The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path - Episode 4

Naofumi still remembered that night's campfire. Celia's profile as she stirred the pot. The sound of dried vegetables softening. Words he would never normally say seemed ready to slip from his mouth on their own——he swallowed them back in a panic. Several more days had passed since then. The mornings in Ernesta Forest were always quiet. The sound of the stream flowing, a bird singing somewhere in the distance. Naofumi sat before the campfire, organizing today's material list in his head. Arranging them in order of likely sales, planning his negotiation strategy with Erhardt. This was his strength. Without emotion clouding things, conversations moved quickly. A rustling sound came from inside the tent. Followed by a small "oh." Probably caught her glasses on something again. (Why does she do the same thing every morning?) Naofumi mentally complained while reaching for the pot of hot water. Today's breakfast was herbal tea. Not soup. Just to be clear, he'd prepared two cups simply because there were extras. There was no other reason. Celia emerged from the tent. Her chestnut hair was sticking up, and her glasses were properly in place today, but several pages of the book tied with string were sticking out. One sleeve of her white blouse was folded up. "Good morning. It's nice weather again today" "Your sleeve. Fix it" "Huh?" Celia looked at her arm and said "oh, you're right" while straightening her sleeve. She didn't seem bothered at all. That was the weird thing about her——she didn't react at all to even small corrections like this. Naofumi poured the herbal tea into a cup and silently handed it to her. "Thank you so much!" "No need for thanks" "But I'm happy, so I'll say it anyway" Why was she always like this? Naofumi picked up his own cup. The bitterness of the herbs spread across his tongue. It wasn't delicious. But it warmed his body. That was enough. Celia cupped the cup in both hands and let out a small breath. The morning light caught her glasses' lenses and glinted. Her profile—— (Don't look.) Naofumi turned his gaze toward the river. He'd been thinking something was off these past few days. When he heard Celia's voice, his tension eased just a little. The sensation of someone being nearby wasn't as bad as he'd thought. That was the problem. It was carelessness. Carelessness could be fatal. Especially in human relationships. (It's still a trial period. I might still kick her out.) He kept telling himself that——when it happened. Someone came from across the river. --- A young man. Early twenties, maybe. He wore the uniform of the Royal Capital's Document Management Bureau——a simple jacket with black and silver trim——and held a sealed letter in his hand. Naofumi stood up. Wariness ran through his body. Only a limited number of people knew the location of their camp. Coming this early in the morning meant—— "Is Celia Claire present?" Celia stood up. "I am" "A letter from the Royal Review Committee. We require your signature for receipt" The Royal Review Committee——the body that oversaw the appointment and dismissal of royal magic instructors. Revoking teaching credentials required unanimous approval, but in cases of "suspicion of treason against the state," a provisional suspension could be imposed with the approval of three members——Naofumi pulled information he'd heard from Erhardt from his memory. Celia accepted the letter and signed. The messenger left. Silence returned. Celia stared at the letter. She didn't move for a while. She tried to open it, then her hand hesitated slightly. Naofumi said nothing. He couldn't think of anything to say——or rather, he was afraid he might say something, so he stayed quiet. Celia broke the seal. She unfolded the letter. She read. After finishing, Celia laughed softly. But it wasn't her usual laugh. It was——a bitter smile, like something had drained from her. "……It's a formal notice to begin review. Next week, the committee will convene in the capital. My teaching credentials will be examined again" "What does that mean" "I think someone filed an additional complaint. They're not satisfied with just the suspension——they want to revoke my credentials entirely" "Adel?" Celia's eyes narrowed slightly. "……Her name isn't mentioned, but it's probably her. She works in the Document Management Bureau. She'd be skilled at moving these procedures" Adel Volnhite——a former noblewoman. An irregular employee at the Royal Palace's Document Management Bureau. She was trying to ingratiate herself with the anti-shield faction to restore her family name. She had more than enough motive to harass Celia. Naofumi set down the cup in his hand. "If your credentials are revoked" "I'll lose my position in the capital. My salary, my social standing. ……I won't be able to return to the academy either" "So what are you going to do" Celia thought for a moment, then folded the letter. "I'll attend the review. I won't run away, and if it's an unjust decision, I'll fight. But" She tucked the letter inside her robe and looked at Naofumi. "If I have to attend the committee, I'll need to return to the capital. I might not be able to come here for a while" Naofumi was silent. (I see.) That was all. Celia would return to the capital. She'd attend the review. She wouldn't be able to come here anymore. That was all there was to it. So what? He'd said from the start it was a trial period. He was the one who said he'd kick her out if she wasn't needed. (And yet——) Something moved in his chest. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. But it was unsettling. He knew this feeling. He'd had it these past few days. "……I'm asking one thing" "Yes?" "Do you have confidence you can win the review" Celia paused for a moment. "If there's evidence. If I can gather evidence that the complaint is unjust, the committee will listen. But……" "But?" "The other side is skilled at handling documents. It might not be easy to gather the evidence I need" It was an honest answer. Not bravado, but not resignation either. Just eyes that saw the situation clearly. (She has eyes like that.) Naofumi looked at the campfire. The flames flickered. Commerce and tactics. If it came to that, it was his specialty. Gathering evidence, collecting information, reading the opponent's hand. If he could move without emotion, it would actually be easier. (But——) This wasn't his problem. It was Celia's issue. It had nothing to do with him——supposedly. "……You're going to the capital, then" "Yes. By next week" "Then prepare. We're heading to the capital together today. I have business with Erhardt anyway" Celia looked slightly surprised. "……You'll take me?" "We're heading the same direction. Don't get the wrong idea" "……Yes" There was that face again. That happy expression. Why did she make that face? He'd just said they were heading the same direction. Naofumi drained his herbal tea in one gulp. It was bitter. (Damn it.) The unsettling feeling in his chest kept growing. That was the problem. Because of her, everything was getting thrown off. --- The two of them walked down Siren Road. The sky was clear, and the grass along the roadside glinted with morning dew. In the distance, the walls of Melromarc Royal Capital came faintly into view. The stone fortress caught the morning sun and glowed faintly golden. Celia walked quietly, clutching her book. Unusually quiet. Normally she'd be talking about observation data or monster distribution, but today she was silent. The letter was on her mind. Naturally. "……How many days until next week's committee" "Six days. I need to organize evidence and do groundwork with the committee members too……" "Do you know who the committee members are" Celia's eyes widened slightly. "There are five. Two are relatively neutral, one leans toward the anti-shield faction, and the remaining two……honestly, I'm not sure" "If you secure the two neutral ones, you only need one more. You don't need to convince everyone" "……You think that way?" "Trying to persuade everyone is a waste of time. You calculate the votes you can win first" Celia paused before saying, "That makes sense." "Iwatani-san, your mind works really fast in situations like this" "It's normal" "It's not normal at all. I think it's amazing" Naofumi said nothing. He wasn't embarrassed. He just couldn't find the words. Celia looked ahead again and fell silent. The wind from the road passed between them. A bird flew in the distance. After a while, Celia spoke. "Iwatani-san" "What" "After the committee is over, can I come back here? To this place?" Her voice was quiet. Not her usual brightness, but a careful confirmation. Naofumi walked forward, thinking for a moment. There was nothing to think about. "The trial period isn't over yet" "……Yes" "I haven't made a decision to kick you out" "……Yes" "So——do what you want" His face felt warm after saying it. It was probably nothing. The morning sun was just getting stronger. Celia laughed. This time it was her usual laugh. "Yes. I'll definitely come back" Naofumi said nothing more. The capital's walls grew larger bit by bit. Footsteps echoed on the stone road. Two sets of footsteps. The unsettling feeling in his chest was still there. It wouldn't go away. But——strangely, it didn't feel bad. (She said she'd definitely come back.) Those words stayed in his mind. But the committee was six days away. The opponent was skilled at handling documents, she'd said. Six days——that was short. Something needed to be done before something happened. Naofumi stared at the capital walls while his mind began calculating. Evidence, votes, Adel's hand——there wasn't enough information. But he could move. There was still time. Probably.

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Episode 4

Name: The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path
Author: Novelia

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