The Magical Holy Woman Seraphina - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Magic Saint Seraphina
Chapter 12
“My father used to be like that man too, back in the day.”
“Your father was also a troublemaker?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Pepper worked her lips, then fished a Caramel from her pocket. She popped one into her own mouth before distributing the rest to Arden and me.
I received two.
“Woof, woof, woof.”
“Bark, bark, bark.”
Collie and Tofu were having an animated conversation up ahead.
We were walking along the riverbank, having left the Grand Temple and heading toward Opetalstreet where Pepper’s house stood.
Pepper spoke, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Father wasn’t always like this. He used to call Mom and me his princess every day. He’d call Collie his youngest daughter too.”
He’d brush Collie’s teeth and bathe her, kiss her goodnight—
“He was always on our side.”
“But then?”
“Ever since he came home last time.”
‘Coming home after so long, and the house is in this state? What is this!’
“He just started shouting. Getting irritable.”
‘This damn mutt! If I have to waste money keeping this thing!’
“And he keeps saying we should get rid of Collie. Sell her off to someone Father knows well.”
He hadn’t been like that when he first came home. But after he slept and woke up, Father had changed, Pepper said.
“Changed after he woke up?”
Arden and I both turned serious at once.
Hmm.
“Pepper, does your father drink heavily by any chance?”
Suspecting alcoholism, I posed the question, and Pepper shook her head.
“Father doesn’t drink much. He eats a lot of sweets instead.”
…
“When Father’s home, we can’t even feed Collie—we have to hide her. One time, while I was asleep, he tried to sneak off with Collie, and Mother screamed.”
“What was your father’s reaction?”
“He got angry, left the house, and didn’t come back that day.”
…
…
Arden and I were exchanging a silent look when—
“Woof!”
Collie, who’d been leading the way, suddenly barked toward something ahead.
“Woof! Woof!”
“It’s Father!”
“Your father?”
“That flag! It’s Father’s ship!”
…The Temerren.
Arden murmured, confirming the flag on the vessel approaching the distant dock.
“You know that ship?”
“It’s a merchant vessel backed by the Sailor’s Guild. Despite not being owned by any great noble house or major trading company, it’s famous for turning remarkable profits. It imports tea and tobacco from the Eastern Empire—the tea leaves especially…”
“We have to go!”
Pepper’s face drained of color as she bolted without so much as a goodbye. Woof! Collie turned back to us before chasing after her.
…
…
Arden and I stood alone on the path where the river wind blew through.
Before us rose the Bridge of Sandrin III, said to be the most beautiful in the Capital.
And far off, the Temerren, flags billowing.
A merchant vessel operated by common sailors pooling their investment, yet it earned profits rivaling those of the great trading houses.
I turned to Arden.
“Doesn’t something feel off about this?”
A ship like that wouldn’t just hire any sailor off the street.
A man who was working fine suddenly turns strange one day?
“Suspicious.”
But Arden said something entirely different.
“What about the Clothing Workshop?”
“The Clothing Workshop?”
“Yes, isn’t this your work hour?”
“Oh, right—it’s lunchtime.”
“During lunch you’re supposed to eat, not visit the Grand Temple. What were you doing there?”
“My faith runs rather deep, you know.”
“I’ve never even seen you donate a single gold coin.”
“Faith doesn’t have to be proven with money.”
“I’ve never seen you pray for a single second either.”
…….
Are you watching me constantly like this?
“Arden, what were you doing at the Grand Temple?”
“I went to hear the Temple’s position regarding the Magic Saint.”
“The Magic Saint?”
“Yes. Since she’s claiming to be a saint herself, for one.”
Arden added that he’d gone to confirm whether there was any connection to the Temple first.
“You’re thorough.”
“I have to be. She could be a would-be criminal. A would-be criminal desperate for attention.”
At those words, Tofu ahead of us turned sharply to look back at me.
He stuck his tongue out with that bright, vacant expression that passes for a smile. Something caught in my chest.
“You’re not investigating the Magic Saint because you’re interested in her, are you?”
“She doesn’t seem like a person worth my interest.”
“How noble.”
“Why are you suddenly angry?”
“I’m not! Nothing!”
Huff.
“So what did the Temple say?”
“Couldn’t get a word. The High Priest was away.”
“Damn.”
“It’s all right. That man is never at his desk anyway. I’ll go back later.”
“…Arden, we’re near the Grand Temple right now. You can’t talk about the High Priest like that.”
Unless you’re royalty, they’ll haul you away for it.
“If I do get dragged off, you’ll tell them you don’t know me, won’t you?”
You’re already done for, and I still need to survive. I lowered my voice as I asked.
Arden didn’t respond to my urgent plea; instead, he changed the subject.
“So you’ve decided to keep that dog, then?”
“Of course not. I met him by chance at the Temple.”
“Most dog owners don’t let their pets wander around alone like that. He looks too clean—someone must own him.”
“I suppose he’s just a clever dog who likes outings on his own.”
“That Collie you mentioned earlier seemed clever too. She got her fur all over my trousers.”
“Then why not take them off and throw them away?”
…….
Arden fell silent.
Afraid he might actually remove his trousers, I quickly grabbed his sleeve.
“What do you think?”
“…What about, sir?”
Arden’s gaze stayed fixed on the fabric I’d seized; his reply came a beat too late.
“Even if your father yells and snaps and pressures you to abandon your only friend—is it better to have him than not?”
Where exactly is the line between “he’s still my father” and everything else?
“……There are fathers who shouldn’t exist at all, I suppose.”
“Yeah…….”
“What do you think, sir?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t have a father.”
“…Oh.”
The arm I was holding tensed beneath my grip.
“I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking.”
“That’s right—you’ve wounded my delicate heart. You owe me compensation.”
“How…?”
“Wear those dog-hair trousers for ten days as your apology… Heh.”
“Sir!”
Only then realizing she’d been teasing, his cheeks flushed as he protested.
I couldn’t help but laugh at Tofu’s expression, which was just as confused as mine.
Same night, 9 p.m. Clothing Workshop.
“Alright, I understand the situation.”
Her father, who had always been gentle, had suddenly become strange one day.
“But how is a Magic Saint supposed to help with that?”
I’m not a doctor.
“Should we get him admitted to the Crown Prince’s mental hospital for treatment? No, wait—he probably won’t go because he’s afraid of losing his job.”
I planted myself on the floor, rested my chin in my hand, and chewed on my pen.
The shop was winding down for the day, so I was sorting through the stockroom on the second floor. Tofu, resting his chin on my knee, spoke up.
“But there’s something strange about it.”
“What?”
“The last time Pepper’s Father came home, he brought a Cookie box that smelled odd. He said he’d received it as a gift from some big merchant guild he does business with.”
“A Cookie?”
“Yeah. Pepper tried to eat it, but Collie thought something was off and swatted her hand away. In the end, Pepper’s Father ate all the Cookie himself.”
Collie had tried to stop him from eating it too, but since her father was tall, she couldn’t reach to stop him.
“And that’s when he became strange?”
“Right. He’d originally left half of it for their mother after she came home from work.”
“Left half?”
“But in the middle of the night, Pepper’s Father was alone in the dark, frantically eating the Cookie.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah. Barely even chewing, just gulping it down.”
“And after he finished eating it all—what was his reaction?”
“He went quiet. Like he was drunk.”
“What…?”
‘When I woke up, Dad was already different.’
What could have been inside that Cookie?
If something was in there, what could it be?
…Medicine?
I vaguely remembered hearing that certain herbs could trigger symptoms like that…
“…For now.”
“For now?”
“I need to find out if there are any sailors on the Temerren who show the same symptoms as Pepper’s Father.”
The Temerren arrived in the Capital today, so they’d probably be looking to grab a drink at one of their usual bars, right?
“I’ll stop by after work.”
Since the new owner took over the Clothing Workshop, all the staff clock out early now. We even get days off.
There’s plenty of time to leave work, go to a bar, and do some poking around.
The problem was figuring out which bar the Temerren’s crew frequented.
“I saw the Temerren docked at Dock 3, so near there should be some tavern where sailors gather in groups…”
“The White-Bearded Whale and The Foam are famous around Dock 3.”
“Oh.”
Still sitting on the floor, I looked up.
A man leaning against the open stockroom doorway stepped out, our eyes met, and he smiled faintly.
It was him.
The Silver-haired Man.
“If you ask anyone near Dock 3 where the White-Bearded Whale and The Foam are, they’ll all know.”
“What are you doing here at this hour?”
I shifted Tofu behind me, alert.
Despite my obvious suspicion, the Silver-haired Man remained composed.
He stepped into the stockroom, casually petted Tofu once, and scratched behind his ears. (Tofu didn’t dodge. The traitor!)
“You were out of Tea Leaves.”
“You deliver that at 9 p.m.?”
“You’re sorting through the stockroom at 9 p.m.”
“….”
“In any case, it’s true that the White-Bearded Whale and The Foam are the most famous.”
“….”
“Don’t believe me if you don’t want to.”
The Silver-haired Man shrugged and left the room. As he disappeared down the stairs, Tofu’s tail wagged in his direction.
I looked back and forth between the Silver-haired Man and the traitor dog, then opened my mouth.
“Tofu.”
“Hmm?”
“You’ll file the bar tab as an expense, right?”
We’re taking a carriage to the bar anyway, so charge that too.
“I can’t exactly spend money out of pocket for upholding justice, now can I?☆”
♡☆♧Yes, yes, I’m utterly exhausted by this♧☆♡

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