Chapter 5
Richard Kronel. He was a man whose presence was far greater than rumors suggested. Dressed in a pitch-black full dress uniform tailored for the banquet, he exuded a heavy oppression due to his towering height of well over 190 centimeters and a sturdy physique. Furthermore, he possessed a gorgeous appearance that lacked nothing even if he were called an absolute beauty. Beneath his neatly swept-back platinum blonde hair, his blue eyes were reminiscent of a summer sea, while his deep-set eyes, sharp nose ridge, and refined, well-defined jawline fully brought out his masculine beauty. Unlike a newspaper illustration, he looked like a god of war from mythology, causing everyone to lose their minds and gaze at him. Even Mona, who had no interest in her own appearance nor anyone else’s, was inwardly surprised by the perfect symmetry and balance of the man’s face. “He’s cool……” Olivia’s dazed mutter was heard from beside her.
After the man’s appearance, the banquet hall, which had been as silent as the dead, soon grew even more bustling. “What an absolute stunner!” “To think such a dashing man is a war hero… the empire’s future is bright.” “Bloodline, achievements, looks—there’s not a single flaw to pick on.”
Amidst the overtly poured gazes and praises from all around, the man’s face was dry. He looked indifferent, as if everything was a bother. “How should I put it, he’s so perfect that he doesn’t even look like the same human being. Haha.” Mona inwardly sympathized with someone’s evaluation heard from behind. Right, that man named Richard lacked a human touch somewhere. ‘Perhaps that’s precisely what draws people’s attention even more…’
Finishing her brief review, Mona soon lightly bit her lip and recalled the purpose of attending this banquet. Now was not the time to be losing her mind over a human’s good looks. Rather than whether the war hero possessed a human touch, what immediately mattered to her was finding Professor Thomas. ‘Damn, professor. Why isn’t he showing up…?’ Among the people currently crossing her field of vision, Professor Thomas was not to be found. Instead, Mona spotted a man far away near the terrace direction who likely knew the whereabouts of Professor Thomas. It was Professor Jerome of the Academy, who had previously invited Mona to enter the Department of Magic Formulas. ‘Before the familiar face disappears, I suppose I should move somewhere else……’
The problem was that because of etiquette dictating an unmarried young lady must be escorted by her family or partner at a banquet hall, she couldn’t roam around as she pleased. ‘Of course, if a person with zero presence like me scurries around here and there, nobody would care.’ However, her father, who had brought her along as a shield to reject Olivia’s marriage proposals, wouldn’t let her off easily. At that moment, a flash of interest spun in the eyes of Mona, who was observing people’s traffic flow. She noticed the chief chamberlain, who had been guarding the imperial family, stepping back for a moment and bringing out a medal of military merit.
“Mona, where are you going!?” Count Bellose, keenly noticing Mona trying to slip away, blocked her path. “For an unmarried young lady to wander around alone without an escort goes against imperial law—cough!” Right then, as Richard moved toward the center of the banquet hall to receive his military medal, the aristocrats swarmed toward the center in a rush.
“Oh my!” While Count Bellose was swept up in the crowd and floundered, Mona quickly distanced herself from her family, taking advantage of the commotion. Then, swimming upstream against the crowd like a salmon, she moved toward the corner terrace direction where the magic formula professor had been standing just moments ago. As Mona had expected, the heavy-bottomed professor of the Department of Magic Formulas was still standing on the terrace with an acquaintance, engaged in a conversation. “Grand Duke Kronel truly has an amazing son.” “To become a dragonslayer at the mere age of twenty-four. Is this even possible, Professor?” “More than that, the high survival rate of the knight order is even more phenomenal. It’s proof that he’s not just strong in martial prowess but an outstanding commander as well… huh?”
While Mona was lingering around trying to figure out when to speak up, Professor Jerome unexpectedly acknowledged Mona first. “Isn’t that Miss Mona Bellose? Nice to see you.” Mona squeezed out her scarce sociability as if wringing out a dry dishcloth and began. “It’s an honor to meet Professor here in such a place.” “Hoho. Everyone is making a fuss trying to watch the war hero. What are you doing here?” “Because Professor Jerome is here.” She had simply stated the fact, but suddenly the formula professor made an emotional face. “To pass up a war hero and come see me! Hoho! You truly remain as studious as ever.”
While she broke out in a cold sweat because of the professor who was moved all on his own, he opened his mouth with a wistful look. “Miss Mona, don’t you have any thoughts of doing a double major, even now?” “……Pardon?” “You are far too wasted a talent to just stay in that out-of-the-way, invisible Monster Department.” Her crotch already felt like it was tearing with just a single major, and now a double major? Whose future path were they trying to ruin right now? Just as Mona was about to say something, the professor’s acquaintance cut in. “Oh, this is my first time seeing Professor Jerome praise a research student this much.” “She was a student who got a perfect score on my formula problems, yet missed the top entrance spot solely because of etiquette in liberal arts, where every Tom, Dick, and Harry gets a perfect score—she’s the first such student I’ve ever seen.” “There are actually students who get a perfect score on the professor’s problems……!” “Yes. Miss Mona was the sole person who properly wrote down the answer to the low-mana-maintaining defensive formula utilizing triple mana circulation.” “What!? A high-difficulty problem that even an active wizard like me finds hard to solve within the time limit was on the Academy entrance exam…….” “I put it out for fun! For fun! That’s how you discover fun students like this. Ha-ha!”
While Mona was missing the timing to jump into their conversation and mumbling, the professor’s acquaintance spoke to her. “Did you say Miss Mona? Research on multiple mana circulations is drawing even more attention lately. If you’re interested, come find me at the Magic Tower. I can arrange an internship position for you.” To try to drag her into the notorious Magic Tower internship right after a double major. Were these people demons? “It’s not too late even now, Miss Mona.” Seeing the man even hand her a business card stamped with the Magic Tower crest, Mona broke out in cold sweat. “…… I think it’s a lot too late.” “Haha! This is why Miss Mona is so fun!” “……” “When I told you to enter as a researcher in the Formula Department three years ago, you answered, ‘It sounds boring.’ Remember that, Miss Mona?” “Yes…….” “When I was Miss Mona’s age, I was quite bold myself. Brings back old memories.”
What was so funny?, the professor chuckled and kept unleashing his “back in my day” stories. From the reckless exploits where he challenged formulas that everyone considered difficult problems to the anecdote where he rejected the unfair proposal of the academy dean. Only after listening to all of the old professor’s long-winded recollections could Mona finally ask about the whereabouts of Professor Thomas. “…… Hmm. So you’re looking for Professor Thomas because he hasn’t been showing up to the lab lately?” “Yes.” “To even worry about your advisor’s well-being! How truly admirable. The rascals under me are eagerly counting down the days until I fall sick and cancel class. Haha!” “…… Um, Professor. If the professor Miss Mona is looking for is Thomas Rebut, I think I saw him over there—in the corner of the balcony just a moment ago.”
Unexpectedly, the one who gave a useful clue was the wizard who had proposed the internship. Just as he said, the moment she turned her head toward the outer balcony side, a familiar mustache brushed past Mona’s field of vision. “He was gathered with some of the top blockheads in the Magic Tower. Tsk. The victory event is merely an excuse; he’s bound to slip off to a social club.” “Thank you!” Her heart growing urgent, Mona gave a polite bow and hurriedly moved from her spot. “Hoho. To be so enthusiastic about academics.” Watching Mona’s back rapidly disappearing, Professor Jerome chuckled as if she were admirable. “Indeed. With such a gorgeous war hero right before her eyes, to look for a department professor instead. That’s ordinary passion.” The Magic Tower wizard also smiled in agreement and nodded. “Her capacity for a double major looks more than overflowing. She’s getting more and more covetable.” “Seeing as she doesn’t care about time and place when it comes to academics, she’d probably do well with the Magic Tower internship too.” “Aha, I called dibs first.” Even after Mona vanished, the two of them casually blurted out things that would have terrified her.
“Mona, where on earth did she disappear to!?” Amidst the crowded throng, Count Bellose looked around with an anxious expression. Amidst that, Olivia urged her twin brother Liam so she could see Richard receiving his medal. “Liam! Clear a path a bit. Sir Richard’s face isn’t showing well.” Standing on tiptoes and looking for an opening to push through at Olivia’s instruction, Liam drooped his shoulders. “Noona, the front is already packed solid with people; it’s hard to move.” “Olivia, don’t be impatient and wait until the victory event ends and the after-party banquet begins. Surely an opportunity will come to dance a social dance with Young Lord Richard.”
At her mother’s advice, Olivia chewed on her lip. There were plenty of young ladies around burning with ambition to make eye contact with Sir Richard even just once, just like her. This was no time to be taking things easy. “……I know, Mom. Still, to stand out, we need to secure a spot right in the center of the banquet hall as much as possible.” Watching his wife and Olivia persistently holding their ground in the center, the count spoke with a nervous look. “Wife, Mona seems to have disappeared, so I think we should look for her……” “Is that what’s important right now?” “Father, we already rejected the marriage proposal from Marquis Roussel’s family tied to the family business anyway.” “Th-That’s true, though…….”
At the two women’s strong assertions, the count cowered, gave in, and shut his mouth. “It’s taking quite a while.” “So you’re saying.” The Count Bellose family members struggled not to get pushed out of the center of the rotunda until the victory event concluded. However, as the event wrapped up, sighs filled with disappointment could be heard from here and there. “Hah…….” “Why are you like that?” “Young Lord Richard isn’t attending the after-party. He says he wants to dedicate his intent to mourning the fallen soldiers rather than celebrating the victory…….” “Oh my……. Even the war hero’s character is so noble.”
Defying expectations of waiting, Richard Kronel vanished without a trace, let alone a social dance, without even attending the after-party.
