#025. Rabbit (2)
Water, when it gathers and stagnates, is bound to rot.
Humans are no different.
When they live together for long, the corrupt are bound to appear.
Religion is much the same.
The Sun God—the origin and supreme deity of this world.
The Solar Order that worships him, and the Divinos Holy Empire that has declared it the state religion and uses the title of Sacred Emperor.
It is in this very Holy Empire that a system has been rampant since three years ago.
‘Indulgences.’
The contents were simple.
They forgive sins in the name of God.
The price for it is money or valuables.
This system caused an enormous uproar.
Among the nobles, they began to enjoy killing by placing bets on human lives, and soon came to affix prices to all other manner of evils and grant them justification.
Thus, the Holy Empire rotted from its very roots, and its branches stretched long into the surrounding lands.
One of the places where those roots took hold was Rowen.
Though they do not yet use indulgences as openly as the Holy Empire, they have been completely permitted where witches are concerned.
Though they begin from the same mana, magic is the origin of nature, while sorcery is the heretical art.
With such fixed notions in place, witch hunts and indulgences had become inseparable.
And so, the nobles of Rowen sank deeply into the new pleasures brought by witch hunts and indulgences.
In the Third District of Rowen, in front of a certain mansion.
A butler with salt-and-pepper hair greeted his master, who was staggering drunk.
"Oh my! Count! How could you come in so drunk again today!"
"Shut up! You're noisy!"
Count Rodrigo was spending a comfortable and luxurious retirement after stepping down from his position as captain of the royal guard.
"Whew, someone will hear you at this rate...."
"What! So what! I! Huh! Crossed swords with the king here! Huh! Bathed with him too! Huh! Did it all!"
"Yes, yes, I know very well. So please, try to maintain some dignity...."
"Khaak! Ptui!"
The count staggered toward his room, then stopped as if something had come to mind.
"Wait.... Wait.... Hey, Alex...."
"Yes, speak, my lord."
"I told you to go down and buy the freshest one today, didn't I?"
"Yes, of course I have prepared her."
"Phew... shit...."
The count lowered his hand and scratched his groin.
"Will I be able to do it today?...."
Suddenly sullen, he let out a deep sigh.
Having grown old, lost his mana, and set down his sword, his virility had weakened beyond compare.
"Drinking makes it worse...."
"Count."
The butler approached Rodrigo even closer and spoke in a quiet voice.
"I... went to the black market... and bought a potion made by a real witch...."
"Wh-what! You rascal! How dare you without my permission!"
He shouted loudly, then laughed with a silly grin and patted the butler's shoulder.
"Doing such a pretty thing.... Tell me more."
"It's made from grinding up a minotaur's member... and the effect... is huge."
The butler twisted both hands into a lewd shape.
At that sight, the corners of the count's mouth twitched.
"Hmm...."
He seemed to ponder for a moment, then threw back his waist and shouted loudly.
"Let's! Go!"
The two laughed heartily and set off for the secret place within the mansion.
And behind them, in the shadow beneath the wall.
A Rabbit draped in a pitch-black cape was watching them.
***
Inside the mansion, on the path to the underground warehouse.
"Count, how is the effect?"
"Good.... Very good...."
Along with a hangover-curing herb, the count swallowed the special potion made from grinding up a minotaur's member in one gulp.
The effect was tremendous.
His lifelong companion, which had been wilted, was now standing fully upright.
"Hehe, tell me about the girl you bought this time."
"She is the highest quality. Seeing as she travels alone at this time, she is definitely not a noble's child, yet nobility drips, drips from her face. Hehe."
"Good, ah... very good."
Perhaps growing impatient, he walked two steps ahead of the butler.
Finally, the stairs were ending, and a firmly shut door came into view.
"Let's hurry."
"Ah, yes. There is one thing that slightly concerns me."
"What is it?"
"The girl is extremely composed. As if she had expected this to happen."
"Oh? So what. There is a different flavor in that alone."
"......."
"Isn't that right?"
There was no answer.
"Why don't you answer...."
The moment he turned his head, he collapsed to the floor.
"Huek!"
Because the butler who had been following behind was dead, his face still wearing a silly grin.
"Ah, Alex!"
At the count's cry, the butler's corpse slowly crumpled.
And the Rabbit mask that had suddenly appeared swung a dagger.
Rodrigo instinctively pulled his body back from his time as a knight.
But it backfired.
His neck was half-severed.
The count writhed in pain, unable to even scream.
Even then, his precious companion could not lower its head.
"Tch, filthy."
As the count's body slumped down, the Rabbit rummaged through his clothes and found the key.
Immediately, he began to unlock the firmly locked door.
Thinking of the luggage who would be crying, or perhaps having lost her mind half-abandoned.
Unlike usual, his hands were hurried.
At the same time, he tilted back the stifling mask.
Long black hair flowed down.
Click.
The moment the last lock was undone, he forcefully opened the door.
"Hanna!"
"...Huh?"
Beyond the door was someone who should not have been there.
A beauty in a seductive dress with her front loosened.
Yet inside, an old woman of unknown age.
It was Ekhirna, the Witch of Sagacity.
"Half-human? What brings you here?"
"......."
Virgil's head briefly froze.
He stood still as if broken, then spoke.
"...I have been discourteous."
As he tried to close the door, Ekhirna reached out her hand.
The door's hinges broke.
"What is going on? Explain quickly."
"Hu... I have no time."
"Think carefully. You may need my help."
"......."
Virgil furrowed his brows and straddled the bed.
"Hanna has disappeared."
The two exchanged brief words.
"Tsk-tsk, you amuse me every time we meet."
"If there is no method, I will be going."
"Do you know where she is?"
"I do not."
"You seem ready to turn the entire city upside down."
"It is no concern of yours."
"How could it not be. Is she not a child who may become my disciple in the future?"
"......."
"Do not worry. I laid a hand on that child last time."
Virgil glared at her, telling her to speak quickly.
"Goodness, you rascal, are you trying to kill me too?"
"It is not amusing, so it would be best to speak quickly."
"Oh my, how frightening."
Ekhirna smiled faintly and plunged her hand into her cleavage, rummaging here and there.
"Hehe, this is my subspace."
"I did not ask."
Shortly after, she pulled something out.
A thin strand of brown hair.
"I prepared it in advance."
"Ha...."
Realizing what it meant, Virgil let out a hollow laugh.
Experience is experience indeed.
"I made a promise with you staking my heart; did you think I would set up no measures at all? Now, wait."
She closed her eyes and muttered a spell.
Then the hair flared up and turned to smoke, entering Ekhirna's nostrils.
"Hmm... I found her. The men around her are drooling...."
"What?"
Virgil shot to his feet.
Regardless, Ekhirna continued muttering.
"I see food.... Quite high up.... I hear men's voices.... 'My Lady, please try this as well.' 'As I told you before, I am the son of this inn.'... Aah, it seems to be a restaurant attached to an inn."
Ekhirna chuckled and opened her eyes.
"Her fortune has taken a turn for the better."
Ekhirna swept her gaze up and down Virgil.
His cape was drenched in blood.
"Tsk-tsk, what in the world have you been doing alone?"
Ekhirna turned her head and looked at the two dead men outside the door.
"Ruining my plans as well, you wicked thing."
"Hu...."
Virgil's brows furrowed deeply.
"Hanna...."
"Hehe, you look like an older brother searching for his runaway sister."
"Hu... I will be going now."
"Already?"
Ekhirna poked Virgil with her staff.
"You half-human, you should observe at least a minimum of courtesy. Did you not ruin my business?"
"What were you doing here?"
Ekhirna's expression stiffened slightly.
"I am searching for my son."
"......."
Virgil recalled the reason she had been banished from Berner.
The elder of the witches who had borne a child without the committee's permission.
"Have you found him?"
Ekhirna raised her finger and pointed to the dead Count Rodrigo.
"That man there."
"...Do not jest."
He took a step back.
While keeping Ekhirna's staff in check.
"Tsk-tsk, what are you thinking. He would have known, but you killed him, did you not?"
"Ah... I have made things difficult for you."
"Now where shall I grasp another clue...."
"......."
"Are you sorry?"
"A little."
"Toward him?"
"Not at all."
"Hehe, indeed. Considering what he has done, he is a scoundrel who deserved to die. In any case, you owe me a debt today, so you must help me later. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"Let us go. I wish to eat that inn's food as well."
***
On the way, he took out the greatsword hidden in a rock crevice and buried the Rabbit mask there.
"Slow down a bit, half-bunny."
"...Stop that."
"Tsk-tsk, why a rabbit of all things? ...Don't tell me? With that build?"
"Please stop saying useless things."
The entire way to the inn, Ekhirna's teasing left Virgil's brow with no chance to smooth out.
They soon arrived in front of the inn.
Once again, they ran into the innkeeper's son.
"Oh! Aren't you the lady's escort knight!"
"I am."
"How could you leave such a beautiful lady alone at a time like this! It's a good thing I found her and escorted her while passing by! Something terrible could have happened!"
"I see."
When Virgil grimaced, the frightened son took a step back.
"In any case, be, be careful."
Virgil passed by him and said,
"Thank you."
The son scratched his head awkwardly, then stopped Ekhirna, who was following behind.
"Hold on. Who are you?"
"I am the young lady's maid."
When Ekhirna lowered her hood, the son gasped.
"Hup!"
Such a beauty as a maid....
She's worth a try.
"Please come in, my lady."
The son graciously extended his hand for a mere two steps.
"Oh my, how kind."
When Ekhirna smiled widely, the innkeeper's son twisted his body.
The moment they ascended to the fourth floor, what met Virgil's eyes was Hanna chugging down beer.
"Kyaa!"
A turquoise one-piece dress, a vivid red leather corset worn over it, and an elegant robe that only nobles would wear.
He wondered how she could have bought all that with the meager money he had given her.
Clack.
When Hanna set her beer mug down on the table, the men around her let out cheers.
She laughed heartily, then extended her index finger and raised her arm high.
"Innkeeper! Another round!"
Then, spotting Virgil, she sprang up and waved both hands.
"Sir Virgil! Why are you so late!"
At her passionate welcome, the men looked at Virgil with eyes mixed with envy and jealousy.
His broad shoulders and heavy greatsword.
The men subtly averted their eyes.
"You... really...."
Virgil strode over to say something, but Hanna's eyes widened upon discovering Ekhirna.
"Ooh! Gra... sister! What are you doing here!"
"Hehe, still the same, I see."
Once Ekhirna joined them, the gazes of the surrounding men flew in endlessly.
"Hu...."
Then, seeing Virgil's twitching brow, she casually gazed at a distant mountain.
"But how did you two meet? Surely you weren't out having fun without me!"
Hanna asked with a bright smile.
Virgil realized today that it was possible to spit on a smiling face.
"Hehe."
Only Ekhirna, who knew the situation, elbowed Virgil's side.
"Hu... I have business to attend to, so I will step out."
As Virgil stood up, Ekhirna shook her head and said,
"Do you not sleep at all?"
"I do not."
"Tsk-tsk, half-human. Everyone except you sleeps. And look over there."
She pointed out the window.
Many torches were flickering, and figures were running about urgently.
Thanks to Virgil's prior arrangements, they were heading toward the opposite direction, not the commercial district.
"You should be a bit careful now."
"Hmm...."
"I do not know where you plan to go, but it may be best to go tomorrow."
"Very well."
When he sat back down, Ekhirna this time looked at Hanna.
"Child."
"Yeees."
"I hear you have been studying herbology these days?"
"Yeees...."
"Hehe, starting tomorrow, I shall teach you for a short while."
"Huh? N-no, I don't want to...."
The conversation between the two continued.
Virgil turned his back on them, gazing at the plains submerged in the distant darkness as he reviewed his plans.
How to easily approach the three princes of this city, who would be swarming with knights.
Even if he went to them directly, they would surely suspect him and push him away.
To perfectly resolve the three objectives in Rowen, he would have to make them come looking for him naturally.
"Hmm...."
Suddenly, one method came to mind.
High risk, high return.
The effect was certain, but if it failed, everything would come to nothing.
In the worst case, he might have to leave Rowen.
As Virgil formulated the plan in his head, his expression grew increasingly ferocious.
"Child, why does this fellow screw up his face every single day?"
"Um, it's probably because he hasn't slept in over ten days."
"Hmm? Then what you said earlier was not a joke?"
"Yes, I've never seen him actually sleep."
"Have you tried sorcery?"
"The thing is... I'm still lacking in skill...."
"Tsk-tsk, work harder. Your brother will collapse at this rate."
"Yeees...."
"Hey, half-human."
At Ekhirna's call, Virgil slowly opened his eyes.
"If you are going to speak nonsense, stop."
"Hehe, look at you. So sensitive, no wonder you cannot sleep."
Virgil sighed and stood up to go to his room.
Perhaps because he had taken many lives today, he felt more fatigue than usual.
He would probably have to feign sleep for a long time.
"I will take my leave now."
He turned and headed for the stairs.
"As I said before, you're like a well-sharpened blade, yet blunt. So oblivious. Is it because you're a rabbit? Hehe."
"A rabbit?"
When Hanna asked, Ekhirna swept back her hair and said,
"There is such a thing. A child need not know."
"Why, why...? I'm an adult too...."
Ekhirna tapped the flustered Hanna's forehead, then composed her voice.
"Aah."
Loaded with coquetry, she spoke toward Virgil's receding back.
"Sir Virgil! Shall I put you to sleep tonight?"
Virgil's footsteps faltered.
"Ah... damn it."
Virgil smacked his own forehead.
He had forgotten for a moment.
That woman was a high-ranking witch and an elder of Berner.
Virgil turned around and said,
"Follow me. Quickly."
"Hoho."
As Ekhirna stood up, Hanna sprang to her feet too.
"I-I'm coming too!"
At their appearance, the surrounding men trembled their arms enviously and tilted their drink glasses.