Chapter: 240
[Abnormality in the Burrow Duke House]
[It seems something strange is happening in the Burrow Duke House.]
[Please verify this.]
[Reward: ???]
[Failure: GAME OVER]
[Time limit: Before the end of the Academy’s 2nd semester]
As soon as I read the quest issued by the pathetic god, a story from the past about the Partran Duke House came to mind—when the Duke mentioned that he rushed over to their place following a call for help, only to find no actual problems upon arrival.
When I first heard that story from the Duke, I didn’t think much of it. After all, he was the nation’s most esteemed Grand Mage, the pride of the kingdom. If there had been a serious issue, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed it. So, I figured it was just a misunderstanding.
That assumption was a mistake. He was definitely a variable.
Was there an incident in the Burrow House during the first semester break?
Was there anything that would give a hint as to what could be going on?
Nope.
There was no such thing.
Sure, an issue could arise in one of the territories managed by the Burrow Duke, but that would happen two years after the game started.
So, at least until I became a third-year, there shouldn’t have been any problems—meaning the current Burrow House should be peaceful despite all its nagging rumors.
A variable had arisen.
Back then, I didn’t think deeply about what this variable could mean. I didn’t want to think about it.
Idiot.
It’s possible I was exhausted after dealing with incidents at the Duke’s house. But after resting, I should have tried to check things out. If I had done that, by now…
“Sigh.”
As I gritted my teeth, it dawned on me that no amount of lamenting was going to change anything. I needed to clear my head and first find out what issues Karia was facing.
‘What’s going on?’
“Hey, you old spinster. Quit rambling and just explain already. What’s the deal?”
“I heard that the Burrow Duke has fallen seriously ill. That’s why the Second Queen went to visit him.”
The illness of the Burrow Duke.
He was bedridden and couldn’t get up.
Apparently, he was in such a grave condition that he wouldn’t even allow others to see him.
Currently, the family doctor was treating him at the mansion, but it didn’t seem to be going well.
“Burrow Prince is also there, staying to care for his father.”
As I listened to Karia, I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
Was there any reason for the Burrow Duke’s health to decline?
Set aside for a moment that he suffered from a mental illness due to the passing of his son in an accident a few years back; he shouldn’t have had any problems otherwise.
Of course, in the game’s story, the Duke did face health issues at one point.
But a superb knight who personally led and trained his own knight order couldn’t suddenly have a health scare.
So, this situation clearly deviates from my knowledge.
Let’s think this through: what is the likelihood of the Burrow Duke being bedridden due to a serious illness?
First, if some sort of variable arose that genuinely caused the Duke to fall ill, then that wouldn’t be a problem at all.
I could just find a miracle cure or bring in someone considered a divine being.
However, if he had fallen ill due to someone else’s conspiracy or if he was feigning his condition…
In either case, I needed to investigate.
With that conclusion in mind, I lifted my head, and Karia was smirking at me.
“You’re suggesting I check up on it, right?”
‘Yes.’
“Does the number of wrinkles on a face correlate with how perceptive they are? You’re pretty quick on the uptake.”
“There are no wrinkles on my face!… Sigh. Seriously. I do intend to look into it, but it’ll take time.”
‘Will it take long?’
“What? Are your legs weak from old age? Why’s it taking so long?”
“This task is extraordinarily tricky, employer.”
Karia explained that while many wanted to know about the internal affairs of the Burrow Duke House, meaningful information was scarce.
Due to strict silence in the Burrow family, gathering information wouldn’t be easy, meaning it would take a considerable amount of time, which left me feeling troubled.
Considering Karia’s capabilities, that ‘long’ timeframe shouldn’t mean months. Since the deadline was still a comfortable distance away, I could manage waiting.
That said, my instincts were off.
Look at the Menestel example. The time limit given by that pathetic god was a countdown to a disaster.
If the Burrow Duke’s family faced a similar issue, then I had to come up with a solution as quickly as possible.
The longer I took, the closer I got to calamity. And in the worst-case scenario, it might turn into something beyond my current capacity to handle.
“It seems quite urgent.”
Karia read my expression as usual, paused to think for a moment, then continued.
“I’ll do my best, but don’t expect much. My connections have dwindled, and I’ve lost most of my strength.”
‘…Is that so.’
“Ha, don’t worry. What can you expect from a useless old spinster?”
“That means, if the situation is urgent, I should tap into your network, right? If I ask the people around me, we can probably get most things done.”
*
The word ‘network’ was one that had little association with me.
In my past life, I was a nobody without any parents, and even after arriving in this world, I had fought with my surroundings due to my past karma without ever gaining anything through networking.
While I did receive some help from people when issues arose with the Partran Duke House, I didn’t ask for it myself.
Given my situation, being told to leverage connections just created confusion in my mind.
I had no clue how to utilize them.
[What nonsense! You managed to rally people for defeating the Menestel Dungeon just fine.]
‘But that’s a dungeon.’
The Menestel incident was related to a dungeon.
I had mastered solving dungeon-related issues as the snotty player of Soul Academy.
So I knew exactly how to navigate those circumstances better than anyone.
But this was different.
The situation with the Burrow Duke House had absolutely nothing to do with dungeons.
It was outside my area of expertise. Therefore, I had no clue how to approach the problem.
After I voiced that concern, Grandpa scoffed.
[Ha! What were you saying? Then think of it the other way around. Imagine the Burrow House as a dungeon, and you’re cracking your head to enter it.]
‘What does that mean?’
[Think about it. Right now, your task is to verify what’s wrong inside the Burrow Duke House.]
‘That’s right?’
[The easiest way to do that is to gather information. But from Karia’s perspective, getting info from others seems tricky, and even if you manage to get any, you wouldn’t know if it’s trustworthy.]
Grandpa’s words were spot on. If I could somehow acquire information, Karia wouldn’t have mentioned it would take so long.
So, it meant the information circulating at the moment wasn’t reliable.
[So, what should you do? You need to see the Burrow Duke House with your own eyes.]
‘…With my own eyes?’
[Exactly. If you can’t trust someone else’s eyes, then trust your eyes.]
With my own eyes, meaning I would head straight to the Burrow Duke House. I’d check the anomalies myself.
[Think of it this way—a dungeon called the Burrow Duke House is before you, and you’re trying to find a way to open its door.]
By defining the Burrow Duke House as a dungeon, I would discover how to gain entry into it.
The moment I shifted my mindset that way, my overloaded brain started to work again.
First, I needed to assess whether I could indeed observe the problems at the Burrow Duke House.
If I couldn’t notice anything unusual, then entering the dungeon wouldn’t help me see the mechanisms at play.
I didn’t even need to worry about that. As a player of Soul Academy, I could certainly detect any anomalies.
Especially if they related to dungeons.
Next came the question: could I actually visit the Burrow Duke House?
Could I fulfill the entry requirements of that particular dungeon?
Karia mentioned that all visits to the Burrow Duke House were being denied due to the Duke’s illness.
Even if I expressed a desire to visit, it wouldn’t make a difference. An illegitimate lady with no ties would hardly warrant attention.
So what if someone besides me requested a visit and I tagged along?
What if I stuck by someone in a position where it would be difficult for the Burrow Duke House to refuse entry?
Arthur? Nah, too weak. A prince far removed from the succession line couldn’t exert enough pressure on the Duke House.
Phoebe? There’s a chance, but requesting her help would involve the church, making things complicated.
Benedict? Hmm, that’s worth checking. I’m not sure if Benedict is related to the Burrow Duke House.
And then…
Oh, right.
While deep in thought, the reward Partran Duke had offered me previously came to mind.
At that time, I didn’t think I’d have any use for that reward, but I received it as a right to request something from the Duke in the future.
If I use that…
If I could accompany the Partran Duke to visit the Burrow Duke House, and if I faced the Duke, it might work.
But honestly, I didn’t even need to meet the Duke.
If I could just enter the Burrow Duke House, determining any anomalies wouldn’t be a problem at all.
[Did something click? ]
‘Yeah.’
[Then act on that. If there’s anything you’d like to report or ask, just let me know.]
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