6-2
The Strange Tome Says, "Steal the
Alchemist"
Translator : PolterGlast
If it comes to this, I'll just have to drag Jii into it. The morning after I woke
up, I immediately ordered Jii to
gather intelligence on Dulin's whereabouts.
"It is lunchtime, Ashley-sama."
"What, it's not your handmade cooking today, Jii?"
"You order me to do the impossible, yet you say such
things?!"
"It's a joke. So, how did it go?"
I reached for the soldier's rations of salted meat and soup,
along with the hard-to-chew bread. It would have been much better to eat the
auntie's Kebab Sandwich at the café in the castle town.
"The charges are forgery of gold. Also, the crime of
forging a fake ring presented to the Empress. The penalty is death..."
"I'm appalled. They pinned the responsibility on a
completely unrelated citizen?"
"Yes... In other words, this is our fault..."
"Wrong. I was the one who snuck into the warehouse and
planted the fake gold. The one who presented it without proper appraisal was
the political merchant Hyamar. Neither Dulin nor we are at
fault."
"You have become quite brazen, Ashley-sama..."
That's not it. Upon hearing the report, I felt intense
irritation in my heart. I didn't think the merchant Hyamar would go this
far to protect himself. I sowed the seeds of misfortune. That is an undeniable
fact.
"It is unreasonable... However, Ashley-sama, due to this, Hyamar is
in a predicament. Just as his business was tilting and gasping for breath after
a huge amount of public trade goods were stolen by someone, this
happened. I hear Hyamar has finally taken to his bed from the
shock."
"Serves him right. I'd like to tell Carral Hez across
the sea about this."
"Carral! That child is a good girl... Even though she was swallowed
by the rough waves of life at that age, she struggled without losing and laughing... I absolutely cannot forgive those
villains!"
"Were you that happy she massaged your back? Anyway,
with this, Uncle and Hyamar's schemes are pushed further away. So, where
is the crucial location of Dulin...?"
Jii may look like this, but he is an exceptionally capable man.
He was once one of the pages who served Father. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able
to do the job.
"Why fall silent there? Tell me. If Dulin is
executed, Sister will be saddened."
He was hesitating to answer me. But hesitating means he
grasped something.
"But Ashley-sama... I already know that you have changed, but the opponent is
bad news. You should stop before you lay a hand on the State Church..."
"I already heard
that from Georg yesterday."
I dipped the stubborn bread into the soup and shoved it into
my mouth along with the liquid. Then I just stared at Jii, waiting for him to give in.
"Please, stop doing reckless things, Ashley-sama... What you are doing is
equivalent to a bug flying into a fire..."
"Jii, I have never forgotten the debt of gratitude for you
raising me. While Father shunned me, sighed, and despaired at this appearance,
you gave me unconditional love. But Jii, if you don't tell me, I'll just investigate it on my own.
I will absolutely rescue Dulin."
Jii looked down with tears in his eyes. After a while, perhaps
giving up, he lifted his face. Making an old person do that is painful and
makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.
"To confine a person, a place is needed. A place with
little foot traffic and under control is ideal. That is where I focused my
attention on High Priestess Du-Neil."
"Auntie...?"
"Even when Atomina-sama went to protest, High Priestess Du didn't even try to
investigate. But thanks to that, I have a general idea."
"Understood. Where is Dulin?"
"Ashley-sama!
Please listen properly to my hardships and my deduction, which is quite sharp
for an old man!"
"I am in a hurry. Just the results, please."
Narrow down the location, and I will rescue her. The plan is
simple. As expected of Jii,
suspecting Auntie is likely correct.
"How
tyrannical?! Well, anyway, Georg-sama
and I suspect that High Priestess Du is the mastermind. That person has
always been extreme, or rather, fanatical since long ago..."
Then if she knew her own nephew was hanging out with an evil
dragon, she'd surely go mad. Jii is
elderly. He has served the Imperial Family since long ago. He knew the internal affairs of the family far better than Georg or I.
"So, where is Dulin after all?"
"It seems a guest recently arrived at Du-Neil-sama's Detached Palace. It is
certain that they are staying there, but no one has seen their figure..."
"A guest that cannot even be shown to the servants.
Certainly suspicious. Or has she perhaps stashed away a secret lover?"
"No, according to the servants, it seems they prepare
women's change of clothes for the guest every day."
Circumstantial evidence is enough. There is a very high
probability that it is the imprisoned Dulin. But I don't understand. Why
keep her, whom she persecutes as a witch, in her own Detached Palace?
"I see. It might be Dulin."
"Please wait, there is no solid proof."
"I can't wait. I'll think after sneaking in."
"Ah... as I thought, that was your intention... That is
why I didn't want to tell you..."
"Let's go, Jii. Before Georg notices."
"I-I am going too?! I am an old man!"
"Naturally. I know no other human as tight-lipped as
you, Jii."
It is strange that Dulin is confined in such a place.
There is something there. To ruin that suspicious scheme, I decided to steal
the Alchemist Dulin Andvaranaut from my Aunt.
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