Volume 1 Chapter 69 Mx. Margaret's Hidden Strength
Mx. Margaret was, as usual, smoking aromatic tobacco that smelled like orange chocolate outside their shop. They didn't seem surprised at all when I, Sir Ciel, Sir Roxas, and Sir Rail, who was wearing a fox mask, visited them.
"Oh, Lyd-Lyd, welcome! It looks like you've made more friends lately, that's great!"
"Mx. Margaret, good morning! I'd like some beef and pork, please."
"Sure! How much do you want?"
"A lot. I have plenty of money, so a lot..."
"I'll pay for it."
I wasn't sure how much we would need, but I thought it was better to have more. When I asked, Sir Roxas said it like it was obvious.
"N-no, I'll pay for it..."
"Don't worry. If we don't use the Girard family's wealth now, when will we?"
"Y-yes, thank you..."
"You're really desperate, Roxas."
Sir Roxas turned red when Sir Rail whispered something in their ear. Mx. Margaret wrapped up the chunks of pork and beef, and Sir Roxas paid for them. I put the wrapped meat into my bag.
The beef was more expensive than the pork, but I definitely needed to do something nice for Sir Roxas next time.
"Mx. Margaret, I have a favor to ask."
After we finished shopping, Sir Ciel spoke up.
"Oh? That's unusual. What do you want to know? Is it about what Lyd-Lyd likes? If you want advice on what would make Lyd-Lyd happy, I'm always here to help!"
"I want to know that too, but right now, what I need is for you to tell me where Lucian and the Moon Soul Cult are. I have a rough idea of the location. They're probably near the old Kirschtein territory. But I don't have time to find the exact spot. So, I want to borrow your power."
"I can't do that. I'm just a butcher, you know? I only do fortune-telling as a hobby."
At Sir Ciel's request, Mx. Margaret shrugged.
Sir Roxas and Sir Rail exchanged glances, looking up at Sir Ciel with worry.
They thought they might be asked to find the location through fortune-telling, but they never expected it to be true.
Even if Mx. Margaret was known as an accurate fortune-teller, it seemed difficult.
"Sir Ciel, Mx. Margaret, I'm in trouble... um, for example, it seems like the cult members dislike me, so... if I wander around the old Kirschtein territory, I might get attacked again... If that happens, maybe I can find out where they are."
"Are you saying you want to be a decoy?"
Sir Roxas frowned deeply.
"Of course, we will protect you, princess, but if someone from the cult shows up, we could capture them and get information about their location. But that would make you scared."
Hearing this from Sir Rail, I nodded.
"...It's okay. I'm fine, really."
"...I think Ms. Lydia's determination is amazing. We will protect you. But if possible, I want to settle this peacefully. Mx. Margaret, ...no, the Star Reader Priest. I know you are hiding your identity, but I urgently need to know. Time is of the essence."
"...the Star Reader Priest."
"I heard that you suddenly disappeared almost 20 years ago..."
Sir Roxas and Sir Rail seem to know about the Star Reader Priest.
I look up at Mx. Margaret, wondering what this means.
I thought Mx. Margaret was just a butcher, a fortune teller, and someone whose gender I couldn't quite tell.
"...I discarded that name. Just like you, Ciel."
"I'm...reflecting on my stubborn self right now. I'm was blind. I lived for a long time thinking I had to do the right thing, but I couldn't do anything. I was turning my back on the Wisteria family. It's time to face it. Aren't you the same?"
"...I guess so."
Mx. Margaret took a deep puff of aromatic tobacco and exhaled. I was getting used to the smell of orange chocolate drifting through the butcher shop.
But still, I felt uneasy.
"There must be a reason you chose to be by Ms. Lydia's side. I won't touch on that for now. More importantly, we need to find out where Lucian and the Moon Soul Cult are. Mx. Margaret, you understand without needing an explanation, right? Because you can see the future..."
"It's limited. Not everything, you know... But through fortune-telling, you can get pieces of information you want. This is true. Lyd-Lyd, don't make that worried face. I wasn't trying to deceive you."
"Mx. Margaret... um, what is a Star Reader priest?"
Since it's a priest, I guess it's someone related to the Rest priest family, the church, or the temple.
"A star-reader priest is, you see, princess. It's said to be a priest who could see the future and disappeared about 20 years ago from the kingdom. They existed in a hidden place deep within the Great Temple and were said to predict the fate of the country, but it seems that position is currently vacant."
Sir Rail explained, and I nodded.
"Is that Mx. Margaret...?"
"Well, there are various things in life. Life is full of surprises. There are all kinds of people, both women and men. So, let me do a reading for you. I'll find out Lucian's location and the Moon Soul Cult's whereabouts."
As Mx. Margaret put their aromatic tobacco back in the ashtray, they spread their arms wide.
Shiny cards appeared, swirling and mixing in the air like always.
A few cards floated out on their own, spinning in front of us while glowing with particles, showing their designs.
"The Devil and The Chariot... The Devil might be the Moon Soul Cult. But it feels a bit different. The Chariot is Lucian. His location is... underground. In the mountains. A lost place. Caution, fear, war, great fire."
As they spoke, a phantom-like scene appeared above the cards.
A dark underground passage with a river flowing down from the mountains.
In a place that looks like a temple made of bricks, water flows.
People wearing black hoods, and flames burning down the town.
Mx. Margaret closed their eyes, then slowly opened them.
Cards disappeared, leaving behind particles.
"...The old Kirschtein territory... The old Kirschtein territory was... back then, the Kirschtein Kingdom, right? That country was quite developed, even though it was small. Water was drawn into the underground waterways, and they used magic to pump up water for daily use. ...It's probably not in use now. There's no one to manage it."
"Is Mr. Lucian there...?"
"Maybe. I mean, he's probably there. My fortune-telling is accurate. He's weak, so he can't fight... Lyd-Lyd. I have something to tell you. When you come back safely..."
"Mx. Margaret, thank you...! I'll be fine, I'll definitely come back. Then we can have a mushroom tempura party together. We can drink sake too..."
"Lyd-Lyd..."
Mx. Margaret hugged my body tightly.
Then they looked up at Sir Ciel.
"Ciel Vermilion. I know the name of the ethereal demon king is not just for show. You must protect Lyd-Lyd properly. I think it's very noble to bind yourself with what is right and what you believe is the right action, but sometimes it's important to act on your feelings."
"...That's true, of course."
"The Girard brothers, I'm counting on you. Lyd-Lyd is... so fragile. I really want to say that I'll protect her, but I'm weak... I'm sorry."
"Mx. Margaret, please don't apologize... Thank you for your help."
I think Mx. Margaret had their own reasons for not wanting to reveal their position, just like Sir Ciel. When I stepped away from Mx. Margaret, I looked up at Sir Ciel.
"Sir Ciel, could you take me to the sewer...? When we teleport, my clothes might tear. But it's okay, today I'm wearing underwear that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show..."
"Ms. Lydia. That's a very tempting invitation, but I've also reflected on what happened the other day and changed the way I use magic a bit. Your clothes won't tear, but you might feel a little dizzy. Is that alright, Sir Roxas, Sir Rail?"
"That's fine."
"Roxas seems disappointed that your clothes won't tear, but it's okay."
"I'm not disappointed...!"
To make sure we wouldn't get separated during the teleport, I held hands with Sir Roxas and Sir Rail.
Sir Ciel's magic circle appeared at our feet.
And just like that, we teleported in an instant from the butcher shop to the old Kirschtein territory, with Mx. Margaret seeing us off.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)