Silent Witch
chapter-ex15

There was a traveler at Wogan Mountain. He was a man around 30 years old in his common appearance and common travel outfit that leave not that much impression. Now such a traveler was admiring the mountain scenery as he approached a farmer working in the fields nearby.

"You sure working hard in this cold weather."

"It is! There are frequent dragon destructions around here. So I've got to work hard when they are laying low in the winter."

"Is that mountain the rumored Wogan Mountain where the Black Dragon appeared?"

"Oh, it was different. There was no Black Dragon but many wyverns covering the sky which coming out so suddenly. It was a frightening sight."

As the farmer recounted the incident with gestures, the other farmers, who were eagerly looking for someone to tell the story, began to gather around and join in the conversation.

"Oh, mister. Are you looking for some scales too?"

Back in Kerbeck County, a dragon called the Black Dragon Wogan appeared around early summer. And such a black dragon was driven away by the Silent Witch of the Seven Sages. After that event, many people visited Wogan Mountains to collect the scales that remain there.

These dragon scales are very important material for creating amulets and magical tools and can be sold for a high price as much as jewelry.

"Well, yeah, it's just as you say."

"Sigh, I've seen many travelers like you who came here looking for the Black Dragon Wogan's scale ever since its disappearance."

"Unfortunately, you would not find any scales remaining if you go there now. The hunters picked them all up in the summer."

"Right, right. You'd better stop your attempt to climb the mountain. Perhaps there ain't no dragons that would do any harm but avalanches and boars are more dangerous."

"It's a shame I can't go there, but thanks for the reminder. Oh, right, do you know any good lodging around here? I haven't picked out a place to stay tonight."

When the traveler said this, the farmers gave him their recommendations gladly.

"If you're looking for a place to stay, you should go for the Silver Spoon Pavilion. Their salted meat and bean soup are the best."

"Go to Grandma Tinder's bar if you want to drink, they have many choices of boozes. You just have to look for the rooster sign."

"Well, if you can sing or do any magic tricks, I recommend you to visit the lord's mansion. Since he likes that kind of performance, perhaps he'll let you stay in his place."

"Right, right. I heard Young Lady Isabelle is especially fond of plays and stories of legend. She also will pay you generously for any rare books you have."

After the farmers mentioned their recommended place, the traveler laughed slightly in his mind.

"Well… I have a little confidence in my singing… Perhaps I'd go with that. Speaking of the lord, what kind of person is he?"

"Our Count Kerbeck is presiding over this area. It's also because of his efforts, we are able to eat soup with salted meat this winter."

"Right, right. He even put low taxes since many dragons are nested around here."

When talking about their lord they were speaking so energetically, that alone showed how much the lord of this area were loved by their people.

He is just like his investigation described him, the lord of this land, Azure Norton, Count Kerbeck, is a man who is loved by his people.

The farmers were praising high their lord… but one of them scurried ahead and said in a hushed voice.

"…mister, if you're going to visit the lord, don't ever go near the stables."

"…? Is there something in the stable?"

When the traveler gave them a curious look, the farmers all shut their mouths.

Eventually, the oldest man began to speak.

"Some years ago, the deceased wife of the previous lord took in a daughter from a convent. While she was alive, she was taken care of reasonably well, but after she passed away, she was very badly treated… especially by Young Lady Isabelle. I heard the said daughter was currently living in the stable because she was not allowed to live in the house."

This is it! The traveler muttered to himself. Apparently, the girl in question is a rumor among the locals.

Now I can assume he had fabricated his images… No, I must verify it directly with my own eyes.

As the traveler made some arrangements for his plans, he put a sympathetic expression on his face.

"What a poor girl…"

"Our lord is a good person, but only to that girl would he show his cold shoulder… Just remember this, if you go to the lord's mansion, make sure not to talk about that girl."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

The traveler then struck up a brief conversation with the farmers, thanked them politely, and headed for the lord's mansion.

After the traveler man left, the farmers stood remained there before continuing with their conversation. But they were not talking about ordinary talks like how well the crops grow or the grievance because of their wives.

"…he's gone?"

"Hm, sure he is."

The farmers said in a hushed voice, and after making sure the traveler was small enough to be seen, they began planning to perform their respective duties.

"Alright guys, the operation has begun. I'll go to the lord's place on horseback. You contact the old man at the Silver Spoon Pavilion and have him stall the traveler."

"Okay, that old man's sure got a long story to tell. He's the best person to keep him busy."

"Right, right. I'll get going shortly."

＊ ＊ ＊

It was long past noon when the traveler arrived at the lord's mansion.

He had actually planned to arrive a little earlier, but he ended up spending all of his time getting caught up with an old man who loved telling stories and having dried vegetables given to him by an old lady who was passing by.

Now then, I could enter the mansion through the front door like a traveler who sells his magic tricks… but I should pay a visit to the girl in question in person.

Stables are usually located at the back of the house, so he went there by walking around to avoid being seen by the guard.

Halfway through the trip, he found a spot with a loose fence, so he entered through it and hid in the shadows as he headed for the stables.

And then, mingled with the horses' neighing, he heard some high-pitched laughter.

"Ohohohoho!"

While wondering what was going on, the man arrived at the stable and sneaked a peek inside through the small window.

There were two girls in the stable. One was a girl with curly orange hair in a beautiful dress. This girl was probably the daughter of the mansion's master. The high-pitched laugh he heard earlier seemed to be hers.

That's Young Lady Isabelle, Count Kerbeck's daughter… which means that the other one is…

A girl with light brown hair, cowering and sobbing in front of Isabelle. He could not clearly see her face because she was hanging down her head, but he could tell her clothes were shabby, and her hands, peeking out from her worn-out sleeves were red and sore.

The light brown-haired girl pleaded with Isabelle in a feeble voice.

"I beg you, Young Lady Isabelle… Please… Please give me something… to eat…"

"You should be aware that your existence is less than livestock in this stable since the horses are more useful than you, and yet you want to eat? You should have known your standing better! Dear me, I wonder why my grandmother took in a girl like you!"

"Please… I beg you…"

When the light brown-haired girl pleaded pitifully, Isabelle's eyes narrowed and a very nasty smile crept onto her lips.

"Ah, sure. I'll at least give you some water."

After saying those words, Isabelle picked up a bucket of water for the horses to drink… and splashed it in front of the poor girl. Not only did the cold midwinter water soak the hem of the girl's dress, but it also leave some stain on her skirt. Even the shabby-dressed girl was dumbfounded when seeing her skirt soaked with water.

To a such girl, Isabelle smirked and said.

"Here, you can crawl over and drink as much as you like."

"………"

Just as the light brown-haired girl, shivering full, hung her head to place her mouth in the puddle of water in front of her, a man entered the stable. The elderly man, clad in a fine woolen cloak, was Count Kerbeck, the master of the house.

"Oh, Isabelle. What are you doing here?"

When Count Kerbeck asked while fiddling with his mustache, Isabelle instantly made a sad face and hugged her father with tears in her eyes.

"Father, please listen to me. This girl tried to pour water on me!"

The light brown-haired girl looked up in surprise and tried to say ‘no, it's not like that…' to stand up for herself. However, Count Kerbeck paid no heed to the voice of the miserable girl.

"You really have no shame! Have you forgotten the kindness my family has done to you?"

The poor girl was trembling as she fell flat on her face at Count Kerbeck's angry voice as if it echoed from the bottom of his stomach. She did not care that her clothes were getting even dirtier.

Looks like the rumor of Monica Norton is the disgrace of Count Kerbect seemed to be true.

When the traveler, who was observing their exchange, noticed a young horseman approaching from the house, he quickly left the stable and turned back the way he had come.

Rather than pretending to be a traveler and then staying at Count Kolbeck's mansion, it would be better now to return to his master as soon as possible and tell him of the scene he had witnessed.

＊ ＊ ＊

Once a young horseman wearing the newsboy cap entered the stable, he approached out Count Kerbeck.

"Looks like he's gone already."

At the horseman's words, Count Kerbeck simply gave a ‘hm' response as he nodded, and approached the light brown-haired girl who was crawling on the ground.

"Good work, Agatha."

"Thank you for your kind words."

The light brown-haired girl raised her head and removed the wig from her head.

Agatha, running her hands through her slightly disheveled dark brown hair, is Isabelle's personal maid.

Count Kerbeck, in order to assist Monica Everett the Silent Witch with her current mission, has taken on the role of a father who abused his adopted daughter.

However, a suspicious person appeared at several convents in his territory a few days ago and went around looking for a girl named Monica.

Monica Norton was a girl of the deceased wife of the previous Count Kerbeck adopted from a convent or so how her background was described. Perhaps because the existence of the girl called Monica Norton had aroused someone's suspicion, he was sent here to sniff around the Count Kerbeck family.

So Count Kerbeck instructed residents around the house to direct any suspicious travelers to his mansion, and together with Isabelle and Agatha, they put on a show to make them think that a girl named Monica Norton really exists in this mansion.

"Should I follow him?"

Alan, Agatha twin's brother and also the horseman wearing a newsboy cap suggested this to Count Kerbeck.

At Alan's words, Count Kerbeck thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, it's fine. I would really like to know his master's identity, however, if his master finds out that we have been probing him, our current performance will have been for naught."

Instead, it's better he kept oblivious to the spy's presence and continued his performance to show that Monica Norton is a member of the Count Kerbeck family.

To achieve this, the Kolbeck family must…

"Now I must refine my acting more for when the same spy comes to me in the future!"

Alan fell silent with an indescribable look on his face.

Meanwhile, Isabelle and Agatha were nodding their heads rapidly with a sparkle in their eyes.

"Father's right. I'd better have polished my villainous more in the future! I have to work hard!"

"Incidentally, Master, is that perhaps you grew your beard… for this very purpose?"

Count Kerbeck, fiddling with his prided mustache, panicked a little when hearing Agatha's words.

"Hm, I figured something like this might happen."

Alan wondered ‘what kind of a thing is something like this?', but he did not say it out loud.

"As expected of Father! You really do understand the way of villainous! If we are talking about the evil Count, a mustache is a must!"

Alan thought ‘aren't there plenty of counts who have moustaches?', but he still didn't say it out loud.

The Norton father, his daughter, and the maid Agatha seemed to be having a lot of fun discussing what a villain should be like and how they should be more particular about their costumes next time.

Alan interrupted the three of them modestly.

"Master Norton, Young Lady Isablelle, I think you should continue your discussion inside the manor since it's getting colder around here…"

"Oh, I forgot we're still here. I'm sorry."

"Agatha, you must have felt cold. I've warmed a bath for you, so go wash yourself up."

"Uhuhu, thank you for your concern, My Lady."

Count Kerbeck is indeed a good lord who cares for his subjects. And his daughter Isabelle also has the kindness to care for her servants.

It's just that this father and daughter are a bit… too… high spirit.

Count Kerbeck, in particular, is the kind of playful person who jumps into the village festival stage without a second thought.

Alan smiled wryly in secret.

Though, that's exactly the reason why the people love him so much.

It was also thanks to Count Kerbeck's reputation that his subjects were willing to cooperate with his instructions to stall any suspicious travelers and report them to the lord's residence.

Alan also shared the same fondness for the Kerbeck family.

Sometimes, though, he thinks they can be quite exasperating.