Chapter 46

“We need to find Erka first. He always wore Runea perfume when he went out, so today we might find out where the scent came from.”

“You’re very determined.”

“I told you. I’m going to heal people. To do that, I need Runea.”

We followed the red trail in silence. Luckily, it had an end.

The line got darker and darker. That meant Erka was getting closer. Now the trail was almost like blood.

We saw Erka in the distance.

“There he is.”

Through the special glasses, Erka looked completely red, like he was covered in blood. Maybe I used too much of the tracking scent.

“This is a casino.”

“…Yeah. Does he like gambling?”

Inside, it was so bright, you couldn’t tell if it was day or night.

Drunk people laughed loudly all around. From outside, you couldn’t hear anything, but inside it was super noisy. You couldn’t even hear the person next to you.

Everyone looked like they were having fun.

That’s why it was easy to spot Erka. He looked miserable while everyone else was happy.

A man named Shan sat next to him.

We walked past them quietly to listen to their conversation.

“Has Tau arrived yet? You did deliver the message, right?”

“Of course I did. Just wait a little longer.”

Erka looked at us for a second but didn’t recognize us.

“I need a definite answer today.”

He clenched his fist and sounded serious.

Still, there was no scent from him.

“Maybe we really will find the source of the scent today.”

If we still couldn’t smell it, it meant it wasn’t from his natural body or soap.

Erka sat on the couch, nervously picking at his fingers, probably without realizing it.

I watched them quietly. Erka smiled, but his eyes moved quickly. He kept leaning forward and back, unable to stay still.

His mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear what he said.

I should’ve brought something to help me listen from far away. I clicked my tongue in frustration.

“I should’ve learned how to play cards so I could sit closer.”

They were shuffling old playing cards that no one cared about.

Suddenly, a fight broke out somewhere in the casino.

Loud yelling and cursing filled the air. I looked in that direction without thinking.

“They sure have a sharp tongue.”

There’s an old saying: watching a fight is the most fun. It was true.

They were pulling each other’s hair. It looked like they were losing both their money and their friendship.

“Why are those two fighting? They used to be close.”

“Maybe they drank too much? Though I don’t think I saw them drinking.”

“Well, alcohol is always the problem.”

People who seemed to know the fighters walked by, clicking their tongues.

The fight got worse. They shook each other so hard that it looked like they were about to throw up. Their faces were turning purple.

I checked their status window:

?? caused by heat/fire, ?? of ??

The distance was too far, so the info didn’t show up clearly. Anyway, it said something about heat.

Drunk people often have “heat energy” in their bodies. If they’re healthy, it usually goes away on its own.

I leaned forward, wanting to see more.

“Let’s save the fight watching for later,” Cedric said.

“Oh, right. That’s not why we’re here.”

He was right. I needed to focus on Erka and Shan, not the drunks.

“Things over there are about to get interesting too,” Cedric added.

Tau hadn’t arrived yet. Erka and Shan were still playing cards and drinking.

“What’s so interesting? I can’t hear a thing because of that fight.”

Even though the fight was fun to watch, it made everything else harder to hear.

I frowned and tried hard to listen to Erka and Shan.

“Well…”

“Can you hear them?”

“No…”

Of course not.

Cedric sat next to me, smiling like he expected this. He looked so relaxed, like he had a secret plan.

“Wait… Do you have a trick up your sleeve?” I thought.

He had said it would get interesting. That meant he might already know what Erka and Shan were talking about.

I straightened up and poked him.

“Mr. Cowherd.” (a play on his name)

“Yes, Miss Weaver?” (responding with a nickname to match)

I pointed at him like holding a gun with my fingers.

“Give me everything you’ve got.”

“Oh, is this a stick-up?”

He laughed again.

Does he know what this gesture means? It’s a finger gun, come on!

I lowered my hand, disappointed.

I pressed him again.

He’s a great wizard and even a grand duke. He knows a shady pharmacist, too. He must have something!

“You’re talented. Don’t you have anything useful?”

“Of course I do.”

“Knew it. Give it here.”

Smiling, Cedric pulled me aside and put a finger to his lips.

“…Huh?”

“Stay quiet, and I’ll share it with you too.”

“What is it?”

“A secret weapon.”

He took something from his pocket and waved it in front of me.

“Wait here. And don’t cause trouble.”

“When have I ever caused trouble?”

“Every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second.”

“Me?!”

He didn’t answer, just gestured again and got up.

As he stood, he instantly turned into a common drunk guy.

Wearing an old hood, he staggered left and right. My mouth dropped open.

“…What the? Do handsome guys have to be good at acting too?”

Or is it because he’s a duke that he’s this good?

As he stumbled, he bumped into Erka’s couch and grabbed his shoulder.

Erka jumped in surprise, then clicked his tongue at Cedric, who kept swaying.

“Aww…”

Poor guy. I clicked my tongue too.

Was he trying to install something? Couldn’t he do it with magic?

I felt confused, but I appreciated his dedication. I mentally gave him one charm point back that I had taken away earlier.

Then…

“What are you doing here, pretty lady?”

“…What now?”

A very drunk man, holding a bottle, smiled at me.

He smelled awful—like alcohol mixed with strange herbs. It made me feel sick.

If you care about your health, you should stop drinking. What a weird guy.

He suddenly got in my face.

“Wanna have fun? I’ll give you something nice.”

“What kind of nice thing?”

“What do you want? I’ve got everything.”

He giggled like a kid.

He looked young, maybe my age. But here he was, drunk and wasting his life. No wonder the empire is falling apart!

“Let’s see… I’ve got rare herbs you won’t find anywhere…”

“Herbs?”

“Soon, I’ll be rich! Baby, wanna come with me?”

“What is he even saying…”

He tried to act cool, lifting one side of his mouth and flicking his sleeve.