Became the Villainess’s Guardian

There were three primary reasons for my visit to Antrim.

One, to assess the Republic’s preparations for impending war.
I had confirmed that yesterday, and Magician Carno had suggested reconvening later, so I shall skip that for now.

The second was to establish a Ceres Martop branch.
While exporting our products globally, manufacturing solely within the Glassgow Kingdom would needlessly drain resources on transportation – a gross inefficiency.

In that vein, I had promotional efforts prepared to stimulate demand.
The most conventional approach remained newspaper advertisements – the most widely accessible information source surpassing even radio, as was common practice in Londinium.

However, showcasing celebrities’ usage also yielded considerable impact.
Even within the Glassgow Kingdom, emulating the Queen’s fashion choices was prevalent. So why should magicians, the era’s idols, be any different?

Air conditioners had undoubtedly already found their intended applications in factories and martops.
But the product I intended to introduce in Antrim differed.

Freugne pointed out the window, remarking:

“There’s an automobile parked outside the hotel. That’s yours, isn’t it, uncle?”

“They did mention sending it along on a subsequent train. It seems to have arrived sooner than expected – the inspection process must have concluded swiftly.”

“Oh, you intend to drive that around?”

I nodded. I had not obtained a Belfast-issued license, but that was immaterial.
Of course, my intention was not to recklessly indulge in the thrill of unlicensed driving. The concept of licenses simply did not yet exist within this Republic.

In Londinium, we had barely managed to circumvent regulations by redefining ‘carriage’ as any vehicle exceeding a certain weight threshold.
But in the less automobile-saturated Belfast, even such measures were lacking.
Given that automobiles rarely exceeded 30 km/h at this stage, the lack of stringent regulations was unsurprising.

And when everyone else adhered to child-safety speed limits, the prospect of independently reaching 50 km/h would undoubtedly prove exhilarating.

-Knock knock knock-

“Sir, are you present?”

“If this is regarding the automobile, I have seen it through the window. Please safeguard it as per my earlier request.”

“Understood. Feel free to retrieve it whenever needed.”

Befitting this hotel’s upscale status within the capital, it boasted the modern amenity of a parking facility.
After the employee departed, I inquired of the still-lounging Freugne, who had merely grabbed a light breakfast:

“So, where shall we begin? Perhaps we should inquire at the hotel – I noticed they had recommended itineraries yesterday.”

“I’ve already compiled those. I drafted a few potential routes, so please let me know if none are to your liking.”

“I presumed you would have tailored them to your preferences. Since I came here to spend time with you, I have no reason to deviate from your plans – I trust your meticulous nature.”

Returning to my original query regarding the third and final purpose: sightseeing.

This stemmed from my previous promise to Freugne: ‘If you succeed, we’ll take an overseas trip together.’
Hence, I was acutely aware of how caddish it would be to cite my busyness as an excuse to abandon her to roam alone.

Of course, had Freugne suddenly desired to explore with a new companion, I would have graciously stepped aside.

‘Speaking of which, what about Freugne’s future marriage?’

In Londinium, marrying and starting a family around twenty was commonplace.
Among venerable aristocratic or wealthy, powerful families, strategic marriages still persisted. But having never married myself, I had no intentions of coercing her.

Moreover, by this era’s standards, I considered myself open-minded – her partner’s heritage or social standing, be they a commoner or foreigner, mattered little to me.
Even if Freugne harbored no marital aspirations, I would respect her choices. Yet her remarks yesterday implied burgeoning romantic curiosities.

‘Has she already set her sights on someone? Or has she yet to encounter a suitable partner?’

I finally gained a measure of insight into Professor Magni’s lamentations about lacking suitors for his ‘precious daughter.’

“…If you continue staring, it becomes rather embarrassing.”

“Ah, my apologies. I was briefly lost in thought. But we should depart soon, before any crowds assemble.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, one moment. Let me don a disguise first.”

For one of universal renown like myself, the predicament lay in being recognized – undermining any attempts at leisurely sightseeing with Freugne if others continuously approached me.

After donning the preemptively prepared wig and glasses, I inquired of Freugne:

“How’s this? Do I appear sufficiently different?”

“…Oh. The glasses do alter your appearance, somewhat.”

“In any case, my appearance has definitively changed, has it not?”

“I…quite like this look as well……”

Freugne had frozen in place, muttering softly to herself as I led her downstairs to the lobby.
Families huddled together, scrutinizing maps to determine their destinations.

Likewise unfolding a map, I surveyed the locations Freugne had circled and interconnected.
Despite reassuring her that roaming the city all day yesterday would be acceptable, the evident effort invested in curating this itinerary revealed her elevated expectations.

Travelers harbored diverse motivations:

Devout believers would visit sacred sites and cathedrals.
Those pursuing academic endeavors would frequent renowned universities or societies.
And for simple recreation, as in our case, touring historical landmarks or attending theatrical performances – not dissimilar to modern times.

If seeking a novel experience, we could attend a magical showcase – though having already indulged in such spectacles ad nauseam in Londinium, to the point of hosting them myself, witnessing another in Antrim seemed redundant.

Finally emerging from her reverie, Freugne addressed me:

“I’ve drafted a few potential routes. One involves visiting former palaces and art museums, befitting the city’s artistic renown.”

“That seems rather distant. Shall we drive there?”

“But I would prefer walking together today, so let’s consider an alternative. Apparently, there are many hero-related sites surrounding the hotel.”

When discussing Antrim’s renowned landmarks, those associated with the war between humanity and the Demonic Tribe inevitably featured prominently.
Not only was this Republic the hero’s birthplace, but its capital had endured invasion before his dramatic counteroffensive victory – an inextricable element of the city’s history.

Naturally, the hero’s statues, war memorials, and fortresses that witnessed the fiercest battles became popular tourist attractions.
A relatable narrative unencumbered by political controversies from the relatively recent past, bolstered by abundant historical records.

“Rather than a counteroffensive victory, it would be more accurate to attribute it to the hero’s exceptional prowess.”

“But they say the hero’s vanquishing of the Dark Lord led to the collapse of the Demonic Tribe’s forces. While the hero was remarkable, the Dark Lord who commanded those troops must have been formidable in their own right – for an individual to wield such immense power.”

“Truly…a dangerous prospect. Yes, I hope the current Dark Lord does not prove similarly threatening.”

And this might have been my imagination, but:
At that moment, Freugne’s tone seemed to tremble ever so slightly, as if laced with trepidation.

The life of a celebrity carries its tribulations.
Even without actively promoting oneself, every action and inaction inevitably becomes fodder for rumor mills.

The accounts of the Glassgow Royal Academy member – or more precisely, the air conditioning developer Edan – having arrived at the train station had gradually disseminated, accompanied by concrete attestations of his presence within Antrim.

As the inviting municipality, the city authorities attempted to control the information flow and prohibit excessive contact or undue conduct.
Edan, too, had donned a rudimentary disguise of a wig and glasses, rendering immediate recognition improbable.

Nevertheless, news of his arrival had undoubtedly permeated throughout the city within three days.
And within a week, even the vagrant urchins of the slums – extending to nearby towns – would likely catch wind of the rumors.

And among those who came across these rumors were:
A small contingent of Demonic Tribe members who had evaded the previous large-scale apprehension operation.

“Have you heard? The magician Edan has come to Antrim.”

“At last! Londinium’s security had become so stringent, making inroads nigh impossible. The forces we had established there were utterly decimated.”

“But this city’s circumstances are somewhat more favorable. We must act swiftly! Who knows when such an opportunity might arise again?”

“Eliminating him now could spare the lives of our brethren.”

“But did not the Dark Lord explicitly forbid such brazen actions?”

“They are already scouring the city to apprehend us! What could be more absurd than advocating restraint after instigating this rebellion?”

No matter how the Dark Lord had subjugated and indoctrinated the Demonic Tribe into a unified nation, their inherent nature could not be fully suppressed.

And:

“You have a report to make?”

“Yes, that’s correct. We have located Demonic Tribe members.”

Their movements were swiftly detected by the eyes Carno had strategically positioned throughout the city.