"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 56

Ryu was able to return to Arden as scheduled, about a month before the Imperial Academy’s exam. However, since it takes roughly three weeks to hurry from Arden to the capital, he would have to depart from here again in two or three days.

First, one might wonder if we need to clear the head of the household’s accumulated tasks here. However, that’s not the case. If there were countless tasks that only the head of the household could handle, no noble would be able to go off to war.

If you entrust the head of the family seal to a trustworthy relative and have a high-level staff, the territory can be managed properly. In the case of the late former head of the Arden family, only the latter was excellent, so it was gradually heading towards decline.

In short, as long as Mother, Sebas, and the servants are there, there won’t be any problems. I might have to rely on Mother and Sebas a bit, but honestly, I don’t need to worry too much about the servants. Most of them ignored us when Ryu and the others were still at the old mansion, so it’s best to have them run the operations for a while. Besides, they themselves want to atone for their past actions.

On the day he returned home, Ryu checked Lena’s progress, quickly finished the head of the household’s paperwork early the next morning, and spent the afternoon back in Lena’s room. What an outrageous brother.

“Alright. With this, there’s no way I won’t pass.”

“Ahh~ I’m so tired.”

“While we’re taking a break, how about we eat the snacks we bought yesterday?”

“Yay!!!”

Take the cookies out of the bag and enjoy them together.

The cookies are infused with dried fruits, perfectly balancing a mild sweetness with a refreshing flavor.

“It’s crispy and delicious,” *munch munch*

“It’s delicious!” *munch munch*

This was purchased at a pastry shop in the Grace Barony, so the ingredients are, of course, Grace-produced wheat.

“Shall we try asking Arden to set up a stall next time?”

“To whom?”

“To Lord Grace, then.”

“Such an important person…!”

“He’s a friendly, cool older guy, so next time we meet, let’s greet him together, okay?”

“Understood!”

Ryu remembered something here.

“Ah, if I remember correctly, your daughter, who is the same age as me, is a second-year student at the Imperial Academy, so Lena might be invited to a tea party after she enrolls.”

“Grace Arden is getting along well these days, you know?”

“Sorry for the trouble. If it’s too much of a hassle, feel free to decline.”

“No, no! Not at all! More importantly…”

“Hmm?”

Lena adorably furrowed her brows.

“My brother’s age-mate… I have a bad feeling about this… I need to be careful…”

“Lena, be careful at school too. If any bad guys come around, you can even kill them if necessary. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Eh… that’s a bit…”

The firepower of the completion degree was never inferior to Ryu.

As expected, it was not the time for magic training right before the exam, so the study session continued until the evening. As explained before, the entrance exam was only written, and regarding magic training, Ryu personally took the lead at Lena’s request to get advice after enrollment. Therefore, conducting magic training now would be counterproductive.

“Shall we call it a day?”

“Thank you very much!”

“Thank you for all your hard work as well.”

In the first place, it was Ryu who told Lena to go to the Imperial Academy. Of course, this was a discussion considering her future.

“……”

Ryu noticed that his younger sister was fidgeting.

“Lena, are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, we should go to the doctor right away…”

“Um, actually, I have a present for you, big brother…”

“!?!”

Lena, her face flushed, took something out of the desk drawer.

“I worked hard on knitting this yesterday… If you don’t mind, please…”

“Gloves… and with a magic circle on them…?”

At that moment, lightning struck somewhere in this world.

“W-was it unpleasant for you?”

“No, no, no, no. I just got so happy that I ended up becoming calm instead. Thanks, Lena.”

“Yes! I’m glad you’re happy!”

Lena let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

“This is a treasure for a lifetime.”

Let’s make it a family heirloom.

“It’s not that amazing, you know.”

I’m glad I’m good at knitting.

According to rumors, on that day, a yokai boasting about gloves with magic circles appeared at the Arden mansion… This might also be influenced by Ryu’s spirit leaning towards the dragon clan (probably).

It might only be a matter of time before Kurikara becomes a siscon.

Early morning two days later.

“Well then, I’ll be counting on you to take care of things for a long time.”

“I’m off!!!”

“This time, Lena-chan will be gone too… It’s going to be lonely, isn’t it? Both of you, do your best. If you ever get tired of it, you can come back anytime, okay?”

“Leave it to me. I will always be praying for Lady Lena’s exam and Lord Ryu’s Hinomaru expedition to go well…!”

This time’s members are Ryu, Lena, three maids, two knights, one coachman, four warhorses, and Axel.

The carriage is occupied by Lena and the maids, with Ryu and the knights surrounding it. Although Ryu could technically fit in the carriage, he can’t leave Axel alone again, so this time he runs alongside as a guard.

“Lord Ryu! Lady Lena! Have a safe journey! Please be careful on the way!”

The silver-haired knight also came to see me off.

“Oh, Stingray. Thanks for going out of your way. I’m off.”

“I’m off!!!”

Lena also sticks her face out of the carriage and waves.

Today is a clear day.

It’s the perfect day for departure.

By the way, you might have thought whether such a large group would be okay, but the Imperial Academy is one of the top five educational institutions on the continent, and since it has ample grounds and facilities, there are well-prepared accommodations for the staff as well. Until the exam day, we will live in a rented house, and after enrollment, everyone is scheduled to move to the dormitories and residences within the academy.

So far, the biggest concern is whether we can safely reach the capital. Last time, when Ryu and Stingray headed there, they were attacked multiple times by monsters and bandits along the way. I hope there won’t be any attacks this time…

Hey, isn’t Ryu a bit scary since he came back from the war?

Actually, I was thinking the same thing. His expression and behavior are as gentle as always, but there’s something intimidating about him.

The magic circle that Lena drew for me is seriously cool…

If Ryu is here, there shouldn’t be any problems.