Published: August 10, 2026
—That night.
Mio and I reported to Lord Cyrus about what had happened during the day.
Both Mio and I calmly explained only the facts. Mio did not bring up her own future, and I said nothing about it either.
Lord Cyrus was extremely busy with work at the moment. As his wife, this was a time when I had to do my best not to interfere with his duties.
...Though I certainly couldn't keep smiling.
Even while playing hand games with Lisa on my lap, I silently listened to Mio's voice.
"Thomas has no problems with his condition. He woke up right away and recovered quickly, but just in case, he is off duty today."
"Ah, that's good. Make sure he rests."
After hearing Mio's explanation, Lord Cyrus nodded.
"More importantly, I'm concerned about who they were and what their purpose was. They didn't mention the name Hadwell, did they?"
"No. Even when I pressed them several times, it was as if they couldn't hear me... or rather, I felt like they were deliberately dodging the question."
I answered.
"But given the circumstances, that seems to be the only explanation. While Lord Cyrus was away, the only Oracle people who came to this castle were Hadwell and Yan."
"...I see."
Lord Cyrus groaned in a low voice and nodded.
He sank deeply into the couch, leaned back against it, and gazed up at the ceiling.
"...This is unpleasant. They don't directly interfere with me, but what's the point of picking at Marie and Thomas like that?"
Yes—what the meaning of their actions was, we didn't know. That was what made it most unsettling.
The Mermaid's Promise, which I supervised, certainly turned a profit, but compared to the Granado Trading Company's overall revenue, it was negligible. Their attack was so small it almost felt like a petty scam.
Even their accusations against Gatekeeper Thomas were, objectively speaking, trivial. Granado Castle had more than a hundred attendants, and losing just one of them wouldn't amount to much. A normal lord of the castle wouldn't even remember his name. Outsiders would never imagine that he was actually close enough to cook together with us or play with our child.
Did they target him because they truly suspected Thomas of stealing something? Or... was it harassment, because they knew we were close?
At my own thought process flashing through my mind for a moment, I shook my head.
No way.
To go to such lengths just to harass me would be ridiculous. I'm not that important of a person.
"Come to think of it, I did hand Lisa over to Thomas in front of them once. Maybe they saw that and thought Thomas was an important person to the Granado Family."
"That may be so."
Lord Cyrus let out a deep sigh.
"Either way, it means they had some larger objective, and they were willing to use any means necessary to achieve it. I'll also inform the other small suppliers and stores that deliver goods here to stay on guard."
"Master, may I also offer one guess of my own?"
Mio stepped forward.
"...Hm? What is it? I heard you were absent when Hadwell and the others came."
"Yes. So I can say nothing about master's work... and I'm not particularly knowledgeable about economics to begin with, so I have nothing to add there. However, there is one thing about the intruders during the day that has caught my attention."
"...Go on."
"They were soldiers. Every one of them was a human who had undergone strict training as a professional fighter."
We didn't ask her for evidence. We only drew in our breath in silence.
After a fairly long silence, Lord Cyrus nodded.
"...I see. If you say so, then it must be true."
"O-Oracle soldiers? Does that mean the Oracle Kingdom is involved?"
When I asked in a trembling voice, Mio tilted her head slightly. Maintaining her usual cool, expressionless face, she answered simply.
"Who can say? I can't be certain. However, for a mere merchant's hired thugs or a ragtag band of mercenaries, they were far too well-disciplined. It seems likely they were all trained at the same time under the same leader."
"That doesn't mean they're Oracle police, right? Or maybe Dilz?"