Chapter 45

In the wake of the girl's confession, the parlor was momentarily enveloped in silence.

What does it mean to bring someone back to life? I think it's meant to be taken literally, but why did her older sister die? And is there even such a thing as a resurrection spell?

There's just too much information packed into that one sentence. The uncle is confused.

"Time and money are short. So..."

"It means you're involved in crime, right?"

"..."

The words he hesitated to say were completed by Alyushia.

The girl's face, if anything, was becoming more and more pained.

She probably understands that what she's doing is wrong and that she should be punished for it. Moreover, it doesn't seem like she's doing it willingly.

Hmm. Personally, I think there's plenty of room for leniency, but it's not my place to say anything. I'm just an uncle.

"But... no, let's stop it here."

Alyushia started to say something else but stopped mid-sentence. Her gaze was mainly focused on me.

Yeah, I get what you're trying to say.

You want to say that there's no such thing as a resurrection spell, right?

I'm trying hard to suppress the urge to point that out too.

I know nothing about magic and am not at all familiar with how it works. Still, I can predict that something like a resurrection spell probably doesn't exist. If it did, the world would be a very different place.

However, it seemed like trying to argue that point with the girl in front of me right now would be a meaningless act.

"By the way, how much is short?"

Still, this kind of silence is uncomfortable.

I don't like heavy atmospheres. I'm not trying to be flippant, but I shifted the topic a bit to ease the tension.

"Five million darks, they said."

"That's a lot of money, isn't it?"

The girl answered my question quietly, still looking down.

Five million darks. That's a significant amount of money, especially for someone who works a regular job.

The fact that she was told this amount suggests that someone offered it to her. It doesn't bode well, and it seems like there's someone behind the scenes using her.

Ugh, I hate this. I really dislike people like that.

To involve a child with poor judgment in a crime is unforgivable.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back."

"Ah, okay, I understand."

Alyushia left the parlor at this point.

It's a bit unusual for her to leave without telling me what she's up to. Maybe she remembered something urgent.

"..."

The result was this situation where the uncle and the girl were left in silence. Ugh, it's uncomfortable. I wish I could summon Kurni right now.

"Why did your sister die?"

I broke the silence with this question.

I immediately regretted it. It wasn't the kind of question to ask in this atmosphere.

"I don't know. I was just told she died."

But the girl next to me didn't seem to care about the atmosphere. She might not have had the luxury to care.

I could see her sitting in the chair, looking down and clenching her fists on her knees.

I don't know why her sister died or what the situation was. Therefore, I had no way to comfort her. I was afraid that offering empty words of comfort might only make her feel worse.

"..."

The conversation ended there.

This silence is too much. Alyushia, come back quickly.

"By the way, I have to ask again, but—"

"..."

After a moment of silence, I recalled something and spoke.

Thinking about it, we've talked quite a bit—though not in a friendly way—and I still don't know the basics about her.

"Can you at least tell me your name? I'm Beryl Gardenant."

"...Muy. Muy Freia."

"Muy, got it."

"Stop it. Don't call me with -chan. I'm not a kid."

"Haha, sorry."

So, Muy. Despite her attitude, it's a rather cute name. She doesn't like the -chan suffix, but I'll use it in my head.

Unlike Lucy, she looks like a typical girl. She's probably in her early to mid-teens. I don't need to know her exact age, but she gives a more youthful than mature impression.

Her language and attitude are far from those of an average teenager.

Her environment must have shaped her this way, but I'm used to dealing with mischievous kids. Most kids who practice swordsmanship from a young age tend to be rascals.

"Hey, uncle."

"Hm, what is it?"

Finally, we were having a proper conversation, and I let out a sigh of relief when Muy spoke to me.

I considered correcting her for calling me "uncle," but decided to let it go. After all, I am an uncle.

"Can I have it back now?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, sorry."

I realized I was still holding her pendant. It's probably time to give it back.

"I'll give it back, but—"

"What?"

I dangled the pendant in front of her.

"I need you to stay a little longer. I want to help you somehow."

"...Tch."

She responded with a sigh, but I don't think it's a sigh of rejection. I can tell, or at least I think I can.

Well, now that I know her name, I can look into her if I want to. I don't know how serious Alyushia is about this.

Muy took the pendant, caressed it for a moment, and then carefully put it away. For a moment, her face softened, contrary to her previously aggressive expression.

"Is this... your sister's?"

"...Yeah. This is all that came back."

Her voice was tinged with swallowed sorrow.

Muy is young. It's not easy for someone her age to come to terms with the loss of a family member. Her attitude suggests that she was very close to her sister.

I have other questions, like what happened to her parents, but I'll put those aside for now.

In any case, it's almost certain that someone is using Muy to steal five million darks.

If a resurrection spell really existed, that would be a different story, but the likelihood is probably low. I might ask Lucy or Fissel about it if I get the chance.

"Sorry, I'm back."

"Ah, welcome back."

Just as the conversation with Muy was winding down, Alyushia returned.

"Right, um... about you."

"Ah, her name is Muy."

"Is that so, then Muy-san."

"..."

Alyushia started talking as soon as she sat down. Her gaze was firmly fixed on Muy. It seems like something happened while she was out, but I wonder what she was doing.

"To confirm your abilities, a mage from the Academy will come here. We will also consider whether to punish you—"

"Here, Alyushia! I heard you discovered a potential mage... What, Beryl is here too? So, you're the master!?"

Bam!

The parlor door was thrown open, and a loud, energetic voice echoed. The speaker, with long, neatly styled platinum blonde hair, immediately focused on Muy.

"What! What are you doing!?"

The girl was visibly shocked by the sudden appearance.

Yeah, I get it. I thought the same thing when I first met her.

But, she's the top of the Mage Corps. Unfortunately.

This uncle knows nothing about magic, so I can't really explain it.