Volume 3 Chapter 6 Even When Assassins Are Rowing, It's Business As Usual
"Well then, I'm off!"
"Alright, I'll leave the rest to you!"
Liz was full of energy. Randy still looked sleepy. The two of them were being seen off by...
"Milady, have a safe trip!"
"I got it! I'll study hard!"
...Rita, the maid who could be called Liz's trusted aide, and Harrison, who somehow ended up being Randy's supervisor.
After that, it was these two who welcomed Randy when he finally made it home, holding a piece of paper with the address written on it.
The 3 of them were worried about Randy, who was taking a long time to come back, but when he sheepishly said, "Well... I got lost," it was no surprise that everyone looked at him in disbelief.
With such a harsh reaction, Randy tried to explain that...
But he didn't know the address of the capital.
He had been misled by a drunk person who told him random things, making him wander around in a completely different place.
But...
"Come on, there's no way you'd rent a house far away just to go to school."
...Harrison hit him with a logical argument that left him speechless.
In fact, as Harrison said, this house was located at the end of an alley across the main street from the inn. It was almost symmetrically located around the academy.
Normally, it wouldn't make sense for Lucian to rent a house far away, but Randy ended up believing the drunk's words.
"Young master, sometimes you're really foolish, you know?"
Ellie appeared, laughing as if she agreed with Harrison's disbelief.
"No, not sometimes, but always foolish! This kid is!"
The night of the moving day was quite chaotic with all the teasing.
However, that lively atmosphere was short-lived. Both Randy and Liz were probably tired from exams, so they went to bed early without celebrating the move last night.
Now, Liz woke up bright and early as usual, while Randy barely managed to wake up in time, which brings us to the scene before school.
Alan prepared all the necessary documents for the house, Lucian provided the funds, and Cedric took care of the procedures. It was filled with the kindness of adults.
Although it was only until they graduated from the academy, the house was under Randy's name, and he had permission to renovate it as he liked.
(I need to at least pay back His Excellency some money.)
Unlike the actions of preparing documents and procedures, Randy thought he wanted to repay the funds. Lucian would probably dismiss it, but it was a matter of pride for him as a man.
As a student, he would want to take advantage of their kindness, but if it were Cedric, who he met yesterday, he would immediately prepare to pay it back. Thinking about that made Randy feel like he wanted to stand his ground.
After all, Cedric was even more amazing than Randy had imagined. It was just a matter of pride, but he didn't want to lose as a man.
"By the way, how was your reunion with Sir Cedric?"
"It was fun. Really fun!"
In front of Liz, who was smiling, Randy couldn't help but want to say to Cedric, "I'm glad for you." If there had been a camera, Cedric would have probably been happily taking pictures of Liz.
"What about you, Randy?"
Liz asked a little shyly, probably curious about how Randy got along with her brother. The proof of that was...
"It was fun, and he was a good person."
...Randy's praise made Liz's face light up.
"He's a good person, but... that's not all. He really feels like a genius."
"That's right. My brother is a genius."
Liz nodded with a smile, and Randy also nodded again, saying "Yeah." It was not just flattery; it was genuine admiration from Randy.
Cedric was only in his twenties, but even Randy, who had experienced many things in his past life, was impressed by his flexible mind. Randy was just an ordinary person, but compared to the people in this world, he couldn't compare in terms of knowledge and experience.
After all, this was his second life.
If Cedric had been born in modern Japan, there was no doubt that Randy wouldn't even come close to him.
Plus, there was Cedric's swordsmanship.
Unlike Randy, who spent all day training in the Beast Forest, Cedric had such incredible sword skills. He was talented, yet he probably worked hard without being arrogant.
"His mind and sword skills are top-notch. Truly a genius..."
Just as Randy was about to call him a genius, he suddenly stopped talking.
"Randy?"
Randy suddenly stopped talking, and Liz looked at him curiously.
"Well, I mean... I think a genius isn't just someone who fits into the idea of being 'great'."
Randy smiled wryly as he remembered Cedric.
Effort without being arrogant about natural talent.
A hunger for more, not satisfied with where they've reached.
The charisma that comes with being a leader.
And yet, the honesty to recognize others.
Right now, Randy doesn't plan to lose in terms of strength, but it's clear that Cedric will eventually move ahead.
"I don't know how to say it, but that guy is really impressive."
"Impressive, huh?"
Randy laughed and continued, noticing that Liz didn't quite get the praise.
"Even though he's a noble, he's a 'rule-breaker.' I wouldn't be surprised if people say he'll take over the world someday."
Laughing, Randy added, "By the way, I'm 'shape-less' though," shrugging as he stepped out of the noble framework, feeling like a bit of a nobody.
"Well, to put it simply, he's someone I'm jealous of as a man."
As Randy stretched widely and said, "He's good-looking too," a lively main street came into view from the alley.
"I think my brother would be happy to hear that."
"Please don't say that. It would sound like I'm admitting defeat."
Randy shrugged, and Liz smiled, saying, "You're just competitive, aren't you?" In fact, she was right; he thought Cedric was amazing, but he wasn't ready to lose. If Cedric was growing, then Randy could move forward too.
"Alright, let's finish up class quickly and maybe stop by the guild."
"We need to earn some money for Rita and Sir Harrison too."
"Oh, right."
As Randy tucked his shirt into his slacks, he chuckled, "In the end, it's not much different from living at the dorm."
"No way! It's totally different. Now we can even renovate the house, and we can finally start working on those magic tools we couldn't before."
Seeing Liz so happy, Randy nodded,
"Yeah, that's true. And first, let's add a bathroom. Separate for guys and girls."
"Sounds good! Rita and Sir Harrison will be able to use it without any worries."
Even though there seemed to be various conspiracies swirling around, what Randy and the others were doing wouldn't change. Confirming that, Randy stretched one last time.
"There's also the cultural festival coming up, so we have a lot of events ahead."
"Before that, we have final exams, though."
As Liz stuck out her tongue and laughed, Randy's expression turned serious as he said, "Let's get it over with," and the two stepped out onto the main street.
* * *
"So, you've started living together?"
Cecilia said something blunt, and Liz was so shocked that she stammered, "W-w-wait, living together?" Cecilia had a mischievous smile, enjoying Liz's rare reaction.
Randy couldn't join in on their girl talk and just smiled wryly. He had a feeling that if he poked his nose in too much, it would backfire on him.
After all, the Marquis's letter had a message on the back that said...
'I know, and I believe you.'
...and that was all it said. No one knew that he had whispered, "He really loves his daughter too much."
While trying to ignore their delicate conversation, Randy kept an eye on his surroundings. There were definitely no signs of the suspicious people from yesterday at the academy.
(I wonder what those guys were all about.)
Among the usual-looking staff, there was someone who seemed really skilled, but they were probably part of the royal family's secret operations.
(I can't believe the dark side sent them...)
Their skills would probably be around the upper B-rank level for adventurers. It didn't make sense for a secret group with A-rank level skills to hire someone weaker.
"...ir Randolph."
(I can't figure this out.)
"Sir Randolph?"
Randy was pulled back to reality by the puzzled expressions of Cecilia and Liz in front of him.
"Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought."
"Is that about the assassin from yesterday?"
"What? You knew about that?"
With a furrowed brow, Randy listened as Cecilia, looking exasperated, explained the truth to him for the second time.
It seems that, considering Cecilia's safety after yesterday's attack, Miranda sent one of her subordinates. They have already registered as a new maid at the academy today.
(As expected of Sir Cedric. He works fast.)
He doesn't know the exact plan, but given the timing of their appearance, it's possible that the existing beauty product industry is involved. If that's the case, it would be wise to assign a bodyguard to Cecilia, who is a business partner.
"So? What about the assassin?"
"Nope. That's not it."
That's actually true, but discussing guesses here won't help at all. It's still fresh from yesterday. Eventually, I'll get information, and Cedric or Miranda will reach out.
So, he can talk about it then. Randy deliberately changed the subject.
"I was just thinking about what to make next."
The shampoo-related products are already being developed elsewhere, separating existing items and mixing them with beauty serums.
So, Randy's idea is to create something completely different this time.
"I just thought of it... what if we could make a device that captures a moment and turns it into a real picture... something called a camera?"
"A camera...?"
If Ihecould take a picture of that face and show it to Cedric, he would probably buy it at any price, Randy thought, smiling widely inside. By the way, Randy doesn't know how a camera works.
He only has a vague understanding that it captures the subject through a lens and transfers it to a light-sensitive material with a shutter.
"Well, it's all trial and error. Just like with the toner, I thought it might be a bit fun."
Even if he can't do it, it won't bother anyone. And if he succeed, he can brag to Cedric. That would be amazing.
Little did he know that such a silly idea would lead to something that would shake the church.
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