Silent Witch

Mary Harvey, the [Star Oracle Witch], suggested Monica for staying over, but considering tomorrow was the day before the school festival, she declined politely. In fact, no classes would be held on that day. However, student council members and students who were going to perform need to show up in order to prepare for the festival. For that reason, Monica also had to show up once before noon.

After walking away from Mary's mansion for a while, a little yellow bird flew down from the sky. It spun around above her spot, then immediately transformed into a beautiful woman in a maid's uniform. It was Lynn, Louis' contracted spirit.

"Have you enjoyed your drink feast?"

Louis's brow wrinkled deeply at Lynn's remark.

"…Don't speak those words when in front of my wife."

He felt guilty when remembering his wife was pregnant at home but he had indulged in a drinking spree. To which, Lynn affirmed in response.

"Understood, I will tell Madam that Sir Louis was having a drinking spree accompanied by handsome boys."

"… looks like your mouth needs to be disciplined. But before that, I have a task for you. Take Miss [Silent Witch] back to Serendia Academy."

Louis can travel fast with his flight spell, but Monica can barely use it yet, except for leaping.

It would take a horse-drawn carriage half a day to get from Mary's mansion to Serendia Academy, but with the use of flight spell, it can be done in no time at all.

I guess I really should practice my flight spell…

While Monica was pondering these thoughts, Louis continued as he re-buttoned his coat.

"I also have a slight concern when the [Star Oracle Witch] told us the second prince's fate can't be predicted."

"Right…"

"As for the intruder at the chess tournament, I have instructed my men to send him to the capital shortly. That way, I can use all my hands to make him reveal the mastermind. I also have some doubt about that intruder identity."

Louis creaked his gloved fingers afterward.

Monica knew, his hands which were finely shaped and refined like those of nobles had splendid calluses for punching. She secretly felt sorry for the intruder who was about to be interrogated by him.

"My colleague, please keep your vigilant during the school festival. Just in case, I'll lend you this useless maid. Use her as you fit."

"Miss [Silent Witch], you can leave the task of assisting to this excellent maid, Lindbergfield."

In response to Louis's sarcasm, Lynn introduced herself like that of the head maid without changing her color. Her thick face was something Monica would like to learn.

Louis glanced at his brazen contract spirit and gave a small cough.

"Also, I will be there on the day of the festival. While I do have another task to do… I'll try my best to help you with the escort."

Having Lynn, who can oversee a wide area, and Louis, who was skilled in the barriers, could not be more reassuring than this.

Monica bowed to Louis and said, "I'll be glad if you can help me" but Lynn blurted out.

"…Shouldn't it have been Sir Louis who need to bow to ask for help?"

With his smile remaining on his face, Louis wordlessly kicked Lynn in the leg.

＊ ＊ ＊

Lynn's flight spell was a little different from that used by human magicians.

Unlike ordinary flight magic, where the magician wrapped a thin membrane-like barrier on his body to fly, in Lynn's case, she created a hemispherical barrier around herself to bring everyone within it. It may sound easy, but it's impossible for a human's mana to maintain a hemispherical barrier while traveling at high speed for a long period of time. That's probably why Louis, despite swearing a lot, valued Lynn's abilities.

It had been 30 minutes since they had been flying in the sky. After scanning the ground below, Lynn then spoke.

"We will be arriving at Serendia Academy shortly."

"Oh… incredible, that was fast…"

"I do provide some landing methods you can choose. To be more specific, I have the "Tornado Kick Landing Method", the "Head Spin Landing Method", and the "Grand Wheeled Method". The main point is, I've made some modifications in the shape of the barrier to make it easier to spin."

Was the method Lynn and Louis previously used when landing the old garden included among them? All of them were nothing but worrisome, so Monica quickly said.

"U-Use the safest landing method, please!"

"As you wish. Proceeding to decrease our speed… hmm?"

Lynn, who had been looking at the ground, tilted her head ninety degrees to the side with a snap. Her creepy reaction, like a doll with a broken head, was a sign that she was expressing her puzzling behavior in her own way.

"… I have detected a suspicious carriage parked near the Serendia Academy boys' dormitory."

"Eh?"

"Shall we land in a spot nearby, so we can scout out the carriage?"

Lynn's flight magic worked by moving hemispherical barrier, so it's not suitable for scouting through wooded areas, since it would collide with the trees and make a loud noise. As such, she needed some open space for her to have a quiet landing.

Monica pondered for a moment before giving Lynn some instruction.

"…I'm planning to use "Farsight", so can you maintain your barrier in a fixed position?"

"Certainly."

The "Farsight" spell works the same way as using a telescope. So when using it while moving or something obstructed her view, that would make it harder for her to see the object.

After having Lynn fixed her flight spell in still, Monica activated "Farsight" without chanting.

The carriage, which parked secretly near the boys' dormitory, was a small carriage with two-wheeled and few ornaments, a plain one. But Monica soon realized that it was protected by high-level magic tools.

The whole carriage has a simple protective barrier and a soundproof barrier… it's likely using some kind of engineering in the wheel to suppress vibration… perhaps it's for a noble traveling in secret?

She can't see the coachman's face clearly since his head was covered in a hat with his face hidden by a scarf. Is there someone inside the carriage?

After carefully looking at the carriage, Monica noticed someone sneaking out of the boys' dormitory and approaching the carriage. It was a rather tall man wearing a hooded cloak with black hair peeking out from between the hoods.

Realized, Monica exclaimed in surprise.

Even he changed his hair color, she could still see the golden ratio of his body! It was impossible for her to mistake him for someone else.

"H-His… His Highness!?"

Without a doubt, it was Felix who had slipped out of the boys' dormitory. After which he got into the carriage then closed the door before letting the carriage travel quietly.

"That direction is heading to the entertainment district. Is he having a secret night out?"

"Wha, Wha, What do we do!?"

Monica flustered as she held her head with both hands. Originally, she should have stopped Felix, but the carriage had already left.

Monica was Felix's bodyguard. She can't just let him go like this.

"I feel bad for Nero, who's staying at the dormitory, but… Lynn, please continue following that carriage."

"Understood."

＊ ＊ ＊

As Lynn mentioned, the carriage carrying Felix stopped in the town near Serendia Academy where the entertainment district was. Once they were inside the city, it would be difficult to follow him with flight magic. So Monica asked Lynn to land quietly with the safest method and followed Felix on foot afterward.

Instead of letting Lynn remain in human form, Monica requested Lynn to transform herself into a little bird and have her hide inside the cloak. The humanoid Lynn stands out whether she is a man or a woman, after all. Afterward, Monica pulled her hood up tightly over her eyes and cautiously followed Felix's back.

The entertainment district was surprisingly bright at night, where sketchy stalls lined up at every end of the street, along with touts and flamboyantly dressed women calling out to passersby.

The reason why there were so many people here even though it was nighttime was probably related to local nobles who were staying in the town near the Serendia Academy to participate in the school festival. The touts were busy calling out to these wealthy guests, never paying attention to Monica. It was not surprising if one considering her plain appearance. They probably saw Monica as nothing more than a maid on an errand.

After getting off the carriage, Felix took off the hooded cloak he was wearing when he sneaked out of the boys' dormitory, replaced it with a stylish frock coat and hat, and strolled proudly through the night streets.

He strolled over through the stalls, waved one hand back at a smiling prostitute who threw a kiss at him while casually dismissed the touts. Rather than of a young man unaccustomed to the nightlife or a nobleman who had just come from the countryside, his behavior was more like someone who was used to hanging out like this.

I've seen him sneaking out before, but… well, I guess this proved that he's used to hanging out like this.

In this regard, she was not particularly disillusioned or disappointed, let alone harbored the image of the perfect prince, so whether she saw Felix spent his nights out or played with women, she couldn't care less.

She just found it surprising. Felix has always had a calm and friendly demeanor, but at the same time, very careful and a perfectionist. This can be clearly seen in the way he has conducted himself in the student council. Now that Felix was doing something like this had made Monica feel him strangely out of place.

At any rate, I need to escort His Highness back to the dormitory safely…

Perhaps it was because of these thoughts, it had made her looked away for a moment, letting her lost sight of Felix's back.

"Ah…"

Monica panicked and ran off from her spot. She searched the crowd for the figure of a young man with dark hair, wearing a stylish coat and hat, but she could not find him.

"I'm sorry, Lynn. I lost him…"

"I'll search from above. Please wait a moment."

From within Monica's cloak, Lynn, in the form of a small bird, flew out and soared into the sky. It would be best to stay quiet until Lynn found him, so she decided to move over to the side of the street quietly. But then, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, young lady, I wouldn't recommend hanging out at night without a companion."

Monica turned around at the familiar voice and saw Felix standing there.

However, his hat and coat, which Monica had been using as a mark, had been taken off and held in his arm. Looking at Monica who was opening and closing her mouth, Felix put his coat back on, wearing the face of a child who had succeeded in his mischief.

"Most amateurs in tailgating like to use things their targets wear as markers. Just take off the hat and coat, they'll be fooled in no time."

The black hair, which was a different color than usual, was likely to be a wig. Felix dexterously put his hat back on while holding it with his fingertips to prevent the wig from slipping off.

"Now, care to tell me why you are here? Are you having a secret date perhaps?"

"U-Uh, well, i-it's not a secret date, but, uh, I saw you, Your Highness, and I was curious, so I followed you…"

"I believe this place is quite far from there if you considering the distance. So, how did you manage to catch up with me?"

There was no way Monica could say that she was following him from the sky using a flight spell.

Monica's eyes whirled in circles, her mind racing to come up with an unfamiliar excuse. And, after using the most brilliant mind of the country's foremost magician, the [Silent Witch] of the Seven Sages to the full-throttle, the result was:

"T-The truth is, I am a bad girl, so i-it's normal if I'm here hanging out at night! And then, I accidentally spotted you, Your Highness…"

Felix was completely blank and silent for a few seconds. The next moment, he released his breath and laughed in trembling.

"A bad girl…? you are…? …pfft, haha. I see, I guess we both are a bad boy and a bad girl, then."

"R-Right. A bad boy and a bad girl."

"Here's a suggestion. Since we both are bad people, why don't we hanging out together for a night out? It would be as twice as fun when you have someone to enjoy it with."

For Monica, this proposal was something she could not have wished for. This way, she would be able to guard Felix without reservation.

"O-Okay. L-Let's have fun together."

Her way of bowing her head was contradicted with the behavior of someone who called herself a bad girl, but Felix was shaking really hard, suppressing his laughter.

"You really never cease to surprise me. I never thought I'd have someone to accompany me on my last break."

"?"

Monica looked up at Felix's face quizzically, but Felix gave her a somewhat mischievous smile different from his usually calm face. And yet, the smile he gave while letting the corners of his eyes slightly lowered, exuded a kind of seductive charm unlike what he had during the day.

Felix put his finger on Monica's cheek and leaned closer to examine her face.

"Here, you should refer to me as Eig… okay?"

"L-Lord Eig."

Could it be a derivation of Felix's middle name, "Ark"?

"Lord Eig, Lord Eig," said Monica, rolling the unfamiliar name around on her tongue, to which Felix pressed his index finger against her lips.

"Not Lord Eig, but just Eig. We're fellow bad people, remember?"

"B-But…"

Felix laughed at Monica's bafflement, showing his white teeth, holding out his hand to her. Like he was having fun so much.

"Let's go, Monica. Time flies very fast when the sun goes down. So, how about we enjoy ourselves tonight to have some fun together."