“Why is this place closed today?”
“I heard the shop owner was attacked by a monster a few days ago and is recovering at home.”
“Goodness. Was it a serious injury?”
“Fortunately, it’s not life-threatening, but it was a close call. The atmosphere has been so restless lately. We’re lucky the Knights are at least protecting us.”
“That’s true, but… I’m getting a bit anxious lately. The Knights don’t seem like they used to be, you know? Monster damage is increasing like this, yet they haven’t come up with a clear solution. Maybe that’s why more people are looking for mercenaries these days.”
Listening to the faint snippets of conversation, Ruite stepped into the plaza.
Lately, the mood in the capital was far from good.
The primary cause was the growing anxiety among the imperial citizens as the damage caused by monsters escalated.
Voices were beginning to ask why such things were happening despite the presence of the Knights.
In a way, it was a reaction born from the very depth of the trust they had once placed in them.
The skepticism toward the Knights—who had always been the object of envy and faith within the Empire—was gradually spreading.
Consequently, the plaza was filled with nothing but talk related to the crisis.
Walking through the crowd, Ruite couldn’t help but feel a heavy sense of responsibility.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but worry about Chester, who, as the person in charge of this case, must be feeling a burden far greater than his own.
“Anyway, we were supposed to meet here….”
Ruite looked around his surroundings.
It was nearly time for the appointment.
While he waited, thinking they would arrive soon, a sudden commotion broke out at a nearby street stall.
“I’m telling you, this is the correct price!”
“No. These seeds aren’t such a rare breed. This price is absurd.”
“Listen, what does a young lady like you know about this?”
“I know very well, of course. Because I’m an expert.”
A woman was crouched in front of a stall selling flower seeds.
Ruite was about to dismiss it as a simple haggling dispute, but the orange hair caught in his vision was strikingly familiar.
With a sense of ‘could it be?’, Ruite approached to confirm the person’s face.
“An expert? Where does a young lady like you learn to lie without even blinking?”
“It’s not a lie, it’s the truth. Regardless of that, recalculate your pricing. Charging ten times the value is no different from a scam. And change this promotional sign saying it’s a rare breed that’s hard to find.”
“S-Scam? You little…! If you keep interfering with my business, I’ll call the Knights!”
“Go ahead and call them. I think you’ll find yourself at a much greater disadvantage than me.”
“You really…!”
The infuriated owner, his face turning beet red, reached out toward the woman.
But before he could do anything, Ruite grabbed his wrist, restraining him.
“Regardless of the situation, you shouldn’t lay a hand on a woman, sir.”
“Who the hell are you now!”
“A member of the Knights you just mentioned.”
Ruite pulled a brooch symbolizing the Knights from his robe and showed it to the man.
At that, the man’s heated momentum began to subside.
“And this friend of mine is indeed a professional botanist.”
Ruite grinned as he looked at the person who had been arguing with the owner.
“Shall we determine once and for all who is more in the wrong?”
As Ruite’s gaze shifted toward the wooden board where the prices were written, a look of dismay slowly washed over the man’s face.
At this rate, he would be caught trying to sell goods at an outrageously inflated price.
“Fine, I’ll just pack up and leave!”
Unable to swallow his pride, the man raised his voice and began to pack his belongings.
“Are you satisfied now, Rona?”
“Thanks to you.”
Rona, who had her orange hair tied up tightly in a single ponytail, shrugged and nodded.
“Anyway, it’s been a long time, Ruite. It’s been over half a year since we saw each other after graduation, hasn’t it?”
Ruite nodded.
“Shall we go somewhere to talk?”
With that, Ruite and Rona headed into a tea house in the plaza and took a seat.
“Rona, I already know your love for plants, but that was dangerous earlier. You know those types of people charge in without thinking once they get riled up.”
“I couldn’t help it. They had ‘rare’ written over seeds you can find anywhere, and the price was just ridiculous.”
Ruite let out a small laugh at Rona’s words as she spoke with clenched fists.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other for over half a year, Rona was exactly the same as she had been at the Academy.
“I saw your name in the newspaper. It said you’re the youngest botanist certified by the Imperial Palace?”
“I’m someone who gets things done.”
Rona took a sip of her tea and casually made a V-sign with her hand.
Recently, Ruite had happened to see a familiar name in the newspaper.
It was indeed Rona.
Immediately after graduating from the Academy, she had pursued specialized studies in botany and earned a qualification officially recognized by the Imperial Palace—meaning, the Emperor himself.
It was a significant achievement, as that qualification meant Rona could work in the Imperial Palace at any moment.
“So, how have you been lately?”
“I’m traveling around and studying. My ultimate goal is to write a book.”
She added that being tied down to one place wasn’t really her style.
“Enough about me. How about you, Ruite? Is life in the Knights treating you well?”
“It’s not easy, but I’m adjusting.”
“Well, your skills as a mage were always outstanding, so I figured you’d do well. I was thinking I should write to you sometime, but I never imagined you’d contact me through Colin first.”
Ruite had contacted Colin first to get in touch with Rona.
Not knowing where she was or what she was doing, he had to find out through someone, and he felt that Colin—who had many connections and worked in the same branch as Magnus—would likely know her whereabouts.
Thanks to the mana carrier pigeon, they were able to exchange messages quickly, and as expected, Colin knew where Rona was.
Fortunately, Rona had been staying near the Northern Branch of the Knights at the time, and after Colin passed on the message, today’s meeting was made possible.
“You didn’t ask to see me just because we were Academy classmates, right?”
“Right. The person I wanted to meet today was the brilliant botanist.”
With that, Ruite pulled a transparent glass bottle containing a thick white powder from his robe, adding a request for absolute secrecy as it was related to an investigation within the Knights.
“Take a look at this first. It’s a hazardous substance, so don’t touch it too hastily.”
Rona nodded and took the glass bottle.
She opened the stopper to smell it and even touched the powder directly with hands coated in mana.
“This is a plant root, but why this?”
“So it was true.”
As Ciel had suspected, the powder in the bottle was indeed a plant root.
“Then, can you tell what kind of plant it is?”
“Hmm….”
Ruite waited patiently for the silent Rona.
“Since it’s been ground into powder, the roots are already damaged, so I can’t tell exactly what plant it is right here on the spot.”
“Really?”
Ruite’s shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment.
If he could identify exactly what this powder was, it would surely help solve the case.
Ruite wanted to somehow lighten the responsibility and burden weighing down Chester’s shoulders.
And by solving this case perfectly, he wanted to properly show Benger Callaway.
“Instead, give me a few days. I can definitely find out.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Of course. I said it’s difficult right now, I didn’t say it was impossible.”
Rona spoke triumphantly with her arms crossed.
“I guess I came to the right person. So how long will it take? About a week?”
“A week?”
Rona questioned sharply.
Just as Ruite was beginning to worry if he had suggested a timeline that was too tight, Rona grinned.
“Three days is enough.”
“…Rona, haven’t you become a bit too cool?”
“Don’t go falling for me now.”
Rona joked as she tucked the glass bottle into her robe.
“Ah, but maybe I shouldn’t say that?”
“Huh? Why?”
Ruite sipped his tea.
“Well, Ruite, aren’t you seeing someone right now?”
At Rona’s sudden remark, Ruite nearly spat out his tea.
They had just met for the first time in ages and had only been talking for twenty minutes; what could she have felt to ask such a question?
“Why… why do you think that?”
“Well, you see….”
Rona’s voice trailed off as she leaned forward slightly.
“I can sense Alpha pheromones on you?”
“….”
“At first I thought they were yours, but I don’t think so.”
It seemed Rona was also a manifested individual.
Regardless, to think Alpha pheromones could be felt on his body.
Ruite couldn’t help but swallow his embarrassment.
While he wondered how it was possible, it wasn’t particularly strange considering he had been glued to Chester’s side at every opportunity lately.
Furthermore, Ruite had recently been spending his time or even sleeping in Chester’s room outside of work hours.
“You don’t sense it that much, do you?”
Hearing Rona’s words, he suddenly worried if others in the Knights might be thinking the same thing.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I think my sense of smell is just a bit better than most. It’s not like it’s blatantly obvious or anything.”
Ruite breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
“But you’re not denying it? You really are dating someone, aren’t you?”
“Well….”
Ruite scratched his head and slowly nodded.
