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Chapter 177: The ‘Great’ Strategist’s Guess

After leaving the chairman’s office, I headed directly to the cafeteria and had a meal. I could’ve joined up with the girls, but with my current mental state I was afraid I would have slipped up and done something strange.

I have conducted myself like a guy before Maxwell, even pulling my knees on the chair in an unsightly way, and even drove Elliot into a trap. All that made even me feel a bit questionable about it.

After I was done with my meal, I skipped the club activities and went home. I told Letina I wasn’t feeling well. Finia looked surprised to see me return so early.

“Lady Nicole, you returned already?” “Yeah. Are you doing your usual training, Finia?”

She was still in touch with the Adventurers that guarded us when coming to this city, and sometimes asked them for sword training.

She had a sword belt on top of her maid clothes and was easily swinging around a decently large sword. Doing that in front of a cozy house was giving off quite a surreal feel.

“Yes. I feel like my skills have grown quite dull lately.” “Ohh, so you can already talk like that.” “Haha, I won’t even lose to you!” “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Even I haven’t grown so dull to lose against Finia. Hearing that, she became a bit sulky.

“You said it now! Then how about we have a little spar?” “There’s no way I can point a sword at you, right? Besides, I’m thirsty, so I’m heading inside.” “Okay. Then I will prepare hot milk for you!” “Hot milk in a hot season like this… You’re actually angry, huh?” “You’re imagining it.”

She answered with a smile but I could see veins on her temple. It was clear that she was displeased after I poured water on her enthusiasm just as she graduated from a beginner level.

However, this period was the most dangerous. It was a period when people would gain baseless confidence and do reckless things.

It was better to break her nose before it would grow too long for her own sake… But I couldn’t really imagine her growing haughty.

It didn’t seem like she was that angry either, as by the dinnertime she had completely forgotten about it and her good mood had returned.

She sat next to me to serve at the table, but she also had dinner at the same time. She was self-proclaimed as my personal maid, but she couldn’t oppose Cortina’s order for everyone to have meals together.

I took the opportunity to talk about Elliot’s matter. Of course, I did not start the topic myself, but rather Cortina, who had noticed his abnormal behavior. I was technically Maxwell’s private pupil, so it wasn’t strange for me to be aware of it.

“Hmm… Elliot, huh?”

She had watched over Elliot since he was little, so he still appeared like a child to her eyes. Hearing about his disappointed love, she put a hand on her chin and started thinking.

We were having dinner now, so that was quite bad manners.

“A beauty with silver hair and blue eyes… In her later teens… And with Maxwell’s backing…” “Cortina?” “…Also, strong enough to easily overpower six wannabe Adventurers… Could it be?” “Uh, what’s wrong?” “Okay, I got it!” “W-What?”

Cortina raised her head with stars in her eyes. Her expression was overflowing with confidence.

“That woman, you see, Haumea or whatever you called her.” “Y-Yeah? “She’s actually Reid!” “Wha-!?”

No, wait a minute. I mean, you are correct, but not really. But I can’t exactly point that out. I looked at her with a complex expression, which she seemed to have mistaken for me asking for an explanation, and continued her speech in full confidence.

“Okay, hear this. First, Maria cast Reincarnation on Reid twenty years ago.” “Ah, yeah. That she did, I guess?” “Maria is certain that it worked. If he reincarnated soon after, he should be somewhere in his mid-teens now.” “Right.”

I was barely ten, but I had no choice but to consent to her deduction.

“Also, he’s currently in Raum. This is also a fact. And now, some mysterious skilled person came into play. And that someone has connections to Maxwell despite being a commoner.” “But Maxwell could have his own acquaintances, right?” “Even so, he is the leader of this kingdom, you know? There are only a limited number of individuals who can get in touch with him. Much less someone with an unknown background.” “Is that so…” “In that case, she should be someone who has known Maxwell from before… Or perhaps it’s better to say that she was friends with him. Someone like that who’s in her teens… yet also someone who’s I’m not aware of, there can only be Reid’s reincarnation.” “Aren’t you making a bit too many assumptions there…? You even doubted Kabby, back then, didn’t you?” “No, I’m certain this time! And Elliot fell for him, so he left the kingdom to put a distance between them. I can now accept that unreasonable punishment from Maxwell.” “I-Is that how it was?”

Cortina declared with an excited voice. She was certainly really close to the correct answer, but she was also so… far. It was good that I barely avoided being the target of her doubt.

“And now I can understand why he did not show himself before me. Looks like he had reincarnated as a girl!” “Ah, well, yeah.” “Good grief, that guy has always been so stand-offish. He should’ve just said so, and I would’ve taught him a bunch of things! He even became a beauty that’s worth having fun with!” “You are starting to creep me out.”

Cortina was moving her fingers in a suspicious manner. What exactly did she plan to teach me?

“Right, I can’t sit still now… I’ll go out for a bit.” “Where are you going now!?” “To Count Tarkashire’s mansion. There might be some proof left behind.” “It’s dangerous to go there in the middle of a night, you know?”

Needless to say, Cortina was quite a beauty herself. The feline race had much more longevity compared to humans. Looking from her race, she was still a young girl. She could pass off as a human in her teens with her appearance.

If she went out during the dinnertime, she was bound to attract drunkards. That could happen regardless of the kingdom you were in.

Besides… There was indeed a lot of evidence left behind in that mansion. There was enough evidence that no more excuses would work, take the Mythril threads that I cut off after the malfunction, for example.

Not to mention, the scrapes on the railings from when I defeated the gate guard would work as evidence, too.

“Dammit! I’m going to have to put some screws on Maxwell later…” “Ah, go a little easy on him, okay?” “I’ll do my very best!”

She was so excited she wasn’t even listening to what I was saying. Seeing her rushing out of the house after having barely eaten, I could do nothing but sigh.

“Can’t be helped… Finia, can you get me another cup of… Huh?”

When I turned around, Finia wasn’t there. Looking back, I saw her running after Cortina in her maid uniform.

“Really… What should I do about this…?”

I decided to pay a visit to Maxwell once again the next day.