Chapter 301: It Was Over Before I Could React
“Thanks for your hard work.”
I handed a cup of wine to Retze, who was seated.
“What about the meal?”
“I ate, but it was only a little, so let me nibble on something.”
I see, so he can’t eat much.
“Then if you can’t handle the big bread, I’ll take care of this.”
“A stick?”
“It’s bread, bread.”
Is it called grissini? That crunchy bread that looks like a stick. It’s not a stick.
“You can eat it as is, but feel free to wrap it in prosciutto or dip it in olive oil.”
I served a small portion of roasted bell peppers, butter-fried potatoes, boiled eggs, and avocado salad. As I sliced the duck, the butler began to serve. Hot minestrone in cups.
“Duck, huh? Tastes good.”
“It pairs well with wine.”
Retze and Ash were the first to dig into the roasted duck, which was slowly cooked red meat. The juices didn’t burst out immediately, but the flavor deepened with each bite.
“This stick-like thing goes well with alcohol.”
“Seriously? Give me a bit.”
Dinoss showed interest upon hearing it paired well with wine. It’s more about whether it goes with the drink than the bread’s deliciousness, huh?
“Sure. Karn, you want some too?”
“I’ll take it.”
If it’s popular, then it’s popular.
“For dessert, we have small tarts. Ash gets the bigger one.”
Everyone except Ash said it was delicious, but they seemed to prefer snacks that go with alcohol over sweets.
“…Is this a peach?”
Retze looked suspicious. Yes, it’s a peach; just eat it without thinking too much.
“Is it about that on your backside?!”
With Retze’s comment, it seemed to jog Dinoss’s memory too.
“I thought you might be tired from the dungeon. It’s good for your skin.”
“Don’t start using polite language!”
“Indeed. It’s delicious.”
Ash was already eating.
“Lord Jean…?”
The butler called my name with a smile.
“If you’re going to involve me, at least remove the effects on my backside.”
Retze glanced at Ash as she said this. Wait, no, that’s not it!
“Huh? What? Is it different?”
He seemed surprised that his thoughts were off, pondering for a moment.
“Ah, is it because Retze’s complexion looks bad? I guess I’ll go along with it. Shiva seems to like it.”
Saying that, Dinoss took a bite of the tart. Will he keep that nice backside until he returns to Kanum?
“Hmm…”
Karn took a bite. Even though it was small, I thought it would normally take two bites.
Two people who have someone to show their backsides to…!!!
“…Since we’re here, I guess I’ll eat it. But you’re eating too, right?”
“Eh?”
Retze’s smiling pressure was intense…!
In the end, we all ended up with nice backsides. I haven’t checked, though.
“As for the Fairy Path, to get straight to the point, it seems it can no longer be used.”
After finishing our meal and settling down, we began discussing the Fairy Path.
“That’s… I’ve heard it can appear and disappear whimsically, but since the False Hero used it with a purpose, isn’t it an old one?”
The butler questioned Retze’s words.
“Old?”
I tilted my head.
“It refers to the Fairy Path that has existed for a long time and is stable.”
Dinoss explained.
Since we came to the Fortress City with the Spirit Sword in mind, it means we used a path that could lead us to our intended destination, so it shouldn’t be a whimsical path that appears and disappears.
“I heard the False Hero consumed a bit of the Spirit when he returned. After that, the entrance closed for a while, but it was probably because Jean sent a large number of Spirits toward Kanum.”
“Eh, me?”
I didn’t think it was that many. It was just the one that followed me from the Temple, right?
“It’s common for retainer Spirits to follow the movement of stronger Spirits.”
Karn muttered. Is it my fault!?
“It’s just a guess based on what I’ve heard from people connected to the Temple and Dinoss’s lord. —The god at the Hero Shulm’s place is probably the same as the one in this Temple, right?”
“Yeah. It has the same name and attribute as that ball.”
“Ball…”
The butler repeated my words in a murmur. I think it’s just a ball.
“They say the Fairy Path connects places where many of the same retainers gather, and places where other Spirits don’t mix much. So, it seems the False Hero consumed a bit too much, and after you moved a fairly strong Spirit from the Temple, the entrance disappeared.”
“The entrance was at the Temple?”
Did the False Hero come and go from such a conspicuous place?
“No, we haven’t pinpointed it yet, but it was in an alley near the Temple. The Temple has a lot of people coming and going, as well as Spirits attached to them, so while it can’t be above ground, it seems it can be below. However, since this is a Light Spirit, it can’t be underground. Well, some of the priests here seemed to know the location.”
“I’ve heard rumors for a long time, but it’s impressive how quickly you gathered them.”
The butler expressed his admiration.
“Thanks to the False Hero using it, it’s confirmed that the path exists, and with the entrance disappearing, those who knew about it are probably getting careless. I already knew that the False Hero used the path and that Jean moved the Spirits before gathering information.”
Retze shrugged, saying it was easy.
“Next, it seems that regarding the Spirit Sword, Rosa and the others were pressured by the False Hero through the Lord.”
“That’s good. Since he was persistent with me, I hope he gets troubled as much as possible.”
Dinoss laughed a little uncomfortably. The Spirit Sword should have been sold at a high price pretty quickly, so it must have been quite a hassle to recruit him.
“Sorry for bringing up something unrelated, but can I ask one thing?”
Ash inquired.
“What is it?”
“Why does Jean see the goddess Namina as a Ball of Light?”
“—Because she’s weakened?”
“Has she fallen to a state weaker than Az?”
Huh?