Chapter 53: He’s Got Some Skills

“People with connections can figure out which faction of the royal family sent this letter just by analyzing the material of the seal. But I don’t have the patience to bother with that,” Leah said, crossing her arms as if to emphasize her point. She even gave Will a helpful explanation, just in case he didn’t understand.

“I’m giving this to you. What you do with it is up to you.”

Will accepted the letter, smiling brightly.

“What’s with that grin? This could be a huge mess if you dig too deep!”

“If I keep investigating, Miss Leah, you might end up getting dragged into the mud with me.”

“I…”

Leah hadn’t considered that before. She had always thought she could abandon all human connections and return to her secluded life if necessary.

But…

She looked into Will’s deep blue eyes behind his glasses. The lenses, though not thin, seemed to draw more attention to the scene reflected in his gaze.

He always liked staring at people like this.

As if he were trying to observe her very soul.

“I’m your teacher, after all. In terms of seniority, strength, and connections, I’m far above you. If you get stuck, I’ll pull you out.”

“Alright, I’ll remember you said that.”

—Though it won’t come to that.

Will was confident. With his knowledge of the original story, he understood the royal family’s internal conflicts very well. He knew who would win in the end and how they’d do it.

More importantly…

Fate doesn’t change!

In other words…

No matter how recklessly he acted today, he wouldn’t die until four years later when a slime fell on his head.

“But Miss Leah, weren’t you worried about me before? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t give me this critical information? Why the sudden change of heart?”

“It’s because you said to be direct…” Leah mumbled softly. Then, raising her voice as if to cover her earlier words, she added, “Because I’ve been observing you these past few days. I think you’re capable of handling such a complex situation.”

“Oh? You’ve got quite a bit of confidence in me.”

“Of course. You’re my student, after all… hic~”

Leah suddenly hiccupped, covering her mouth in embarrassment.

“Pfft. Ate a lot, huh? Next time you’re starving, I won’t help you out.”

“I’m different now! Ever since I won the competition, I’ve got plenty of funding and several projects lined up. I don’t need to freeload for meals anymore!”

Leah pointed at Will as she spoke.

“From now on, it’ll be me treating you!”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.”

Will felt immensely satisfied. Hearing the original tsundere character boldly declare, “I’ll treat you,” was like something out of a dream.

“I do have a way to find out where this came from. We’ll see which faction it belongs to.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you… Oh, and here’s the copy you wanted. I assume it’s for that little maid of yours?”

Leah placed the copied version of Frozen Ice Array on the table. She had only received the original yesterday but had quickly used transcription magic to create a copy, burning through quite a few of her magical pens in the process.

—No matter. Now that she had funding, such problems would resolve themselves!

“Thanks.”

“I’ve taken a good look at her with my magic eye. She’s got a solid foundation.”

Leah gestured to her crimson magic eye.

“But someone with such a specialized magical circuit will need a unique training method…”

Leah paused mid-sentence.

Today, she had carefully observed Eir, using her magic eye to examine her closely. She discovered that Eir’s magical circuit was astonishingly suited for an ice-based defensive system. However, her circuit was rigid and would require long-term systematic training to refine.

Still, Leah doubted that someone as young as Eir, working as a full-time maid in a prominent family, would have access to such training.

So…

It was likely that this reliable resource by Will’s side had been cultivated by him personally.

In fact…

Leah reflected on her own magical circuit. After using the Blood-Red Mint Essential Oil, her circuit had become more open, as if a bottleneck had been cleared.

With such a tool to push her limits, she could now attempt many ancient spells she had only read about in books.

This kid… he’s got some skills.

“Yeah. That’s why I dared to give her this book. I couldn’t handle such advanced ancient magic myself.”

“Wow, you really dote on her.” Leah waved dismissively, cutting off his affectionate remarks. “Alright, I’m heading out.”

“See you tomorrow, Teacher~”

Leah had just stepped out the door when she ran into Eir, who was tiptoeing up the stairs, muttering, “Peek through the door crack, don’t make a sound.”

Leah waved at her with a smile.

But…

Why did the girl’s face look a little angry?

—

As Eir washed the dishes, she couldn’t stop thinking about how, in just one week, it felt like her Young Master was no longer hers alone.

Oh…

It was because he now had a vibrant school life, a caring teacher, and… friends, apparently.

All good things, but Eir couldn’t help but feel…

—Feel like the Young Master, who had once relied solely on her protection, suddenly had so many others to depend on.

Did the Young Master…

Still need her?

Her mind flashed back to that scene—

A small fire dragon, with Leah’s picture stuck to its head, carrying the Young Master into the sky while she could only watch from below.

Oh, right!

That witch specialized in fire magic too!

It all lined up!

And so, after hurriedly finishing the dishes, Eir grabbed her skirt and climbed the stairs, determined to put her skills to use!

Eavesdropping!

But just as she was about to press her ear to the door, Leah walked out.

“He’s still inside. Go on up.”

—This… this was a challenge from the little fire dragon!

How could she let this slide?

So unfair!

As a maid of the Hysterm family, she cursed you!

Eir stood at the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob.

Young Master…

It had been so many years since he brought her into the Hysterm family with just one look.

As a maid, she had been competent.

But…

Was this the end of the road?

After all, he was a rising star of the Hysterm family, with a bright future ahead of him. Meanwhile, she, his personal maid… might remain in the same place forever.

As Eir stood outside, lost in thought, the door suddenly opened—though she hadn’t touched it.

“Eir? Cleaning up—wait, you’re just standing here?”

“Y-Young Master?!”

Eir couldn’t believe it. The first thing her Young Master did after opening the door was… call her by name.

“What are you standing around for? Come in.”

“Huh?!”