Ivan's Promise and the Crow's Nest Delights
On the day Ivan had made their promise, Idel stood in front of the shop door, leading a group of people, and knocked firmly. Soon, a familiar face appeared, and she greeted them with a warm smile.
“Hello?”
Sigmund, who had been nodding absentmindedly, furrowed his brows at her voice, softer than usual.
“……What?”
“What, what? It's just me saying hello to my closest friend. Have you been well? I've missed seeing you!”
“……”
Sigmund chose not to respond to Idel's words, instead scanning the surroundings.
Her smile grew increasingly vivid the more her expression twisted, and it had started to seem suspicious.
And the moment he spotted a group of people behind her, the corners of Sigmund's mouth curled upward as he crossed his arms.
“……Wow, you didn't come alone… right? Huh? What exactly is this? We're not the kind of people who share friends like that, are we?”
“Of course! My friend is just you, one and only. But there's a reason for it.”
“That sounds incredibly intriguing.”
At the exact moment Sigmund was glaring at Idel with his eyes, a bright voice suddenly interjected into their conversation.
“If it bothers you, I'm really sorry! I begged to bring her along too. I've heard so much about you, and I didn't want to miss out on this chance either……”
Jayana, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, fidgeted with her fingers as she introduced herself.
“Call me Jayana. I'm Idel's ‘older sister’!”
“Idel? Ah…… ‘Idel’s older sister.’ Well… sure. Nice to meet you.”
At that instant, Jayana's gentle eyes widened dramatically.
“……Idel?”
She just called her Idel?
“Idel……”
Jayana repeated the nickname ‘Idel’ like it was the first time she'd ever heard it, her gaze shifting to the two of them.
The pair, alternating glances, held hands tightly and smiled as if proving their close bond.
‘……Idel looks so happy.’
It felt odd. Jayana had never once seen Idel smile like this.
‘Idel's family isn't like that.’
Having thought that, Jayana fixed a steady gaze on Sigmund. The emotions bubbling up inside her, unfamiliar and strange, caused her lips to tighten involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Sigmund, feeling her intense stare, subtly furrowed his brows and rolled his eyes.
‘What's this. She's the one from earlier, right?’
The girl who claimed to be Idel's sister was undeniably lovely, but that wasn't what interested him.
What mattered was why she was staring so intently at him, especially holding his hand.
‘What, don't hold hands with my brother or something?’
Come to think of it, when she greeted them earlier, she'd emphasized the word ‘sister’ with particular force.
Recalling the recent events, Sigmund's brows twitched subtly, unnoticed.
‘Together, huh……’
While it was true that birds of a feather flock together, bringing back all these weirdos wasn't exactly ideal.
‘Is this even fair?’
That guy was trying to wrap her up as ‘his only friend’?
He really didn't want that. He already wanted to drop the ridiculous title anyway.
Annoyed by the customer, Sigmund clenched his teeth and glared at Idel.
‘This better be a proper reason.’
Otherwise, he'd have to break his contract with his master this time.
While Sigmund was lost in these thoughts, Idel was chatting amicably with the shop manager he'd appointed as his representative and a friend.
“Oh, Idel! It's been ages since I last saw you here! Come to play with Sigmund?”
“Yes! Actually, I came because I wanted to ask Sigmund for help…! Is the magic teacher here today?”
“Hmm, not sure. He said he was coming to cast a spell on the dolls, but…… I don't know what for, but maybe you two can handle it first?”
“Sure thing.”
“Hahaha! Good, good!”
Letting out a hearty laugh at Idel's reply, he nodded toward Ivan and Diane.
“You two, feel free to stay. If you need anything, ask Sigmund.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Well, then, I have some business to attend to. I'll be off! Sigmund, while I'm gone, make sure the shop runs smoothly!”
Sigmund simply waved his hand in response without a word. When he saw the shop door close, he turned to look at Idel.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean ‘huh’? You said there was a reason. You wanted help, remember?”
“Oh, that.”
As Idel casually crossed her arms and opened her mouth, a confident voice cut through the space between them. It was Jayana, who had been watching them alternately.
“Idel, wait! Let me explain that!”
“You?”
“Yes! Because I'm the ‘older sister’.”
“What…… Sure.”
If the explanation was lacking, she could always add more.
Jayana beamed as brightly as sunshine upon getting Idel's permission, then began to recount the story in vivid detail.
Sigmund already knew the part about working at the cafe and everything that had happened after Parer's baronet family had kicked it to the curb.
“……That's how it happened!”
“Ah, I see.”
“Your answers are a bit short… Did you get surprised?”
“No, I'm fine.”
While Jayana was startled by the dry responses, Sigmund was truly fine.
That was only natural, since the Crow's Nest was full of absurd stories about as common as kicking pebbles.
A woman ordering a ring filled with poison to murder her husband. A son selling family information for gambling debts. A person swapping a newborn baby for another.
The truly unexpected part was the main character of the story—Ivan.
‘A real journalist…?’
The man with that awkward, faint smile? Now that she thought about it, she had vaguely heard about him at the cafe, but honestly, she couldn't quite believe it.
‘Well, it's not my business anyway.’
Sigmund quickly brushed off the thought and spoke, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
“So, you want to know if it's actually possible to get a man pregnant with black magic?”
“Sort of. You're learning magic directly from the magic teacher. I thought you might notice something suspicious!”
“……The Crow's Nest has banned books too, right?”
“What? No! It's not like you're learning some terrifying black magic. How would such a book even exist? It's just because there's no magician in our group, so we asked for help!”
Idel winked gently, then leaned closer to Sigmund and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. After that, she lowered her voice and whispered in his ear.
“Black magic can't get you pregnant, right? I'm curious what method could fool it. Something…… maybe by ‘overlaying’ or adding something.”
“On what grounds? No, more importantly, what does this have to do with our contract? You see me as a ‘friend’ under that title, using me like a subordinate…….”
“Even if I think about it, it feels similar to the curse my mom put on me. Not a brainwashing curse, but one that tricks the bloodline.”
Idel squeezed Sigmund's shoulder a bit harder with her hand, eyes narrowed.
“If I solve this clue, I might find something related to our mom. It should also help lift the curse.”
“What? Right now, that's—.”
“……You two are whispering too intimately without me?”
A meddlesome voice suddenly popped up from nearby, and Sigmund shut his mouth while stepping back.
His complaint about taking on this kind of side task just because of some ‘clue’ couldn't come out.
Sigmund let out a short sigh to release his emotions, then slid both hands into his pocket and tilted his head sideways.
“……Anyway, I'll look for the magic book, but don't expect much. It's not black magic regulated by the empire, but ‘forbidden magic’.”
“Of course! The other side will understand too, right?”
“Ah, of course. In fact, if it's too difficult a request right now, you can refuse.”
In the man's earnest gaze, Sigmund's lips twitched……
“What’s so hard about digging up a magic book…… That’s fine.”
A tired voice answered for him to Ivan.
The speaker was an old man Sigmund had never seen before, but Idel immediately realized who it was.
Viled, Sigmund's master and the real owner of the shop.
“Master?”
“Yes, a customer with interesting things came while I was gone. This too has some connection. Sigmund, go fetch the magic books from the fourth shelf.”
In a voice that suited his appearance, Sigmund's expression turned strangely.
‘Some connection?’
It wasn't like his usual master, who always found everything bothersome.
After thinking it over, Sigmund spoke without realizing it.
“Master, are you crazy…… Eek!”
“Sigmund is too heavy all by himself! I'll come along too!”
“What? Ah, no, then I'll come too! I'm coming too!”