[Side story] Two-arm scale (4)
There wasn’t a lot of time to spare.
Since the merchants’ insight and intelligence cannot be underestimated, it would be quick for the news to spread like this that Lortel is insane.
It is also understandable why Chief Secretary Rienna was so concerned about information security.
Moreover, in this matter, the enemy is within. The thing you need to be most wary of is Slog Keldlux, a fellow merchant at Elte Trading Company who is eating from a pot of rice.
As someone who works at the same company, he will smell it the moment he senses something suspicious in Lortel’s movements.
– ‘Still, Assistant Manager Hoeju used to go to Ross Taylor’s mansion once in a while without any reason. Look at Master Ed’s face. So even if you suddenly went to Duke Rosstaylor’s house, it wouldn’t seem suspicious.’
First of all, Lortel’s condition is not normal, so it is urgent to hide it.
If it is revealed that Lortel has fallen into this state, it is unclear what changes will occur in the power structure within the Elte Company.
– ‘A place where Deputy Lortel Hoeju can head without raising any suspicion. Yet, it is a place with the power and power to protect Deputy Lortel.’
In fact, there is only the Ross Taylor family. Rienna’s judgment was wise.
“…”
– rattle rattle.
As a result, Lortel and I were sitting facing each other in the carriage heading to the Rosstaylor mansion.
Until Lortel recovers, Rienna says she will do her best to cover up her absence. One way or another, he is a capable confidant.
“…Oh…”
The miser, who always had an alluring smile and seemed to see right through the other person, was looking at me with the purest eyes of the world.
A body swaying back and forth, driven by the vibrations of a rattling carriage. In his arms, he was tightly holding something that looked like an old and worn ledger and notebook. It’s quite fascinating to see them holding it as if it were a treasure.
“Where am I going? What about Lee Rienna? Can’t you see Rienna now…?”
The sight of him crying and holding the old notebook tightly shows that he is clearly frightened. I was instantly breathless at the gap that had completely changed from my usual self.
“Lienna… She said she would praise me if I stayed nice and quiet… She said she would take me to the beach with her…”
The sight of her sobbing flustered me. First, I decided to take a deep breath and calm down.
“You really… don’t remember anything…?”
Lortel buried his face in his notes, only revealing the glazed corners of his eyes, and nodded. I couldn’t help but sigh, but I spoke while maintaining my composure as much as possible.
“Then… can you explain what happened at that abandoned inn as you remember?”
“Yes, yes… Actually, there isn’t much…”
It’s not unusual for him to look hesitant, as if he’s still a bit awkward.
“When I came to my senses… I was collapsed in the overturned carriage… I was very scared, but Rienna came and calmed me down. And everything is fine, so wait here. “If I just stay still, someone will come to save me…”
It seems like he doesn’t remember much about himself.
I opened the document Lienna gave me and glanced at it. There was a detailed description of the situation at the time, but to summarize the main points, it is as follows.
Elte Chamber of Commerce central branch meeting to check the overall maintenance of the Chamber. A simple story about being attacked while riding in a carriage to attend a meeting.
It is said that on the way back to Old Deck after going out to work, the entire carriage was directly hit by a curse spell on the road along a remote valley.
Fortunately, the story ends with the fact that Secretary Lienna quickly heard the news and went to rescue Lortel, only to end up like this.
“…”
I frowned as I read the letter, scanning my chin.
There are more than one or two parts that are unnatural. The fact that Lortel had allowed such an attack so easily, and the fact that the cautious Slog had used such violent means. In addition, they even used an ambiguous method, such as using cursed magic.
If they wanted to raid Lortel and neutralize him, they would have simply captured him and imprisoned him somewhere, or, in a more extreme case, planned an assassination.
Of course, the risk may not be normal, but it is at least more certain than neutralizing it with such an ambiguous curse spell.
Although I have not yet properly met the merchant named Slog Keldlux, I have heard about his tendencies.
I heard that he was a cautious person who even put Lortel on guard, so I don’t take this situation well.
“…As you may have heard, you are the leader in charge of a large company.”
“Yes yes… I know that…”
“Did Lienna tell you?”
“Yes, there is that too, but here… it’s all written down…”
I was holding the ledger note tightly as if it were a precious treasure from earlier. When I asked what it was, it seemed to be a work note that he had organized before losing his memory.
The current Lortel read the diary and reflected on what kind of person he was in the past.
How they worked, how they governed people, how they made money, and how they lived.
Was the thought process at least roughly written down?
I thought it might be a good idea to check, so I held out my hand and said,
“Can I look at that note for a moment?”
When Lortel said that, he was startled and held the notebook tighter.
“Oh no!”
“You said no…?”
“I can’t…”
Maybe he didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation.
“Lortel… you are truly precious. Depending on what happens to you, many people’s lives will be at a crossroads. So, if there are any clues, I have to check them all out.”
“I… I know that, but… Well… But even if I feel dizzy, I can clearly know this. I must never show the contents of this note to Ed…”
Isn’t he in a state where he doesn’t even have proper memories?
Nevertheless, Lortel, unconsciously feeling that he had to cherish that notebook, held on to it until the end and never let go.
I thought about it for a while, but then I said I understood and acknowledged it.
I don’t know what clues might be in the notebook, so I’ll have to check it first, but it doesn’t have to be now.
Above all, I did not want to make Lortel, whose psychological state was unstable, scarier. Anyway, you can check it out as much as you want after going to Ross Taylor Mansion. Just because you’re a Lortel, you can’t keep your notebook close to you 24 hours a day, so you can just quietly order the employee to bring it to you.
I looked at Lortel quietly and sighed in resignation.
“Okay… Anyway, let’s go back to the mansion and talk in more detail.”
Now is the time to be considerate of Lortel’s condition. From Lortel’s perspective, it must have felt like he had lost all his memories and was suddenly kidnapped in a carriage to a distant duchy.
“Anyway, I’m on your side, so just know that. It would be a bit uncomfortable if you suddenly asked me to trust you when I was meeting you for the first time while my memories were vague…”
“Oh no… I trust you… It’s scary, though.”
It can be said that it is very Lortel-like to say clearly what needs to be said, even if hesitating, no matter how much one goes back to one’s childhood.
“I know Master Ed is on my side. It’s… a little different from what I imagined… The scary part still remains…”
“…Imagination?”
“It’s nothing special… It’s just… It’s just… Yes, that’s it.”
He lowers his gaze and sweats profusely.
I watched him quietly and thought there was no need to question him further, so I just nodded.
*
“This… that’s how it happened.”
The meals prepared by the mansion’s chef are quite delicious.
It was natural since he personally scouted someone who worked in the imperial kitchen.
Still, the sight of Lortel holding a fork in her hand and stuffing soufflé pancakes and vegetables into her mouth… was an unbelievable sight to anyone who knew her true personality.
Yenika was also shocked as she looked at Lortel.
“This…is…Lortel…?”
Even though Jenica was embarrassed, she quietly looked at Lortel sitting at one side of the large table and eating cheerfully.
As Yenika has always been on good terms with Lortel, it seems like she has no idea how to deal with him.
“The merchants were competing with each other and fell into a ruse that led to this?”
“okay. According to what I found out, it is a curse-type magic called ‘regression’. “It’s not that high-level magic, but I heard it’s not very practical because the conditions for using it are very strict and its efficacy is limited.”
“I think I’ve heard it before in magic class. “I heard that magic has become obsolete because there are a lot of magical ingredients to prepare and many environmental requirements… Is there a reason to use such magic?”
“Well… what is certain is that Lortel is now completely neutralized. It’s not just something that can be felt by looking at the person’s actions, there’s almost no magical power that can actually be felt. “It seems clear that he has been directly hit by a curse.”
First of all, since it is a curse spell, the effect is not permanent. The problem is that we don’t know when it will return to its original state.
“I didn’t hear the exact circumstances. “All I know is that I was hit by a carriage while on the move.”
“I see… Lortel is having a hard time too… I’ve heard a lot of stories about merchants competing for power and wit, but I never thought it would get to this point…”
“It’s delicious!”
Lortel, who shouted with the purest face in the world, spoke with a light in his eyes.
I couldn’t believe that this girl could make such an honest expression.
“You are so delicious! I’m happy… woo woo woo. “I can’t breathe…”
“Eat slowly…”
Yenika gently pushed a bottle of cold water in front of Lortel, who was happily eating his food.
Lortel, who was taking a gulp of water and drinking it, laughed out loud and made a sound like “hahaha”.
“Thank you! sister!”
“…”
“You are so kind!”
A bright smile.
Seeing the smile that was always so cunning like that of a snake overlapped with it, I felt even more deeply how pure that smile was, like a piece of paper.
The gap is truly scary.
As she knew very well what Lortel was like on a regular basis, this pure appearance of Lortel was even more fatal to Yenica.
Seeing Yenika’s anxious appearance, as if a small mammal whining, her unique protective instinct must have appeared… She turned her head with a huffing sound.
“Ahh…”
“…”
“I’m sorry… Baron… I was so rude…” “
…”
“I didn’t know the main topic… I’m sorry. “I’m going to do it…”
Lortel was intimidated and put down his fork and lowered his head. Jenica watched quietly and clutched her chest as if she had been hit by a gun.
No matter what, Lortel’s appearance is pretty and cute. In particular, that shy face that is characteristic of a young child has the feeling of tickling a person’s heart.
Yenica slowly stood up, panting, and spoke while holding both of Lortel’s hands.
“Oh no…”
And for some reason, he said while trying to control his trembling pupils…
“That… just… call me unnie…”
Is that right, Yenika…..
Is that really true?….
*
“Yes, I think it’s true that I was hit by curse magic. Above all, the magical energy itself has noticeably weakened, clearly showing signs of forced regression due to external factors.”
There are many people you can consult about magic, but the closest expert is there.
Although he is currently unable to properly manipulate magic due to the recoil from Professor Glast’s use of the Phoenix Ring, he is a person who is comparable to most professors in terms of related knowledge.
When I wondered where Lucy was, I found her hanging out in the garden of the Ross Taylor mansion. After being tormented by the maids, he finally ran out and was sitting on a bench.
When I came to see him for the first time in a while, he wasn’t noticeably flushed, but he was still stomping his feet in excitement. I’m glad you’re still in good health.
“If you are truly under the ‘regression’ curse, the answer is to just wait until it is lifted. I think it probably won’t take that long, but the problem is that you don’t know the other person’s intentions…”
“That’s what I meant.”
If it was Slog’s plan to neutralize Lortel, it worked as desired.
In that case, it was clear that Lortel would make some move now that he could not take appropriate action.
“Rienna’s chief secretary said he would do something right away, but I don’t think Lienna can handle that old colossus, who even Lortel is wary of…” “Shouldn’t
you take the initiative yourself? “What am I… I can’t even use magic, so I can’t help you…”
“I’m not looking for any help in particular. “For now, take good care of yourself and work on restoring your magic power.”
“…”
Lucy grunted and looked across the garden.
Lortel, who ran around the lawn alongside the pet dogs raised by the residents of the mansion, was just an innocent girl of that age.
Like Yenika, Lucy broke into a cold sweat at the sight of such disparity.
“It’s embarrassing to see it in person.”
“So… do you know anything else about the ‘degeneration’ curse? Something like a way to hasten Haeju’s fate or an aftereffect…”
“Hmm… honestly, it wasn’t a very efficient magic. There are so many things to prepare and so many conditions… You know those basic things well…”
Lucy yawned with a sigh and buried her head in my lap, rubbing her eyes.
And he waved his foot in the air and said there was nothing he could do right now.
“The good news is that with time, everything will return to normal. That merchant is also strangely kind. “It feels like I’m moving in a way that doesn’t endanger my life.”
“I too am feeling a strange sense of discomfort.”
“Anyway, once things get back to normal, all the memories from before will come back. It’s not like the memories I experienced in my current state will disappear. So, it won’t be a big problem, but…”
At that moment, I heard words that I couldn’t take lightly.
In short, the things Lortel experiences and talks about in his current state will remain engraved in Lortel’s memory once the curse is lifted.
The sight of that lively girl running around the garden with the workers’ pet dog and then jumping into the arms of Belle, who was guarding her…
If her memories come back, it will be a story of her remembering everything she did…
“ Now… you’re building up a dark history for yourself…”
Lortel, who was running around laughing brightly, made eye contact with me and waved both arms in greeting.
He was so shy in the carriage, but after only half a day at most, he was smiling as if he had never seen it before. The child’s unique ability to adapt was clearly revealed.
Then, he falls down on the lawn, and soon he wakes up with tears in his eyes…
Lortel…
you… what are you going to do after you come to your senses…
I keep saying this, but I really… don’t know… ..
“If I get my memories back… If it were me, I think I would just want to die.”
It was impossible to refute Lucy’s unmistakable sentiments.
From then on, time just passed by. Because there wasn’t much I could do in the first place.
I was in no position to go all the way to Old Deck and take the lead in dealing with the business, and if I had unnaturally intervened in the first place, there was a high possibility that I would be viewed as more suspicious.
Therefore, I decided to leave Oldeck’s work to Secretary Rienna for now, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t anxious. Once this work was completed, it seemed necessary to visit the Old Deck one more time.
Still, the priority was to protect Lortel well until she recovered, so I instructed Belle to look after her as best as possible.
As a result, Lortel spent his time running around the Ross Taylor mansion for about five days.
She was sometimes found rolling around the garden, bumping into the owner’s pet dog, or taking a nap under a zelkova tree with Lucy…
Sometimes, Jenica was seen taking her around, giving her a bath, dressing her, and feeding her.
He quickly became friends with the residents of the mansion… Even while running around the hallways, he would always greet the residents cheerfully when he saw them.
At some point, he naturally blended into the mansion and became like a mascot, always smiling innocently.
“You know, Yenika seems like a really nice person! “When I grow up, I want to become a wonderful and beautiful person like Yenika!”
However, the reason why I break into a cold sweat every now and then is because of the fact that the dark history that Lortel is accumulating is becoming bigger and bigger than I can handle…
“Lucy, too! It is said that when he was at the peak of his magic power, he even faced the gigantic Holy Spear Dragon! “I want to become that kind of cool, great wizard!”
Lortel…
now… please… stop…
you’ll have to deal with the shame later… I don’t know why I should be worried along with you…
“Me! When I grow up… I want to be a princess! “A princess who wears a nice dress and lives happily in a palace with a prince!”
Please…
please… stop…
you really… how are you going to handle it…
*
It was towards the end of the fifth day that the situation changed.
When I was going around the mansion to check on the work status of the employees… Belle came to me in a hurry.
He took out a letter from his pocket on one side of the hallway and held it out to me with a serious expression.
“A distinguished guest has applied for permission to visit the Ross Taylor family home. He said he would like to meet Tanya, the owner of the Ross Taylor family, and Master Ed, his brother.”
“who?”
Belle looked around, lowered her voice, and spoke.
“It’s Slog Keldlux.”
Did you smell something?
The story was that the snake serpent, the current owner of Elte Company, would come to the Ross Taylor mansion in person.
