Chapter 429

Just before opening the door, Gazoo Adrian said.
“I’m glad to see that neither of you seem to be hurt, and I’m sorry that you had to go through this unpleasantness after coming so far.”
“No. We’re fine, but—is he okay? He looked like a pretty important statue.”
“Well, it was certainly a meaningful carving, for it was a head that had been in existence since the founding of House Acalusia. I remember him saying out loud that this lion would protect our family name.”
“Hijack.”
Asel hiccupped. The statue had more meaning than he’d realized. But Adrian’s face was serene.
“Please don’t bother. Nothing is more important than human life.”
“Huh.”
I was surprised by her strong reaction. Judging from her dainty appearance, it wouldn’t be strange if she collapsed in a fit of dizziness.
Turning toward the door, she muttered softly.
“But I didn’t think you’d break that one, too—.”
“What?”
It was a small voice, almost a whisper.
Adrian must not have heard me, because he asked a different question.
“Speaking of which, have you two eaten?”
“Uh–roughly.”
“Well, since it’s getting late, I’ll make you a quick cup of tea. I hear you’ve traveled by raft, and it’ll be good to warm you up from the strong winds.”
All the two hillbillies could do was nod. The front door opened. We followed our beautiful hostess into the Acalusian manor. Asel’s eyes widened at the sight of the interior, which was as stunning as the exterior.
“Wow–it’s like a castle out of a fairy tale.”
“Surely this is as good as it gets.”
The lobby, like the gardens, was quiet and elegant; if the mansion was a grand ode, the atmosphere here was reminiscent of a softly played nocturne. The dark, rich tones of the furniture and finishes throughout added to the air of secrecy.
A maid standing in the middle of the lobby bent down to greet me.
“You have come, my lord.”
“Yes, Liz. Please have tea ready in the parlor as I’ll be talking to the guests.”
“I see, and who are you, Mr. Asel?”
“Hey, is that me?”
The nominated Asel flinched, unable to understand why he was being called.
Then, something unintelligible slipped from the maid’s lips.
“Dry cleaning.”
“Hmm?”
That was the moment I realized it was a spell. A cool breeze or something like that blew in, and then my and Asel’s bodies emanated light. Less than a tenth of a second later, beneath the fading glow, a freshly bought garment emerged.
“What the hell.”
“To ——?”
“That’s it, I hope you’re comfortable.”
Liz bowed her head again. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened: all the stains and blemishes on her clothes were gone.
Adrian glanced over at us and smiled with satisfaction.
“Thanks, Liz. Have you gotten any better? You look as fluffy as a quilt dried in the spring sun.”
“You’re welcome, my lord. I’ll go prepare the tea now.”
Liz stepped away with a polite bow.
I chuckled to myself and looked at my cleaned clothes.
The smell of dirty water and dirty men was gone, and the room smelled like freshly laundered soap. It was a magic I’d like to learn more about.
“Liz is a cleaning magician, and it’s to her credit that Acalusia Manor stays immaculate year-round.”
“That’s amazing, I’d believe it if you told me you just bought it.”
“Woo hoo hoo, it’s not like some family still makes you wash your hands in a barbaric way, so shall we go?”
Adrian led us straight to the parlor. My first impression of her as pretty but cranky and mean was gradually fading – she’s just a nice person.
Just then, an indescribable groan escaped Asel’s mouth as he walked alongside Adrian.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
“What. What’s wrong?”
Asel’s face was as hot as a sun apple. Her shortness of breath threatened to turn into sobs. The car was about to poke him in the side to see what was wrong.
Like a thunderbolt, I realized why, and my mouth dropped open.
“Oh, shit.”
The maid’s face flashed before my eyes as she dared to call Asel by his name. Along with my request for a change of pants from the quartermaster. Biting his lower lip, Asel opened his mouth without turning his head.
“I’m done, Ronan.”
“——Inside the pants?”
“Like new—fluffy.”
Asel shook her head heavily. Eventually, tears began to roll down his smooth cheeks. The maid, Liz, had magically cleaned Asel’s pants with her amazing skill. A laundry that was only slightly dirtier than mine.
“Well, at least she did it, asshole, and she had a cute face, so maybe that’s a good thing.
“I’m done.”
“Damn.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say. All I could do was walk along, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn’t break the window and jump out.
“It’s Liz again. She’s got fast hands.”
In the ornate parlor, steaming cups of black tea were already set out with refreshments. Asel and I sat across from Adrian at a table in the center of the room.
She took a sip first, then offered me tea.
“Eat it. You’re well fed.”
“Oh, I’ll drink to that.”
Me and Asel drank it too. I could tell right away that this was a good tea. As soon as the black tea traveled down my esophagus, I felt a warmth spread through my body.
“——delicious.”
“Yeah. It’s killing me.”
It was the most wonderful tea I’d ever had in my life. My frozen body was thawing in the strong wind. Setting down his teacup, Adrian covered his lower canal with his fan again.
“Since we didn’t have a chance to talk earlier, let me introduce myself again. I am Adrian de Acalusia. Mother of Erzebet and current patriarch of House Acalusia, I’ve been impressed with your performance.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Gazoo. It was nothing.”
“Hoo hoo, too much modesty can be a detriment, and while it was amazing that you cleared the fog in one fell swoop, it was equally amazing that you made it into the garden without hitting a single reef. Was it Ronan who found the clue?”
“Nope. He did all that, didn’t he, Asel?”
He patted Asher on the back.
He sipped from his teacup with both hands and looked embarrassed.
“Yes, yes, yes, if you mean the shining path, that’s what I saw.”
“Ohhh, a path, even to the eye of someone with a modicum of magical talent, it would appear to be a bunch of glowing pebbles, you’re very perceptive, how far did the path lead?”
“Well–I saw it before the fog dissipated, so I can’t be sure, but I think it went all the way to the front of this mansion.”
“——what?”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. It was the look of someone who had heard a rumor they couldn’t believe. After a moment of silence, she spoke.
“If that’s true, you’re the most talented challenger of all time. You’re only the fifth person in the history of Acalusia to have seen ‘The Road to the Manor,’ and two of them are my daughter and my husband, which is honestly hard to believe.”
“Well, that’s impossible, but I wasn’t lying—!”
“I know you’re telling the truth, which is why I’m even more surprised. You’ve got some amazing people knocking on Acalucia’s door.”
His eyes bent over the fan. Asel’s stiff face relaxed slightly as a raspy laugh rippled through the parlor.
“Good.
I clenched my fists slightly and cheered. I’d gone for it, and things were going better than I’d expected. At this rate, I should be able to get Asel into the Quantum without a hitch, and I’d have something to use to track Akasha down.
“I’m glad you’re happy with him. He’s definitely a talent, and if you take him in, you’ll never regret it.”
“Woo hoo hoo, I’m glad to see two gems of talent here, and I’m sure Ronan is thinking of taking the entrance exam as well.”
“Of course, that’s what I came here for in the first place.”
“That’s great, can you take a look at this for me?”
Adrian absentmindedly pulled a vial from his arms. It was an ornate and expensive-looking bottle, fit for a high-grade potion, but it was filled with a thick orange liquid.
I scratched my head, wanting something.
“What is that?”
“It’s the only antidote to the poison you just drank. If you don’t take it within thirty minutes, your organs will melt away and you’ll die a horrible death. It has no taste or smell, so you probably didn’t even notice.”
“——Yes?”
Silence descended, and Asel, who was still sipping his tea, stiffened like a stuffed animal.
What the hell, I thought, as my hand moved before my head and reached for the hilt of my sword. A bundle of translucent chains shot out of the couch and wrapped around Asel and me.
“Hmph, hmph!”
“Holy shit, Asel!”
Asel let out a scream.
I shook off the chains in one swift motion and stamped my foot. It was strong, but no more so than Akasha’s, no more than a cord. The chains that had swallowed Asel like a snake shattered and scattered in the form of mana.
Adrian arched an eyebrow in interest.
“Great, my eyes weren’t wrong after all.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, you think all is forgiven when you’re the master of a great family?!”
“That’s usually the case, and I’m the one who wants to ask what’s going on.”
“What?”
“Just relax. There’s nothing I can’t give you.”
Suddenly, Adrian slams the vial with the antidote down on the table.
It was a benevolent gesture, as if to say, if you want to take it, take it.
“Lo, Ronan—!”
But I couldn’t. At the sound of a pleading voice, he turned around and saw Asel in chains once again. Unlike Dara, the chains descended from the ceiling, tightly wrapped around her slender neck. If Adrian lifted a finger, he would be hanged instantly.
“I apologize for the harshness, but I couldn’t help myself. I have a question for Ronan only, and I was wondering if you could answer it.”
“Answer?”
“First question, why did you lie and say you received an invitation when you didn’t?”
“What—.”
I forgot what I was going to say for a moment. Adrian interrupted.
“Only once before has Erzebeth extended an invitation to an outsider. It was at Phileon Academy three years ago, and the child had already been adopted into Acalusia. I’m sure you’re lying about receiving an invitation, so how you know the declaration of that year’s challenger is a mystery.”
“—Adeshan.”
“So you know the kid’s name, too. If you can’t answer that, that’s great. I’ll ask the next question.”
Adrian’s eyes were icy cold. All semblance of the kindly lady had vanished, leaving the cold master of Acalusia in charge.
Her violet eyes flashed sharply.
“I’ll ask you just once, Ronan, what on earth brought you to the Acalusian estate?”