Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Owl House (2)
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Irina's question made Mago flash a grin.
She shrugged her shoulders with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the princess's gaze.
"It's not just that we're close. We even shared a room—"
The words "shared a room" wiped the smile clean off the Second Princess's face.
Her face drained of color as she stared at me.
Feeling her eyes on me, I brushed it off casually.
"That was when we were five. Back then, boys and girls all slept in the same room, no big deal."
But Irina remained icy.
Mago snickered at the sight of her.
"Anyway, Veil, you actually made your dream come true, huh?"
"Dream...?"
The witch placed a hand on my shoulder.
She gazed at Irina alongside me and said slyly,
"Yeah, you always said that once you became a knight, you'd marry some rich girl and live easy."
I pinched Mago's lips hard with my fingers.
The witch flailed in panic, grabbing my hand desperately.
"I'm sorry, miss. This guy's blabbing about stuff from ten years ago...."
I apologized hurriedly to the princess.
But unexpectedly, Irina's expression brightened.
"No, it's fine. So even Veil had such a cute phase?"
She covered her lips shyly with her hand and giggled.
Mago watched her with a sly glint in her eyes.
Then she called over a burly employee from the counter.
"Come on, it's been ages since you visited the shop, so we gotta have something to drink, right? Beer?"
I recoiled at the mention of beer.
"What beer? I told you we're not here to play."
"Aw—blood trace investigations are a breeze even after two bottles of whiskey. I could do it a hundred times."
Mago waved it off like it was nothing.
Then, noticing my discomfort, her eyebrows shot up.
"Oh, right. You can't hold your liquor, can you?"
Irina looked surprised at that.
Emboldened by the princess's reaction, Mago ramped up the teasing.
"He looks like a sparrow, but he can't even touch booze. At his coming-of-age ceremony, he turned red after just two rums—"
"Rum's strong, okay? I can handle beer fine."
I grumbled flatly, and Mago jumped on it like she'd been waiting.
"Exactly, so let's just have one beer."
The twin-tailed witch turned to Irina next.
She eyed the princess's delicate face peeking from her robe and her fair skin, pondering for a moment.
"You probably can't handle booze either, huh?"
Mago was crossing the line at last.
I cleared my throat to stop the witch from targeting the princess.
But...
"No, I can drink."
Irina stared straight at Mago with a resolute expression.
She even demanded a drink for herself.
"Miss...."
I gave her a troubled look.
But the princess stood firm, like a saint making a noble sacrifice for the realm.
"Veil, it's been half a year since my coming-of-age ceremony. You don't have to treat me like a kid."
Mago chuckled approvingly at her steadfast demeanor.
"Nice, nice—bring us three herb beers."
The witch issued the order in an exaggerated ladylike tone.
The waiting mercenary hauled over three massive beer mugs.
The mugs were so huge they were practically buckets.
"Th-that counts as one drink...?"
The princess's emerald eyes flickered at the sight.
I sighed deeply and squeezed my eyes shut.
"One here is basically a whole bucket. That's why I said no...."
"I-it's fine! I can drink!"
Refusing to back down after my lament, Irina gripped the chilled beer mug tightly with both hands.
She slowly pulled it toward herself.
The Owl House beer, topped with a perfect crown of cream-like foam.
Mana-infused herbs floated atop the foam.
"There's herbs in the beer?"
"Herbs from the Cornell region keep the carbonation going. Of course, the alcohol content goes up 'a little' too—"
Mago gulped down her beer demonstratively and exhaled with satisfaction.
Her cat-like sharp fangs gleamed as a result.
"Girls as refined as you might find it a bit much. It's the way us rough types do things—"
Was it the alcohol kicking in?
In high spirits, Mago slung an arm around my shoulders, emphasizing our humble origins.
"Us rough types."
Irina pursed her pink lips at the words.
And then...
She snatched up a nearby spoon and declared,
"No, I grew up pretty rough for a noble birth too."
The princess plunged the spoon into the beer mug with a clank.
She swirled it around the mana crystals at the bottom, making the drink even stronger.
"Where'd she learn that...?"
Irina then lifted the heavy mug and chugged it down hard.
So deep that her slender throat arched back.
"Prin—miss!"
My eyes bulged as I tried to stop her.
Mago gently blocked my arm and whispered,
"Hey, hey. Let her—"
I shot Mago a serious glare, and she giggled coyly.
"Looks like you haven't made any progress yet. I'll help you out—"
Her black eyes sparkled.
Mago, with her cat-like slit pupils, shook her head to dodge my gaze.
"Eek...."
Soon, the princess set down her half-empty mug.
She demurely wiped the foam from her lips with her sleeve.
"It's not that strong. Back-alley booze is no big deal."
She replied in a casual tone.
But having served her, I noticed right away.
A faint pink flush creeping across Irina's cheeks.
"Wow, impressive? Maybe she'll fit right in with us better than fancy nobles—"
Beer was typically seen as cheap swill among the aristocracy.
Mago's lips curved up at the princess drinking it without prejudice.
"Can't we get to the clues now?"
Worried Mago might commit another faux pas with Irina, I steered us to the main topic.
The Owl House owner nodded, satisfied with the princess's reaction.
"Yeah— if a rich miss like you is this gung-ho, it must be urgent."
Mago shot up from her chair.
She pointed to a dim back door behind the counter.
"Follow me, Veil."
"I-I want to come too."
Seeing me follow, Irina struggled to stand.
But Mago shook her head, unwilling to budge this time.
"Regular folks who can't handle mana might get hurt—"
The witch patted my waist and led me along.
I shoved her forward, telling her not to climb all over me.
"I'll be right back, so just wait here a sec."
I glanced back at Irina.
Her hands clenched tightly.
She bit her lip as she watched us go.
Mago carefully shut the door.
Her animal-sharp eyes gleamed as she revealed her true colors.
"So, who pissed off our mad dog—?"
She pulled a wooden wand from her bosom.
An ash wand, reserved for true witches.
With a light swing in the air,
The open windows slammed shut one by one.
Curtains drew automatically, plunging the witch's room into darkness.
Only the brazier holding the cauldron flickered to life.
I handed over the vial with the female knight's blood.
The witch took it leisurely and approached the cauldron.
The playful girl from moments ago was long gone.
Now a chilling sorceress, Mago expertly uncorked the vial.
She placed a drop of blood carefully on the back of her hand and examined it intently.
"Hmm—female?"
She discerned the gender just from the blood drop's shape.
Seemingly intrigued, she rattled off the details.
"Red hair, height 168, weight 55...."
"Forget that stuff, show me what she looks like."
"You're no fun."
Mago pouted.
Grumbling, she dropped the blood into the massive cauldron.
The clear surface rippled.
Soon, the face of the blood's owner—a woman—emerged on the water.
"Ooh...."
"What's 'ooh' about it."
"She's pretty? Know her?"
Crimson ponytail, scarlet eyes.
And a form-fitting red uniform to boot.
"I know the face. She's a candidate for next knight captain."
Her name: Ekina Flaimer.
Daughter of the Southern Archduke who backs the Crown Prince, from the Crimson Flame Knights.
"Why'd you pick a fight with someone that big...?"
Mago's brows furrowed at the heavyweight's appearance.
"It's a long story."
I gazed indifferently at the beautiful woman reflected in the water and brushed it off.
Explaining this damned court intrigue would take forever.
She seemed about my age, but she already wielded sword aura flawlessly.
In five years, during the purges, she'd probably be a full-fledged knight captain.
"It's connected to the miss outside, right?"
Mago was quick on the uptake, as expected of a witch.
She approached me, looking up with worried eyes.
"Who the heck is that lady anyway?"
"Can't tell you that."
Mago pouted at my secrecy.
"Well, she's gotta be from some super important family...."
Mago grunted as she dragged over a potion chest and set it before me.
She picked out potions for me, murmuring softly,
"Climbing the ladder is fine, but don't risk your life."
"Huh?"
"Just... it'd be pointless if you died."
"Don't worry. I won't go down easy."
I chuckled and patted the little witch's head.
Mago averted her eyes and muttered,
"If things get bad, you could always live here like old times...."
I leaned down to catch her words.
"What?"
"Nothing."
The witch brushed it off and slinked past me like a cat, nuzzling my collar.
She packed glass potion bottles into a basket and changed the subject.
"So, what're you gonna do with that lady knight? Kill her?"
In response, I stood up.
I opened the firmly shut door and stated firmly,
"Can't kill a duke's daughter."
I peered through the gap at the shop.
In one corner of the table sat the princess, hood down, looking sullen.
"I'll snag her before the Crown Prince does."
Her face was flushed by now.
Spotting me emerge with Mago, she stood up.
But... something was off.
Her swaying body.
She staggered toward me and thudded her head against my chest.
"You...."
Then, in a voice she'd never used with me before, she asked,
"Daring to leave this body alone and wander off... Do you really want to die?"
Mago covered her mouth at the nasal whine.
She waggled her eyebrows at me meaningfully.
"Oh my."
Caught between the two tiny women, I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Should've come alone after all....'