「Hei, aku sudah menghentikannya. Kukatakan padanya tidak sopan mengganggu pasangan muda yang makan sendirian, jadi sebaiknya kita menjauh, tapi bocah itu tidak mau mendengarkan. Maaf sekali.」
Charles, pemuda berambut biru yang menemani Leon, berbicara tergesa-gesa.
Segala yang dikenakan Leon dan Charles—kemeja, celana, syal, kancing, bahkan pedang di pinggang mereka—terlihat sangat mewah. Namun, karena mereka seharusnya bersamar, barang-barang ini mungkin lebih murah dari yang biasa mereka pakai.
Leon, yang mengaku anak ketiga seorang ksatria, menggaruk pipi tak berdaya mendengar penjelasan Charles. Dia memang telah mengganggu pasangan kekasih, dan kelihatannya dia sadar telah bertindak tak santun. Mungkin aku tidak bisa menolak jika dia memanggilku nanti, tapi sebenarnya tidak perlu dia memanggilku sekarang.
「Charles benar. Faktanya, aku sempat menonton Turnamen Sihir tahun ini dan menyaksikan kemenanganmu. Aku terlalu bersemangat, merasa beruntung bertemu denganmu saat baru datang makan, lalu memanggilmu begitu saja tanpa pertimbangan. Maafkan aku.」
Jika kata Leon jujur, berarti aku tidak diawasi. Pertemuan ini murni kebetulan. Leon tidak terlihat berbohong, atau paling tidak dia tidak bohong yang jelek kalau dia menyembunyikan kebenaran. Jadi aku putuskan mempercayai pernyataannya.
「Terima kasih atas pujianmu, meski ini tiba-tiba. Mungkin tidak perlu aku perkenalkan diri, tapi para wanita ini mungkin butuh perkenalan singkat.」
Saat aku bergerak memperkenalkan Selina dan yang lain kepada keduanya—yang jelas menggunakan nama samaran—Charles menggosokkan tangannya dan wajahnya berseri-seri.
Fumu, kupikir, dia mempertahankan citra pria ringan. Leon tidak akan punya bawahan seperti itu.
「Oh, itu bagus. Aku tidak bisa melihat wajah wanita bergaun putih, tapi yang lain bersinar menakjubkan seperti permata. Silakan beri tahu nama kalian.」
Dalam ingatanku, aku belum pernah bertemu pria seperti ini, dan cukup baru mengamatinya. Selina dan yang lain yang ada di arena Turnamen Sihir jelas terkejut melihat pemuda-pemuda ini tiba-tiba berbicara dengan mereka. Berbeda dengan Selina yang kaget, Diodora dan Dramina hanya agak terkejut.
「Ini makhluk pendampingku, Selina. Yang berkerudung juga makhluk pendampingku, Dramina. Yang berdandan mawar hitam adalah Diodora, pengajar di Akademi Sihir Galois.」
「Makhluk pendamping? Tapi makhluk pendampingmu… Tunggu, apakah itu sihir transformasi?」
Leon dan Charles mungkin sudah melihat hasil akademikku di Akademi Sihir, jadi tidak aneh kalau mereka tahu makhluk pendampingku adalah Lamia. Itu juga alasan mereka kaget melihat Senia, seekor Lamia, berpenampilan manusia. Fakta mereka menebak alasan itu menghemat penjelasanku.
「Benar. Aku tidak ingin menimbulkan keributan di Ibu Kota. Ngomong-ngomong, Tuan Leon, aku tidak akan dikejar Ksatria Ibu Kota kalau bicara denganmu, kan?」
Risiko besar hal itu terjadi jika Leon keluar istana tanpa memberitahu siapapun kecuali Charles. Tapi dari kelihatannya, ini bukan kali pertama mereka menyelinap, dan Ksatria mungkin sudah biasa.
Aku tidak menyinggug identitas Leon dan Charles lebih dalam, meski jelas aku sudah diam-diam menebak dan tidak ingin terlibat urusan yang tidak perlu. Leon hanya menjawab dengan senyum ramah.
「Tidak usah khawatir. Masalahnya kalau aku malam minggat, tapi mengajakmu keliling Ibu Kota bukan urusan sulit.」
「Kelihatannya kamu sudah sering begini. Kamu sering jalan-jalan seperti ini?」
Leon hanya menjawab dengan tawa pendek, menjelaskan bahwa menyelinap adalah hal biasa baginya. Paling tidak, dia meninggalkan kesan lebih baik dari penguasa yang gagal mengamati kehidupan rakyat dan hanya mengandai kabar dari orang-orang di sekitarnya.
「Kamu selalu biarin dia saja?」
「Aku tidak, tapi aku tutup mata untuk banyak hal.」
Menjawab pertanyaanku, Charles mengalihkan pandangan dengan gerak aneh—seolah bersalah atas sesuatu. Mungkin dia mendapat imbalan semacamnya untuk menemani Leon jalan-jalan.
Seorang penguasa yang adaptif dan serius dengan bawahan yang ringan dan cerdik. Keduanya terlihat pasangan saling melengkapi kelemahan masing-masing.
「Kelihatannya aku tahu hal tak terduga, meski ini bukan urusan yang bisa aku campuri. Pertemuan kita semacam takdir, ya? Kalau begitu, aku terima tawaranmu dan minta kalian berdua memandu aku keliling Ibu Kota.」
Kekecewaan kehilangan kesempatan menghabiskan waktu sendirian dengan Selina dan yang lain melonjak, tapi ini juga kesempatan langka mengenal bangsawan seperti mereka. Karena sudah jadi begini, sebaiknya dimanfaatkan sebaik-baiknya.
「Yah, serahkan padaku. Aku janji buat ini pengalaman membuka mata. Lagipula, biar aku bayar makanmu karena rasa penasaran mengganggu waktu kalian berdua.」
Kedermawanan seperti itu. Meski dana kerajaan dan dana keluarga kerajaan terpisah, uang di dompet Leon mungkin berasal dari pajak wilayahnya, dividen asosiasi pedagang, dan sebagainya.
Yah, Leon mengaku anak ketiga ksatria, tidak berkaitan dengan keluarga kerajaan. Kalau begitu, aku tidak perlu merasa bersalah membelanjakan uang pajak walau Leon yang bayar.
「Kalau dia yang traktir, aku pesan dessert juga.」
Aku buang segala kesopanan dan menatap menu. Saat itu juga, Selina ikut buang kesopanan dan memesan hidangan tanpa henti. Seperti ingin mengeluarkan kemarahan.
「Yah, aku mau ini dan ini dan ini… 」
「Selina, kalau makan terlalu banyak perutmu akan buncit. Apakah ini semua penuh gula dan mentega? Kamu sudah berbaik hati, tapi aku sudah kenyang. Aku terima kebaikanmu di hati saja.」
「Aku setuju dengan Diodora. Dran dan Selina sudah pesan banyak. Melihat hidangan itu saja sudah bikin aku kenyang.」
Karena sifat Diodora dan Dramina, mereka tidak memesan tambahan. Sebaliknya, Selina dan aku menelusuri menu dan memesan item demi item tanpa niat menahan diri sedikitpun.
Leon tidak menyangka pesanan sebesar itu saat menawarkan membayar. Akhirnya dia hanya melebarkan mata sedikit dan tertawa kecut.
「Semangat seperti ini memang menyegarkan.」
「Aku rasa terlalu sopan juga tidak sopan.」
Jelas Charles dan aku sekarang imbang karena dikompensasi gangguan waktu kita berdua. Sulit bilang apakah panduan keliling Ibu Kota tak terduga ini untung atau malah rugi.
Semoga tergantung usaha kita. Aku memandang pemuda yang menatap isi dompetnya dan merasa sedikit khawatir.
「Hey, I stopped him. I told him it wasn’t nice to interrupt a young couple eating privately, so we’d better stay away, but the young master just didn’t listen. I’m really sorry.」
Charles, a young man with blue hair accompanying Leon, rambled on hurriedly.
Everything Leon and Charles were donned in—shirts, pants, scarves, buttons, and even the sword at their waists—were strikingly luxurious. Yet, since they were supposed to be in disguise, these were probably cheaper items than their usual ones.
Leon, who claimed to be the third son of a knight, scratched his cheek speechlessly at Charles’s explanation. He had indeed interrupted some lovers, and he seemed to realize that he had done something tactless. I probably could not refuse him even if he summoned me later, but there was really no need for him to call out to me now.
「Charles is right. In fact, I managed to watch this year’s Magic Tournament and witnessed your victories. I was too excited, thinking that I was lucky to bump into you just as I came to have a meal, and called out to you so inconsiderately. My apologies.」
If Leon’s words were to be trusted, that meant that I was not being watched. Rather, this encounter was sheer coincidence. Leon did not seem like he was lying, or at least he was not a bad liar even if he was hiding the truth. Hence, I decided to believe his statement.
「Thank you for your praise, though this is rather abrupt. There’s probably no need for me to introduce myself, but these ladies might need a little introduction.」
When I moved to introduce Selina and the rest to these two who had clearly offered pseudonyms, Charles rubbed his hands and his face lit up in delight.
Fumu, I mused, seems like he’s keeping up with the image of being a frivolous fella. Leon wouldn’t have such a subordinate.
「Oh, that’ll be great. I can’t see the face of the lady in the white dress, though the rest certainly shine astoundingly like gems. Please share your names with us.」
In my memory, I had never encountered such a man before, and it was rather novel to watch. As for Selina and the rest who were at the Magic Tournament arena, they were evidently startled to see these young men speak to them out of the blue. Unlike Selina who was taken aback, Diodora and Dramina were merely mildly surprised.
「This is my familiar, Selina. The one in the veil is also my familiar, Dramina. As for the one in black roses, she’s Diodora who teaches at Galois Magic Academy.」
「Familiars? But your familiars are… Wait, is it transformation magic?」
Leon and Charles had probably browsed my academic results from the Magic Academy, so it was no surprise that they would know about my familiar being a Lamia. That was also the reason they were alarmed to see that Senia, a Lamia, appearing as a human. The fact that they figured out the reason for this saved me the trouble of explaining further.
「That’s right. I don’t want to cause a fuss in the Royal City. By the way, Mr. Leon, I won’t be pursued by Knights of the Royal City if I speak with you, will I?」
There was a great risk of such a situation if Leon had wandered out of the castle without telling anyone except Charles. However, from the looks of things, this was probably not their first time sneaking out, and the Knights were likely used to it.
I did not pry further into the identities of Leon and Charles, though it was clear I had already figured things out silently and had no desire to be embroiled in unnecessary trouble. Leon simply offered me a friendly smile and answered me.
「That won’t be a worry. It’ll be a problem if I stay out all night, but it’s no hassle to show you around the Royal City.」
「Seems like you’ve done this quite often. Do you wander the streets like this frequently?」
Leon simply dismissed my question with a chortle, making it clear that sneaking out was a usual occurrence for him. At the very least, he left me with an impression that he was better than a ruler who failed to observe his people’s lifestyles and only relied on hearsay from those around him.
「Do you always let him have his way?」
「I don’t, but I do close an eye to many things.」
In response to my query, Charles averted his glance with an odd gesture—one that made it seem like he was guilty about something. Perhaps he was receiving rewards of some sort for accompanying Leon on these trips.
An adaptable and serious ruler with a frivolous and quick-witted subordinate. These two seemed like a complementary pair that made up for each other’s shortcomings.
「Seems like I learned something unexpected, though this isn’t an issue I can intervene in. Our meeting is some sort of fate, isn’t it? In that case, I’ll take up your offer and rely on you two to show me around the Royal City.」
The disappointment at losing the chance to spend time with Selina and the rest alone surged within me, but this was also a rare chance for me to get to know such nobility. Since we had already wound up in this situation, it was best to make full use of it.
「Well, leave it to me. I promise to make this an eye-opening affair. Besides, let me pay for your meal since my curiosity disrupted your time together.」
Such generosity. Even though the kingdom’s funds and the royal family’s funds were separated, the money in Leon’s purse probably came from the taxes of his territories, dividends from the merchants association, and the such.
Well, Leon was supposed to be the third son of a knight, completely unrelated to the royal family. In that case, I should not be feeling any guilt for wasting taxpayers’ money even if Leon was paying.
「If it’s your treat, I’ll get some desserts too.」
I threw all politeness out the window and looked down at the menu. The moment I did so, Selina dropped all courtesy as well and started ordering dishes endlessly. Though, she seemed like she was doing this partly to vent her anger.
「Well, I want this and this and this…」
「Selina, if you eat too much, your belly will bulge. Aren’t these all packed with sugar and butter? You’ve extended your graciousness, but I’m already full. I’ll just accept your kindness in thought.」
「I share Diodora’s sentiments. Dran and Selina have already ordered that much. Looking at those dishes is enough to make me full.」
Due to the nature of Diodora and Dramina, they did not place additional orders. On the other hand, Selina and I browsed through the menu and ordered item after item without the slightest intention of holding back.
As for Leon, he had not expected such a large order when he had offered to pay. In the end, he could only widen his eyes slightly and let out a bitter laugh.
「Such eagerness sure is refreshing.」
「I do think being too courteous is also rude.」
It was clear that Charles and I were even now that we were compensated for the disruption of our tryst. Furthermore, it was hard to tell whether this unexpected and astounding Royal City tour guide was for the better or for the worse.
Hopefully, that depended on our efforts. I looked at the young man staring at the contents of his wallet and felt a little troubled.
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