Chapter 12
What on earth have you brought back?
“Jed.”
Riche called out to Jed, who was standing in front of the sofa where she was sitting. He was keeping an eye on the closed workshop.
Jed glanced back at Riche, then whispered cautiously, keeping an eye on his surroundings.
“It’s dangerous, so please stay still.”
“But I heard screams. Shouldn’t we go and help…?”
But Jed remained silent.
Once again, an alarming scream was heard. There were also sounds of things breaking and furniture falling.
‘I have to help too.’
Riche sprang up from the sofa. But a large palm blocked her way.
It was Jed. Only the back of his head was visible, and his expression couldn’t be seen.
“It’s better for both you and me to stay here. I apologize to both of them, but my duty is to protect you.”
“[He’s quite a likable lad.]” Pythos chuckled.
Riche stood there, helpless, not knowing what to do.
Then, the door of the workshop opened. A young woman with brown hair. It was Anna.
“Anna, you’re bleeding…!”
“Don’t worry, Miss. It’s not my blood.”
In Anna’s other hand, wiping the blood from her cheek, was an unconscious man.
Although she had volunteered as a maid for the Lordwick family, until a few years ago, she had been trained and raised with Jed. She was confident in real combat.
Anna threw the man onto the floor of the VIP room and spoke to Jed.
“It’s from the Serdia family. They kidnapped Trumpet.”
“Serdia?”
As he asked, Jed subtly moved to the side.
He blocked Riche’s view of the fallen man. It wasn’t a sight for her to see.
“[Nobility? A family of abilities?]”
‘Yeah. But that guy isn’t an ability user.’
“[Is he distinguishing with visualized energy? Interesting.]”
‘Can’t you see Pythos?’
“Nah, I don’t show. Lethium’s ability is unique to that lad.”
While Riche was having an internal conversation with Pythos, the conversation between Jed and Anna continued.
“Why did they kidnap Trumpet?”
“I don’t know either. They said something about Trumpet provoking them during the attack.”
“Um… Excuse me.”
Someone interjected into their conversation.
It was Trumpet’s assistant, who had come all the way to the VIP room after hearing the commotion.
Jed and Anna turned their heads. The assistant hesitated as two pairs of brown eyes focused on her.
“It’s about Trumpet’s upcoming fur collection… They’ve been warned several times by the Serdia family not to use fur, but Trumpet ignored it…”
“Fur? They kidnapped Trumpet because of that?”
“Ridiculous. They’re wearing fake fur themselves.”
Both Jed and Anna spoke in disbelief. The fallen man’s belt was made of fox leather, too.
The assistant added in a whispering voice as she crawled closer, “Actually, it’s made of wolf leather…”
“Oh.”
“This.”
The Trajan siblings sighed.
The ability users of the Serdia noble family used the ability to transform into beasts.
Among many animals, they enjoyed transforming into wolves, and over time, the symbol of the Serdia family became a wolf. The wolf’s face was even included in the family crest.
Anna, feeling dizzy, touched her head.
“Trumpet’s life may be in danger if he crosses into Serdia’s territory.”
This time, the Serdia Lord was particularly ambitious. He may have a good way with words, but his choleric temperament was severe.
Trumpet’s stubbornness was also a problem. Apart from commissions from the Lordwick noble family, she refused to compromise on her designs.
It was obvious that the Serdia Lord would not let her go.
“…Then, is it completely unrelated to Miss?”
Jed murmured. The Trajan siblings exchanged glances.
The Serdia Lord’s territory, to which Trumpet was taken, was a place that could be reached by crossing through the Forest of Beasts, outside the Lordwick territory.
Although it was only a distance of about ten days by road, there was no one who could withstand ten nights in the Forest of Beasts.
“So, they’ll probably avoid the forest and go around it. It’ll take at least a day to leave the Lordwick territory.”
Jed nodded at Anna’s words.
Trumpet will report to the Lord first and foremost, and then decide to chase her away.
“For now, the guests…”
The assistant pointed to a spot. Jed nodded. Rock blinked as he looked in the direction indicated.
“Me?”
“Oh, no.”
The assistant pointed behind Jed.
“The young lady who came with you has disappeared.”
“What?!”
“Miss!”
The Trajan siblings simultaneously turned to look behind Jed.
There was nothing but an empty sofa.
—
Riche, emerging from the dressing room, was running down the street.
[“Client, does it seem urgent?”]
Pythos climbed onto Riche’s shoulder and spoke.
He had transformed into a squirrel with a stylish ribbon tied around his neck.
Earlier, Trumpet had given Riche the ribbon, saying it would suit her.
[‘Yes. But shouldn’t we have said something before leaving?’]
[If you did, they would have sent you off quickly.]
Riche reluctantly left, urged on by Pythos’s urgency.
Pythos had sensed the power of a great star.
[“You mean except for you. The five other great stars have fallen asleep. Which one is it?”]
Pythos scratched his head.
Although he could sense the energy of the stars, he couldn’t identify whose it was.
Leptiom must still be asleep, the poor sap.
[“If it’s really one of them, we need to find out how they woke up.”]
“Why?”
[Because they found a way to awaken the dormant stars.]
“Are they trying to wake up the stars?”
[No.]
Pythos shook his head.
[They must not wake up.]
An angry tone. Just then, a new fork in the road appeared, cutting off their conversation.
Pythos couldn’t sense the energy anymore.
[“Did they notice? They shouldn’t have. Detecting other stars is my unique ability among the gravediggers.”]
[…]
[Pythos looked back and forth between the fork in the road and Riche before speaking.]
[“Hey, Client. It seems like I can’t properly use my abilities in the human world. I’ll lend you my power, so give it a try.”]
“Me?”
Riche looked surprised as she glanced at Pythos on her shoulder.
[“No need to be afraid. I’ll handle the type and strength of the ability you’ll use. You just need to be determined.”]
“Just determined?”
[“Yes. Look around while thinking about finding the star. You’ll feel something.”]
At Pythos’s words, Riche looked around anxiously.
Then suddenly, she dashed into an alley.
“Hey!”
[“What?! You found it already?! You, you… genius! Client!”]
Pythos cheered.
His black squirrel eyes sparkled, and his fur puffed up.
But just as they turned into the alley…
Pythos’s excitement plummeted as he felt the energy disappear.
[“…It’s not a star, is it?”]
“I found Trumpet. I heard wolf howls.”
Whispered Riche, hiding in the alley.
Well, she found something, but it wasn’t what Pythos expected.
With a disappointed look, Pythos peeked around the corner with Riche.
There were two large wolves and three people.
Trumpet, unconscious, was being carried on the back of the largest wolf.
[“Are they planning to move by carriage?”]
Pythos said, looking at the carriage parked in front of them.
Just then, the coachman came down and began talking to a man.
Riche checked the empty carriage.
“Aren’t we supposed to stop them from taking her?”
[“Me? How? You’re just a 7-year-old.”]
Pythos’s words made Riche flinch. It was true.
“But still…”
Should she just watch Trumpet being kidnapped?
Trumpet belonged to the Ludwic family. Riche couldn’t ignore her determination to live for Blake.
“…Then what should we do?”
[“Why are you thinking so much?”]
“Huh?”
Pythos’s voice in her head was mischievous.
It was like he was teasing her with the words he had just said.
[“Already forgotten? I told you. There’s nothing my contractor can’t do.”]
“Can you save Trumpet?”
[“Of course.”]
Pythos confidently pointed at the carriage.
[“Remember the sensation you felt when you found the star earlier? I’ll lend you my power again this time.”]
“How are you going to do that?”
It wouldn’t be about finding a star while looking at the carriage.
Pythos answered Riche’s question.
[First, let’s explode the carriage wheels. When chaos breaks out, take the opportunity to rescue that woman.]
Or not. Pythos thought to himself.
Whether they rescued Trumpet or not didn’t matter much, but it was a blow to his pride as her contractor if his client turned out to be incompetent.
Pythos tried to send enough power to Riche to explode the wheels of the carriage.
[“Now give it a try.”]
Riche imagined the wheels exploding as she looked at them.
[“Client! Wait a moment!”]
Pythos’s urgent cry echoed in Riche’s mind.
Kaboom!
With a roar, gray smoke billowed up.
Once the smoke cleared somewhat, all that remained was the exploded carriage and the charred ground.
Neigh!
Startled by the explosion, the horses attached to the carriage raised their front legs and began to panic.
“… ”
Riche and Pythos’s eyes widened at the scene they caused.
“That… fool…”
Pythos muttered under his breath, looking like a shocked squirrel.
“What did I… contract for?”
—
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just Riche and Pythos who were surprised by the explosion of the carriage.
The Ludwick family’s personal guards, who had been quietly observing the situation from nearby structures.
Unlike the ordinary knights of the Ludwick family, they had received special training.
Their role was to silently follow and protect the Ludwick family like shadows, but today, under Blake’s orders, they were tasked with protecting Riche.
‘An explosion?’
‘Is it an attack? Trumpet’s enemies?’
In the midst of the sudden situation, they exchanged glances.
It wasn’t a life-threatening situation, so there was no immediate need to reveal themselves. Moreover, Riche was still hidden.
“Should we intervene?”
“Not yet.”
The problem was that the emergency situation was adjusted to the Ludwick’s level.
If they left now, they would be scolded by Blake or Deon for causing a fuss.
“What’s going on!”
“An ambush? Are Trumpet’s enemies here!”
The sudden situation made the coachman flee, and the three people from Serdia drew their swords and looked around shouting.
Even the two wolves growled, baring their teeth.
One of the wolves, with a keen sense of smell, caught Riche’s scent from around the corner.
But just as it was about to take a step forward with its large front paw…
“Cr-”
The paw stopped in mid-air, unable to touch the ground.
A cold wind blew. Everything on the road froze stiff, including the horses, the fleeing coachman, the three people from Serdia, and the two large wolves.
Walking on the frozen road was a boy with sky-blue hair and blue eyes, resembling a refreshing lake in midsummer.
“… ”
When Robenhaf’s hand reached out towards Trumpet, who hadn’t frozen yet…
“Stop that!”
A girl’s voice came from somewhere a little further away.
Robenhaf paused his hand.
