“Do you really want to take a tour?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
A mortuary in the south.
Surprisingly, there was a corpse museum attached to it.
“It’s surprising that such a place exists… It’s creepy.”
“It’s because of the peculiar culture of the South,” Schwell explained.
At that moment, I found a peculiar exhibit. A black skull.
It was a glass window displaying layers of human head.
“What is this?”
“It’s associated with the southern culture I just explained. In the south, when an outstanding wizard dies, they preserve their skull like this and paint it black.”
“And then?”
“They believe if the skull is properly honored, the magic power will not disappear and protect the family.”
I read the writing under the skull.
[People of families who strongly believe in the power of magic have even eaten skulls.]
“Ugh… What is this?”
I was shocked.
“Oh… I thought you would like it. Don’t you?”
“Who would like that!”
What I want to study, it’s not that I like corpses. It’s one of the misunderstandings people have about the Duke’s family. We have outgrown our teenage years.
“Do you also dislike it, Duke?”
“What do you think of the Duke’s family? We don’t like that kind of thing.”
“Then…?”
“We just like to explore.”
“We just like studying!”
Collen and I answered simultaneously.
Zion nodded affirmatively.
“…I don’t know what the difference is, but I understand. So, would you like to visit the autopsy storage room?”
“I want to go.”
“Let’s go.”
Collen and I nodded simultaneously. Zion smiled faintly.
But in this world, you never know when you’ll get caught up in something.
At least, you should memorize the autopsy, right? Wouldn’t it help catch the bad guys?
The city tour was always fun.
“The South really seems wealthy.”
There were many people dressed up on the streets, and there were more flashy stores than the average street in the capital.
“There are a lot of luxurious stores, right? It’s a place where money is overflowing.”
That was Schwell’s straightforward explanation. Suddenly, I stopped in front of the bulletin board in the square as I was walking down the street.
[Looking for missing persons.]
An 18-year-old boy living on Roel Street… A lumberjack couple living near Hamun Forest… A girl who works at a red-roofed inn on 46th Street…
Something was strange.
‘So many missing persons in a month?’
Almost a week apart? I looked at it closely and asked Schwell.
“Why are there so many missing persons?”
“Because it’s the South.”
Schwell whispered.
“As much as it’s beautiful and flashy, there are many strange incidents.”
I thought that was exactly like the capital. The capital I live in is also a crime haven.
“Can all these people be found?”
“If they haven’t been taken by the ghost of the White Wizards, they can be found.”
Schwell shrugged his shoulders. Zion smiled bitterly.
“Let’s continue exploring the city. There’s also a chocolate shop.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
I saw Collen and Sion exchange glances. I turned my back to the bulletin board.
* * *
“Honey!”
“Marianne!”
Marianne, who was sitting bored at the dinner table, gestured with joy when she saw me. It’s as if I’m seeing her for the first time since last night.
“That finicky you became so generous. Leticia is quite a remarkable girl.”
Elena spoke as if she was amazed.
“This kind of irresistible cuteness is unfair, so I can’t help it.”
Marianne murmured. Then she asked me.
“What did you do today?”
“I toured the South. I also learned about history.”
I bought cookies for Marianne as a gift in town, but that’s a secret for now. Because I only bought for Marianne.
I was so engrossed in talking about the events of the past few days, I didn’t even notice how dinner passed.
After dinner, I realized that Cedric was still absent.
‘Isn’t Cedric coming back?’
Could it be… the royal family member was excluded in the South, so he wasn’t even called for dinner… Surely not?
I casually asked Elena when dinner ended.
“What about Prince Cedric?”
“He seems to be running late at the Academy. He is our guest, he will return.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
After dinner, I went back to my room.
“Is it still early for you to sleep? Would you like to go for a walk?”
“I’m fine with a walk, but is there a library in this castle?”
At my question, Marie pondered.
“Yes, there is. Mostly old books though…”
“Can I go and have a look?”
“Yes, I’ll ask the butler.”
Then there was a knock on the door.
‘Could it be Cedric?’
I opened the door.
“Dad?”
“I came to say good night.”
I examined Collen, escorted by Zion.
From his throat to his toes, he was impeccably dressed in black, even wearing a coat with a hood, holding a rod in his hand.
‘It’s perfect for slipping into the darkness.’
The vague atmosphere of the day came to mind. And the list of missing people densely posted on the bulletin board too.
It was a sufficient environment for Collen to catch a smell.
“Do you really want to take a tour?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
A mortuary in the south.
Surprisingly, there was a corpse museum attached to it.
“It’s surprising that such a place exists… It’s creepy.”
“It’s because of the peculiar culture of the South,” Schwell explained.
At that moment, I found a peculiar exhibit. A black skull.
It was a glass window displaying layers of human head.
“What is this?”
“It’s associated with the southern culture I just explained. In the south, when an outstanding wizard dies, they preserve their skull like this and paint it black.”
“And then?”
“They believe if the skull is properly honored, the magic power will not disappear and protect the family.”
I read the writing under the skull.
[People of families who strongly believe in the power of magic have even eaten skulls.]
“Ugh… What is this?”
I was shocked.
“Oh… I thought you would like it. Don’t you?”
“Who would like that!”
What I want to study, it’s not that I like corpses. It’s one of the misunderstandings people have about the Duke’s family. We have outgrown our teenage years.
“Do you also dislike it, Duke?”
“What do you think of the Duke’s family? We don’t like that kind of thing.”
“Then…?”
“We just like to explore.”
“We just like studying!”
Collen and I answered simultaneously.
Zion nodded affirmatively.
“…I don’t know what the difference is, but I understand. So, would you like to visit the autopsy storage room?”
“I want to go.”
“Let’s go.”
Collen and I nodded simultaneously. Zion smiled faintly.
But in this world, you never know when you’ll get caught up in something.
At least, you should memorize the autopsy, right? Wouldn’t it help catch the bad guys?
The city tour was always fun.
“The South really seems wealthy.”
There were many people dressed up on the streets, and there were more flashy stores than the average street in the capital.
“There are a lot of luxurious stores, right? It’s a place where money is overflowing.”
That was Schwell’s straightforward explanation. Suddenly, I stopped in front of the bulletin board in the square as I was walking down the street.
[Looking for missing persons.]
An 18-year-old boy living on Roel Street… A lumberjack couple living near Hamun Forest… A girl who works at a red-roofed inn on 46th Street…
Something was strange.
‘So many missing persons in a month?’
Almost a week apart? I looked at it closely and asked Schwell.
“Why are there so many missing persons?”
“Because it’s the South.”
Schwell whispered.
“As much as it’s beautiful and flashy, there are many strange incidents.”
I thought that was exactly like the capital. The capital I live in is also a crime haven.
“Can all these people be found?”
“If they haven’t been taken by the ghost of the White Wizards, they can be found.”
Schwell shrugged his shoulders. Zion smiled bitterly.
“Let’s continue exploring the city. There’s also a chocolate shop.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
I saw Collen and Sion exchange glances. I turned my back to the bulletin board.
* * *
“Honey!”
“Marianne!”
Marianne, who was sitting bored at the dinner table, gestured with joy when she saw me. It’s as if I’m seeing her for the first time since last night.
“That finicky you became so generous. Leticia is quite a remarkable girl.”
Elena spoke as if she was amazed.
“This kind of irresistible cuteness is unfair, so I can’t help it.”
Marianne murmured. Then she asked me.
“What did you do today?”
“I toured the South. I also learned about history.”
I bought cookies for Marianne as a gift in town, but that’s a secret for now. Because I only bought for Marianne.
I was so engrossed in talking about the events of the past few days, I didn’t even notice how dinner passed.
After dinner, I realized that Cedric was still absent.
‘Isn’t Cedric coming back?’
Could it be… the royal family member was excluded in the South, so he wasn’t even called for dinner… Surely not?
I casually asked Elena when dinner ended.
“What about Prince Cedric?”
“He seems to be running late at the Academy. He is our guest, he will return.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
After dinner, I went back to my room.
“Is it still early for you to sleep? Would you like to go for a walk?”
“I’m fine with a walk, but is there a library in this castle?”
At my question, Marie pondered.
“Yes, there is. Mostly old books though…”
“Can I go and have a look?”
“Yes, I’ll ask the butler.”
Then there was a knock on the door.
‘Could it be Cedric?’
I opened the door.
“Dad?”
“I came to say good night.”
I examined Collen, escorted by Zion.
From his throat to his toes, he was impeccably dressed in black, even wearing a coat with a hood, holding a rod in his hand.
‘It’s perfect for slipping into the darkness.’
The vague atmosphere of the day came to mind. And the list of missing people densely posted on the bulletin board too.
It was a sufficient environment for Collen to catch a smell.
