Published: August 25, 2025
After enjoying lunch at the popular restaurant, we resumed our walk through the town.
“It was as delicious as the reviews said.”
“It’s no wonder it became popular soon after opening.”
“I heard the chef used to train at quite a famous restaurant. He got permission from his master to start his own place and came here because he heard the economy in this town was picking up.”
“Oh... I suppose he must have done some preliminary research on the area beforehand, but diving into an unfamiliar place takes some courage.”
Since we’re still newcomers to Gimul, it might be good to chat more if the opportunity arises.
Speaking of which—
“Shall we go greet Mr. Calm and the others soon?”
“If we head over now, the shop should be calming down a bit.”
So we made our way to the main branch of our laundry service.
“Seriously! That person is just so lazy!”
“Yeah, same here. Even though I tell my kid not to copy, they keep doing it.”
“It’s like there’s one more big kid added to the mix... Oh?”
Just then, we spotted a familiar trio of madams chatting outside the shop next door. They seemed to notice us approaching and waved. Ignoring them wasn’t an option, so we passed by the laundry and started talking.
“Hello! How are you all doing?”
“We’re well, thanks. How about you, Ryoma-kun?”
“We hadn’t seen you around lately. Were you busy adventuring?”
“This time, I was working as an engineer for the Duke’s household, so I was out of town for about a week. I just got back.”
Turning to the two standing behind me, I saw they had just bowed to the madams. Ms. Eleonora looked dignified and somewhat stern, while Mr. Eudam had a gentle smile. Though their expressions contrasted, both were undeniably beautiful, and the madams seemed quite taken aback.
“Oh my, what a sight for sore eyes.”
“Did Eudam-san and Eleonora-san go out together too? Thank you for your hard work.”
“To be directly entrusted with a job from the duke himself, that’s impressive.”
As the madams began their rapid-fire chatter, I had Ms. Eleonora discreetly retreat under the pretense of contacting Mr. Calm. Unlike Eudam-san, she wouldn’t be able to handle their enthusiasm well—I could easily picture her flustered.
“So, what kind of work was it this time?”
“Kiara, since it’s work from the duke, you shouldn’t pry too much.”
“Just a little is fine.”
Since the existence of the miasma zone and the training I’d received in cursed arts weren’t secrets, I gave a broad explanation, which caused their expressions to darken.
“So you were in the mountains for a whole week?”
“I’d heard the name and that it wasn’t something good before, but this is the first time I’ve been told details.”
“Miasma sounds scary...”
“If handled improperly, it is dangerous, but with appropriate measures, there’s little to worry about. It rarely occurs inside the town, and if it does, there are countermeasures for early detection and response. Right, owner-san?”
“As Eudam-san said, when I took over management, the cursed sorcerer who introduced me taught me how to detect and be cautious of miasma. Thanks to that, my management duties are officially approved, and I can even suppress the curse placed on me.”
“Oh! You managed to do something about the infamous curse?”
“It’s not completely lifted yet, but for now, this friendship bracelet helps reduce its impact enough that it doesn’t interfere with daily life.”
“Hmm? What’s so special about that bracelet?”
Suddenly, a child’s voice asked—not one of the madams’. Looking over, I saw Ms. Pauline’s daughter peeking out from inside the flower shop next door.
“Oh, Leni’s here too? Didn’t notice.”
“She was helping out in the back. Finished the task she was asked to do and came out. It’s just too hot.”
“So, is that string really special?”
Since she asked again, I explained the cursed arts technique Lord Rosenberg had taught me. I can use it somewhat intuitively, but explaining it to others is surprisingly tricky... However, it seemed the madams and Leni understood.