Chapter 29
The child glared at me with dark, furious eyes, practically brimming with venom.
‘Wow — came all the way here for revenge?’
Being clever might be learned, but being petty seemed like something you were born with.
“I know. You must be surprised. Have you ever seen a pocket dimension like this? But you’re not bad yourself. Your bodyguard is a guild master? He must be a really big shot, huh?”
“Say it and the seal will lift. Do you want to get seriously scolded? Look at these muscles, huh?”
“Hah—what good are those muscles? This is an expensive scroll, you know? That means this place is safe even if a great beast comes crashing in. Ha ha ha!”
Karim’s words seemed to be true — even when the Inviter probed the edge of the ward she had located by sensing mana with a sharp claw, nothing happened.
“…So what are you going to do about it?”
“There’s one thing I want. A crafty person like you will remember. Our deal.”
[What? What kind of deal did you make that makes you act like this?]
The Inviter asked, but the child didn’t answer. Even someone you trust and rely on can’t be told about certain precious treasures — they’re sacred relics.
Actually, in my past life I didn’t know the value, but now that I understand the relic’s power, I kept my mouth shut.
Even if the treasure originally belonged to a fence, in the end I was the one who found it. Heh heh — you think I’ll hand it over for nothing?
I crossed my short arms and spoke confidently.
“All right, crafty me will ask. What did you say when you came? That you came to save me? So what did you say exactly?”
“I was captured too… ah, whatever! Anyway, you went to rescue me!”
“Huh? You don’t even understand the meaning of a deal? I don’t care about your effort.”
“W-what! You’re younger than me!”
“Aha! Now you threaten with age?”
That was the mighty Karim?
If I could, I’d show my past-life self this scene and tease him mercilessly.
The child trembled all over as the threats continued.
“…If you don’t tell me, this time it won’t be three days — I can trap you here for a whole week. Without that hard bread, either.”
Did I tease him too much?
The child’s anger brought to mind the threatening look my past-life self used to make.
And then I realized: even if I wriggle out of this situation somehow, he’ll follow me and bother me to the end.
‘This is bad. The audience with the duke is in a week. If I get trapped here again, the duke will be in trouble…’
A gloomy feeling washed over me.
Usually I would forget quickly, but maybe because my body is young now, my feelings aren’t under control.
Then—
Sss.
I was startled. A finger suddenly popped out beside my face.
“Uh? Wh-what—?”
Then, as if tearing paper, the pocket dimension began to rip open.
Grrrk, CRASH! Rrrrrrr!!!
Karim cried out in shock.
“W-what? This is a high-grade magic scroll — how is this possible…!!”
The person who poked their face through the torn space was Master Jeanne. She spoke cheerfully, as if the game of hide-and-seek had just ended.
“Found you, Airi.”
Unlike the screaming, sparking pocket space, her smile was chillingly calm.
[Wow… that woman is awesome. Let’s not mess with her.]
“…Uh! Airi, you better behave!”
The activation of the magic circle left the costume room a mess.
In the center of it, Karim knelt, two fists raised to the sky, muttering.
“…I’m sorry…”
“Louder.”
“I’m sorry↘ — yes↗ I’m sorry!”
Satisfied, Master Jeanne said, “Good child. Now, shall we go see your mother?”
“What? You muscle-woman! I already apologized!”
“That was an apology for the rudeness to our lady.”
“…Eek!”
Jeanne left the cleaning of the costume room to the maids and picked us up, dangling us from her body. Karim at her side, the Inviter at her nape, and I at her chest — we swung like fruit on a tree as she strode down the street.
The destination was a place even Karim feared and trembled at: the merchants’ guild central branch.
Bang.
Master Jeanne barged into the ornate building and, without permission, went straight for the top floor.
Armed soldiers leveled their swords at her, but it didn’t matter — she used Karim as a shield.
Thud!
“Long time no see, Master Fatima.”
Inside the door — torn as if it would rip from the hinges — lay an exotic room filled with mysterious antiques. But the person who drew everyone’s eyes was a woman with an odd presence: deep teal-purple hair, brown skin, striking features, and smoke curling from her dark red lips.
“Phew. You startled me. That door is expensive, you know.”
“Sorry. As you can see, my hands were full.”
“Oh my! Mother! I just came to finish a deal, and this muscle-woman—!”
Cunning Karim tried to play the victim, feigning tears and tricks.
But his mother remarked dryly, “What, Master Arjanne? Did you switch your profession to child trafficker? I’m not into buying and selling people.”
Karim’s fake tears stopped on the spot.
She must have realized her son was in serious trouble.
Despite the tense atmosphere, the Inviter and I were busy scanning the room.
[Wow, we could get some things here for free.]
‘Exactly. This place is a treasure trove,’ Master Jeanne thought silently, though she didn’t speak it aloud.
The next soul here had been the 19th head of a family — a dark mage — who for over a hundred years had sought the world’s only Dark Spirit Egg. This place held items as rare as that egg.
But the brief optimism faded as the two women’s power-play resumed and drew attention.
“There isn’t much time. What can you give me as compensation, Fatima?”
“Do I have to? It’s just children’s pranks, after all.”
“Yes. You ruined the ball gown. Pay for it.”
“Hoho, so you still won’t listen to me?”
“I am listening. But I hope you don’t make a game of it like when you were bartering off monster leftovers.”
“…Hmm.”
[Wow. Brutal. Why are those two like that?]
The mercenary guild master and the merchants’ guild master. They probably interact often, but there’s clearly some bad blood in their dealings.
At that moment, when Juno — who had been making meowing noises — hissed, Fatima’s eyes lit up.
“Oh ho, a divine beast? I’ll give that a price. I think there’s a customer who would want it.”
“Hah! What did you say! You insufferable merchant!”
“Oh my! Goodness. It even talks — you could charge ten times as much!”
Fatima’s flippant reply didn’t stop Juno from snarling.
Master Jeanne calmly smiled, set us down, and walked over to the table where Fatima sat.
Step by step.
When she placed her hand on the desk, she began to apply pressure.
Crrk! Grrrr! Squeeeak!
The loud noise echoed through the top floor. She practically stamped her hand on the desk with no finesse at all.
[That woman… she’s not human…]
“…Complete.”
“Mon-, monster…”
Juno, I, and even Karim stuck out our tongues in amazement.
“I don’t want much. I wanted five outfits; double that, so ten. Five famous tailors, two each. Will you compensate?”
“Oh my, I’m so scared I have no choice. Then deduct the desk repair and door repair costs, and I’ll send eight gowns to the mansion.”
“Fine.”
‘Wow… that worked.’
So this is how deals between the influential are made?
All the joking stopped — offers and transactions were settled in an instant.
But in any case, Fatima treated this as compensation for the damage her son caused. She smiled kindly and called Karim over.
“My son, what are you doing there? Come here.”
“O-okay, mother. I-I’m sorry…!”
Thwack!
The smack aimed at her son left my back tingling.
“Ow! You said you wouldn’t punish me!”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t hit you.”
“Agh! Just you wait! I’m running away!”
“Hoho. If you cause trouble this time, there’s no rescue for you~ I mean it, son.”
Karim stuck out his lip and dashed away while Master Jeanne picked me up.
“Airi, shall we be off too?”
“Mm.”
But just then, Fatima made a hand gesture and the door closed.
“Wait.”
“What are you doing?”
Jeanne glared fiercely, and Fatima raised both hands like a white flag.
“I wanted to speak with the lady in private.”
“That’s not allowed.”
“I asked the lady herself. I’m not here to do anything untoward, so don’t worry.”
When she finished, Jeanne looked at me.
“What shall we do, our lady?”
I hesitated for a moment and decided to talk with her — this might be a good opportunity for a profitable deal.
“All right, you can talk outside, my lady.”
Jeanne left, taking Juno with her, but I soon regretted that decision. Fatima’s next question far exceeded anything I’d expected.
“You’re a druid, right? The ability you hide.”
“…!”
If my secret could be exposed so easily even to the duke, then—
My heart dropped, but Juno’s demeanor changed completely; she started growling as though she wanted to rip Fatima’s throat out.
[22nd, get ready. We might need to make it bigger.]
