The people of Illeston Mansion could not keep their mouths shut when they saw the main gate of the mansion.
“Uh, how did this happen...?!”
It was the first time so many people gathered near the entrance where the red tree hung.
That's right, there was no longer a threat blocking the entrance.
There were messy tree branches scattered in front of the entrance.
Someone's clothes and thick liquid were leaking out from the hollow tree bark hanging from the pillar at the entrance, but no one was paying attention to them right now.
“What happened last night... Lord, Master, this is... Is that kid really...”
“She kept her promise.”
The Archduke moved forward, ignoring the surprised words of the head butler Kelle.
Was the entrance to the mansion this beautiful?
The entrance to Illeston Mansion, with its elaborately carved golden family pattern, looked very beautiful in the sunlight.
It was the view beyond the entrance that Grand Duke Illeston saw for the first time.
***
“It was hiding in an empty shell?”
“Yes, when everyone fell asleep, a monster imitating a human came out of an empty shell and came to Simone’s room.”
“It came looking for her?”
“From what I heard, it sounds like she promised the monster that it would eat her last night.”
The archduke's eyebrows were deeply wrinkled.
“She said she would let it eat her.”
“Yes, that’s what the monster said.”
She said it could eat today.
The sound of the monster shouting seemed to still be heard clearly in his ears.
“I don’t know anything else. Simone told me to cut it down if she gets eaten and the monster returns to the tree. She just said that.”
"Right."
It's commendable that she didn't tell a single adventurer anything about the tree.
Because it's not good for outsiders to find out what kind of monster has lived in the mansion for 300 years.
“Hmm.”
Grand Duke Illeston was lost in thought.
'I thought victims only came from within the mansion.'
The target was not only people belonging to the Illeston Mansion.
A person who happened to pass by here, a person who accidentally encountered a monster in the shape of a human.
The types of victims were very diverse, from the employees of the mansion to ordinary people.
It was only when the Archduke saw the clothes mixed with unknown liquids in the tree bark that he realized that there were other victims besides the people in the mansion.
'Go to bed early.'
It was only when he saw the countless pieces of clothing and skin that the Archduke knew that he had to sleep to avoid becoming a target of monsters and that Simone had made the people in the mansion sleep while writing in a diary.
'Why on earth?'
He was curious as to why the monster moved while people were sleeping, but that was something he would hear about later from Simone, who was already soundly sleeping. However...
“How did Simone learn the secret of the tree?”
How could Simone, who had no ties to the Illeston family, know something that no one had known for 300 years?
Louis answered.
“It seemed like Simone knew from the beginning.”
“... She knew from the beginning?”
The secret of that tree?
“Yes, I am not sure what kind of research Simone did in advance and how she came to know the information about the monster.”
Louis, along with Grand Duke Illeston, had a serious expression on their faces.
“She knew in advance what the tree was and how to get rid of it.”
Simone wasn't even scared. Instead, she crushed the monster with tremendous force.
In response to Louis' answer, Grand Duke Illeston thought for a moment, nodded, and straightened his upper body.
“...Right. I get it. Good job.”
“Yes, Grand Duke.”
Archduke Illeston said as he looked at Louis who bowed politely.
“I have called a carriage at the front gate, so take it and return to the guild. It is the Illeston family’s sincerity to you for risking your life to eliminate a long-standing threat.”
Louis, who was about to say, 'I just worked as much as I was paid,' had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
Although he had a stern expression on his face, he could tell that the Archduke was happy that he could see his benefactor off through the front door instead of the back door.
***
“Adventurer, I will always hope that your journey ends safely.”
Louis was seen off by the head of the house, Kelle, and the employees, and as he boarded the carriage, he looked up at the mansion.
A curse that had isolated Illeston Manor for a long time disappeared in just one night.
The monster was destroyed so easily.
‘So easily...'
A necromancer with such great power.
If it were her.
Couldn't he, his family, and the empire be saved?
'...It's time to end the adventure.'
Louis thought lightly and turned his head.
Contrary to Simone's wishes, Louis' actions were noticeably different from the original.
***
Simone was able to wake up late thanks to the pranks of the ghost, who muttered 'die' for the first time in a long time when her spirit was weakened due to the use of a lot of her abilities in the battle with the tree monster at dawn.
For the past two days, as breakfast time approached, Anna would wake her up with a restless, trembling voice, but today, for some reason, she was considerate so that Simone could sleep well and wake up.
Thanks to this, Simone woke up after a good night's sleep, and a scene quite different from usual unfolded before her eyes.
'...What kind of situation is this?'
“How are you? Simone.”
“Good morning. Simone, right?”
“Do you want to eat right now? Shall we serve tea first?”
“...What?"
What are all these people?
Simone looked around in confusion.
“Why are you like this?”
“Oh, why are we like this? As always, we will serve Simone with all our hearts.”
"You're right. Please feel free to call me anytime.”
"Yes?"
For some reason, the number of people taking care of her has increased tremendously.
At a glance, there are five or six people, maybe a little more.
Apparently, until yesterday, the only attendant who was by her side was Anna.
Even if she just happened to pass by, the employees would act like they saw something they shouldn't have seen.
'What's all this about?'
Today, they were treating Simone too politely. They felt like she was a very important guest of the Illeston family.
Thanks to the servants actively taking care of Simone, Anna was pushed to the back and only watched Simone anxiously.
"Meal... I’ll do it first.”
“Yes, Simone. I will prepare bath water for you by the time you finish eating.”
Was this a task undertaken by the employees themselves after determining Simone's veracity, or was it something the Archduke ordered them to do?
Simone finished eating and bathing in doubt and confusion and headed to Archduke Illeston's study.
And the Grand Duke of Illeston, who was facing her, looked at Simone and raised the corner of his mouth for the first time.
Of course, it was quite awkward and difficult to call it a smile.
“Good morning, Grand Duke.”
The Archduke spoke as soon as Simone greeted him.
“Simone, I will trust you.”
His voice and tone were still emotionless, but his guard against Simone had eased.
“From now on, I will treat you as a guest of Illeston Mansion and provide you with all support.”
Judging by Grand Duke Illeston's words, it appears that he sent all the attendants who were extremely devoted to Simone this morning.
“So, Simone, you too will have to do your best to lift the curse on the mansion.”
“Of course, Grand Duke. Because it was that kind of contract.”
The wrinkles between his eyebrows that had increased every time Simone added a word had disappeared completely today.
Why is everyone like this today?
Is it too burdensome?
Simone shook her head in blatant disgust at the people's changed attitude.
“I’ll sit down first.”
"I know."
Simone sat on the sofa and looked out the window.
The cool, open entrance to the mansion.
That's probably why people's attitudes have changed.
Simone has clearly shown her worth, so she probably won't be ignored for a while.
“Then let’s take a listen.”
While Simone looked out the window for a moment, Archduke Illeston's expression returned to its original coldness.
“What happened last night?”
“I exploded that tree with the mana of death and killed it.”
“...I didn't mean to listen to that. What I’m curious about is the content of the curse.”
The Grand Duke wanted to hear why the people in the mansion had to go to bed early, what the identity of that tree was, and how a tree that could not be removed for 300 years was removed overnight.
To Grand Duke Illeston's question, Simone took a sip of tea and calmly answered.
“That monster is very scared.”
“Are monsters scared?”
“And it is very weak, but it's annoyingly smart.”
One had to be careful about anything that was not human in shape.
Because it is very intelligent.
“The reason it moves when everyone else in the mansion is sleeping is to increase its chances of survival.”
The tree wanted to live as long as possible. It wanted to gain nourishment, but if it walked around the mansion openly, the people in the mansion might quickly notice its weaknesses, so it moved as much as possible at night when everyone was sleeping so that no one would know its identity.
At night, when everyone is asleep, it wanders around looking for new food, and if it finds someone who is not asleep, it pounces on them and eats them.
“A tree that grows only from human blood and flesh was planted in the mansion. I don’t know who it was, but they placed a very terrible curse on you.”
Grand Duke Illeston ignored Simone's words and asked.
“You said this monster was weak. But why couldn’t we cut it down?”
Until now, the Archduke family had not made any attempts to destroy the tree.
Over the course of 300 years, he tried again and again, but instead of cutting down the tree, whenever he tried to cut it down, the sword broke and cracked.
The adventurer's guild swordsman who sent that hard piece out of the mansion this morning said he split it as easily as cutting through paper.
No matter how good the swordsman's skills were, it would make no sense.
Simone answered his question.
“I told you. It's very scary.”
"So?"
“Because it is very timid, it usually uses all its strength to protect itself. So it is very sturdy. So much so that ordinary people could never destroy it.”
Simone grinned.
“But there are times when such a defensive monster can focus his energies elsewhere.”
Illeston responded immediately to Simone’s words.
“It’s time to absorb nutrients.”
"You're right."
Grand Duke Illeston recalled what Swordsman Wren had said.
- Simone tells me to cut down the tree if she gets eaten. That's all she said.
“...So you're saying you got eaten yourself? To let down the monster’s defenses.”
"That's right. I thought Mana would protect me.”
No matter what, it's a dangerous thing to let yourself be eaten by an unknown monster.
“It seems you have multiple lives.”
“There is only one.”
Archduke Ileston shook his head at Simone's actions, and she answered immediately with the sole intention of never being sarcastic.
“But how did you know the identity of the tree? Even our family didn’t know about it.”
The Illeston family thought that people who were charmed by a tree would approach it to be eaten, but they never thought that the tree would move.
Simone's mouth fell silent for the first time in response to Archduke Illeston's question.
She read it in a novel.
...If she says that, she'll probably get yelled at by head butler Kelle, asking where you're lying again, right?
Simone said.
“Necromancers know everything. There is something that is passed down from generation to generation.”
“I understand that necromancers ceased working 300 years ago?”
“But I'm alive here?”
As Simone pointed at herself and smiled, Grand Duke Illeston sighed deeply and ended the conversation.
After that, Grand Duke Illeston only asked if anything was needed and issued an order to banish the guests.
He never asked what curse Simone was going to lift next or how she was going to do it.
It was also a kind of expression that he would leave the matter entirely to Simone from now on.
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