Chapter 447: It’s the Other Way Around
After spending a few days quietly working on the farm, I received a message from the spirit of Ash’s bracelet about my return. That was quicker than I expected.
I hurriedly packed a steaming hot apple pie into a basket I had taken out from [Storage] and used [Teleportation] to rush to Ash’s house. When I knocked on the back door, the butler opened it as if he had been waiting for me.
“Welcome back.”
“Yeah, I’m home.”
It’s a relief to be safe.
I was greeted by Ash, who seemed to have just come out of the bath and was relaxing in the living room. While exchanging greetings, I summoned the Atmosphere Spirit and asked it to dry Ash’s hair.
“Was it tough?”
“No, we mostly stayed at the inn. The Guild was with Dinoss and Haulon.”
The Great Sage must have been quite active.
“Did everything settle down?”
“Yeah.”
I was invited to sit down, and we began to talk.
“What about the situation in the Fortress City?”
“Honestly, it feels like I’ve been tricked by a fox; I don’t really understand it.”
“Huh?”
“The lord of Anoma’s family has been unable to leave the Temple. — Ash, this is from Lord Jean.”
It seemed the butler had come back with the contents of the basket I handed him at the back door.
On the tray the butler held were a plate with the apple pie and some tea.
“I’ll have some. It’s been a while since I’ve had Jean’s sweets.”
As Ash happily dug into the apple pie with his fork, the diamond-patterned crust crumbled delightfully.
As Ash took a bite, flowers seemed to bloom in the background.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Here, have this too.”
I dropped a small round plate I had taken out from [Storage] next to the hot apple pie.
The plate contained vanilla ice cream, which began to melt as it touched the warm pie.
I wondered if ice cream would be too cold in winter, and thought about using whipped cream instead, but this room was warm. The butler must have added extra firewood to the Fireplace to ensure Ash wouldn’t feel cold after his bath.
“This is delicious. I see apple pies in town, but Jean’s is the best.”
Ash praised it wholeheartedly. I felt a bit pleased, thinking about the sugar and ingredients.
This apple pie was slightly sweeter for Ash’s taste, but the tartness of the apples was refreshing. The cinnamon was just enough not to overpower the apple’s aroma. I made a generous batch, but the apples smelled so good.
The crust crumbled nicely on top, while the part that clung to the apples soaked up the melted cinnamon sugar juice, making it deliciously chewy. If there were too many chewy parts, it might become overwhelming, but it was just right. Yeah, I did well.
“The lord’s family of Anoma is injured and at the Temple. There was a fire, and it seems many of the servants are unwell to some extent, but one person was safe — that was the younger sister of the girl in question.”
“Yeah.”
The extent of the fire’s impact probably correlates with Ash’s injuries.
According to Chris, they had been keeping the Emerald Lord’s younger sister confined in the mansion, so the servants must have been actively watching over her or turning a blind eye.
“In the Fortress City, the rumor is that the one who was safe is the spirit’s beloved.”
“The spirit’s beloved…?”
“That means a human loved by the spirit. In a crisis like this, if someone is mysteriously unharmed, people tend to think they received the spirit’s aid.”
The butler added this explanation.
No, that’s not how it is. It’s not that they saved that younger sister; it’s just that the rest of the people were unfortunate. The fire spread because the spirit was furious, causing what should have been a small fire to grow larger.
“Given the desperate situation and the return from the Demon Forest, some speculate that the older sister might be the beloved as well. Because of that, they both easily shared the damages they suffered under the protection of the Temple and the Guild. I’ve also heard that the lord’s eldest son spoke out of fear of the spirit.”
Does that mean the lord’s side lacks the power to control the Temple and the Guild? The fire wouldn’t be something they could hide, and rumors would spread in town.
“The lord’s authority was strong in the Fortress City, but… even if a replacement lord were sent from the Royal Capital, this issue is unlikely to spill over here.”
Ash seemed to be recalling how things were in the Fortress City. Even with strong authority, if everyone is injured…
“We received a significantly larger reward from both the Fortress City and Kanum Guild than initially promised. It likely includes hush money.”
The butler poured me another cup of tea.
“For me, as long as everyone is safe and we can continue to live in peace, that’s all that matters. But I hope they won’t take too many risks.”
I wish they would call me before doing something reckless.
“Yeah. I’ll be careful.”
Ash said this with a serious expression, though he smiled just a little.
Afterward, I delivered some apple pie and side dishes to the rental house. When Retze and Haulon found out the truth behind the fire incident, they pulled my cheeks and shouted at me.
Dinoss was okay with it, but Retze, the one directly involved, scolded me the most. As long as everyone is safe, that’s what matters.