Chapter 156 (1/2)
Index
Editor: Anna
Proofreader: Xemul
~~Nine O’clock in the Morning, Nineteenth Day of the Sixth Month, Hundred and Twentieth Year of the Sacred Calendar~~
Since we would be leaving for the north tomorrow, Pochi and I had gone to collect our payment today; now we were walking around town with a gigantic leather bag filled to the brim with Gold coins, our eyes sparkling.
“Two-hundred-thousand! Two-hundred-thousand Gold, Master! Oh, the things we can buy!”
“Hehehehe… well, slow down, Shiro. First things first, we have to get ready for tomorrow.”
To prepare for our departure, today’s magic lessons had been canceled.
And since June herself is taking over my bodyguard duties for the day, we also got the day off.
Still… I had never expected to be paid a whopping two-hundred thousand. Perhaps the amount included my compensation for teaching young Ferris as well.
With that in consideration, I suppose this was a fair amount of reward.
“Hmm, the Spell Circle is a bit special, you see, so I’ll need a variety of materials…”
“Do you have a list, sir?”
“Mainly eyeballs. I’ve got a pair of Chimera eyes from back when I helped Reid take one down, and then a few other kinds over the past few years…”
“Eyes… could they be for another appraisal spell, sir?”
“This time it’s a little bit different. Should be more fitting to call it an analysis spell, I guess?”
“An analysis spell… you’re not thinking about using it to do weird stuff, right, Master?”
Pochi asked me, her eyes narrowed with doubt.
For the love of God… when will this Familiar ever understand that I don’t have ‘that kind’ of hobby?
I look back at her, narrowing my eyes in the same manner. With that, Pochi curbed her jokes and proceeded to ask,
“So, which monsters’ eyes do you want, sir?”
“Doesn’t have to be anything specific. I do want them to be from Rank S monsters, though… I wonder if they’re sold anywhere?”
“For now, we can only check out the shops that might have them, then.”
“Right.”
As we continued talking, we stumbled upon an alchemy-focused shop in the outskirts of town, a rare sight in this era. There, we obtained an eyeball of a Kiryu Dragonling, a monster that would be Rank SS if fully grown. It cost us a hundred-thousand.
It was the only one they had, so I couldn’t haggle, but its actual market value was supposed to be a few ten-thousand Gold cheaper.
Still, though, its quality was equal to that of an S-ranked material, so I could definitely live with that deal.
After that, we had lunch, stopped for Pochi’s afternoon snack, then bought my dinner and Pochi’s late-night snack before returning to the mansion.
Me technically being on break from my job meant that no meals were provided, after all.
It was half-past-four by the time we were back; the sun was about to set.
“Well well, I sure am looking forward to tonight, sir!”
What we were carrying may look like a week’s worth of shopping, but… it’d probably be gone in a day or two. Yeah.
Pochi held two bags in her front paws, walking skillfully only on two legs; her eyes drooped down so much that I thought they might end up sticking to her cheeks.
She’s looking quite happy.
After passing through the garden, just when I was about to part ways with Pochi for a whole five minutes, we heard a commotion coming from the door.
While we were startled, wondering what was going on, a woman rushed at us, with her face pale.
“Lady June…? Is-“
‘Is something the matter?’ – was something I had wanted to say, but before I could, June grabbed me by the shoulders. With her tremendously strong grip. I felt like I might start bleeding…
“Bright is gone, Master Poer! Have you seen him anywhere?!”
Now she’s shaking me – I’m getting dizzy…
Now, I’d like to first ask for her forgiveness for taking too long to process her statement.
Okay, so this was probably related to the unsettling stare I had felt at the door on the day of June’s return.
Were they – whoever they were – taking advantage of the opening caused by the personnel changes during June’s return, or had they seen a different opportunity…?
Pochi made her first move before I could process the whole thing.
“My snack time…”
Pochi dropped to her hind knees and covered her face, looking quite sad – but now’s not the time to deal with her.
“Rise, Storeroom!”
I threw all of our stuff into the Storeroom, and then grabbed Pochi’s tail when she tried to jump in after her snack, throwing her out.
“Ouch-?!”
You just had lunch, damn it!
“We’ll look for him! Please wait here, milady!”
“No! I will go, too!”
“Lady Ferris must still be here in the mansion – You being absent now might play into the enemy’s plan!”
“You mean to say that someone has taken my brother?”
“The most I know now is that I had felt a strange presence back when you returned yesterday. It would be nice if it was just me being paranoid about it, though…”
“Ugh… all right, I’m counting on you…”
June said, sounding quite frustrated as she bit her lower lip.
“Shiro, no need to gigantify! Follow Master Bright’s scent!”
“AWOOOOO!”
Although my instruction was already simple, Pochi knew what she had to do before I even said all of it.
The fact that she had started running immediately was the definitive proof of that. She knows me so well, after all.
“Straight north on this road!”
“That’s the north-east gate – let’s hurry!”
“Yes, sir!”
I started running at the same time as Pochi did, and on the way casting the All Up spell.
Since we had leveled up by the dozens in one go, we were practically an intense gust of wind to the pedestrians at the speed we were going.
I was quite surprised by my speed, and more so by how well my body adjusted to it. We’ll have to bring the Limit Breakthrough back to our time by any means necessary…
…No, now’s not the time to think about that.
I shook my head, getting that thought out of my mind. At the same time, Pochi slowed down… and then stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“The smell cuts off here, sir.”
“Right here…?”
I looked around but saw nothing of note.