A Midnight Visitor
Something feels off.
I first noticed it while gathering information about someone named Zarfin at a shop run by our Gallard Company within Ganos.
“I-I’m not familiar with that name.”
“N-never heard of them.”
“N-no, I don’t know anything.”
No one seemed to know Zarfin—or rather, their reactions suggested they wanted nothing to do with him.
“This is severely lacking in intel. Maybe I’ll apply more pressure tomorrow.”
That night, the three of us stayed at an inn arranged by the trading company’s associates.
Initially, I planned to split the rooms between me and the two women, but due to the recent attack on an empty storefront, we decided it was safer for all three of us to stay in the same room.
I didn’t mind at all, and Lucina treated it as just part of her duties.
However, I was concerned about Connie, who was, after all, a young girl of marriageable age.
But surprisingly, she reassured us, saying, “I-it’s fine! Don’t worry about it! Actually, I’d rather—no, I mean, I trust you, Young Master Lake!”
Was she about to say she felt "lucky"?
Well, I guess I can understand why she might feel fortunate.
This inn, recommended by the son of a trading company representative like me, is supposedly the most luxurious one in the area.
For someone like her, who grew up in a church, staying in such a fancy inn might indeed feel lucky.
However, realizing her wording might seem inappropriate, she seemed to regret her choice of words.
“Shall we retire for the night?”
“Yeah. We want to check out the morning market tomorrow.”
“Understood. Then, allow me—!”
… As expected of Lucina. She noticed it.
Someone was standing outside the door.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
Noticing Lucina walking cautiously toward the door, Connie called out to her, still oblivious to the situation.
But when Lucina pulled out a massive hammer from under her skirt, Connie finally sensed something was amiss and began heightening her mana.
Wait… how did that hammer even fit under her skirt?
As curious as I was, I focused on the presence before us.
After a moment, a knocking sound echoed through the room.
“Who is it?”
Lucina asked in her usual calm voice.
However, her stern expression gradually softened.
In other words, she deemed the person on the other side of the door not to be a threat.
“My apologies for the late hour. I am an emissary of Lord Zarfin.”
“Zarfin?”
Zarfin—the name Arze warned me about.
Despite our efforts, we hadn’t been able to uncover any information about him.
And now, here he was, reaching out to us.
I gestured to Lucina to open the door.
Though she had sensed no hostility, she still opened it cautiously.
Standing there was an elderly gentleman, neatly dressed.
“I have come to deliver this tonight.”
The old gentleman handed Lucina a piece of paper.
“What is this?”
“An invitation to a show hosted by Lord Zarfin.”
“A show?”
What’s the meaning of this?
How does Zarfin know I’m staying in this inn, in this specific room?
… Most likely, he’s connected to the innkeepers.
To be sure, I had Connie use her detection magic to investigate, but she didn’t find anything unusual.
Furthermore, the room was now surrounded by a barrier spell, which would alert us to any abnormalities.
Even with all these precautions in place, there had been no changes so far.
I began to relax a little, but could it really be just a genuine invitation to some show?
—No way.
Arze specifically warned me about him.
Sending an emissary at such a late hour must mean he’s scheming something.
That said, rejecting the invitation outright didn’t seem like the right move either.
I needed to figure out what Zarfin was up to.
The strange atmosphere in town was likely linked to him. In that case, I had no choice but to confirm things for myself.
“What kind of show is it, anyway?”
“That I cannot disclose. Lord Zarfin insists it remains a surprise.”
A surprise party? Yeah, right.
“Fine. I’ll accept the invitation.”
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
The emissary departed. I watched from the window as he boarded a carriage parked outside the inn and left.
… He really just came to deliver the invitation.
“Yaaawn… Can we go to bed now, Young Master Lake?”
Connie’s big yawn broke the tense atmosphere in an instant.
“Yeah. But—hey, Connie, what are you doing?”
“Huh? There’s only one bed, so I figured Lucina and I would sandwich you in the middle, Young Master Lake.”
“No, wait—”
Connie and Lucina lay on the bed, leaving an oddly empty space between them.
Was I supposed to sleep there?
Honestly, I wasn’t confident I’d get any rest squeezed between these two.
This whole situation was because of the unnecessary hospitality from the trading company’s staff.
Despite the spacious room, there was only one bed—clearly designed for “that kind of activity.”
Sure, Connie and Lucina are talented staff and part of my harem.
—But now is not the time for this.
There’s a chance I’ll face Zarfin tomorrow.
I can’t afford to be distracted when I need to rest properly.
“What’s the matter, Young Master Lake?”
“Master Lake, I’m turning off the lights now. Please hurry up.”
“......”
Faced with the two of them looking up at me expectantly, my judgment faltered.
Before I knew it, both my arms were firmly held as I was pulled into bed.
A pleasant scent! So soft!
There’s no way I’m going to sleep like this!!!
What do you think about this chapter?
