Chapter 59: City of Canals (part six)

“Good grief, what a scary Ojou-san.

I’m not a suspicious person. I’m the owner of this room.”

I observed him while still pointing the wand towards him, the redheaded young man drew back as he raised his hands.

Certainly if I looked closely, he had a face that looked exactly like the owner of Tulum Wand Store.

If I thought about it, this room had a structure that made it impossible for suspicious people to trespass it.

When I lowered the wand, the young man smiled and went further into the room.

“Aa~h, what a mess.”

“W-who are you!? How did you come into this room!”

“Calm down, Young Master Harold. I will not bite you.”

The young man set a chair that was toppling sideways and sat on it.

Harold who was panicking didn’t seem to hear the young man’s words.

“As this person said earlier, he is the owner of this room.

So, I guess he must have a key to this room.”

“That Ojou-san has a good judgment.”

The young man said so as if it was amusing and crossed his legs.

The radiance from his cordovan-made shoes entered my eyes.

He was wearing a dark gray dress suit made of silk that had a glossy feeling.

A silky cravat with milky color on his neck.

He didn’t have any other decorative items that would distinguish him.

It was surprising that he didn’t have a wand on him even though he was the son of the owner of a wand store.

He was about the same age as Eduart-oniisama.

He appeared to be in his early twenties.

A high nose with a large forehead, thin lips that seemed arrogant.

It seemed that he was acting like a frivolous person so that we couldn’t discern his thoughts.

While watching those sharp green eyes, I picked up such an impression.

The young man was surprised and looked around the cluttered workshop.

“But, it has been a while since I came home, huh.”

“You, are you perhaps the youngest son of Master, um, what did he say your name again!?”

“It’s Gilbert.”

“That’s right, Gilbert!

You should see Master.

He was worried that you were dying by the roadside somewhere—”

“Oops, stop right there.

Do not thrust your neck further into my family’s matter.”

Gilbert intentionally stopped Harold with a low voice.

Harold was surprised and drew his body back with a start.

“Due to various special circumstances, it’s hard for me to show my face to my old man.

Leave me alone. When the time comes, I will see him voluntarily.

Until then, it’s a secret to my old man that I am here. Understand?”

Gilbert had an amiable smile on his face, but his sharp tone of voice made us unable to refuse him.

“More than that, how terrible, Young Master Harold.

Have you measure your constitution properly?”

“Constitution……I know that I am vulnerable to the recoiling reaction of the wands.

I don’t quite understand it, but generally speaking it’s dangerous, right?”

Harold patted his apron with a sullen expression.

Dry chamomile flowers scattered everywhere.

It seemed that he got angry as the matter about his worrying constitution was poked repeatedly.

“I apologize that your room has become like this.

I forced him to use a wand.”

“No, well, I didn’t mean it in that sense though.

Now then, where did I put it……”

When I apologized, Gilbert shrugged his shoulders with a baffled expression.

He stood up and searched through the shelves packed with various things.

“I’m not planning to nag about the failure of a child who hasn’t even reach 10 years old.

However, recently the inhibitory substances have advanced, and it is said that it would be safe if he wore gloves—

Oh, found it. Here, it’s this thing.”

Gilbert threw a rod-shaped object familiar to a wand to Harold.

That stick drew a gentle arc and fell into Harold’s hand.

It was a handle-like tool with star crystals attached on it.

Although it was too short as a wand, it had a similar structure.

Some of the crystals were floating in the star-shaped star steel.

In response to the surrounding magical power, the crystal was emitting a light blue light.

“Try it.”

“Even if you say to try it……

This is too short for a wand and it used coatings that I have never seen before as lighting.

This, what is this?”

“Ooh~, it’s a generation gap, huh.

When I was small, everyone was measuring their inhibition value with this thing.”

Gilbert covered his face exaggeratingly.

“Remove your gloves, try to gently release your internal magical powers.”

“Internal……?”

“If you don’t understand, well. Just try to do it somehow.”

Harold gripped the handle with his bare hand as Gilbert said.

When he closed his eyes and put some effort into his hands, the star crystal shone white.

The light gathered thinly and spun like threads around Harold’s fist.

(Eh……why is it white? The light of the star crystal is supposed to be blue, right?)

“Thus, depending on the amount and composition of the inhibitor, it is a substitute for expressing each person’s inhibitory ability as a numerical value.

The measured inhibition value appears as the number of the seven prismatic colors of a rainbow.

Therefore, the alchemists call this crystal a 〈Rainbow Strap〉.”

“Eh, but it’s white? It’s not the color of a rainbow at all though?”

“Wait, wait, I’m also surprised because it was unexpected.”

Harold who placed the Rainbow Strap on the table shook Gilbert’s shoulders.

Just to be sure, Gilbert himself also grasped the Rainbow Strap.

Three rainbow-colored bands were generated from the crystal.

It didn’t appear to be broken.

Waiting for Harold to calm down, Gilbert opened his mouth again.

“I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time seeing the real thing.

Of all things, it’s a miraculous constitution.

If Young Master wants to become a creator of magic tools, you have the best qualification.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if I explain it in detail, it will take time.

……Do I have to tell you?”

Gilbert seemed to feel troubled and turned his eyes towards the other way.

But it seemed that his eyes were laughing.

“To say something like that, isn’t it too cruel.

If you tell me, I will honor you as my second Master.”

“Hmm~, I will tell you since you have said that much.

But I want to be called ‘Aniki’ rather than ‘Master’.”

“……Gilbert-aniki!”

Harold desperately clung to Gilbert who seemed to be enjoying himself.

Gilbert was also at fault.

If such thing was told, of course Harold would be anxious about the explanation.

“‘Aniki’, huh. That sounds good~. Alright, my younger brother Harold-kun.”

“That’s right, Aniki!”

Every time Harold called him ‘Aniki’, Gilbert seemed to be happy.

Speaking of which, he did say that he was the youngest son.

“By the way, I feel thirsty~.

I want to moisten my throat before the long explanation~.”

“There is the treasured natural foaming mineral water with cider in this place! Do you want to drink it, Aniki!”

“Oh, that’s great, I can drink cider.”

Harold took out two bottles from somewhere.

He pulled out the stopper deftly according to Gilbert’s order and served it with the porcelain pot taken from this place again.

“Aah, but, I’m also hungry~.

If I’m going to use my head, I will need sweets~.”

“There are lightly spiced baked sweets in this place! Eat them, Aniki!”

“Wah~, how nostalgic. Aren’t they from Auntie Gizella’s shop? How is she doing?”

“Auntie is as healthy as ever. Come and meet her later.”

Gilbert looked at the baked snacks taken out by Harold and narrowed his eyes in nostalgia.

When he was like this, I couldn’t see the scary first impression at all.

Not only Gilbert heaved up the materials, but he also shared the baked sweets and mineral water with Harold and me.

Well, they were originally from Harold, so he didn’t actually share anything.

The sweets were cut into simple human figures.

They looked like ginger cookies I ate during Christmas.

The lightly spiced baked dough melted on my tongue when I bit into it.

Among the gentle sweetness, there were plenty of spices such as cinnamon and ginger.

“Ha~, I’m revived!

Now then, it can’t be helped since you have done that much for me.

Gilbert-sensei’s magic course, let’s start from the beginning.”

Gilbert prompted applause by clapping his hands.

Harold obediently applauded following his big brother.

In this way, I also got Gilbert’s lecture as Harold’s plus one.