My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 150
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Side Story 3
I reread the letter, becoming more confused as to how I should understand this.
But from what I've learnt from you, Skyla, a crime is when you break the law and get caught, so if you don't get caught, it's not a crime, is it?
Uh. I think I might need to pause and think for a bit…. This is such a huge leap of logic. and the rest of Lancer’s letter somehow gets worse.
So I'm going to commit a crime for you, quietly and without anyone knowing.
I wonder, what goes on inside his head?
So don't worry too much if I don't show up for a few days. I'm doing this for your necklace. With that necklace, I'll show you my love.
What? What kind of necklace is he going to get? Is he going to the mine to dig for gemstones himself?
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on its end. Impatient, I skim to the end of the letter.
Your eyes are red, so I'm sure it’ll look good on you. I hope you like it.
I'll see you in a few days!
Lancer, Skyla's favourite.
His letter ends with a dot where the ink has barely dried.
Godd*mnit, Lancer.
I grunt to myself, clutching my freshly washed, damp hair.
What the hell is this guy up to?
* * *
I went to see Lancer as soon as the gates of the Soli Duchy opened, but when I arrived, he was already missing.
“The youngest master has been out since this morning.”
“Where did he go?”
“That… we do not know.”
“You don’t know? Surely, there must be a coachman pulling the carriage?”
“My lady, as you know, the youngest master does not travel in a carriage.”
“....”
I can only sigh. Does Lancer have some sort of disease that’ll kill him if he doesn’t use teleportation magic?
Calming myself down, I turn back to the butler. “And what of Brother Hubert?”
“The second master has already departed for the palace….”
It was only yesterday that Hubert arrived home for Rachel and Austin’s wedding, yet he’s already gone to the Imperial Knights when the sun rises.
F*ck. What should I do? Should I head for the Imperial Knights?
I hesitate, and then shake my head. The knights are expected to devote all their time to training, so they can’t be easily contacted by outsiders unless there’s an emergency. If I contact Hubert without a good reason, he’ll only get in trouble.
I guess my final option is to go back home. Just as I was about to tell Ticef to turn the carriage around, I heard a voice in the distance.
“Oh, Skyla!”
I turn to see a familiar face. “Duchess Soli?”
“I thought I recognised your carriage from somewhere, turns out it was you!” She grins, pleased to see me. Raising three sons all her life, at some point in my childhood, she began to treat me as if I was the daughter she never had. “What are you doing out here? Would you like to come in?”
“I was looking for Lancer and Brother Hubert. I didn’t want to bother the mansion much more.”
She nods. “I see. Hubert has already returned to the Imperial Knights, and Lancer is on a mission to obtain a necklace for you— Oh, dear! I was not supposed to say that.”
She covers her mouth with one hand and giggles. Whatever it is, she seems happy Lancer is out there getting a necklace for me.
I glance at her, albeit a little puzzled. I supposed it’s only obvious she’d be pleased, after all her youngest son has grown enough to get a gift for his lover.
“Did Lancer tell you where he was going, Duchess?”
“That’s a secret.”
“He's not going somewhere dangerous, is he?”
“Well, he's an archmage, so he can't be in danger.”
“No, I'm not asking about Lancer like that, I'm asking if he's gone somewhere where he could be in danger.”
“Oh, my, Skyla, you’ve grown up a lot too in the time I haven’t seen you!” She chuckles. I still don’t understand why.
I try again. “Lancer… he’s not doing anything illegal, is he?”
“Skyla, Lancer wouldn't kill an ant, and you know it.”
“But what about the possibility of him doing something out of the ordinary?”
“Of course not, hoho!” The Duchess has no idea what I’m trying to convey. It's times like this that I miss being able to hear people's thoughts.
On several occasions since then, I have tried to find out from the Duchess about the whereabouts of Lancer, but she has managed to thwart all my inquiries with remarkable skill. I eventually return to the Kaerun Duchy without success.
As I enter the mansion, I bump into my parents, who are playing hide-and-seek with each other.
“Where have you been, my dearest daughter?”
“Travelling.” Still a little upset about yesterday's events, I give a blunt answer.
“You didn't go to the imperial palace, did you?”
“No.”
“Phew!”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
Hmm? What is this reaction?
“What are you relieved about?’ I ask, frowning slightly.
“Daddy and Mommy thought you broke into the palace since they wouldn’t give you a marriage licence.”
Oh, that's a good idea. I guess busting into the imperial palace and kicking ass wouldn't be so bad.
“Thanks for the helpful suggestion, I'll definitely implement it.”
“No, dear, that's not a suggestion!”
“Then why did you give me such a good idea in the first place?” With that, I walk past them and head towards my room.
I read and reread Lancer’s letter to me. Later, when I’ve read it so many times that I begin to memorise it by heart, I put it down and decide to take a break.
I should just study. Nothing works better than studying to clear my head. I grab a recently published academic book from the library and start reading. The day passes by just like that. Without Lancer.
Where the hell is he? I haven’t seen him for a day, yet it feels so, so unbearably lonely. I want to see him as soon as possible.
I head to bed earlier than usual.
After that, two days pass by.
* * *
I no longer travel to the Soli Duchy of Soli in search of Lancer. I thought there was no need to go looking for him as he would come to me when he returned.
Time passes as I wait. Then, on the third day of his disappearance, I’m lying in bed sleeping, going on about my daily life.
Thump, thump!
A knock comes through my window. It sounds like someone tapping on the glass. What’s going on at this hour? I rise, rub my eyes, and switch on the light.
Could it be… Lancer?
With hope, I go straight to the window and draw the curtains.
And my eyes are met by a sparrow. A sparrow, to be precise, perched on the window sill, pecking eagerly at the window with its tiny beak.
Why would a sparrow be here? It’s too deep into the night. I rub my eyes again, wondering if I’m seeing things. But the sparrow sees me and starts chirping. Strangely, it doesn’t seem scared of me. Is it asking for food?
After a while, the sparrow doesn’t leave its perch, so I creep open the window. I think about bringing it inside and feeding it cookie crumbs.
But only for a moment.
Boom!
A sharp gust of wind hit the window.Something sharp flashes across my vision and disappears just as fast.
Dumbfounded by the sudden series of actions, I can only stand there. What the hell is going on?
Something flutters past my window and soars off into the distance.
An owl?
Golden eyes, glowing menacingly. Wings flapping wildly against the moonlight. The owl flies past my window frame, something wriggling beneath its talons.
That's the sparrow!
I immediately fling the window open. “Let the sparrow go!”
I have a weakness for cute things. Even though the owl has to eat, I still want to save the sparrow. In a rush, I threw anything I could get my hands on at the owl.
The sparrow, flapping wildly in the owl's grasp, calms down. At the same time, the black shadow as its fur deepens in colour and smears like paint on a canvas.
The sparrow changed shape in an instant. It transformed into a puff of smoke, then into something fluffy.
The owl, startled as much as I was, unclenched its talons. The fluffy thing that had fallen from beneath the owl lunged for the window I was in.
Thud!
Startled, I stumble back, my eyes widening.
A squirrel has landed at my feet.
My brain cannot process this. What the f*ck.
“Hello, Princess!” Suddenly, the squirrel waves at me.
I flinch. There is only one talking squirrel I know of in this world. “...Prince Cade?”
“You recognised me this time. Is my cuteness unforgettable?” The talking squirrel wags his tail proudly. I can tell by the way he chirps. This is Prince Cade. I'm starting to get a little dizzy.
“Wow, Prince… just, what? Huh? Oh, God. What are you doing here? How did you even… huh.”
The squirrel spreads his arms. “You know, squirrels have a slow terminal velocity because they're lighter and can spread their body out, so they don't get hurt as easily when they fall?”
“I;.. don't know about that, but I do know that a squirrel weighs as much as a squirrel.”
“You are wise, Princess. That's an idea I've never thought of before.” The squirrel quickly transforms into a human. Prince Cade is once again dressed in his robes, unlike the ones he’s worn at the wedding earlier in the day. Various gems glitter in the moonlight.
“Anyway, are you ready?” He asks me, his true form back in full view.
I blink and stare at the invader of my room. “Ready for what?”
“I'm going to kidnap you, Princess.”
Huh?