Attendance… plz…)
….
It's just using magic to reinforce memory for speed memorization, Aoko thought sourly. But even with reinforcement, there's a limit. Reading that fast just means you'll forget it all later. Hope your brain fries!
At that moment, a rigid, upright figure stepped into the Great Library.
He scanned the catalog quickly, stated his request to the librarian with precise efficiency, and waited. As the magical stairs shifted to retrieve his order, his gaze swept across the room and landed on Rimuru, who was returning books.
"Good day, Professor Kayneth."
Rimuru spotted him at the same time and offered a polite nod.
"Good day… Lord Rimuru… or I suppose 'Professor' is the proper form of address now."
Kayneth paused, his gaze drifting over the towering stacks of heavy tomes piled behind Rimuru. A faint, polished chuckle escaped him, the sound of a man who believed he knew better.
"There is no need to strive for such excessive perfection, Professor Rimuru. While theoretical texts have their place, a lecturer's personal insights and experiences are the true gems of education. And I dare say, given your reputation, you lack neither."
"You flatter me."
Rimuru blinked his golden eyes, offering a simple, workmanlike nod.
Kayneth's attention shifted. He looked past Rimuru to the young woman standing in the background, his eyes narrowing into slits.
That one.
The other half of the so-called "Blue Duo." Or, as the student body had dubbed them after that massive explosion, the "Twin Calamities." The Magician, Aozaki Aoko.
Kayneth watched her for a beat. She didn't offer a greeting; she didn't even look at him. Seeing that she had absolutely no intention of acknowledging his existence, he didn't bother wasting his breath. He gave Rimuru one last courteous nod, turned on his heel, and prepared to leave.
Truth be told, while the two men maintained a veneer of polite communication, the paint was thin. They belonged to different factions. Unless fate forced their hands, they would likely go to their graves without ever interacting voluntarily.
Especially given that their personalities were separated by a generic gulf of about ten thousand miles. Even if they shared a faction, Rimuru doubted they'd ever be drinking buddies.
Well, aside from academic shop talk, we really have nothing to discuss, Rimuru thought. I guess that's that.
Just as he decided the encounter was over, Kayneth's voice drifted back.
"Oh. One more thing, Professor Rimuru."
"Mm?"
Rimuru looked up. Kayneth had stopped and glanced back over his shoulder, a small, cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"Recently, a girl was born into the Archisorte family, a branch of my own El-Melloi lineage."
He paused, fixing Rimuru with a look of profound significance before turning his head back to face forward.
"As the head of the main house, I took the liberty of offering a suggestion. I told them to name her…"
"Reines."
"…"
Oh, you have got to be kidding me.
Rimuru stared at Kayneth's retreating back, momentarily speechless.
Reines? As in… the lemon-girl from the lore?
"Tch."
Rimuru shook his head, a helpless smirk forming. Clearly, the proud Lord El-Melloi hadn't let go of that previous rejection. If anything, he'd taken notes.
It made sense. For a man like Kayneth, whose entire existence was defined by the concept of "being exceptional," a rejection was a stain he couldn't just wash out.
"What was that about?"
Aoko, who had been dying of boredom, finally saw her opening. The moment Kayneth was out of earshot, she practically tackled Rimuru with her curiosity.
"Nothing much. Just… back when he tried to introduce a student to me, I turned him down. I used the excuse that I already had my eye on a potential student named 'Reines.' So now, he's gone and actually named a relative's kid Reines…"
Rimuru laughed softly, turning back to scour the shelves for useful texts. He wasn't really bothered.
If anything, Kayneth's maneuver felt less like a masterstroke and more like a sulking grade-schooler trying to prove a point. It was… oddly cute?
"...What kind of play is that?" Aoko looked dumbfounded, her nose wrinkling in disdain. "That's so moronic."
"I wouldn't say that."
Rimuru arched a brow, sliding a book back into its slot on the shelf. His voice dropped, turning thoughtful.
"In reality, this is his second attempt at making a statement. He's trying to bridge the gap between our factions using this relationship as a pivot point."
"The first time, he offered a child from his own Archibald line. I refused. So now, he's switched to a child from the Archisorte family."
"Is there a difference?" Aoko asked, her face twisted in confusion.
"The Archisorte family is a branch of the El-Melloi. Even if they're barely hanging on at the bottom of the hierarchy, they are still members of his clan."
"If he just wanted to be petty, he could have renamed one of his own kids," Aoko argued.
Rimuru looked at Aoko, who was clearly thinking so hard smoke was about to pour out of her ears. He smiled and rapped her lightly on the head.
"You idiot. This is a subtle signal. He's telling me that this desire to send me a student isn't just his personal whim anymore. It's the will of the entire El-Melloi faction. All the families under that banner."
"Meaning I can't refuse this time. You have to give face to one of the Twelve Lords when they push this hard."
"So… so complicated."
Aoko looked like her head was about to explode.
To her, it was just a stupid, petty name change. But it hid that many layers of intent and communication?
Screw this, she thought. London high society is a maze. Japan is so much better.
"It's not actually that complex," Rimuru said, tilting his head as he watched her struggle. "Even if you ignore the subtext, you shouldn't call him moronic, Aoko."
….
+10 chapters on my p@tr3on: Kazuma_trash
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