novelraw Chapter 142 : Favorite Seasons and Strange Standards
Chapter 142 : Favorite Seasons and Strange Standards
"What exactly are you referring to?"
Although Yvonne responded with a smile,
Remembering the face of a certain demon pleading with her, she couldn't help feeling a bit guilty,
The social skills mastered during her noble days came to her aid. Although she couldn't understand it before, now Yvonne was immensely grateful to that etiquette teacher who had made her cry countless times. As long as her inner state was stable enough, maintaining a polite and graceful smile could gloss things over.
Seeing Yvonne's reaction, Brin folded her arms and pursed her lips.
Perhaps she was overthinking it.
"...It's nothing important, sorry, just forget I asked."
Unwilling to speak clearly, it seemed there were indeed deeper reasons hidden within.
Brin changed the subject,
"Then, regarding the next mission—"
"Wait, there's no break in between?"
The previous mission had just ended! This world doesn't even have the concept of 'weekends', what kind of other world black company is this—
Brin, as the instructor, ignored Yvonne's complaints and pulled out a brand new scroll from under her robe, handing it to her.
"This is the specific mission content, you'll understand once you open it."
She really knows how to order people around...
Helpless, Yvonne reached out to untie the thin string binding the scroll,
"Ah, that's..."
Elsa realized something and tried to stop her,
But it was too late, as Yvonne had already opened the scroll.
Whoosh—
"!!"
As soon as the string was undone, the scroll seemed to twist as if it had its own consciousness, unrolling flat before the two of them,
"This... what is this??"
"This is a mission scroll."
And the instigator, Brin, leaning on her staff, watched with a cunning smile of successful scheming, offering a belated explanation.
"Evie, it's like this..."
Elsa whispered an explanation in her ear,
"Once this thing is opened, it's considered that you've accepted the mission..."
What?!
Yvonne was shocked, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"You can do that??"
"Hehehe... Young people, you still have a lot to learn~"
For some reason, this small instructor seemed to be in high spirits today, had something good happened?
"Wait!! What if it's a dangerous mission? Wouldn't that be terrible??"
For those completely unaware of the workings of such magical tools, that move would definitely trick them,
It's even worse than those traps where clicking would apply for suspicious high-interest loans.
Yvonne still didn't quite trust these things,
Magic, curses, and such, it felt like there were traps everywhere.
"Don't worry,"
Seeing Yvonne's face full of distrust, Brin added an explanation about the mission scroll,
"Although opening it counts as accepting the mission, you can abandon the mission midway—of course, you'll have to pay 10% of the reward as a penalty fee."
"...This really is a trap, isn't it?!"
Helpless, since she had already accepted, she could only look at the mission content first.
The magical letters outlined with special paint were emitting a magical glow due to being in an active state, making them somewhat difficult to read,
Yvonne simply asked Brin.
"What kind of mission is this exactly..."
"Only the acceptor can see the mission on it."
Oh... So it even has a confidentiality function?
That's quite advanced.
Yvonne struggled to read the content on it.
—Find clues related to the witch.
—Issued by the "Witch Hunter" guild.
Seeing words related to witches, Yvonne felt her heart suspend in mid-air.
The mission requirements were surprisingly brief.
Contrary to the simple mission description was the enormous amount of reward, 100 gold coins for each valid piece of information.
Witch—
In this world, there had been four renowned witches, all disciples of the great magician Oz.
They had once assisted Oz in promoting human reform and progress, becoming guiding stars shining in the sky to lead others forward.
But unfortunately, there are countless great figures in history, and compared to those great ancestors who brought them a new era, people tend to remember more the instigators who destroyed it all.
In the end, the 'evil' witches turned against them, becoming traitors to mankind, bringing calamity and becoming sinners,
Since then, the concept of 'witch' has been associated with the impression of 'evil'.
Many parents would frighten children by saying they would be given to witches if they misbehaved.
Children, afraid of having their tongues plucked out by witches for alchemy materials, could only cover their mouths and stop crying.
And now, these two words made Yvonne immediately think of Dorothy, who called herself a 'witch' from the future, causing a vague unease to rise in her heart.
Could it be that her actions had been exposed?
Thinking of that person's exaggerated style, this concern suddenly deepened.
What would happen if a witch was caught?
Most likely, she would be 'executed'...
Even followers of witches would be held accountable. This point was exactly the same as in the Middle Ages.
The stories of witches were very tortuous and bizarre, with a certain mythical color,
In the past, people in many regions had benefited from witches, so views on 'witches' were not consistent in different places.
Some regions considered them to be a new generation of goddesses bringing hope, while others saw them as sinners causing disasters.
It was precisely because of this that various heterodox churches worshipping witches from an orthodox standpoint emerged one after another, though they were regarded as cults in this country.
"—The mission format is free."
Brin added.
"You don't need to feel too much pressure, just go with the flow. At worst, you can just pay the fine~"
"......"
Yvonne silently put away the mission scroll, saying no more.
"By the way, speaking of which... The coming-of-age ceremony for the Third Princess is approaching."
"Ah... Is that why the security in the royal capital has been so tight recently?"
When leaving the city earlier, the number of soldiers guarding the city gates had nearly doubled. It had left Yvonne feeling puzzled, but these subtle changes all had reasons that could be traced.
Come to think of it, Shirushi has turned 14 too... Time flies so fast.
In the past, whenever accompanying her father to the palace to meet the king, little Yvonne would play with Michel and Shirushi.
Who would have thought that innocent and cute girl would grow up to be so devious.
No, to be precise... that child had already shown signs of such tendencies when she was young, it's just that I never wanted to admit it.
Fillo also seemed very afraid of her, it seems she had been toyed with quite a bit.
Their relationship is probably like that of the devious angel Raphiel and the foolish demon Satania in "Gabriel DropOut"? It looks quite interesting.
Moreover, Shirushi's brother... no, should be called sister now.
As the representative of the human faction and royal heir, Michel fell in love with the demon girl Fillo.
How will the relationship between these three develop?
It's really worrying...
"What's wrong, thinking so intently... Perhaps you want some more?"
Brin leaned in with a face that only a black-hearted boss thinking 'you want to work overtime, right?' would have.
"Don't be shy, there's plenty more... Oh, right—take a look at this too!"
Saying this, Brin pulled out another pile of scrolls.
Heaven knows how many tools she had hidden under her cloak, it felt like scrolls would fall out of her sleeves if she just shook her body.
"...I won't fall for it again!!"
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Under the enthusiastic recommendation of the small instructor, helplessly, Yvonne accepted quite a few missions as if drawing lots.
This feeling of not knowing what mission you'd get before opening... It was just like drawing gacha cards.
But fortunately, she mostly drew search-type commissions like finding lost items or errand commissions to help noble young ladies find favorite accessories in commoner markets... All very minor matters.
Originally thinking that the "Myriad Leaves Gold" would be some high-end magicians' guild, but now it seemed more like a jack-of-all-trades shop that would accept any commission...
"Isn't it quite good?"
At this moment, Elsa was holding Yvonne's arm, walking on the clean streets of the upper city district,
"We make new friends every time we complete a mission, this kind of thing is not bad too~ The Pelo tribe mission went smoothly, right? This time will definitely be fine too!"
"Mm..."
Yvonne touched the 'tooth jade' hanging around her neck, strung on a woven cord given by Kukur.
This was proof of friendship with the Pelo tribe, and also evidence of fulfilling a promise.
With this token, the Pelo tribe would help her once within their capabilities, considered an unexpected mission reward.
She had only helped with some trivial matters... The other party's gratitude actually made her feel a bit uneasy.
"Good—Where should we go next?"
At this moment, the two were walking side by side on the bluestone-paved streets of Greenwoam.
After finishing the mission, there were no specific plans for today, so they decided to stroll around nearby and purchase some necessities for their long-term stay.
"I want matching cups with Evie—"
"And matching tableware for meals—"
"And matching bath towels too—mmph!"
"...You're too much."
Although saying this, she still bought what needed to be bought.
In the past, Yvonne, as the duke's daughter and fiancée to the royal family, could only peer out the carriage window, watching the bustling city streets flash by. Never being able to properly set foot in this city had always been a regret for Yvonne. Now, she could finally explore Greenwoam together with Elsa, making up for this regret.
"...It's so cold."
A chilly north wind blew, and Elsa beside her shivered.
"Really... That's why I told you to wear more this morning, it's going to get colder these few days."
"Who knew it would be this cold..."
"Knowing it's cold and still wearing so little, are you an idiot?"
Although her words were merciless, she still voluntarily moved to the side where the wind would blow, naturally linking arms with Elsa and drawing closer.
Being so close to her like this, it felt like even her heart was warming up...
"Come to think of it, we've fully entered late autumn..."
Yvonne fell into thought, wondering how the harvest season arrangements were going on her father's side.
"Which season does Evie like best?"
"If I have to say... probably summer? After all, it's a very bright season..."
Yvonne paused, then turned to ask her,
"What about you? Which season do you like, Elsa?"
"I like them all!"
"............"
Yvonne was somewhat speechless, can you even have such an indecisive response about seasons?
"Is there any special reason?"
"Hmm..."
She began counting on her fingers,
"Spring is the season for making promises, summer is the season for setting out on journeys, winter is the season of encounters... and the coming autumn is the season I'll spend together with you, so I like them all."
Her hand, linked with Yvonne's, slid down and finally interlocked their fingers. She turned to look at Yvonne, slightly squinting her eyes, which curved into a beautiful crescent shape,
"...You're really greedy."
Sometimes Yvonne really didn't know how to respond to these almost direct 'I like you' statements. She could only blush and hold her hand tightly, slowing her steps, praying that this happy time could pass a little slower.
......
"Wow—Evie, look, it's North Kalos pie!!"
Smelling a familiar aroma, Elsa excitedly pulled Yvonne to a restaurant with a blue lion emblem hanging outside,
"Business is really booming."
Noticing the not-so-short queue at the entrance, Yvonne's lips curled up unconsciously.
It seems the marketing strategy was indeed successful, everyone seemed very interested in this food from the northern frontier.
"Shall we try some too?"
"Hmm... let's not waste money. It's not like we haven't eaten it before."
Looking at the price tag, Elsa hesitated,
Starting from 5 silver coins per serving... Even for nobles, this price was really outrageous.
Having been used to living frugally before, she was always very cautious about spending money. She would definitely make a good wife in the future.
But the thought of 'wanting to treat her to something delicious' remained unwavering.
Yvonne secretly bought a paper cup cake priced at 4 times that of the North Kalos pie without making a fuss.
"Then let's have some dessert."
Yvonne's hand was already holding a paper cup dessert.
"...What's this?"
When did she buy it??
"This is a mousse cake made with fresh cream."
This recipe, which was recently provided to the Rhine Merchants Association, had been well-made,
As expected of the royal capital, their productivity was truly impressive.
"...'Mousse cake'?"
Another food she had never heard of.
Could this also be a product of knowledge from another world?
With curiosity, Elsa opened her mouth, eating the first bite Yvonne fed her.
"—!!"
The soft texture with a rich, milky fragrance quickly melted in her mouth.
"Th-This is—"
She exclaimed with her mouth full.
"~~~~~"
The mousse melted in her mouth without needing to chew, leaving only a faint, fresh fragrance on her lips and teeth. The rich aroma of cream swirled in her mouth, sweet and fragrant.
Just one bite made her feel like her bones were about to melt.
The cake part was extremely soft when chewed, cutting off a small piece with white cream, the tongue coated with cream was all sweet, mixed with the soft bread, the texture was simply a perfect match.
"Look at you... You've got some on your face."
"Mm-hmm!"
Just as Yvonne was about to reach out to wipe it off, for some reason, Elsa closed her eyes with an expectant look.
Really... She must be having some strange fantasy again...
Although her straightforward expression of feelings was cute, Yvonne would definitely not do something as embarrassingly extreme as licking cream off someone's face in public.
"...Be more careful when eating."
Under the restraint of embarrassment, Yvonne didn't fulfill her wish, only reaching out to wipe it off normally.
"Eh~~~"
After opening her eyes, her expression suddenly became somewhat disappointed, letting out a regretful sound.
Really can't be helped...
Thinking of an action that would make her happy, Yvonne extended her shiny pink tongue tip, licking the cream off her fingertip,
Watching her withdraw her fingertip from between her moist lips, Elsa froze like she had been hit by a light-sealing sword.
"...What's wrong?"
Elsa's appearance became a bit strange, for some reason her face suddenly turned bright red, her lips opening and closing like a fish,
"Fo-Forbidden! This level should be forbidden!! Evie, you're too unaware... Next, next time you're absolutely not allowed to do such things outside—!!"
Elsa covered her face, speaking incoherently.
The erotic scene from just now kept replaying in her mind, feeling like she couldn't even look at her properly anymore,
It was just too sexy!!
"...?"
Yvonne looked puzzled.
Sometimes she really couldn't understand Elsa's standards for what was 'erotic'...