52 – Friends (3)

The old man cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Tell me.”

I asked politely.

“What is the Lark Club?”

“You must be from another country. The Lark Club is the most traditional and prestigious social club in Rigbed.”

“Are there any conditions for joining? Can’t I sign up now?”

said the janitor, sounding a bit exasperated.

“I’m sorry, but it’s not just having a will. It is only possible with introductions and recommendations from existing members. And it has to go through a proper screening.”

The noble ladies around me glance at my face.

I lightly let go of my hand on Lyria’s shoulder.

It was to make the ring engraved with Eternia’s coat of arms lent to him by Silverin the other day was clearly visible.

“If you’re not a member, aren’t you allowed to look around?”

“Other guests are being turned away for the convenience of our members. I’m sorry, but I think you should leave.”

“Did you hear that, Lilia? there’s nothing we can do. I buy clothes elsewhere.”

“yes… .”

I said to comfort her.

“Elzebet-sama is not the kind of person who would think badly of you for wearing ordinary clothes.”

At the mention of Elizabeth, Liliana and the caretaker gave a puzzled expression. It was a random word, so they couldn’t understand it.

“… ?”

“When I was preparing for the prom, there was a place I was introduced to. If you’re really sorry, go there. If you delay longer, the professor will wait for you.”

Although the manager mentioned other qualifications besides club membership, I deliberately didn’t ask.

It’s Sam who threw an uncertain gambler, but this is the best for me.

In these circumstances, asking for qualifications and making sure you’re fit is like crawling into a clothing store to stay.

You can’t be a disciple of an archmage and lose shape.

I took Lyria out the door and headed to the place where the carriage was waiting.

She was precarious, as if she would burst into tears at any moment if touched.

“sorry… . I’m just being greedy… .”

Lilia thought that she had embarrassed me for no reason.

In an aristocratic society where honor is valued, being shut out of the door would be considered quite disgraceful, but since I had not lived as an aristocrat, there was nothing to be greatly hurt.

I was curious and asked.

“Did you just go to look around? Or did you really intend to pay for it?”

She thought that she was being scolded by me, so her voice gradually sank.

“that is… I’ll be able to live with what I’ve collected while working… I thought, but I really didn’t know… sorry… .”

“Well, show me. How much did you collect?”

Lilia hesitated for a moment, then took out a small pouch from within her arms and handed it to me with both hands.

I took it and looked inside.

The silver coin is quite heavily filled. Considering Lyria’s age, it was a fairly large amount.

But this much is not enough. I know it to some extent because I also made a living dealing with accessories. High-end stores that require qualifications for admission and restrict entry are several times more expensive.

I returned the pouch to Lyria and said.

“This will not be enough. It is more valuable because it is hard-earned money, so I spend it.”

“yes… .”

“And it’s not over yet. Keep your shoulders back and walk confidently. And no matter who calls you, you must never look back until you open the carriage door.”

***

The man and woman quickly left before the janitor had time to ask any questions.

Harvey, the caretaker, had a strange feeling of uneasiness that was difficult to express in words.

Elizabeth?

It was to the point where I felt a sense of incongruity when I said the name so proudly.

Among those who did not meet the qualifications, there were quite a few cases in which all of them gave names of well-known nobles or high-ranking officials to show off their friendship.

But isn’t it too much for a blue-eyed young man to be bluffing? Is it Elizabeth?

weird.

I had the feeling that I was missing something very important.

And that feeling soon became certain.

As Harvey returned to his seat, a lady approached and asked.

“Who was that young man from earlier?”

“There will be no coming back. I apologize for any inconvenience, ma’am.”

“Isn’t there something wrong?”

said Harvey, narrowing his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that the archmage’s apprentice is entering Eternia this time.”

“I have already heard that.”

“He is relatively friendly to social activities and, above all, he is quite handsome.”

“Yes. It is.”

The center of society has always been the showy, chatty ladies.

Old bachelor in a hurry to get married or hungry aristocrats thirsting for women often attended social gatherings, but they were not welcomed and could not become mainstream.

Young ladies were also brought in periodically, but they were not welcomed either.

For them, the first priority to recruit was a young and promising man with a strong topic.

The list of persons of interest had already been passed on to Harvey.

The apprentice of the archmage mentioned earlier was the biggest socialite that met all the conditions. Already, some social churches were putting a lot of effort into making contact with him.

“So. As rumored, she had brown hair. He is a very handsome man and wears an Eternian ring… . Am I wrong?”

“You said you were wearing the ring of Eternia?”

It was something Harvey hadn’t noticed before.

“Yes. And in the plaza in front of me, the Eternian staff’s carriage was waiting… .”

His head went blank as if he had been hit with a hammer, and cold sweat ran down his back.

So, the man who just walked out after being barred from the doorstep was the apprentice of the Archmage?

grand wizard. What a goddamn wizard! There was a reason for mentioning Elizabeth’s name casually.

I could have cut off the invitation to a social gathering in the future, citing this incident as a reason.

In the worst case, the prestige of the store and the relationship with the club… .

***

Someone shouted from behind.

“Wait!”

Lyria flinched briefly, but I pushed her back.

“Keep going.”

Lilia didn’t know what the reason was, and hesitantly followed my words.

We ignored the urgent request and approached the carriage.

I opened the carriage door first and motioned for Lyria to enter.

As she put her foot on the carriage, someone from behind shouted again.

“Wait a minute!”

Only then did I hold on to Lyria and said.

“Lilia now.”

“Yes?”

“Now look back.”

Lillia and I turned around at the same time. An elderly man and two employees whom I had seen earlier were hurriedly running.

Stopping in front of the carriage, they gasped for breath, but on the other hand, they stood upright to maintain their dignity.

“Kuhm… After that, it seems there was a little bit of a mistake.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We have had a good relationship with Eternia for a long time. Including the graduates of Eternia as well as the freshmen. For decades, we’ve provided the finest clothing for those passing through Eternia. Our history with Eternia has become a long-standing pride of our store.”

“… .”

The elderly man gestured to the waiter next to him. Then he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

“This is a gift to express sincere apology for the offense.”

The waiter handed me a large flat black box.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“no. If you have a chance next time, please visit ‘Mare and Acacia Flower’ again. We will custom-make your tailcoat for you at no cost.”

My reaction must have been so disappointing that the elderly man became even more enthusiastic.

“Our ‘Mare and Acacia Flower’ makes clothes with the finest fabrics airlifted from the empire by the best tailors in Rigbed. I dare to say, you won’t find a better place.”

“Let’s check it out later.”

“I hope to see you again. And I sincerely apologize to the beautiful lady. Well then, since you seem busy, I’ll step back… .”

The elderly man greeted them politely and left with the servants.

Lyria stood there with a dumbfounded face as if time had stopped.

“Get on first.”

Only then did Lilia climb into the carriage with a stiff movement.

I handed over the map Silverin had drawn to the coachman and got on the carriage.

I gave a signal by tapping the window with my hand, and the carriage began to move slowly.

I handed the black box I received as a gift to Lilia.

“Open it.”

“… Yes?”

Lillia, who opened the box and confirmed what was inside, was startled and covered her mouth with both hands.

It contained the purple dress that Lyria had been eyeing.

“Uh, how… .”

But I can’t tell if Lyria’s expression is happy or shocked.

“Sir, did you count everything?”

“… It can’t be.”

***

The carriage stopped in front of a large building.

It was a building that occupied the largest site I had ever seen in Rigbed.

I got off the carriage and looked up.

There seemed to be ten chimneys, from which steam was gushing incessantly.

A large, thick-looking iron gate firmly blocked the entrance, and in front of it stood sturdy gatekeepers.

As I climbed the stairs and stood in the doorway, the gatekeepers blocked my way.

“Show the invitation.”

I showed the ring of Eternia and said.

“I have been introduced by Elizabeth.”

The gatekeepers exchanged signals with each other’s eyes.

Soon after, they opened the door and let me in.