Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Nina threw her gaze far away at Randel's spitting words, then looked back at him.
"I think you're mistaken. Duke Luvaine certainly has many shadows, but he doesn't share every whisper with me."
Nina turned her palms up and smiled.
"I don't know your personal affairs. Nor do I want to use them."
"How can I believe that?"
"That's true. If there's no basic trust, what's the point of all this? So, what exactly do you think I know?"
"...My glasses."
At his words, spat out as if chewing, Nina said, "Ah," looked at him, and smiled bitterly.
"You don't believe what I said back then."
"It's strange to act like that based on just that."
Nina asked, "Then what would make you believe me?" and Randel took out his Taluk.
His Taluk was now the size of a fist, unlike before.
He said,
"If you pass my magic, I'll believe you."
Just then, Jin appeared, sauntering near the entrance to the vegetable garden, and said,
"Nina, Young Master sent word that he's almost here—."
He flinched when he saw Randel with the Taluk. Nina stopped him as he reflexively drew his sword and rushed forward.
"Jin, don't come."
As Nina raised her hand to stop him, Jin barely managed to halt in his tracks. Jin said coolly,
"I will disobey any order to go far away."
"My deputy is quite bold in saying he'll disobey,"
Nina muttered, looking at Randel. He didn't even twitch an eyelash at Jin's appearance.
But Nina's heart grew impatient.
'Young Master is almost here!'
Nina grinned, and Randel, caught off guard by the smile, slightly opened his mouth.
"Since my Young Master is coming soon, we should hurry and finish this. Use that magic."
"...Are you sure?"
"Ah, of course, I know there's a possibility that Randel might pretend to use harmless magic and assassinate me while I'm defenseless... but I trust Randel."
It was a light tone, but the babbling content was anything but light.
Randel was dumbfounded. Jin, with his good hearing, understood Nina's story from quite a distance and shouted.
"No way! Don't be ridiculous! Just try laying a finger on Nina!"
Nina waved at Jin.
"It's okay, don't worry."
Randel, now utterly dumbfounded, activated the magic and said,
"You trust me so much that I almost want to torment you."
"Make me cry and beg?"
At her retort, Randel shut his mouth. She smiled and shook her head, saying, "What a terrible person."
As if dowsing, his Armillary sphere-Taluk slowly began to swing in a circle.
"Your palms."
At his words, Nina held out both palms. Randel swallowed the words that one hand would have been enough.
"Say anything."
"I love Young Master the most in the world."
At Nina's words, the Taluk drew a circle.
"Oh, that means it's true? Hmm, then. Nina La Dell is a man."
This time, it just swayed left and right, in a straight line.
"So there's magic like this. I am a Spirit mage. Correct. I am the cutest person in the world. No, it's correct! Even magic knows I'm cute."
Randel said with a very sullen expression, "That's because you believe so. Truth and falsehood are subjective propositions."
Jin barely resisted losing strength at Nina's Q&A.
"Then, Nina La Dell has never heard about Randel's personal affairs from Duke Luvaine."
The Taluk drew a circle.
"Nina La Dell has pried into Randel's personal affairs."
This time, it swayed left and right.
Nina looked at Randel. Randel was blankly looking at his Taluk. Nina smiled, closed her eyes, and said cheerfully.
"I'm sure I can still be good friends with Randel even after all this is over."
Circle.
Randel bit his lip.
"I am..."
"What are you doing?"
Nina opened her eyes wide at the voice.
Randel could see all the changes right in front of him.
Like throwing firewood into a dying bonfire, a bright light spread across her face, and the opened eyes were filled with joy, shining like the morning star.
"Young Master!!"
Leaving Randel behind, Nina ran straight to Adrian.
She ran right up to him, stopped slightly, and hugged him tightly.
"You're here? You came quickly. Jin just told me you were close."
"I just came a little faster on my own. There's something I need to talk about before the group arrives."
Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist. And he looked at Randel with a blatant gaze and asked.
"Who is he?"
Randel put away the Taluk.
He, too, unflinchingly looked back at Adrian.
Jin scratched his head and put away his sword.
"Commander."
He called Nina slyly.
Nina tried to break away from his arms, saying, "Oh, right, I have a guest," but Adrian didn't let her go.
"Young Master?"
"..."
Adrian quietly looked down at Nina, who had a puzzled expression.
"Close your eyes."
"?"
Even while puzzled, Nina obediently closed her eyes, and Adrian looked at her neat silver eyelashes before turning his gaze away and letting her go.
"So?"
At his words, Nina opened her eyes and quickly began to explain.
"This is Archsage Randel, who came from Bluestone Island to help with the research in the Violet Forest. This is Duke Louvaine."
"I know without being introduced."
Randel smiled and took out the glasses from his pocket and put them on.
'Come to think of it, even though he took off his glasses, his personality wasn't as bad as I thought. The novel's description was much worse.'
Since that description comes out when he meets Fiona, the original heroine, a few years from now, does that mean his personality will deteriorate in the meantime?
Nina thought that she shouldn't use the original work as a basis for understanding things.
'More than that, I thought he wore glasses because he hated his face, but it seems like there's another story behind it?'
If it was just that, he wouldn't be so angry.
Nina nudged Adrian. The host should take the initiative to introduce himself.
Adrian slightly raised his hand to his right chest and said.
"Adrian Lacan Louveaen."
"Randel."
"Randell-Shah."
At Adrian's call, Randel smiled faintly.
"That's what everyone called me when they sought wisdom on Bluestone Island. Randel is enough now, Duke Luvaine."
"It's true that I'm seeking wisdom from you now."
"What does 'Shah' mean?"
It was Randel who answered Nina's question faster than Adrian.
"It's an honorific attached to those who teach, Lady Nina."
"I see. Then that seems right."
Adrian grabbed her arm and said to Randel.
"I'm sorry, but I must excuse myself to quickly share a story with my close aides. Please forgive my rudeness."
Randel lowered his eyes slightly without a word. Nina said, "See you later," gave a light greeting, and followed Adrian out.
"What's wrong, Young Master. Hehe, Young Master. Young Master."
As Nina stood close to him, Adrian smiled faintly. Jin lightly grabbed the back of her neck, as if removing a cat, and separated her from him, saying.
"What were you going to say?"
Adrian answered concisely.
"He came together."
Jin frowned, looking confused, and Nina tilted her head.
"Who? Are you talking about Poco? Did you find Clairon? Did the negotiations go well? Well, that's why you came together. Huh? Then where are the others?"
Nina asked a series of questions, and Adrian answered them one by one.
"I found Clairon. The negotiations went well too. The others stayed at the last fortress. Clairon is the closest there."
"But you have to be careful of Bellac to mine Clairon."
"There were no Bellac around the mine. Only the road to and from needs escort."
"Really?"
"Yes. The aura of Clairon kept Bellac from getting close."
"That's amazing."
Nina smiled contentedly.
"Still, it's nice to think that you're making weapons with it."
"It seems like it will take quite a while. There's a recipe, but no one has actually made it."
"Ah... well, they'll have a hard time."
Ordinary firepower couldn't melt iron. To increase firepower, the Transparent fruit that Nina discovered was needed.
"Then isn't Poco the main force? Why did he come?"
"To get the necessary equipment. And it's more advantageous for us to separate Poco from the artisans."
"I understand."
Nina nodded deeply and slyly looked up at him. As she tiptoed closer to him, Adrian lowered his head.
"Why?"
His hair was close enough to lightly touch her forehead.
"But is that what you came running all this way alone to tell me?"
