Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Assassination (3)
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The gang leader and his crew had vanished into thin air.
Not in the metaphorical sense of taking the advance payment and running, but literally evaporated.
"So, Pablo, you're saying a fog rolled into the farm, those guys started laughing like maniacs, and then they disappeared along with the fog?"
"Yes...! I saw it with my own eyes, clear as day! It was like some fairy's prank!"
"I see. Thank you for your hard work."
He'd stationed surveillance just in case, keeping their distance.
And they'd witnessed what could only be described as magic.
Sure enough, a second mage had been hiding on Madella Island.
"Mr. Lian. As you instructed, I've gathered as much information as possible on the Delico Farm."
"Ah, thanks."
Lian quickly scanned through the documents.
It was a flower farm run by an old woman named Delico, just as the name suggested.
The actual landowner was Albero Faro.
Lian knew the noble personally, and the man didn't leave a bad impression overall.
However, his financial situation was far from good.
"Hmm? Why would a broke noble sink money into a money-losing flower farm like this?"
Whether it was a hobby or not, it grew only ornamental flowers with zero profitability.
And on a substantial plot of land, at that.
"Huh? That's it? What about the Delico Matron's background?"
"That's... we couldn't find anything."
"So, they abandoned a perfectly profitable sheep ranch and handed the farm over to some old lady who appeared out of nowhere five years ago?"
"Yes. That's what the paperwork shows."
Highly suspicious.
All signs pointed to the Delico Matron being a hidden mage.
That said, Albero, the nominal owner, might just be under her control.
Or perhaps there was some reason he had no choice but to effectively abandon the land.
"Right, the Rajur family was into loan sharking, weren't they?"
"Yes. That was their family business originally."
"Could you check the debt status on the Delico Farm's land?"
"Of course. I'll look into it."
It was something Lian had seen countless times in dealings with nobles who traded privately with Isabel.
They'd give up their guts and gallbladders just to cling to land ownership.
So, the true rights holder to the land might be someone else entirely.
"If this pans out, I could take down that whole family in one shot."
Legally speaking, Isabel was still their heir.
They were probably starting to see Lian as a threat.
If they really had a mage stashed away and were up to no good, this was Lian's golden chance to eliminate the competition.
"Wait. But would the lord really not know about this?"
Leon had made it clear the court mage monitored major events on the island through birds.
"This feels like..."
Something told him the interests at play were tangled in a very complicated web.
Lian didn't know much about what mages actually were.
He'd heard of shamans, but he had no idea how they differed from mages.
Truth be told, most people in this world were the same.
The mages here were overly shrouded in mysticism.
He'd tried hunting down magic books multiple times, but all he'd found were fake tomes from boastful scholars.
Occasionally, out-of-towners claiming to be mages would show up in the square or market.
But to Lian's eyes, they were all just amateur magic tricks straight out of an elementary school science lab.
So at first, he'd assumed this was a world without real magic.
Yet the hallucinations only he could hear were some inexplicable mystical power.
'Maybe meeting a real mage will reveal what these voices are.'
Lian gazed out over the endless sea of flowers, lost in thought.
The Delico Farm was surprisingly like something out of a fairy tale.
At least on the surface.
"I-I'll protect you with my life...!"
"It's fine. No need to push yourself, Pablo."
"No sir! That's my job!"
It was Isabel's private property now, so there wasn't even an excuse about duty anymore.
Yet Pablo and a few guards had insisted on escorting him anyway.
"Hey, what's with the trembling? It's just a flower field."
"Sh-shut up! You didn't see that creepy scene yesterday...!"
"Come on, Mr. Lian, you don't actually believe this guy's exaggerating, do you?"
The others, excluding Pablo, seemed to have tagged along with lighter hearts.
"Don't forget three of your comrades died in the raid the day before yesterday."
"Ah... Yes, we'll keep that in mind."
Lian reminded them of the danger as he surveyed the Delico Farm.
A vast plain splashed with every color imaginable, like someone had dumped all the world's paints there.
And butterflies of every variety dancing above it.
Staring at it made you feel like you'd stepped into fairyland.
Or maybe it really was.
Cackle— caw—
To Lian's ears, the flower field was filled with something invisible.
"If you want to live, stick right behind me."
A space blanketed in flowers, no paths in sight.
To normal eyes, it was just an open field.
But to Lian, it was an invisible labyrinth.
Giggle— snicker— cackle—
The air was thick with mad laughter.
Recalling how the slavers vanished right after, he knew better than to get caught up in it.
And the voices swirling around him, not whispering to him, but urgently shouting at the surrounding madness.
'They're protecting me.'
He'd once thought the voices were telepathy, reading minds.
Now he was certain: some unseen entity had been helping him all along.
'Maybe I should leave cookies and milk by my bed tonight.'
Ghost, fairy, whatever it was, he felt grateful for the help.
So he'd risk it to meet the Delico Matron.
A real mage.
A chance to unravel his own mysterious power.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten his main goal: uncovering the mastermind behind the Isabel assassination attempt.
Deeper in, children tending the fields came into view.
It was a farm, after all, fairy-tale flowers or not.
Weeding, pruning leaves—familiar sights to Lian.
But their clothes were unnaturally stark white, perfectly bleached.
"Hey! Wait!"
The oldest-looking girl rushed toward Lian's group in a panic.
Click—
After the other day's events, appearances could be deceiving.
The guards tensed, hands on sword hilts.
"Don't move without orders."
"Yes, Mr. Lian."
But he sensed no hostility from the girl.
"Who are you people! How did you get in here?!"
"Walked, as you can see?"
"Wha!?"
She backed away, unable to hide her shock.
Dangerous laughter echoed nearby, but she was unaffected.
And from within her, a strange murmur like the assassin kids.
"That's weird. It shouldn't be possible..."
"It's not on a cliff or anything. What's weird?"
"Eh? Oh... n-nothing!"
She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Snicker—
A playful, deceptive giggle came from her shoulder, as if mocking her secrecy.
She seemed naive enough to spill everything with a nudge.
But she had some street smarts, apparently.
"Anyway! This is private pro— uh...?"
"Private property?"
"Yes! So get out!"
"Sent by the Rajur family?"
"Wha? Oh, that's..."
She faltered at the name, hesitating.
The laughter on her shoulder stopped too.
'No need to hide magic if we're family.'
This confirmed the Rajurs' involvement.
"I need to speak with the Delico Matron. Can you show me?"
"Uh... about what?"
"Why would you need to know? You're not her."
"Ugh. Fine... follow me."
She eyed Lian and his guards suspiciously but led them with quick steps to a building.
A two-story house by a stream crossing the farm, with a waterwheel.
Straight out of a storybook.
Flutter—
As they approached, an unknown mountain bird flew in and perched on the eaves.
Something invisible chattered wildly atop its head.
Likely the court mage's spy.
The lord knew about this place after all.
"Come on in."
The girl ushered them inside unsuspectingly; the bird facepalmed its wing in exasperation.
She'd fallen for it so easily—frustrating to watch.
But it only observed, taking no further action.
"You don't need to stick right behind me from here."
"Still, it could be a trap, so stay sharp...!"
Inside, the air was thick with herbal scents, like an apothecary.
And faint voices from every corner.
Thankfully, not the dangerous vibe of the flower field.
"Matron! Guests from the Rajur family are here!"
"Rajur? What brings them here unannounced?"
"Eh...? You didn't invite them, Matron?"
Lian followed the voices into a dim room.
Walls and ceiling crammed with dried herbs and flowers.
Shelves lined with jars and bottles of unknown contents.
A witch's lair.
And the owner matched.
"Pleased to meet you, Delico Matron."
Lian bowed to the old woman whose face was half-melted.
She rocked back and forth in her armchair, scanning him up and down.
"A handsome young man playing tricks. Not the Rajur I expected."
"I'm Lian. I just asked a question, and the little miss misunderstood."
"You tricked me!?"
"Tricked? I didn't lie."
Isabel was still Rajur's daughter-in-law on paper.
The girl glared murderously upon realizing the truth.
The sounds from within her grew ominous.
"Calm down, Sofi."
"Y-yes, Matron."
"And you lads aren't welcome, so be off."
Thump— thump— thump—
She tapped the armrest in steady rhythm, like playing piano.
The herbal scent thickened.
"Remember, lads: what you seek isn't here."
A low incantation, like chanting a spell.
"......!!"
Two different whispers crossed overhead.
Shing—
Lian ducked and lunged, drawing his sword.
"M-Matron!"
"Stop! Every step you take, this blade digs into her throat."
"Urk...!"
"...Sofi, calm as the lad says."
"Same for you, Matron. One wrong move, and your head rolls."
The Delico Matron squeezed her eyes shut and nodded slowly.
"Pablo! Luko! Everyone okay?"
Lian glanced back.
Slumped shoulders, vacant eyes.
Strange murmurs hovering over their heads.
The guards seemed hypnotized.
"How did you dodge that? Impossible..."
"I've got good ears."
"Just that...!?"
Her expression screamed disbelief.
'What? Don't mages hear the same voices I do?'
His assumption was off.
She seemed clueless about Lian's voices.
He'd thought it was basic mage talent. Now he felt foolish.
"No wonder you got here safely. Far more exceptional than I heard."
Her bony hand trembled limply.
No way to turn the tables after that failure.
"No intent to harm you lads. Just leave quietly..."
"Matron! They're the witch's minions you warned about, right? Let me—"
"Sofi! I said stay put!"
The girl sulked, scolded for butting in.
Snicker—
Suddenly, giggles erupted from the girl and Matron's shoulders.
'Oh ho?'
Lian's lips curled slightly.
That exchange had hidden some crucial secret.