# Another Peaceful Day at the Mansion

"Ricardo."

"Yes."

"Where are you going?"

Woken by the rustling sound, Miss peered at me from across the room, a question mark hovering over her head as she watched me packing my backpack in the corner.

"Eek...! Are you running away?!"

"Pardon...?"

Miss opened her eyes wide and spoke to me with a tearful expression.

"I'll only eat a little bit of food! Don't run away!"

"...What?"

"I'll... I'll even share my chocolate with you...!"

I was surprised that Miss, with her excessive delusions, was capable of making an objective statement, but I could only manage an awkward expression at her nonsensical words.

I had told her about this a week ago, but it seemed she had completely erased it from her mind. I definitely mentioned it yesterday too.

"Waaaaaah!!!"

I sighed as I looked at Miss clutching my collar. I couldn't tell if she was pretending to forget or if she had genuinely erased it from her mind. Either way, she was cute, which put me in a good mood.

I let out a small laugh and pressed her cheeks with my hands.

"Bubububu"

"Didn't I tell you a week ago? That I'd be going out for a bit."

"Bububububu! (Did you really?!)"

With her lips protruding like a fish, Miss made a sulky expression before furrowing her brow.

"I said I would be away for about three days because something came up, didn't I?"

"Bububu... (Right. You did say that.)"

Miss lowered her shoulders dejectedly and sighed deeply before saying quietly.

"I forgot because Ricardo isn't playing with me before leaving."

"I'll play with you plenty when I return."

"What if you abandon me!"

"I'm not abandoning you. With mountains of unpaid salary piled up, where would I even go?"

"Hehee, that's true! I'm your debtor!"

I laughed at Miss's ridiculous statement as she confessed to her debt with a bright smile.

"Truly. I can't leave you alone."

Miss gently grabbed my collar and said.

"Then can't you take me with you?"

Miss glanced at me cautiously and bit her lip, but unfortunately, I couldn't agree to that in this situation, so I shook my head and gave a negative answer.

"I'm sorry."

"Whyyy!"

'Because it's dangerous.'

How could I say that? I shook my head slightly and gave an answer that Miss might understand.

"Because I'm going to a place where we'll only eat grass."

"Grass?"

"Yes, a famous chef is giving a lecture. The main ingredients are all vegetarian, so I think we'll be eating nothing but plants all day."

"Eek... but I like plants."

"Even bell peppers and spinach?"

"Eek...? I don't like those."

"Exactly."

Understanding now, Miss nodded her head and released my collar that she had been holding tightly. I had an ominous feeling from her hesitant gaze. It was a look that seemed to question whether she should let me go.

"Haah..."

Miss let out a long sigh and asked while looking at me.

"It's not dangerous, is it?"

As expected.

'She's not falling for it.'

I gave an awkward smile and nodded at Miss's question. It seemed she didn't believe my flimsy excuse. I thought that perhaps no matter what excuse I gave, Miss would have seen through to the core of the matter. Miss was sharper than I expected.

I smiled slightly and gave an honest answer. After all, Miss preferred direct words over inadequate packaging.

"Since I'll be using kitchen knives, I might cut my fingers."

"..."

"And since I'll only be eating plants, I might lose some weight."

I smiled as I stroked the head of Miss, who was full of worry. To convey that she shouldn't worry. A small smile bloomed on my face at the soft feeling of Miss's hair.

"You don't need to worry."

Miss held my hand and said in a small voice.

"Don't do it if it's dangerous."

"I understand."

"You can't get hurt."

"I promise."

"Let me know if you're going to be late."

"Of course."

"And..."

Miss looked at me primly, then began searching through her treasure pouch.

"Eek..."

"What are you looking for?"

"Eeeeek...."

After furrowing her brow and searching for a while, Miss pulled out a small object like a robot cat with a 4D pocket and held it out to me.

Red color.

Shaped like dragonfly eyes.

Hmm. This is.

"Miss, these are underwear."

"Eek?"

Surprised, Miss put the underwear back in her treasure pouch and pulled out a small doll to give me.

"This."

"What is it?"

"Me."

"...?"

"Think of it as a charm."

"Did you make this yourself?"

"Mmm."

Her craftsmanship was truly disastrous.

I looked at the doll Miss had made and said playfully.

"It's not a voodoo doll, is it?"

"Eeeeek!!!"

"Hahaha!! I'm just kidding."

A doll, huh.

It's been a while.

I stared at the doll in my hand and put it in the inner pocket of my coat. From the white yarn hair to the body made by stuffing socks with cotton. I was grateful for the gift that contained Miss's effort.

Of course, the doll with its sharp eyes looked like a voodoo doll and made me want to laugh, but I tucked it safely in my pocket with gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Mmnya."

All my luggage was packed.

Spare clothes and a sword.

Self-made potions.

A map marking the location of the holy sword.

And various other things.

With the huge backpack on my shoulders, I stroked Miss's hair and smiled.

"Then I'll be going now."

"Mmnya."

"Anything you want me to bring back?"

"Beef jerky and chocolate."

"Haha.. Understood."

The backpack on my back felt unusually light today.

'The Sword of Dawn.'

Simply put, the 'Holy Sword.'

If I could just finish this job well, I thought I might be able to rest a bit.

***

"Whew..."

The North that I visited after a long time was still the same.

Breath coming out in puffs.

Knife-like winds cutting through the skin, and snow covering everything.

It feels like it was just yesterday that I defeated the Apostle of Mercy here, but time has passed so quickly. I often felt regret at how quickly time flows.

Anyway.

"What's that?"

[★★Northern Soup★★]

"...Huh?"

I frowned at the huge banner hanging in the middle of the northern town. With an expression that seemed to say, 'Why is that hanging here?'

"Hahahahaha!!!"

This is why it's interesting.

I didn't expect the recipe I happened to share would be such a big success. I was surprised that a character who was only mentioned in the novel through an obituary was now running a big restaurant in the North, and I never thought it would become so popular. I couldn't stop laughing.

"That's good."

I thought it was fortunate that it was spreading warmth in the harsh North. While making plans to teach them side dishes like radish kimchi next time, I looked at the highest snow mountain in the North.

'Andes Snow Mountain.'

An incredibly high snow mountain.

Andes Snow Mountain, full of numerous magical beasts, was where the holy sword lay dormant. It was a place that occupied a significant portion of the novel and also held a major episode. An episode where two apostles appeared, no less.

'Yuria, Mikhail, Histania Malik, Histania Rowen, Ruin, Princess Shartia.'

An episode where many main characters worked together. Though it began with the heretics' scheme, it ended with the Academy's victory.

This episode starts with heretics spreading information about the holy sword.

The Empire's goal is to recover the holy sword.

The heretics' goal is also to recover the holy sword to reduce their burden. Here, the heretics added one more goal: to eliminate the top students of the Academy.

The heretics' scheme, aimed at boosting the morale of the failing order while disrupting the atmosphere within the Empire to gain an advantage, seemed to be succeeding, but it was an episode where they ended up at a disadvantage because Mikhail wielded the holy sword.

That's the kind of episode it is.

An episode common in many novels.

The reason I came to the North was simple.

To prepare for any unexpected variables. If the Apostle of Temperance brought high-ranking clergy members like archbishops, the balance would greatly tip.

If the protagonist's group, unable to handle archbishops, had to face them alone... it was clear that things would go badly in many ways.

While Mikhail and Hannah might be able to handle an archbishop, 'Yuria' and 'Ruin' were far from capable of handling an archbishop alone. Moreover, there were too many variables in the temple sealing the holy sword to be taken lightly. Even considering the worst-case scenario, insurance like me was absolutely necessary.

If the holy sword fell into the hands of the heretics, the risk would be too great to ignore.

"Before that... first."

I looked again at the banner I had seen earlier.

[Free Hamburg Steak Provided.]

"Maybe I'll eat first."

Even Diamond Mountain is visited for food. With the thought of filling my stomach, I stretched and took a step forward.

When I arrived at the restaurant, there were:

"Dad!"

"Hahaha! Where's your boyfriend! This dad has more than a few questions to ask."

"Oh come on!!!"

Yuria.

"Brother."

"The flavor has definitely deepened."

"Be quiet. You're embarrassing me."

Histania Malik and Histania Hannah.

"I am trash."

Ruin.

"We're not here to play around, you idiots."

Princess Shartia.

And.

"Hooooh. There are quite a lot of rivals!"

"...?"

There was someone unexpected.

I lowered my head to look down at the unwelcome sound. And I saw a young lady with purple hair in a bun.

Wearing a thick fur hat.

"Hooh."

The woman in thick fur clothes was peeking at the soup restaurant from beside me.

I looked at her and thought.

'...Why are you here?'

The biggest variable had appeared.