Chapter 88
“Lord!! Oh, please, find my granddaughter!!”
It was the first thing she heard as she groggily descended the stairs in the morning. The voice belonged to an elderly woman, judging by its tone.
“Our Sophia was supposed to be married once this winter ended. Oh, oh, she had such a bright future ahead of her. They should have taken me instead, those wretched fiends.”
It was a wail steeped in deep sorrow. If young women were being abducted and disappearing, then at the very least, that part was true.
She hurried down the stairs to the first-floor hall. There, an old woman—presumably the owner of the voice—sat on the floor, sobbing. Maili, who had draped her own coat over the woman’s shoulders, was speaking to her. The elderly woman’s nose and cheeks were flushed red, likely from standing outside the castle in the cold for a long time.
“The knight order will organize a subjugation force and begin patrolling the territory from today. This will not happen again, and we will do our best to find those who have disappeared.”
“Oh, Lord, please, please, I beg of you. She is all I have lived for. My granddaughter is so beautiful—she cannot just wither away before she has even bloomed. Why did they take my granddaughter instead of this old woman who is already at death’s door…? Over and over again…”
Maili embraced the woman tightly.
We will find her. She made that vow to herself.
Roina felt her nose tingle for some reason as she watched the scene unfold.
“I’ve told them over and over to call me ‘Sir’ or ‘Commander’ instead of ‘Lord’ since I’m not the ruling lord, but they keep calling me that anyway.”
So in the end, I just gave up. Maili said with an awkward expression.
The simple breakfast was, surprisingly, rye bread and potato soup. Not something one would expect nobles to eat regularly. However, both Maili and Josef dug in without hesitation, tearing the bread and dipping it into the soup with practiced ease. Roina, slightly bewildered, picked up her spoon as well. Potato soup happened to be one of her favorite dishes, so there was no reason to refuse. Though the meal seemed modest and unremarkable at first glance, the soup—likely reflecting the lord’s castle’s standard—contained a bit of bacon and cheese, making it exceptionally delicious.
“I see. You must be quite trusted by the people of the territory.”
“That’s just because they don’t know the truth about that witch—Ah, wait, what did I just say?”
Maili, who had instinctively gripped her spoon like a dart, spun it around in her hand and held it properly once she realized she had unconsciously been aiming it at Josef’s forehead. Considering how he kept provoking her despite being hit every time, one had to wonder if this was simply the indomitable spirit of House Amasto.
“Do the incidents mostly occur at night?”
“Hmm, it seems that way. There have been cases of people disappearing during the day, but it’s unclear if those were truly caused by the beast.”
“If it really is a fragment of magic, then it would be more comfortable operating at night. Magical energy is most active when the moon is out.”
At those words, Roina’s ears flushed red for no reason. It was because she suddenly recalled the countless nights she had spent with him.
“Sigh, of all things, the fact that young women are being targeted has made the public sentiment truly dreadful. I’ve ordered security to be even more vigilant and thorough, since there will surely be those who try to use this chaos as an opportunity to commit crimes.”
Managing a territory was truly a difficult task. Do other nobles go to such lengths? Some probably do, while others don’t. But perhaps nobles were better people than Roina had imagined. At least, the people of House Amasto seemed to be.
“Isn’t it possible that this isn’t magic at all, but just some kidnappers staging an act? Like wearing animal pelts or something. It’s hard to see clearly in the dark, after all.”
Haah—Maili let out a deep sigh.
“If they were brazen enough to pull something like that, they wouldn’t be coming out while the knight order is patrolling so openly. I plan to take a look around first before making any conclusions.”
“Hmm,” Josef hummed, resting his chin on his hand. He seemed to be deep in thought.
Roina watched him with a satisfied expression. A scholar devoted to learning always shone brightly. But seeing him concern himself with matters of governance as well made her find him even more admirable.
At that moment, their eyes met. Josef had glanced sideways at Roina, seemingly sneaking a look at her. He hadn’t expected their gazes to lock, and in his panic, he let out a startled noise—”Ack!”—and dropped his rye bread.
He moved quickly, trying to catch it, but it only ended up grazing his fingertips before flipping once in the air and landing squarely in Maili’s potato soup.
“Wow, nice shot.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Wait, that’s not what I meant—ugh, never mind. Just eat it, you pig.”
After that, everyone pretended not to notice the large lump that had appeared on Josef’s head.
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