I Think My Fiancé Has Regressed

Chapter 58: The Eloreal Empire (4)

Since the day Alex and I began sleeping together, albeit formally, for the first time, the carriage ride to the empire was no longer an agonizing time, making the journey seem so short.

Just lying there, head resting comfortably on Alex’s lap, talking to him all day, the time passed quickly without me even realizing it.

“Alex, did you know that the Empire is famous for sweets made from sugar craft?

They’re layered with a very thin film of sugar, and they’re said to be delicious, crumbling gently in your mouth.”

“I’ve heard of them, but I don’t think I’ve ever tasted them. This will be my first visit to the Eloreal Empire.”

“It’s such a magical country that even the pastry chefs are comfortable using simple magic.

Even so, it’s still a delicate food, and it would melt and lose value if shipped a long way across the country.”

“It shouldn’t be impossible to travel while maintaining a cold temperature, but given the cost, it would be quite a hassle to ship it to the kingdom. The economics don’t work.”

“So it’s a delicacy that can only be found within the Eloreal Empire. It’s a magical land, after all, even having food like this.”

“…Are you curious about the flavor?”

“A little bit.”

“I see. Let’s go check it out when you’re free. You probably won’t be that busy.”

“Okay!”

The thought of going on a date out of town with Alex for the first time in a long time made me feel a little excited.

It’s not like the Witch of Walpurgis is going to show up when we get there, and it’s not like we’re on such a tight schedule that we’re going to have to come back as soon as we defeat her.

It’s just that it’s a place I wouldn’t normally take the time to visit, and this might be the last time.

I’ll just have to relax my schedule a little bit and make it feel like a vacation.

* * *

…There were times when I thought to myself.

“Hey, Elise, where’s the next classroom?”

“It’s the large lecture hall on the third floor of Erard Hall. After that, it’s room 202 in Efrin Hall.”

“And that’s it for today?”

“After dinner, there will be a lecture on the basics of Dark and Creation magic in the Frontier Hall.”

“Hahah….”

~A week after our visit to the Eloreal Empire~

Before I had even recovered from my long journey, I was already busy visiting various parts of the Imperial Academy, trying to keep my eyes open.

I’d traveled from lecture hall to lecture hall, explaining my newfound knowledge of the dark arts.

Perhaps it was a mistake to label my visit as an exchange of magical cultures.

I’d need ten bodies to keep up with the itinerary the Eloreal Empire had laid out for me.

“Didn’t I just say that it would be better if you shortened the itinerary?

They explained that it was a temporary schedule that the Empire could change at any time, so don’t feel pressured to skip more than half of it.”

“But how can I do that? If I cancel a lecture that was planned to make my life a little easier, at my whim, I’m leaving people without a lecture they asked for!”

As expected of a land of magic, the entire population is quite intrigued by the idea of magic itself.

Dark magic, in particular, is something they’re not familiar with, so it’s hard not to be interested in it in the eyes of the people of the Empire.

From children barely ten years old to old Archmages over seventy, I’ve had countless people seek out my knowledge of dark magic.

To fulfill the expectations of all of them would inevitably keep me busy.

“You told Prince Alexandros not to be so hard on himself, but from what I can see, Ariana, you’re not much different.”

“They say married couples look alike, don’t they? Thanks for the compliment.”

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment, but….”

I don’t know what it means to say I look like Alex if it’s not a compliment.

Anyway, with all the lectures I have coming up, it’s not like I have any time to spare, so naturally, my planned date with Alex is on hold for now.

Not only do I have lectures, but I also have the Magical Exchange Society and Alex’s meeting with the Witch of Walpurgis.

I swear, I must have twenty bodies.

* * *

In the end, after a non-stop schedule from morning to evening today, I finally managed to return to my quarters just before I was about to fall asleep.

Although it’s not the most luxurious accommodation in the imperial palace, still, it’s a reasonably spacious and comfortable place to spend a month or so, as it’s where the Academy’s dignitaries stay.

The reason for the lodging at the Imperial Academy, rather than the Imperial Palace, is obviously for visiting purposes.

I am not here as a duchess participating in a nobility exchange, but as a mage visiting for a magical cultural exchange.

Naturally, my hosts are the Imperial Academy, not the Imperial Court.

If anything, it’s a good thing.

If my lodgings had been near the Imperial Palace, I would have had to travel back and forth between the Palace and the Academy every morning and evening, and my body would not have had time to rest.

And it doesn’t really matter where I’m staying, as long as I have Alex in the same room with me.

“Good work again today, Ariana.”

“Yeah…..”

I felt Alex’s gentle hand on my head as I lay stunned on the bed.

It’s a good thing I get to spend every day in the same bed with Alex, or I’d be out in a heartbeat.

After a hard day’s work, coming home to Alex’s compliments is enough to settle my weary mind.

I spun around on the bed to lie face down and grabbed Alex’s hand, which was stroking the back of my head, and brought it to my face.

“Speaking of which, how’s Alex’s research coming along?”

It’s true that I’ve been busy juggling all of my unexpected commitments, but the truth is, Alex isn’t any more relaxed than I am.

He has his own work to do in the Eloreal Empire.

First of all, like me, Alex is here as a magical cultural exchange visitor, so of course he’s involved in magical research.

His main task is to research the holy sword he uses.

It’s almost the only object related to light magic in its current state.

It’s not like a light bulb made of artificial magic, but a holy object that can use pure light magic.

In order to use light magic, I’ll naturally have to research Alex’s Holy Sword.

In fact, even if I start researching it now, I won’t have enough time to develop the magic to cure Alex’s heart disease.

If I can at least get the basics down, I’ll be able to use it to defeat the demon lord with a little more ease.

“To be honest, it’s not going so well.”

“Is it….”

“It’s too alien a magic power compared to the others in the first place.

Moreover, it is not being studied directly by someone who can use dark magic like you, but rather it is being studied using the faint magic power flowing from the holy sword.”

“I suppose that can’t be helped.”

Even in the magical land of the Eloreal Empire, the lack of progress in research means that using light magic to solve problems is practically a foregone conclusion.

It’s also a big problem that the only character who can use light magic is gone.

…On second thought, maybe it’s better not to kill her after all.

Miss Sierra had no intention of learning light magic herself, and keeping her alive would have done little to help me in the future.

Perhaps I’ll be inspired by the light magic she uses, and my aptitude for light magic will blossom later in life.

Still, she’s guilty as charged, so I’m going to chop off an arm or two, maybe a leg or two, and make sure she can’t rebel against me again through continued education.

And then I’d probably put a bomb collar around their necks to make sure they can’t make a last stand…..

“…Oh, Ariana?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay, I’ve been watching you and you seem a little out of sorts….”

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Because I just saw a strange look on Ariana’s face.”

“…….”

Maybe I should work on managing my facial expressions more.

“I didn’t think much of it. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day, so I think you should go to bed early again tonight.”

“Okay, Ariana.”

Alex shut off the magic tool that was illuminating the bedroom, and immediately slid into the comforter I was holding.

Once again, we snuggled into the comforter, holding each other’s hands gently, and drifted off to sleep in the soft warmth.