Chapter 38

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With a big, long yawn, Uncle spoke to me in a gentle voice.

"Are you awake? Good morning, Jill."

"Uncle Conrad, good morning! ...But it's still dark, isn't it?"

"Of course it is. The morning won't come until you make it. After all, this is a cave. It's pitch black here."

"Oh, I forgot... [Light Ball]"

I used the [Light Ball] magic.

Then, a ball of light appeared from my hand. The ball floated up to the ceiling, illuminating our surroundings in white.

This is a magic that has been improved from [Light]. When I'm in this cave, I can use stronger magic than usual, and my control is even more refined. Most importantly, there are people who enjoy my magic.

"Uncle, good morning."

"Um-hum, good morning. Can you bring the 'morning' to the other rooms?"

"Understood."

I then released about ten [Light Balls]. They drifted through the air like paper bags caught in a gust of wind.

"Hey, everyone, it's morning!"

Uncle raised his voice towards everyone's bedrooms.

"Dusk, Dawn. Get up quickly. Look, the [Light Balls] are here."

"I'm still sleepy... Is the time off?"

"The princess is already up. Get a move on."

From the direction of the bedroom, a sleepy voice could be heard.

Day 35 of cave life.

Today, too, a fun day begins.

◆

When Uncle says something incomprehensible, things usually end up happening as he says.

The final words may be funny, but they often make sense.

"Don't dawdle or the magic-made mantles and tiaras will disappear. Let's get the ceremony over with quickly."

In the hall, five men in armor and white mantles stood in a row.

And I stood facing them.

I also wore a white mantle over my clothes, but unlike them, I wore a tiara and had a sword at my waist.

"Um, Uncle, how do we do this?"

"The procedure is, first, the one receiving the knighthood kneels before you. Then you ask, 'Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?'"

"Okay."

"The knight answers, 'I swear.' Then you tap their shoulders with the flat of your sword, right, left, right. Finally, you embrace them and say, 'May the grace of heaven be upon the righteous knight.'"

"Got it!"

"Good girl."

Uncle gently patted my head to make sure my tiara didn't slip.

"It tickles."

"Sorry, sorry. Do you all understand the procedure?"

When Uncle said this, Garment raised his hand.

"What is it, Garment? Go to the bathroom if you need to."

"Not that! I have a question! Conrad and I can't become knights. It's not allowed for royalty to serve anyone other than the king."

"That's a bit too nitpicky. There's no such rule in this cave."

"Is that too nitpicky? Besides, the phrase 'Do you swear to protect the peace of Algenes?' is not appropriate. It should include the name of the country."

"True, you can't swear to protect the peace of Dylane, the magic kingdom, since you're the prince of Orkus. So, a more neutral phrase is best."

"That's true, but..."

"Hey, Garment, you're Jill's fiancé, right? Don't you want to protect your fiancée? Ha, I can't give my niece to such a wimpy guy."

Uncle sighed dramatically.

It's one of his bad habits, but I have the same habit.

"Garment... Do you not want to be my knight?"

I tried my best to look sad.

Uncle once said that the key is not to show your eyes, and Garment started to panic, which was both amusing and delightful.

"I, I didn't say I don't want to. I'm just concerned about the form... I will protect you, in any form, and I have no complaints about it."

"Good, then let's do it. Richie, you first."

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Garment's complaint was ignored, and Richie stepped forward.

Richie and the others were chuckling.

This is how it goes every day.

I called out to Richie, who was kneeling in front of me.

"Richie. Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?"

"I swear."

"Do you also swear to protect this cave with your gentle demon and to stop Uncle when he gets carried away?"

"Of course, I swear."

I tapped Richie's shoulders with my sword, right, left, right.

"May the grace of heaven and earth be upon the righteous knight."

"Why the grace of earth?"

"Since we can't see the sky here, and I'm the only one who can produce light, I thought the grace of the earth should be included too."

"Then the grace of heaven alone would be sufficient. I'll take what I can get, though."

"Okay, that's fine."

Richie stepped back, looking satisfied.

Next was Dusk's turn.

"Dusk. Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?"

"Sure thing! Leave it to me!"

"Do you also swear to avoid water disasters, to encourage everyone when they're tired or down, and to maintain good relations with your brother?"

"Hahaha, I've never fought with my brother!"

"No lies."

"Alright, we do fight a bit, but we always make up."

"Good. May the grace of heaven and earth be upon the righteous knight."

I tapped Dusk's shoulders, right, left, right.

Dusk stepped back, looking spirited, and then the nervous Dawn came forward.

"Dawn. Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?"

"Y-Yes, I swear."

"Do you also swear to bring the blessings of water, to work hard and diligently, and to rely on everyone when you feel like giving up?"

"Of course!"

"May the grace of heaven and earth be upon the righteous knight."

I tapped Dawn's shoulders, right, left, right.

Dawn stepped back, looking embarrassed.

Then Uncle stepped forward.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be last?"

"I'd like to be last, but I'll let the fiancé go first."

"Understood."

"I was hoping for a bit of hesitation there."

Sometimes Uncle's words are hard to understand.

But I thought, "Oh well," and proceeded with the ceremony.

"Conrad. Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?"

"Yes, I swear."

"Do you also swear not to do everything alone just because you're the oldest and of higher status?"

"Hey, I didn't realize I was seen that way."

"Do you swear?"

"Yes, I swear. Is that good, Jill?"

"Do you also swear to always be my uncle?"

"Of course. I've never thought of quitting."

"May the grace of heaven and earth be upon the righteous knight."

I tapped Uncle's shoulders, right, left, right.

Then Uncle adjusted my tiara, which had slightly slipped.

"Fix that before you start. Actually, it might have slipped because you touched it first."

"Right, sorry."

Uncle chuckled and stepped back.

Finally, Garment came forward.

He looked at me seriously, without the playful attitude of the others.

Even though it was a joke-like ceremony, I felt a bit embarrassed.

"Garment. Do you swear to become a guardian of love, justice, and truth, and to protect the peace of Algenes?"

"Yes, I swear."

"Um, well, what..."

What should I have him swear to?

I could think of something right away for the others, but I was at a loss for words with Garment. He was good at drawing, cared for his friends, and was my fiancé.

But it was a sudden engagement decided by Uncle, and I wasn't sure if he was really okay with it. It felt like he was just going along with it. I had never asked him about it in a serious setting, even though I sometimes teased him.

"Jill, I..."

While I was hesitating, Garment spoke up.

"I, as your fiancé, swear to protect you."

"Ah..."

"I'll draw to cheer everyone up when they're bored. And... I'll try to use less sarcasm."

"Try, huh?"

"Old habits die hard."

"I'm not asking you to stop being sarcastic, but please praise others more with your words. It can be misunderstood."

"Understood. I swear."

"...May the grace of heaven and earth be upon the righteous knight."

I tapped Garment's shoulders, right, left, right.

And thus, it was formed.

In the small territory of the cave, the Rock Cave Kingdom.

The Rock Cave Knights, who swore to protect the princess.

◆

A light sound of breaking pottery echoed.

"Ah, I did it. I broke it."

A girl with orange hair, who had a somewhat easygoing and carefree air, muttered.

Her voice carried a hint of disappointment, but not much seriousness.

It seemed more like she was resigned to it, a carefree tone.

Jill, the mistress of the mansion in the "Forest of Temptation," was such a laid-back and easygoing girl.

"Miss, are you hurt?"

"No, Morin, I'm fine."

"Don't touch it. I'll clean it up, so stay still."

A tall, slender maid with black hair spoke.

Morin, the maid Jill had hired, had a somewhat brusque attitude but was worried about her mistress and moved briskly.

She already had a broom and dustpan in hand and was about to clear away the cup.

"Wait a moment, Morin! [Liquid Manipulation]"

Jill cast a spell.

The tea that had spilled and been absorbed into the carpet and floorboards quickly gathered at Jill's fingertips. Within seconds, it formed an amber-colored water droplet about the size of her palm.

"...You're always so skillful with your magic, Miss."

"That's my strong point. Here we go."

Jill flicked her fingers.

The droplet floated and flew to the side drain outside the house.

"Skillful, but you shouldn't break cups."

"I can't really argue with that..."

"Indeed, it's rare for you to slip, Jill."

A man sitting across from Jill spoke.

He was slender, slightly taller than Morin.

His tone and expression were calm, but his eyes sparkled with a sharpness.

Morin's brother and a merchant who often helped Jill, Matthew.

"I had a strange dream... I was thinking about it and ended up daydreaming."

"A strange dream, you say?"

"A childhood dream... I was living in a strange cave and couldn't get out."

Morin laughed, reminiscing about the past.

"Being trapped in a small space is a common nightmare. My kids used to cry from scary dreams when they were little."

"But it wasn't unpleasant at all. It was actually quite fun... and very specific."

"Specific? What do you mean?"

"There were many names... I remember quite a few faces. The people in the cave were my uncle and his subordinates... and the six of us lived happily in the cave."

"Is Conrad there? So it's not a childhood memory?"

"No... I've never lived in a cave."

Jill grew up under Conrad's protection but was separated from him at the age of ten.

Conrad went to war and has lived in the royal castle ever since.

(I've never seen my uncle in armor... and that paintbrush...)

In the dream, Jill saw something other than Conrad that she recognized.

It was a paintbrush.

When the black-haired boy waved the paintbrush, colors appeared in the empty space, creating various things. The white mantles the men wore in the dream's knighting ceremony were also made by the magic paintbrush.

(Could it be Ionia...? But the face and hair are a bit different...)

Moreover, the boy in the dream had a fondness for Jill.

And Jill, in the dream, was likely drawn to him.

A ticklish, embarrassing, yet warm feeling lingered in Jill's heart.

A sense of reality and vivid emotions that seemed too real to be just a dream.

However, she had no idea who it could be.

Jill had never heard of or seen Conrad's chosen fiancé.

"Hmm... I don't know."

Jill leaned back in her chair and sighed.

Upon further reflection, it was just a dream.

As she was about to give up and forget about it, Morin left to dispose of the broken cup.

"Wait, Morin! Don't throw away the broken cup yet!"

"Huh? It's definitely not usable now."

"Yes, I want to try repairing it."

"Repairing... Are you going to use glue? But it's best to avoid using cups. If you use the wrong glue, it could contaminate the tea."

In the continent of Algenes, where Jill and the others lived, glue was underdeveloped and had no standard specifications. While there were adhesives made from starch, pine resin, and gelatin, they were often mixed by alchemists and pharmacists to improve their bonding strength, making them potentially toxic. There were no uniform standardized products.

Moreover, the main uses of glue were for wood, leather goods, and the restoration of ceramic art. Adhesives suitable for tableware or skin contact were not widely recognized. Additionally, the bonded parts needed to be concealed with paint, making them less practical for everyday use.

"You're right. I want to try something different."

"Oh? Do you have something in mind?"

"Hehe, if it works, it might be quite interesting."

To Matthew's question, Jill smiled mysteriously.

"I look forward to it. Please show me if it works."

"Of course! I'll make some more tea. I need to clear my head. It's time to start preparing for the shop."

"Finding a storefront is also part of the plan, so there's no need to rush."

"That's true... It would be nice if there were a vacant storefront available."

Jill and the others were planning to open a branch of their craft store, "Witch Hand Craft," in the city of Shelton. Matthew had previously suggested that using the mansion as a shop was a waste, and Jill had agreed.

"There is one, but..."

Matthew spoke mysteriously.

Jill reacted sensitively.

"Really? There is one!?"

"But... it's a bit of a fixer-upper. I'm not sure if I should recommend it."

"Fixer-upper?"

Jill asked with interest.

But Matthew folded his arms and had a rather troubled look.

"It's said to be a haunted house."

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