As she said that, Brandish irritably knocked Kabe's arm off her shoulder.
"Oh? It sounds like someone is very unhappy about me becoming a Wizard Saint."
Kabe turned toward her with a grin and, right in front of her face, flicked his Wizard Saint badge once again.
Brandish stared at him with dead fish eyes. After looking at him for a long while, she finally squeezed out two words.
"How childish."
After saying that, she immediately turned her head toward the car window and pretended to admire the scenery outside.
It was only a Wizard Saint title, after all. Back in Alvarez, she had already been a reserve candidate for the Spriggan Twelve. Give her a few more years, and a place among them would have practically been guaranteed.
Even after coming to another continent, with her strength, she believed she could still step into the ranks of the Wizard Saints sooner or later.
"By the way, Lord Kabe, the Ten Wizard Saints roster is not full yet, right? How many spots are still open?"
Juliet, sitting in the front passenger seat, also joined the discussion.
At that question, Kabe counted on his fingers for a moment.
"At the moment, there are only me, Irene, old man Makarov, plus those four who never move. So seven in total."
"Only seven? Then there are still three empty spots, right?"
Juliet grabbed the back of the seat and turned around excitedly.
"Then if you add me, Heine, and Lady Brandish, would that not be exactly enough?"
"...You really dare to dream."
Kabe was so amused by the girl's wild imagination that he laughed.
"Stop fantasizing. You are still far from being a Wizard Saint.
And did you really think the title only depends on strength and character?
If the three of you all became Wizard Saints, the Council would be the first group to lose sleep over it.
The Ten Wizard Saints are a lot more complicated than they look."
Juliet blinked, looking adorably blank, as if she had understood absolutely nothing.
Kabe had no intention of explaining the deeper politics to this unlucky girl.
After all, even for him, if he had not made such an enormous contribution this time, becoming a Wizard Saint would never have been this easy.
"By the way, Irene, since you are planning to settle down with me in Magnolia, why not also switch your nationality to Fiore while you are at it?"
"...What are you plotting this time?"
"Heh. I just suddenly remembered that the Fiore royal family still owes me one promise.
If I can also lure you, a newly appointed Wizard Saint, back with me, then maybe I can upgrade from commoner to actual nobility."
Turning her head, Irene looked at Kabe's annoyingly smug grin. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly nodded.
"I have no objection. My own country ceased to exist long ago. It makes no difference to me which nation I join now."
Snap.
Kabe snapped his fingers and immediately gave instructions to Heine, who was driving.
"Heine, change our destination. We are making a detour to the royal capital, Crocus."
Only after saying that did he nod toward Irene in thanks.
"Thanks for cooperating. Later, when Erza and I have a child, I will definitely split part of the title and territory with them."
Irene: ...
The instant Erza's name came up, Irene fell silent.
Even after all these days, she still had not figured out how she was supposed to face her daughter.
There was no question that she owed Erza far too much.
From the very beginning, when she had given birth to her for impure reasons...
To later softening at the last moment, abandoning her, leaving alone, and then not asking after her for more than ten years...
For all of that, Irene felt deep guilt.
And because of that, she was even more afraid of the meeting still to come.
If Erza were to ask why she had abandoned her back then, what was she supposed to say?
The more she thought about it, the more Irene let out a long breath, unable to stop the urge to run from it.
"Kabe, once we get to Magnolia, do not reveal my relationship with Erza yet."
"Huh? How is that even possible? Have you looked in a mirror? The two of you look ridiculously alike.
Even if I say nothing, the moment Erza sees you, she will absolutely...
Well... maybe not. If it is Erza, then I cannot guarantee anything."
Halfway through speaking, Kabe suddenly could not continue.
He found himself seriously doubting whether Erza would actually realize the relationship between herself and Irene.
Brandish, who had been listening to the entire conversation from the side, turned her head in surprise.
"Hey, hey. You are joking, right? Is there really someone in this world so dense that they could not even recognize their own mother?"
Kabe: "...If it is Erza... there really is a chance."
Irene: ...
Brandish: "???"