After Kyle and Selina left, the ducal residence returned to its usual tranquility for a few days.
Sunlight streamed over the workshop, illuminating the piles of tools and potion bottles.
Julius was sitting to the side, carefully honing his sword blade, trying to use the repetitive motion to enter a state of focus.
Unfortunately, this peace never lasted long.
“Julius-kun~ I want to go hunt magical beasts!!!”
With a playful voice, Helos poked her head in and darted through the doorway, her eyes sparkling.
“No.”
Julius didn’t even look up, rejecting her outright. “Miss Eleanor and His Grace would never agree.”
This was already the third day.
The day before yesterday it was in the garden, yesterday in the corridor, and today, she had actually started up in the workshop.
“Oh, it’s fine! We could just hire some adventurers to come along, right~”
Helos swayed with her hands behind her back, drawing out her words in that soft, languid tone.
“No. I don’t have any money.”
The boy replied with a blank expression, as if he’d already expected her suggestion.
“I’ll pay, isn’t that enough?”
“No, because I’m lazy.”
Helos nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation.
“Then what would it take for you to agree~?”
Julius thought for a moment and finally looked up, answering coolly, “When you can beat His Grace, then I’ll take you.”
“Huh?! If I could beat him, would I even need you to take me?!”
The girl rolled her eyes and then, drawing out her voice again, nearly threw herself over his arm, her eyes shining impossibly bright, “Ju—li—us—kun~~”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Julius abruptly stood up, pulling her off, his face pained. “Can’t you act normal?! Whispering in my ear every day—it’s pure psychological torment!”
“Aww, you found me out~”
Helos flicked her hair with a look that said, ‘I just want to annoy you.’
“Don’t play innocent!”
Julius pressed a hand to his forehead, letting out a long sigh before staring into her eyes. “Be honest. Why are you suddenly so obsessed with hunting magical beasts?”
Helos paused, scratching her cheek, her expression suddenly a bit more serious.
“You really want to know the reason?”
“Of course.”
Julius replied flatly.
“Alright then, looks like you’re mentally prepared for the truth.”
The girl took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on him. “Actually…I’ve been keeping something from you for a long time.”
“What are you hiding from me?”
Julius raised an eyebrow.
Helos puffed up her chest, as if she were making a grand proclamation.
“On the surface, I’m a harmless, adorable girl, but in secret, I’m actually—”
“What?”
The boy couldn’t help but ask, seeing Helos deliberately stalling.
“—the legendary, Monster Ecology Research Specialist!”
Helos declared with a straight face, her eyes brimming with smug pride.
Julius stared blankly for a second, then rolled his eyes, not even bothering to reply.
“Isn’t that funny?”
Helos pouted, looking at him half-aggrieved.
“Hilarious. So funny I kind of want to hit you.”
“No way!”
Helos immediately put on a pitiful look. “I’ll tell Sister if you do!”
“Seriously, hunting magical beasts isn’t a joke.”
Julius spread his hands, his tone tinged with helplessness. “Never mind how strong magical beasts are—if I take you now, Miss Eleanor will probably hunt me down herself first.”
“How about this, then. Go get permission from the young lady and His Grace first.”
He stared at her, his gaze dead serious. “If they say yes, I’ll take you even if it kills me.”
“No need for that… Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”
“Mm—hmm?”
Julius had just nodded, the words barely out of his mouth, when he saw Helos already on her feet, heading straight for the door. “Wait, you’re really going?”
“Didn’t you say it was fine as long as they agreed?”
The girl turned her head, her answer perfectly justified.
Julius opened his mouth.
“Well, that’s what I said, but…”
“Enough! A gentleman’s word is as good as four horses—impossible to take back!”
Helos put on a confident air, waving her hand. “Just wait for my good news!”
Before her words had even faded, her figure flashed out the door, giving Julius no chance to reply.
The black-haired boy stared dumbly at the wooden door, creaking and wobbling from her exit. He absentmindedly scratched his cheek and muttered:
“With this ridiculous request, whether it’s Miss Eleanor or His Grace…there’s no way they’ll agree, right?”
Sunlight poured through the tall windows, spilling over the study’s carpet.
Eleanor was sitting at her desk, stifling a yawn as she read the ancient tome in her hand.
Hearing brisk footsteps at the door, she instinctively looked up.
“Sis—ter!”
Helos pushed open the door, her face lit up with excitement.
Eleanor’s eyelid twitched as she eyed her younger sister, who remained standing by the door without coming closer, and closed her book.
This couldn’t be good.
Her instincts told her—no good news would follow.
“What is it?”
“I want to go hunt magical beasts!”
Helos spread her hands, beaming brightly, and got straight to the point. “Julius said he’d take me as long as you two agree!”
“What?!”
Eleanor’s brows instantly knitted tight, her voice involuntarily rising.
But faced with her sister’s sparkling eyes, she faltered for a moment.
The room fell quiet for several seconds before Eleanor let out a slow breath and lowered her voice.
“Sister, do you know what you’re saying? Hunting magical beasts isn’t a picnic, nor is it a game.”
“Of course I know.”
Helos tilted her head, as if it was obvious. “That’s why I plan to hire a few adventurers to go with us! With Julius and me there, there’s no way anything could go wrong!”
Eleanor stared at her, and her first instinct was to refuse—and not just refuse, but refuse absolutely.
Yet, seeing that look of expectation on Helos’s face, the words caught in her throat.
If she refused outright, she knew her sister would be disappointed.
That look…
She didn’t want to see it again.
But if she agreed, her own worries would nearly tear her apart.
Magical beasts weren’t simple prey—they were truly dangerous.
Eleanor took a deep breath, her voice unable to hide her inner conflict.
“Sister…I can’t let you gamble with your life.”
“Then do you agree or not?”
Helos pressed, her gaze focused as if trying to pierce Eleanor’s heart.
“Uh…”
Their eyes locked in midair, and the word “No” hovered on Eleanor’s lips but just wouldn’t come out.
The two sisters stared at each other for a long moment before, at last, the blonde girl seemed to concede defeat, sighing softly.
“I-I’ll go ask Father. If he agrees, then I’ll agree too, alright?”
Shes to much.