And so dinner ended. Now it was truly time to say goodbye to her family.
"It's already this late. You said the boat was leaving tomorrow morning, right? Go and rest quickly, Ophelia."
Sabina said goodbye affectionately, handing her a bag full of freshly baked bread to eat on the boat.
Ophelia couldn't bring herself to leave, so she looked back several times in the direction her family was standing. She wanted to capture their memories, knowing when she might see them again.
And then, the morning after that tearful farewell, unexpected farewell guests stood at the dock.
Her younger sisters, Natalia and Isidore, looked just like Candice.
“Haam, sister. Please take good care of our lacking unnie.”
Natalia yawned, still half-asleep, and spoke to Ophelia.
“What? What am I lacking?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? If it weren’t for Sister Ophelia, I’d be starving or dying from overwork in a matter of days without eating or sleeping properly!”
Candice and Natalia began bickering ferociously at dawn. Ophelia and Isidore watched the friendly sisters bickering with wide eyes, then chuckled as if it were their usual routine and changed the subject.
“...I didn’t know that my brother would come out like this.”
Ophelia said incredulously.
Isidore, who was always a heavy sleeper because he would stay up late reading books in his study and then fall asleep, could not have imagined such an early morning farewell.
"My only sister is going on a long journey, so of course I should come. Take care of your health. I heard that the Weishaffen estate is so cold that it snows even in September."
Isidore scratched his cheek for no reason, as if embarrassed, then took something out of his bosom and put it in Ophelia's hand.
“What is this?”
"It's a hand warmer. I know you could make a magical hand warmer yourself that would last much longer, but I still wanted to give you one your brother made."
A faint purple flame burned within the hearth he held out. It seemed as if he, with his inherently weak magical powers, had cast a spell himself.
“...Thank you, Brother. I will treasure it.”
Ophelia said, stuffing the warm hand warmer into her pocket. She'd put the warmer in her pocket, but strangely enough, it felt like it was warming her chest.
“The ship to the Peles Empire is departing. Please board immediately.”
Then the sailor shouted loudly: it was time to leave.
“Have a nice trip, sis! Bring me a gift when you come back!”
“Come back safely, Ophelia. I won’t wait.”
With their families' farewells, Ophelia and Candice boarded the passenger ship bound for the Peles Empire.
Holding the bread Sabina had baked and Isidore's hand warmer, Ophelia Hailing set off on her journey to the Empire.
It was the summer of her eighteenth year, when she had just become an adult.
“Look over there, Ophelia! That must be the port of Weishaffen.”
Candice shouted, pointing to a distant harbor. Her finger pointed to a harbor as large as the one in the Republic of Tamora. It was unbelievable for a harbor built on a river.
“I see. We’ve finally arrived.”
It had already been two weeks since she arrived in the southern part of the empire by ferry. After that, she had to change ships twice and travel a long way before finally arriving at her destination. It had been a truly long journey.
They got off the boat and looked around the exotic scenery.
Even though it was midsummer, the mountain ridges in the distance were covered in snow, and the wind blowing from the river felt rather cold to those who came from a warm country.
It was when Ophelia closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze.
“...Are you by any chance from the Tamora National Magic Academy?”
A man with a deep voice called out to them. Turning to the direction of the sound, they saw a handsome young man with black hair standing there with a grim expression.
It was quite chilly for them, but for the northerners, it must have been hot weather, as they were wearing uniforms made of thin material. The muscles that were slightly visible beneath the clothes were well-trained, suggesting that he was probably a knight.
It was a truly rare sight for Ophelia and Candice. The Republic of Tamora was populated entirely by fair-skinned people, with most dedicated to magical research.
“Oh, yes. That’s right. Are you the one sent by the lord?”
To Candice's question, the young man nodded silently and approached them.
“Is this all you have?”
He asked, lifting their luggage, which looked incredibly heavy even at first glance. Apparently, his muscles weren't just superficially impressive.
“I’ve prepared a carriage over there. Let’s go.”
The man who said this walked out alone, stumbling. Ophelia and Candice, who had hesitated for a moment, followed him.
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was okay to follow a man she had never met before, a rough man, from a foreign land tens of thousands of miles away, but she decided to trust the crest of the Duke of Weishaffen embroidered on his uniform.
And how long had they walked along the river? They arrived at a place where a large, ornate carriage had been parked.
“Oh my...! Why did you carry all that luggage by yourself instead of calling Schoenne...!”
A man, seemingly a coachman, ran over with a puzzled expression and took the luggage from the young man. He blinked his calm blue eyes, like a river, slowly, and answered as if nothing had happened.
"You must have been busy with your work. It wasn't that heavy. I'm fine. Just take care of the guests. They're an honored guest, after all."
The young man, looking impeccable, politely escorted Ophelia and Candice into the carriage.
After they got on the carriage, a while later, the carriage began to move towards the lord's castle.
“Well, that’s not bad treatment, is it?”
Candice shrugged, and Ophelia nodded with a small smile, as if in agreement. She'd seen quite a bit of rough terrain on her way from the Empire to here, but by comparison, her first impression of the Weishaffen estate had been quite pleasant.
A trip for two young women without an escort was no easy feat. From thugs who tried to seduce them with tricks, to villains with even worse intentions who tried to kidnap them, there was no way they'd survive.
They all defeated them beautifully with their magic.
While they were reflecting on their travels for a moment, the carriage arrived at the Duke of Weishaffen's castle, not far from the port.
An elderly, middle-aged butler welcomed them as they stepped out of the carriage. The two women gazed in amazement at the imposing castle. The lord's castle seemed almost as large as the National Magic Academy building where they worked.
“First, I'll show you to the room you'll be using during your stay here. It's this way.”
The butler politely guided Ophelia and Candice inside.
The two rooms prepared for them by the Duke's family were located at the end of a hallway. Their size, interior decoration, and furniture were largely the same, but there was one significant difference.
"This room has windows on both the east and south sides, so it's sunny and warm. The opposite room has windows on the west side instead of the east, so the view at sunset is beautiful."
At the butler's introduction, Candice and Ophelia looked at each other blankly.
At the academy, we shared a room, and even when we went to each other's houses, we slept together in the same bed, so I never expected that we would end up using separate rooms like this.
“...What do you want to do?”
Ophelia asked her friend's opinion first. Candice, without a moment's hesitation, chuckled and answered jokingly.
"I don't like anything too bright. Especially when I wake up in the morning with the sun shining directly on me... How should I put it? It's like feeling like a vampire being slaughtered by sunlight. That's why you use this room."
It was half a joke, half a sincere one. For her, who always slept late after flipping through her grimoire until nightfall, the morning sunlight was like poison to her.
“Yeah, well. I like a well-lit room.”
“Yes, then I will move your luggage like that.”
As the room assignments were completed without any particular conflict, the butler nodded happily.
"The Duke has prepared a welcoming banquet for you two. You may relax in your rooms until dinnertime, or feel free to explore the surrounding area. Since you have traveled so far, we will do our utmost to ensure your stay is comfortable and comfortable."
"Oh, over there... Then, would it be possible for us to inspect the ruins we'll be investigating? Even though we'll start work in earnest tomorrow, I'd like to see what it's like in advance."
When Ophelia asked with a big smile, the butler looked taken aback for a moment.
I hadn't expected that he would be tired from the long journey and would want to skip his free time and check out the workplace in advance.
"Oh, yes. Of course. I'll have a carriage prepared for you to visit the ruins. I'll come pick you up when it's ready."
As soon as he said this and left the room, Candice fell down on the bed.
“Oh, the bed is so soft and nice. It really is a Duke’s bed!”
“...Excuse me, Miss Candice? This is my room.”
Ophelia shook her head at her friend. Her room was right next door, so why bother lazing around here?
“Hey, your room is my room, and my room is my room.”
“...Yes, go to your room.”
At Candice's brazen response, Ophelia finally chuckled and lay down next to her friend. Even knowing she'd have to go out soon, it wasn't easy to resist the allure of the soft bed.
After enjoying a brief, sweet respite, about twenty minutes later, a knock came on the door, followed by the butler's soft call.
“The carriage is ready.”
“Oh, I’ll be out soon!”
Ophelia, who had been half asleep, startled awake. Candice must have been sleeping even more deeply, still lost in her dreams, until she was awake.
“...Hasn’t it been 30 minutes already? Oh, I slept well.”
Candice half-closed her eyes and wiped her mouth. Even though it was only a brief nap, she felt refreshed and clear-headed.
"Ah, you two are here. The carriage is ready. And, I was planning to give you this tomorrow morning, but I thought it would be better to give it to you now."
As Ophelia opened the door, two maids followed the butler in. Each of them carried a thick fur coat.
“I hope you will stay warm during your stay. These are the clothes the Duke has prepared for you.”
"It's already this late. You said the boat was leaving tomorrow morning, right? Go and rest quickly, Ophelia."
Sabina said goodbye affectionately, handing her a bag full of freshly baked bread to eat on the boat.
Ophelia couldn't bring herself to leave, so she looked back several times in the direction her family was standing. She wanted to capture their memories, knowing when she might see them again.
And then, the morning after that tearful farewell, unexpected farewell guests stood at the dock.
Her younger sisters, Natalia and Isidore, looked just like Candice.
“Haam, sister. Please take good care of our lacking unnie.”
Natalia yawned, still half-asleep, and spoke to Ophelia.
“What? What am I lacking?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? If it weren’t for Sister Ophelia, I’d be starving or dying from overwork in a matter of days without eating or sleeping properly!”
Candice and Natalia began bickering ferociously at dawn. Ophelia and Isidore watched the friendly sisters bickering with wide eyes, then chuckled as if it were their usual routine and changed the subject.
“...I didn’t know that my brother would come out like this.”
Ophelia said incredulously.
Isidore, who was always a heavy sleeper because he would stay up late reading books in his study and then fall asleep, could not have imagined such an early morning farewell.
"My only sister is going on a long journey, so of course I should come. Take care of your health. I heard that the Weishaffen estate is so cold that it snows even in September."
Isidore scratched his cheek for no reason, as if embarrassed, then took something out of his bosom and put it in Ophelia's hand.
“What is this?”
"It's a hand warmer. I know you could make a magical hand warmer yourself that would last much longer, but I still wanted to give you one your brother made."
A faint purple flame burned within the hearth he held out. It seemed as if he, with his inherently weak magical powers, had cast a spell himself.
“...Thank you, Brother. I will treasure it.”
Ophelia said, stuffing the warm hand warmer into her pocket. She'd put the warmer in her pocket, but strangely enough, it felt like it was warming her chest.
“The ship to the Peles Empire is departing. Please board immediately.”
Then the sailor shouted loudly: it was time to leave.
“Have a nice trip, sis! Bring me a gift when you come back!”
“Come back safely, Ophelia. I won’t wait.”
With their families' farewells, Ophelia and Candice boarded the passenger ship bound for the Peles Empire.
Holding the bread Sabina had baked and Isidore's hand warmer, Ophelia Hailing set off on her journey to the Empire.
It was the summer of her eighteenth year, when she had just become an adult.
***
“Look over there, Ophelia! That must be the port of Weishaffen.”
Candice shouted, pointing to a distant harbor. Her finger pointed to a harbor as large as the one in the Republic of Tamora. It was unbelievable for a harbor built on a river.
“I see. We’ve finally arrived.”
It had already been two weeks since she arrived in the southern part of the empire by ferry. After that, she had to change ships twice and travel a long way before finally arriving at her destination. It had been a truly long journey.
They got off the boat and looked around the exotic scenery.
Even though it was midsummer, the mountain ridges in the distance were covered in snow, and the wind blowing from the river felt rather cold to those who came from a warm country.
It was when Ophelia closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze.
“...Are you by any chance from the Tamora National Magic Academy?”
A man with a deep voice called out to them. Turning to the direction of the sound, they saw a handsome young man with black hair standing there with a grim expression.
It was quite chilly for them, but for the northerners, it must have been hot weather, as they were wearing uniforms made of thin material. The muscles that were slightly visible beneath the clothes were well-trained, suggesting that he was probably a knight.
It was a truly rare sight for Ophelia and Candice. The Republic of Tamora was populated entirely by fair-skinned people, with most dedicated to magical research.
“Oh, yes. That’s right. Are you the one sent by the lord?”
To Candice's question, the young man nodded silently and approached them.
“Is this all you have?”
He asked, lifting their luggage, which looked incredibly heavy even at first glance. Apparently, his muscles weren't just superficially impressive.
“I’ve prepared a carriage over there. Let’s go.”
The man who said this walked out alone, stumbling. Ophelia and Candice, who had hesitated for a moment, followed him.
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was okay to follow a man she had never met before, a rough man, from a foreign land tens of thousands of miles away, but she decided to trust the crest of the Duke of Weishaffen embroidered on his uniform.
And how long had they walked along the river? They arrived at a place where a large, ornate carriage had been parked.
“Oh my...! Why did you carry all that luggage by yourself instead of calling Schoenne...!”
A man, seemingly a coachman, ran over with a puzzled expression and took the luggage from the young man. He blinked his calm blue eyes, like a river, slowly, and answered as if nothing had happened.
"You must have been busy with your work. It wasn't that heavy. I'm fine. Just take care of the guests. They're an honored guest, after all."
The young man, looking impeccable, politely escorted Ophelia and Candice into the carriage.
After they got on the carriage, a while later, the carriage began to move towards the lord's castle.
“Well, that’s not bad treatment, is it?”
Candice shrugged, and Ophelia nodded with a small smile, as if in agreement. She'd seen quite a bit of rough terrain on her way from the Empire to here, but by comparison, her first impression of the Weishaffen estate had been quite pleasant.
A trip for two young women without an escort was no easy feat. From thugs who tried to seduce them with tricks, to villains with even worse intentions who tried to kidnap them, there was no way they'd survive.
They all defeated them beautifully with their magic.
While they were reflecting on their travels for a moment, the carriage arrived at the Duke of Weishaffen's castle, not far from the port.
An elderly, middle-aged butler welcomed them as they stepped out of the carriage. The two women gazed in amazement at the imposing castle. The lord's castle seemed almost as large as the National Magic Academy building where they worked.
“First, I'll show you to the room you'll be using during your stay here. It's this way.”
The butler politely guided Ophelia and Candice inside.
The two rooms prepared for them by the Duke's family were located at the end of a hallway. Their size, interior decoration, and furniture were largely the same, but there was one significant difference.
"This room has windows on both the east and south sides, so it's sunny and warm. The opposite room has windows on the west side instead of the east, so the view at sunset is beautiful."
At the butler's introduction, Candice and Ophelia looked at each other blankly.
At the academy, we shared a room, and even when we went to each other's houses, we slept together in the same bed, so I never expected that we would end up using separate rooms like this.
“...What do you want to do?”
Ophelia asked her friend's opinion first. Candice, without a moment's hesitation, chuckled and answered jokingly.
"I don't like anything too bright. Especially when I wake up in the morning with the sun shining directly on me... How should I put it? It's like feeling like a vampire being slaughtered by sunlight. That's why you use this room."
It was half a joke, half a sincere one. For her, who always slept late after flipping through her grimoire until nightfall, the morning sunlight was like poison to her.
“Yeah, well. I like a well-lit room.”
“Yes, then I will move your luggage like that.”
As the room assignments were completed without any particular conflict, the butler nodded happily.
"The Duke has prepared a welcoming banquet for you two. You may relax in your rooms until dinnertime, or feel free to explore the surrounding area. Since you have traveled so far, we will do our utmost to ensure your stay is comfortable and comfortable."
"Oh, over there... Then, would it be possible for us to inspect the ruins we'll be investigating? Even though we'll start work in earnest tomorrow, I'd like to see what it's like in advance."
When Ophelia asked with a big smile, the butler looked taken aback for a moment.
I hadn't expected that he would be tired from the long journey and would want to skip his free time and check out the workplace in advance.
"Oh, yes. Of course. I'll have a carriage prepared for you to visit the ruins. I'll come pick you up when it's ready."
As soon as he said this and left the room, Candice fell down on the bed.
“Oh, the bed is so soft and nice. It really is a Duke’s bed!”
“...Excuse me, Miss Candice? This is my room.”
Ophelia shook her head at her friend. Her room was right next door, so why bother lazing around here?
“Hey, your room is my room, and my room is my room.”
“...Yes, go to your room.”
At Candice's brazen response, Ophelia finally chuckled and lay down next to her friend. Even knowing she'd have to go out soon, it wasn't easy to resist the allure of the soft bed.
After enjoying a brief, sweet respite, about twenty minutes later, a knock came on the door, followed by the butler's soft call.
“The carriage is ready.”
“Oh, I’ll be out soon!”
Ophelia, who had been half asleep, startled awake. Candice must have been sleeping even more deeply, still lost in her dreams, until she was awake.
“...Hasn’t it been 30 minutes already? Oh, I slept well.”
Candice half-closed her eyes and wiped her mouth. Even though it was only a brief nap, she felt refreshed and clear-headed.
"Ah, you two are here. The carriage is ready. And, I was planning to give you this tomorrow morning, but I thought it would be better to give it to you now."
As Ophelia opened the door, two maids followed the butler in. Each of them carried a thick fur coat.
“I hope you will stay warm during your stay. These are the clothes the Duke has prepared for you.”
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