Chapter 26
As soon as they stepped into the warehouse, a foul stench filled the air.
Unsecured sacks of fertilizer, a ceiling thick with cobwebs, small holes as if rats came and went, and old wooden barrels overflowing with trash.
Dether covered his nose with the back of his hand, suppressing a gag.
‘Is the young lady alright?’
Fortunately, Nibelia didn’t seem to notice the smell.
‘That mask was given by the Madam, wasn’t it?’
Perhaps it was blessed by the Saint, but the mask seemed to block out the stench.
Relieved, Dether looked further inside.
“……”
However, Nibelia’s eyes remained fixed on one spot.
“Dether.”
She pointed upward.
“There’s a person up there.”
“But…”
Dether didn’t doubt Nibelia.
There were no stairs or ladders leading up.
‘Then there must be a hidden mechanism…’
He recalled the structure of the warehouse from outside.
‘The outer walls were tall. And the roof was triangular. That kind of roof usually allows for an attic.’
An attic.
There was a hidden attic in this warehouse.
Dether gently set Nibelia down. Unlike usual, she stood quietly and watched him.
But soon, she began stomping her feet anxiously.
“Dether! Hurry! You have to be faster!”
“Please wait a moment. That wretched couple hid it well. No, more importantly, how could such a complicated mechanism be in a place like this—!”
“They’re going to die!”
Nibelia shouted.
“Up there! They’re up there! The sparkly thing is getting smaller and smaller!”
“…!”
Instead of questioning her strange words, Dether quickly escorted her outside.
“This way!”
At his call, the masked figures approached.
“There’s someone above. I’ll handle it myself—please take care of the young lady.”
“N-Nini also…!”
“It’s dangerous, so no!”
Dether handed Nibelia to the nearest person.
Then he smiled.
“I’ll be back soon. Since you’re the investor, you must stay here and wait patiently. Making money is this difficult.”
“……”
“Will you be okay staying with strangers?”
Above the mask, determination filled Nibelia’s blue eyes.
“I really don’t like it… but I’ll endure it!”
The masked people were caught off guard by her honesty.
“How admirable. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
As soon as Dether reentered the warehouse, Nibelia sniffed once.
But she held back her tears.
“Lady of Dayamor.”
One of the masked figures, a woman around Dether’s age, knelt and spoke gently.
Startled, Nibelia flinched.
“You came to such a scary place early in the morning. You’re very brave.”
“Nini is kind of like that.”
Still uncomfortable with strangers, Nibelia answered anyway.
“Because Nini is an investor. So I have to check things myself.”
“I see. What did your parents say?”
“Mom and Dad said no. But Grandma told me to go. So I came.”
“The Saint’s words, then.”
So she doesn’t just dote on her—she trains her harshly too, the woman thought.
Just as she was about to ask more—
Crash!
With the sound of shattering glass, something fell rapidly and embedded itself at her feet.
“Oh, that’s Dether’s!”
Nibelia pointed at the dagger stuck in the ground.
“……”
The masked woman swallowed dryly and stood up.
‘We need to add information about the young lady’s maid. Or perhaps Lady Della already knows…’
Soon after, the warehouse door burst open.
Covered in sweat and dust, Dether appeared with a tired smile.
After catching his breath, it became clear someone was slung over his back.
Wrapped in a blanket he had brought earlier, their face wasn’t visible, but their limp limbs showed they were in critical condition.
“Shall we return now?”
* * *
Caléo Dayamor had a highly capable secretary.
His name was Viseretos.
A composed man with brown hair and green eyes, he was nicknamed simply “Secretary” instead of his long name.
When he was first hired as Caléo’s chief aide—
“Secretary, Secretary.”
“My lord, please just call me once.”
“My name and title are different, so I should say both.”
“Secretary is a nickname. Please don’t call me that. If you must, use one or the other. ‘Secretary Secretary’ sounds like an animal cry…”
His name had naturally become a subject of teasing.
But today, with someone’s life at stake, no one joked.
“Secretary, what’s the situation?”
Caléo asked, reviewing documents with a hardened expression.
“The rescued child has not regained consciousness yet. However, the Madam has stated their life is not in danger.”
“And the Plaud couple?”
“They are currently imprisoned underground. There were no witnesses during their capture, and no traces were left. The contract is included in the documents you’re reviewing.”
After finishing his report, the secretary barely dared to breathe.
‘I need to reflect. This could have been a fatal mistake.’
The Dayamor family, once a modest house of merit, had risen to immense power in less than 40 years.
Jealous eyes still lingered.
One misstep could have handed their enemies a weapon.
“Secretary.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Inform the Magic Tower and the information guild. Find out how far they’ve progressed in making medicine from the poison mushroom we sold.”
The pink poisonous mushroom Soles had found.
Though it was Soles’ idea to sell it, the adults had planned it anyway.
Dayamor intended to turn it into medicine.
The secretary hesitated.
“Should we rush them? That may cause dissatisfaction…”
“No. If progress is slow, propose collaboration.”
“But we lack the technology—”
Caléo only smiled.
“…Understood.”
The secretary nodded.
‘He wouldn’t say that without reason.’
Though often overshadowed by his family, Caléo was not a man to act without thought.
‘There’s a reason he’s the head.’
“Ah.”
Caléo suddenly remembered something.
“Where are the children now?”
* * *
“Ow! That hurts!”
Nibelia, who had contributed greatly, was now whining while held by her grandmother.
“Grandma! It hurts!”
“Oh please, stop exaggerating. It’s almost done.”
Muniel pressed both of Nibelia’s temples while chanting:
“Become smart, become smart.”
“Eeeek!”
Nibelia finally wriggled free and covered her temples.
“Grandma is mean!”
“Did it really hurt?”
“…Actually, it didn’t.”
She answered honestly.
“But it felt weird. Like something strange inside here.”
She pointed at her chest.
Muniel asked:
“Nini.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s 5 plus 5?”
“10!”
“See? You got smarter!”
“…It’s true!”
Nibelia was amazed.
“If I get too smart, I might take over the world!”
“Haha! If you ruled the world, you’d be too busy to eat chocolate cookies.”
“That’s not okay…”
And thus, her world domination ended.
Watching her smack her lips thinking of cookies, Muniel asked:
“Child.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you want to become a Saint?”
“No.”
Nibelia shook her head.
“Nini wants to make money. I don’t want to be a Saint.”
“I see. Then you mustn’t look anymore.”
“Huh? Look at what?”
“Grandma locked it today. Don’t undo it.”
“You’re not supposed to untie ribbons! Or shoelaces! They said that at school!”
“You learned something important. Yes, don’t untie it.”
Muniel’s words were strangely cryptic.
Nibelia didn’t understand—but agreed anyway.
As they stepped outside holding hands, Aref rushed over.
“Aref!”
“Nini!”
They ran to each other and hugged tightly.
They examined each other closely, like small animals greeting by scent.
Muniel smiled quietly at the sight.
