Chapter 66: The Ring Warlock Team Passing By |
The black-haired maid hurriedly made her way along the gravel path from the estate’s gate toward the imposing three-story manor. If Shad recalled correctly, this was the very maid from the Lucky Southern Cross Club’s third floor who had handed him the relic, the 【Vampire Ring】, on behalf of “That Lady.”
“‘That Lady’ is here too?”
Standing beside the long table, Shad glanced at the manor in the distance. He could only make out a few young women in elegant dresses conversing on the second-floor balcony.
One of them, a red-haired girl holding a glass of wine, noticed Shad's gaze and pointed in his direction, prompting her companions to follow suit. Shad saw them all glance his way. Although he had no intention of causing trouble, he gave a polite nod before casually moving to a different spot.
“Seeing so many hair colors at once... now that’s a novel experience,” he thought to himself as he wandered toward the estate's rear garden.
The exact area of Lakeside Manor was unclear to Shad, but even without including the connected racetrack and nearby farmland, its size surpassed his imagination. Behind the mansion lay the gardens, divided into various sections. Beyond that, the estate extended directly to Lake Schluch, complete with a small dock and boats. Shad even saw young couples paddling out onto the lake with candles in hand.
He stayed away from the lakeshore—not because he didn’t want to enjoy the March night’s reflection on the water, but because it was simply too cold there. The garden itself provided enough sights to broaden his horizons. He noticed, however, that young lovers frequently retreated into its depths—not for any inappropriate activity, but simply to exchange affectionate words on benches. Still, their presence made Shad’s aimless wandering a bit awkward.
He roamed aimlessly, partly to gain experience and better adapt to life in this world, and partly to pass the time. However, as he distributed the business cards he’d brought for Baron Lavender’s acquaintances, he found that he was down to his last few and decided there was no need to hand out the rest.
Spotting a tulip garden with a statue nearby, Shad thought to sit there for a while. But before he could reach it, he noticed a group of people emerging from a side path lined with flowers. It was the path connecting the estate garden to the racetrack.
Father August had recently described the attire and weaponry of church Ring Warlock squads, confirming Shad's suspicions, though he couldn’t determine which True God Church they belonged to, as no holy emblem was visible. Regardless, they exuded danger.
Instinctively, Shad turned onto another garden path to avoid crossing their path directly.
As they passed, a voice in his mind warned: “Miracle. Enlightenment. Whispers.” This reinforced Shad's assumption about their identity.
“If every encounter with church squads provided such clear hints, wouldn’t that undermine any secret operations... or maybe it’s just something unique to me?” he wondered, addressing the voice that claimed to be “another self.”
【Should I repeat myself?】
“It’s because my soul is sensitive,” Shad replied inwardly, hearing the woman’s melodic laughter again.
The squad’s leader was a man of Shad’s height but built far more powerfully—like someone who could kill a man and an orange tabby, Mimia, with one punch. Most of his team were men, but two women stood out. One, around thirty years old, had purple lipstick, while the other, no older than eighteen, had brown hair and a visibly nervous demeanor.
“First mission nerves... Wait, she looks familiar,” Shad mused. “Ah, I saw her on Purple Iris Lane when I picked up Mimia. There was something strange about her even then.”
Not wanting to draw attention, Shad didn’t turn to look but kept walking. The voice in his head broke the silence:
【Foreigner, you’ve seen Fate.】
“Huh? When did I see it?” he asked inwardly, his steps quickening to avoid suspicion from the church squad.
“Why am I so nervous?” he thought, slowing down. “I haven’t done anything wrong. What’s there to fear... I’m a good person!”
Even so, he didn’t look back.
【It’s hard to explain. Your repeated encounters with her have revealed something unusual about the girl. Even if I hadn’t spoken, you would have felt it.】
“Can you explain it in a way I understand?” Shad asked, pretending to examine a blue-winged butterfly flitting among the flowers.
Unexpectedly, the woman’s voice obliged this time:
【The presence of someone chosen by Fate here suggests that something significant is about to happen.】
“‘That Lady’ is present, and now a church team... something indeed feels off. Should I leave?” he wondered. But the voice offered no further guidance.
Shad knew he couldn’t rely on the mysterious voice and had to make his own decisions. Still, he decided against leaving—not because of the promised half-pound reward or the unclaimed travel expenses, but because leaving abruptly would only draw attention. He resolved to steer clear of danger and avoid unnecessary risks.
“This place is big enough. As long as I don’t wander too much or seek out trouble, how could danger possibly find me with a church Ring Warlock team here?” he reasoned, returning to the table laden with food.
Even among strangers, shared topics of interest can spark conversation. Shad found himself drawn into a debate on the feasibility of settling the New Continent.
Discovered during the Great Geographical Exploration fifty years ago, the New Continent was vast, resource-rich, and dotted with ancient ruins and tombs of mysterious civilizations. However, no living natives had ever been found there, leading scholars from both the Northern Kingdom of Drarian and the Southern Carsonrick United Kingdom to question its suitability for large-scale migration.
For this reason, no major colonization efforts had taken place, leaving the New Continent to military pioneers, adventurers, and opportunists with their families.
As Shad listened to the debate among the well-dressed men at the dinner table, he nodded in agreement with many of the novel points. He realized that regardless of the era, people always enjoyed such discussions.