Chapter 041. Stone of Truth (3)

"Ah! It seems you wake up early in the morning?"

"What brings you here at this hour?"

"I'm about to leave the academy. My Minister of Internal Affairs has been quite persistent."

Veris nodded at the explanation from the visiting Crown Prince, Friedrich.

It was hard to understand why the second-in-command of the empire had come to the academy and why he had challenged Veris to a duel. However, he subtly seemed to be trying to connect Veris and Maria.

To think that after all those events of the past few days, he was now returning. Truly, he displayed the demeanor of a successor entrusted with the internal affairs of the empire by the Emperor.

"And I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The Magic Tower and the academy have been at odds lately. Of course, the cause is the royal family, but the matter has already slipped from our hands."

"...."

Veris could roughly understand what the Crown Prince was trying to say. Thanks to having already heard about the Stone of Truth from the Dean.

"It simply means to take care of yourself. If something happens to you, there will be quite a few people who will be saddened."

Friedrich spoke in a subtle tone. For some reason, Maria, who stood beside him, flinched, but Veris answered without concern.

"I wish for Your Highness the Crown Prince to be well."

Friedrich nodded with a hearty laugh at Veris's response, which resembled that of a proper noble. After exchanging a few more words, the Crown Prince departed.

Indeed, he was a person as fleeting as the wind, both in arrival and departure.

* * *

"Pollock for a thousand copper! Cheap!"

"Beautiful lady, how about some sweet cake?"

Beatrice, who had just gotten off at the bus stop, entered the southern part of the city, the commercial district. Since her younger brother, whom she had promised to meet, was nowhere to be seen, she thought of exploring the city.

Indeed, the bustling scene contradicted the opinions of the academy's mages, who claimed the Magic Tower was dull and rural.

Beatrice felt a sense of wonder at the various people shouting promotional lines here and there.

"...."

Then, there was a street vendor that made Beatrice stop in her tracks.

In fact, calling it a street stall was almost pitiful; it was merely a few shabby wooden chairs thrown together, where a middle-aged man had carelessly spread out paintings, drawing paper, paints, and brushes.

"Hmm? A customer?"

"...No."

"How dull. I'll give you a good price, so feel free to look around."

Beatrice nodded. The culprit that had halted her indifferent steps was a portrait hanging at the stall.

It depicted a scene so beautifully cowardly that it seemed almost unreal on the white paper.

Warm sunlight pouring down from the sky, birds chirping and flying, children with pleasant smiles on their faces, and among them, a girl with green hair wearing a benevolent smile.

[ The Faith of Saintess Cecilia ]

The name and description of the painting seemed to exude a hint of arrogance.

The beautiful painting's subject was the girl whom her younger brother Gunther had warned about in his letters every day. Saintess Cecilia. According to Gunther, she was Beatrice's rival.

However, as she gazed at this painting, she found it impossible to feel any animosity. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that Beatrice had never felt any competitive spirit towards the Saintess from the beginning.

What a beautiful painting. Beatrice thought it was far beyond the level of a mere street vendor's artwork and slowly turned her head to admire the other paintings at the stall.

Soon, her gaze landed on another piece.

[ The Path of the Sword Pursued by Gunther ]

Ironically, the subject of this painting shared the same name as her only younger brother. With a single-minded determination to become a true man and bond with Veris as brothers, Gunther had become known as a genius swordsman of the empire.

As Beatrice took a step closer, she soon discovered another painting of a girl.

[ Peace ]

"...."

Beatrice had admired the paintings of Saintess Cecilia and her brother Gunther. However, she could only let out a faint gasp at the next painting she saw.

The name "Peace" depicted an awkward scene.

The first figure was a man with blue hair and red eyes. Surrounding him were well-known figures among the students.

Elf swordsman Arwen, Saintess Cecilia, a freckled girl with brown hair whom she had never seen before, and finally, Gunther.

The emotions of the people in the painting were expressed in intricate detail. Truly, it was an outstanding skill.

"What do you think? That's my latest masterpiece."

"Amazing."

"Hehe. A simple yet satisfying evaluation."

Beatrice, who had already received criticism for being emotionally dead, felt an odd sensation due to the mysterious atmosphere of the painting.

"...What is this situation?"

Beatrice, who casually spoke to the much older painter, was met with his silent acknowledgment of her words.

"It's an interesting scene. I heard that a group of students cleared a dungeon this year."

"...."

"These are the members of that group: Arwen, Cecilia, Gunther, Mari, and Veris. Quite a unique combination, isn't it?"

Beatrice was surprised to hear an unexpected name. Could it be that the person in the painting, who bore a striking resemblance to someone she had seen in the past, was Veris?

"Isn't it fascinating? They say this painting was made after seeing them emerge from the dungeon entrance, and the person at the center of it all is this one, Veris von Vitelbach, a B-Class student. I've heard he was also involved in resolving the dormitory incident."

The painter pointed with his finger at one person. Beatrice, who had been quietly observing him, nodded.

What a curious thing. Even in her childhood memories, he had been so mature that she could hardly believe he was the same age as her, and it seemed that trait had continued to this day.

"You seem like a traveler, so if you ever want to buy a painting, just let me know. I don't usually charge high prices for my hobby."

The painter burst into a hearty laugh. Regardless, Beatrice continued to gaze quietly at the painting titled "Peace."

Art is indeed a peculiar existence. Just by taking it in with her eyes, it evoked emotions that were hard to articulate.

"Sister!"

"...Huh?"

At that moment, a loud voice echoed from afar, causing the painter to turn his head.

Following his gaze, Beatrice found the source of the familiar voice and answered the painter as she stepped forward.

"I am a traveler, indeed. But I don't want to buy a painting."

"Gunther... Haruen?"

The painter's dazed gaze fell on Gunther, then returned to Beatrice.

How many people in this world could be called by the name of the genius swordsman of the empire, Gunther, as "sister"?

That meant the identity of the woman with the cold expression in front of him was his sister.

"Could it be you?"

As Beatrice quietly walked away and Gunther approached from a distance, the painter finally realized the identity of the person he had been conversing with.

Beatrice von Haruen.

A woman who was expected to become an archmage in the near future.

* * *

"I told you not to wander around alone."

"Why?"

"Because you don't know anything about the world!"

Beatrice turned her head away at Gunther's outburst.

When they were younger, she had followed him around, calling him "brother," but now that he had grown, there was not a trace of that cuteness left.

"I want to meet someone."

"...Who?"

Gunther, who had once spoken to her with honorifics, now spoke casually, having grown taller. However, Beatrice, who understood that this was the influence of adolescence she had read about in a dictionary, didn't scold him.

"I want to meet Veris."

"W-What! Has sister finally made up her mind?"

Beatrice tilted her head at Gunther's exuberant back, wondering what on earth made him so happy.

"...Why do you like him?"

"Well, if you and my brother get together, then you and I will be related by blood! You know how much I respect him, right?"

Indeed, Gunther had idolized Veris since he was a little kid. But....

"Anyway, he doesn't have any feelings left for me."

Gunther fell silent at Beatrice's sudden response.

She had shown an excessive talent for magic since childhood. Now, it was said that her heightened mana sensitivity had turned toxic, altering her personality, and it felt like that state was worsening.

"Feelings develop when you spend time together."

But the sad truth was that Gunther was a person who had no sensitivity whatsoever, a man whose brain was practically filled with muscle.

"Once you get married and share a bed, you'll be living together whether you like it or not."

He was also a man who wore the guise of a tough guy, devoid of even a speck of affection in relationships.

* * *

"So, what is this?"

Veris, who caught the two women sneaking out of the room like a thief, held out a stone.

"Oh, that's the Stone of Truth."

"...Indeed it is."

At that moment, Veris thought how well they matched. He never imagined that these audacious two would hatch such a plan. Of course, the plan had gone awry, and it was Veris who had enjoyed the fun, but some form of punishment was warranted.

"What kind of punishment should I impose...."

As Veris trailed off, the two looked on in shock. They probably never imagined their plan would end up so futile.

"Ugh, how foolish."

Cecilia felt utterly humiliated by the situation.

She was revered as a Saintess across the entire continent. Yet here she was, having secretly entered the room of a man she wasn't even married to, only to fail in her endeavor and get caught.

Moreover, the even sadder fact was that, aside from failing the plan, she had also overslept beside her target after a long time.

Arwen felt the same way. Although they were both students of the same academy, they maintained a clear master-servant relationship, with Veris as the master and Arwen as the servant.

Yet, to sneak into her master's room and sleep there? That was a disqualification for a servant.

"By the way."

As they awaited the impending judgment, the two looked at Veris with tense expressions. After a long pause, he finally spoke in a calm tone.

"Did you sleep well?"

"...Yes."

"Indeed. I usually have trouble sleeping, but last night I slept soundly."

Veris nodded.

Among the ailments that humans experience, there is such a thing as insomnia. For Veris, who spread mana with the properties of sleep and fell into a deep slumber, it was a fact he had forgotten.

"Hmm."

As he thought that far, Veris began to feel a sense of guilt.

Cecilia struggled at the church, and Arwen at the mansion. Of course, there was also the studying that came with their status as academy students.

Thus, they were living lives close to chronic fatigue. So what would be the most effective way for Veris to relieve that?

"Ah!"

Veris exclaimed in realization. They could just sleep together. How had he not thought of such an easy solution!

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