Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Duchess Cherno Who Eats People - 1
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I wondered what they'd brought this time.
With eager anticipation, I observed the men returning alongside Cheshire Cat. True to her persona as the Secret Lady, she was still wearing her cat mask.
She addressed me in a curt tone.
"Hey, you're Florian, right meow?"
Even as she stayed in character, she trembled slightly, intimidated by using informal speech with me. Still, it was a solid performance.
"That's right."
"Duchess Cherno sent these guys meow. We're here to deliver her message meow."
In short, they'd succeeded in poking at Duchess Cherno just right.
As Cheshire Cat stepped aside, the two men spoke up. Their tone was stiff and formal.
"Do you know Duchess Cherno?"
"No clue. Don't even know what a duchess is. That fat bird who can't fly, you mean? What, bestiality?"
At my words, the two men scoffed as if I wasn't worth responding to.
In truth, I knew exactly who Duchess Cherno was.
If Cheshire Cat managed Wonderland's goods, then among those goods, Duchess Cherno was the biggest buyer of "merchandise."
Drugs, luxuries, and more... She'd amassed considerable wealth, so she bought from Wonderland without the slightest hesitation.
She might seem like a luxury-obsessed madwoman, but that wasn't quite it. The field where she was truly insane was something else entirely.
Cannibalism. This lunatic had a hobby of turning humans into gourmet dishes.
In fact, in my previous life, the duchess had plotted to cannibalize Wonderland's Four Knights and ended up caught and executed for it.
'Gotta deal with Cherno eventually.'
She boosted Wonderland's sales, sure, but since she also bought and sold people, she was the reason kidnappings happened in Wonderland territory.
One of the men looked at me like a child and sneered.
"You'd be wise to accept the invitation. We're just messengers this time, but next time we'll get rough. A few hundred times our number will swarm in. We could turn the entire Wonderfentanyl Territory into a wasteland."
I clapped loudly in response.
"Wow, this is bad. Real bad~"
"Exactly. Getting it now?"
"So, when do I have to go?"
"Right now. Obviously."
The two men nodded toward the carriage parked at the estate entrance.
Come to think of it, they'd brought a carriage too. That showed how serious they were.
The only concerning part? It looked more like a cargo hauler than something meant for passengers.
"You want me to ride in the cargo hold?"
"As if. When issuing an invitation, it's proper to bring a gift. We've got one for you."
"Let's see it then."
The men signaled, and the coachman fetched a box from the cargo hold.
Opening it revealed about thirty eyeballs jumbled inside. Trying to scare me? To me, it was just an adorable sight.
"Cute. Thanks."
"Eyes from Wonderland operatives under Lady Cheshire Cat. We gouged out the eyes of everyone who contacted you and killed them. In exchange, Cheshire Cat gets to keep her life."
"Aw, why go that far?"
"Because they dared warn 'Beware of Florian' in front of the duchess. You cocky bastard."
The men cackled as they continued.
"Anyway, seeing everyone like that piqued the duchess's interest a bit. In a way, that's why you're still alive. Now, let's get going."
The duchess taking an interest? In other words, she wanted to turn me into a human entrée...
Lady of Revelry Ellis approached cautiously.
"Master, what should we do? Shall I come with you?"
"No need."
I looked at the two men before me.
"If I go to the duchess's estate, you won't touch Wonderfentanyl Territory while I'm gone, right?"
"Duchess Cherno isn't so merciless as to deny you that much."
"Good. Then let's head out."
Only Cheshire Cat and I rode in the cargo hold.
They must have arranged it to show off: "We're such big shots, we treat even Lady Cheshire Cat like this~." Conveniently, it gave us time for a private chat.
Cheshire Cat lifted her mask slightly and spoke.
"Boss, the duchess is closest to Knight Balrog meow. So we pulled her side in first meow."
"Well done."
"But... you sure you're okay with this meow? The duchess is a terrifying cannibal meow."
"Of course."
If I'd gathered all of Elbalom's executives and waged all-out war, the entire Wonderfentanyl Territory would have been at risk.
But nominally, I was the one being taken. If the captive resisted and caused trouble, all eyes would be on me.
So it was fine.
"What should I do now meow?"
I pulled a bottle of Chuir from my pocket and tucked it into her arms.
"Drink this at least. Might take a while."
Cheshire Cat gazed at me with a faintly impressed expression. Then, suddenly, she handed me her Witch's Curse hammer.
"Why's this?"
"I'm giving it to you outright now meow."
"Won't treat it gently."
"All the better meow."
We exchanged smirks.
Just then, the carriage jolted to a stop. Someone pounded on the cargo hold.
"Get out! We're here!"
I quietly stowed the hammer, Cheshire Cat donned her mask, and we disembarked.
Everyone has their own role to play.
Ellis would manage the territory while practicing magic, Dodo would tend to patients, Tyr would draw blueprints...
My job was to clean up the trash—for their safety and Elfriede Dice's downfall.
Yeah, let's stick to my role. The hammer suddenly felt light in my hand.
The marble floor stretched endlessly. Just this alone showed how much wealth Cherno had hoarded.
As we walked silently along it, one of Cherno's underlings jeered.
"Seeing your life flash before your eyes? Got quiet all of a sudden."
"Shut your mouth before I shatter every tooth."
"......"
The underlings surrounding us in a hexagon sharpened their gazes.
But what could sharp glares do? They couldn't lay a finger on me.
Any injury on me would mean damaging the duchess's chosen ingredient.
No underling here had the confidence to face her wrath over that.
After about thirty minutes, walking grew tedious.
I plopped down on the spot.
"My legs hurt. Can't walk."
"...Get up."
"How, with sore legs? If you're unhappy, carry me."
They glared murderously, but I didn't budge. Finally, one grunted and hoisted me over his shoulder.
"Don't think about going back alive."
"I'll handle that. By the way, for a Wonderland affiliate, Cherno sure has a lot of personal wealth? This okay?"
"She pays her tribute on time, then indulges. No issue."
"No issue? Cannibalism's an issue. Even Elfriede doesn't eat people."
The man's steps halted briefly, then resumed.
Veins bulged on their foreheads before long.
It was inevitable. Mentioning the duchess's cannibalism was taboo, and invoking Elfriede's name was another.
I'd casually broken both. What now?
One ground his teeth.
"Be grateful the duchess isn't here. You're dead soon anyway, so we'll hold back."
"Besides, the duchess only processes the truly deserving. She's contributing to a more beautiful world."
Bullshit. I muttered it aloud.
"Truly deserving" just meant anyone who crossed her. And innocent folks too—what beautiful world?
Anyway, being carried was comfier than walking. Another thirty minutes passed before we arrived.
Beautiful flowers bloomed like a forest on either side, and at the center stretched an endless banquet table.
A snow-white tablecloth draped it, dazzlingly bright. Covering the cloth were exquisite dishware and gourmet dishes.
Even if every servant from Wonderfentanyl Mansion swarmed it, they couldn't finish it all. At the table's heart sat one person alone.
An elegant white dress and wide-brimmed white hat. Glossy orange hair cascading to her waist.
The men bowed in unison toward her.
"Duchess Cherno! We've brought Florian!"
Cherno set down her knife and fork, dabbing her lips with a napkin.
Then she stared straight through me with a meaningful smile.
"Oh, yes~ You're Florian, aren't you? Is that right?"
That smile was downright chilling.