Chapter: 243
“When I heard the story from Joy, I wondered if it was serious or a joke, but it turns out it’s real.”
Duke Partlan chuckled as he looked at the people I brought along.
Clearly, the group visiting the sick is anything but ordinary.
We have Phoebe, the mascot of the Jushin Church.
Then there’s Arthur, who, while far from the throne, carries the royal blood.
And adding on top of that are Duke Partlan and Joy.
That’s a lineup any noble would feel uneasy about.
In other words, it’s a group that the House of Burrow simply can’t refuse to host.
If these fearsome individuals show up at the door, who would dare to turn them away, right?
The moment we arrive, the door is bound to swing open naturally.
So, dungeon entry is a done deal! We just need to trigger it right!
“I’ve told you several times that I delivered the message properly, Father.”
“Haha. Sorry for doubting you. Joy. I didn’t expect the Young Lady to be so persistent.”
‘…Uh. Was that a bit much?’
“So, Duke Sloppy, is this too much for you to handle? I could have sworn I heard you say there was no need to decline, but maybe I misunderstood.”
“No way. I just thought the House of Burrow would be quite shocked. I mentioned it beforehand, but hearing it in person feels different, you know?”
He blurted that out casually, stopping for a moment, yet Duke Partlan only shrugged it off with a smile and didn’t say anything further.
He must be making allowances since I’m a friend of his daughter. If someone from another noble house said that, he’d have shouted by now.
Once we were inside the House of Burrow, it’d be “shut up.” You never know what kind of commotion could happen.
After the introductions were done between me, my crew, and Duke Partlan, we headed straight for the Burrow Ducal Family’s territory.
The travel process wasn’t long.
While it’s true that the distance from the Academy to the House of Burrow is considerable, Duke Partlan’s abilities as a wizard shrank that distance to just a few seconds.
As Duke Partlan cast the spell, I was preparing for the coming motion sickness, but I felt nothing at all after the scenery changed.
What’s going on? Why didn’t I feel anything? Did the Sloppy Fox do something? Or have I finally gotten strong enough to endure the pain of teleportation?
“As expected of a duke, such a seamless teleportation.”
“Haha. It’s nothing special, Third Prince.”
Unfortunately, all my guesses were off. It was merely Duke Partlan’s exceptional skill that allowed for teleportation without any motion sickness.
Amazing wizards really are amazing, huh?
“Welcome, Duke Partlan. And…”
A member of the Burrow Ducal Family appeared shortly after we arrived, momentarily freezing in place before barely regaining composure at the sight of our party.
It seems they didn’t expect us to come.
“I’ll take you to the mansion right away.”
Following behind, I observed the territory of the House of Burrow. I thought I’d find signs of something corrupt on the streets.
But I found no traces anywhere.
Neither Grandpa, the Sloppy Fox, Phoebe, nor Adri noticed anything either. No one discovered anything unusual on the street.
The streets of the House of Burrow simply carried a slightly gloomy air because of the duke’s illness.
The duke’s mansion wasn’t significantly different. We couldn’t find even a hint of anything abnormal within.
For a place where so many people work, it feels quiet, but that’s just how the House of Burrow is.
[It’s just an ordinary nobleman’s mansion. Can’t find anything strange.]
‘Right?’
Considering the Sloppy God even gave a quest, there must be something going on inside, yet why can’t we find anything?
Given the members I brought along, it would be normal for them to have detected any oddities by now.
Did I really just make a fuss over nothing? Is this quest merely a bad joke from the Sloppy God?
“My son’s grace is quite significant. I never expected such esteemed individuals would come to visit. Sigh. However, despite me informing him beforehand, my Jack still hasn’t returned from training this morning.”
Meeting the duchess only deepened my suspicions.
She is the one who knows Duke Burrow the closest. If something corrupt has got into the duke’s condition, she would surely be involved.
But I couldn’t find any issues with her. From my perspective, the duchess simply looked like a tired wife nursing her sick husband and taking care of the family’s affairs.
“You should head to see your husband first.”
“Is it alright for this many to accompany you, my lady?”
“Thank you for your concern, Duke Partlan. But it’s alright. He’s quite well. Recently, he’s been complaining about not being allowed to swing his sword outside.”
As the duchess had mentioned, Duke Burrow looked quite well.
“Come in, everyone!”
The moment the door swung open, he stood up and greeted us, a serious light gleaming in his eyes.
Just that was enough to tell me the duke wasn’t gravely ill.
“How touching to see Duke Partlan, his daughter, the Saintess, and even Lady Benedict all come here to worry about me. Being sick sometimes isn’t so bad.”
And his appearance didn’t just show in his eyes.
While he didn’t possess the superhuman physique of someone like Benedict, his muscles were perfectly placed as if they belonged where they needed to, giving off an impression of a reaching, well-trained warrior.
At the very least, he looked like someone who could jump out of bed at any moment.
I thought it was just my conjecture, so I casually asked others, but the replies were all the same.
Nobody saw anything strange.
Everything seems normal.
“However, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. I could return to work at any moment. If my wife didn’t keep nagging me, I’d already be back.”
“What bravado! Duke Burrow, when I came here two months ago, weren’t you on the verge of death?”
“That was then; this is now, Partlan. Look at me. Where is the sign of illness?”
Thanks to Duke Partlan leading the conversation, after finishing the visit without saying a single word, he told us there were things only dukes could discuss, and he began to usher us outside.
So we found ourselves waiting in the parlor until those two finished talking.
Sigh. I really don’t know what’s going on.
Why is there nothing unusual?
Isn’t there supposed to be something odd?
While I sat on the couch in the parlor, lost in thought, Grandpa spoke up.
[At this point, I'm starting to think your suspicions might be misplaced.]
‘…I kind of think so too.’
Street. Mansion. Duchess. Duke— I checked everyone, but found nothing strange at all.
And all this while having the owner of the forest, the Saintess, a mighty Necromancer, and a legendary hero, and a great wizard present!
Given the circumstances, it should be safe to conclude that there are no oddities in the House of Burrow.
‘But the Lord Jushin insists there’s something wrong.’
Why isn’t the Sloppy God letting me know the quest is complete?
I confirmed there’s nothing amiss, so why is the quest still open?
[Did the God tell you that?]
‘Yes.’
The Sloppy God declares a quest complete when he achieves what he wants.
If his goal was merely to play a prank on me, he would have provided the mischievous reward by now.
But the Sloppy God continues to remain silent.
<…I see.>
‘What could it be?’
[Young lady, let’s think the other way around. What could be the reason that the people here can’t perceive the oddities even if they exist?*
Magic. Black Magic. Barriers and curses. Various corrupt means. Even our current team, adept at catching most of these, couldn’t detect something lurking here.
That’s quite an intricate condition.
It is only normal for it to be difficult considering that the members I brought can subconsciously pick up almost anything.
Multiple methods kept flashing in my mind, then fading again.
Thinking of something that could slip past those strict conditions while also being something that would affect a beast like Duke Burrow is no easy task.
I’ve got a few ideas but most just cannot happen at this moment.
For instance.
Yeah.
That braggart who got his ass kicked by Grandpa and fled.
If that guy caused this scenario, it would make sense.
The strongest aspect of the evil god of darkness is hiding.
If he was truly set on causing chaos, no one would notice, obviously.
But the reason I dismiss him is that he lacks the power to touch the duke.
Duke Burrow is an exceptionally strong warrior, among the top in the kingdom. He may not be on Benedict’s level, but that bragging fool is no contender for him.
Unless the evil god completely awakens, it’s just too early for that. He can’t awaken until at least the second half of the second year.
So, excluding that guy, if I think of other variables…
“I never imagined so many would come to see me.”
In the midst of desperately racking my brain, the sound of the door creaking open drew my attention.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
Jack Burrows finished his polite greeting, scanning the parlor’s interior until our eyes met, and he frowned.
Does he really think I confessed? Is he still thinking I’m chasing after him?
Sigh. This is so frustrating.
How do I clear up this misunderstanding?
Suddenly, the Sloppy Fox beside me jumped up, drawing everyone’s attention.
However, Phoebe seemed oblivious to the stares, focusing only on Jack’s face.
“Saintess? Is something wrong?”
“Ah. I. Um, that is…”
Seeing Phoebe flustered was a sight to behold; I couldn’t help but wonder.
I didn’t know why she was so agitated.
But I know it’s strange that she, a Saintess who has traveled across regions meeting many people, couldn’t maintain her composure.
So, I have to help her straighten this out.
What can I do?
That’s easy!
“It’s nothing serious. The inferior prince merely claimed that the increasingly silly Sloppy Saintess had a crush on someone like the Prince.”
Time to attract attention!
“Ah, that disgusting rumor.”
Upon hearing my words, Jack revealed a genuine look of distaste.
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