The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 171

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

He already knew that Tesagh thought of Elisha in a special way.

His insides twisted, but he had to acknowledge what needed to be acknowledged.

But unlike his previous composed demeanor, his desperate attitude, and his treatment that was ruthless beyond cold, even though they were criminals.

‘Unless someone instigated it, could a person change so suddenly like that?’

If someone had instigated it, who would it be? An ordinary person’s words wouldn’t have changed the Captain of the Royal Knights’ attitude.

It would have to be someone of high status. And someone who could cleverly provoke with words to make such a thing possible.

Though it might be hasty speculation, Tesagh decided to keep that guess in mind.

‘More than that, that mage… was her name Chloe?’

“Where did the mage go?”

“She took some time off, said she had something to research.”

“Time off? Did this pawnshop even have such a thing?”

“…Of course, I’m worried too since it was such sudden time off.”

“No, it seemed like the boss doesn’t take any.”

“Still, time off is a worker’s right, not the boss’s… Wait. I asked why you can’t eat cookies, so why do you keep changing the subject?!”

For Tesagh, it was a failure in many ways.

First, he failed to divert Elisha’s attention.

‘I was thinking of asking about black magic.’

He had planned to ask about the black magic that Eivor was suspected of using and Chloe’s memory magic, but now he couldn’t.

‘Should I talk about it after I come back from the duchy?’

It was when Tesagh, having packed his things, was about to leave.

Beep―

The direct communicator rang.

‘The people who know this line are…’

Only the Border Guard and Elisha, right?

The Border Guard doesn’t particularly have anything to contact me about today.

Then could it be Elisha?

Though she might be trying to interrogate him about the cookie matter again, Tesagh unconsciously smiled at the thought of Elisha.

「Hello, sir…」

He frowned at the unfamiliar voice.

「Sorry, I’m sorry. Is the Duke, there? It’s urgent, an urgent matter, huu, sir. I’m really sorry…」

No, it wasn’t an unfamiliar voice.

This stammering, tearful way of speaking was.

“…Mage?”

It was Chloe.

Tesagh narrowed his eyes.

There were many things to ask.

For instance, how she found out about this line.

Or why someone who had left her post saying she was going to ‘research’ suddenly contacted him instead of Elisha.

But Tesagh asked something else.

“Is this about Elisha?”

‘Urgent matter.’

Tesagh focused on those words.

Chloe on the other end of the communicator seemed to take a breath, then spoke in a trembling voice.

「…Yes.」

Tesagh answered immediately.

“Send me the location. I’ll come now.”

The place Tesagh arrived at was the Duke of Alchemiya’s residence.

Whether Chloe had dismissed the servants beforehand, there was no one in the annex.

He entered and looked around.

In the middle of the dark annex, there was a room with faint light seeping out.

It wasn’t just light that was seeping out.

“…Yes, that’s right. This was it. Only with divine power can this be explained…”

Tesagh approached Chloe’s trembling voice.

“But, but if this is true, the temple must never…”

Divine power? Temple?

Frowning, Tesagh pushed the door.

What he saw was a magic circle large enough to fill the floor, dried flower petals and magical tools scattered on the magic circle.

And.

“She’ll be used, Elisha will be sad. Rather than that, I’d rather…”

It was Chloe in the middle of the magic circle, eyes tightly shut, muttering incomprehensible words.

Before Tesagh, who had been quietly watching, could even open his mouth.

Sensing his presence, Chloe’s eyes snapped open and she rushed over, bowing repeatedly.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I stole your contact information from Elisha’s notebook and called you. It was urgent, and I thought you might be able to help.”

Chloe, babbling with a pale face, looked like someone half out of her mind.

Regardless of Tesagh’s feelings about the mage, her appearance was enough to look eerie.

But.

“Elisha might be in danger, that shouldn’t happen… No, more than that, if she becomes sad…”

Chloe also looked extremely desperate.

Normally he would have scolded her to come to her senses, but Tesagh reminded himself that her motivation was Elisha and spoke as calmly as possible.

“I won’t accept your apology. You don’t need to be sorry to me. Later, just apologize to Elisha for opening her notebook without permission. Understand?”

“Yes, yes…”

“So tell me why you called me. First, what do you mean Elisha will be used?”

“Huu, huu.”

“By whom? And for what reason?”

Chloe hastily brought over a messily written notebook.

“The temple, she might be exploited and used by the temple. Elisha’s ability, her power…”

Does Chloe know that Elisha can see divine power?

To Chloe who was hurriedly flipping through the notebook, Tesagh answered for now.

“If you’re talking about being called here and there because she’s the temple’s holy relic appraiser, I agree with you.”

Wasn’t it because of the temple that she got involved in the dangerous Ruby Tablet incident in the first place?

On Crescenziano’s, no, Crescens’ recommendation.

He’s a suspicious character in many ways.

‘Though I might not be one to talk.’

He’s been hiding his dual identity, and there were those sharp glimpses he showed from time to time.

But what’s more questionable is.

‘If I had to say… the ‘Crescens’ side seems more like his true self.’

He seemed more natural as the temple errand boy ‘Crescens’ than as Cardinal ‘Crescenziano’.

Does that man really want to get close to Elisha?

Were his words about not wanting to be hated sincere?

He was recalling having requested a routine investigation about him from the Information Guild when Chloe shook her head vigorously.

“No, that’s not it. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then?”

“Haven’t you ever thought it was strange? The magical tools, the magical tools around Elisha, they break down so quickly…”

In Tesagh’s mind, the business card, dagger, and broken clip flashed by in sequence.

Not only that.

The disguise magical tool pin he had given Elisha had deteriorated rapidly, and the communication magical tools had been particularly noisy.

Coincidentally, there were many situations where holy water and sacred objects were nearby, so he had dismissed it as strange but overlooked it.

‘But… that wasn’t it?’

Chloe, who had been staggering, continued speaking.

“I, I didn’t know at first either. I thought it was because of the holy water and sacred objects. But that doesn’t, explain it. It’s too fast. The speed at which magical power is depleted.”

She rolled up her sleeve while explaining the formulas in her notebook as calculated results.

A black arm with writhing veins was revealed.

“Look at this too. Originally, the area was, wider. The part, eroded by dark magic, was larger. But it shrank rapidly, too rapidly.”

Chloe’s words became increasingly urgent.

“Dark magic isn’t, normally, cured by ordinary, holy water or sacred objects. So, huu, so…!”

Tesagh, realizing what would follow, muttered in a low sigh.

“You’re saying Elisha has holy power.”

“Yes, yes. And it’s, divine-grade. Divine-grade holy power.”

Divine-grade holy power would be the same level as Rugenote.

However, instead of being surprised, Tesagh asked again. As if confirming.

“So in addition to magical tools breaking down quickly, your dark magic could also be healed… by that? By Elisha, without even knowing it herself?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

Other people might be delighted by the special power if they learned they had divine-grade holy power.

But Tesagh knew.

Elisha would absolutely never react that way.

Rather, if that holy power, that special power manifesting unconsciously…

“When such people are excessively exposed to holy power, the balance breaks and…!”

If she realized it had contributed to worsening Grandfather’s illness.

“You have no idea how much strength those words give me.”

Then how much would Elisha cry…

His breath caught.

It was when Tesagh, who had frozen pale, was rubbing his face with dry hands.

“…I know too… During the, investigation, I saw, Elisha’s memories…”

Was this the ‘sorrow’ of Elisha that Chloe had mentioned?

“It can’t be kept, secret forever…”

But something about her tone was strange.

Tesagh looked up at the sound of the notebook falling to the floor.

“Such sad memories… might be better off, not existing.”

The veins on Chloe’s black arm were visibly pulsating.

Thump. Thump.

“Don’t you think so, Duke?”

I hate seeing Elisha sad.

You feel the same way, don’t you, Duke?

Chloe whispered as if possessed by something, with tears in her eyes.

Tesagh was stunned.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————