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Chapter 155

Quite some time had passed since Dran and Diadora started listening to their guests’ conversation, and making predictions about the future which they would most likely be involved in.

It seemed certain that war would break out between the eastern and western parts of Arkrest Kingdom within a few years, and the kingdom would inevitably have to get involved. Then two more guests came down the stairs from the second floor of the inn, saw Dran and the others, and started talking to them excitedly.

「Oya, oya oya oya!? Well, if it isn’t Dran! What are you doing here? I’m surprised to see you here in Sanzania」

It was a young man, whose most prominent features were his pretty and neat golden hair, and his round, light blue glasses. The shape of his muscles could be faintly seen from beneath both the top and bottom set of his clothes, which are made of thunder tiger pelt.

He spoke like an excited little child, but he carried himself in a way that kept his footsteps silent, which is something that he only could have mastered through much training.

「Professor, your voice is a little too loud. You shouldn’t bother the other guests here」

The one who called the young man a professor, and spoke as if chiding him, was the woman standing next to him.

But despite her quiet voice, the items she carried looked quite dangerous.

Her cool blonde hair was tied up with a barrette, which looked normal, but she also wore a white apron over a black dress, with thick and thorny armor layered on top of that as well.

She was sticking close to the young man like a dutiful employee, but it was clear from the way she walked and appeared that she was no ordinary person either.

Having not expected to have a reunion with these familiar faces, Dran’s face broke out into a big smile. He was close enough to these people that it was natural for him to do so.

The man was Edward Bramnoch. He is an archaeology teacher at the Galois Magic Academy, and the woman was his assistant, Eliza, who was a warrior priestess of the goddess Mairahl.

Before the summer, they had met these two while exploring the Sky City Solania, the legacy of the Celestial Beings.

They haven’t met ever since Solania, but Dran has heard stories of how they have been energetically exploring and adventuring in ruins all across the continent.

When Diadora had randomly pointed to a spot on the map and chose Sanzania as our destination, they didn’t think they would coincidentally meet people they knew.

「Professor, Miss Eliza, I wouldn’t have even dreamed that we would reunite here」

It was a happy reunion, but Dran and Dramina had come here in the hopes that no one related to the Academy would see them here, so it was a bit complicated.

「Hahaha, we’re just as surprised too. To think we would reunite here.

I keep hearing about all your accomplishments. You really astonished the audience during the Magic Tournament! That’s really like you. Yes, yes. Ah, may we sit with you? 」

「Yes, Miss Eliza, please take a seat as well」

Dran cheerfully offered them the empty seats, but Eliza frowned slightly.

「But, is it really alright, Mister? Aren’t we bother you two and your alone time?」

「Ah, right, right, we’re sorry about that. I see, that’s right. How very tactless of me. I’m very sorry」

As always, Miss Eliza was more aware of her surroundings than the professor, and had more common sense.

With Miss Eliza’s words, the professor finally realized that they were interrupting Dramina, and his face became a little more sullen as he expressed his apologies with all his might.

Diadora seemed more than a little dissatisfied that her private time with Dran was interrupted, even if they are Dran’s acquaintances.

However, she was a woman who could read the atmosphere of a room. She offered a somewhat resigned smile toward the apologetic professor and Miss Eliza. It seems Diadora had accepted that her dream time had ended.

「It’s perfectly fine. I’ve been alone with Dran all this time until now, so I’m quite satisfied. My name is Diadora. Dran has told me about you two before, so I do know your names.

It’s only temporary, but I’m also teaching at the Galois Magic Academy, so I am a colleague of sorts with you, Professor Edward. Well, I’ll be leaving before spring starts next year, so I don’t think we’ll have much of a chance to meet」

「Ah, I heard about you from the Headmaster! You’re a friend of hers from the Ente Forest, right? The Galois Magic Academy accepts people of all races, but it’s the first time in our history to have a Black Rose Spirit as a teacher, so I was really surprised.

So, why are the two of you here? This is quite far from Galois」

Now then, the answer to that question would be the hard part. If a teacher and student are out alone together, especially if they are male and female, then of course their relationship would come under suspicion.

Even though Professor Edward is a person who thinks a little out of line with the world’s common sense, he would think this way too.

Diadora glanced at Dran, as if asking, “What should we do?” and Dran responded with a slightly stronger than usual “Fumu.”

Even if they are distrusted, it is true that he and Diadora aren’t cheating about the contents of her class or his grades in it, but it is true that they are also engaged.

It was up to Edward and Eliza whether they believe him or not, but it wasn’t something they needed to be ashamed about and hide.

「We came here secretly. We are teacher and student, so we thought that if we walk around together in front of people in Galois, we would receive unwanted suspicion.

Professor, Miss Eliza, there’s something we want to make sure of before you misunderstand, there is nothing improper going on between Diadora and I regarding my grades in her class.

It’s just that it’s an undeniable fact that Diadora and I are engaged to be married. So even if you claim that we are acting inappropriately as teacher and student, all I can say is it can’t be helped」

「Fufu, so that’s what it is. I see, in that case it would be possible to do dishonest things.

I can understand that you two would be worried and want to get away from Galois. I am a bit curious how you got to a place this far, but it is Dran, after all.

I’ve only known you for a short time, but I think I have a good idea of what kind of person you are. If you say it so seriously that you aren’t cheating, then you probably really aren’t.

If you were, then I’m sure the Headmaster would never allow it. But, well, I am surprised to hear you and Diadora are engaged. If you were going to get engaged, I would have thought it would be with Selina instead」

「I’m engaged to Selina too. And one other person as well. I’m currently engaged with three people」

「Huh!? Selina was so attached to you, but even Vaje and Liu Yu and Lenia all adore you so much too, so I thought you must be a lady killer, but this is beyond my expectations」

「I have nothing to say」

Miss Eliza’s gaze became somewhat colder, but Dran figured there was no helping that.

For Eliza, who is dedicated to Edward, and Edward also seems to be dedicated to only her as well, Dran probably looked like an enemy to all women.

「Oh, but you’re a knight now, right? Then you can have multiple wives, it’s not like it’s against the law.

But then it must be really rare to get alone time with just the two of you, now I feel bad about interrupting. Shall we pretend we never saw each other here?」

Edward proposed that idea not jokingly, but seriously, and Diadora looked at him, amused. He wasn’t like any other type of man that Diadora had met before.

「You don’t have to pay it so much mind. We can make as much time for ourselves as we need later. Dran has the ability to do that much.

By the way, what are you two doing here? I know that your specialty is the ruins and legacies of the Celestial Beings, so does that mean there’s something like that near Sanzania?」

As soon as Diadora brought up the topic of Celestials and their legacies, Edward’s earlier apologetic expression suddenly lit up, and he happily began to talk about their reason for being here.

Edward is the kind of person who gets talkative as soon as the topic of conversation changes to something he’s interested in.

Edward continued to talk smoothly, unconcerned about the stares of people around him..

「Actually, it’s not like this city, Sanzania, is built on top of Celestial ruins, or is a repurposed Celestial city, or anything like that.

It’s just that it is said that there is a Leyline that was once used by the Celestial Beings, running through this land, with a facility that used a large amount of energy near this area.

We don’t know if they were using it as a power source, like a magic furnace or a steam engine, or if it was a research facility, but that’s why we’re here to look into it.」