Chapter 100

"Kaien! Get ready to go out! It's a sleepover!"

Just as Cain had eaten about half of the cold omelet, Julian entered the dining hall. The reaction came not from Cain, who was in the dining hall, but from the other students.

"His Highness Prince Julian! You're taking Cain on a sleepover!?"

"What right do you have to do that!? You should respect Cain's autonomy!"

"Cain is a second-year student, and he has a promise to hear about the studies and classes of the third-year students from us!"

"If you're going out, why don't you go alone, or invite Lady Shirley Rea!?"

"Don't take Cain with you!"

Those who were still eating omelets, those who had finished and were washing dishes in the kitchen, and those who had finished and were chatting with friends all stood up at once and shouted at Julian, who was standing near the entrance. Taken aback by the unexpected situation, Julian involuntarily stopped and stepped back.

"What's going on, all of you? Weren't you not that close to Cain in the first place?"

"We became friends this morning!"

"We will become friends from now on!"

"At least, don't take him until Madi comes back!!"

During lunch and dinner, the town's dining halls are open, so those who stay in the dormitory can eat proper meals. However, during breakfast, there are hardly any open stores. Therefore, those who stay in the dormitory have to manage on their own. Until now, on days when the dormitory dining hall was closed, Madi had been making breakfast for everyone, for a fee.

Cain, who had heard this, knew that Madi had returned home to fetch the second-year textbooks, so he couldn't complain about the cold omelet.

"Madi-senpai will probably be back by tomorrow morning."

"Is that so?"

When Cain told Tibo about Madi's schedule, the tall Tibo looked down at Cain's face.

Cain, scooping up the omelet with a spoon, relayed what he had heard from Madi.

"She said she's just going back to get something left at home. She also said she won't be staying long."

"That's right. She always says she doesn't want to go home because they try to set her up with someone."

"Um? Doesn't Madi-senpai have a boyfriend?"

"The daughter of the town's dining hall. She says she'll leave home eventually, but as the third son of a viscount's family, her family is against it."

"...I see."

Cain put the spoon in his mouth and ate the omelet. Despite only being seasoned with salt and pepper, it tasted bitter.

"So, is it okay to take Cain or not? What do you think?"

Julian came to the seat next to Cain and sat down heavily. It seemed he wasn't going to take Cain by force, despite everyone's opposition. In this regard, he was either reasonable or just a good person.

Cain, with omelet in his mouth, remained silent. Tibo, who was sitting opposite Cain, leaned across the table and peered at Julian, grinning.

"If Madi is coming back, I don't think it matters if you take Cain, Your Highness."

"Is it okay as long as Madi is there? ...By the way, did Cain make the omelet everyone is eating!?"

"It was delicious."

Tibo grinned even more as he spoke to Julian. Julian silently stared at the remaining half of Cain's omelet, but Cain was hungry. Ignoring Julian's silent pressure, he finished the plate.

"Cain's will is quite strong... Prince, you usually eat better food, don't you?"

Cain put the spoon on the plate and faced Julian.

"So, where are we going?"

"Yes, to work. I'll pay you properly. Get ready to use magic."

"I asked where we're going."

"Rejoice, Cain, I'll let you ride a flying dragon."

"I don't want to ride a flying dragon; I just want to go home by flying dragon."

"This is a chance to check if you get dragon sick. If you pay a lot of money and then can't come back because you get dragon sick, it would be a disaster."

Cain turned to look at Tibo.

"Do you get dragon sick?"

"I've never ridden one, so I don't know."

Tibo's response was indifferent. Cain turned back to Julian, crossed his arms, and frowned.

"I want to study during the second half of the break."

"We'll be back in three days. You can study during the second half of the second half."

Seeing Julian's attitude, which seemed to indicate that he would take Cain no matter what, Cain sighed.

"Alright. I'll get ready. Where should I go?"

"There's a carriage waiting at the dormitory gate. I'll go to your room and help you pack."

"That's not necessary. Please wait in the carriage. There's no party on the way, right?"

"No, no. We're going to a flat area near the northern border. There's nothing there, so make sure to dress warmly."

After washing and putting away the used plates and dishes, Cain returned to his dormitory room.

Since it was a three-day trip, he packed two sets of underwear and two towels into a backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

He was told to get ready to use magic, so he put on the robe he received from Tylnoa. The hem of this robe, which flared like flower petals, seemed to be a good insulator against the cold.

He decided to leave the slender sword he received from Fabian behind after some hesitation.

He locked his room and walked to the dormitory gate, where a grand carriage with the royal emblem was waiting.

"Oh, Cain. You look like a magician. That's good, that's good. Come, get in."

As Cain approached, Julian opened the carriage door from inside and beckoned him. When Cain got in, he found that Jean-Luc was also inside.

"Hello, Prince Jean-Luc."

"Hello, Cain. You don't need to be so formal with me, just like my brother."

"Then, Jean-Luc-sama. Are you coming with us, Jean-Luc-sama?"

"Yes, I'm glad to be able to go with you."

While Julian spoke in a manner befitting a royal, Jean-Luc, his younger brother, spoke very politely. His posture was also different; while Julian sat with his legs apart and arms crossed, Jean-Luc sat with his legs together and hands on his knees, looking very composed. Despite his reservations about Julian, Cain thought the younger brother seemed more intelligent.

"Our destination today is the site of the new capital."

"The new capital?"

As the carriage started moving, Julian began to explain today's destination.

"Our country moves the capital every hundred years. The next hundred years will be in three years, but to make it a nice round number, it's scheduled to coincide with my graduation. So, it will be in six years."

"Is it okay to delay it by three years?"

"It's within the margin of error. The exact hundred-year period itself doesn't have any ritual significance."

"I see."

"I will be the king in the new capital, so I have been entrusted with the task of building it. This is an inspection of the site."

The palace was not far from the dormitory.

As Cain listened to Julian's explanation, the carriage passed through the gate of the castle. The carriage continued straight on the stone-paved path within the castle grounds and eventually turned right.

Beyond this point was the knights' quarters and a square for the takeoff and landing of flying dragons.

"The site is a bit problematic, so I want Cain, who can use magic, to take a look."

"Problematic?"

The carriage arrived, and a waiting knight opened the door.

Cain, who was sitting closest to the entrance, got out first, followed by Jean-Luc and Julian.

Immediately in front of the carriage, three dragons, as large as gantry cranes, stood with their wings folded.

Cain looked up at them, and the feeling of being reborn in another world seeped into his heart once again.

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