Cleaning up the traces of demons in Grainstone Village was quite a cumbersome process.

We tidied up the chaotic demon camp, leaving just enough evidence to prove that demons had invaded the empire, released the mana-draining device to restore the depleted mana concentration in the village to its original state, and freed the bound spirits, including the salamander, from the furnace.

About a month had passed since we restored Grainstone Village to its original state.

Now, having spent most of the summer vacation at the Blackwood Estate, Ethan and I were in a carriage returning to Luminor Academy for the start of the second semester.

Although there was still about a week left until classes resumed, we didn’t have anything particular to do at the Blackwood Estate, anyway.

Due to Harold’s position as a temporary professor, we had to return to the academy a bit earlier than regular students, so we naturally had to match our return schedule with that of the highest-ranking person in Blackwood.

Besides, we’d have to use a four-seater carriage to accommodate Isabel anyway, so there was no need for Harold to ride a horse separately.

 

“There’s no need to be so conscious of me even in this space. You all should talk comfortably like usual.”

“Yes… Th-thank you for your consideration…”

“It-it’s not particularly uncomfortable with you here, master…”

“……”

 

However, with Harold joining the space that originally had three people, including Isabel, an awkward atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife settled in.

It couldn’t be helped. I could speak comfortably with Ethan only because I had been his exclusive maid for several years, not because I had become a noble and had become arrogant.

Moreover, I didn’t think Harold would particularly like it if I spoke casually with Ethan as I usually do.

…But then again, there have been too many years of us knowing each other to suddenly act out a strict master-servant relationship unlike usual.

It was natural for my mouth to close shut, thinking it would be better for my well-being to keep quiet rather than risk making a mistake by opening my mouth.

Even Isabel, usually the mood-maker, seemed to find it difficult to start a conversation in this atmosphere with two high-ranking nobles present.

The carriage moved quietly towards the Island of Knowledge, where Luminor Academy was located, accompanied by silence.

 

{What’s this?! Why is everyone so quiet?! It’s boring!}

 

…Apart from that, this tiny salamander kept chattering non-stop inside the carriage.

Just to explain, this is indeed the same fire spirit that was in the dwarf’s furnace in Grainstone Village.

It followed me purely of its own will, and we reached an agreement with the blacksmith that another fire spirit that had been captured would remain for the dwarf’s furnace.

In other words, I didn’t forcibly bring it along or extort it from the half-dwarf at all.

 

{I don’t particularly like you, but your mana is delicious!}

“That’s fortunate. I was thinking something similar.”

 

By the way, I did give it a name after it started accompanying me. It felt oddly awkward to keep calling it Miss Salamander every time.

However, the limit of my naming sense was just shortening Salamander to Sally.

Anyway, after just a month of this creature sticking by my side, my mind was already starting to feel tired.

This creature had a talent for annoying me in many ways, reminding me of Ethan from the time when he didn’t know what manners were. It felt like Ethan from back then, minus the sexual harassment, but with the added penalty of clinging to me 24 hours a day.

 

‘Why do these kinds of creatures keep increasing around me?’

 

Of course, a fire spirit in itself was a very precious being, and having it around was undoubtedly helpful.

Moreover, having Sally as a companion increased various auxiliary stats due to the ‘Fire Spirit’s Protection’ effect. [Read this novel only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Among those, the buff increased the Luck stat by 2, making it an absolutely necessary item for me. Combined with the buff on my dagger, it increased my Luck stat by as much as 4.

In that sense, this creature’s companionship was a really good connection from ‘Lilith’s’ perspective.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling irritated and annoyed by this small spirit.

 

{Ah, I’m bored! Do something! Sing a song or something!}

“……”

“You don’t need to be too mindful of me, everyone. Just think of me as not being here and talk comfortably.”

“Ah, y-yes…”

 

With the pressure to make conversation coming from both sides, it became a bit difficult to maintain complete silence.

In the end, I ended up uttering the forbidden words that should never have left my mouth.

I didn’t know at the time what tragedy these words from my mouth would lead to in the future.

 

“Since the journey to Luminor Academy seems long and boring, shall I pose a simple quiz? It’s fitting as we’re all heading to the Island of Knowledge together.”

{A quiz?}

“Lilith?”

“A quiz?”

“Although I say quiz, I won’t ask a question that particularly requires knowledge. I’ll give a problem that the master, Young Master, and Isabel can all solve equally.”

“Hmm?”

{Me, me! I want to solve the quiz too!}

“Yes, of course, Sally, you can solve it too.”

“If not only Miss Isabel but even the spirit can solve it, won’t the problem be too easy, Miss Lilith?”

“Well, why don’t you try solving it yourself first, master?”

“…You seem quite confident.”

 

Harold fixed his gaze on me, seemingly intrigued by the claim that everyone here could solve the problem.

Not just him, but Ethan, Isabel, and even Sally were all focusing their attention on me.

I didn’t expect to receive so much attention for just making a little joke.

 

‘Surely they won’t dock my pay or something if it’s not funny.’

 

In this unnecessarily tense atmosphere, I finally blurted out the ‘joke’ that had popped into my head to everyone.

I hadn’t anticipated what would happen to me in the future because of this joke.

 

“What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

“Huh?”

“…Huh?”

“A Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

{What do you mean?}

“Think about it. What happens when a Spear Master gets bitten by a mosquito?”

 

The three people and one elemental made strange expressions as they pondered over the nonsense quiz I had posed.

Thanks to everyone being lost in their own thoughts, I could leisurely enjoy the scenery outside the window for a moment.

The first to attempt an answer was Isabel, sitting next to me.

 

“…It itches?”

“Wrong!”

“Oh, it’s not…?”

“Strictly speaking, that would be correct, but I’m talking about what happens when a ‘Spear Master’ gets bitten by a mosquito. Anyone would itch if they got bitten, right?”

“Hmm…? I don’t know… I’ve never seen a Spear Master…”

 

Strictly speaking, I hadn’t seen one either, except in the game, but this wasn’t the kind of problem you could solve based on whether you had met a Spear Master or not.

Judging from this response, it seemed Isabel had given up on solving the problem, and now I just had to wait for the others’ answers and enjoy their reactions.

It’s quite fun watching Ethan and Harold struggle and ponder.

 

“…Can’t you just tell me secretly, Lilith?”

“No. Someone might overhear. And Sally hasn’t solved it yet either.”

{I, I won’t listen! You can tell him. I won’t listen!}

“Even if you slyly come closer to my face, I still won’t tell you.”

{You’re so me~an!}

 

It’s mean to ask for the answer right away for a problem that was given to be solved.

Faced with my firm attitude, both Isabel and Sally seemed to have given up for now and quietly waited for the others’ answers.

The next to speak was Ethan.

 

“The mosquito dies?”

“Pardon?”

“A skilled person like a Spear Master would never let a mosquito that bit them get away alive. In other words, from the moment it bites the Spear Master, that mosquito is as good as dead.”

“……”

“If everyone could catch the mosquitoes that sucked their blood, mosquitoes as a species probably wouldn’t exist in this world anymore. So, this answer only applies to ‘Spear Masters’…”

“Then does a Sword Master become a Spear Master from the day they catch a mosquito? And I can catch mosquitoes that suck my blood and fly away, too, you know?”

“…I, I see. That was a blind spot.”

 

Blind spot or not, such a boring answer couldn’t possibly be correct.

It seems Ethan was also wrong in guessing the answer, which meant Harold was essentially the only one left. [Read this novel only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Compared to the other two, he had quite a bit more experience, and above all, he was at an age where he might enjoy this kind of joke.

Thinking that Harold might come up with a relatively close answer, I waited quietly as Harold began to speak.

 

“…Hmm, I see. Now that I think about it, it was a simple problem.”

“Oh? Did you figure it out?”

“Yes. You posed quite a witty question, Miss Lilith.”

 

Seeing him look so confident, it seems he got it right.

I started to feel a strange expectation, thinking that Harold might be someone who understands my sense of humor.

Ethan and Isabel also focused on Harold’s words, waiting for the correct answer to come out of his mouth.

 

“It was quite an easy question for me who has an acquaintance who is a Spear Master, Miss Lilith.”

“…Pardon?”

“The Spear Master friend I know has wielded blades with me on battlefields for quite a long time. Of course, back then, neither he nor I were skilled enough to earn the title of ‘Master.'”

“……”

“When I was young and reckless, I first met him while working as a mercenary in the army instead of serving my sentence for cutting the Empire’s castle wall in half, trying to test the limits of my sword. However, he wasn’t a noble like me. Quarty Jameson… I could see a special energy in his spear that other mercenaries couldn’t handle, even though he was a commoner.”

 

…Wait, what?

Why is he suddenly diving into reminiscing about his past and getting lost in memories?

I tried several times to interrupt him somehow and get him to state the answer to the nonsense quiz, but once Harold’s mouth started, it wouldn’t stop, and he began to endlessly unfold stories of his past. 

In the end, for the rest of our half-day journey, we had to listen to Harold’s stories about his “Spear Master comrade from his war hero days.”

 

“…That’s how it was when we were struggling with insects at our jungle campsite. While my comrades and I couldn’t sleep night after night because of the flying insects, for some reason, Quarty didn’t even have a single small bite mark. Even then, he was already at the threshold of becoming a ‘Master,’ so he could be considered a skilled person no different from a Spear Master…”

“We’ve arrived, master.”

“…Hmm, I got carried away, and the story became a bit long. I’ll tell you the rest of the story another time.”

“Y-yes…!”

“It, it was an interesting story, master!”

“…It was truly an enlightening and invaluable story, Father.”

“I see. You must all be tired from the journey, so get some rest.”

 

With those words, Harold walked towards the faculty building with a strangely light expression.

Watching Harold disappear between the buildings, I quietly made a vow in my heart.

I would be an absolute fool to ever tell another joke in front of Harold, that non-stop talker, ever again.