Side Story: A Normal Girl Working Behind the Scenes of an Auction
“I want you to obtain an Artifact that will nullify the effects of lethal poison, as well as being an exquisite accessory.” Grannis Walter, the head of the House of Duke Walter, stated his request to the merchant he had befriended.
“An exquisite accessory, sir? I would believe something of that nature to be unbelievably pricey.”
“I realize that. But money is no object in this case.”
Enchanted items all shared a common weakness, which was that if the magic item itself was destroyed, then their ability would also be lost. There also existed Artifacts with self-repairing abilities, but those were exceptions to the exceptions. Generally speaking, it was said that the most important thing in preserving a magic item was making sure that the item itself didn’t break. In other words, there were many an enchanted magic item that were prone to having crude designs. That trend was especially prominent among the Artifacts that currently existed, so an Artifact that was also an exquisite accessory piece was extremely rare. If it were an accessory and Artifact as two separate entities, then it would go for anywhere from a few hundred gold pieces to a few thousand gold pieces, but if it were an item of that nature that was two-in-one, then ten-thousand gold pieces would be the bare minimum. It was a price that not even Duke Walter was able to easily pay, and he would need to sell other pieces of art that he owned in order to raise the money. However, there was a reason why he was willing to go that far to attain this kind of Artifact.
“I want to have my beloved daughter take it with her.”
“Would you happen to mean...”
“...Quite. She is to be wed in the neighboring nation.”
They were at war with the neighboring nation, with skirmishes still continuing. It was a result of both nations struggling for fertile land to use to compensate for the food shortage brought on by the population boom—a struggle that lasted for over a hundred years and had caused both nations’ resources to slope toward a decline. In order to resolve this stalemate, the king made a decision. That decision stated that a girl of royal blood was to be wed to the prince of the neighboring nation to serve as a symbol of goodwill between the two countries. And the girl chosen for that task was Duke Walter’s beloved daughter. The fate of the two nations was on her shoulders. While it was an incredible honor to him as a Duke, as a father... it was a very painful choice. Although many people desired peace, there were people who also still wanted war, and from those war-hungry people’s perspectives, the daughter of Walter was nothing more than a nuisance. It was the same as the Artifact. No matter how powerful of an effect it possessed, it couldn’t utilize its power if you destroyed the main component of the item. That was the reason he wanted an Artifact—one that not only could his daughter, who would be exposed to poisoning attempts on a daily basis now, could walk around with anywhere she went, but one that was discrete enough from a single glance.
“The wedding date is six months from now. I beg of you to produce something before then. If you succeed, I promise you that I will make it worth your while.”
“Very well, good sir. I will try my very hardest to find the best of items that suit the young miss,” said the merchant under the Duke’s employ as the Duke bowed to him, but Artifacts themselves only popped up on the market in sparse supply every year. Not only that, but considering that the Duke was specifically after an Artifact that nullified fatal poisons and doubled as a piece of jewelry, it was rather dubious as to whether anybody would even offer one up for sale anytime soon—let alone in the next few years. Regardless of price being no object for the Duke, that wasn’t helping him obtain his coveted item—all the while, the day of his daughter’s wedding drew nearer with each passing hour.
That was, until one day, when a social gathering for aristocrats and nobles was held in the imperial capital. Normally, the Duke couldn’t afford to spend time enjoying social gatherings in any capacity, but as a Duke, he also couldn’t afford to easily brush the event aside and not show up. There was also the chance that one of the aristocrats there knew about the kind of Artifact that he was after. Staking his hopes on that possibility, Duke Walter attended the gathering, but...
“An Artifact that both nullifies the effects of deadly poisons, and also functions as a beautiful accessory?”
“Yes, I wish to obtain it for my daughter.”
“...For Lady Liliane, I see. For a matter such as that, I, well...”
“It’s fine. You are not obligated to tell me anything. This is a great honor, and I myself know that you have pressing matters. I simply remembered that you are well-versed in artistic pieces yourself, Lady Charlotte.”
“Lady Liliane has been a wonderful friend, so I wish to help if at all possible, but... you must forgive me. I do not have a clue as to where to find an item of that caliber.”
“No, I should be the one apologizing for asking such a strange question out of the blue.”
She was the lone daughter of the House of Count Warren. Duke Walter tried his hand at asking someone who was on friendly terms with his daughter, but he hung his head when he realized he wouldn’t be getting the information he seeked.
“Duke Walter, I understand how you must feel. Tomorrow is the day of the auction in the imperial capital. It is just an assumption, but perhaps they will have something that fits Lady Liliane’s needs.”
“An auction...? Yes, I could see that....”
If there were any eye-catching goods like an Artifact that people wanted, it was common for auction-goers to be notified ahead of time so that they could prepare the funds necessary to purchase them. Not having any information come in at this point in time meant that it wasn’t likely that such an Artifact would be appear, but... that didn’t mean that there would be nothing there worthy to give as a gift to his daughter. Duke Walter said his thanks to Charlotte and excused himself. However, the area he moved to allowed Duke Walter to witness something unbelievable occuring in a seat surrounded by people.
Duchess Roadwell was boasting about the gift she had received from her husband to the other aristocrats. The former Duke Roadwell was a great man and was quite friendly to Duke Walter, but... the Duke Roadwell that succeeded him was always at odds with Duke Walter.
He probably just acts stubborn so that no one may take him lightly, seeing as he succeeded the title at such a young age, Duke Walter thought, never approaching him until now. However, today, he had a specific reason to do just that.
The item that Duchess Roadwell was boasting about was the very same item that Duke Walter had been searching for in order to give to his beloved daughter.
“Well? What do you think of this Artifact that I’ve gifted my wife, Duke Walter? Not only a beautiful accessory, but also nullifies any deadly poison.” asked a voice suddenly, right behind the Duke. Realizing that he was being mocked from such an antagonistic tone of voice, Duke Walter squandered his swelling annoyance to turn around.
“My, my, if it isn’t Duke Roadwell. Might I be able to help you?”
“Oh, not really. I just heard word that you’ve been looking for the same Artifact as me and just haven’t been able to find it.”
“Oh-ho...” Duke Walter wasn’t about to make any ridiculous requests for him to sell it to him. And even if he did make such a request, it would only help to stroke Duke Roadwell’s ego. While it was uncertain as to where that information was leaked, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Duke Roadwell had gained information about the item Duke Walter was looking for beforehand and bought it just to get in his way. Duke Walter was positively brimming with disgust.
“I believe searching now would be quite the task, but I do hope you do not lose heart, Duke Walter. If you are motivated, as I am, then I believe that obtaining something of the sort is doable, at the very least.”
How dare this impudent welp mock me so brazenly! Duke Walter almost allowed his thoughts to escape his mouth in fury, but he stopped himself just moments before he could. What Duke Walter needed to do now was find out what he could do for his daughter. With that in mind, he swallowed his anger and prepared to make his exit, but that was when...
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. I don’t think it’s really possible for me to buy up two of the same item, but what do you say to me introducing you to the merchant I asked to reserve it for me just in case?”
“...Oh? Well, I would appreciate that, but...” This clearly wasn’t a gesture of good will, which prompted Duke Walter to keep his guard up, as he wasn’t privy to exactly what this man was ultimately after. His precaution ended up being meaningless, however, because his offer was out of the pure goodness of his heart—at least, that was what he hoped. In actuality, Duke Roadwell already had everything set up, so he was simply showing his hand as a courtesy, meaning that...
“That merchant’s name? Why, it’s...”
The name that he informed Duke Walter of with a devious grin was that of the merchant he had befriended. That night, said merchant appeared at Duke Walter’s estate without even being summoned. There, the Duke met with him, using reason to contain himself from exploding in anger.
“...Duke Roadwell boasted about a certain item to me at today’s social gathering,” he said, glaring at him as if to say that no further explanation was needed. However, his glare was met without an ounce of hesitation by the president of a company who was starting to stand out in the imperial capital nowadays.
“...So they did boast about it, did they? I know how you must feel now.” It seemed like he was practically trying to start a fight.
His voice shaking, Duke Walter asked just to be absolutely certain. “So you sold the Artifact to Duke Roadwell?”
“Indeed, it was I who sold it.”
“Then, do you plan to tell me that you have another of the same item? Tell me, Gratt.” Considering that he was a merchant, it was inevitable that he would sell to a higher bidder, but Duke Walter was never even given the news that he had obtained it.
Depending on your answer, you may come to regret it, he thought, giving off an aura of intimidation. Despite a major aristocrat’s pressure being powerful enough to leave any normal man quaking in his boots, the merchant that Duke Walker befriended—the president of Gratt Commerce—remained unconcerned.
“Before I answer your question, please allow me to inquire about one thing.”
“...What is it?”
“If I were to tell you to bid on a certain item in tomorrow’s auction... would you be confident in winning it, Duke Walter?”
“Tomorrow’s auction, you say?”
He put off pondering what the man’s intent was in favor of searching for an answer, smoothly changing his demeanor. Regarding the auction the following day—the duke hadn’t heard anything about any sort of Artifact being featured. Given that, it would probably be safe to assume that no members of royalty would be participating. That also meant that his biggest sources of competition were the few major aristocrats and Duke Roadwell. The question was whether or not he could beat them out. In terms of total assets, it would be a one-on-one bout between Duke Roadwell and Duke Walter, but auctions weren’t something that you could win just because one’s total assets equated to a sizeable amount. The person who would win an auction was the person who had brought the most money with them at that time. And seeing as how Duke Roadwell had just recently purchased that Artifact with outstanding magic and artistic merits, his amount of cash on-hand probably wasn’t all that impressive. Meanwhile, Duke Walter had been collecting the funds to purchase his daughter’s gift, so if the auction were to take place tomorrow, it wasn’t likely at all that he would lose. And it was the very moment when Duke Walter drew that conclusion that a certain possibility came to him.
“Might you be suggesting that the item I am seeking will be put up for sale at tomorrow’s auction?”
“I have an agreement with my trading partner, so I am afraid I cannot say anything more. However... the only thing I will say is that this is from the good graces of a certain normal girl.”
“...A normal girl?”
“Indeed, once I told her about you, she happily complied with the idea. So, please, make it your mission to participate in tomorrow’s auction. I am sure that you will bear witness to a miracle.”
He wasn’t quite able to wrap his head around this being a “miracle.” The whole matter would be resolved if he were to just sell the item off to him from the start, so he was completely unable to comprehend why he was going through such a roundabout manner. The only thing he could think of was that he was trying to raise the price at the auction, but... nevertheless, he was determined to get the Artifact no matter how high the price. He just didn’t understand the point in making him bid for it. Besides that, there was no way that Duke Walker wouldn’t be informed in advance if the Artifact he was searching for was to actually show up in the auction. That was why, if he were to be truthful, Gratt was spitting nonsense to cover his own back. Either that, or he had gone daft in the head—both doubts spun inside the duke’s mind. However, he was all out of options. Hence, Duke Walter, essentially clutching at straws, decided to show up at the auction.
The day passed, and he arrived at the auction hall. There, he found himself literally witnessing a miracle.
“Wh-What is this...?” Duke Walter uttered, at a loss for words. The people who also looked at the item list clamored in a similar manner. Among the items listed on the parchment, there were Artifacts mixed into the lot. The fact that Artifacts were being put up for auction without prior notice was a surprise in itself, but the real shocker here was located in the descriptions listed.
A brooch with a beautiful design set with a large magic stone. The design was small yet delicate, with the brooch itself being appraised at no less than fifty gold pieces.
That by itself was a relatively shocking price tag. Of course, there are a number of other more expensive pieces of artistic merit, but the small brooch with the fifty gold piece price tag was considerably uncommon. Regardless, this brooch’s true value wasn’t in the design. It was said to be enchanted, and its appraised effects were described as following:
In addition to an ability which nullifies any and all bodily ailments, it is also endowed with a self-repairing ability. Will instantly nullify the effects of fast-acting and deadly poison for the bearer. The brooch itself will repair itself even if shattered into pieces. A brooch made in a normal girl’s free time.
He didn’t know where to begin when it came to picking this description apart. The Artifact was a small, artistically-sound brooch with a powerful enchantment. It was rare enough that it even existed, but the enchantment it possessed was infeasible. It nullified any and all bodily ailments. That alone was outside the realm of Artifacts and encroached into a realm of doubt as to if it was a miracle brought forth by God. Considering what it was, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it with a price tag of ten-thousand gold pieces instead.
However, the startling facts didn’t end there. The brooch was enchanted with a self-repairing ability. It was already in miracle territory at the point it was endowed with that Artifact-grade enchantment, and the fragile brooch having a self-repairing ability was a heavenly blessing. It was literally an Artifact among Artifacts, an item that should in no way exist, but... it was also a piece of work with a self-repairing ability. That clued Duke Walter in to what it actually was.
“This couldn’t be... a part of the Unassigned Series...?”
If that were the case, he could see why they would price such a small brooch for fifty gold pieces, based on its value as a piece of art alone. If it were part of the Unassigned Series, then it wouldn’t be surprising to see it with a price tag of a thousand gold pieces. The brooch had a built-in ability to nullify all bodily ailments. Putting a price tag on it was impossible. Even if he exchanged everything he had—his territory, his social status, the people of his territory—it wouldn’t be a fair trade.
—No. If it’s being featured in the auction, then it’s safe to say the auction price is the appropriate price. It’s positively ludicrous, but in a certain sense, that is the truth of the matter. It is, but... Duke Walter thought, trailing off.
Without informing anyone beforehand, it cut down the financial contenders that could bid with Duke Walter, so it made him wonder what Gratt’s goal in all this was. Thinking reasonably, his goal would be sabotaging any competitors since someone else was exhibiting these to auction, but since Gratt was acting as a representative of the exhibitor, then it wouldn’t make sense if he was trying to sabotage himself. In which case, Duke Walter thought to himself before conjuring up what Gratt told him.
“The only thing I will say is that this is from the good graces of a certain normal girl.”
Why did an Artifact of such caliber exist? Why were they attempting to sell off an Artifact of this caliber? Why did he emphasize the “normal” in “normal girl”? None of this made any sense. But what did make sense was that there was no better item to give his daughter as a gift than the Artifact being exhibited in the auction today. And then...
“Hurry! Scrape together all the gold pieces I have on-hand right away!”
Duke Roadwell and the rest of the aristocrats barked orders at their servants, but... they were too late. There was no one around that could beat Duke Walter with all of the the gold coins that he had gathered for the sake of his daughter. Duke Walter won the bid on the Artifact that would later be named the Angel’s Blessing.
A few days later, the president of Gratt Commerce paid him a visit.
“Congratulations, Duke Walter.”
“Thanks to you, Gratt, I was able to give my beloved daughter a delightfully unexpected present. You have my deepest gratitude. I promise you that I will devote my life to making it up to you.”
“No, as I mentioned the last time, this was all because of the good graces of a certain self-proclaimed normal girl.”
“Self-proclaimed normal girl, eh? You know, I was wondering what you were talking about when you told me that the first time, but...”
In the Artifact’s description, it stated that it was created in a “normal girl’s free time.” That, combined with Gratt mentioning that the good graces of a self-proclaimed normal girl made this possible... Logically thinking, the author of that description and the self-proclaimed normal girl were one in the same. Naturally, a normal girl would never be capable of doing such things. Actually, no human would be capable. However, the Unassigned Series was unassigned because the creator never tried to gain a reputation for themselves. The creator was also said to be the youngest daughter of the True Bloods. The True Bloods were a tribe that suddenly went missing a millennium ago, but since they were said to live for several millennia, it wouldn’t be unusual if they were still living somewhere out in the world even now.
“...Would this self-proclaimed normal girl so happen to be...”
“I do not know.”
“And by that... do you mean ‘don’t pry’?”
“Of course, that is a part of it, but I truly do not know. In fact, if I were to be so bold as to give my personal opinion... I would say she is an angel proclaiming herself as a normal girl.”
“...So she’s an angel, is she? Then was all this a blessing for my daughter?”
“Precisely.”
Duke Walter had meant what he said entirely as a joke, but Gratt nodded in affirmation in seriousness.
“She wants to help any girl in need—that is her catchphrase, so to speak.”
“I see. Any girl in need...”
In that case, she undeniably did all of this for my daughter’s sake. I have to admit that I don’t quite understand why this had to be done on such an overly-grandiose scale, but... angels work in mysterious ways, Duke Walter thought to himself.
The duke’s beloved daughter, Liliane, did eventually marry in to the neighboring nation. However, her life there was far from an easy experience. Those who tried to improve relations between the two nations were on her side, but those who wished for war were constantly after her life. That being said, she stood against adversity and began to win the trust of her husband, the future king, and it was told that, in the end, she made great contributions toward improving the relationship between the two nations. Known as Queen Liliane, she was pivotal as a bridge of peace between both countries. Although people attempted assassinations through several methods, including poisoning, the reason as to why she was able to live such a long life was the subject of much speculation. There was also much absurdity among those speculations, which made it difficult to tell the truth from fabrications, but... the most plausible theory was, surprisingly, an anecdote about how she was being protected by an angel. That was said to be the reason, because once she passed away from old age in her final years, an angel descended from the heavens before all of her mourners... However, nothing was ever said for certain.
Side Story: A Normal Girl Passing By Behind the Scenes of a Viscount Family
An auction regularly took place in an event hall in the imperial capital once per month. Standing nervously in the corner of the fervent hall was Lucrezia, the daughter of the House of Viscount Wilderness, who had just turned fifteen years old as of yesterday.
The Wilderness domain that her father governed over possessed a vast quantity of land, a quantity unexpected from a normal viscount, but... the majority of it was barren wasteland that wouldn’t grow vegetation at all. Nevertheless, his family dedicated their efforts to continuously protecting the people of his territory. And the people responded in turn to Viscount Wilderness’ zeal by continuing to work in order to enrich the struggling territory. However, it had been approximately a thousand years since people started living in the Wilderness territory. With the lives of the people not improving, the amount of citizens living in the area diminished, causing management of the territory to hit its limits. On top of that, Lucrezia’s father, Viscount Wilderness, had collapsed yesterday from fatigue. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to properly manage the territory or pay his vassals’ wages. If that kept up, the king would likely end up seizing the entire territory.
That was why Lucrezia had come to the auction grounds, her desire to help out her father burning strong. She had come to put up her brooch, a memento inherited from her mother, in the auction. Naturally, she had an aversion to putting a memento of her mother up for sale—even moreso since she knew it was a brooch that was passed down from generation to generation with her mother inheriting it from her mother, and so on and so forth. However, she ventured that her mother would allow it since it was to protect her father, the domain, and the people who lived within it. The real problem lied in how much she could sell it for.
The brooch had a magic stone set within it, but, unfortunately, it didn’t have any sort of enchantment built in. Be that as it may, it was decorated beautifully, so it wouldn’t go for less than thirty gold pieces. She could set her hopes on even fifty gold pieces, if she was lucky enough. The auction grounds were oddly fervent today. She might even be able to have her brooch won at an even higher price. Thirty gold pieces would cover the wages to their current staff of vassals. Fifty would cover the aid for the impoverished people of the territory in addition to that. And one hundred pieces might even finally get their stagnant land cultivation plans into motion. At least, that was what she dreamed. However...
“It... can’t be...”
Lucrezia stood off to a wing of the stage once the bidding began for her brooch, but what she saw wasn’t a dream—it was a nightmare. Any aristocrat was supposed to leap at the opportunity to own such a delicate brooch that had been put out to exhibit. Despite that, not a single one of the aristocrats showed any interest. Which meant...
“Eighteen gold pieces. I have eighteen gold pieces. Any other bidders? Going once, going twice...”
They were probably buying it to resell it. A handful of merchants went into a short bidding war, but the opposition quickly dropped out. It was looking likely that the winning bid would be for eighteen gold pieces. However, a mere eighteen gold pieces would make it difficult to pay their vassals’ wages. In which case, it made putting the memento from her mother up for auction pointless.
“...Mother, I’m so sorry. Mother... Hic... Sniff...” Lucrezia balled up her small white hands as large drops of tears poured from her eyes. As such, this tale ended in tragedy— or so it seemed, but there was still more to the story.
A few months passed since the auction had occurred, and with Lucrezia’s father still in bad health, the finances of the House of Viscount Wilderness had finally hit rock bottom. She had resigned herself to the fact that the end was drawing near, but one day, Lucrezia’s servant informed her that she had a visitor that had come to see her. However, she was clueless as to who it could have been, as she didn’t have any acquaintances who would be visiting her around this time of year. The best she could come up with was it possibly being a merchant or wealthy individual who was trying to marry her in exchange for providing aid to the House of Viscount Wilderness—with an ulterior motive of gaining the position of Viscount Wilderness. She was in such dire straits that she didn’t know whether that sort of proposal was even feasible or not.
Depending on the conditions, I’ll do it to protect the vassals and the people of the territory, Lucrezia thought to herself, setting her resolve.
“Who might this visitor be?”
“She introduced herself as a ‘normal girl passing by,’ milady.”
“...Come again?”
“It’s as I mentioned, milady, um... she said she was a ‘normal girl passing by.’”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. A normal girl wouldn’t come to visit the house of a viscount, even if they do say they’re just passing by.”
“Yes, well, um... while I also believe your counterpoint is sound, she seems to be dressed in quite expensive and exquisite garb. Which means she might be...”
“A spy... correct? I understand. In any case, I will go to meet with this person.”
Lucrezia quickly tidied herself up and proceeded to the parlor where her visitor awaited. There stood a girl so adorable that it boggled the mind as to how she considered herself a “normal girl.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Lucrezia. I am a normal girl just passing by in the area.”
“Oh, um, yes. Hello, I am Lucrezia. As a note, we are the only ones here, so...” she said, trailing off with the connotation that it was fine for her to drop all pretense and reveal her true identity, but the self-proclaimed normal girl passing by just looked at her in an adorable yet confused manner. She was most likely playing dumb, a clear sign that she had no intention of revealing who she was. “Um, might I ask if you are a holy woman making rounds, kind sister?”
“—‘Kind sister’?!”
She didn’t know this girl’s name, and in an attempt to gain some more information, addressed her in the way she would a woman of the church, but the self-proclaimed girl passing by gave her more of a reaction than she bargained for.
“I-I apologize for my crass assumption. Did I strike a nerve with you by calling you a sister?”
“Huh? Oh, no, not at all.”
“I-I didn’t?”
“No, not all. In fact, I prefer it.”
While Lucrezia didn’t follow, this girl was grinning from ear to ear. And although she didn’t follow, she assumed that she was maybe fine—probably.
She seriously didn’t follow at all, though.
At any rate, Lucrezia decided to press on and ask for more details.
“In that case, um... what can I help you with?”
“Right, I wanted to ask you a few questions about this brooch.”
“That’s...!”
Lucrezia’s eyes opened wide. The self-proclaimed normal girl she couldn’t quite follow had pulled a brooch out of thin air. It was the same brooch that served as a memento from her mother, the same one that she had begrudgingly auctioned off.
“But why do you have that...? No, what a silly question. You must have bought it off the merchant that won the bid on it, correct?”
“Uh-huh, it was given to me. Seems that they noticed that I was interested in it.”
“...O-Oh, I see.” An item valuable enough to decide the fate of an entire region, and it was given to her as a present out of passing interest.
How does she even consider herself a normal girl by that point? Lucrezia thought to herself, comparing their circumstances and finding herself beset with sadness.
“So, yes, about this brooch. You are definitely the one who exhibited this at the auction, correct?”
“Yes, that is correct. But what about it, if I may ask?”
“Would you mind telling me as to where you acquired this brooch?”
“That brooch is a memento of my mother.”
“A memento of your mother...” The self-proclaimed girl passing by seemed somewhat surprised by the revelation. Lucrezia felt it was a reaction that criticized her for selling the precious memento in an auction, so she ended up trying to explain herself. “Um, but I only sold it to protect the inhabitants of our region.”
“And your mother? Did she mention who gave this to her?”
“Um... my mother said she inherited it from her mother. That brooch has been passed down from generation to generation.”
“Generation to generation... Yes... I see...” The self-proclaimed normal girl passing by trailed off, gazing off wistfully into the distance. Despite the girl looking only a few years older than Lucrezia, her expression gave off the impression of having a storied past.
“...Um, is something the matter, kind sister?”
“Mm-mm, not at all,” the girl said, her eyes taking a kinder turn as she looked at Lucrezia. At the same time, her rather reserved tone up until then turned more casual. It was a tad too over-familiar—although, not to Lucrezia. Quite the contrary; the tone carried a sense of nostalgia, for some reason. Lucrezia found her own emotions confusing.
“Um... So is that the only thing you wished to discuss?”
“Mm... I was just a little unsure, but I’m going to be giving this brooch back to you.”
“...Huh?”
Lucrezia gasped in shock as she then found the brooch pinned to her chest somehow. The girl was sitting on the sofa chair across the table, so how in the world had she pinned the accessory to Lucrezia’s chest? That question had to wait, as there was a more pressing matter at hand.
“You said you’re returning it to me, but as for the money to buy it back, I...” she started, but she felt so pathetic that she couldn’t finish her sentence. The self-proclaimed passerby, however, gently shook her head in response.
“If you promise me that you will never relinquish it ever again, money is not necessary.”
“No, but...”
“It’s fine. Besides, I made a promise myself.”
“...A promise?”
“Mm-hmm. I made a promise with Misha. I told her that once she made something important, I would create an enchantment to protect it.”
“Misha...?”
The first thing that came to Lucrezia’s mind once she heard the name “Misha” was the noblewoman who had received the position of Viscount after all of her great accomplishments—the first Viscount Wilderness. But that was simply impossible. The House of Viscount Wilderness had been around for about a millennium. The first Viscount, Misha, and this self-proclaimed normal girl passing by couldn’t possibly have known each other. But there was actually something even more concerning...
“Um, what do you mean by ‘enchantment’?”
“Simple. The power for Misha—for you—to protect that which you wish to protect,” The second that the self-proclaimed normal girl passing by said that, a miracle happened. An intricate and shockingly big magic circle started to unfold around the girl, with her in the center. A sacred light spread throughout the room... and eventually, the light was absorbed into the brooch shining on Lucrezia’s chest.
“What... was that just now?” Lucrezia posed the question, but the self-proclaimed normal girl passing by just smiled without any answer.
“Alrighty then, I’ll be on my way now.” As fast as the girl managed to say that, she stood up and honestly tried to leave, which was why Lucrezia hurried to tell her to wait in order to stop her.
“...Do you have something you want to say to me?”
“Um, well... This brooch. Please, take it along with you.”
“...How come? I thought that brooch held fond memories for you as well.”
“Yes, that is why. I do not know what may happen in the future. But I don’t think that I will be able to keep any valuables on me, whether I like to or not.”
Whether the land was seized by the king, or whether some rich individual bought her for their own designs—either way, there was a high chance of the brooch being taken away from her. That was the deciding factor that made her want the girl to hold onto it instead. However...
“That won’t be necessary.”
“It won’t be... necessary? What exactly do you mean by...”
After she started to ask, the girl began to give her an unbelievable explanation. She explained that a large company called Gratt Commerce was willing to provide aid to the territory of Viscount Wilderness. Not only would they provide aid financially and for the food shortage, they would also provide the most gracious of aid by dispatching manpower to help. Once she heard that, Lucrezia set her resolve to sell her very soul in exchange. Despite that resolve, all they wanted as compensation was, should the territory of Viscount Wilderness begin to prosper, a deal with them to sell their local produce and other products with Gratt Commerce. That was it. The territory of Viscount Wilderness was impoverished. Even if they did have Gratt Commerce’s assistance, it was doubtful that they could make a deal that would satisfy the large company. There was also the fact that the territory of Viscount Wilderness had no “local produce” to even speak of. Logically thinking, this endeavor wasn’t profitable to Gratt Commerce in the slightest. Lucrezia told her all that, but...
“Teehee, you’ll see in due time.”
“I’ll see? See... what?” she asked, clueless as to what she meant.
The self-proclaimed normal girl passing by, on the other hand, simply smiled like an angel without answering her question. Instead, she simply spoke.
“Misha... I know I’m late on my promise... but I made good on it.”
Her gentle eyes were directed toward Lucrezia—no, toward the brooch pinned to her chest. As soon as she did, a pale light wrapped around the girl. And once the light dispersed... she was nowhere to be seen.
“Milady, I have brought you some tea. Milady...? I’m coming in.”
Was all of that just a dream...? Lucrezia sat thinking to herself, dumbfounded, as her maid entered the room in the meantime. Scanning around the room, the maid noticed that Lucrezia was the only one there and found herself puzzled.
“Oh my, wherever did your guest run off to?” asked Lucrezia’s maid as Lucrezia looked around the room. There was not a trace of the girl anywhere in the room.
But... Lucrezia trailed off in her mind, noticing the brooch adorning her chest.
“She... already went back home.”
“Oh, I see. Just who was she, if I may ask?”
“Good question... Who was she?” The talk of deals was extremely unbelievable, but her mother’s memento was right back with Lucrezia, so... “She might have been an angel passing by.” Lucrezia stared out her window as she softly touched the brooch.
The territory of Viscount Wilderness had been on the verge of bankruptcy, but one day, it started to rapidly come back to life. The head of the house, who had been bedridden, made a recovery, and Gratt Commerce started to provide aid around the same time. At first, the other merchants who learned of this started to gossip that Gratt was simply trying to gain the position of Viscount for himself, but Gratt Commerce denied that and declared that their actions were for the sake of future buying and selling. All of the other merchants laughed this off, saying that Gratt Commerce, a business that had been growing bigger rapidly as of late, was getting too big for its own britches and was making a foolhardy bet.
However... a few years passed, and the territory of Viscount Wilderness revitalized. The once-barren wasteland had come to life, making the land naturally prosperous and fertile. Not only that, but they even started cultivating some mysterious fruits that began to become extremely popular in the nation—its origins wrapped in mystery. As such, the territory of Viscount Wilderness had completely transformed into a prominent and prosperous area within the nation. It was unknown as to how they were suddenly able to grow produce. The rumors said that Gratt Commerce had imparted them with some knowledge, but there was not a single piece of documentation that stated that for certain. There were also legends that whatever wasteland the beloved daughter of Viscount Wilderness visited would have their soil turn rich and plentiful... However, nothing concrete was ever said. And, eventually, it was counted as one of the Seven Wonders of the House of Viscount Wilderness.
Side Story: A Normal Girl Suspected of Preferring Girls
Ristia, the youngest daughter of the True Bloods, had been detached from her vampiric impulses up until just recently. She never knew why other members of her race would give in to their compulsions, but that was only until she was assaulted by those same impulses and partook of Maria’s blood. She bared her fangs at Maria’s neck and sucked her blood. And the moment she did, she finally understood—she understood just how sweet drinking the blood of someone special to you really was to a vampire. Maria was like a little sister to her, and having her blood travel down her throat and dissolve into her body didn’t satisfy a thirst within her throat—no, it satisfied a thirst within her heart.
Ristia was overcome with the urge to gain that euphoric sensation once again. With that urge coursing through her, she greeted the night. The moon basked in a crimson glow. Ristia went to Maria as she tidied up from that night’s dinner, grabbed her sleeve and called her name.
“Maria...”
“Director Ristia? What’s the matter?”
“Um, well...” At a loss as to how to propose her request, Ristia awkwardly hesitated.
“Is it what I think it is...?”
“...Mm-hmm, that urge for you is back.”
“I see... Okay, then. Then, this time... I’ll come to your room, okay?”
“...Thank you, Maria.”
Slightly bashful, Ristia made her way back to her quarters.
◇◇◇
“...Tonight, I’ll come to your room, okay?” Maria answered Ristia in a whispered tone. Allen happened to overhear what she said by coincidence, but he couldn’t help his heart from going into an uproar.
“...I understand. I will come to your room tonight.”
The image of Maria saying that with a furrowed brow ran through his head. She was talking to the former director, Georg, and Maria had an expression that pained his heart just to look at. The young Allen had no idea what that exchange was about at the time. No, even now, he didn’t really have a firm grasp. What he did know was that Director Georg was forcing Maria to do something she didn’t want to, which was why he hated Director Georg, and also hated Ristia, who he assumed was in league with Georg.
That all changed when Ristia kicked out the former director and became their savior. All of his wariness ended up being needless, and Ristia ended up being a friend to all of the children. But that was exactly why such an exchange just now made Allen’s heart go into a frenzy. It made him ponder the possibility that Ristia might be the same as Director Georg after all.
“No, there’s no way. Director Ristia treats all of us so kindly...”
Ristia and Director Georg were far too different from one another. It had to be a misunderstanding. Allen firmly thought that and took action, unlike back with Director Georg, when he was too afraid to do anything. Tonight, he was going to check for himself to see what was going on in Ristia’s room. What he saw was...
“Maria, Maria... I... can’t contain myself any longer.”
“Hyaa... mm...! Ah... hm... Come now, Director Ristia... you don’t need to be so impatient.”
Into the wee hours of the night, Allen kept his ear peeled outside of the door to Ristia’s quarters, which is where he heard Ristia and Maria’s sweet, entranced voices. Of course, what they were doing in the room was simply—maybe or maybe not safe to say, but it was vampire-related activity and not at all the type of action you’d associate from their conversation. However, Allen misconstrued their conversation, thinking that the pair were in the midst of something naughty. All of the blood immediately rushed to Allen’s head. In his mind, Ristia was forcing Maria into doing something. He had to make sure whether that was the truth or just some sort of misunderstanding. So with that in mind, Allen put his hand on the doorknob and cracked the door open ever so slightly... to take a peek on what was going on inside. He opened the door as narrowly as he possibly could in order to avoid detection, so he had an extremely limited field of view. Even so, the canopy bed was lined up perfectly in his sights. And atop that canopy bed, he saw the side profile of Maria being embraced by Ristia.
“Ah... uh... ...Mm! Director Ristia, hold on, you’re going too hard...!” Maria wriggled and softly pushed Ristia off. This sent the misconception that Ristia was indeed forcing Maria into something into overdrive, until...
“Mm... Ah... hmm... Director Ristia, be a little more gentle. Otherwise, I’ll... Mm~!!”
She bit her finger to stifle herself as her body shivered all over. The expression captured on her face had hints of joy, but not a trace of contempt. Ristia wasn’t forcing her; Maria was willfully accepting it. Those were things that Allen understood.
“...Mm, I’m sorry. It’s getting harder to put on the brakes.”
“Oh, Director Ristia~ But I am happy you want me that much.”
“Maria... Ehehe. Then would it be okay if I... went for a little more?”
“Oh, geez... Well, who am I to say no? Okay, just one more time, got it?”
“Yup, thank you, Maria!”
Ristia took Maria into her embrace and pushed her down to the bed. The two then disappeared from Allen’s vision, but Maria’s sweet cries and faint sucking noises echoed throughout.
What the pair was doing was... actually not what it seemed, but the thing that any adult would draw from seeing this sight was not something that Allen himself was able to imagine. Although, he was able to understand one thing—Ristia and Maria had a relationship outside of the ordinary. Maria was the prettiest and kindest older girl in the whole orphanage, and Allen had feelings for her, which was why this sight was so shocking to him—so shocking that he fled. While he did flee, Allen fought to the bitter end with Director Georg as well. He was a child, but he possessed an iron-clad heart. Then, the following day...
“Mark my words, I’m not giving Big Sis Maria up to you, Director Ristia!” said Allen, sitting at the breakfast table, declaring full-blown war against Ristia. Maria’s eyes widened in shock, and the other children were left with blank stares. With a finger pointed at her, Ristia replied with a broad smile,
“Don’t worry. I love each and every one of you. I wouldn’t try to take anyone from anyone. I’ll give each of you the care you deserve,” she said with the connotations that implied, Yup! I’m everyone’s Big Sis! And while that was her intention, the answer that Allen gave after seeing yesterday’s sight was not what she expected. And so...
“I-I’m going to show you no mercy, Director Ristia! I won’t be ensnared by your wiles!”
Allen’s misunderstanding was going off the rails even further. Allen was just a child, but he was aware of his feelings for Maria. As such, so that he would never falter to Ristia, he would train himself and later reach heights to be called a hero by others... However, that was a story for another time.
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