Chapter 92: Are You Insane?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Are You Insane?
“Oh?”
“Ho, you’ve returned, young man.”
After stopping by the Mayerbridge Union and returning to the inn, I found that Father had come back. It seemed he had bought desserts from the Northwest, just as I’d suggested.
Sera and Tresha were stuffing their cheeks with cakes and bread, and Father was doing the exact same thing right beside them. Seeing him sitting next to Sera, it looked like they had reconciled well enough.
Come to think of it, I had told Sera we should go to the dessert shop together myself. Doesn't this take away from the sentiment a bit?
“Yoo Eon, you’re back?”
“Welcome back, Brother! Would you like some of this?”
“No, I’m not much for sweets. You guys enjoy. Where’s Auntie?”
“I’m right here.”
Everyone was gathered around a round table eating together, and Auntie Marta was there too. She was sitting at the next table over, slightly apart from the group, eating a pie.
“Auntie, I’ll sit here.”
“My, you certainly are peculiar.”
“Haha, what’s so peculiar about it? I’m sitting here because I like you, Auntie.”
As I took a seat at the table where Auntie was sitting, Sera, who had been watching from the side, slunk over to join us.
“Sera, it looks like Father bought the desserts.”
“Y-yes… he did… Ah, I wasn’t actually going to eat them, you know…?”
“No, it’s fine. Eat up. We can just have dinner together later.”
“U-um… shall we…?”
But that left Tresha and Father sitting alone at the other table. Eventually, after a short while, Tresha also subtly moved over to our side.
“Young man. Why am I being ostracized?”
“The protagonist is always the last one to join the group. If you’re lonely, why don’t you sit on Tresha’s lap?”
“B-Brother…?”
“I’m joking. I have somewhere else to go after this anyway. Would you like to sit here?”
“Thank you…”
It seemed Auntie had been sitting apart because of the ruckus, but delicious food is always better when shared. As I stood up, Father quickly scurried over to take my seat. At a glance, they looked like a very harmonious family.
Well, aside from the fact that the 'dad' was an elementary school girl.
“Yoo Eon, where are you going now? It’ll be dinner time soon. Would you like to have an early meal before you head out?”
“No. There’s a place I need to visit, and I’m worried it might be an imposition if I go too late. Is it okay if I eat when I get back?”
“Then let’s do that.”
It looked to be about 4:00 PM. Since it was May, the days were getting a bit longer. I’d heard that visiting the cathedral in the evening wasn't an issue, but there was no harm in going early.
“Stay seated, Sera. I have to head out quickly, so I’m just going up to the second floor for a moment and coming right back down.”
“Mm, okay.”
I went up to my room on the second floor and rummaged through the dresser, finding a piece of stationery I’d received from the Lymain Treatment Center a while back. They’d told me to deliver this when I went to the cathedral, so I figured I should bring it along.
“Well, I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Ah, Yoo Eon! Wait a moment!”
“Hmm?”
Sera called out to stop me as I was about to leave. She suddenly stood up from the table, ran over, and grabbed my hand.
“H-here, take this.”
“What… is this?”
“Well… should I call it a sort of talisman…?”
“A talisman?”
What Sera placed in my palm was a cloth pouch smaller than my hand. It was made of thin, white fabric, and the fluffy sensation of whatever was inside was quite unique.
“It’s a scent pouch. There are flowers inside… the fragrance is lovely…”
“Ah.”
I could definitely feel something inside; so they were all flowers.
“Thank you, Sera. I’ll treasure it.”
“U-um… if the scent fades, give it back to me and I’ll replace it for you… okay?”
“Ah, I see.”
After hanging the scent pouch Sera gave me from my waist, I stepped out into the street.
“Ah, hmm…”
Of course, Yoo Eon, who didn't quite understand the significance of gifting a scent pouch (sachet) to the opposite sex in a medieval setting, simply brushed it off.
“Wow… Brother is such an idiot…”
Watching from the side, Tresha just shook her head.
* * *
“Where the hell is it?”
I’d heard the cathedral was located at the 9 o'clock position on the western side of Calax. This area, the boundary between the Southwest and Northwest, was the home of people who had settled in Calax early on and lived as 'residents.'
Calax was a Labyrinth City, but it was still a city first and foremost. Wherever many people gathered, residential districts were bound to exist. Since the South and East were no better than slums in terms of hygiene and security—and were hotbeds for the Antonio Brotherhood—there was no reason for a normal person to spend money to build a home there. Of course, normal people who lacked money might end up there.
Thus, the West. It was a residential district located a bit away from the center of Calax, which maintained a somewhat distorted circular shape (with the Southeast being wider), covering an arc of about 30 degrees. It was the area that separated the wealthy Northwest from the commoner Southwest.
“Hmm.”
The atmosphere here was quite different from the Southwest. The biggest difference was the sight of young children running around. This was a place where non-explorers who didn't enter the Labyrinth lived and raised families.
—Hey! Come over here!
—You got caught, so you’re 'it' now!
—Don't you know what hide-and-seek is? Is going home considered hiding?
—Watch closely! And don't tell anyone!
It was a rare sight to see kids running around the normally grim streets of Calax. Of course, 'grim' mostly applied to the areas near the Southeast; Calax was actually a decent city to live in. I could even see guards walking around in full armor here in the West.
Reassuring. They’re working hard.
Under the protection of guards clad in chainmail that smelled strongly of iron, children played just as children should—playing hide-and-seek or swinging tree branches like swords.
“No, but really, where is the cathedral?”
No matter how much I looked around, I couldn't see a building that looked like a cathedral. I was sure they said it was around here, but could it really be this well-hidden?
In times like this, it’s best to ask someone who looks like they know the area. Let’s ask that kid swinging the branch.
“Hey kid, do you happen to know where the Neratil Cathedral is?”
“Huh? Cathedral? I don't know the name, but if it’s a cathedral, just go straight that way!”
“Really? Thanks, kid. The way you hold that branch is pretty impressive. Do you want to be an explorer?”
“Of course! I’m gonna be an explorer! I’m gonna reach Orichalcum Grade! Are you an explorer, Mister!?”
This kid was already full of plans to disappoint his parents. Well, I suppose boys are like that. When I was young, my dream was to be a professional hitman.
“I’m… well, something like that.”
“Whoa! Cool! Take me to the Labyrinth too!”
“If you get permission from your mom, I’ll take you.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Yes!! Alright!!”
The boy swung his branch around and ran toward a group of kids playing in the distance, suddenly shouting at the top of his lungs.
—Hey! That mister said he’d take me to the Labyrinth!
—Really?! Me too, me too!!
—Why only you?! Take me too!
—Mister!! I want to go too!!
“Wait, what.”
Time to run.
* * *
“Whew, kids are scary.”
Still, seeing children playing happily without a care in the world was like a healing balm for the soul. Maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d seen real, 100% kids, but their innocence was nice to see. Father was… well, an exception.
Anyway, after running straight in the direction the kid pointed, I found a building that looked like a cathedral at a glance. It had a sharply angled roof, but it lacked the Christian symbols one would see on Earth.
Instead, there was a rather religious-looking star symbol, which was unique in that its top-left point was noticeably longer than the others.
—Knock, knock.
When I knocked on the wooden door, which looked to be nearly three meters tall, the sound echoed deeply and heavily through the vast interior. A moment later, a voice drifted from the other side of the door, indicating someone had arrived. It was a clear, beautiful woman’s voice.
—Please wait just a moment~!
Beyond my sensitive hearing, I could hear the sound of heels clicking hurriedly.
—Thump!
“Oops. Sounds like she tripped.”
There was a loud thud as if someone had fallen, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing toward the door again.
—Creeeeak.
“Ah, welcome…! What brings you here?”
“There was a bit of an unfortunate incident in the Labyrinth. An acquaintance suggested I visit the cathedral…”
It was a nun. Her attire was exactly what you’d expect from the stereotype, and her hair was slightly disheveled, likely from the fall.
“Ah, is this for a confession regarding a murder?”
“Pardon? Uh… no?”
“I see. Would you like to come inside for now?”
“Alright.”
The long, vertical windows that filled the walls to match the high ceiling were embedded with pieces of somewhat modest stained glass. The pentagram symbol, with its slightly longer top-left point, was also present inside the cathedral.
I followed the nun inside. It was quiet, with no one else around, though there were signs that the place was being cleaned diligently.
That’s going to collapse.
“Sister?”
“Ah, my name is Esha Tizl! You can call me Sister Esha, or just Sister Esha is fine too!”
“I see. Sister Esha. Do you see that over there?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
I pointed my index finger toward a book storage shelf nailed high up on the wall. It was packed with so many books that it looked ready to give way at any moment. I’d noticed it out of habit while using the Umbra Valkyrie’s vision.
“That shelf. It’s a bit heavy with all those books. It looks like it might collapse if left like that, so it would be best to ask someone to reinforce it.”
“Oh my, really? Thank you. Can you tell just by looking?”
“More or less.”
“What an amazing ability!”
Sister Esha gave a bright smile and bowed deeply, bending 90 degrees at the waist. I didn't think I’d done anything worthy of such a formal greeting.
After passing through the modest chapel, we entered a reception room located at the back of the building. Once seated, I handed the stationery to Sister Esha.
“Ah, ugh… this is the seal of the Lymain family…”
The nun’s expression soured the moment she took the letter. Was there a problem?
“What’s wrong?”
“U-um… I’m sorry! We’ll pay back the debt as soon as possible!”
“Pardon?”
“W-we’re really sorry! We can pay it back very soon! I think we can manage it within a year or so…”
“No, wait a minute. What are you talking about?”
Her head dropped so low it almost hit the reception desk. When I asked her what she meant in earnest, she finally looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“W-were you not here to collect a debt…?”
“Debt collection? As I mentioned before, I’m here because of something that happened in the Labyrinth.”
“Then this stationery…”
“The person who recommended this cathedral to me is a member of the Lymain family.”
“Uuuugh…”
Realizing she had made a mistake, Sister Esha’s face turned beet red. She suddenly started fanning herself with her hand as if she’d grown hot.
“I see…! It seems I was mistaken! Alright, would it be okay if I read the letter before we talk?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Sister Esha clumsily tore the envelope open, and in her messiness, she ended up ripping the letter inside in half as well.
“Ah, uh… it’s still readable!”
“Right.”
As she aligned the two halves of the dead letter and read its contents, Sister Esha’s expression became quite solemn. It was a face that could truly be described as 'nun-like.'
After finishing the letter, she kept her eyes closed for a while, letting out a low hum, before snapping them open.
“Plundering the Contract of the Dead…?”
“Ah, yes. That’s it.”
“Are you insane…?”