The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“What is it? What is it? I can’t stand being curious, tell me quickly.”

Emma was unusually sociable, unlike other mages who were rather reclusive and lacking in social skills.

She pestered me relentlessly.

“Just like there’s a Merchant’s Guild on Ashen Street, is there also a guild for mages?”

“No way? We’re people who die when we stick together and live when we scatter. We have about as much solidarity as an ant’s nostril.”

“I see. So that’s why powerful mages like you haven’t conquered the world yet.”

“Oh my, how embarrassing.”

“Then there’s no emergency contact network or Mage Tower Alumni Gathering either?”

“Well, unless they have some kind of kinship hatred fetish, there’s no reason to do such things. Why?”

“There’s a mage I want to find.”

Emma tilted her head.

“Who?”

“Well, I don’t know their name.”

“Aha, a common request. Something like ‘please find my love at first sight’? Michele would faint if he heard this, but you know there’s such a thing as confidentiality fees in this world, right?”

“Actually, I don’t even know their face.”

“Oh, that’s a rather uncommon request. There was once some guy who asked me to find someone with just a foot drawing. He said he fell down and the foot in the red shoe in front of him was so pretty.”

I giggled and asked.

“So did you find them?”

“No, how could I find someone with that? Even when I said I couldn’t find them, he kept being annoyingly persistent, so I cast a dream spell on him.”

“A dream spell?”

“Yeah. I made him have nightmares of two hundred pairs of red shoes chasing him all at once, and he never came back.”

Emma shrugged and crossed her arms.

“But I don’t want to use dream magic on you. Don’t you know anything else?”

“I do. I know their spell formula.”

Emma clapped her hands together.

“For mages, spell formulas are like signatures. If you know the spell formula, you don’t need to know their name or face. What does it look like? Show me.”

When I handed her the spell formula drawing I had prepared in advance, she examined it carefully.

“Well drawn? Beetle, olive tree, smoke, coral…”

Actually, I drew it exactly as I had memorized it without knowing the meaning.

Fortunately, seeing that Emma could interpret it, it seems I drew it correctly.

“And pomegranate. That’s an unusual combination? This should be enough to identify them, I can find them.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

“…Wait, come to think of it, Elisha, you’re not a mage, are you? Unless a mage drew it directly or you used a special magical tool, ordinary people can’t see spell formulas. How did you know to draw this?”

I just smiled without answering.

‘Of course, I didn’t read it myself.’

It was a spell formula I had seen as a drawing in my previous life.

‘Reclaiming Rionet isn’t something that can be done with money alone.’

Money was, in a way, an easy condition.

What was more important and difficult to reclaim were the title and territory.

‘And the mage I’m looking for is someone who can help me reclaim those.’

Since I was just smiling, Emma made assumptions: ‘This is a token he drew for you, right? You can’t tell me because you’re afraid I’ll tattle to Michele? But how did you end up liking a mage? Your taste is really unique…’

It was fortunate she didn’t pry further. Since it would be hard to explain anyway, I didn’t correct her.

“How long will it take?”

“Well, I won’t be able to find them right away tomorrow or anything. I’ll have to ask around here and there, so it’ll take at least a few weeks. But you did well asking me. I have quite a few friends for a mage.”

“Yes, as long as you can find them. How many friends do you have?”

Emma proudly held up her fingers. Three.

I was genuinely impressed.

“That’s really a lot?”

“Right?”

Because I don’t have any friends.

***

While chatting with Emma, opening time quickly approached.

I was on my way back to the shop after parting with her.

‘By now, word about The Forest of Cologne should have reached Rosaline’s ears. Since she makes a living from reproductions, she must have a reproduction of that painting too.’

The fact that Rosaline didn’t immediately come and cause a scene suggested that she really did have a reproduction.

I had expected as much. I had planned this with reproductions in mind from the beginning.

If she hadn’t had one, it would have been more troublesome.

‘But she’ll learn that there are things that can’t be done with reproductions. Rosaline will have no choice but to buy the original.’

The next night auction was in two weeks.

That was enough time for her to struggle with the reproduction and realize she needed the genuine article.

‘By the way, Rosaline knew the book would be designated as forbidden and tried to sell it to Hanna…’

No matter how much Rosaline schemed, she was just a baroness.

She wasn’t in a position to influence the designation of forbidden books.

‘Then, among her connections, there must be high nobles or higher-ups?’

I had a rough grasp of her network, but I couldn’t know all her personal relationships.

In the first place, why did Rosaline hate Hanna enough to want to disgracefully fire her?

While I was pondering, I heard a loud voice from far away.

“Oh my! Oh my goodness! It’s you!”

That woman who was so delighted to see me with her hands clasped together was…

‘I don’t know.’

Um, sorry, but who are you again?

While I was greeting her awkwardly, my hand was suddenly grabbed.

“Nice to see you! You’re the shop owner, right! It’s me! The one who helped at the auction house!”

Could it be?

“I’m Hanna Diego! Please call me Hanna!”

A windfall had rolled right to my doorstep.

Hanna kept exclaiming “Wow, wow” while looking around the shop as I prepared tea.

Seeing someone so purely amazed and delighted made me feel good too.

“Please have some. I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”

“I’m already enjoying the atmosphere before even tasting it? Wow, I never dreamed there was a place like this in the capital city. If I had known, I would have come much earlier!”

Steam fogged up her glasses as she drank the tea.

She looked so cute that I couldn’t understand why Rosaline would try to drive out someone like this.

More importantly, how did she know to come here? Hanna couldn’t have seen me, could she?

I handed her a lens cloth and casually asked.

“But did you see me at the auction house? How did you know I work here?”

“Oh, I didn’t mention that. How silly of me, you must be surprised. That really tall, scary man told me!”

As soon as the word ‘scary’ came up, I knew.

The source of information was Alter. Obviously Alter. But why?

“I could have been badly scammed if not for the help, so I was grateful and went to thank that man. But he said I shouldn’t be thanking him. He said there was someone else who noticed and helped.”

That was unexpected.

I didn’t think he’d deflect credit like that.

I thought he’d be reluctant when I asked why he helped, but it seems he also wanted to stop Carlos.

‘Is it like kinship hatred? Or maybe a psychology like “how dare you pull this nonsense in my territory”?’

“So I asked if he knew who it was, and if he found out, please contact me! Yesterday he sent a telegram telling me about this place. As soon as I found out, I took vacation and rushed over.”

“I didn’t really do much. Anyway, I’m really glad you’re okay, Hanna. But vacation? Where do you work?”

I asked even though I already knew.

So Hanna brightened up.

“I’m a Palace Document Officer. I work in the Archives! I started this job because I love books, so whenever I see August’s books at auctions, I go absolutely crazy.”

“Then you must look at ancient documents and manage old books and such?”

“Yes! That’s why I’m even happier to be here. That parchment paperweight is so beautiful, look at those finger marks from use!”

This was the first time I’d met someone who called finger marks on a paperweight beautiful.

“And what about this glass paperweight here. With a paperweight like this, I feel like I could read dozens more books… Mmm, it’s so wonderful.”

Hanna was definitely an incredible book maniac.

Her eyes sparkled as she asked.

“But I don’t see any old books or documents. Don’t you have any of those?”

“We do have some in stock, but since they can’t be exposed to sunlight, they’re all kept in the Basement.”

“You really know your stuff! That’s right, books should never be exposed to sunlight! They discolor immediately! …Um, by any chance…”

“Would you like me to show you around?”

“…Gasp.”

Hanna looked so ecstatic that I worried she might have fainted while sitting up.

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