* * *
It was a pitch-black night. Duke Reshaniel was on his way to Bartolamyu, the emperor’s beautiful resort island.
“Long ago, there was a prophecy that the lucky stone exists here.”
He was the protagonist of this world. As if the world itself was helping him, information about the prophecy had made its way to him. Satisfied with that fact, Duke Reshaniel continued on toward Bartolamyu Island.
“Your Grace, is it really okay to sneak onto an island owned by His Majesty?”
“Who knows.” Duke Reshaniel didn’t care about things like that. As long as he slipped in quietly, grabbed the lucky stone, and left, that was all that mattered.
His ever-worried aide spoke up cautiously. “Your Grace, that… I’m worried we might get caught. Should we send in the mages?”
Duke Reshaniel’s icy gaze lingered on several men behind him, who looked like hostages. They had been brought along, bound tightly to the wagon like prisoners. Every one of them had their mouths gagged and their eyes blindfolded.
“No. We’ll need them if we want to search every inch.”
Of course, there was a risk. If it were ever discovered that he had kidnapped mages, locked them up, and was draining their mana, he would turn the Magic Tower into his enemy. And whatever’s left of my reputation would be utterly destroyed… The thought made his brow furrow in anger. Damn Giselle. This is all that b*tch’s fault.
Clenching his fist, he stared up at the temple atop the high mountain. It was the holiest place on Bartolamyu Island. “Move as quickly and quietly as possible.”
The aide bowed his head deeply and answered with unwavering loyalty.
“…Understood, Your Grace. Shall I take care of that broken stone you’re holding?”
“Broken stone, you say.”
Perhaps because it had absorbed countless different powers from others at random and without mercy, it cracked nearly in half… But it’s still doing its job just fine. Gripping the half-cracked lucky stone, he answered coldly. “Stop worrying about pointless things. Head for the temple now.”
It was just a stone, after all. Was it really fitting for someone like him to fret over a mere stone as if his life depended on it? With dark eyes, Duke Reshaniel gazed up at the temple.
It was a night of utter silence. Not even the squeak of a rat could be heard as they scurried quietly past Duke Reshaniel’s feet.
* * *
Back to the capital once more. Here, there was one very tiny hamster. A little hamster who believed more than anyone in the saying, ‘Daytime words are heard by birds, nighttime words are heard by rats.’ As befitted a tiny informant, the hamster understood Giselle’s intentions well and had been independently gathering evidence that ‘Duke Reshaniel is doing trashy things’…
“Ivanka, are you a hamster?”
“Uh, huh?!”
The sunflower seed Ivanka had been holding dropped from their hand with a soft plop. Once again, before heading out, Ivanka had transformed into a hamster and was enjoying a precious meal. And now, Riwes had caught her in the act…
With a little pop, Ivanka instantly returned to human form. “H-How long have you been there?”
“Since earlier! I was hiding without even breathing, and you didn’t notice me!”
Unlike the brightly smiling Riwes, Ivanka blinked with a completely blank expression.
I-I got caught. That I’m a hamster… But maybe because Giselle already knew, it didn’t feel quite as bad. Caitlyn had bullied her, but Giselle had called her a cute baby hamster…
“Yes, I-I really am a hamster!” This time, Ivanka didn’t run away. She bravely clenched her fists and waited for whatever Riwes would say next.
“Really? That’s so cute!”
…Maybe because she could feel the fondness in his gaze as though he truly found her adorable. Ivanka became far calmer than before.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Huh…? Why are you going?”
“I’m going to see Madam Giselle. I have some information to report.”
At the mention of Giselle, Riwes’s eyes sparkled. “Really? T-Then I want to go too!”
“No, you can’t.”
Watching Ivanka shake her head with surprising charisma, Riwes tilted his head in confusion. “Why not?”
“It’s confidential!”
At that, Riwes’s blue eyes sparkled like sunlight on water. “Wow, that sounds so cool and serious!”
The moment Riwes finished speaking, Ivanka already dashed off toward Giselle’s room door. Faster than anyone, before there was even time to stop her.
* * *
“Ivanka?”
I was reading a letter, thinking how strangely empty the bedroom felt without Duke Kalinos, when Ivanka suddenly appeared, opening my door.
Ivanka glanced around quickly, then came closer to the sofa where I was sitting. “Madam Giselle!”
“Huh?”
Ivanka handed me a letter in which she had written down the information she’d uncovered, whispering as she did so. The words written at the top of the letter were astonishing.
“…Duke Reshaniel’s current location and the whereabouts of the lucky stone? How did you find this out? I was just about to start investigating.”
“Ivanka worked with the scouts the duke sent! Ivanka could do it because Madam Giselle believed in me!”
“Oh my, my little baby hamster…”
Ivanka had grown up so well. Very, very well. As I wiped away my tears, Ivanka spoke up with cheerful determination.
“Ivanka thought about Madam Giselle and ate lots of bread and dessert, so Ivanka got stronger too. And while thinking about Madam Giselle, Ivanka worked hard like a hamster and chased away all the sewer rats too!”
“Oh my, well done. My baby!” Still, as proud as I was, there was something I had to make clear. “You did great. Really, you did an amazing job.”
“Yes!”
I smiled gently and patted Ivanka’s head softly. “Yes, you did wonderfully. But from now on, no more dangerous work. It was okay until now, but from now on, it’s truly dangerous.” Remembering that damned mosquito’s despicable nature, I decided it was best for Ivanka to stay out of it.
Ivanka turned her round eyes obediently, then placed her small hand over mine and spoke solemnly. “…Yes! I-I won’t anymore!”
“Seal the promise.”
“Yes…”
After firmly stamping our promise, Ivanka left, looking both somewhat spirited and oddly dejected at the same time. Left alone in the bedroom, I let out a deep sigh and stretched.
“Well then, I guess it’s time to go catch that piece of trash.”
As for how exactly I should catch that garbage mosquito b*stard whose eyes had completely rolled back over to finding the lucky stone right this instant…
While pondering deeply, I summoned Coocoo, the dragon who had been remaining invisible on the floor. Coocoo sat in the spot Ivanka had vacated and shrieked noisily.
“Coo! (That guy is on Bartolamyu Island, the ancient island and the emperor’s resort island?)”
“That’s right.”
“Coo? (You can’t just enter that place freely, though.)”
“He’s lost his mind, so he probably snuck in.” That’s exactly why I drove him into the edge. So he’d keep being forced into a corner and making the wrong choices.
At my biting assessment, Coocoo spread its wings and whispered. “Coocoo. (So what should we do? What do you want me to do?)”
Still deep in thought, I stroked my chin. My husband had gone off to hunt monsters. And as for me, my job now was to weaken Duke Reshaniel’s forces as much as possible…
“Coocoo.”
“Coocoo? (Yes?)”
I gently stroked Coocoo’s head and asked sweetly, “You can use summoning magic, right?”
“Coo. (I can, but…)”
I grinned and lifted Coocoo up. “Alright, it’s time to become a real villain.”
“Coo? (What does a real villain do?)”
“We’re going to make use of the cards we have…. So, think about it. Among all the people I know, who’s the best?”
After flapping its wings in deep thought for a while, Coocoo quietly asked back, “Coocoo? (… Isn’t the emperor?)”
My eyes sparkled as I watched the little dragon flutter its wings. “My Coocoo, you’re so clever.”
* * *
It was a very, very deep night. The location was in Bartolamyu, the emperor’s beautiful resort island.
“It’s almost over.”
Duke Reshaniel climbed toward the temple atop the mountain. Because this place was protected by barriers due to being the emperor’s island, using magic here required even more mana than usual. So even though sweat poured down like rain, he had no choice but to continue walking.
After endlessly gritting his teeth and pressing forward, the temple entrance finally came into view. A sinister smile spread across Duke Reshaniel’s lips. Finally, once I open this door…
But at that very moment, noisy chatter could be heard near the door. Even though it was clearly not the time for the emperor to visit for vacation.
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