Chapter – 34
The wrecked storage room fell into a long silence.
Croport, who had been making eye contact with the man in the robe, hesitated before finally answering bluntly.
“…A customer of the antique shop.”
“A customer?”
At that, the man in the black robe shouted and shook Croport once.
“A customer?! Do you know how much I’ve contributed to your shop, and you introduce me as just a customer?!”
“Be quiet. Shut your mouth. Your rat and your mouth are equally irritating to the ears.”
“What? Say that again! And he’s not a rat—he’s Gliss!”
“Same difference…”
“It is different! You stupid wizard, put our Gliss down! You’re hurting him!”
Croport stared at the man for a moment before letting out a sigh and flicking his hand.
At the same time, the flying squirrel called Gliss fell onto the man.
The man immediately dropped to his knees and caught the small animal.
“Gliss… my baby…”
Seeing this, Mari’s green eyes trembled.
At that moment, Croport spoke in a low, stiff voice.
“Mariposa, Sasha. I told you to stay in the kitchen.”
“But we heard a scream! We thought it was your voice, Croport!”
Sasha protested. Mari also nodded and asked worriedly:
“Croport, what happened? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
“My Gliss is the one who got hurt.”
The children’s attention turned back to the strange man.
Judging by the broken antiques and the loud noise earlier, it seemed that the small flying squirrel was the cause of the chaos.
Croport sighed and stepped in front of Mari and Sasha, blocking their view.
“Rat guy, is your rat okay now?”
“He’s still crying. I told you not to use magic.”
“It’s your fault for bringing a mutated animal onto the Foramen.”
“Gliss and I are one body. Wherever I go, Gliss goes. And it’s your magic-circle-covered shop’s fault! The Foramen was fine!”
The man snapped back angrily, but Croport ignored him and shook his head.
“Stop the nonsense.”
Croport’s tired blue eyes narrowed.
“Disheddo, tell me why you came here.”
At that, the exaggerated movements of the man named Disheddo, who had been tearfully stroking Gliss, suddenly stopped.
He checked Gliss a few more times, sighed deeply, and slowly stood up.
“You finally ask.”
“If you came for something trivial, I’ll nail you to the ground.”
“You sure have a way with words.”
Disheddo rubbed the back of his neck and raised his right hand.
“More importantly, you should send your kids out.”
His sharp-nailed fingers pointed at Mari and Sasha.
Mari flinched and moved Sasha behind her.
“There was something I couldn’t put in the letter. It’s important, so I’d like to talk just between us.”
Mari’s eyes widened at the unexpected remark.
Letter? Did he just say letter? Croport’s letters?
Mari and Sasha exchanged looks.
Croport’s twenty-first secret. The letters that arrived regularly.
Could this suspicious man Disheddo be the one sending them?
Then Croport spoke to the girls.
“Mariposa, Sasha. Go outside.”
“But Croport—”
“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s not dangerous. You can go finish your meal.”
Mari lifted her head to ask more questions, but when she met his cold, solid blue eyes, she closed her mouth.
Croport wasn’t allowing even the smallest opening.
Mari knew this expression well.
It was the face he made when he wanted to hide something.
“…Okay.”
Who was Disheddo? Was he really just a customer? What was his relationship with Croport?
And why was he sending him letters?
What was so important it couldn’t be written?
Mari’s thoughts spun.
But she couldn’t question him here.
“Sasha, let’s go.”
Mari decided to retreat for now.
“Big sister, but…”
Sasha hesitated, but Mari shook her head and led her away.
After stepping out of the storage room and closing the door, Mari let out a heavy sigh.
Sasha immediately jumped and asked:
“Big sister, that letter must be what he meant, right?”
“Yeah. I think he meant Croport’s secret letters.”
“So Croport really had a friend.”
Maybe. But Croport’s reaction was strange for a friend. The other man seemed familiar, but…
Mari muttered as she walked:
“This time, I’ll definitely find out.”
Five years.
It had already been five years since she settled in the antique shop and became Croport’s family.
Yet they still didn’t know why he was expelled from Magia. His hidden secrets continued to pile up.
I stayed quiet because Croport didn’t want to talk about it, but I can’t anymore.
Using this opportunity, she would definitely get one step closer to his mystery.
Mari made up her mind.
* * *
But something felt strange.
“How much time has passed?”
“It’s already been an hour.”
Croport still hadn’t come out of the storage room.
“Big sister, isn’t that too long?”
“Yeah… that’s strange.”
Sasha sat on the sofa swinging her legs.
The girls stared seriously down the dark hallway.
One hour.
Croport wasn’t the type to chat warmly with others for long.
Even if it was important, he wouldn’t leave them waiting for over an hour.
Had something happened?
Mari stood up.
“Sasha, stay here.”
“You’re going to check? Croport might get mad.”
“I’ll just knock. He hasn’t even finished eating yet.”
Though covered with cloth, Croport’s portion of smoked duck, soup, and bread had gone cold.
I don’t know what’s taking so long, but he should at least eat first.
Mari took a deep breath and walked toward the storage room.
When she reached the door, she noticed something strange.
There was no light underneath it.
Her brow furrowed.
The lights are off.
It was already dark outside. Without candles, it would be impossible to see.
Mari frowned and knocked.
“Croport? When will you finish talking?”
No answer.
No presence either.
She knocked again.
“Hey, how about eating first?”
But only cold silence answered.
“Croport…?”
Feeling uneasy, Mari slowly turned the handle. The old door creaked open.
Inside were still the scattered antiques, broken pieces, and cold candle holders.
Something was wrong.
Why is no one here?
The room was silent.
Mari walked in quickly and looked around.
“Croport!”
No answer.
“Big sister, what’s wrong?”
Sasha ran over after hearing Mari’s urgent voice.
Mari replied stiffly:
“Sasha… Croport is gone.”
“What?”
“The man he called a customer is gone too.”
“What?!”
Sasha’s mouth fell open.
Mari’s green eyes trembled.
“No one came out of the storage room, right?”
“No. I didn’t even hear the door.”
Sasha looked anxious.
No one had left.
After finishing dinner cleanup, they had been watching the hallway connected to the storage room.
They were certain.
Then was it teleportation?
If he teleported outside the shop, the inspectors would come.
The only place Croport could safely use magic was his heavily enchanted antique shop.
So it wasn’t teleportation.
Mari swallowed and walked toward the Foramen.
Then…
She pulled aside the old curtain covering it.
An old wardrobe stood there, tightly closed.
Just as she reached for the door—
“Big sister!”
Sasha ran toward her holding a piece of paper.
“It’s Croport’s letter!”
“What? A letter?”
“Yeah! It was on the desk!”
Mari quickly took it.
Croport’s distinctive flowing handwriting came into view.
[Mariposa, Sasha. I’m going somewhere for a while.]
Mari’s eyes became serious as she read.
He hadn’t disappeared without a word.
But the next lines made them frown.
**[It won’t take long. I’ll be back soon, so please take care of the shop.
—Croport]**
Even for Croport, it was too short.
It didn’t even say where he went.
Suspicious, she flipped the paper over.
As if waiting, more words appeared.
Mari read slowly:
“P.S.”
But the added message was just as short.
“An unwelcome guest will come. Don’t let them enter the antique shop. Sorry.”
