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I practically dashed into the brewing room at the back of the hermitage.

“「Let light illuminate this hand of mine.」”

I didn’t even bother to close the door. I made the tip of my staff glow with light—I heard that a skilled magician could just make a mass of light floating above their head that they could move freely, but I hadn’t reached that level just yet—and I propped my staff on the brewing table.

The dim light brought out the messiness in the usually closed room in graphic detail. The master of the room claimed that it was closed to maintain the environment so the chemicals and whatnot wouldn’t be ruined, but I had a feeling that she was simply careless!

Be it on the shelves or even the floors, the room was littered with pots filled with various mystery drugs, alchemical tools, eyeballs in beakers, mummified demon beasts, and so much more junk I couldn’t name heaping up that I barely had any space to step. If I looked up at the cobweb-covered ceiling, I could see medicinal, magical, and poisonous herbs hung between the beams with straw ropes like bamboo blinds. There was even a large jar filled with a toxic-colored liquid that was emitting some kind of smoke that coiled around like a snake in the air amongst them.

Any normal person would’ve been uncomfortable stepping inside this room, but I had spent a few hours every day in this place, so it didn’t really strike me as any more intimidating than usual. Although, admittedly, I was as anxious as the first time I stepped inside this room when I sat down on a rugged chair that was basically a treated log.

I placed the letter that Eren had entrusted to the peddler man on the brewing table, unwrapped the oiled paper, and took it out. Incidentally, paper was actually quite a spread-out commodity in this world, but it was still an expensive article. For that reason, her letter was actually written on the back of a B5-size piece of paper that appeared to be an advertisement for something—perhaps it was a flier that the peddler was handing out. There was some sensational logo along with the words ‘Recreation for the Gentlemen. 2 hours = 8 silver coins’ and ‘Bunnyland’ on the front of it. There was a lot that I wanted to comment about, but I willfully ignored anything I saw.

‘Dear and Beloved Jill.’

Whilst her handwriting wasn’t neat quite yet, I could see Eren’s personality oozing from her effort to make words written as prettily as she could. I only read the first line so far and yet a smile had appeared on my lips.

‘Dear and Beloved Jill.

How are you? I’m doing as well as ever, but I miss you. I’m hoping every day that I can meet you again. The village is peaceful too, just some occasional stray goblins or slimes mauling people.

My second older brother (did I mention to you that I have two older brothers before?) will be coming of age this year. He’s going to be 13 years old. There’s going to be a coming of age festival in the village to celebrate in 3 weeks. I’ll be happy if you could come too, Jill.

I also want to make a rubrum flos with you, Jill. Ah, rubrum flos means a flower crown made of red flowers that a girl makes to give to the boy she loves on the night of the coming of age festival, and the boy then puts it on the girl’s head. It’s a tradition around here. I don’t have someone I love or anything (although you would definitely be my true love if you were a boy, Jill), but I make and distribute them to the snotty brats every year. I’d love it if we could make them together.

Oh, right! Bruno has been sticking to me after that day. I thought he was trying to get one back for what you did to him, so I grabbed him and questioned him, but he actually apologized! Surprising, right?

He said what he did was wrong, but I scolded him and told him that it’s to you that he needs to apologize. Because of that, he now wants to see you and say he’s sorry the next time you’re here. If you’re okay with it, Jill, I can let him meet you so he can apologize in person. What do you think?

If you ask me though, I think the apology is just an excuse. He has another goal in mind. Personally, I think he’s a poor match for you, Jill. You should just give him a good beating.

I’ll be waiting to see you again soon.

Eren.’

♢♦♢♦♢

“—So, what kind of trouble brings you all the way to this old woman’s hut in the middle of nowhere, «Black»?” Regina took the cosmetics prepared by the man who claimed to be a peddler and asked him a question with bigoted look and tone of voice as she looked what was inside the bottle.

“Nay, nay. Does it not occur to you that perhaps I just want to renew old acquaintanceships, «White»? After all, we haven’t heard a peep from you for long, and everyone is worried.”
“Hmph. The lot of you know that I’d be staying here in seclusion. Not to mention, putting aside «Red», «Green», or «Purple», you saying the word ‘worry’ sounds worse than eating a nest of centipedes, «Black»!”

The young man Regina addressed as «Black» only shrugged his shoulders in fake disappointment. “It is unfortunate that there is a gap in our mutual trust.”

“Why don’t I guess too, while at it, huh? You keep insisting that these cosmetics are ‘the latest from the imperial capital.’ Which means you’re here to bother me regarding a mess that’s currently happening in the imperial capital.” Regina scoffed as she threw aside the cosmetics in her hand carelessly.

The man caught it mid-air perfectly before he cocked his head, his tone still conceited. “I’m surprised you’re so quick on the uptake for someone in seclusion. Have you been contacted by Central by any chance?”

“Hmph. I caught wind that the emperor ate two helpings of some mysterious clams that even his vessels didn’t dare to touch, allegedly even shouting it was ‘so delicious’ before he became bedridden from food poisoning—that idiot. I’d say his parents didn’t raise him right.’
“The emperor of today is a gormandizer. And because of that, the factions are divided over his successor. …after all, none of the emperor’s children inherited the traits of the «White».”

Upon «Black»’s meaningful gaze, Regina grabbed a tuft of her long hair before quickly releasing it. Her hair was almost completely gray, but it still retained a slight trace of the silvery white shine of yesteryear, the silver color characteristic and unique to her family line.

“What a load of bull. White and brown hens lay the same kind of eggs both. Who cares what’s the color of their hair, any fool who wants to sit on the throne should just go and sit there.”

While Regina spat out in disgust, the young man with dead eyes appraised under his unfazed smile. “Please don’t forget that a lot of humans who see that way are seen as a bother.”

“So what, I’m just an old bag in the sticks. Even a drunkard in a bar yelling crap is still a better person than I am!”

When the old woman barked haughtily—and she must have genuinely seen herself as that low of a person—«Black» scratched his cheek lightly.

“Don’t be like that. It’s only obvious that people of the future would lean back to their history—to the living legend and the founder of their kingdom in times of crisis. Going back to the root is pretty important, don’t you think?”
“Living legend my a̲s̲s̲. What’s good about a legend with one foot in the coffin already? I don’t want to be the straw for them to grab if they won’t even bother trying to swim. I will not take any part in their mess!”

«Black» stared at her sharply, before he began to tidy up the cosmetics Regina had messed up, showing the tiniest hint of being troubled on his face.

“…«White», you, of all people, should know how dirty people with power can be.”
“Hmph. I have nothing else to lose now. Both my husband and my children are already deep in their graves.”
“Even if that means your cute little apprentice will be involved in it?”

As if being poked in the sore spot, Regina fell silent and tried to laugh it off…before she realized she failed at it and lashed out her rage. Maya bared her fangs as she did.

“YOU DARE TO LAY A FINGER ON HER…!!”
“Nay, nay. I won’t mess with her anymore. I just want to advise you not to make a mistake in dealing with them in the future.”

It caught Regina’s attention that «Black» said the word ‘anymore’, but she sensed Jill coming out from the brewing room and heading toward her, so she kept her mouth shut, unable to squeeze an answer from him. She then grimaced when she realized that «Black» had rearranged the bottles of cosmetics precisely the same way as they were before Jill left the living room, indicating that he had sensed her much earlier than Regina had.

“You’re as nasty and shrewd as ever!”