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IBP 60
“I came by after hearing you played a big part in bringing in a buff-type ability user. Aren't you happy to see me?”
“I'm super happy! Caligo seems really happy to see me too.”
“Well, not exactly 'really' happy.”
“Yes you are! The shadow above your head is moving! It's practically dancing!”
Above his prickly expression, the shadow was dancing with great excitement.
Caligo's cheeks instantly flushed red.
“Caligo is subconsciously excited, so the shadow is moving along with him.”
“......Lord Belief helped me a bit, but it still keeps moving on its own if I don't consciously control it....... It's moving. It is absolutely not moving because I'm happy.”
“Wooong....... Still, the shadow must have studied a lot! The color is deeper than before!”
“......Yeah. But Lord Belief did look a bit tired.”
That was likely the case. No matter how great Belief's supernatural ability was, it must be exhausting to have so many people asking for help from all over.
“It's okay! He'll feel better soon!”
The Loki mine, my master's private property.
That mine was filled with mana crystals that could increase one's supernatural ability by as much as ten times.
It would take some time to dig up a large quantity of mana crystals, but if he just endured a little until then.......
‘......Still, I feel a tiny bit sorry for him.’
As I was thinking that, Caligo looked at me intently and spoke.
“You're the one who looks really tired.”
“I'm fine.”
Caligo, who had been staring at me, opened his mouth.
“Since the early spring is the social season, I think I'll stay at the Duke's residence until then and then return to the North. But, I'm absolutely not sad that I can't stay with you for a long, long time.”
“Strong denial usually means......”
“Absolutely not.”
I chuckled softly, looking at Caligo's reddened earlobes.
“Ung, I got it!”
Anyway, so the social season is starting, right?
It was a series of high-society events that began between late winter and early spring.
However, there was one strange thing.
‘In the future shown to me by the Dog Star friends, my sister was active during the social season.’
That was how she encountered the bad people who tormented her.
‘I was going to ask her to take me along during the social season if she started moving.’
But my sister was still staying only in the annex.
She didn't seem to have any interest in things like high society.
Or maybe.......
‘Did I miss something?’
* * *
“Is it here?”
The needle on the tracker flickered and made a loud beeping sound.
‘I'm not sure if this is a proper magic tool, but it should be around here.’
At this point, Caligo had recovered his health.
There was only one reason why he continued to stay in Duke Ardos's territory.
‘It seems this is the location where the incident occurs.’
The place he followed the tracker to was bleak at a single glance.
‘It's certainly a place where a murder could happen.’
However, there was one area where lanterns were lit in dense succession.
Beep, beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
As he drew closer to the lanterns, the noise from the tracker grew louder.
He rubbed his chin, watching the small needle at the end of the tracker move.
‘This is strange.’
Of all places, why here?
He looked around and encountered a servant tidying up the area while holding a lantern.
“Hello.”
“Ah, you startled me....... Ah! I greet His Highness Grand Duke Rivera. What brings you to Lady Chloe's annex.......”
He smiled thinly, naturally hiding the magic tool inside his clothes.
“Oh, I just got lost.”
It was a suspicious excuse by any standard, but Grand Duke Rivera was an ally of Duke Ardos.
The servant nodded as if it were no big deal.
“I see. I hope you return to your quarters safely. Or, shall I assign another servant to guide you?”
“No, that's fine. By the way, what is that big thing over there?”
“Ah, that?”
A space that looked quite grand and meticulously cared for.
He pointed toward something that looked like a massive stone building.
The servant holding the lantern looked where his finger pointed and asked back.
“Ah, do you mean Lady Chloe's dog grave?”
......Dog grave?
61 - IBP 61
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