Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-Seven: Friend Introduction
“Julius! And Miss Karen, the B-rank alchemist!”
The one who called out was an unfamiliar young noble. However, Karen also felt like she had seen him earlier. Looking closely, he was the person who had asked Helfried a question about the solid panacea Karen had made.
Karen straightened her back. Having become a B-rank alchemist, she had gained the right to converse with nobles on somewhat equal terms. However, she was only permitted to act as an equal with middle-ranking nobles at most.
Even among lower-ranking nobles, she had to be careful with lords holding titles or their successors.
She had been warned by the etiquette teacher that Alise had arranged for her to be careful in her conduct when dealing with titled middle-ranking nobles or their heirs, even if they lacked land. With second sons and beyond of middle-ranking noble families—say, an earl’s daughter—a certain degree of rudeness was tolerated.
But if the opponent was a high-ranking noble, Karen had to pay sufficient attention to her behavior.
The man with light brown hair down to his shoulders smiled and fixed his gaze on Karen, grinning broadly.
Seeing that he seemed to know Julius, that earlier question was—
“I apologize for my rude question about your potion earlier. Panaceas are so rare that many people who don’t need them don’t even know what kind of magical medicine they are. Unlike materials like pelt that can be processed into protective gear, or claws, fangs, and scales that can be processed into weapons and equipment.”
The young man glanced toward Helfried. Looking over, a large crowd was swarming around Helfried near the rewards.
“My question served as a catalyst, and now questions are flooding Earl Ehlertt. Once everyone properly understands what panaceas are, they’ll all be chomping at the bit even for the third-place reward. The earl suggested your relationship with the B-rank adventurers, and it should have become harder for even those who originally knew the value of panaceas to try anything strange with you.”
Saying that, he winked at Karen.
As she suspected, that question had been planted.
When Karen looked around at his words, there were several nobles watching her closely. Hidden among the jealous gazes related to Julius, she hadn’t noticed, but there were probably nobles who knew the value of the panaceas Karen made.
“In the bustle of the hunting festival, someone might foolishly think no one would notice if a single alchemist disappeared.”
Saying that, his expression clouded for just a moment, but the shadow quickly disappeared.
“Even so, it’s my first time meeting you, Miss Karen. Julius just wouldn’t let me meet you!”
Speaking cheerfully, he took Karen’s hand and tried to kiss it.
Julius slapped his hand away so forcefully that it made a sound, and Karen was taken aback.
Julius inserted himself between Karen and him and said:
“I permitted you to greet Karen because you said you wanted to, but I told you to stop with the frivolous attitude, didn’t I? Licht.”
“It’s just a greeting to a lady, Julius. It’s manners.”
“Even if it’s manners, what’s unpleasant is unpleasant.”
“Isn’t calling it unpleasant a bit harsh?”
Karen had never seen anyone exchange words with Julius so casually.
As Karen stood there dumbfounded, Licht turned to her.
“If a noble who greets every woman with a kiss were to skip you alone, you’d feel bad too, wouldn’t you?”
“Well… that’s certainly true.”
As Karen nodded, thinking that would indeed be an unpleasant attitude, Julius held his head.
“Karen, don’t be deceived by this man’s frivolity.”
“How rude to call me frivolous. I’m simply making an effort to get to know women I think are promising when I meet them, in order to find my destined woman.”
“Karen is not your destiny.”
“I know that! Julius, your face is scary.”
As Licht pointed that out in an airy tone, Julius covered his face with his hand and let out a deep sigh.
“He’s this kind of man, you see… I didn’t want to introduce him to you, Karen.”
“But I’m Julius’s one and only best friend! If you’re getting married, you have to let me meet her.”
“Best friend or not, it’s true I knew I’d have to introduce you eventually.”
“’Or not’ is such a cold thing to say!”
“You’re a friend of Mr. Julius!”
When Karen said this with sparkling eyes, Licht grinned.
“Let me introduce myself properly. Julius’s best friend, Licht Zenkel. Nice to meet you, Miss Karen.”
“He’s the next head of the Zenkel Earldom and has a territory with a dungeon, Karen.”
Since Karen still couldn’t identify nobles by name alone, Julius explained it to her.
“It’s a small territory, though.”
“Small territory?”
“If the dungeon within a territory has only been cleared up to the tenth floor, the range of its influence remains limited, resulting in a smaller land. Such territories are referred to as small territories.”
In other words, he was someone whose status required careful handling.
However, rather than going for a kiss, he extended his hand in a friendly gesture.
Julius watched Licht with a somewhat displeased expression, but since he allowed it, Karen—who trusted Julius—had no reason to hesitate.
She smiled and shook his hand in return.
“I’m Karen, a B-rank alchemist. There’s no need to address me with ‘Miss’—please just call me Karen!”
“Oh, really? In that case, just call me Licht!”
“Yes, Master Licht!”
“You can drop the formality, Karen. If you’re Julius’s fiancée, you’re as good as my best friend too.”
“Hey, Licht—”
“Julius, stop glaring!”
Licht laughed as he slung an arm around Julius’s shoulders. Seeing Licht joking around with Julius, who had a fed-up expression, Karen blinked, feeling dazzled. She had never seen Julius with such an expression. Surely, he was someone Julius could trust from the bottom of his heart. Julius had introduced Karen to such a person.
He had revealed the weaknesses he had hidden for so long and had begun expressing his emotions much more honestly. Forced into nobility against his will, Julius had spent his life striving to act like a proper noble since childhood just to survive. And yet, he had been able to cast aside the customs he had clung to. As a result of not properly and politely accepting handkerchiefs, it was Karen who got glared at, though.
At any rate, the distance between Karen and Julius had grown much closer. Heading toward the New Year Festival engagement, she felt their hearts were in greater harmony than ever.
Realizing that problems were being solved one by one and they were progressing toward a smooth sailing future, Karen smiled. Noticing Karen like that, Licht narrowed his eyes while being put in a headlock by Julius.
“I’m counting on you to take care of Julius—ow ow ow ow ow!”
“That’s not for you to say. It’s about time we go.”
“You didn’t have to introduce us right before the hunting festival started. I wanted to talk more with Karen.”
“That’s exactly why I chose this timing.”
They seemed to have a very casual relationship.
Giving up on Licht, who kept grinning despite being roughed up, Julius sighed in resignation and looked toward Karen.
When he gazed at her, those golden eyes melted sweetly. Now, surely, the secrets Julius had been hiding from Karen were gone. Karen felt that instinctively.
“I will dedicate to you the crown of the hunting festival queen, Karen.”
“That’s what it’s called when the festival’s winner dedicates their prize to the woman they admire. Though I’ll be the one winning. Unlike you, who were flirting with Karen, I don’t have a fiancée, so I’ve been training the whole time, you know?”
“They often say having someone you love makes you stronger, don’t they? I’ll prove that right here and now.”
“To think you’d start saying things like that.”
Licht laughed teasingly, and Julius smacked him.
It felt like she had taken another step toward a completely fulfilling marriage.
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