: Crucible Street (part one)
The morning of the second day after visiting the Trade City Knot Reed.
I woke up with the feeling of something hitting my cheek.
The true identity of the furry thing that touched me over and over even when I pushed it away was a cat’s tail.
On my bedside, Palug who had come home unnoticed was sleeping with her legs spread open.
It was safe as she was in her cat form.
No, whichever form she was in, that was no good?
For the time being, I put a suitable cloth to cover her.
Although I wanted to comment about her sleeping posture, I would endure it because she had been working hard.
『Meow~……as the chief of the angels, on the annual Holy Angel’s holidays……I shall demand for a dedicated handsome dancer~……mrrrow.』
“No, how is that okay?”
Oops, I made a comment without thinking.
Palug woke up while rubbing her face with her forelimb.
『Oh, morning, Erica. You’re early today.』
“Good morning, Palug. I just happened to wake up early.”
I purposely didn’t touch on the subject of her sleep-talking or the matter about her tail, letting it go.
Revitalized, I also greeted Tirnanog who was lying on my feet.
“Good morning, is Tir also going to wake up?”
『Nn……umu, I have no problem waking up anytime.』
There seemed still time before a maid brought the breakfast here.
Let’s hear about the results of last night’s investigation from Palug.
“How was last night, Palug?”
I got off the canopied bed and walked to the built-in writing desk.
I opened the notebook with the summary I put together last night, and prepared a feather pen and ink.
『I went to the pilgrimage destinations written in the book that Erica had bought.』
『It was probably around a different branch of the Varnalis River.』
『……It was an interesting result. I went to three places last night.』
In spite of saying that it was interesting, Palug’s tone of voice seemed to indicate that she didn’t find it amusing at all.
I could hear a slight irritation and anger.
『There was an altar of the Holy Lord and the angel, though.
The surface part where the believers would make a pilgrimage was still beautiful.』
“Surface part?”
『The true altar to devote spiritual power as an offering is hidden in the lower part.』
“Heeh, I see.”
『The precious true altar seemed to be normal at first glance but the ritual had been corrupted and camouflaged.』
This was an unexpected information.
Originally this investigation was to check that the importance of the altar had not deteriorate and destroyed.
『The spiritual power that had been gathered was scattered in the sea.』
“Such a thing, is that okay!?”
『Well, who knows……but there are changes in marine life, especially in the magical beast species.』
Tirnanog who had been listening quietly while Palug and I talking, opened his mouth.
『Magical beast, huh. By the way I’ve heard about such a thing from the shop owner.
It seems that the damage by kraken has increased in the waters around Knot Reed for nearly three years.』
There was a premonition that I had poked a bush and found a snake.
What was this.
『Heeh~~. What an interesting story.』
Palug say so while looking like she didn’t find it interesting at all.
Well, that was natural.
For example, using a metaphor, if the protection money was not paid, it was natural to be abandoned.
『There was also a shrine of a phantom beast that was probably a substitute for the local god, but all the functions had stopped.
It seems that it was completely destroyed along with the phantom beast over hundreds of years ago.』
“That means, that place is safe for the time being.”
I opened a list of temples for pilgrims that I had listed last night.
I quickly made check boxes next to the list.
『Last night it was here.』
For each temple I made two types of check boxes, which were ‘the presence or absence of a camouflage’ and ‘phantom beast’.
“As for the matter of camouflage, I will contact the church of Ignitia later and have them repaired.”
『I will be saved if you do so.』
As we continued our discussion, I heard a knocking sound.
It seemed to be the maid who brought our breakfast.
I would repeat the schedule we had confirmed last night before we had breakfast.
When the maid went away after changing clothes, I substituted myself with Palug.
☆
Following the same procedure as yesterday, we went out of Water Palace.
I held hands with the all-black Tirnanog and slipped into the crowd of people.
“The main purpose is to receive the wands, but I’m hoping to see Harold and Gilbert.”
『Umu, that’s right.』
After passing by a gorgeous horse-drawn carriage as we headed towards Town of All Kinds of Goods, we were stopped from behind.
“Oo~i! By any chance, it’s Erica, right!?”
A familiar voice.
When I turned around, a boy was waving his hand from inside the carriage.
A boy with blonde hair were rushing towards our direction as he got off from the horse carriage.
The boy was wearing a crimson cloak and was accompanied by three dragons.
The colors of the three dragons were gold, white, and red respectively.
“Auguste-sama! Long time no see. Those are the children that have just hatched, right!?”
“Aah, the red one is Briar and the white one is Blumbell.”
“I’m glad they hatched, congratulations.”
Auguste smiled very happily.
I was glad that he had succeeded in hatching the dragons, it made me happy too.
The golden dragon Goldberry on Auguste’s shoulder peered into Tirnanog’s face and her expression suddenly turned bright.
Did she found out his true identity?
What should I do if Auguste noticed it.
As I thought that, Goldberry remained still on Auguste’s shoulder in a stance just before she leapt.
She seemed to be suffering while looking at mine and Tirnanog’s face alternately.
Ah, she was reading our expression and atmosphere.
Perhaps because she had become an older sister, she seemed to be smarter than when I saw her before.
Looking at the state of Goldberry, Tirnanog gently held his hand out in front of her.
When Goldberry jumped onto his arm with a joyful expression, Tirnanog placed her on top of his head.
“Kyuu……”
『Fumu. It was as I heard, it seems that she likes the golems Ojou-sama made.』
Goldberry seemed to be full of tranquillity on Tirnanog’s head.
Tirnanog looked at her and murmured.
It seemed that he was going to mislead with this direction.
I nodded while making eye contact with Tirnanog.
“Is this person your escort? Heeh, is this a golem prosthesis made by Erica?”
“Yes, this is my employee.
I made some golem prosthesis for his body because of a major accident, but my guardian is strong enough.”
『Umu. I have died once, but I was helped by Erica-ojousama.
Since then, I regard the fact that being a guardian of Erica-ojousama is the reason for my existence.』
Fully human golem and homunculus were illegal.
Adding two more layers to my face’s thickness, I lied smoothly.
Tirnanog added words that were not lies, but were likely to be misunderstood.
Before I knew it, the two red and white dragons began hovering while flapping their wings in front of my eyes.
Their round and clear eyes were staring at us with curious appearances.
Both of them had jewel-like sparkling eyes, they were very beautiful.
“Nice to meet you. Please take care of me, Briar and Blumbell.”
“He~y, come and introduce yourselves, you two.”
“Kuu……”
“Kyu~! Kyu~~!”
Red Dragon Briar and White Dragon Blumbell bowed their heads to me.
I felt a subtle character difference from their cry.
The one with red scales and spessartine eyes, Briar, had a modest and quiet character.
The one with white scales and ruby-colored eyes, Blumbell, was an active and energetic child.
“Uwah, uwaaah, how cute! Your dragons are cute, Auguste-sama……!!”
“Right~?”
Unlike the refined style of the small dragon Goldberry, these two felt bulky.
The body that had the atmosphere of ‘I’m getting bigger now’ was very lovely.
“Nice to meet you, Briar and Blumbell.”
I held my arm out to become a scaffolding for the young dragons, and Blumbell quickly got on.
This child had a quicker movement.
“Kyu!”
“Ku~……”
Because Briar who missed it looked so sad, I put Blumbell on my head and called Briar.
Then Briar jumped into my arms timidly.
Auguste who was watching the situation raised his voice in admiration.
“Heeh, you’re hugging already?”
“They are good children.”
While enjoying the feeling of the smooth scales of the young dragon, I asked Auguste.
“By the way, did Auguste-sama come to Knot Reed for the launching ceremony?”
“Aah, I substituted for my father. I just arrived yesterday evening.”
“Yesterday? Huh, what about the other people from Ignitia?”
Incidentally, the aristocrats from Ignitia supposed to arrive today using the old aircraft carrier.
Did he arrive at Knot Reed earlier?
“Certainly, I was supposed to come using the old-style aircraft carrier this afternoon.
I came through the Varnalis River after doing an examination in Lindis.”
I see, s Auguste was using a different route, huh.
Since Lindis was in the upper stream of Varnalis, he only had to came down the river from there.
“Since I have arrived in Knot Reed with great troubles, I was about to go out to buy supplies for these children.”
“And then you found me.”
“You seem to have come out to shop. Oops, don’t do that, Blumbell.”
As the naughty Blumbell began to pull my hair with her mouth, Auguste lifted her up.
“Yes, I was also trying to buy a bit of alchemy tools.”
“I see, alright, why don’t I send you to your destination with my carriage as I also have something to talk to you about?”
“Thank you very much, Auguste-sama.”
Because he had generously offered it, I got on the carriage.
It was hard to give up the boat, but since he wanted to talk then a closed space would be better.