Chapter 280: The Chief of the “Red Cats”, and the Curse Removal (1/2)

Arc 27: The Reverse World

Chapter 280: The Chief of the “Red Cats”, and the Curse Removal

The eastern district of Alen, the capital of the Holy Kingdom Alentt, is an area where ordinary and i

The sub-chief of the “Red Cats”, Est-san, is noalking into that area as I and the two other girls, the ponytailed girl called Yuni and the long wavy-haired Yuri, follow along

Different from the central district, the streets are soh the central street

Eventually, weback alley After turning around a corner, we reach a dead end

The surroundings are packed with the walls of nearby buildings, with several big empty wooden boxes, one meter on each side, piled up at the dead end

After going around those wooden boxes, there is a round, which can’t be seen from the opposite side

「This is…」(Touya)

「It’s an entrance to the underground tunnels that has existed in the royal capital since the olden days There are a whole lot of these places more than anyone could expect in this city」(Est)

Opening the lid, Est-san descends underground I follow after her and descend via the staircase straight into an underground area that feels pleasantly cool I then ie

「It looks just like dungeon…」(Touya)

The passage is bright despite being underground About every tenon the wall, hooked with strings

Taking one in my hand, I discover that it’s an object the size a cylindrical AAA battery, and it’s lass with some sort of liquid and a stone inside it It’s this stone that di areas

「What’s this?」(Touya)

「Eh? Don’t you knohat it is? That’s a ht stone Doesn’t the whole town use them?」(Yuni)

「… I’ve only arrived to the royal capital today After all, I’m soic light stone that the shopkeeper of the general store has talked about Apparently, this ore produces light by reacting ater in soht tihts used in the signboards of the stores probably works with the saic light stone inside that long and narrow glass tube That n is produced by alloater to pass through it

This ore is so the target of Yuni’s doubtful glance, I continue walking through the passage as we are being led by Est-san

Turning around the corner of the passage, Est-san stops She holds the handle of a short sword, and begins scraping the surface of the wall It looks like her scraping has so about it when one part of the wall slides like a horizontal door, e A hidden door, huh?

As soon as we step into the new passage, twonext to the door, close it conal to open and close the door, right? They are being watchful

Having advancing through the tunnel, we eventually arrive into a cavity where roups

Upon looking at us, each of thosea silent bow They are probably the members of “Red Cats” in the h the passage without changing directions and arrive before a heavy-looking iron door with ain front of it He is at least two iant huolem It has the foraps in his ar

There are two large horns extending conspicuously from either side of its head Those horns are sie buffalo helmet presented to fukushi+aane”, a golem of our sub-chief」(Yuni)

Yuni softly murmurs as she turns to me Even its name is japanese–styled I knew it This Reverse World probably has a country similar to Ishen as well

The red-aruides us inside He then closes it again after all of us have entered That goleatekeeper here

Behind the door is a spacious roo is a glowing light source si ht stones as well Thein drinking water

On top of the desk in the middle of the room, there’s a telecommunication device with headphones attached to it and soh sketches of a house froraph It’s definitely surprising for raphs in this world This place y command rooirl who’s slovenly sitting on a large chair in front of the desk and snoring sleepily and grandly while facing the ceiling

「Who’s this?」(Touya)

「… She’s our chief, Nia-sa a troubled face, Yuri, who has a long wavy hair, answers my question

Your chief, you say…? So she’s the leader of this chivalrous group, eeh~?

Back to the chief who continues to snore Vice-chief Est briskly walks up to Nia and, along with a delightful sound, slaps her face

「Fubuoo!?」(Nia)

Bataan! Both the chair and the chief sitting on it topple over Nia then opens her half-asleep eyes and faces Est-san

This girl, who see red hair in a twintail hairstyle Wearing a red jacket and short pants, she has a rough appearance but the style of her clothing makes it easy for her to move

「What was that for?! … Hey, aren’t you Est?」(Nia)

「 Don’t sleep with a slovenly face! That appearance is not proper for a young lady, Nia」(Est)

「Isn’t it fine? It’s not like anyone can see…」(Nia)

As she tries to object with a pouting uy is?」(Nia)

「He’s a gentle the professor’s curse I happened to see him on a street and took him with us His name is Mochizuki Touya」(Est)

「Really?!」(Nia)

Nia kicks away the chair with a bang and stands up

「Are you saying that you really can cure her condition? You kinda have an unreliable air on you though…」(Nia)

「We won’t know unless I see her personally」(Touya)

Sorry for being unreliable I lightly joke at Nia who’s glaring at me with suspicion

Oh well! I really won’t know anything for sure without seeing the curse first

「Well, that’s fine Anyway, come and examine the professor I will say this in advance, you will pay if you dare do soe Got it?!」(Nia)

A stails of the girl who’s glaring like a Yankee at me

「Do you really understand the position we are in? Do you? We are the ones requesting him to do the impossible, you know? Don’t I always tell you to think first before you act?」(Est)

「That hurts~! It hurts~! I-I understand! I said I understand! Stop…」(Nia)

Sives Nia a series of chops without reserve As for the red-haired pigtailed girl, she’s already in tears I so the power relationshi+p between those two

「Anyould like you to exa the door in the depths of the strategy rooe where yet another iron door is in front of us Yuni and Yuri remained in the previous room, so only Est-san, Nia, and I enter that room

Inside the twelve tataside the wall

Next to it is a dog… no, a wolf? It’s staring at us who have entered this rooht that person be?』

「It talked?!」(Touya)

The wolf talked in a far-reaching baritone voice of a man Is that a summoned beast?!

「This is Mochizuki Touya-san He may be able to undo the professor’s curse Touya-san, this is Fenrir He’s the professor’s… he’s a gole froolem?!」(Touya)

I’ole wolf in terolerateful for that My master won’t be able to leave on her journey if she doesn’t wake up』(Fenrir)

The wolf gole features up to that level

「… Well, shall I take a look at this curse?」(Touya)

Although I’ole on the bed In terly long unkempt silver hair is tucked inside the futon On the side table next to the bed are thick round spectacles Those are probably hers Since she’s called a professor, she ic is noreical state due to a cursed artifact, right?」(Touya)

『Aah, that’s right That curse is an effect placed in the jewel box that’s in the possession of a noble Apparently, anyone who opens that box becomes cursed』(Fenrir)

Fenrir answers my question

「Do you still have this jewel box?」(Touya)

「We do It’s here」(Est)

Est-san opens a drawer in the side table and takes out a jewel box adorned with lavish orna so that it won’t open That string is probably a safetyto leave the box on top of the table, I then invoke analysis Magic

「”analysis”」(Touya)

Hood thing that the curse is siht indeed be worrisome if I consider how li a curse, this abnormal state will make the victim sleep until that person dies

So the curse is set by reciting a keyword and pouring ic power into the box while it’s closed, huh? Typical kind of anti-theft curse So they’re using curses instead of locks here, eh? It’s probably the noble oho has placed the curse in that box so… Well, I will be able to cancel it with “Recovery” if the level of the curse is only like this

「Okay I’ll be able to undo her curses since it’s not that severe」(Touya)

「Really?!」(Nia)

While giving Nia, who looks at ic power on the girl lying on the bed

「Recovery」(Touya)

The girl gets wrapped in a soft light, which slowly vanishes before long The curse should’ve been removed with this, but…

「U…」

『Master! It’s me Can you hear me?』(Fenrir)

「Uu? Fenrir? Sorry, just five more minutes…」

『Don’t be half-asleep!』(Fenrir)

「Gufuu?!」

Fenrir wedges hiirl who is trying to sleep again It doesn’t really oleht reverberates Her bones ht have been broken with that lump of iron…

「Ooh! You did it! Not bad!」(Nia)

Saying this, Nia strongly pats my back That hurts, you know! This woeneral Leon froth?

The professor, who has been awakened (it see to change her clothes, so the rest of us returns to the strategy roo that Professor Erka has awakened, Yuni and Yuri, who have been waiting for us, both gently put their hand to their chest in relief

「We are really thankful for your help in this situation It’s about time we talk about the reward, but I wonder howthe reward for solving the curse… Aah! Will I receive a big reward si of Belfast’s case? 」(Touya)

「Belfast?」(Est)

「Aah no, neveruely reply to Est-san Accurately speaking though, a curse wasn’t the cause for those two cases

If I’m not mistaken, I received a su, during the Duke’s case; and a su’s case

As for receiving so fro that I want right noill think of souess」(Touya)

「However, ill move to our next destination away from here in a little while, you know? 」(Yuni)

「Eh? Is that so?」(Touya)

「Yep We originally caolem, so we built a small base in this area Our true base of operations is located on the mountain to the north from the capital Soon, that place will likely be leaked to the ht order as well, so we have to run away」(Nia)

Well, they are supposedly chivalrous thieves or whatnot, but that still doesn’t change the fact that they are a group of criht Apart froolem as well?

「Just so you know, Professor Erka is a first-class goleolem As wide as the worldhailed as the “Restoration Queen” or the “Instructor”, can repair the “Crown” Even so, the professor is only capable of restoring a part of it when I asked her to, apparently」(Nia)

I don’t really understand what the “Crown” is, but it looks like this Chief asked Engineer Erka to repair her broken gole their search for the necessary materials, the professor contacted the curse of that jewel box and fell into lethargy

「Well, I can use Search Magic I can easily look for you if ever I decide to ht for s can you look for with your ic?」(Est)

「I can only look for objects or people that I know of That’s why searching for Est-san’s mother will be impossible for h if you have a photo of her」(Touya)

Be that as it e of “Search” is limited as of the moment since the input of data in the map application isn’t finished yet It’s lih I believe that I will be able to fill the map in a few days if I summon a few thousand birds or so

「Hey, you see the “Red Cats”? 」(Nia)

「I refuse」(Touya)

「What a quick reply C’ic The one which can blow off my enemies with a “Dobabaan!」(Nia)

Nia shakes

「Speaking of ic, you won’t be able to learn it if you don’t have an aptitude for any of its types That’s why there are people who can’t learn it at all no matter what they do」(Touya)

「Then, let’s try and test if I have those “aptitudes” If I have none, then I’ll give up」(Nia)

「Maybe next tiic isn’t that developed in this world, I don’t really know if it’s fine to teach roup of outlaws, even if they call themselves “chivalrous thieves”

「Eeh~, What’s with that?! So stingy~! Teach usor what ~Ow! That hurts!」(Nia)

A chop by Est-san is once again wedged into the crown of the fool, who’s strongly pulling my hand

「You don’t really learn fro about you acting in such a way that fits your position, don’t you agree? It’s because you act like this without any regard for the consequences that I’e”」(Est)

「I’ll becoic, won’t I? If so, then I won’t ic, Touya!」(Nia)

Nia once again pulls my arm As Est-san is about to prepare for another chop, the door behind us opens

「All of you here are having an interesting conversation now, aren’t you? I want to join in as well」(Erka)

Turning toward the voice, I see the wolf-type goleineer Erka who has been released from the curse But is that really her?

Her appearance is too disappointing She’s wearing a white worn-out robe with her silver hair left unkelasses that looks like the bottoeneral look isn’t bad Isn’t it better for her take more care of her appearance?

「Let ain I’ineer Thank you veryme」(Erka)

「I’ineer Erka bows her head To be honest, I just tagged along to satisfy lad that you cured the professor I wonder, will you now cure Rouge as well? 」(Nia)

「I’ve already said this before, right? Think before speaking… Stop saying as if that’s ill happen after healing the professor」(Est)

「It hurts~?!」(Nia)

Once again Est-san’s chop explodes Just howthe exchange between the two, Engineer Erka starts to talk

「The ast those, getting our hands on Orichalcuold, is a serious proble of this country should have some, but…」(Erka)