Volume 3 Chapter 85 Quest： Aperitif III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ew, that’s kinda scary.”
”Sorry. Just kidding.”
”But you were totally serious, right…”
Christy gave a deadpan look.
Kian shook his head loosely.
”This isn’t just my story. Oswald once joked that when he killed someone he liked, he accidentally came.”
”Ugh…”
”I heard Lord Guy say it felt better than having s*x with his wife.”
”Oh… really? That’s messed up.”
Christy looked shocked, but quickly returned to her usual face and continued.
”The monster used to be part of a very rich mercenary group. They were definitely not your average pirates or bandits. Since birth, they had money and never went hungry. I think they ate so much as a kid that their stomach got that big.”
”Right now, it’s the height of the mercenary boom, but there are only so many places where members can eat until they puke.”
”Plus, they drank high-end boozes. Honey ones. Plum found heaps of honey mead bottles in the monster’s lair. They were packed tight in its backpack.”
”Hmm.”
”The problem is why that monster got into the fortress. To enter the castle, it would have to come up from the sewers or go through a checkpoint. If it made it through, it would mean it had enough smarts to not raise suspicion with Liam and the others.”
”So, in that case, the monster must have come to this fortress of its own will, right?”
Christy nodded.
”Yes. And after entering, it tried to stock up on food or something, but lost its sanity halfway and attacked people.”
”I see. That storyline definitely sounds plausible.”
”Lucky for us, I’ve got a man’s robe all secured. And if you haven’t seen a dude with a gnarly tattoo on his shoulder, I’ve been asking around the taverns. Maybe we can figure out what the guy used to look like. If he said something to the other patrons or the bartender, we might get a clue about his deal too. ────I heard you got a useful magic stone from Priscilla, right? I’m sure Manon will let you know if she finds out anything else.”
”Got it. There might be some connection with the Bloodsucking Kind causing trouble in Ramsey. That’s rare, huh?”
Kian nodded, and Christy sat up from his arms.
”…You’re going off again, aren’t you?”
”I’m an Adventurer. What can I do?”
”Mhm…”
Her white fingers gently traced his forearm.
”But it gets so lonely. You’re planning to push non-stop until you become an advanced-rank Adventurer, right?”
”Yeah, well. The Guild Master is letting me earn triple contribution points. If all goes well, I should be able to take the advanced-rank Adventurer test by the end of next month or the one after.”
”Really!? So, after that, you’ll come back to the fortress?”
”I plan to drop by now and then. Once I rank up, of course I’ll come to report to you and Her Excellency. I guess I’ll still be borrowing a room every now and then.”
”I’ll live for that.”
He almost retorted not to live for such things, but stopped himself at the last moment.
Part of Christy’s charm was her somewhat heavy nature.
”I should get back to everyone. Are you staying in the main building tonight?”
”Yeah.”
”I’ll guard the building. Sleep easy.”
”Mhm. …Kian”
Christy stretched her heel and gently brought her lips close.
A sigh────and the young woman’s warm breath touched his nose.
Kian embraced her and shared a deep kiss.
CRACKKKK!!
FWUMP. CRUNCHH…
”Hic… Did you hear that sound just now?”
”It’s probably just your imagination. C’mon, let’s head back.”
Feeling a dark aura behind him, Kian said with a smile.
His brain was full of excuses, but really, he didn’t make sense for someone who got dumped to call his being with Christy cheating.
After a quick thought, Kian decided it would be best to just act cool and confident.
”Be careful, okay? And text me when you get back.”
”Yeah.”
Christy smiled sweetly one last time, then clomped back inside through the main gate.
After she closed the iron gate, she waved a little close to her cheek before climbing the marble stairs.
* * *
Even after paying the guard for the cost of the palm tree replacement, Kian kept guarding the old Oswald mansion.
Around midnight, Maribel came back and sealed the main gate tight.
Serena and Sarah went to sleep to get ready for tomorrow, while Kian patrolled the yard with Natra and Rufna (Rufna left halfway to feed the Night Wraith).
Then, around 4 a.m.
From the quiet merchant district, a plain horse carriage rattled its way over.
It was a normal wooden cart, but on top was a big model of a shoe.
Even from far away, everyone could tell it was a traveling shoe seller’s cart.
Sitting on the driver’s seat was the now familiar dragon bone familiar.
”Heyyy! Kian today!”
”Ms. Priscilla.”
Two military horses slowly stopped walking.
The carriage came to a halt in front of the broken cobblestones.
”Here we go.”
A white-haired witch with an umbrella jumped down from a weird door on the cart’s side.
She wasn’t wearing her usual black witch dress but thick pants and a warm-looking fur coat.
”Hey hey! I heard from Papa, some crazy stuff happened while I was gone. Just so you know, it’s not my fault this time. I was busy making shoe models all by myself.”
”Good morning. That’s quite a carriage. Amazing work.”
”Thanks, thanks. Glad you like it. I put all my style into this one. If anyone badmouths it, I was ready to punch them.”
”Good morning, Lady Priscilla.”
”Mornin’! Whoa, nice carriage! Not too big, not too small, just right!”
Natra and Rufna are coming too.
Rufna has Kian and Natra’s backpacks on her back.
Her own pack is worn in front like some kind of body armor.
”Rufna, I’m sorry. Thanks.”
”It’s all good. This much is light work for me.”
”So, where is the Witch who said she would accompany us?”
When Natra asked that, Priscilla puffed out her chest like she had been waiting for this.
”I’m right here!”
”Where?”
”I said──!”
Priscilla pointed to herself with her thumb and winked.
”It’s me!”
”Please leave.”
”Huh!? Why not!? That’s mean!”
”Well, ever since I heard the story from Master, I kinda figured this would happen.”
”I had a bad feeling ever since Ms. Priscilla didn’t want to spill the name of her partner.”
Kian stared into the distance.
It was obvious that calling Priscilla the greatest Witch since Aliona at the Academy was saying everything.
Even faced with the right answer, all he could think was, “Of course.”
Priscilla frowned.
”Huh? What? Am I being left behind?”
”Protecting the top Witch of Châtillon is too big of a responsibility. We’re not cut out for it, so please stop.”
”What!? Wait! I did a lot for you! I built this carriage for you! Why would you leave your benefactor behind!? I mean, I’m super talented! I can do basically anything! You won’t regret taking me along!”
”What about Châtillon?”
Natra threw in a calm retort.
”That’s not your concern. It’s my problem. You all can just keep quiet and use me.”
”I’m worried Lord Renaud might cause trouble, so please go back.”
”No way!”
Priscilla puffed up her cheeks in a huff.
”Hey, isn’t it great? Take me with you♡ Take me with you♡ Take me with you♡ You have to take meeee!!”
”I have no choice, should I contact Lord Guy?”
”Stop that!”
”Hahaha, don’t get all serious on me! You’re such a cute little lady, you know!”
”Lady Priscilla, do you truly intend to join us on our journey? You must understand how dangerous this trip is going to be.”
Natra placed her hands on her hips.
”We’re stepping into a war zone. And there are unknown Bloodsucking Kind spreading around the area. I’m also worried about that vampire impersonator we saw yesterday. If you join us half-heartedly, it could put all our lives at risk.”
”I’m serious. I want to come along on the journey to be of use to Lord Kian. And while I’m at it, I want to get my hands on some undead samples too.”
”Master, what should we do? This little lady is all geared up and ready to go. She’s full of enthusiasm.”
Kian let out a sigh.
”If I leave her be, she’s just going to follow us anyway…. I’ll hear Sarah and Serena’s opinions, but if she can behave on the journey, I suppose I’ll allow her to come along.”
”Hey, Lord Kian!”
Priscilla twirled around and, with a smile, launched herself at his chest.
He imagined what would happen if he dodged, but decided to quietly catch and hold her instead.
Her lustrous white hair made a mess under his chin.
”Hehehe! It smells like Christina!”
”We hugged last night, you know.”
Priscilla smiled and stepped away from him.
”I won’t say what I’m thinking about Lord Kian right now. I don’t want to be hated. Well then, everyone, see you around for a while! Please take care of me!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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