When I asked him, the scholar answered me excitedly.
"This, this, was made during the prosperity of the ancient mage empire of Tauragot."
"Tauragot?"
"Yes, I have deciphered some of the parts you sent me in the letter beforehand, but maybe... Maybe you'll find a clue to solve the riddle of the monster here."
It was a bit of an absurd story, so I was more suspicious than surprised.
Could it be a scammer?
"I've learned about Tauragot, but it's a clue to solving the riddles of monsters..."
Tauragot. An empire that flourished in the distant past, that is, in ancient times.
Unlike now, when wizards and magic tools are scarce, most people could use magic in that era.
Anyone from children to the elderly could easily use magic...
I asked him as I reflected on the information that came to my mind.
"What specific clues will you find?"
"For example, you might learn how monsters are created, or how to fundamentally prevent them."
"Are you saying that it is possible to prevent monsters from spawning? I thought it was a natural occurrence..."
Does that make sense? I looked at him with a slightly more suspicious look, and he added a detailed explanation.
"As you may already know. Tauragot was a country with a much more advanced civilization than it is today. Magical engineering had developed to a point that is hard to imagine now, and research on monsters was actively conducted. And the information they probably left for their distant descendants..."
With that said, the scholar showed me the cube in front of me.
"It seems to be engraved here. I'll have to decipher to be more accurate."
It seemed plausible, and it didn't seem like it, and it felt ambiguous.
As I was half-heartedly examining the cube, he opened his mouth.
"I'm staying at a nearby hotel, and I'd like to take it there and take it to see more. All the materials I brought are there."
"Oh, that's a problem. I'll give you a rubbing instead, so I want you to decipher it with it..."
If it was really that valuable, it was difficult to leave it to him.
At first impression, he didn't seem like such a person, but maybe I didn't know him well enough.
He might run away with the cube.
It seemed that there was a spell that kept coming back to its owner, but I was hesitant to leave something of precious value in the hands of someone else.
Fortunately, the man didn't go on a rampage, asking if I didn't believe in him.
Instead, he bowed his head and apologized to me.
"I'm sorry. I asked you to leave it to me without revealing my name or identity, so you deserve to be reluctant. It's a little late, but I'll introduce myself."
The man said that in a polite tone and took off his glasses.
In addition, the mask covering the lower coffin was lowered.
Seeing his face exposed, I almost forgot about it.
"Hey... Duke Hersen?"
I don't know why he suddenly jumped out of here, but the scholar's identity was the Duke of Hersen.
Somehow, his voice sounded familiar.
He was always interested in exploring these things, so he seemed to run to Rodrick as soon as he got a call.
Since the Duke of Hersen was working under the cover of his identity, Rodrick seemed to have made a good contact.
When I recognized him immediately, he looked puzzled.
"Do you know me? I haven't visited much in the South."
Fortunately, I had changed my face with a magic tool, so he didn't recognize me.
I hurried around so that it wouldn't look awkward.
"I... I'm from the system. I have seen you in a distant place while passing by before..."
"Aha. Then it would be easier to explain. I'm Ednan Hersen, the owner of the Duke of Hersen. I will swear in the name of my family that I will never be a fraudster who will run away with things."
He seemed to think that if he called his family's name, I would trust him with the cube.
A person the head of the Duke's family wouldn't steal.
I trusted him more than before because he had a guaranteed identity, but I was still a little steamed.
If I entrusted the cube to him, he would inevitably keep in touch, and I was worried that he would find out that I was Elona.
I asked, not hiding my nervousness.
"Why didn't you reveal your Identity earlier?"
"Oh, that's. It's a bit complicated. To put it simply, the elders in my family are not happy with my activities as a scholar. I couldn't reveal my identity easily."
"Oh..."
The elders of the family probably referred to the elders of the family, including the previous head of the family.
I nodded with understanding, and he apologized again.
"I'm really sorry that I hid my identity. But if you trust me, I will definitely decode it perfectly."
What should I do? My mind became complicated.
If I thought about my safety, it was right to refuse.
But Rodrick said that there weren't many people who could decipher it.
It will take a long time to find another person, and I don't know if I will be able to find one even if I take the time...
After a long thought, I nodded.
"I see. Let's take a look at it. And if you find out something..."
I paused for a moment and pulled out a butterfly-shaped brooch from the safe.
It was something Rodrick had given me to contact before.
"You can contact me with this item. It is an object that conveys the voice to a distant place, and if you hold it tightly, I can hear it."
Originally, there were two brooches, and the people who communicated had to have one for each to have a conversation.
The other brooch is currently owned by Rodrick, but he would probably be willing to lend it to me.
When I placed the brooch, the Duke of Hersen's face lit up.
"Thank you so much for trusting me. I'll get back to you as soon as I find out something."
"Yes, but..."
"...?"
I wanted to ask him what happened to Letie, so my mouth was itching.
After the hunting contest, the Duke did not go with Letie but returned to the mansion separately.
When the two of them were in love and made me feel so embarrassed, did they always fight?
Or did they split completely?
Putting up that fuss?
I really wanted to ask, so my mouth was itching, but if a woman you had never seen suddenly asked you about your love history, it would look strange and suspicious.
"It's nothing. Thank you for your support."
The Duke confidently replied that he was left alone and went back to the hotel where he was staying.
The Duke suddenly jumped out, and I was a little taken aback, but he should be able to decipher the cube anyway.
I let out a long sigh at the thought that one thing I was worried about had been resolved.
***
As the sun went down and the ground was completely black, there was a glittering mansion alone.
The mansion hung lanterns from the main entrance and busily welcomed visitors who had gathered to attend the masquerades filled with cheerful music, fragrant champagne, and beautifully dressed aristocrats.
Everyone was shy with colorful masks and was dancing to the music.
There was a joyful smile on every face you saw.
Except for one.
"Baron, is there anyone waiting for you?"
Viscount Fried, who had been staring at Baron Wolfstein at his side, asked him in timidatingly.
It was a question he asked because Baron Wolfstein's condition was strange today.
The Baron, who did not like this kind of place, was sitting still and staring at the entrance of the banquet hall.
It was the first time a Baron had such a hard face during a ball.
Because he was worried about his friend's strange condition, the Viscount couldn't enjoy the ball at all.
The Baron replied to the Viscount in an unusually calm tone this time.
"Yes. The one who waits."
"What a beautiful woman she is. Why are you waiting so long? Don't do that, don't dance. I don't know who is waiting for them, but there are still so many beautiful ladies."
The Baron did not answer straight away, but stared into his friend's face.
It was an eerie look at the back of his head.
Presently, he replied, his voice as sharp and cold as his eyes.
"I don't see much of the other people."
"No, who the hell are you waiting for..."
"My wife ran away half a year ago.
"...Huh?"
Viscount Fried asked embarrassedly.
As far as he knew, his friend was definitely unmarried.
A person who had been holding on without marriage because he wanted to play more freely, even after inheriting the male writer, suddenly became his wife.
It was difficult to understand, so he asked him what he was talking about, but this time he didn't get an answer.
The Baron was just staring at the entrance of the banquet hall with his eyes upside down, like a man with his eyes turned upside down, looking for his wife, who had really run away from home.
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