Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 054
Chapter Title: Everyone Has Their Flaws #3
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The lord, who had been lying there like a vegetable, suddenly sprang up.
What kind of ridiculous situation is this!
"Lordship! Have you recovered from your illness?"
"My body has been somewhat mobile for about a month now."
The noble lord had been hiding his condition.
He had lied to everyone.
Grip-.
The lord grabbed my wrist and asked.
"Is it true that Windia and Enut poisoned me?"
"Yes! I heard it clear as day!"
Would the lord believe me?
I'm a shepherd thief who gets suspected everywhere, anytime—!
But the lord had an open heart.
"I knew someone had poisoned me. But I only suspected it was my first wife."
"Lady Cheperi?"
"She was always resentful that I took Windia as a second wife."
What a complete mess of a family.
Anyway, the truly important part is this.
"Lordship, if things continue like this, they'll kill Lady Cheperi and frame me for it. Isn't there some way to stop them?"
"What were you planning to do if I hadn't woken up, Yor?"
"Pardon?"
"You came to me and told me the truth. What did you expect from someone who couldn't even move?"
That's true.
I didn't know the noble lord could move.
But why did I bother coming to him to reveal the betrayal from within?
"Heh heh heh, it was for immunity from whatever happens next. Gotta file the report, right?"
"Then proceed as you originally planned."
"Pardon?"
"Stormhill Mansion is always battered by thunder. No one will hear a few screams in this storm."
Flash-.
Lightning struck outside the window at that moment.
In the flash, the lord's gaunt face hardened with heavy resolve.
"—However."
"However?"
"Spare Windia."
"Heh heh, as you wish. But thinking about it, it feels like I'm the only one getting my nose bloodied for you."
It'd be nice if some crumbs fell my way.
At my words, Lord Cheperi chuckled softly.
"I'll overlook what you did to my mine."
Ooooh-!
I had been seriously worried about wrecking the mine, and now here's a chance to make up for it!
"And it won't hurt for an explorer like you to owe a noble like me a favor."
The lord has a truly magnanimous heart!
I immediately headed to Hermit's room and shook her awake.
"Hermit, this isn't the time to be sleeping!"
"What the hell! What's going on! Why are you in my room!"
"We're totally screwed right now!"
I explained the whole story to her.
With wild gestures, my explanation led Hermit to sum it up simply.
"What, it's just internal family strife over romance and inheritance."
"What does that mean?"
"It means even this Cheperi family is just ordinary nobles!"
Is that how it is?
Apparently, this is common among nobles.
Anyway, Sir Enut was a knight of the Cheperi family.
He was a Blessed One, probably around level 14.
'Even so, with the mage Hermit here, it'll be an easy win.'
Rumble, crackle-.
The raging storm battered the grand mansion.
Hermit and I slowly prowled the hallway.
Straight to the room where Knight Enut was staying!
"Lord Gale said this is that guy's room."
A first-floor room close to the entrance.
Made so the mansion's guardian could rush out anytime an incident occurred.
What a joke.
The guardian poisoning his lord and sleeping with the second wife.
"Knights really are an untrustworthy bunch."
My conviction grew even stronger.
Hermit slapped my back with her palm.
"Hurry up and pick the lock."
"Right."
Click-.
I carefully tugged the door open.
Shing-.
From beyond the open door, the knight gripping his sword shouted.
"You thieving bastard. Come to rob me, huh."
It was Sir Enut, the knight with his hair cropped short like a soldier.
Fully armored in the dead of night.
"Hey, doesn't it feel uncomfortable sleeping in all that gear?"
"You think I'd sleep easy after letting thieves into the mansion!"
Sir Enut's blue eyes glared at me with contempt and disgust.
I returned the glare with my own disgust.
"Dirty knights. You betray people at the drop of a hat."
"Hah? What the hell are you babbling about, you thief."
"What else! It's just stalling nonsense!"
"Human Binding!"
Hermit, standing behind me, thrust out her staff.
A square magic circle glowed at Enut's feet.
"Shit, I fell for it!"
"Heh heh! That's magic for ya!"
"—You thought it'd be that easy?"
Whoosh-!
Enut thrust his sword.
If I hadn't dodged my head aside, my neck would've been skewered.
"Hey! Hermit! You said Binding holds for half a day! What happened!"
"I don't know either!"
Hermit panicked.
Enut grinned like he'd seized the advantage.
"The idol I made a pact with is the magic devourer Ante-Magica. Mage tricks are useless against me!"
He had resistance or immunity to magic.
What a cowardly bastard!
"You dare assault a knight in a noble's mansion? You won't die easy!"
Shut up, you noisy Enut.
Hermit shouted back.
"You're the one who tried to sell Lady Cheperi to thieves and poison her too!"
"What? How did you..."
Enut's face went pale in an instant.
But only for a moment.
Crash-!
He shattered the window and leaped outside.
My hackles rose.
"If that bastard gets away, we're in deep shit!"
I chased after Enut.
"Stop right there, you punk!"
Enut was heading for the stables.
He must be after my horse 'Moltma'!
"Thunderbolt Throwing Knife!"
Boom-!
I infused the knife with lightning and hurled it at him.
The knife flew swiftly and embedded in his back.
"Argh!"
Crackle-!
It didn't pierce his thick plate armor, but he screamed in agony anyway.
'Yes! Lightning! Electricity conducts through water!'
My throwing knife carried the power of thunder.
And this mansion was soaked from the raging storm.
Enut was drenched right now.
'This battlefield is made for me!'
Crackle-.
Finally, electricity enveloped Enut, and he collapsed with a splash.
"Give up. Lord Gale already knows about you and Lady Windia fooling around."
"What?"
Blood drained from Enut's face as he lay bleeding on the ground.
"Lord Gale knows?"
"Yeah!"
Why does this feel so exhilarating?
Riding the momentum, I shouted.
"Justice is on our side!"
"...Fuck, then I have no choice but to kill you all. What are you doing! Don't just stand there, get to work!"
What?
Who the hell is he yelling at—.
Stab-.
Something sharp pierced my thigh.
"Argh!"
It hurt so bad tears welled up.
Then a white man appeared from thin air, sususu-.
That smooth chin looked familiar.
"You're that... fuck, what was it— weasel?"
"Idiot. It's weasel."
Right, weasel!
The guy who was Deobora's vice-guild leader.
His sudden appearance left me flustered in every way.
"Weren't you buried in the abandoned mine?"
"Almost was. But you're the punk who took down that one-eyed bitch, green as you are."
"So what!"
"I figured as much and hid to watch. Didn't think you'd take down Deobora too."
Weasel had hidden with that weird 'invisibility' skill, watching me, and escaped with me from the mine.
"You cowardly weasel!"
"You're one to talk, after kidnapping Deobora."
Weasel eyed the Black Satchel at my side.
Trying to free Deobora?
As I thought it was a headache, Weasel giggled.
"How about we go our separate ways? I just want Lady Cheperi."
"The lady?"
"My goal was Lady Cheperi from the start. Wouldn't it feel like I'm a great noble too, marrying such a refined woman?"
"Lightning!"
That was when.
Hermit chanted her spell from beyond the window.
Boom-!
Lightning flashed from the sky and struck right in front of me.
Rumble-!
Crackle-!
"Gaaah!"
"You crazy bitch!"
Weasel screamed as he fell.
The traitor knight Enut raged.
"What if you hit your own ally with that AoE spell!"
"Probability was fifty-fifty, but I figured our newbie's lucky enough to dodge!"
!?
In hindsight, yeah.
Anyway, Hermit's powerful spell took down Weasel.
Now only Enut left.
"Heh heh heh, time to scar that pretty face!"
"Fuuuuck!"
"No!"
Someone jumped between me and Enut.
It was Windia, the woman who'd cheated with the knight.
"Don't touch Sir Enut!"
She was in white pajamas, barefoot, spreading her arms and legs wide.
'This is trouble.'
Windia was a noble.
I couldn't just touch her.
Lord Gale said to spare the second wife Windia.
Does she know she's safe?
Second Wife Windia twisted her lips smugly.
"You lowly thief, just try laying a hand on me! Don't forget, I'm carrying the lord's child!"
If things go wrong here, it'll be a real headache.
Just as I was fretting, the mansion door creaked open.
Lord Gale of Stormhill Mansion appeared, leaning on his cane.
"Windia, that child isn't mine."
"...Darling! How are you here...!?"
Windia's smug face twisted in shock.
So satisfying!
"B-But what do you mean it's not your child!"
"Taking you as second wife was an excuse using my infertile first wife, but the infertility was on my side."
"...Huh?"
Boom-.
Thunder crashed.
"...Windia, I am unable to produce seed."
What?
Everyone looked shocked.
Only heavy breathing and rain sounds filled the air.
Lord Gale spoke calmly.
"Windia, you carry Cheperi blood as my relative. So the child is undoubtedly noble. I will gladly be its father."
Lord Gale raised his fist, and soldiers swarmed in.
Rumble-.
"But a child doesn't need two fathers."
Soldiers pointed swords at the fallen Enut.
Enut panicked.
"Wait! I might not be the father! That slut had others too—gurk!"
Morning.
The previous night's storm seemed like a lie as the sky cleared beautifully.
The sweltering summer even made it hot.
Lord Gale sat on the outdoor balcony, slicing meat and laughing heartily.
"Yor, you truly are lucky."
"Why's that?"
"Look at that rainbow. In this ever-rainy mansion, you might see one once a century."
Indeed, the rainbow arching between the garden and mansion was stunning.
I wanted to pocket it.
Clink-.
Lord Gale placed a heavy pouch on the table.
"This is consolation for last night's unpleasant incident."
"How much?"
"50 gold coins. Ten million Ether worth."
"...Gasp!"
That much money!
The lord promptly offered another pouch.
"This is yours too."
"What's this?"
"It came from Weasel's corpse. Must be valuable if he hid it so carefully."
I see.
I pulled out the contents.
「Elastic Scales: Scales shed from a giant serpent. Hard on the outside, soft and supple within. Seems like they could be crafted into something amazing.」
Is this the scales from that 'shedding'?
Weasel must have grabbed them from the corpse!
"Those scales are tougher than steel—perfect for great armor."
"Ooh!"
"But not just anyone can work with such material."
"Of course?"
"I know of a blacksmith who can process any material. But he was kidnapped by thieves and taken beyond the Great Wall to some city."
"...Cunning Town!"
"If you're heading there to find the blacksmith, look for my daughter Ellie too."
Ah, so these scales are like an advance on the reward for finding his daughter.
Lord Gale had masterful rhetoric.
'Cunning Town, the city of thieves. Gotta visit soon.'
—Then return with Deobora first!