Published: August 25, 2025
Today, three chapters posted simultaneously.
This is the third chapter.
“Thank you for waiting!”
After receiving a message from Miya, Mr. Sebas used spatial magic to take us halfway along the path. Running down the road, we soon caught sight of Mr. Jeff and the others ahead. When I called out to them, they turned around with relieved expressions.
That’s when I sensed something off. They were probably looking at a nobleman who had trespassed, but even though Mr. Eudam—who was supposed to be handling the situation directly—was there, the atmosphere wasn’t tense or alert. Instead, it felt more like confusion.
What kind of person had come… I peeked through the gap between Mr. Jeff and the others to see beyond. As they moved to make way for us approaching, I was able to clearly see the figure of the man.
As I had heard beforehand, the trespassing man was dressed in luxurious noble clothing. But for some reason, his head was shaved bald. What’s more, he was leaning against the earth-retaining wall I had built, breathing heavily—clearly out of breath. Was he sick…? But then,
“Fu, fufu. This is wonderful, just wonderful! The texture and weight... it’s like the priest tower of the Vactexion Temple… no, the orderly arrangement resembles the ruins of Zeffarion more closely. Ah, how on earth did such a thing come to be here?”
Flushed with excitement, he was rubbing his cheek against the retaining wall. His fine, expensive clothes were covered in dust and dirt, but he didn’t seem to care at all, nor did he notice our presence. He was simply thrilled by the wall before him. In one word:
“A pervert?”
“Exactly! A pervert!”
“That man has been like that ever since we first found him.”
“I tried talking to him a few times, but he doesn’t seem to notice us at all. Still, since he doesn’t show any suspicious behavior, we thought it best to just wait quietly until the owners arrived rather than force his attention.”
“Thanks for the concise explanation.”
Mr. Eudam filled me in on the situation, but honestly, I wasn’t sure how to handle it.
When I heard about an intruder, at first I thought it might be someone hostile towards the Duke’s household or me, who was entrusted with this place, or their henchman. But would such a person act like that? Even if it was a ruse to lower our guard, it made no sense.
From what I overheard, he seemed to be praising the retaining wall, which suggested he wasn’t exactly hostile… but what should we do?
“Oh? Could that be...”
“Mr. Sebas, do you know who that person is?”
“Though his appearance differs from when I met him before, I believe he is Perdor Beckentain.”
I remembered that name. It was from about a year ago. He was a famous genius architect commissioned to design the new arena, the symbol of the city under construction, and he had requested me to secure the Trent wood.
I’d heard he was quite particular, but could that man be him?
“Let me try speaking to him. If I’m not mistaken, the chances of him being hostile are very low. At present, he is trespassing illegally, and I have the position of butler for the Duke’s household. Even if something happens, I can handle it.”
“Thank you. Please.”
With that, Mr. Sebas quietly approached the man and gently touched his shoulder while speaking. At first, the man looked annoyed, but when Mr. Sebas greeted him by name, he seemed to recall and stood up, showing the noble posture befitting his status.
However, it was only momentary. The next instant, like a lost child, he started looking around nervously.
“Ethan? Are you here? Ethan!”
He raised his voice, which I could clearly hear. He was looking for a servant or someone named Ethan.
“By the way, everyone, no one else is here besides that man, right?”
“Yes, we searched nearby briefly but found no one.”
“If there was someone close by, we would have heard footsteps or rustling, but there was nothing. Honestly, I was hoping someone else would be here.”
“Exactly… if Mr. Jeff and Ms. Wellanna say so, then I trust it. So the person he’s looking for must still be outside the mountain, and only that man managed to slip past my curse rope? How on earth did he do that…!?”