Volume 2 Chapter 16 Sacrifice
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after the research building and watermill burned down.
The neighboring’s Baron Tethyrkan arrived with the Border Defense Force and started a detailed investigation.
As members of the alchemy team, we were eager to find out how much of our research materials and the reports we had compiled over the last 2 months were safe, but we were told we couldn’t enter until the investigation was done.
So, we stood around nearby, feeling a bit lost, when Sir Aaron showed up.
”Oh, you’re Melon, right? The sister of that Puruun, the head secretary. So, you’re also Yuuta’s sister-in-law. This has been a disaster, but are you okay?”
”Ah, yes. I’m fine… but all our research results are… gone.”
”Well, what’s lost is lost. You can slowly piece things back together from memory.”
Wow. Sir Aaron is really kind. I can see why Karin is so into him.
Just then, the Baron Tethyrkan approached and noticed me, but when Sir Aaron explained, “She’s Yuuta’s sister-in-law,” the Baron nodded and started talking.
”Sir Aaron. According to the Defense Force’s report, it seems like arson for sure. But the fire spread too quickly for it to have been started from outside. They might have set something inside beforehand.”
”If that’s the case, we should suspect someone from the inside… In such a small town, if an unfamiliar outsider came in, we’d notice right away. Is the mage team suspicious… or was there someone who came here in the past that was already a suspect?”
Seeing my slightly annoyed face from being suspected, the Baron Tethyrkan said,
”Jumping to conclusions might play right into the criminal’s hands. We should carefully conduct interviews and narrow down the possibilities.”
”Yeah, but it really hurts that Yuuta isn’t here right now. He would have been great at interviewing the people involved.”
”Any news from the Royal Capital?”
”I already sent a fast horse, but even if Yuuta rushes back, it’ll take at least a month.”
”In that case, let’s stay on guard until Yuuta returns. Even if it’s a terror attack, the motive is still unclear. Are they just against the development of new technology, or do they have a grudge against this town itself? I’ll help out as much as I can.”
”Thanks, that really helps.”
”Hehe, it’s a bit embarrassing to hear you say that.”
With that, Baron Tethyrkan left the scene.
”Phew. So… Melon. If you’re Yuuta’s sister, I can trust you. With the research building in this state, you won’t be able to do your usual work for a while. I’m sorry, but could you help me out as my secretary when you have some free time?”
Sir Aaron suddenly asked me.
”Eh!? Oh, yes. As long as I get permission from the team leader, I’ll help as much as I can.”
”Great. I’ve been relying too much on Yuuta, and it’s been a headache figuring out how to handle the paperwork in emergencies like this.”
* * *
”Whoa!? That’s so cool! Big Sister Melon is going to be the lord’s secretary!!”
”Well, it’s just temporary. I’m helping with the paperwork so the lord’s work doesn’t get delayed because of the arson incident. I think this is really Yuuta’s job, but who knows when he’ll be back. So I’m not always with Sir Aaron.”
”I see. Then when you’re working with the lord, I’ll help out too!”
”Come on, Karin. You can’t handle that. Don’t get in the way of Big Sister Melon.”
”Hmph! I don’t care what you say, Mom!!”
…
…
…
”So, you came together, huh…”
Sir Aaron looked a bit exasperated.
In the morning, when I was about to head to the Lord’s Residence, Karin insisted on coming along.
Mama Akari was mad, saying, “Today isn’t a work day!” But Karin argued that it was questionable if I could handle things in this town by myself, and I had to admit I was a bit anxious, so I ended up bringing her along.
”I’m really sorry. But I’m not super familiar with this town either, so maybe Karin understands things better than I do…”
”Haha… well, it’s fine. It’s an emergency. You two, help each other out as aunt and niece.”
Now, about this secretary job, once I started, it got pretty busy.
Karin said the usual Lord seems to be bored, but with all the commotion lately, there have been a lot of visitors… serving tea, organizing and filing reports, taking notes during interviews and meetings…
well, it seems like Karin is better at making tea.
After 3 or 4 days, the visitors calmed down a bit, and Sir Aaron had a little more time to relax, but I still hadn’t finished typing up the piled-up minutes…
”Ah, it’s already this late, Melon. Don’t push yourself; just finish it tomorrow.”
”But Sir Aaron, this material is for the meeting with Sir Tethyrkan and the others tomorrow, right? I’ll somehow finish it today, so please let me use this room a bit longer. Karin, can you tell Mama Akari to save dinner for me? I’ll be working late.”
”Got it! Bye, Lord!”
Karin said and headed home first.
”I’m sorry, Melon. But this really helps. I need to clarify everything as soon as possible so everyone can relax. I’ll be in my study upstairs. Let me know when you’re done,”
Sir Aaron said as he went upstairs.
Suddenly, the room feels lonely.
In this lord’s mansion, there’s a guard outside, but at night, there’s only one butler on duty, hanging out in the butler’s room near the kitchen.
But hey, if something happens, I can just shout, and they should hear me, so it’s not that scary.
But what if Sir Aaron… haha, what am I even imagining! I need to finish up my work and head home!! Thinking that, I got lost in rewriting the minutes.
* * *
”Big Sister Melon is taking forever!”
”Yeah, right? I wonder if she’s still working.”
”She said she was pushing through because she needed some documents for tomorrow…”
”And the arsonist hasn’t been caught yet, so it’s kinda scary if it gets too late. Should we go pick her up?”
”Ah, Mom. I’ll go!”
”But, it’s late, and you shouldn’t go alone… Fine, I’ll go with you. I’d feel bad if something happened while Yuuta’s away.”
So, I went with my mom to pick up Big Sister Melon at the lord’s residence. The lord’s residence is about a 15-minute walk from our place, and it’s a straight path, so I won’t get lost even at night.
”Hey, Karin! What are you doing here with your mom at this hour? Do you have business with the lord?”
The dwarf guard is someone I know.
”I came to pick up Big Sister Melon… is she still here?”
”Ah, no one’s come out since you left. She’s probably still inside.”
”Can I go in?”
”Yeah, of course. Just don’t be too loud or the lord will scold you.”
”No problem!”
”Excuse me!” I said as I opened the gate and stepped inside, but it was eerily quiet.
”Hey, Karin. You can’t just barge in like that. You need to ask the butler first!!”
”Haha, you’re right. So, Mom, can you tell the butler? I’ll go ahead to find Big Sister Melon.”
”Geez…”
My mom said that as she headed toward the kitchen. I turned down the hallway in the opposite direction, heading for the lord’s office where Big Sister Melon was working.
”Big sister, you’re so late! Are you still not done?”
I called out from the doorway, but there was no answer. When I quietly opened the door, the light was on in the room, but my big sister wasn’t at her desk.
”Hey, where’s my sister? In the bathroom? …Maybe she’s in the lord’s bedroom!?”
Realizing this, I started to panic a bit and slammed the door open, rushing into the office, looking around the desk, and froze.
”Big…sister…?”
There, on the floor, was a dark pool of blood, and right in the middle lay Big Sister Melon.
”Eeek!?” My mind went blank in an instant when I suddenly heard a scream from far away.
”Ahhhhhh!!”
That was Mom! What the heck is going on? Is Mom in danger!? But I can’t just leave my sister like this… Wait! I need to let the lord know!!
Making that decision, I dashed out of the office and ran up the stairs to the second floor.
”Lord────!!”
I shouted loudly while searching for the lord on the second floor.
Bedroom…not here! Reception room…not here! Bathroom…not here! I know where all the rooms are since I clean all the time. Where’s the lord? Oh! The study!! I burst open the door to the study at the very end of the second floor.
And what I saw was… a huge Beastfolk, like a bear, about to swing a massive axe down on the lord.
”Lord──!!”
I wasn’t thinking anymore. My body moved on instinct, and I jumped at the lord. My momentum knocked the lord off balance, and the axe swung down towards me.
”Karin────!!”
I heard the lord’s voice.
Huh? Everything in front of me is going dark… Am I… going to die…?
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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