“What!? The guide teaches you!?”

Ivannes, startled, jumped up from his seat and shouted loudly.

Among the chatter of the children who had just arrived at school, the topic was Nia’s violin instructor.

Soon, envy followed, but the protagonist’s reaction was different.

“……Hmm.”

Just rolling her eyes with small hands and pursing her lips, that was it.

“Oh, too bad. Then we can’t learn together. I specially asked the guide for a favor.”

“What? You asked to learn together? Seriously?”

“You don’t need to learn, right? You’re already good at it.”

“Oh, right.”

The poorly crafted lie spread like this.

The child took a small bite.

Then, suddenly, classmates joined the conversation.

“Nia, why do you seem down? Isn’t it a good thing? I heard that the instructor, Lion, has even performed with famous ensembles since childhood when parties were held at the mansion.”

The place where Lion’s childhood stories were circulating was the parties of upper-class households.

It was the rumor of a child from a rising noble family who had set foot there a few times.

Though Charles and Ivannes responded positively to the information, Nia’s reaction was still not good.

“Nia, what’s wrong? Don’t you like the guide? Ivannes is good, though.”

“Ugh, who does Nia dislike? There must be something else bothering her. Really.”

When the children asked Nia, who looked sullen, lifting her face,

“……Dislike.”

With that one word, the children’s eyes widened.

A friend who used to smile every day, a friend who never made a facial expression, had stubbornly sealed her lips with a firm expression and determination.

“Wow, that’s unbelievable. Did you see, Ivannes?”

“Yeah! How could Nia dislike the guide!! She’s amazing! How can she!?”

At that moment, when Roy, who arrived late, entered,

“What, what? Nia dislikes the guide!? Who is it, who!?”

“Who are you talking about? Tell us everything. Besides, you’re not a guide. You’re my brother.”

Even with Ivannes’s attack, Roy laughed widely like a fool.

Since the kidnapping incident, he had become even more passionate than before to not look unpleasant to his friends.

“Ahaha, does Nia dislike our guide brother? Why? Why?”

At Roy’s question, Nia thought of countless reasons in her mind, but among them, she couldn’t find a valid reason to articulate.

Therefore, she just lowered her head.

At that moment, someone joined the crowded children.

“Who are you talking about? A person with silver hair, very impressive.”

It was Evan, who pulled a chair and sat down across from the round table where Nia’s group was sitting.

Receiving the curious gazes of the children, Evan explained with a small smile.

“I met him at Jean Roop’s master’s instrument shop yesterday. It seems he played the necessary piece to choose the first instrument. Thanks to that, I enjoyed a wonderful performance. Nia.”

“……Ung….”

Then, sighs of admiration came from the children.

“Wow, he played for choosing an instrument? Seriously, even Count Jean Roop?”

“Yeah. I was really envious.”
Now, the children’s noisy questions were pouring onto Evan.

While Nia just knew him as Lion’s master, the instrument created by the legendary artisan Jean Roop and his performance were huge topics for the children who had just started learning instruments.

“All right, friends. Shall we start today brightly and energetically?”

As the classroom door opened, teacher Emily entered, and then the children scattered with regretful sounds.

Seeing that, Nia still didn’t understand the children.

Instead,

“Ah, Ivannes also wants to take lessons together……”

Looking at Ivannes, who sighed heavily while looking into the air next to me, something came to mind.

If it were Ivannes, who always protected her, wouldn’t he prevent the unwanted person from approaching her mother?

After finishing work, Lucia went straight to the office of the Prime Minister, Jaisang.

“I’m going on a business trip this time. I’m sorry to go on a business trip again for my child’s sake.”

As he said, even if it was for the child, he wasn’t planning on going on a business trip, but this time the circumstances were different.

Last time, the mission she received from Jaisang to take Lion and Nia to the instrument shop was quite important to her.

“Well, make sure to find the last vein of the Republic before the meeting.”

The place written on the order he handed over was the capital of the Arkis Republic.

Lucia, who did not expect to go there, rethought the conversation with Jaisang, which she shared after the kidnapping incident.

“At this meeting, those with authority over the trees will be the temple.”

“Yes? Why do you think that way?”

Lucia said in disbelief.

“Why? Did you expect the temple to remain neutral and not participate?”

“Rather, the temple does not have the power to exclude all nations.”

“No, they have a relic more powerful than power.”

“……!”

There were many reasons why the temple could maintain neutrality now, but physically, there was only one.

It was the relic of the gods.