IPAMB 31

Chapter: 31

I ran straight to the duke.

“Your Grace!”

The duke, about to leave the mansion, turned at my shout.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well… uh, I just received a message from the North…” I struggled for breath as I continued.

“Are you going to the North?”

Please just say yes.

I wished desperately. But the duke’s reply was merciless.

“No, I’m going to fetch the purification stone.”

So it had come to this.

I had expected it.

The only way to improve Gérard Argent’s condition was to use the purification stone that Zaira had brought.

Now that immediate action was required, the duke would naturally try to acquire the purification stone that she had instructed him to buy.

‘He even said he’d go himself, in case we ran into bandits along the way. Even though someone could deliver it to him.’

That meant the duke was in a state of anxiety.

It was understandable, of course.

‘How could anyone stay calm when their beloved husband is sick?’

Whether Zaira was suspicious or not, there was no choice but to trust her for now.

“But there’s no such thing as a special purification stone in this world… If divine power is required, it would be better if I went.”

But I hoped the duke would no longer trust Zaira.

‘Zaira is interfering between Cain and the duke.’

Whether it was to genuinely ruin their relationship or for some other purpose, interference was interference.

Thud.

The duke placed his hand over my head.

“All I feel toward you is gratitude. If you hadn’t stepped forward, I would have done nothing.”

“……”

“But now, I have to go.”

I couldn’t stop him.

I had neither treated Gérard Argent’s illness nor knew how to.

And I had no proof that Zaira was wrong.

“Cain is in your care, Winiel.”

“I’m probably the youngest in this mansion…”

“I’ll make sure that the magical communication devices are linked in every village you reach, so contact me if anything happens.”

Hearing him say this, I couldn’t bring myself to plead for him to stay.

I could even feel the tremor in the duke’s hand as he rested it over my head, a sign of just how anxious he was.

“Well, then, I’ll be off.”

I ended up standing there, dazed, watching the duke leave.

At around the same time, in the outskirts of Liberamon.

Inside a shabby tavern.

After Bellatia had left to fetch the purification stone, Zaira contacted her business partner, Klen.

“Wow, you got lucky with cheap stuff once, and you trust it again? You even went yourself?”

Klen chuckled and downed his beer.

“Did my black magic work successfully? Seeing how anxious he is…”

“No, the black magic failed. That candidate for the saint or whatever got in the way. This time it’s thanks to Gérard’s illness.”

Zaira counted her money coldly and replied.

It was true.

‘When I used black magic on the duke, he believed that little brat’s words, not mine.’

Just thinking about it made my teeth grit.

But fortunately, the situation soon reversed.

Gérard’s illness worsened.

‘No one could refuse to believe me about Gérard Argent’s illness.’

As proof, Bellatia moved faster than anyone to fetch the purification stone she had instructed him to buy.

Handing over an astronomical sum of money to him.

“Well, alright. Let’s leave that aside.”

Klen slammed down his beer mug.

“But we can’t keep doing this forever, right? Once Gérard Argent dies, no one’s going to buy cheap purification stones like this.”

“Probably not. He was already in a bad state. If it gets worse here, that’ll be it.”

“Really… it’ll be over?!”

Zaira sighed, and Klen’s eyes widened as he pressed his forehead and leaned back in his chair.

“Hah, then where am I going to make money now?”

“All the money you’ve saved so far?”

“Of course I spent it all. Do you know how many times I’ve had to use money? There isn’t a single game or table that hasn’t called me!”

Zaira clicked her tongue. She, too, was low on cash, but she felt she was better off than this gambler.

“Then, should we make one last big hit?”

“I’m in. The last one should be flashy. But it’s hard right now.”

“Why?”

“If this purification stone doesn’t improve Gérard Argent’s condition, the duke won’t survive either.”

Zaira frowned as if seeing such a foolish man was absurd.

“So, what do we do?”

“We need to make the duke trust me more. Then, even if this stone doesn’t work, he’ll buy the next one. In that sense, got any poison?”

“Poison? What for?”

“To feed it to the duke and forcibly create symptoms, so we can insist the last time wasn’t black magic but the illness itself. Stop acting so dumb.”

“Why am I… dumb?!”

Klen looked aggrieved, but Zaira ignored him.

“Ha, I’m being kind. Well, we have poison. But if we use it, it’ll be obvious. Even so, it’s the duke’s family.”

“Isn’t there poison that leaves no trace?”

“Where on earth would there be such a thing? It’s not black magic. Oh, now that I think of it, that black magic is still around. We can use that. I’ll personally go as a service, make sure no one sees me, and sign it. Just like last time.”

“No use. That candidate saint will purify it anyway.”

“Does it matter? All we need to show is that the duke’s health is abnormal.”

Hmm… that’s true.

Zaira stopped counting her gold and thought.

‘Besides, I won’t be blamed. If strange symptoms keep showing up even with black magic, the duke will eventually seek my help. These symptoms are similar to Gérard’s.’

And then, that annoying kid could be blamed as a liar.

Zaira made up her mind.

‘But if we do it, we have to do it thoroughly.’

If it was easy, it wouldn’t be a crisis.

“Haah.”

I felt like I’d eaten a million sweet potatoes.

‘The duke went to buy the purification stone, and I still haven’t caught the one who used black magic.’

I had investigated every pen in the mansion at the duke’s request but found no trace of black magic.

‘Honestly, I thought it was Zaira’s doing, but the situation was too favorable to her.’

Of course, the duke ultimately trusted me.

“Haah.”

Still, it was frustrating not to find any evidence.

Even while purifying Cain, I couldn’t stop sighing.

“Ugh, I need a short break…”

My mind kept wandering, making it impossible to concentrate.

I eventually stopped purifying, got up, and opened the window.

Unlike my heavy mood, the weather was bright and sunny.

“I hope you wake up soon…”

Hearing Cain speak of experiencing black magic firsthand would give me a clearer understanding.

“But that’s unlikely.”

Even with his fast recovery, he’d swallowed a monster.

It would take at least a month to regain consciousness.

“Haah.”

Still, I have to keep purifying. I can’t just stand by.

I sighed again, not knowing how many times this was now, and turned back.

I met Cain’s gaze as he sat on the bed, staring blankly at me.

“……”

“……”

…Has a month already passed?

I almost looked at the calendar but stopped myself.

‘That can’t be!’

A moment later, Cain awoke.

“Master…!”

“Shh.”

As soon as I tried to speak, Cain put his index finger to his lips.

“If you make a loud noise, someone will come.”

Shouldn’t they come?

In the secretive atmosphere, I covered my mouth and nodded solemnly.

Cain got off the bed and locked the door himself.

I, being quick-witted, closed the window and drew back the tied curtains.

Then, I sat on the chair next to Cain on the bed.

“Umm… mmm?”

“…You can speak without holding your hands up.”

I nodded.

I lowered my hands and spoke in a small voice.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt if you move right away?”

“No pain. I’m fine. This isn’t a big deal.”

Not a big deal? He almost died!

But unlike my astonishment, Cain was calm.

He looked as if he had just woken up, his head a bit mussed, but otherwise completely fine.

“Excuse me, but is your body made of steel? Can I tap it?”

“…You can tap, but it’s not steel. More importantly, I have something to ask you.”

I hesitated, wondering if I should tap Cain’s thigh, then looked up.

“Something to ask?”

“Yes. About father’s illness. I overheard that the duke can’t get close to me because of your father’s condition.”

Ah… he heard everything.