Chapter 98

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In the end, the tea party held at the House of Astoria ended anticlimactically.

Lucy decided to return home.

As she was about to leave the mansion with Ellie and Estelle, Sebastian rushed over and spoke to Lucy.

“Uh, um…!”

“?”

“Thank you for saving me. And, well…”

Sebastian fidgeted, his face flushed.

“Um… actually, the moment I first saw you… um… well…”

Lucy frowned.

“Spit it out.”

“I-I fell for you at first sight!”

“…”

Lucy didn’t seem particularly surprised.

She already knew.

Not just Lucy, but Ellie and Estelle knew as well.

The way Sebastian looked at Lucy screamed, “I’m in love!”

You’d have to be a fool not to notice.

Sebastian knelt on one knee in front of Lucy, his face resolute.

“So, um, would you like to go out with me…?”

“Sorry.”

Lucy refused.

“I’m already dating Ellie.”

Ellie was startled by Lucy’s words.

But soon, her face flushed, and she linked arms with Lucy.

“T-That’s right. Lucy is already dating me. We’ve even kissed. We’re going to have a baby soon, too.”

Sebastian’s face stiffened.

“T-Th-That can’t be! You’re a maid… No, wait, having a baby…”

“Sorry, Sebastian. You’re a perfectly charming man. Like a baby pig, though. You’ll probably find someone better than me.”

“…”

Sebastian dejectedly lowered his head.

Then, he glanced at Estelle.

“Lady, perhaps…”

“Ah. I’m already dating her too…”

Estelle also linked arms with Lucy.

“?!”

Sebastian’s eyes widened.

“N-No way…”

Lucy nodded.

“That’s right. Estelle is mine too.”

“Oh…”

Sebastian’s shoulders slumped.

The fact that there were three beautiful girls in front of him, and he had no partner, felt cruel.

“Sebastian.”

Lucy grabbed Sebastian’s chin.

“You’ll definitely find someone good. Cheer up.”

“…Thank you.”

“And don’t put roses in your mouth anymore. And no dancing.”

“Okay…”

◈

When Lucy returned home, she saw a massive beast rushing at her and was about to use her skill.

But,

Lick! Lick!

The identity of the massive beast was Hon.

Hon had grown much larger than Lucy in no time.

Being a monster, he was growing quickly.

“Ugh…”

Lucy was pinned under Hon’s paws, unable to move.

Her face was wet from Hon’s licking.

“H-Heavy, Hon…”

Just then, Finn fluttered over.

“Lucy~!”

Finn gently landed on Lucy’s forehead and began chattering about what had happened while she was away.

There wasn’t much to it.

She went to the village, who did what, and who said what…

It wasn’t anything Lucy was particularly interested in.

“…So, that guy named Ian disappeared, and everyone’s worried. Kairos and Grandpa are worried too.”

“Kairos and Grandpa?”

Lucy pushed Hon away with her shadow skill and stood up.

She could believe her grandfather, but Kairos worrying was unexpected.

“A dragon worrying about a human?”

“Well, that guy named Ian…”

Thud—

Someone approached.

A handsome young man with black hair.

It was Kairos.

“Lucy, you’re back.”

“It’s been a while, Kai.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

Lucy gave another surprised look.

“A dragon asking a human for a favor?”

Kairos frowned.

“Of course, I wouldn’t normally ask a human for anything, but the situation is dire. You could even say it’s critical.”

“What’s the situation?”

“Ian, that man, has disappeared. So, I’m in a very difficult situation.”

“Who is Ian, anyway…”

Finn spoke up from the side.

“He’s the one who dries the mushrooms.”

“Mushrooms…”

Lucy frowned.

Those mushrooms again.

She was sick of mushrooms.

Kairos said,

“Ian is in charge of the important task of drying mushrooms in the village. When the villagers bring mushrooms, Ian sorts and dries them. The mushrooms he dries are sold at the village market and sent to the city, and Grandpa and I only eat mushrooms prepared by Ian.”

“Why…?”

She wasn’t particularly curious or wanted to know, but Lucy asked out of courtesy.

Kairos’s answer was simple.

“The flavor is different.”

◈

Lucy called her village friends.

Peter and Sam.

She heard about Ian from them.

“Ian is a very diligent guy. He doesn’t drink or gamble. He doesn’t chase after women either. He lives with his elderly mother and is known as a devoted son in the village.”

“Plus, he goes to the city called ‘Belmore’ once a month to sell mushrooms himself. He could sell them to the merchant who comes to the village, but he says he can make more profit by taking them to the city himself. That’s why people praise him for being diligent. Usually, people are too lazy to go.”

“He went to sell mushrooms this time, but he hasn’t returned for days. Ian’s mother is very worried that something might have happened to him.”

Lucy quietly nodded.

A diligent young man living in the village went to the city to sell mushrooms and disappeared…

That was the truth of the matter.

Kairos said it was a very important and serious matter, but Lucy saw it as just Kairos not being able to eat mushrooms prepared by Ian because he disappeared.

If that’s the case, Kairos could just use tracking magic to find him.

That would be much faster.

But when Lucy said that, Kairos’s answer was this.

“I would like to, but I can’t go. I have a very important job.”

“What job…?”

“I’m currently guarding the mushroom aging warehouse. There are several jars of pickled shiitake mushrooms aging, and the timing of opening the lids is very important, so I can’t entrust it to anyone else. It’s a very important job that I can’t entrust to anyone else. Exactly on the 12th day, around the time the morning mist clears…”

“I get it. Stop talking about mushrooms. I just need to find that Ian guy, right?”

“Please.”

So, Lucy, with Finn on her shoulder, headed to the city of Belmore.

To find the diligent mushroom youth named Ian.

◈

Belmore.

A city of trade and commerce.

Various specialties from the surrounding villages gathered, and foreign merchants often visited this bustling city.

Upon arriving in Belmore, Lucy entered a disgusting space called ‘Mushroom Street’.

There, all sorts of mushrooms were lined up on both sides of the street.

The entire street had a faint earthy smell and a unique mushroom scent, and the humidity was high.

Finn covered her nose and frowned.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up, Lucy.”

“Me too.”

Lucy approached a bald man selling mushrooms and asked.

If he knew a young man named Ian.

She might not know, and in that case, she was prepared to do some legwork, but luckily, the bald man knew Ian.

“Ian? I know him well~ He’s very diligent. His mushrooms are always in good condition! He’s a friend who’s serious about mushrooms!”

“…Has Ian come to sell mushrooms recently?”

“He did. He comes every month. He came last week too.”

“Was there anything unusual?”

“Not really? He just sold mushrooms and went back. Why do you ask?”

“Ian has disappeared.”

“Oh dear!”

The bald man’s expression darkened.

“Then what will happen to the mushrooms! Does that mean I won’t be able to buy Ian’s mushrooms next month?! This is a big problem!”

The bald man seemed more worried about the mushrooms than Ian.

“Damn it, this is a big problem! I can’t buy Ian’s mushrooms!”

“…I want to find Ian, do you have any clues?”

“Clues? Hmm, come to think of it, Ian always stayed at the ‘Moon Dragonfly’ inn. Go to that inn. It’s straight down this road.”

“Thank you.”

Lucy started walking towards the Moon Dragonfly inn.

She heard the man shouting “Damn it, anything for mushrooms!” from behind.

◈

The Moon Dragonfly was a neat and simple inn.

When Lucy opened the door and went inside, a woman who appeared to be a clerk was dozing off.

“Excuse me.”

“…Huh?”

The woman groggily opened her eyes.

“What is it, kid?”

“I’m looking for a man named Ian.”

“Ian? Ah, that eunuch bastard?”

Eunuch bastard?

“I-Is Ian a eunuch?”

“I don’t know. He’s a mushroom seller, isn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

“Why are you looking for that eunuch bastard?”

“Ah, he disappeared, so I’m looking for him. I heard he usually stays at this inn.”

“Yeah. He came a few days ago too. But he already left, didn’t he?”

“Really? Was there anything strange? Anything different from usual…”

“Not really. Except that he left all his luggage behind.” (TN: Lady, that’s considered strange…)

“Th-That’s strange… Did you see Ian leaving?”

“I didn’t see him. He just disappeared.”

“…”

“Ah, come to think of it, the old butler of the Norchel family came the night before Ian disappeared. That butler. He looks like a gentleman, but he frequents brothels every day. I’ve dealt with him a few times, and the old man’s hip movements are surprisingly flexible for his age…”

Lucy quickly covered Finn’s ears.

“…What did the old butler of the Norchel family talk about with Ian?”

“I don’t know, either. Probably mushroom stories? They raised their voices like they were fighting. And when that butler left, Ian shouted.”

“And then Ian disappeared.”

“That’s right.”

“Thank you.”

Lucy left the inn with a tired feeling.

Finn stroked Lucy’s cheek and asked.

“Where are we going now, Lucy?”

“To meet the old butler of the Norchel family.”

“The one with the flexible hip movements?”

“Yeah…”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
I’m really really sorry for being late…!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
This clerk embodies the energy of the working class very well.

Don’t trust me? Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that you wouldn’t act like that in a 9-5!