Silent Witch

With the departure of Lionel, Cyril also gave a bow to Monica and the others and bid farewell.

He probably has made his adoptive father, Marquis Highon waited long enough.

"I hope you could forgive any fault you found in my conduct."

"It's okay, we don't mind it. Speaking of the rudest person, there's one over here."

While Raul said that, his finger was pointed at Ray.

Ray was mumbling bitterly at the moment in crouching, still feeling devastated after knowing the person that he was trying to hook was a man.

When he compared to the person he mention, Cyril's impolite might seemed trivial.

There are many things Cyril wanted to say, but he held back his word and cast his eyes down.

"…now, if you'll excuse me."

Just before he went away, Monica seemed to feel Cyril's gaze on her—or to be precise on the Silent Witch.

But she had been covering her face with the hood and hadn't let out any voice in front of him, so it was unlikely for her identity to be exposed.

I-I've been standing in this place too long…

As Monica secretly wiped her sweat from her forehead, she heard rattling sounds nearby. She saw Raul had brought a cart out of nowhere.

Raul then stopped by Ray with a cart made of a simple wooden board with wheels and handles, after which he lifted Ray up with a heave-ho. While Ray looked so skinny, he was still an adult, it was not the weight an average magician could lift easily. Perhaps his days tending to the gardens had trained his muscles.

After having Ray, who's hugging his leg, on the cart, he laughed briskly.

"Alright, we better head back too! You want a ride too?"

"N-No, thank you… I'll walk on my own."

After Monica declined his offer, Raul started to push forward the cart with Ray on it, and Monica also started walking, following behind him.

Raul was humming as he walked among the flowerbeds when he suddenly remembered and looked back at Monica.

"Come to think of it, are you acquainted with the son of Marquis Highon?"

"Eh!? Ah, N-n-n-n-n-n-no, I'm nhoh–!"

"Really? You were trying so hard to follow up with me earlier, I thought you knew each other."

Of the Seven Sages, the only people who know Monica is carrying out an undercover mission at Serendia Academy were Louis and Monica herself. Naturally, she couldn't allow another person to know this fact.

Monica inwardly felt nervous, wondering what answer should she say to him if he inquires her further, but from the look of it, Raul seemed to have lost interest. He is just like a cat in his whimsical and likes to act without care.

It was when they reached one corner of a flower bed, Raul stopped his step and pulled a pair of small pruning shears from his pocket.

He then pruned one of the yellow roses, removed the thorns from the stalk, and offered it to Monica.

"Here, for you."

"T-Thank you…"

Why did he suddenly give a rose to Monica?

Monica was more confused than happy when receiving a friendly cat-like smile from Raul.

"To tell you the truth, I can hear the voice of plants."

"………what?"

"I heard these roses is saying, ‘Silent Witch and Abyss Shaman was doing something interesting behind everyone…' to me."

Raul said as he squinted his green eyes, and it was enough to send a shiver through her spine.

If one looked on the surface, Raul Roseberg seemed easygoing and jovial, but looking back at his background, besides his looks that he inherited from his ancestors, he was one of the magicians with the highest mana capacity in the kingdom, a super genius who became the head of the prestigious Resberg family at the tender age of 16.

So when such a man gave her a smile that emitted a bit of intimidation, it was enough to make Monica's entire body break out in a cold sweat.

D-Did Lord Thorn Witch hear our conversation!?

She had never heard that Raul has the ability to hear plants' voices.

But when she thought of his moniker the second of the Founder Thorn Witch, there might be a possibility he is…

"…It was thoughtless of us to speak in this place. It's a sound-collecting spell."

It was Ray who blurted out in his crouching position in the cart.

Ray lazily got up, plucked a yellow rose from Monica's hand, and crushed it. With that simple act, the rose quickly dried up.

Ray possessed many curses that had been carved all over his body. He probably cast some of his curses to wither anything he touches temporarily.

And having the ability to freely manipulate such many curses engraved in one's body alone proves he was the head Albright family.

Speaking status, Ray is also the head of a family whose prestige did not lose to the Roseberg family.

As Ray tossed the withered rose aside, he glared at Raul.

"All the plants in this garden have been constantly infused with your mana… I assume you used these flowers as a relay point to activate a sound-collecting formation to a high degree of accuracy."

Sound-collecting formation is used to gather any sound in the surrounding. While convenient for use in eavesdropping and other applications, it is extremely difficult to control.

Lynn, Louis' contracted spirit uses it occasionally, but it was possible because she is a high-ranking spirit that excels in mana manipulation.

Raul shrugged with a disappointed look on his face as he tucked the pruning shears into his pocket.

"I guess I've been found out, huh. Still, calling it the ability to hear the voice of plants sounds more like Thorn Witch doesn't it?"

"What are you up to? Depending on your answer, I might only put a curse to make your pinky toe stumble the corner of the desk once a day, " said Ray as he raised his staff and Raul raised his hands in surrender.

"It's not my intention to hear your conversation. I just happened to be there while looking for cats. When I found Roderick up in the tree near His Highness, I wondered if the other two cats had been running away too, so I decided to hear the voice in the garden. It just so happened that I heard you talking."

"…how much did you hear?"

"Around the part where the whole dragon incident might have been a farce set up by Duke Crockford… and also when Ray blabbering about how he didn't like me."

To Raul's brisk reply, Ray was, ‘This is why I don't like to be involved with this guy,' said with utter disgust on his face.

Monica involuntarily shuddered as she clutched at her scepter.

Now Raul knows that she has been snooping around about Duke Crockford.

Raul is neither the first prince faction nor the second prince faction, in other words, he is what they call a neutral faction. Despite his position, he might not let Monica and Ray off the hook for seeking enemies against Duke Crockford.

"D-Do you intend to sell us out to the other Seven Sages?"

"Well, I have no intention of doing that. I thought it'd be interesting, so I just wanted you guys to let me join the fun."

Monica was somewhat taken aback by his usual easygoing answer, but Ray was eyeing Raul with wary eyes.

"I know really well these types of people… one moment they will give you affection and another moment they will betray you in an abrupt way…"

"Not that I want to give you affection."

"…that's how they approach us, they want to drive us to the depth of despair by pretending to love us, only to be betrayed later. I know all the popular good-looking guys are like that. C-u-r-s-e-y-o-u…"

"I guess you really disliked me, huh. I just wanted to have some fun. I mean, ‘Let's suppress the most powerful man in the kingdom!' doesn't that sound really cool?" said Raul in an honest tone without any intention behind it, but Monica can't take his word for granted.

Monica has not spent that much time with Raul, but even so, she somehow knows that he can be unpredictable. So, how far can she trust him, she has no idea.

For Monica, the case of the cursed dragon and Duke Crockford will lead to the truth of her father's death, and for Ray, it will help him preserve the honor of the Albright family.

But there is nothing for Raul to gain. At most, it only satisfies his curiosity.

Looking at Monica and Ray's wariness, Raul lowered his brows slightly as he scratched his cheek.

"I think it would be a good deal for you two. I've been asked to tend Duke Crockford's garden occasionally, I can talk to his servants and even sneak inside the house if it's necessary… it's not bad, right?"

Speaking of connection, Ray and Monica have no ties to Duke Crockford, so Raul's proposal sounded very tempting to them.

Still, for better or worse, the timid and cautious Monica and Ray still could not trust Raul.

And Raul was sulking when receiving their doubt.

"Ah, I can't take it anymore! Why are guys so paranoid!? Can't you guys not be too secretive!? I want to join your group too! People close to my age don't want to be my friend, scared when they heard my ancestor's name, and so I'm wondering if it was the other Seven Sages who were close to my age perhaps they could be my friend, but you two never show up to the summit! Now when I was able to meet you after a long time, I was determined to make you two my friends, but you are planning to do something all by yourselves! It's not fair!"

Monica and Ray couldn't help but wince.

There was no reflection of the Thorn Witch of the head of the Roseburg family in Raul's childish rant. He is just like a spoiled child…albeit older than Monica.

With a sullen look, Raul stared at Ray faithfully and said, "…a loner who doesn't have a friend, should be a good person."

"W-Well… w-welcome to the group," said Monica awkwardly, and Ray who stood beside her strangely felt some sympathy for him. And Ray himself was ‘I did it!' striking a gut pose like a kid who manages to do something remarkable.