Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Celine carefully picked up the tiara. If this was the 〈 Southern Tiara 〉, then it meant that she completed the quest.

Leonhard suddenly came closer to her.

“It looks like the southern tiara.”

“I don’t know.”

Celine answered honestly.

According to her memory, when the quest was completed, unlike the stage clear, no special event occurred. However, there was only one red line in the quest that had already been completed.

‘Ah…!’

The next moment, she pulled a piece of the parchment out of the pocket, and a sigh of disappointment escaped her mouth. The letters on the parchment had not changed at all from when she first saw them.

‘It’s just that the lines aren’t drawn. Maybe, the quest has already been completed…’

She wasn’t sure where she was right now.

“Should we go back now?”

“No.”

The moment she gave a confident answer, the sandy island they stood on shook. At that, Leonhard’s eyes widened, but Celine simply sat quietly on the sandy island.

After a while, the sand island began to sink into the lake.

“Celine!”

“It’s okay.”

He was terrified of Celine’s calm voice, but he soon knew why. There was a transparent barrier around them and the sand island, so no water came in. The sand island continued to sink into an abyss with no end in sight.

At that moment, he gazed intently at Celine, now succumbing to fatigue and dozing off.

It would have been difficult for him not to lose composure in this situation if it hadn’t been for her calm attitude, no matter how self-conscious he was.

‘When I get back, I’ll have to investigate the prophets.’

Finally, the sand island landed on the hard ground with a dull sound, and Celine woke up. Her tiny lips moved, and she uttered words Leonhard couldn’t quite believe.

“We’re almost there.”

“Almost there…?”

As soon as Leonhard blinked his eyes, he knew that she was right.

It was because of the yellow sunset light was pouring dazzlingly, and the sound of a mountain bird was chirping from somewhere. At first glance, a sloping dirt road could be seen through the thick branches of the trees.

They were on the hillside, the entrance to the tunnel.

‘How did this happen…’

No one in the entire Empire had ever experienced as many magic-related events as he did. But, the last couple of months of getting to know Celine had been the most bizarre times of his twenty-four years of life.

“Let’s get down.”

From Celine’s hand, the tiara shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

***

When they arrived at the Baron’s residence, Count Sharp had already left with the rest of the knights to his castle.

“Would it be okay?”

Celine was a little worried. No matter how much they defeated the boss monster and all the monsters they found, there may still be some monsters they hadn’t discovered.

“County Sharp is a family famous for being strong against monsters from generation to generation.”

“A place like that, how…”

Leonhard looked sad.

“Unhappiness happens to everyone.”

She agreed to that. In fact, she herself was a representative example of that. Even if she was used to this life where she could neither cry nor laugh, sometimes, when she thought of the ordinary life of the past, Celine felt like she wanted to die.

‘…No, let’s not think about it.’

It was not like she could die just because she wanted to die, anyway.

Meanwhile, Leonhard seemed to have misunderstood her sudden depressed mood.

“Don’t worry. As long as you are always…”

His words were cut off as soon as he heard footsteps echoing from across the hallway. Baron Veron, who received the butler’s report, ran towards them with a heavy body.

“Lord…!”

“Did something happen?”

“Oh, of course not. It is all thanks to the Lord who protected us.”

At that time, Baron Veron, who had always had the momentum to lie flat on the floor, jumped up. Even if it wasn’t, the big eyes, like those of a cow, seemed to get bigger and pop out.

“Lu, Lute…?”

“Yes?”

Celine asked, a little bewildered.

‘What’s wrong with this person all of a sudden?’

Baron Veron pointed his trembling hand to the tiara on Celine’s wrist.

“This, this is…”

“It was found in the mine.”

Leonhard cut off his words sharply enough that it was a little too much as Baron Veron’s eyes now really pop out and half-hung in the air.

“The mine, really…?”

“Then, you think I’m lying?”

“Oh, no way I. How dare I… Lord, do you know what exactly this tiara is?”

“I do not know.”

“This…”

Baron Veron rubbed his hand.

“I’m not sure if I can tell you this. I’ve to report to the Count first… No, you have to tell the Count himself…”

“Exactly what is it?”

Leonhard, unable to bear it, asked succinctly, “Tell me right now. As the Baron knows, I’m busy. Whether or not there are any monsters left in the Baron’s estate, enough to leave for the north right now.”

Cold sweat was forming on Baron Veron’s forehead at his words.

“Well, then, please promise me this one thing. If Count Sharp is angry, protect me.”

Hearing that, his face, which had hardened so far, loosened a little.

“Count Sharp will not be angry. Didn’t you prove this time that you are his loyal vassal? Count Sharp is not one to put a knife in the back of a loyal vassal.”

“….”

Baron Veron rolled his eyes for a moment as if uneasy, but he slowly opened his mouth.

“Do you know how many mines there are in Sharp?”

“Seven?”

“But, a total of six that people can go in.”

A brief moment of silence passed between them.

“…Why can’t one be entered?”

“Because the door won’t open.”

“You mean the mine is closed with a gate…?”

“Yes. It is a door made by magic.”

Baron Veron quickly shrugged off his remaining explanation as though he wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

“About forty years ago, it’s said that a certain wizard had a grudge against Count Sharp and blocked a mine. Wizards came from all over the world, but no one could open it.”

“It must have been unfortunate for the County. Still, what does that have to do with this tiara?”

Baron Veron lightly touched the tiara in Celine’s hand with his fingertips, and he continued, “Six different gems… A dark red magic stone is embedded in the center. This is the only key that unlocks the door to that mine.”

“I see, so this is… It was the key.”

Celine muttered blankly.

Although she cleared the fourth and fifth stages, she was disappointed because no matter how long she waited, the music indicating that the stage was cleared did not play. Though as she listened to Baron Veron, she had to clear another stage to be able to clear the second stage of the ‘True Ending.’

‘…I don’t like it.’

The reduction in stages also meant that the clear rewards were reduced. So, Celine decided to cherish the healing potion in her arms even more.

Baron Veron continued with an anxious expression.

“I’m telling you this in detail because Count Sharp has declared that whatever comes out of the mine belongs to Confucius.”

‘Ah…’

Celine suddenly realized.

Baron Veron’s shock wasn’t simply because she was able to open a mine that had been blocked for decades. It was because he was afraid that a mine might fall into the hands of the Grand Lord.

Then, she glanced up at Leonhard.

‘…He’s blatantly offended!’

Leonhardt didn’t frown at all, but dark cloud-like energy drifted through his eyes.

“…Northerners do not covet wealth. Of course, I’ll open the door to the enchanted mine, and the mine should belong to Count Sharp.”

“Lor, Lord—!”

Baron Veron looked like he wanted to bite off his own tongue, which made Leonhard’s heart more uncomfortable.

Seeing that, Celine eventually took a step forward.

After she confirmed that the Baron’s gaze was completely on her, she bowed her head slightly, “Thanks for the detailed explanation. Thanks to that, I was able to get a good idea of ​​what kind of tiara this tiara was. Had it not been for the Baron, I would have never known.”

“Lute Celine…”

Tears welled up in Baron Veron’s big eyes.

At that moment, Leonhard spoke in a voice that seemed more disturbed.

“I don’t think it’s something to discuss with the Baron. When will Count Sharp return?”

“They say he’ll be here by noon tomorrow at the latest.”

“….”

He seemed to want to run to Sharp Castle with her on his horse at any moment.

To be honest, he would have been if Celine hadn’t been about to collapse from exhaustion. Her condition was so bad that she almost fell asleep on the horse. It was suicidal to run the horse to speak with Count Sharp while she was in this state.

“I have no choice but to wait for Count Sharp. Can I borrow a room?”

“Oh, of course. The room you used yesterday was decorated to suit the Lord.”

Moments later, Leonhard reached the second-best bedroom in the Baron’s residence, supporting Celine as she leaned on him. Originally, Baron Veron was going to give him his own room, though Leonhard refused. Consequently, he had the bedroom of the successor.

As soon as he entered the bedroom, he smiled in ridicule.

There were no traces of the old-fashioned but modest room he stayed in last night. Baron Veron seemed to think that sincerity should be seen as gathering all the precious materials left in the Baron’s mansion.

There were three huge white tiger skins on the floor, and rare winter flowers that only exist in the south were decorated everywhere.

And, what about the luxurious furnishings that would have been brought from the many Baron’s residence’s rooms…?

‘Well, sincerity is not bad.’

Leonhard thought bitterly.

It was far better for him to try to reciprocate than to take his help for granted and sometimes bothered him, although he did not discriminate between the two sides. Wherever his help was needed, he ran to wherever that needed help and cut down monsters and warlocks because that was the only life he knew.

At that moment, the door opened and the Baron’s handmaid came in.

“I, I will take Lute to her room.”

Gazing down at Celine, who had already fallen asleep on the soft bed, he replied, “It’s fine. I’m afraid she’ll wake up. Let her sleep here.”

“But the Lord will sleep in this room…!”

“I’ll sleep here, too. So, it’s okay, isn’t it?”

“…What?”

“Is something wrong?”

Asking that, he stared at the handmaid blankly.

“No, no—”

The handmaid answered in a voice that seemed to have lost her soul, and she left the room as if half-running.

Finally, there were only two of them left in the room.