Volume 3 Chapter 33 In Memory Of Azrael Ghost I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Oh, it’s incredibly stiff.”
”Eh──!?”
”It’s just that the bottle of liquor is a bit too hard for me. As you can see, I’m but a delicate maiden.”
”Ah, I see. Allow me. I shall open it for you.”
”Really? Lord Kian, you’re so kind!”
’Die.’
As Kian pried open the bottle, the sharp jab of the straightforward comment from ‘glasses’ pierced through the air.
His cheeks burned.
Perhaps it was because he had never experienced such blatant attention before, but his spirits soared with excitement.
It was worlds apart from a brōtḥel.
There was a wild intensity here, much like the exhilarating chaos of cozying up to Christy.
He felt like he was catching a glimpse of the psychology behind a man’s infidelity.
’Get a grip! Are you really that much of a philanderer? If you keep humiliating yourself like this, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands!’
(Alright. I’ll calm down, so please give me a break.)
”By the way, you mentioned earlier that both the liquor and the ice belong to Ms. Priscilla. Is this carriage of yours as well?”
”Indeed it is. You caught on quickly.”
Priscilla leaned back into her chair, having just finished concocting the mixed drink.
The chair creaked loudly as it sank under her weight.
”I’ve ridden in Lord Guy’s carriage before, but this one has a completely different interior.”
”Ah, his carriage is cramped and stuffy, right?”
”Well, not exactly…”
”I’ve modified this carriage for passenger comfort. Though, truth be told, I only use it about once every 2 months.”
”Thank you so much for going out of your way. To prepare such a luxurious carriage for lowly adventurers like us…”
It was a subtle tactic, emphasizing the social gap in order to create a deliberate distance.
Even if she tried to close the gap after this, he intended to remain stoic and formal.
He had recently received a warning from Aliona to be wary of witches, so he needed to exercise proper restraint.
Priscilla waved her hand elegantly as she spoke.
”Oh, don’t worry about that. I wanted to entertain you, so here I am. If I hadn’t been interested, another witch would have come to fetch you today. I stepped out of the library because I heard Lord Kian would be arriving.”
”Why are you so interested in me? Didn’t I manage to defeat your father purely by chance?”
”I find you intriguing. From the very first encounter, you radiated this mysterious aura. Plus, that magic power of yours──the way it ebbs and flows isn’t typical of someone who naturally generates magic.”
Priscilla’s gaze traced the path of magic power that connected Kian with Natra and Rufna.
It seemed she had already figured out that Kian was receiving magic power from the two.
She continued.
”It seems that ancient vampires used to dominate by creating farms to siphon magic power. To me, it looks like Lord Kian is doing something similar, is that not correct?”
”I cannot disclose that. It’s a secret regarding an essential tool of my trade.”
”Hehe… and, well, I also just happened to like the look of Lord Kian’s face and body.”
”W-What?”
”So, when we first met, my heart skipped a beat. That’s what I think.”
Priscilla grabbed a bottle of water and leaned closer to me.
Her slender shoulder brushed against mine, revealing a glimpse of her witch dress’s neckline.
It wasn’t exactly a pronounced cleavage, just a faint curve with soft shadows lingering there.
She bashfully rubbed her finger under her nose.
”Is it what they call love at first sight? Maybe I just misinterpreted my heart racing after almost colliding with you around a corner.”
”――――.”
”Later, while I’m soaking in the bath, I just started thinking how I’d like to see that person again. Do you know? They say that when a person meets someone new for the first time, they instinctively categorize them into potential love interests and those who aren’t. If that’s true, then I’d say I have some good feelings for you that aren’t quite love. Sure, finding someone attractive might feel a bit shallow, but luckily for you──well, compared to me, you’re not what one would call a beauty. Honestly, if I’m falling for someone who isn’t precisely stunning, I’d like to believe it’s not shallow at all.”
Priscilla, speaking rapidly, wrapped up her thoughts before reverting to her original tone and cutely asked, “Oh, how about a refill on your water?”
”No, thank you. If I drink too much, it’ll get troublesome when nature calls.”
”No worries! If you need to go, I’ll take care of it for you.”
”――――――――.”
”Bwah!? Cough, cough!”
Rufna coughed heavily.
The white-haired witch pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and tossed it over.
”Don’t get the seat dirty, it’s my favorite; you might worry about my irrational emotions, but there’s no need to ask my brother to take my place—I consider myself someone who separates work and personal matters, and others see me that way too; once the quest begins, I’ll support you as a capable business partner; by the way, Lord Kian, do you keep romance out of work, or does it slip in subtly?”
”I’m more the boring type.”
”Oh really? Then I think I’ll have to secretly verify whether what you said is true or a lie.”
”Ms. Priscilla.”
”Hehe, just kidding!”
Priscilla chuckled softly and took a sip from her goblet.
She gently traced the rim of the goblet with her thumb, catching the lipstick stain, and silently smirked at the corner of her mouth.
The red shade on her delicate, fish-like thumb.
It was exactly the vivid red he expected.
* * *
The carriage rattled on for about an hour through the bustling town before halting in a section along the coast of Châtillon.
Stepping off the carriage, he found myself on a gently sloping path about 4 meters wide, leading from the seaside toward the castle wall. To either side, brightly painted concrete houses stood in vibrant shades of yellow and red.
It’s often hard to tell from the outside who is rich and who is poor, but these homes clearly belonged to the wealthy.
Each house was large, with an open first floor where small boats and the day’s catch dangled from the rafters.
The street was bustling with neatly dressed townsfolk, weaving back and forth.
Among them, some wore the collars of slaves, but their masters must have been kind, as everyone appeared remarkably well-groomed.
The atmosphere of the buildings created a disorienting feeling, as if I had stepped into a different world.
The strong sea breeze ruffled his hair as he turned to look back, revealing the expansive blue ocean stretching beyond the town.
Countless sailing ships moved through the intricately arranged harbor.
If he listened closely, he could catch the faint strains of a rowing song carried on the wind.
”This is mainly an area where merchants live. Your base will be in that yellow house,”
Priscilla said, gesturing with the tip of her folded parasol.
”The sea is to the south, and the castle wall is to the north. If you head north along this road and turn east, you’ll find Artisan Street. There’s a large square there where you can buy or repair weapons. You can also get armor and underarmors at the shops, but considering your stay, by the time you finish your tasks, everything will likely be settled.”
”Let’s go ahead and set up barriers and traps at our base.”
”Not immediately necessary, I think. If we’re going to do something serious, it’ll have to be after the gladiatorial match. We might face reprisals for it. Given the schedule, we should dive into the investigation of the ‘Night Crier’ right away.”
”Although your familiars are saying that, there’s also the option to go buy some accessories for the appeal time before the match. Just so you know, the appeal is happening tomorrow night, so to avoid last-minute chaos, we should gather the necessary trinkets beforehand.”
”Let’s do it all.”
Kian said this as he glanced at Rufna.
”Sorry, but Rufna, could you put up the minimum defenses at the base? I’ll go with Natra to the village.”
”I’ll be joining you too!”
Priscilla chimed in immediately, but she was only borrowing the words from Guy.
Given that he shouldn’t be getting her hands dirty directly, it wasn’t wise to count her as an asset.
”Sure thing. After I set up the barrier, I’ll whip up something to eat and wait.”
”Sounds good! We can even head to the casino for some fun afterward.”
”Really!? Whoa, sorry about that, milady!”
”What’s there to be sorry for? ──Sir Kian, if we’re to check the village, we should leave soon. The daylight fades quickly in the villages by the mountains.”
”Right. I’ve heard there are about ten fishing villages suffering damage, but today we’ll investigate one or two of them. Ms. Priscilla, please take us to the village where the advanced-rank Adventurer party was annihilated first.”
”Understood. But what should we do about the ornaments?”
”We’ll finish by evening, and then I’ll dash over to Craftsperson Street. If we’re late, I plan to hit up the Entertainment District to grab what we can.”
”That sounds risky… Well, it is just a formality, so as long as it looks decent, I suppose it’ll be fine. But since I can’t ask a professional artisan, your taste will be put to the test. If it seems like you can’t manage, I recommend visiting the artisans’ square after dawn tomorrow. My funds are not limitless, you know.”
”Thank you for the advice.”
With that, Kian and Natra parted ways with Rufna, leaving only their belongings behind as they climbed into the carriage.
Preparing for another encounter with Priscilla’s playful antics, Kian was pleasantly surprised when Natra claimed the seat next to him.
Consequently, Priscilla found herself sitting alone across from them.
To be honest, Kian was relieved──Natra’s presence next to him eased his irritation with Priscilla’s flirty teasing.
”Alright then, before we arrive, let me share some detailed information about the ‘Night Crier.’”
The light-hearted atmosphere dissipated as the silver-haired witch pulled out a nearby map with a determined look.
She retrieved a uniquely shaped pen and started marking the fishing villages along the coastline on the map.
”The first sighting of the wraith occurred in the village of Pinewood, where a Rank 9 Adventurer party had been dispatched. They lied about completing the Quest, and soon after──here, in the village where the rivers meander──another wraith was spotted, causing quite the uproar. This time, a Rank 6 Adventurer party, having some idle time, set out to hunt it down as part of another quest, but they were utterly obliterated. Their weapons were seized, and they met their end with their own blades.”
Priscilla pulled a bundle of papers from her sleeve and handed them to Kian.
”These are the autopsy results from the corpses at the morgue run by the Knight Order. Each body has been gruesomely hacked apart by swords. Heads and limbs, of course, but even the wrists of those who gripped the blades. Initially, it was thought that the intermediate-rank Adventurers had been targeted by the wraith’s deep-seated vengeance, but that theory was dismissed when it was revealed that these slashes were delivered in a single, swift Leap of movement. It suggests the involvement of some kind of deadly technique in their demise.”
As Natra peeked curiously at the documents, Priscilla tugged on her sleeve.
When Natra turned her gaze, she found Priscilla focused intently, scribbling something down in her notes.
’Secret Technique: Thunder’
”……”
Natra’s expression hardened at her implication.
Priscilla noticed the two of them and nodded solemnly.
”So it really is the work of Azrael’s warrior monk technique. My brother suspected the same. If it weren’t for the intel pointing to the wraith being bound to this land, I might have thought we were dealing with a serial killer known as the ‘User of Azrael’s Death Sword’.”
”Is there anyone who has seen the wraith?”
When Kian asked this, Priscilla nodded in response.
”According to reports, there are a few witnesses in the village at the confluence of river and sea that we are heading to now. They were the ones who found the brutally slain bodies of the advanced-rank Adventurers. With a handful of coins to grease their tongues, they’ll spill plenty of information. Do you have the copper ready?”
”No need to worry.”
”If she appeared during our investigation, all this hassle would be avoided, wouldn’t it? But if possible, I’d like to set a trap for Leis and ambush her. This Leis is an individual with unbelievably high lethal ability. We have to minimize the chance of us being slain.”
Priscilla muttered that, then looked back and forth between Kian and Natra.
”Once we leave the fortress, we can freely open teleportation gates. Depending on how efficient your investigation is, we might be able to visit more than 2 villages.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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