HMWD 07

Chapter 7 

A Bumpy Departure Preparations

“Already?”

Castium was one of the empire’s primary military zones and a stronghold overflowing with classified secrets, making entry strictly impossible without an official permit.

While the procedures traditionally became somewhat streamlined during the academy entrance examination season, acquiring a permit remained a notoriously difficult task.

Securing a Castium entry permit in just three days, when it normally took at least a month.

True to a powerful noble family, their administrative efficiency was certainly swift.

Talk about incredible luck.

Holding the permit in her hand, Ente offered a faint smile.

“I’m grateful, and I’m sorry.” The Marquis listened with a conflicted gaze before letting his eyes drift downward.

She was undoubtedly his beloved daughter, yet her behavior felt utterly unfamiliar.

No matter how severely she had fallen ill to the point of losing her memories, could a person really change this drastically?

As if sensing the turmoil within him, Ente gently grasped the Marquis’s hand and offered words of comfort.

“Don’t worry, nothing bad is going to happen.”

Hearing her mature voice consoling her father, the Marquis let out a heavy sigh.

How could he simply stand by and watch when such a pretty and kind daughter insisted on heading off to a place like that?

Stiffening his expression, the Marquis spoke with stern firmness.

“I have already submitted a formal complaint to the assembly.”

“Pardon? What kind of complaint?”

“A formal accusation charging Lorenzo Olivier with toying with Melissa Tiony’s heart.” Good grief, why is this man still dragging that Olivier fellow into everything?

Weren’t they supposed to keep things quiet to avoid kicking up scandalous rumors involving Lorenzo? This practically felt like actively fueling the flames.

Completely oblivious to the original sins she had committed, Ente protested to the Marquis.

“Are you trying to turn me into the laughingstock of the entire social circle?”

“Do you honestly think the stunt you’re trying to pull isn’t worthy of being laughed at?”

“Father!”

“The gossips are already having a field day chattering away, so what does it matter if there’s a little more shame? It’s set to be automatically processed if you don’t return safely, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

Annoyed by the utter lack of foresight, Ente shook her head.

He didn’t understand a single thing about how the world actually worked.

The Repello Knights had attained their prestigious status because of the honor of being the empire’s greatest warriors, but in reality, much of it stemmed from the immense privileges they enjoyed.

A staggering salary, treatment rivaling royalty, and luxurious private estates. And there was one more crucial right that made all those benefits seem trivial by comparison.

Knights belonging to the Repello Order were granted absolute legal immunity, meaning they were exempt from punishment even if they committed murder.

Consequently, attempting to frame or undermine a knight of the Repello Order was treated as a grave felony.

Which meant this reckless outburst of petty revenge could easily backfire and utterly ruin the Tiony household under charges of false accusation.

There was no way the Marquis of Tiony was unaware of that fact. Yet, she couldn’t understand why he was acting with such reckless negligence.

She didn’t particularly care about herself, but his own family and his precious daughter were directly on the line.

Raising her voice as if genuinely provoked, Ente pressed back.

“What are you even thinking? Really! What did that man possibly do wrong?”

What did he do wrong, you ask?! He toyed with you as if he intended to marry you, drove you to drink poison, and on top of that, lured you straight toward Castium? I will never forgive him.

There was simply no reasoning with him. Dropping her head with a look of profound disappointment, Ente muttered,

“Do as you please.”

Making it abundantly clear that she had no desire to continue the conversation, she scooped up her entry permit and stood up from her seat.

Noticing the visibly angry expression on his daughter’s face, the Marquis shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

If he was going to act like this, he shouldn’t have made such big threats in the first place.

Since he couldn’t stand up to Melissa anyway, trying to lecture her now would only end in hurting his own feelings.

Choosing to ignore the pathetic, self-pitying mumbles trailing from behind her, Ente swept out of the study.

Upon returning to her room, a large, ornate birdcage was sitting by the window.

Inside the cage, Vivi sat perched with a white cloth neatly wrapped around her injured wing.

Approaching the bird, which was sitting on the thin wooden perch and nodding off drowsily, Ente spoke in a gentle tone.

“Looks like you’re adjusting quite well to that body. How are you feeling?” 「How do you think I feel, you idiot? Terrible, obviously!」

“That’s a shame. Still, it’s bound to be a lot more comfortable than roughing it outside.”

「Hah, this is my room, in case you forgot! Would you mind stepping down from playing master?」

With a faint smirk, Ente slipped her finger between the iron bars and stroked Vivi’s head.

Vivi shook her head violently, dodging her hand.

“Your feathers are still dry and brittle. Do yourself a favor and stay quiet while you recover your strength for a while.”

Stop pretending to care and get lost.」

Such a cute little thing. Hearing the petulant tone, Ente chuckled softly.

“Is there anything you want to eat? I can tell the head maid to bring it up.”

「Forget it, I don’t need anything. But seriously, fix that weird tone of yours.」

“My tone? What’s wrong with the way I speak?”

「You sound like a geriatric old lady! I would never talk like that in a million years.」 “Well, what do you expect when you’re dealing with someone who’s lived for 300 years? Do you honestly expect someone of my age to act like a bubbly youngster?”

「Isn’t that obvious?! I’m still only twenty-two years old!」

Fair enough.

While she thought she was doing a reasonably convincing job impersonating twenty-year-old Melissa Tiony, she clearly couldn’t completely filter out her ancient habits and speech patterns when caught off guard.

At this rate, she wouldn’t pass for a pampered young noble lady raised delicately in the Marquis’s household for twenty-two years.

“Then what do you suggest I do?”

You need to drop that bizarre cadence and start acting like a proper young noble lady.”

“How does a proper young noble lady act, exactly? I’ve never really mingled with aristocratic young misses, so I haven’t the slightest clue.”

「There you go again!」

Frustrated, Vivi fluttered frantically back and forth inside the cage.

Her entire body language screamed of absolute outrage—it was completely intolerable to her that her own body was being so mishandled while she was trapped in an avian vessel. After a long bout of furious wing-flapping, Vivi finally settled back down on the perch.

「I doubt teaching a lost cause like you will do any good, but my reputation is on the line, so I suppose I have no choice.」

Assuming the strict posture of a harsh instructor, Vivi began her lesson.

「Your tone needs to be sweet and gentle, with a rising inflection at the end of every sentence. Repeat after me: ‘Oh my, Lady, what a stunning dress you’re wearing.’」

“O-oh my, Lady, what a stunning dress… wait, why am I complimenting the dress instead of the person?”

“Because the person wearing it isn’t stunning. You shouldn’t tell blatant lies, should you?”

Good grief. Biting her lip, Ente felt a wave of profound reluctance.

She couldn’t easily back out now after giving her word, but Melissa turned out to be an even more eccentric young lady than she had initially imagined.

“Oh my, Lady, what a stunning dress you’re wearing.”

“Good. Next one. ‘I am entirely at a loss for words when the Count praises me so generously.’ When you say that, you lightly cover your mouth with your hand, keep your eyes smiling, and add a soft, nasal inflection to make it more effective. Go on, try it.” Being the Wizard Magnus was practically a walk in the park compared to this absurd job.

“I am entirely at a loss for words when the Count praises me so generously.”

「You’re supposed to smile!」

“I honestly don’t see what’s so funny that I need to be smiling—”

「You’re receiving a compliment, of course you should smile! Ugh, you are so hopeless.」

“I’ll have to take this slow. There’s simply no way I’m going to master this overnight.”

「No way! What if you screw up and ruin my social standing?! Do it again. Right now!」

“I seriously doubt acting like this is ever going to make me truly become you.”

“What are you talking about? You took my body, and I was the undisputed flower of high society! Naturally, you have to act the part!”

I must have seriously lost my mind when I agreed to this.

Sighing deeply, Ente forced a strained smile onto her face. Even to her own eyes, it looked painfully stiff and unnatural. 「Smile wider! Show your teeth, higher, higher! There, just like that!」

Living as this body was turning out to be far more exhausting than battling dragons.

A few days later, the day of departure from the Tiony estate finally arrived.

Surrounded by a gaggle of weeping servants trailing behind her under the guise of seeing her off, Ente managed her expression with immense effort.

“My lady… please, take good care of yourself…”

The head maid turned away, pressing a damp handkerchief tightly against her eyes as she choked back a sob.

Why are they acting like someone died? This is a bit much for a simple trip.

“I’ll be back safely. Don’t cry and behave yourselves while I’m gone.”

Patting the head maid on the shoulder as she struggled to contain her sobs, Ente swallowed a heavy sigh.

The journey toward Castium proved to be a continuous series of trials right from the start.

After a fierce standoff between the Marquis and Marchioness—who insisted on sending five massive carriages—and Ente, who argued that a single carriage was more than enough, they finally compromised on taking two.

The Marchioness looked thoroughly displeased, but a dramatic consensus was reached once Ente pointed out that a massive convoy of carriages would easily draw the attention of highwaymen.

One carriage was packed to the brim with mountains of luggage.

Anyone watching would think we were moving houses.

Since the luggage wouldn’t fit otherwise, they had even ripped out the passenger seats of the baggage wagon to cram in the endless selection of dresses, jewelry, vanity tools, and even Melissa’s favorite bedding, leaving zero room for a human soul.

The second carriage carried Ente and Anna.

Having won a game of rock-paper-scissors against Diane, Anna climbed into the carriage radiating triumphant smugness, acting as if she owned the entire world.

An escort of ten heavily armed Capital Guard knights on horseback flanked the two carriages. Even this number had been scaled down from an initial plan of thirty.

“I am deeply worried that unnecessarily mobilizing the Capital Guard for my sake might cast a blemish on Father’s sterling reputation.”

Thanks to performing a thoroughly convincing display of profound anxiety, she had managed to narrowly negotiate this compromise as well. Even so, the two extravagantly luxurious carriages accompanied by ten heavily armed elite guards made the traveling party stick out like a sore thumb.

If I could only use a warp portal, I could have just flown there by myself in a second.

Irritated at the prospect of inevitably becoming a spectacle for onlookers all along the road, Ente clicked her tongue.

Watching the scene unfold from her cage, Vivi flapped her wings in open indignation.

“What is this carriage setup, it looks far too modest! Anyone looking at us would think the Tiony family went bankrupt!”

Since she had no frame of reference for what constituted “modest” versus “bankrupt,” Ente figured the bird still hadn’t fully grasped reality.

「The roads are going to be bumpy, did you make sure they packed enough cushions inside?」

“I don’t recall ever saying I was bringing you along.”

What are you talking about?! Naturally, I’m coming with you!」

“With a wing in that condition? Where on earth do you think you’re going? Stop acting out and stay put until you’re healed.”

「What? No way, you can’t just leave me behind!」 “I’ll be back before you know it, so behave yourself.”

With a bright smile, Ente turned around and stepped out of the room.

A shrill stream of outraged squawks and curses chased her down the hall.

Pity as it was, since there was no telling what kind of dangers awaited them on the road, leaving the bird behind was undoubtedly the safer option.

Approaching the carriages waiting at the main entrance, she found the estate staff and the Marquis and Marchioness gathered to bid her farewell.

The Marchioness dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief and grabbed Ente’s hands tightly.

“Lisa, my heart is just not at ease about this.”

“Don’t worry so much. It’s not like I’m heading off to a battlefield.”

“You must be careful, understand? Never wander off alone anywhere.”

“I’ll be back safely. Please check in on Vivi every now and once in a while.”

Seemingly disheartened by her daughter’s nonchalant attitude, the Marchioness chided tearfully,

“Honestly, how can you still be worrying about a pet bird at a time like this?”

With a vague, ambiguous smile, Ente climbed into the carriage.

The departure was delayed further as the Marquis kept lecturing the captain of the guard about prioritizing her safety above all else.

Leaving the sound of tearful sniffling behind, she urged the coachman onward.

“Let’s move.”

The carriage wheels began to turn slowly. The grand estate gradually receded into the distance.

Sitting across from her, Anna was sniffling quietly into her handkerchief.

“Anna, why are you crying?”

“I-I’m just feeling so heartbroken. Aren’t you sad at all, my lady?”

“We’re only going to be gone for a fortnight, what is there to be sad about?”

“Leaving home for two whole weeks is a big deal! How can you be so cold-hearted about it!”

Anna puffed out her lower lip, clutching her damp handkerchief tight.

She was the one who had begged to come along. Tilting her head slightly, Ente looked at Anna and offered a pragmatic solution.

“Well, if you’re that upset, I can have the coach stop and let you out.”

“W-what? No, why would you… it’s not that I don’t want to go…”

“Didn’t you just say leaving home for a fortnight makes you heartbroken? If it’s too much, I wouldn’t mind taking Diane instead.”

“M-my lady…”

Pouting miserably, Anna shrank back into the corner of the carriage.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

With a small smile, Ente turned her gaze out the carriage window.

Castium…

Castium was an unfamiliar city even to Ente.

Partly due to her natural aversion to ever leaving the Wizard’s Tower, she had never particularly cared for the mages stationed in Castium.

Unlike the independent and insular Wizard’s Tower, the mages of the Magic Academy were fiercely political. 1111

Rather than relying on a powerful Magnus to build their own independent power, the Magic Academy maintained a deeply cozy relationship with the Imperial Household.

While they claimed it was an unavoidable necessity to secure imperial funding, their habit of meddling in high-stakes political power struggles under the guise of academic research always left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Furthermore, the Magic Academy had remained stubbornly uncooperative during the campaign to subdue Caliesto.

‘Our students are still inexperienced and require constant supervision, so it would be difficult for us to spare any assistance.’

Having repeatedly rejected even her most basic requests for rear-guard support, she hardly had any fond memories of the place.

Still, desperate times called for desperate measures.

It had been well over fifty years since she last had any official dealings with the Magic Academy; perhaps the leadership and atmosphere had changed since then.

She clung to that sliver of hope.

While Ente was lost in thought, the carriage finally rolled into the bustling city limits.

Moving smoothly along the paved roads, the carriage abruptly ground to a halt. Thinking they might have hit a routine security checkpoint, she waited a moment before a familiar voice called out from outside the window.

“My lady, if I may have a moment of your time.”

Recognizing the captain of the guard’s voice, Anna lifted the curtain and poked her head out.

“What is the matter?”

“Lord George Tiony is requesting an audience with you.”