Chapter 129-2
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Isn’t it a hassle to keep calling whenever Casa has news?”
”Well.”
Honestly, handling that kind of thing is just part of running a inn.
But maybe the staff’s just busy.
With that in mind, I didn’t stop her from following.
I quietly waited as Mr. Maurice finished arranging our room, waiting for us to speak.
* * *
Our room was at the back of the third floor ── way bigger than a usual single.
Probably 4 or 5 times the size.
When I dropped my baggage inside, at that exact moment, Mr. Maurice called out to us from the door.
”Your companion’s room is just across the hall. May I ask your name and what she looks like, for the guide?”
”Ah, um… yeah…”
Maybe it was because of our earlier exchange, or perhaps because he knew this town’s people well ── but he clearly didn’t recognize Ms. Marisa as my companion.
Well, she’s the daughter of the merchant guild master who often visits the lord’s estate, so he probably knew.
When I told Mr. Maurice Seria’s name and that she was dressed as a servant, he nodded politely and said, “Understood. If you need anything, just ask,” before turning away.
Of course, Seria stayed invisible nearby.
Later, I’d have to sneak her out through the window or keep her from being seen at the entrance.
Just then, I spotted Ms. Marisa lingering by the door.
Hmm… Looks like she couldn’t just leave without saying something.
Honestly, it’s only polite to thank her for guiding us here.
So I started heading toward the room’s doorway.
”Excuse me, just leave it ── thanks for assisting me.”
”No big deal. It’s only fair, after all. Besides, I owe you one.”
Then, she flashed a grin, teasing, and she asked if I wanted to be helped with the guide.
Since Seria’s new to town, and she’s my assistant ── someone who’s been helping me ── to outsiders from the Amiras Merchant Guild, she’s an important figure.
They’d worry if she wandered into the wrong shop.
That’s exactly why Ms. Marisa’s offer was a no-brainer, but with her standing right there, it put me in a real bind.
So, I’m gonna turn her down, flat out.
”I’m sorry, but I can’t risk any misunderstandings.”
”Huh? Well, the town’s security’s been beefed up since the incident at the Gavrett household, so I guess it’s all good.”
It’s because they’re still searching for the ones who cursed Ms. Alicia and their accomplices.
If the security’s still tight, that means they haven’t caught any big fish yet, right?
Hmmm… the culprits, huh?
Ms. Marisa took my words at face value and left, and once I saw her off, I lifted Seria’s invisibility.
”Phew… thanks for your hard work.”
”You too. We’ll need you to come back in through the entrance later, okay?”
”Yeah, got it.”
Seria replied and sat down on the sofa as I prepared to join her, and she plopped down beside me, curiosity piqued.
”So, what’s the plan?”
”What do you mean… what?”
”About the people who cursed Lady Alicia. The actual culprit might have acted alone, but there must have been collaborators. Yet, as Ms. Marisa said, we have no leads, right?”
”Guess so.”
”There must have been someone guiding them inside the mansion, and if that person’s still there… wouldn’t news of her recovery reach the culprits? And if that happens…”
”She’ll be targeted again, won’t she?”
”The security’s been stepped up, but we can’t rule out the possibility. If that happens, we’ll be called again, and our efforts to break the curse might be exposed.”
”If we just ignore it, we’re in the clear…”
”Can we really do that?”
”…”
Seria stared at me as she asked.
I pondered over it.
I was planning on heading back to Dungeon City after we finished breaking Ms. Alicia’s curse.
But if her resurrection leads the “Amirasmerchant guild” to increase their trade… Whether it’s through them or an inside collaborator, someone will find out about Ms. Alicia’s return. And then… they might try to curse her again.
I mean, the culprits *should* have gotten what they wanted when Ms. Alicia’s engagement with the royal family was broken.
But if she came back without anyone knowing about the curse, there’s a chance the engagement could be revived too.
From what I heard, the royal family was the one pushing for it.
So, why didn’t the culprits just tell the royal family about the curse and have them confirm it?
But… it seems the Gavrett family never confirmed anything with the royal family, so that information probably never got out.
I don’t know if that’s to hide their movements, or if there’s another reason entirely.
There might be a connection to why they only cursed her and didn’t just kill her.
Anyway…
If there’s a chance Ms. Alicia could be cursed again, like Seria said, there’s a good chance *we’ll* be called in.
No… if that happens, we’ll *definitely* be called in.
Which means, like Seria said, the culprits might realize we’re the ones who lifted the curse.
And if they do… they might try to get rid of us first.
Well, as long as Seria is safe, we can get by if we leave that mysterious banknote with her.
So if we keep her invisible in public… Wait, that’s no good either.
Just in case, they might curse me if they fail to hurt me directly, and if I can’t stop it, the Magic Armor’s effects will wear off.
They could even try to petrify my head and go for an instant kill.
If the Magic Armor is dispelled, Seria will have to reveal herself and become a target.
And if I can’t use the Magic Armor, I won’t be able to protect her, and she’ll be finished off.
Thinking about all that… the first thing that comes to mind is just not answering the Gavrett family’s summons…
But Seria is asking this way, so that means she’s probably thinking it’s okay to cooperate with the Gavrett family.
Maybe it was because of Ms. Alicia’s case that I was able to break the curse on my own mother.
Now, it might be that Ms. Meria, Seria’s mother, was cursed as a mere practice run to curse Ms. Alicia… but let’s just keep that little detail under wraps for now.
From here on out, we can’t ignore Seria’s will ── she might end up under “Commercial Recovery’s” care, after all.
Even if I could order her around by virtue of my position, if I overstep… she might want to distance herself from me.
And in that case, she might just reveal her abilities to the nation or the church and seek protection.
If they knew about her “Commercial Recovery,” they’d likely cough up the penalty fee for breaching our contract without a second thought.
That’d be a real pain in the neck.
Besides, the whole Ms. Alicia thing… well, considering I’m already messing around with Iris and Ms. Elina, I’ve got to admit, it does matter to me.
So, that’s the answer I’ve settled on.
”…only while the magic stones are procurable.”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply