The Truth About the Glaberson Family
“Where’s Amira?”
“I think she’s out playing with the village children.”
“I see...”
I placed my travel bag on the desk, and Elina looked at me with worry in her eyes.
“You found something out, didn’t you?”
“Actually, it’s the opposite. I didn’t find anything conclusive.—But I did hear some troubling rumors.”
“Troubling rumors?”
I explained the situation between the Glaberson and McCreed families to Elina.
Of course, I made it clear that it was all still unconfirmed gossip. Even so, the implications were serious enough to make Elina’s face slowly tighten with unease.
“H-How could that be…? Just when the mana ore mining was finally starting to go well…”
“It’s not clear if it’s even true. Still, as they say—where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“But…”
I understood why she couldn’t quite believe it.
To be honest, I hadn’t fully accepted it either.
—Wait, didn’t I just tell her it was still in the realm of rumor? And now here I am, acting like it’s already the truth.
I need to be careful not to let my thoughts get carried away until I’ve seen some actual proof.
Just then, a cheerful voice rang out from the station entrance.
“I’m back!—Oh! Welcome home, Mr. Justin!”
Amira had returned from playing.
“Huh? Did something happen? You both look a little strange.”
Amira, quick to sense a shift in mood, tilted her head curiously.
… It’d be bad to hit her with a direct question right away.
I’ll have to steer the conversation gently toward the topic of her family.
“It’s nothing, Amira. More importantly—what did you play today?”
“Parker said he found a rare insect near the forest, so we all went to see it!”
“An insect hunt, huh? Did you have fun?”
“I did! I don’t think I could’ve ever had an experience like that if I were still living at the estate!”
Oh?
She brought up her home naturally on her own.
Alright—now to ease into the topic carefully—
“Amira… how have things been at your family’s estate lately?”
“Elina!?”
A surprise move from Elina, cutting straight to the point and nearly wrecking my carefully laid indirect approach.
“At the estate? Nothing in particular—ah, but now that you mention it, just before I came here, merchants from another country started visiting frequently.”
“W-What!? Merchants from another country?”
Oh no.
That’s a seriously suspicious development.
What do you think about this chapter?
