TGPFC 06

The Genius Perfumer of the Fallen Cult – Chapter 6

Even so, not a single sound escaped his lips. Only the roughly tied bundle of his red hair shook messily.

He knew there were people somewhere who dreamed like that. Even when the two of them wandered around as orphans with nowhere to cling to, the children of families with even a little wealth in each village all dreamed similar dreams.

They would leave this palm-sized village, start as mercenaries, and become the Mercenary King. Or catch the eye of a knight and become a squire, then demonstrate outstanding swordsmanship, defeat magical beasts, receive a title and land, and rise in status…

But those were fantasies people usually grew out of around the age of five.

He and Prim were already ten years old, yet they were still dreaming like that?

Sure, he was stronger than most kids his age and his build was larger, but compared to real knights, it was laughable.

And besides, who would even hire someone with hair as red as his? He’d be lucky if they didn’t shun him for supposedly attracting magical beasts.

Even if he miraculously became a knight, if he lived and died as a wandering knight afterward, that alone would be considered a blessing from Aiser and Noxrak.

Yet when he tried to refute Prim, no words came out.

Prim was quietly staring at him. In one of her clear light-green eyes, he could see tension.

It seemed she was worried he would say he wouldn’t become a knight… that he would call it nonsense.

Rosien finally stopped pulling at his hair. He swallowed.

“…Alright, fine. Got it. I become a passing knight’s squire and then become a knight. Accepted. After that, then…”

“After receiving several fiefs, you build your territory and gradually expand it until you become a grand lord.”

“….”

Rosien, who had been about to ask ‘That’s enough, right?’, could only swallow dryly.

He had escaped the frying pan only to fall straight into the fire.

Just becoming temple orphans instead of wandering street orphans was already an enormous rise in status for them.

But beyond that—becoming a knight, and then a grand lord?

Wasn’t that dream far too big?

Even the children of wealthy families usually stopped their fantasies at becoming knights. None of them dreamed of becoming grand lords.

Rosien wet his parched lips with effort. He truly didn’t know what to say.

Living as beggars, as orphans, drifting around without a place to belong, he had picked up quite a bit of knowledge.

How would they even meet a lord willing to grant them land? And even if they did receive a fief, how would they expand it?

Everything about it sounded vague and unrealistic.

But Prim had never once spoken empty fantasies before.

When Prim took the curse in his place, she had calmly concluded, “I think we should go our separate ways now.”

They were homeless drifters. If one of them couldn’t even walk, there was no reason to stay together.

How hard he had struggled to make her take that back.

Afraid she might run away overnight while her feet bled, he would tie their hands tightly together with worn cloth whenever they slept.

If that friend was speaking this seriously now, he couldn’t simply deny it.

Still, he spoke cautiously.

“Um, Prim. You know… about that. Becoming a knight maybe, but becoming a grand lord… that’s really… impossible, isn’t it?”

In truth, he thought becoming a knight was already incredibly unrealistic. But after hearing the word grand lord, strangely enough, becoming a knight suddenly felt somewhat possible.

“You can do it.”

“No, I can’t—”

“You can.”

Prim spoke with a voice full of certainty, as if she had already seen the future where he succeeded.

“R-right… okay then…”

Rosien scratched the back of his head and nodded.

It felt embarrassing to keep denying it when his friend believed in him so strongly.

“Fine! A grand lord—what’s the big deal? I’ll give it a try.”

Prim watched Rosien awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck and realized she might have gone too far.

She had promised herself she would express things properly this time, but perhaps she had overdone it.

She hurriedly added,

“…Of course, I’ll become a perfumer and help you. And the grand lord thing—um—if you don’t want to become one, you don’t have to.”

But Prim couldn’t bring herself to say ‘Let’s just do what you want.’

She had told him that in her previous life as well.

Back then, Rosien had said he only wanted to act as Prim’s hands and feet. And that wish had eventually turned him into the Lord of the Cavern.

And now that very Lord of the Cavern was rolling his eyes around, wondering how to handle this conversation.

“So… whether I become a grand lord or not—we decide later?”

“Yeah.”

“Just you and me? Two orphans?”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly Rosien burst into loud laughter.

As he held his stomach and laughed, Prim only blinked and looked at him.

“…I know why you’re laughing. But Rosien, you really do have talent.”

“No, no—it’s not that. Not because of that… Ah, whatever. We’ll somehow manage. I’m strong, after all.”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, the sound of a bell rang in the distance.

It was the bell used by the orphanage priest, Marseceria, to gather the children.

Rosien realized the reason for the bell and glanced at Prim cautiously.

“Um, Prim. Should we just keep riding the swing?”

Today was the day Baron Corvas and his wife were visiting.

The last time they came, Prim had stayed in bed, claiming she was sick.

Even then, Baron Corvas and his wife had insisted on seeing her and stayed by her side, tending to her like nurses before leaving.

Prim sighed softly as she recalled their faces.

“No. Let’s go down.”

At Prim’s words, Rosien naturally turned his back to her.

Prim climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

* * *

“Oh my, Prim! You look so pretty today as well. Have you been doing well? You look like you’ve lost some weight. I brought something for you.”

While the other children stood and greeted them, Prim remained seated in a chair because she couldn’t stand.

Baroness Corvas barely acknowledged the other children before hurrying straight toward Prim and offering a small box.

Inside were dark purple candies shaped somewhat strangely.

“Woooow!”

The children watching from afar gasped in admiration even though they didn’t know what it was.

Baroness Corvas smiled and explained.

“They’re violet candies. You pick violet petals and coat them with sugar. They smell wonderful.”

Prim inhaled the scent of the violet candies while looking at the baron and baroness.

Her explanation wasn’t wrong.

But these violet candies were old.

The flower fragrance had almost disappeared, leaving behind only the smell of stale sugar, dried egg white… and lies.

Priest Marseceria also seemed to notice that the candies given to Prim were old and low-quality, but she forced an awkward smile and stepped in.

“Thank you very much, the both of you. You didn’t have to bring something like this…”

“When a child is this adorable, how could we not?”

“Prim is like a daughter to us.”

Even something like this was far beyond what the impoverished orphanage could normally see.

The baron and baroness exchanged smiles as they spoke.

Prim idly touched the box of violet candies when she noticed a sharp gaze from afar and turned her head.

A girl with jet-black hair and bright blue eyes, strikingly beautiful, was hiding in the building’s shadow and glaring at Prim.

Baron Corvas and his wife had adored that girl—Vianna.

At least, they had…

Until Prim appeared at this orphanage.

They only cherished Vianna again after Prim rejected their offer of adoption.

And the girl who was adopted in Prim’s place—Vianna—

No one ever saw her again.

Because not even her corpse remained.