Chapter 58

"Their goal was power. Specifically, the complete power to reach demigod status! It’s easy to catch those who pursue power without regard for means. I’ve been acting as a living trap! Where should I start? When I was in the south ten years ago…."

After that, a series of personal stories followed, ones that wouldn’t be surprising if they made blood rush to one’s ears.

‘It was impossible to think it was a lie.’

Most importantly, the atmosphere no longer cared about Ludomalcop’s identity.

Thanks to this, the issue of whether Malykop and Reina were remnants of Mephisto naturally subsided.

“Calepha, Calepha. Calepha.”

With a deep bow as the final greeting, the old man returned to the sofa and looked at me, his face flushed.

“I thought I had forgotten this greeting, which I haven’t used in over ten years. I’m so relieved that my body remembered. I’m grateful for your tolerance of my rudeness again, Calepha.”

Calepha is right there.

“Ha, to meet you before I die. Perhaps this old man still has some luck left.”

He’s right there.

“Calepha. If it’s not too much trouble, may this humble old man ask you a question?”

Oh, this old man.

‘Is it awkward for him to have a conversation with Lu face-to-face?’

Or is this kind of conversation style a rule in Logue?

I’m too tired to point it out, so I gave permission on behalf of Lu. (Of course, Lu didn’t give permission.)

“Speak.”

“By any chance… are you here to recover the relics of Dian Ket?”

Dian Ket’s relics.

Before I could even deliver the letter from the Vice Admiral, a very important topic was brought up.

I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

“If my guess is correct, I dare say you’ve come to the right place. Here, in Westwintree, Dian Ket’s diary is stored. If you need it, I can guide you there.”

I know where it’s stored.

“Jansen Exhibition Hall?”

Malykop, who had been maintaining his modesty, shook his head with a cold look.

“No, the artifact displayed there is a fake.”

Let’s try to maintain a consistent attitude, old man.

“It’s a decoy to cloud the judgment of treasure hunters. No one falls for it in modern times.”

“Then where is the real one?”

“The real one… Ahem. Cough! Cough. Ahem. …Sorry, I’m quite old. I haven’t fainted in a long time, and my body isn’t feeling well.”

“Grandpa, you shouldn’t say you’re old in front of Lu.”

Even if the old man is very old, he’s probably a hundred years younger than Lu. Malykop scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“You’re not wrong. Reina? Go upstairs and bring the map.”

Reina, who had been standing close to the wall, hurried over and asked.

“Um, which map should I bring?”

“Open the ninth drawer of the seventh bookshelf. There should be a blue leather notebook in the fourth position from the bottom. Bring the two maps stored between the pages.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

Reina quickly left the living room and went up the stairs to the second floor.

Seven bookshelves, and nine drawers in each.

‘Is he a map collector?’

What kind of maps are they?

After a short while, Reina came down the stairs and handed an old piece of paper to Malykop.

When he unfolded the paper, which looked old at first glance, a design so complex it hurt the eyes appeared.

It didn’t seem to be a map of an outdoor location.

“Hmm.”

Malykop, who had been examining the map from a distance, soon folded it with a satisfied look and handed it to me.

“It’s in good condition. Here, take it. With this map, you can find Dian Ket’s diary.”

“What kind of map is it?”

“A design of the Pen Rota Royal Treasury.”

…What?

Malykop, without giving me time to be surprised, unfolded the second map.

It was a topographic map of the Pen Rota Empire, with circles drawn around three locations.

“The royal treasury is hidden in three places. Under the capital, Lagal, the wetlands near Iregel Lake, and here, the willow forest of Westwintree.”

Wait, isn’t this progressing too quickly?

“Don’t tell me you’re asking me to sneak into the royal treasury and steal Dian Ket’s relics?”

Malykop, regardless of my shock, said casually.

“Especially the willow treasury, which is said to be filled with extremely dangerous magical artifacts. The royal family must have considered this and hidden it here instead of in Lagal. The Berkeleygrinton family, who guard it directly, is the best proof! Of course, even the great Sword Saint is just a mere gnat in front of our Calepha! Ha ha, ha ha… Cough, cough.”

The Berkeleygrinton Castle is nearby, then.

If a Sword Saint’s knight is stationed here, it’s definitely not an ordinary treasury.

“Here! Study the map well, and break in tonight to retrieve Dian Ket’s relics!”

Malykop patted my shoulder with his weak hand.

‘I definitely came here for the Vice Admiral’s errand.’

How did I end up with the design of the royal treasury?

‘A maid’s life is a maze.’

I unfolded the design to check it.

It’s so complex it makes my eyes pop out. Fortunately, Dian Ket’s diary is stored in a not-so-deep place.

‘But is it okay to hand this over to Lu so easily?’

I understand that Logue’s followers are blind to Calepha’s existence.

But this is the royal treasury of the Pen Rota Empire, after all.

“Grandpa, stealing from the royal family is a grave sin. If you get caught sneaking into the treasury, you’ll be an accomplice. Are you sure it’s okay?”

Malykop pressed me with a look that said I was talking nonsense.

“Stealing? Ha! Nonsense! This isn’t stealing. So, um. Your name is….”

“Daisy.”

“Right, Miss Daisy. Are you a Senyot?”

Senyot? I’ve heard that word somewhere.

“It’s been a while, Calepha. I heard you drove away the Senyots. I came to serve in your place.”

Ah, right. The people in white on the airship were called Senyots.

Are you asking if I’m one of those white guys?

“No.”

“No? Then are you a Yete? Hmm. You don’t look like a Yete.”

It seems to be a position of some sort. Sorry, but I’m neither a Senyot nor a Yete.

I am.

“A maid.”

“That’s obvious.”

“I’m just a maid. I’m not a follower of Logue.”

“What?”

Malykop, forgetting that he had fainted, shouted in disbelief. His expression was one of utter disbelief.

“A mistress of Calepha and not a follower of Logue? How….”

What kind of mistress? The word was so absurd that I thought my ears were wrong for a moment.

‘Mistress.’

I couldn’t believe it. I asked Lu directly.

“Mr. Lu. Are you a playboy?”

“Huh.”

Malykop, fidgeting, tried to stop me. “No, asking Calepha that….” He mumbled, but what’s wrong with asking?

A smirk three times deeper than usual appeared on Lu’s lips.

“Ha.”

His eyes said it was ridiculous to answer.

Then, his expression turned blank, and he asked in a subtle tone.

“Jealous?”

“Are you a playboy?”

“No.”

The denial, which said there was nothing more to see, calmed my heart.

Well, even if you were a playboy, I can’t dictate someone else’s personal life. Anyway, I felt much better.

“No, Grandpa. Don’t turn a normal person into a playboy with a misunderstanding. Of course, as you get older, your thoughts become more narrow-minded and your prejudices deepen. I understand. But Lu and I are just coworkers. We’re not in a relationship.”

“…Coworkers.”

While Malykop was still in shock, Lu whistled softly.

“I thought Daisy would lose her intelligence when she returned to her original form. But she can be so logical.”

I ignored him.

Meanwhile, Malykop, who had been taking deep breaths, apologized with his eyes tightly closed.

“Phew, I’m sorry. I thought you and Calepha were… I didn’t expect to hear such a shocking answer… My thoughts, my thoughts…! Cough.”

“M-Master!”

And he fainted.

Again. He fainted.

Reina, who rushed over in shock, checked Malykop’s condition, her eyes wide.

He’s not dead…? Her sigh of relief suggested he wasn’t.

“I’m sorry. Master seems to have received a great shock. I can’t be sure when he’ll wake up… If you don’t mind, would you like me to guide you to the bedroom…?”

What could have shocked him so much?

‘It’s pointless to wake him up forcefully this time.’

A maid knows a maid’s heart best.

Without making a fuss, I accepted Reina’s suggestion.