Chapter 65

"Uh... um, you... you also... that... um..."

Marina peeked at me from behind the shopkeeper, Canon, while hiding in her shadow.

...She seems completely different from her usual self.

"I'm also a lost traveler."

"Yes, that's right... um... yes, um..."

The conversation was completely one-sided.

Just as I thought that, Canon sighed and put the black mask she had been holding onto Marina's face.

Then, Marina's expression changed,

"Oh, I never thought I would meet a fellow here in such a remote place. I will overlook your sudden use of informal language. Let's celebrate our reunion and get drunk on fine wine tonight."

"...Canon... I have one question, about Marina..."

"Yes, she is extremely shy. When she wears a mask enchanted to cure shyness, her personality changes. Her real name is Marina, but when this personality is active, we call her Marina."

An enchanted mask?

...It looks like a regular mask to me... Am I being tricked?

But if she really overcame her shyness by being tricked, that's a good thing, so I'll keep quiet.

"Marina, are you a slave? If you're Japanese, you should have some special blessings that make life not too hard, right?"

"Indeed. Life is not hard for me. My blessing is the liberation of a special profession, which means my talent as a great magician has blossomed—ah... Canon, please... give me back the mask..."

When Canon took the mask away, Marina—no, Marina—slumped to the ground.

"You might have noticed, but her profession is a street performer, a specialized job for street performances. I had never heard of such a profession before. But with her personality, she couldn't do street performances, ran out of money, and became a slave."

"...Why did she become a street performer in the first place?"

"W-well, when I told Lord Trailleur that I wanted a blessing to get along with many people, he chose this profession, saying it would help me make many friends."

So that's why she became a street performer.

But, Lord Trailleur must have just picked it randomly, without thinking about the consequences.

"So, I bought her, gave her a mask to cure her stage fright, and we traveled the world together... But..."

"...Please... Canon, don't abandon me."

"I told you, I have a job with an old acquaintance, so I decided to sell you here. Marina, you should earn money through performances. If you earn more than 10,000 cents, I'll use that money to set you free. How much have you saved so far?"

"1,820 cents..."

"So, I'm going to sell you to the son of a lecherous mayor in a border town on the Dycat side. Be prepared for that."

"Bu... but... I... I can't do anything."

"It's fine even if you can't do anything. They'll take care of it on their own."

"...No..."

Marina was already crying.

"Oh... I see. Then, I'll think about it if you complete your errand successfully."

"Errand?"

"Yes. I want you to deliver this knife to the innkeeper in the capital of Dycat, Ferit. If you return before I finish packing, I'll take you on another journey."

"...But... I can't do it alone..."

Canon put the mask back on Marina.

Then, Marina, who had been crying, stood up, pointed at me, and declared,

"Fellow from the land of the rising sun, descendant of a hero!"

"No, my family has always been ordinary civilians. I'm not a descendant of a hero."

"Such trivial matters are of no importance. How about it? Do you need a great magician as a bodyguard? If you're going to Dycat, I'll guard you for free."

I pretended to think for a moment,

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

She seems like a troublesome kid.

"What? You still don't believe in my power? Then, I'll show you my special act."

With that, Marina took out seven balls from her pocket.

Hey, you just naturally said "act"!

"By using my levitation magic, I will manipulate these seven balls in all directions! Behold!"

She started throwing the seven balls.

Up and down, left and right, even behind her.

The balls bounced off walls and objects, sometimes colliding with each other, but they all returned to her hands.

The strange movements of the balls drew the scattered audience back together.

"How about it? These balls move like living things! This is truly forbidden magic. I infuse inanimate objects with a temporary soul, making them move like hopping rabbits."

No, you just said levitation magic a moment ago. Besides, it's just juggling, but at a very high level.

Still, what's impressive is that the balls are made of wood. They're a bit soft, but they don't bounce as well as rubber balls.

Despite this, her juggling is perfect.

This is the true skill of a street performer.

Five minutes later, Marina, with a satisfied smile, had received many copper coins as tips.

"How about it, my super magic?"

"What can I say...?"

"Please, I'm asking you. This girl is like this when she wears the mask, but she's originally a socially awkward shut-in. I was worried about sending her on an errand alone. If you take her, I'll even give you a replica of the Rod of Aesculapius."

That's definitely a knockoff of the Rod of Aesculapius. And it's a pretty rough one.

If you search for "Rod of Aesculapius" in a search engine, it would probably say,

"Searching for 'Rod of Aesculapius.' Did you mean 'Rod of Aesculapius'?"

A 1% increase in magic power is also suspicious.

Honestly, 1% could be within the margin of error for daily fluctuations.

"Ha... I have a lot of questions, but I guess it can't be helped. In return, you'll have to pay the border and town entry taxes for yourself. And you'll have to make your way back from Dycat on your own."

"Deal. Here, this is the document that makes you her owner, the knife, and the letter to the innkeeper. Make sure to deliver it properly."

"Do I really need to become Marina's owner?"

"If you're not her owner, you'll be suspected of being a runaway slave and won't be able to cross the border."

By that logic, how will she return?

Can she cross the border without an owner?

Or, are you going to make me take care of her on the way back too?

Absolutely not.

"Haru, Carol, so we're taking her with us for a while, but she doesn't seem like a bad person."

Taking her along shouldn't be a problem.

The two of them agreed as well.

"By the way, what about the pigeons?"

"Huh? Ahhhh! Come back! Taro! Hanako! Ichiro!"

Marina waved her arms widely towards the sky.

It took about ten minutes for the pigeons to return, and with the addition of the street performer, we boarded the carriage and headed for Dycat.

~Interlude: Canon's True Identity~

After the carriage carrying Ichi and the others disappeared, Canon gathered her belongings and skillfully descended the rope ladder hanging from the bridge.

She also sank the rocks she had stuck swords and staffs into the river, thinking it was no one's business since she had found them there.

Then, she tried to enter the small hut built on a raft-like floating log, and Canon sensed a presence inside.

"I told you to wait until tomorrow."

With anger, Canon spoke to the man inside through the door.

Then, she opened the door.

There, a man with red hair and a black cloak stood. His skin, which despises the sun the most, was pale white.

His red hair, which contrasts with his skin, is often laughed at, but he is very fond of it.

Therefore, his hair, which has not been cut for hundreds of years, reached his back and was tied with dragon whisker threads.

"It's been a while, Third General of the Demon Army, Count Valf."

"It's been a while. You've become quite adept at mimicking humans, Demon Canon."

As he said this, Valf's evil aura intensified, and Canon's two horns, which she had hidden, appeared.

"One corner of the Demon King's seal has been broken. I said time is short. If your business is done, get to work. You have been ordered by the Marshal to investigate the Arandelle Kingdom. Start immediately."

"What about you, Count?"

"I have business in Dycat. I'm currently setting up a new pawn."

"New pawn... Are you playing with humans again? How tasteless."

"You're no different. Marina, right? She seems like an interesting piece. I want a piece like her too."

When Valf said this, Canon's evil aura also intensified.

Valf's black eyes turned blood red.

"If you lay a hand on Marina, I won't forgive you."

"You seem quite attached to humans. Well, it's fine. It's a strange profession, but it's not suitable for combat. I'll leave her be. Don't forget, Canon. The Demon King's revival is near."

With that, Valf's figure disappeared into a black mist.

Then, Canon, left alone, laughed self-mockingly and said,

"I know that even without you saying it."