeth and stood. And then, tears spilling down her cheeks, she bolted into the mansion.

No one called after her.

“And this child…”

“Yes, I’ll take her. She deserves to rest in peace, at the very least.”

Once Rita had gone, I held out the cloth-wrapped bundle I’d been carrying all this time—Roppo, the commoner girl who had died.

Garius accepted the child’s body, now wrapped in bloodstained cloth, and held her close, paying no mind to the blood that soaked his fine robes.

“Thank you. For everything.”

He bowed his head once more.

…So this is royalty. A man born to stand above others—even among the nobility.

“Your Highness… Lady Rita is also deeply wounded. Might I suggest… that you show her some compassion, just for today?”

“No. That girl is my daughter. I know her. Being shown kindness right now would only deepen the pain.”

“…I see. Forgive me for overstepping.”

“Thank you. I have no words to express how grateful I am that you protected my precious daughter.”

And then, still cradling Roppo, Garius turned and walked away with a regal air.

“Under normal circumstances, I would offer you my gratitude here and now. But tonight, I must mourn this small hero.”

“…Of course.”

“I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. I hope you’ll share more of what happened then.”

At his words, we all bowed in silence.

He was… a man of gravity. There was a certain vastness to him—different from Sakura’s, but no less encompassing.

Tomorrow, we’d have to be on our best behavior.

---

"—And that’s the full account of what happened."

We had left Garius’s estate, and by the time the sky had taken on a reddish hue, we’d already returned to Yuri’s mansion a bit earlier than planned to give our report. Neither of us had felt up to going to make the magic staff.

“...So, the girl with the blue hair was saved?”

“Yeah. Took a few twists and turns, but we managed to rescue the blue-haired girl—just like we set out to do.”

“...Hmmmm.”

We hadn’t mustered the energy to visit the workshop, so the staff could wait until tomorrow.

“I see. So my fortune spell missed the mark. Well, the fact that the child survived is certainly something to be glad about, but still... hmmmmm.”

“Yuri?”

When I told Yuri that the child’s life had been saved, her face twisted into a complicated expression.

“Right… I guess from your research perspective, that’s not exactly a welcome result.”

“Something like that. I was actually really confident about this one. In theory, the spell should’ve shown a future that couldn’t be avoided. And yet, the prediction turned out to be wrong…”

Yuri muttered to herself again, falling back into thought.

Of course, saving a child’s life was worth celebrating. But as a researcher, seeing her prediction fail must’ve been a bitter pill to swallow. I could tell she was conflicted.

“And another thing… there’s Irine’s condition to consider. She said she saw a spirit in the forest, right?”

“Yes. Without a doubt, that was the voice of the dead child’s ghost.”

“I’ve never heard of ghosts showing up in that forest before. Still…”

Yuri lowered her head slightly, her voice strained like she was biting down on something unspeakable.

“I might have an idea what’s causing those symptoms. But I’m not sure. I want to consult with a specialist first—then I’ll talk.”

“Oh, really?”

“It’s just a possibility, so don’t get your hopes up.”

Despite what she said, Yuri’s tone betrayed something darker beneath the surface—something that didn’t feel like optimism at all.

…What’s going on here?

“Well, everyone, you must be exhausted. Get some rest.”

“Wasn’t planning on staying up. Master, is dinner ready?”

“Hey, milady. I’ve pulled out all the stops tonight.”

Yuri cut off the conversation there, muttering to herself as she returned to her room. Researchers, it seems, always have something to ponder.

“This estate’s kitchen’s actually well-equipped, y’know. So tonight, I went with something a little more refined.”

“Oh—hamburg steak?”

“The monster meat around here is packed with mana, makes for great flavor.”

An older man in an apron came out just as Yuri left, proudly tending to the sizzling meat.

While savoring his signature dish, I slowly mulled over everything that had happened today.

—

That night.

Unable to fall asleep, I found myself alone in the living room of Yuri’s mansion, sipping milk.

Even my usual stealth workouts weren’t happening tonight. Guess I was more worn out than I thought.

Not physically—mentally.

—

────Thank you, onee-chan.

────For saving Rita.

—

That blue-haired girl… by all rights, she should have died.

According to Yuri’s foresight, there was an extremely high chance she wouldn’t make it back.

So the fact we managed to save her really was something to be grateful for.

—

But… was there really no way to save her friend, that commoner girl, Roppo?

—

It probably would’ve been impossible. If Roppo died before Yuri even cast her predictive spell, there’d have been no way to save her.

—

…I looked up at the night sky. The light that had become visible from the forest was still swirling above, like a vortex.

“…Hah.”

I still didn’t understand it.

I was the only one who could see it—but it definitely existed. It wasn’t just in my head.

Yuri said she had a hunch. If that’s true, then I can only wait and trust her words.

—

LaLaLa…

—

As I stood beneath the stars, stargazing, I heard it—a melancholic melody drifting through the night, from somewhere in the mansion.

It was the sound of a wind instrument. Pure and solemn, the tone respectful of the nighttime silence as it gently carried the tune.

“…Where’s that music coming from?”

It was a melody I didn’t recognize—nothing like anything I’d heard before.

No one in our party ever mentioned playing an instrument. I myself could barely strum a string instrument at a hobbyist level.

Someone capable of playing with this kind of skill—perhaps Sakura, being a noble as well.

Or maybe Yuri, or even her father… someone from this household, perhaps.

“…Guess I’ll go check it out.”

I wasn’t going to fall asleep anyway. Might as well let the night’s music keep me company.

Drawn by the gentle notes, I stepped outside toward the mansion’s garden—

—

—

“Stop that. Stop that right now. The academic society is meant to share new knowledge with the world, not serve as a stage for cheap party tricks.”

“Silence, Yuri! This year’s academic conference grand prize will clearly go to my ‘Trio Sonata, Performed by Flatulence.’”

“Stop that. Stop that right now.”

—

…And that’s how I met the madman who could play beautiful melodies with his ass.

---

"Once again—it's a pleasure to meet you."

The man who spoke was a lanky figure with an unkempt beard.

"I am Yuma. Father of Yuri over there, and also known as the 'Blue Lightning of Yowin.'"

"No one calls you that. Stop introducing yourself with something so embarrassing."

Huh. That’s quite the eccentric we’ve got here.

I’d only caught a glimpse of him once before in the bath, but yep—he gives off all the wrong vibes, just like his appearance suggests.

"Please forgive my delay in offering my greetings, despite being a guest in your home. My name is Irine. Irine von Welmund."

"Ah, a pleasure. You had an excellent pair of breasts and a fine backside the other day."

"Stop harassing people!!! You’re utterly mortifying."

This old man is unbelievable. If I were a typical noble lady, he’d already be eating a fireball.

"Lady Welmund, if you have a moment, would you care to take a look at the piece I plan to present at the next academic conference?"

"You’re calling it a ‘piece’ when it’s a conference presentation…?"

Aren’t those usually referred to as ‘topics’ or ‘titles’?

A ‘piece’ makes it sound like a play.

"And what is it titled?"

"'The Tale of the Six Flatulent Knights—Shining Breath.'"

"I’ll have to decline."

So it really is a play.

"Irine, why don’t we head back to your room? As much as he’s my father, I truly believe no one comes out ahead spending time with this man."

"Come now. I’m surprisingly popular with kids, you know."

"Try impressing the academic community, not preschoolers!"

Yuri snapped at her father, Yuma, in a tone of absolute exasperation.

She’d once mentioned how much trouble he caused when she tried presenting something at a conference. I didn’t know the details, but… yeah, this tracks.

When the child of a guy who stages plays at academic conferences submits a presentation, well, people are bound to assume it’s a joke.

"Um, while I do think Lord Yuma is quite the unique individual… it is getting rather late, and perhaps not the ideal hour to enjoy a performance."

"Hmm, is that so? A shame indeed."

Just as Yuri said—this guy’s best avoided.

"Then at the very least, allow me to play the chorus for you! This is the—‘Tropical—’"

"Enough! You’re disturbing the peace, you menace!!"

"Gyahfuh!"

Even after being turned down, this eccentric started proudly presenting his rear in my direction, only to get slammed into the floor by a sharp elbow from his daughter.

That sounded bad. Like, really bad.

"You should probably go back now, Irine. I’ll take care of this idiot."

"R-Right… That blow sounded fairly clean—he’s still alive, yes?"

"Of course. For all his faults, my father’s… absurdly durable."

As if to interrupt Yuuri’s exhausted reply, the fool crumpled on the floor started to stir.

"Hmm. Your form is loose, Yuri. You didn’t put your weight into that elbow. Thirty points."

"He really is needlessly durable…"

And then he actually started grading his daughter’s elbow strike.

"Um… Yuma-san, is your head all right after that hit?"

"Naturally. Listen well, Irine-chan. Believe it or not, I’m one of those rare types who converts pain into pleasure. You’re still holding back with me, but I assure you—feel free to hurl as much disdain my way as you like."

"…I-I see."

This might be the first person I’ve ever genuinely not wanted to associate with.

"This is without a doubt harassment, so please stop. Of all people, you’re targeting Irine, the most respectable person at that party."

"It’s because she’s respectable that it excites me."

"..."

...Okay, never mind the harassment—it’s just plain rude, this guy.

"Um, since the conversation seems a bit… complicated, I believe I’ll take my leave now."

"Please do. I’ll prepare some form of apology tomorrow."

Yeah, for Yuri’s sake, the sooner I’m gone, the better.

She’s right. Time to head back to my room.

"By the way, masochism runs in our family. My father even developed a spell called ‘Pleasurable Self-Infliction’ and earned a degree for it."

"Father, please stop talking. I’m begging you—don’t drag our entire family name through the mud."

"What are you saying, Yuri? You’ve read the paper yourself, haven’t you? I know about that unlabeled file on your shelf. The one with compiled magic theories on deriving pleasure from self-inflicted—"

"Enough! If you keep going, I’ll have no choice but to disown you and commit patricide!"

La la la, I hear nothing. I hear absolutely nothing.

I want no part in a teenage girl’s humiliating magical fetishes.

"My favorite part was the one involving ropes and—"

"Future-Sight Elbow!!"

"Gwah!?"

On my way back to my room, after I turned my back, Yuri apparently used precognition magic for the most ridiculous reason.

...Still, she’s something else. Hiding academic papers like someone hides dirty magazines?