Chapter 32: Work

“I am a potion maker from another land. My potions have been consumed in royal courts.”

I said as such to the gate guards, and they greeted me with the utmost courtesy. I was even wearing a suspicious-looking mask to disguise myself.

...Should they really be letting such a sketchy person inside so easily?!

When I asked, one of them responded, “If something were to happen, you and I would simply lose our heads. Compared to the possibility of Master Challotte recovering from his illness, such an outcome is of no consequence.”

‘No consequence,’ my butt! I’d like to keep my head, thank you!

But to think that even the guard could say such a thing with confidence... They really must have been good nobles. Emile and Belle’s report must have been right. I wasn’t doubting the accuracy of their reports, of course.

And so, one of the guards led me into the manor. This was, needless to say, the residence of the Dorivell baronial family. I had heard they were looking for doctors and medicine, regardless of their social standing, so I decided to visit them straight through their front door. In disguise, of course.

I had changed my hair, eye, and skin color, and had the jewelry I had worn when I attended Achille’s party some time ago. The jewelry would draw attention away from the rest of my appearance, and it would make it harder for them to recognize me without the ornaments, just like a girl without the glasses she always wore.

...I’m so smart!

Plus, by wearing expensive jewelry, I could signify that I wasn’t wanting for money, and make them less likely to suspect me of being a swindler attempting a desperate gamble to rip off some rich nobles. It helped give me some authority, too.

And to top it all off, I had my ‘suspicious mask.’ ...This ruined my authority and credibility all at once.

“So, you’re the so-called potion maker from another land. Well? Do you mean to tell me that you have the Longevity Medicine?”

“No, why would I?”

The baron and the guard standing by near me wore the same shocked expression. Oh, and the guard was positioning himself so he could seize me right away if I made any suspicious movements.

Even if they were a lower-class baronial house, one removed from any intense political strife and not the type to attract grudges... Even then, being the head of a baronial house, he could never be completely safe from resentment or unwanted attention.

Therefore, they would obviously want to avoid any unnecessary danger. I may have looked powerless, but I could still be hiding weapons or poison. I even called myself a potion maker, so they should assume that I could handle poison as well.

“I do not handle medicines of that sort. My potions are much more effective.”

“Wh-What?! More effective than the Longevity Medicine? It can’t be... Well, I have heard of such things in distant lands, but they say they are quick to spoil and hard to transport over long distances... I’ve also heard this medicine hasn’t been made for quite some time, ever since the original creator passed away and its recipe was lost...”

Huh, this place was quite distant from the Kingdom of Balmore, and I didn’t think they would know about it, but he seemed to have pretty accurate information about my potions. This information should have been limited to the higher-ups, so a lowly baron shouldn’t even know about it...

Well, babbling on with explanations was a waste of time. And if he didn’t want to believe me, I didn’t have to force him to take my potions. If he refused my help, I would just take my leave. Francette might end up a little disappointed, but that couldn’t be helped.

There was no need to force my medicine on them, and as they say, “Those who believe shall be saved,” so I didn’t intend to go out of my way to take care of non-believers.

So...

*fwsh*

I gestured as if I was reaching into my pocket and pulled out a single bottle.

“Here’s the healing medicine, the Tears of the Goddess.”

This wasn’t the potion being sold to the masses in Balmore, but the specially-made Tears of the Goddess delivered by the angel herself.

After all, I wasn’t Shop Owner Kaoru right now, but rather the ‘angel.’

“Huh?” The baron and guard blurted out as they stared at me, wide-eyed.

“Wha...”

Baron Dorivell was completely speechless.

“As I said, this is the healing medicine known as the Tears of the Goddess. If you have no need for it, I’ll be taking it home... Oh, and it doesn’t keep well, so it will be useless unless it’s taken now.”

The baron hesitated for just a moment.

“...Right this way!”

The baron led me into a child’s room. A boy of about ten lay sick in his bed.

“Challotte, I brought you some new medicine! Drink!”

Baron Dorivell accepted the potion from me and handed it to his son. His hand was trembling slightly, but he focused on not spilling a single drop with a look of desperation. Though, honestly, spilling a little wouldn’t really have affected the results. It seemed the boy wasn’t actually asleep, and sat up to drink down the contents of the bottle his father held to his mouth.

Thinking about it, I did question how this noble was having his son drink medicine some strange girl had given him straight away. It would have been one thing in Balmore, where the angel and her deeds were well known, but... He must really have been out of options, or maybe he was just planning on punishing me after the fact if I had been lying. Well, maybe he figured not even a child would be dumb enough to pull off a stunt like that. Considering he had heard about the Tears of the Goddess, he must have been well aware of its instantaneous effects, too.

“Father, I feel better...”

“Y-You do?! Your fever—How about your fever?”

He clearly wanted to cry out in jubilation. But, afraid of being let down, he was using all his willpower to control his emotions. His face cycled rapidly between expressions, the baron still unable to believe in the miracle.

“The haziness and fever seem to be gone...”

The baron pressed a hand against his son’s head, peered into his eyes, checked his tongue, and eventually seemed to understand that the illness truly had been cured. Maybe it wasn’t some incurable, malignant disease... Well, by the standards of modern Japan, anyway.

But even an illness that could be cured in Japan, probably with a single shot or even just a better diet, could easily kill people in a lower-level civilization like this one. Especially younger children.

So, ultimately, I didn’t know what sort of illness this boy had, or whether it would have been resolved through natural means, had he been left alone. But to this baronial house, I was definitely considered the angel of the goddess, the one who had saved their son’s life.

This realization seemed to hit the baron suddenly, and he turned toward me and kneeled. Of course, this wasn’t something a noble would do for an ordinary potion maker.

It was probably much easier to believe that I was the angel of the goddess, rather than thinking I was some potion-making 12-year-old genius who happened to have a miracle medicine with an extremely short shelf life, handing it over without even negotiating a price.

That is, according to the frame of reference possessed by this baron and his world... Yeah, I thought so, too.

“Lady Angel, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my son, Challotte...”

Huh, he went straight to deciding I was the angel without any sort of confirmation? Don’t tell me...

“You know of me?”

“Yes, I learned of your existence while researching various medicines for my son. The miracle medicine, known as the ‘potion,’ was said to have circulated in and around the Kingdom of Balmore for several years. They say a scary-look...children cri...girl with sharp eyes...was heavily involved in the creation and distribution of said potions. Then there were rumors of a girl with terrify... I mean, intense eyes, who was said to have stood in the shadows during the defeat and miraculous resurgence of the Aligot Empire four years ago, along with the fall of the Holy Land of Rueda and the glorious appearance of the Goddess Celestine. Also, there were the hidden workings of the secret organization, the Eyes of the Goddess, and the angel’s salvation for the pure of heart... With our country being so far away, only the upper echelons seem to have grasped the full story, but even a lower-class noble of little means like myself can obtain such information, when possessed of desperate determination to save my child...”

...Okay, I get it! You don’t have to put in so much effort to avoid saying my eyes are scary!

It makes me feel worse when you have to try so hard to be considerate about it!

...Damn it.

Well then, my job was done.

Time to go!

“Well, I’ve done what I came here to do, so I’ll be excusing myself now...”

“Please wait! It would sully my honor if you were to leave without me repaying you! I beg of you, allow me to express my gratitude somehow!” the baron pleaded desperately.

Well, I suppose that was to be expected. I’m sure he didn’t want to part ways forever after this one meeting, but it seemed he truly did want to thank me, so I decided to accept the usual: a small gift that he could manage without putting a strain on himself. I also had to make sure he kept quiet about this.

“First, I want you to promise you will never tell another soul about me. I don’t want to deal with rude people with empty hearts, and I am not a fan of laying waste to entire countries... Though, really, it doesn’t seem to bother Celes.”

“Y-Y-Yes, of course! I swear by the Goddess herself!”

Wow, he actually seems terrified...

But I guess that was to be expected. There were many myths and legends of Celes destroying whole nations. In fact, the tale of how she left a scar on this very land was actually a true story.

“And, hmm... Well then, I’ll accept some information as a token of your gratitude.”

“...Information?” The baron looked at me with a blank expression. I mean, he was probably wondering what sort of information the angel could possibly want.

“Do you know of any royalty in this country who suffer from a serious illness or injury?”

He seemed to understand why I was asking the question.

“N-No, not in the royal families, or among the ducal families, for that matter. Though, if they were keeping such news private, I would naturally not be aware of it...”

Yeah, he was just a baron after all. He wouldn’t know about the private affairs of the higher-ups unless he was investigating specific families. He must have spent a lot of money and effort to get information about the angel and potions, too.

“What about the noble houses of marquisate rank and lower?”

“Yes, there are several. Elderly heads of house, who have already passed their titles to their heirs; sick and feeble children; those who were injured while on horseback or in conflicts with other fiefs; those with lung diseases and other illnesses... When you include lower-class nobles, life peers, and their dependents, it adds up to quite a lot of people.”

I thought so...

“So, what would you do if those people demanded that you tell them how your son was cured, or insisted that you introduce them to the potion maker who helped you?”

Yes, this was what I was really worried about.

The baron likely would have kept my secret if left unmolested, but I would have felt bad if he suffered for it.

“Oh, you needn’t worry about that... That I’ve been searching far and wide for medicine, for skilled apothecaries, and have consequently gotten involved with charlatans, is quite well known. So, if I say one of them healed my son, no one could be certain which of them happened to have succeeded, and no one would expect me to know where some vagrant potion maker might be. And, just in case...”

With that, the baron looked me in the eye and spoke with a serious expression.

“Please tell me the following: ‘If anyone asks about me and tries to force you to speak, I will first kill them and their entire family. I will only speak to them afterward.’ There would be no need to actually carry this out, of course. The purpose is so I can say that this is what I’ve been told.”

The heck is that?! How are they supposed to speak to me after I killed them?

Besides, their injured and sick would be dead by that point, so there would be no need for the angel or the Tears of the Goddess!

Though, that would resolve the issue...

“Please do not worry. I won’t ever reveal anything, so there will never be any need for you to spill blood in this particular instance.”

... ‘In this particular instance’? He made it sound like I’d been slaughtering people left and right! Come on, now... Did he assume I was like Celes because of her particular history? I wasn’t the type to decimate entire countries just because I got a little fed up! ...Wait, had I done that once? No, no, I only flipped over a nation’s entire structure. It wasn’t as if I massacred its people and destroyed the entire land.

I’m not like Celes, I swear!

Well, whatever. Don’t fret over the small stuff!

“All right, then. Here it goes. ‘If anyone asks about me and tries to force you to speak, I will first kill them and their entire family. I will only speak to them afterward.’ Good?”

“Yes, thank you!”

All right, my job here is done.

“Well then, I’ll be...”

“Please wait!”

Again?!

“I ask that you at least accept this as thanks!”

With that, he held out a small, weighty-looking leather bag.

It looked just like one of those bags of gold you see people hand out as they say, ‘Here’s your reward!’ ...Wait, that’s exactly what it was!

When did he even have a chance to get that ready? ...Hey, there’s a butler-looking guy standing behind the baron! Where’d he come from?!

But he was a lower-class noble, and must have spent quite a lot of money looking for a cure for his son... He was probably using up all his available funds and grasping at straws for rumors that weren’t all that believable, or treatments that probably wouldn’t work, hoping against hope... I would have felt bad for putting more financial strain on him. It wasn’t as if I was wanting for money, anyway.

“No, I don’t accept those types of payments. I only take small tokens of... Oh, I know!”

With that, I took the leather pouch and loosened the strap that held it closed. Then I dumped out its contents onto the table.

Ahh, this hand-feel! It was the ‘leather bag for gold coins’ reward that I’ve always wanted!

“I’ll be taking this!”

“Huh? Wh-What...?”

The baron was dumbfounded. But I didn’t care!

This texture is absolutely amazing! Could it be buckskin? Or leather from some slain monster, to keep the cost low?

In any case, this was quite enough for my ‘token of gratitude.’ I was way happier with this than I would have been with some Chanel bag! Yes, I know, I could have just asked someone where to buy a bag like this. But I wanted something to remember this meeting by. Though, to be honest, I couldn’t really think of anything else to accept as thanks.

I decided to provide a follow-up explanation.

“The coins in the bag were full of the love and care that the parents and servants of this house have for this child, and full of gratitude for the Goddess. This bag is brimming with the love that has been imbued into it by the coins... Are you familiar with a dish known as simmered beril and daikon?”

“Y-Yes, I’ve had it before...”

Beril was a fish that was a lot like buri... In fact, it could have been the same exact fish. I couldn’t tell the minute differences apart, but when I ate it, it seemed like the same fish. And daikon was, well, Japanese radish.

With my automatic translation ability, the fish came up in my mind as “beril,” and the plant came up as “daikon,” though it could have been that it was something else entirely, but I didn’t know the distinction.

What was the difference?!

...Anyway, “simmered beril and daikon” was basically simmered buri and daikon. Even though he was a lower-class noble, I was a bit surprised that the baron had eaten this dish before. It was totally considered ‘commoner food.’ Well, it meant there wasn’t any need for explanations, so that was fine by me.

“Then I’m certain you will understand. With that dish, the beril seems to be the main component, but that’s not the case. The daikon, which has absorbed the beril’s umami, is the star of the show! The beril is nothing more than a component. Likewise, the Goddess will appreciate this leather bag that has soaked up your love and faith, far more than she would have the gold that has given it up already. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will take my leave.”

There, a perfect follow-up. I’d successfully evaded the baron’s gift of coins without making him look bad.

This time, I can finally retreat in good order!

At the baron’s house, after Kaoru had left...

“I see... The pouch that has absorbed our thoughts and feelings has far greater worth than the gold coins... Are you kidding me?!” the baron shouted out loudly.

“Indeed...” his butler replied, with an awkward smile, “That must have been...”

“Yes. A ruse on the angel’s part, out of consideration for our financial situation. An incredibly obvious one, at that... She may be good at performing miracles, but she’s completely lacking in acting ability. With her s-strange mask...”

Then he stood from his seat and went down on his knees again to pray, sobbing all the while, while the butler left the room in silence.

＊　　　＊

When I returned from the baron’s place, my guards were waiting for me. This time, it was the full cast of fighters: Francette, Roland, and Emile. I’d never consider Belle a fighter, since she’d die trying to take one enemy down with her. And so, Belle stayed behind to watch the shop with Layette.

The others stayed away from me, of course. They would have ruined the whole point of my disguise if they had been hovering around me. It would have been a dead giveaway, so they had to keep some distance between us and act like strangers, at least until I found some secluded place to remove my disguise.

They had been waiting outside, just in case something went wrong at the baron’s house, but I doubt there were many in this world who would dare try something with me. And by ‘try something,’ I mean to try taking advantage of me, knowing that I am the angel. That would be one easy way to incur Celes’ wrath. Celes was pretty quick to anger, and had no reservations about killing humans. The people of this world were well aware of this.

There were several well-known examples in the recent past, and there was a painful reminder left over in the form of a scar on the continent.

Yeah, no. No thanks to using that sort of force.

Anyway, it was time for me to go home and prepare dinner.

＊　　　＊

I closed down the shop for the day to go out with everyone. The destination? A pasture in the suburbs. It was about time I went to pay a visit, or they were going to get upset again. By “they,” I mean Ed and the others.

So, the six of us went to practice horseback riding.

“Ed, we’re here!”

“Ohh, you’re here!”

“Welcome.”

“Got any sugar cubes, Big Sis Kaoru?”

Ed’s family seemed to be the same as ever.

“How’s life here?”

“The food is great here, thanks to you paying extra, and we can roam the riding grounds and grass fields freely, and I can always be with my family, so I’m more than happy! I love the looks of envy the others have been giving me, too!”

“Ahaha...”

Roland and Francette were bonding with their own horses next to us. Oh, and they were also getting fed the special food, like corn, carrots, apples, and sugar cubes, of course. I had given the sugar cubes to the manager myself.

...He may have been taking a cut for himself, but I was willing to let it slide a little. As long as it was just for his family and he wasn’t reselling them, that is.

Roland and Francette were apparently the type to really care for their horses, brushing and providing a lot of physical contact and affection. They were well cared for, thanks to the additional fees I’d been paying, but this was something else altogether.

The horses were saying, “Not like that! Brush along the hairs with more gentleness and love!” but I decided not to tell them.

Emile and Belle rode Ed’s wife and daughter to lightly trot around the area, while I had Layette ride Ed. Ed’s daughter may have been smaller and easier to ride than Ed, but I had more experience with riding Ed, so I felt more confident in trusting him with Layette.

You never knew what kind of unexpected mistake could occur with the combination of an inexperienced rider and a horse, so I wouldn’t have felt at ease otherwise.

I told Ed as such, and he said, “That’s right, you totally get it,” with a satisfied expression.

We usually traveled by chariot, but there were times when we rode together with Layette in my arms, and she might have to ride by herself in an emergency some time.

I explained this to Ed and Layette, and told them to master how to ride fast while prioritizing their safety. And with me translating Ed’s comments to Layette, Layette quickly improved her riding skills, just like I had.

Afterwards, I had Belle and Layette train to escape with the two of them riding one horse. This was in preparation for a potential scenario in which I was buying time with Ed while Belle helped Layette escape. They protested that they would never run away without me, but when I insisted that it was an order, they reluctantly did as they were told.

Though, in this scenario, I’d actually be making them retreat not so I could buy some time, but because I wouldn’t want them to see how terribly I’d end up devastating the opponent.

“...Well? What is it, Ed?”

“Huh...?”

“There’s something you want to discuss or ask of me, isn’t there? I know you, Ed. I can tell. There’s no need for modesty between us. Just spit it out while we’re alone over here. Though... it would just sound like neighing to them, even if they were in earshot.”

“Guess nothing gets past you...”

After hesitating for a moment, Ed opened his mouth.

“Thing is, there’s a good-natured old guy here at this pasture. He’s really nice, telling me all sorts of funny stories and keeping my daughter entertained with his chats. But one day, he fell asleep while laying out in the sun. He said in his sleep... ‘This is revenge for my master!’ ‘Miss, that’s the murderer!’ I realized there were tears running down his face...”

Hmm, maybe this old man’s a caretaker for the horses? Someone with a complicated past...

“Unlike humans, we horses don’t shed tears often. Only for something real serious.”

...Wait, this “old guy” was a horse?!

Oh, he did mention that they were talking to each other. Of course it was a horse.

“This old guy’s going to be put down soon. He can’t pull carriages, carry riders, or be a workhorse at the farm anymore. But still... Still. I want to do something for him! When he goes, I want him to go with a smile, satisfied with the life he lived!”

“Ed... have you realized?”

“Huh? Realized what?”

“You’re shedding tears right now...”

If Ed felt so strongly about it, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. After all, Ed was my beloved horse, friend... and brother in arms.

All right, I’ll do it!

“My mount and sacred horse, Ed, I will grant your wish. Stand by my side and strike down the immoral!”

“It would be my honor...”

“We will help as well, Ed!” Roland and Francette’s horses neighed.

Were they trying to get on my good side because I’m a goddess? Or maybe they wanted Ed’s favor because they’re into his daughter...

Oh, well. The greater the numbers, the better.

This was a request from my own horse, so I couldn’t involve Francette, Roland, Emile, or Belle. I was doing this for my own reasons, so I didn’t want to drag unrelated people into it. But these two horses had offered to help the old horse of their own accord, so I didn’t mind accepting their assistance.

It wasn’t as if they’d need to do anything, so they’d be out of harm’s way, anyhow. They’d simply be accomplices in this.

So...

“Okay. Everyone, we need to keep this a secret from Roland, Francette, and the others, so laugh together with me to avoid suspicion. Ready? Aaand...”

“Breeehehehe!” neighed the horses, completely naturally.

“Ahahaha!”

If you suddenly saw your horse walk over to me, exchange some words, then start laughing in an exaggerated way...

Yeah, you’d probably have that look on your face. That dubious, judging expression...

When Roland and Francette asked me what our conversation had been about, I told them that my jokes even land on horses, but it was a pun that only worked in their language, so humans wouldn’t understand.

Ed pointed out the old horse in question, and I told the others I was going to check in with the other horses to make sure Ed had been behaving.

“Are you Carlos?”

“Wha—?! A talking human? Impossible!”

...

......

I suppose that was the expected reaction...

Oh, well. I’m not really a human, anyway. All right, mode change time!

“I am a friend of Celestine, the goddess of this world. You are Carlos, I presume?”

“L-Lady Goddess! I am not worthy!”

The old horse, Carlos, lowered his head in a hurry.

“I have given my sacred horse, Ed, time to rest and spend time with his family in this world, but he has brought me here to fulfill a personal request. He claims you have been good to him, and asks that I grant your wish... So, as a reward for his hard work, I have decided to grant him his request. Now, what is it you desire?”

Yeah, I’ll go with this setting this time. This should get him to speak openly.

...But were these really horses I was dealing with?

Do horses really have a language that allows them to communicate so comprehensively? Just with a combination of neighs and snorts? They say horses are less intelligent than dogs, and dogs are supposedly as smart as three-year-old humans, putting them lower than cats, but above rabbits, in the intelligence tier list.

Though, I’m sure there are differences between each individual, and it varies by type of intelligence... like numbers, pattern recognition, memory, and comprehension... making it hard to make a sweeping generalization, but...

It was still strange that we could have such advanced communication like this. Celes must have...

No, no, don’t think about it! This is just how it is! Don’t dig too deep into it! Just let the small details slide. In fact, don’t worry about the big details, either.

It was a bit late to start thinking about this, after I had talked with Ed and the others so often.

“Now, tell me. What is your wish...?”

“M-My wish... Th-That is...”

“Yes?”

“The young mistress! My wish is to save her!”

Thought so...

Then, Carlos began explaining.

He was once a riding horse who belonged to a certain noble family. When he was five years old, the noble husband and wife had another child after having their firstborn son.

Ten years later, Carlos was given to this daughter, due to his gentle nature and many years of experience as a riding horse.

Being late in his years, the parents must have figured Carlos wouldn’t run around recklessly. Fifteen years was quite old for a horse, after all. He wasn’t a stud suitable for breeding, and since he didn’t have any offspring of his own, Carlos saw this ten-year-old human girl like he would his own child or granddaughter.

He spent his days peacefully, fulfilling his role as this noble girl’s riding horse, which was likely to be the last duty given to him.

These quiet days continued, as he thought they would until he met his eventual end. That’s what he thought, anyway.

Until, one day...

When the girl was fourteen years old and Carlos was nineteen, the carriage the family was riding in was attacked. Her parents and brother all lost their lives, leaving only the girl, who had stayed at home.

Her grandparents were already deceased, making the girl the sole survivor, with no close family to care for her. Then, her father’s younger brother—in other words, her uncle—came into her house, claimed that his older brother had told him to take care of the girl if something ever happened to him, and demanded her hand in marriage.

The girl said she would do what her father had wanted and thus obeyed. But one day, when the girl and her uncle passed by the stable, two carriage horses said in surprise:

“That’s the guy who was ordering the attackers around...”

Carlos heard as much clearly with his own ears. The girl had explained the details to him after her family had passed away. She had always told him everything, though she was mostly speaking to herself. She didn’t care whether her horse understood her or not.

“Say, Carlos. I don’t like my uncle very much, but if it’s my father’s wish, I will marry him and protect this house. Stay by my side, okay, Carlos? Don’t ever leave me...”

He still remembered the words she had said to him while stroking his hair.

This was a difficult request for a horse, which has a shorter life expectancy than a human, and this was an aged horse, at that. But Carlos wanted to do what he could to make her wish come true. Carlos felt the blood rising to his head. Something burned within him, like all the blood in his entire body was boiling over.

And in contrast, there was a heavy, cold lump deep inside him.

Anger.

Hate.

And again, anger.

When the uncle went to the stable by himself to go out one day, Carlos tried and failed to kick him to death, and unfamiliar humans had taken him away and brought him out here the next day.

He figured the people here were allowing him to live out his final days in peace, out of simple kindness. His life would soon come to an end, and he would depart from this world.

But if there was such a thing as souls and the afterlife... If it was possible to curse a man to death with sheer anger and hate... If such a thing as demons existed in this world...

...I shall become the devil himself, and drag him straight to hell!

Heavy. That was... very heavy. But all I could say was one thing:

“Very well, leave it to me. You shall have your revenge...”

Oh, no. This makes me sound more like a malevolent god than a goddess.

I left Carlos behind as he dexterously bent his legs to prostrate himself, and joined the others.

Then, I reported what had happened to Ed and the horse crew. This was all in horse language, so Francette and the others obviously didn’t understand what I said.

For my report, I told them...

“Vengeance is mine.”

This wasn’t a reference to the title of a famous movie. It actually originated from a passage in the New Testament, which essentially meant, “Humans aren’t the ones who bring retribution to humans. It is my role as God.”

“Okay, everyone, laugh!”

If they were to lower their heads or act meekly here, Francette or Emile might not have noticed anything, but Roland was pretty sharp, so he may have found it suspicious. So, just like earlier, I wanted to make them think I had cracked another joke.

“Breeehehehe!!!” I laughed along with the three horses, excluding Ed’s wife and child.

Roland and Francette gave me a look, but I totally ignored them.

Afterwards, I had the others continue bonding with their horses, and I headed toward the caretaker’s office. I told them I was going to discuss the horses’ care and settle payments, so no one tried to follow me. There was no perceived threat here, and everyone wanted to cherish their time with their horses, so this was to be expected.

That was exactly why I had used an unexciting reason for leaving anyway.

“Please sell me that old horse named Carlos!”

I didn’t know when Carlos would finally be put down if I didn’t do something about it. I decided it would be best for me to buy him, just in case. A nineteen-year-old horse was about eighty in human years. He couldn’t be too expensive.

“He’s a mild-mannered and intelligent horse, but he’s quite advanced in his years.”

“I understand that. I intend for him to spend his days gently interacting with humans, rather than doing any physical labor... For the time he has left, that is...”

The old custodian’s eyes widened a bit as if out of surprise, then he lowered his head.

“...Please, take good care of him.”

He knew I was someone who didn’t mind spending money on my horses, considering I was already paying a higher rate to ensure that Ed was well taken care of. And I was clearly a wealthy customer, seeing as how I was paying for the care of five horses by myself. Being polite to a good customer was just common sense.

But it seemed that wasn’t all. Taking care of animals is hard work. Considering how he was still doing this all the way out in the outskirts at his age, he must have held a deep love for horses, or animals in general.

So, when an old horse that could no longer work, one that was just waiting to be put down, could live out its final days happily with a horse-loving, rich customer, there was no way he wouldn’t be happy about that.

He must have had his guard down from that happiness right now. Now was my chance!

“How did Carlos end up here?”

“Oh, you see, he was a riding horse for a noble house for a long time, but once he became old, he tried to harm the new master of the house, and was sent here to be disposed of... But like the other horses of the Viscount Raphael’s house, Carlos has been under my care for many years, and I simply cannot believe such a thing to be true! Carlos is smart, gentle, and loves people... But I could not refuse the orders his owner gave to dispose of him. So, I thought I could at least let him live out his final days in peace...”

He’s tearing up. What a nice person...

Oh, but...

“If he ordered you to dispose of him, won’t you get in trouble for selling him?”

To which he answered, “Ah, but his orders were, ‘Dispose of this horse. The money you get for selling the meat should be enough payment for your trouble.’ Which means that there is no issue with me selling Carlos and receiving payment for the meat. After all, as he said, I am ‘disposing’ of him and getting paid for the ‘meat.’ Whether that ‘meat’ is dead or alive is up to my personal discretion.”

Wow, he’s all smiles right now...

“But wouldn’t it be bad for you if the viscount finds out?”

“...Is that an issue?”

He was more concerned about this old horse than displeasing the viscount’s house! Maybe he empathized with Carlos, being in his later years himself? But I didn’t mind dealing with people like that.

All right, leave it to me!

“...So, will you opt for the additional rates for Carlos as well?”

Oh, right, he’ll be considered my horse now, too.

“Yes, please. I’d like his meals, brushing, and grazing conditions to be the same as the other five horses.”

There, now I’d secured Carlos’s safety. I’d even found out the name of his former owner. The nouns the horses used weren’t much help to me, after all.

Yes, everything was going just as planned...

＊　　　＊

“...Even if it costs my life!” recited Emile and Belle together.

“Like I said, your lives are more important to me than a request from a horse I just met!”

No matter how many times I told them not to, these fools always tried to prioritize any little request from me over their own lives. That’s why I had to be extremely cautious about any order or request I gave them...

“How many times do I have to say this?! It would be a huge loss for me if any of you were to die! Can you really call yourselves loyal if you’re willing to just throw away two of my subjects?”

“Urgh...” they groaned, dejectedly.

I’ve been through this routine so many times. When are they going to learn...?

I’d learned that it was impossible for a complete amateur like me to covertly gather intel. As such, I had no choice but to enlist Emile and Belle, and just let the specialists do their work. Leave rice cakes to the rice cake shop, as they say.

Emile and Belle were members of the Eyes of the Goddess, an organization that supported those of my activities that bring salvation to the good of heart. You could say that this specific task would bring salvation to these two in particular, who had been feeling down from me not giving them any work, so whatever.

Francette and Roland could start saying this or that if they found out, and I didn’t want to drag them into my personal matters or things involving the nobility and their betrothed, so I decided to keep them out of it. I had to make sure they didn’t find out...

Layette? Well, she was always with me, so... Haha...

“Anyway, my first order is, ‘No dying.’

“My second order is, ‘I’ll allow some degree of injury, but you are to avoid getting seriously hurt by any means necessary.’

“My third order is, ‘Maintain secrecy.’

“And the fourth is, ‘Gather information.’

“Don’t overextend yourselves. If you sense even a little danger, you must retreat immediately and report what you’ve found up to that point. If you’re caught, or if it seems like you can’t escape, declare that you’re a servant of the Goddess and bring whoever caught you to me. That way, I can get you back, along with the information you’ve obtained, and the enemy will be in my court. If you resist and end up getting killed, I’ll lose all of that. Which outcome do you think would be more beneficial to me?”

“...Us coming back alive...” said the two, in a dull monotone.

There, that should be enough to prevent them from doing anything stupid. It always takes so much effort to deal with them...

“Okay then, focus on the main objectives. I’ll leave the rest to you two.”

I sent Emile and Belle out to gather intel, and now all I had to do was wait.

Oh, but it wasn’t like they were going to infiltrate a noble’s manor or anything like that. That would’ve been a quick way to get them killed.

Their specialty was acting like bystanders who just happened to be present, listening in on conversations, and manipulating conversations as if just making small talk, in order to get the information they wanted. Before, they also used that they were children as a tool for deceiving people, but Emile didn’t have that option now that he was an adult.

Belle, on the other hand, could apparently still pull it off...

I wondered if she looked up at people with her puppy-dog eyes and said something like, “Please, mister!” If I tried that, they’d probably think I was picking a fight, and I’d end up making them angry...

＊　　　＊

“...So, that horse, Carlos, was handed over to the pasture about two months ago to be disposed of. It was right after the viscount’s family carriage was attacked by bandits, and the uncle began staying at their house. The viscount’s daughter will turn fifteen, making her an adult, in four months. We still have time.”

I didn’t think Carlos had much time left, so I was right in assuming that it hadn’t been very long since the incident. I was relieved.

The daughter not being of age yet was fortunate, too. Since she wasn’t married due to age rather than a refusal, the uncle probably wouldn’t try to force her into marriage before she turned fifteen. He only had to wait a little longer to get married officially, so it was unlikely that he would do something to cause problems or make her hate him. The people of this world were pretty accepting of that sort of thing, but royalty and titled nobility really valued lineage, so they cared about having a “pure” bride...

This didn’t really apply to mistresses, but when it came to a lawful wife whose child could become the heir, she was expected to be completely celibate... Though I guess that goes without saying. In any case, we still had four months until the daughter’s marriage, so we’d be fine until then.

You could even fix a jet plane in four whole months!

“And they have two riding horses, four carriage horses, and two carriages. It seems they’ve had all of the horses for over two years. In addition, they have three guard dogs, which are also used for hunting foxes. The daughter, who loves animals, has been helping with their care.”

All right, let’s start from there.

＊　　　＊

“An animal doctor?”

“Indeed, with the teachings that have been passed down through our family line, I am able to check your animals for any issues of the mind and body, and thus resolve them.”

A suspicious individual had visited the house of Viscount Raphael. Pale skin, chestnut hair, and kindly, drooping blue eyes.

This was, of course, Kaoru.

She had changed the color of her skin, hair, and eyes with a potion, and used adhesive and exceptional makeup skills to force her eyes, which were normally turned up at the corners, to droop down instead.

Kaoru was a 22-year-old working adult in her previous life, so she did know how to use makeup. She preferred not to cake the makeup on, opting instead for a natural look, but she was capable of transforming herself to a degree that could be considered trickery, if she wanted. Especially now that she had things like “cosmetics-type potions that fix skin blemishes”...

Hair and skin colors were one thing, but with the change in her eye shape, no one would ever see this girl and know it was Kaoru.

...Which wasn’t too surprising, considering her entire raison d’être had been changed.

“You look suspicious... Well, just wait here for now. You might end up entertaining the mistress, so I’ll at least announce you. But if this ends up being some sort of scam, you’ll get what’s coming to you...”

With that, one of the guards disappeared into the manor. The other stayed to keep an eye on this suspicious girl.

“Well then, I’ll start checking for issues now.”

“You’d better not be planning on saying nothing was wrong, then charging us anyway,” the young retainer responded mockingly to Kaoru’s comment.

...I say ‘young,’ but he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties.

Other than Kaoru and this retainer, an old man on stable duty, an aging man who seemed to be a butler, and the daughter of Viscount Raphael—rather, the present head of House Raphael, Mariel—were in the stable, bringing the total to five people. The uncle in question wasn’t present.

All right, just as planned! It’s only been about two months since she lost her family. She should still be burdened with sorrow and confusion from the loss, so her retainers won’t miss this chance to cheer her up, considering her love for animals. I knew I wouldn’t be turned away at the gates!

Of course, even if she had been, she would have just come up with another plan.

This is why Kaoru had gone in with an optimistic attitude, and ended up being surprised that her first attempt had actually worked out.

“...Now, let us begin.”

Kaoru ignored the retainer’s words, facing the six horses with a serious expression.

“I am Kaoru. I have come here to fulfill the wish of my devout servant, Carlos. Which of you wishes to avenge your master?”

“Whaaaaaaaaat?!” the six horses shouted in surprise.

“C-Carlos... Even in death, you think of our young mistress... A-Aaaaaaahhh!”

“I couldn’t do anything, despite still being alive... I’m so ashamed...”

Tears fell from the eyes of the horses.

“We would do anything for our master and the young miss!”

“We, too, swear loyalty and shall become sacred horses as Carlos did!”

“Uoooooohhh!” the horses wailed together.

“Oh, Carlos is still alive.”

“Whaaaaaaaaat?!” they yelled, their wailing stopping abruptly.

The household of Viscount Raphael simply watched the horses getting riled up, entirely dumbfounded...