The Aurelius Duke's territory was vast, so large that his castle was marked directly on the map. Noel had found it by following the map, and as expected of a noble's residence, even though it was located on the outskirts,
the surrounding area was far from desolate. Instead, it had become a commercial hub of the capital. Judging by the look of it, Duke Aurelius was likely collecting taxes from the merchants operating in the area.
As soon as Noel arrived in front of the duke's mansion, he was stopped by the guards at the gate.
"Please wait here for a moment while I inform the master."
One of the guards entered the estate to report, while the other remained stationed at the gate.
They indeed carried themselves with the air of noble guards, maintaining a certain elegance that set them apart from the typical nouveau riche retainers.
Noel stood at the gate, silently hoping the messenger would return with a response quickly. After all, he was here on a job, and honestly, this was the first time he had received such poor treatment.
Perhaps it was because the estate was so large that the report was taking a long time. It was understandable, but Noel was forcing himself to be patient as he waited.
After a while, Noel found he was no longer the only one waiting at the gate. A cute girl with long, deep blue hair wearing a blue and yellow dress had arrived, accompanied by a cat with soft white-pink fur, wearing a pink dress and a bow tied around its tail—a very adorable-looking cat.
A mage, a cat, and another mage together was not an uncommon sight, but for some reason, this situation felt particularly awkward. Was he supposed to start the conversation himself? Would that cause a misunderstanding?
His mind was a mess, unsure of what to do. Normally, Noel was quite sociable, but perhaps he was simply not good at dealing with this type of shy young girl.
The girl kept her head down, mumbling something under her breath, when suddenly her voice became louder.
"U-um, my name is Wendy Marvell," she said shyly.
"I'm not very good at fighting, but I can use healing and support magic, so... please take care of me." As she spoke, Wendy shut her eyes tightly, likely out of embarrassment.
"It's exactly because you act like this that people look down on you."
The cat, Carla, couldn't help but say it, though she didn't like speaking so harshly. With a personality like Wendy's, it was easy for her to get taken advantage of.
"I'm sorry," Wendy apologized hurriedly.
"Don't just apologize right away," Carla interrupted her apology coldly.
"I'm sorry," Wendy blurted out again instinctively.
Carla could only sigh in exasperation, realizing there was nothing she could do. However, looking at Noel, he didn't seem like a bad person.
Then again, bad people didn't have it written on their faces, so Carla decided it was her responsibility to protect Wendy.
"Hello, my name is Carla. Pleased to meet you."
From a manners standpoint, there was nothing to fault, but the air of authority was quite strong. Had Noel unknowingly offended them somehow?
"You're here to take this request too, right? I'm Noel Manchester. Pleased to meet you," Noel said, maintaining his polite demeanor.
After hearing Noel's introduction, Wendy relaxed a bit, not as tense as she had been.
"So this is Sir Noel, huh? He's completely different from how he looks in the papers. I can't believe he also took this job, Carla," Wendy whispered to Carla, too softly for Noel to hear.
"He seems like a rather proper gentleman," Carla commented fairly.
Was that really such high praise? Wendy had never seen Carla give someone such a positive evaluation before.
At that moment, the guard who had gone to report returned to the gate, accompanied by a dignified elderly man in a well-tailored suit—likely the Aurelius Duke's butler.
"My deepest apologies for the wait, honored guests. I am Sebastian, the butler of this estate, but you may simply call me Sebas." Sebas bowed deeply to the two mages and the cat, sincerely apologizing for the delay.
Noel had been somewhat annoyed earlier, but given such a formal apology, he decided to let the matter go.
Sebas led them directly to the reception room, whispered a few words to the person behind a high-backed chair, and then left.
Who was sitting behind that chair? Perhaps it was the steward in charge of these affairs, or maybe the duke's heir?
Noel was generally skilled at dealing with ordinary people, but it was obvious that the person behind this chair was anything but ordinary.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, and for making you, our esteemed contractors, wait here," said the person seated, in a deep, imposing voice.
Just then, the butler returned, standing silently beside the chair without moving.
It was clear now—the person sitting in that chair was likely Duke Aurelius himself.
The chair was the rotating type, and once the mechanism was activated, it slowly turned around. Noel had expected to see an elderly man,
but instead, when he saw the duke's face, he found an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. If not for his expensive clothing and the sense of authority he carried, no one would have recognized him as the Aurelius Duke.
The duke scrutinized the two people before him, his gaze filled with doubt. When he had issued this designated request, he had been very selective about the mage he wanted to hire.
So why had two young children shown up instead? That was his current question.
"Forgive my bluntness, but are you Sir Noel Manchester and Miss Wendy Marvell?" The duke's gaze sharpened, and his demeanor exuded an overwhelming sense of authority.
"Forgive me, Your Grace. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Noel Manchester from the Mondstadt Alchemy Workshop, currently affiliated with the Fairy Tail Guild." Noel responded calmly and confidently.
There was nothing to fear in such power dynamics. Because he needed to sell potions, Noel often dealt with the wealthy and powerful, so he felt entirely at ease in situations like this.
Wendy, however, was different. Having only done a few missions before, the young girl was so terrified she was on the verge of tears.
"W-what should I do?" she whispered in a panic.
"Your Grace, I am Carla from Cait Shelter, and this is my partner, Wendy Marvell. This child is not very good with people, so we ask for your understanding."
At that moment, Carla displayed incredible composure, instantly diffusing the awkward atmosphere.
Noel, who had been worried for Wendy, realized that with Carla at her side, he didn't need to worry so much after all.
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