Adopt 185

185
I shot Sir Cherie a sidelong glance and spoke to Leo.

“Leo, don’t pick up habits like that.”

“But isn’t it better to be upfront about these things?”

“…Are you announcing you’re about to get into trouble?”

When I fixed him with a sharp glare, Sir Cherie opened and closed his mouth several times, suddenly at a loss for words. Then, as if betraying his lord with a faithful heart, he shut his eyes tightly and said,

“That’s not what I meant…”

His reaction was a bit much, but it was essentially a promise not to cause any trouble.

Relieved, I swept my gaze over the group who had come to see me off.

Cheshire was nowhere to be seen, but that was hardly surprising.

‘Well, he isn’t just an ordinary mage anymore—he’s the head of the Tower. Of course he’s busy.’

Cheshire’s attitude toward me was always so lighthearted that I often forgot, but he no longer had the leisure to come visiting Blanche House at will.

Thinking nothing of Cheshire’s absence, I climbed into the carriage.

---

The destination Giuseppe had spelled out by letter was a port city on the Delman Sea.

My task there was to find certain people.

A somewhat perplexing assignment, but when I read the next sentence, I couldn’t help but scoff.

[It is a matter that requires the eyes of a fairy.
I will explain in detail when we meet.]

A matter requiring the eyes of a fairy.

I had a faint idea what was going on from the moment I saw those words.

“You want me to track down the base of a black magic society?”

“Yes.”

So it really was about black magic.

‘So that’s why my company was needed.’

The temple, being an enemy of black magic, holds a vast trove of records on the subject.

It wouldn’t be odd if among them there were a line or two about fairies being able to recognize black magicians.

“Did you bring the fairy with you?”

As if reading my mind, Giuseppe, who had been focused on his documents until now, finally looked my way.

To avoid his golden eyes studying me from behind his glasses, I glanced instead at one of my companions.

Kerberos and Sugar were accompanying me on this journey.

Of the two, Sugar had been fluttering around Giuseppe’s head for some time now, chattering away.

Since Sugar hadn’t been infused with magic, Giuseppe was entirely ignorant of her presence.

Suppressing the laughter threatening to escape, I answered,

“Of course. But my fairy is quite shy—she never shows herself to strangers.”

Ignoring Sugar’s petty, street-thug demand for money, I pressed for more details about the black magic society I was supposed to find.

“So, a black magic society? This is news to me. I always thought black magicians acted alone.”

According to Cheshire, black magicians moved to satisfy their individual goals and desires—they held no camaraderie for one another.

With nothing to unite them, of course they never formed organizations.

The closest thing they had to solidarity was a tacit agreement not to turn each other in.

“You may not have heard, but there have been a string of disappearances in the capital believed to be the work of black magicians.”

Say no more.

One such case making a mess in the Partel estate had caused me no end of trouble at the noble assembly.

“Not long ago, the temple discovered a common link among these black magicians. They all refer to themselves as ‘the Unveilers of the World’ and belong to some collective. Following traces of these people, we found all clues leading to the port city. Their base is likely there.”

“So my job is to use my fairy to sniff out the black magicians and, in turn, find the headquarters for this suspicious group.”

“And if, in addition, you can prevent the tragedy soon to befall the port city, then I, as High Priest, will be able to trust you.”

“A tragedy?”

“Having seen the future in a dream, surely you know what is to happen there. Embarrassing as it is, I can only read the future—I lack the power to change it.”

Giuseppe’s smile was, for once, deeper than usual, but he finished in a light tone, eyes returning to the documents in his hands.

My own polite smile twisted at the corner.

Bastard. So this was your aim.

“Of course. Just thinking of what I’ll collect from the High Priest afterward is delightful.”

With a flourish, I turned my gaze to the window.

I’d managed to retort with composure, but there was one problem.

‘So what exactly is going to happen in the port city?’

The truth was, I didn’t know the outcome of this affair.

A fatal flaw of .

All the quests and incidents were concentrated in the capital.

Which meant, while I knew everything happening in the capital, I couldn’t access detailed information about other regions through .

‘Port city, black magic society, “the Unveilers of the World”…’

I turned over the information Giuseppe had given me in my mind, but nothing came to me.

The carriage traveled without pause for four days.

Though I didn’t complain aloud, I was sorely tempted each night to cut the horses’ harnesses and try to end this journey early.

That’s how taxing and relentless it had been.

‘Urgh, it’s like every joint in my body is rattling.’

Late at night, having finally arrived in the port city, I stepped down from the carriage and into the temple.

In the distance, a small group approached us quietly, their lanterns casting a modest glow.

When they drew near enough for faces to be made out, a woman at the head of the group looked up in surprise.

“Lady Belinda?”

Ophelia, now carrying herself with the air of true authority, held back the priests trailing behind her with a gesture and hurried to Giuseppe’s side, whispering urgently.

“High Priest! Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is—how could you bring the Marquis here?”

“The marquis came of her own free will.”

Ophelia’s eyes swung to me, questioning whether this was true, and I nodded in confirmation.

Yes, well. I hadn’t been dragged here against my will, exactly.

‘I do feel a bit like I’ve been duped, though.’

After a moment’s assessment, Ophelia sighed.

Then she stepped away from Giuseppe and raised her voice.

“Then I will accompany the marquis for as long as she remains in the city.”

“Don’t you have duties elsewhere, Your Holiness? The marquis—”

“Priest.”

Ophelia cut Giuseppe off in a tone and with an expression I’d never seen from her before.

Her rudeness was striking—almost unseemly—but I soon caught her purpose.

“I know you’re from the main temple, but in this city, my authority ranks just below the High Priest’s. And besides, isn’t the High Priest himself in the capital right now?”

A faint wrinkle creased between Giuseppe’s brows.

In order not to arouse suspicion from the black magic society, Giuseppe was currently disguised as an ordinary priest.

To deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your friends; since Giuseppe always traveled with his hood drawn, few knew his face.

In short, only a handful in this place were aware of Giuseppe’s true identity.

Ophelia was seizing on this fact to wield as much authority as possible.

“So please, obey my word. Had the High Priest been present, I’m sure he’d have placed such an esteemed guest in my care.”

Not missing the chance, I quickly moved to stand by Ophelia’s side.

“I gratefully accept Your Holiness’s kindness.”

“Then please, come with me, marquis.”

We walked silently through the temple corridors, feigning a distant acquaintance, until we reached Ophelia’s quarters.

Thunk.

As soon as the door closed, Ophelia spoke.

“Did you see the High Priest’s face just now?”

“I did.”

Matching grins spread across both our faces as we met each other’s eyes.

The next moment, we both burst out laughing.

“Ah, that felt good. Why doesn’t he ever listen to people?!”

“Who could possibly dare contradict an order from him?”

After our fit of laughter, we sat down and began to chatter away.

I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I’d last seen her face.

“Ophelia, you’ve grown so thin.”

“Oh… there’s just been a lot going on.”

Her more familiar, relaxed tone spoke of how much closer we’d grown.

Ophelia said little more, but I could read the pain behind those few words.

Last winter, as in previous years, Ophelia had led the temple’s delegation north to assist with the magical beast hunt and repairs of the barrier forest.

People praised her for her safe return, but the truth was, the hunt had not been a real success.

‘I heard half the temple’s forces were lost before they got back.’

It had only been a few months since then.

Ophelia’s face was bright, but the wounds of that time had not fully healed.

Unable to endure the silence, Ophelia managed an awkward smile.

“During this last hunt… I kept seeing my family’s faces.”

“Ophelia…”

“I thought I’d forgotten them forever… but in the end, that’s what got me through.”

Gazing into the distance, her expression filled with longing for people far away, Ophelia shook her head as if to cast off her thoughts and busied herself preparing tea.

“No more depressing talk. Let’s have a nice, cheerful conversation instead. Belinda, do you know how much I’ve longed for this?”

I nodded as if taken in by her forced cheer.

For a while, I completely forgot my fatigue as Ophelia and I shared all the stories we’d put off for so long.