Chapter 13
“Seraphina, where are you going today?”
On the way home after parting with colleagues.
As I turned my body in the opposite direction from usual, my colleagues asked.
I winked.
“To a pub.”
“What’s the occasion? You always said you don’t even touch alcohol because you have no money and can’t afford to lose your health too.”
“But why are you going alone? Let’s go together!”
“No way.”
“Why!”
“Because today I’m going to play like a total wreck.”
I’m going to spy, carry out justice, and transform if necessary.
“I heard you’re not supposed to show your wreck side to workplace colleagues.”
“That’s true. Can’t be helped.”
“That’s a shame. I’m actually really good at playing like a wreck.”
“Me too.”
“I mix drinks by headbutting them.”
“I climb on the table and sing.”
“I roll on the floor.”
“Oh.”
Isn’t that just being a nuisance?
“Anyway, Seraphina, see you tomorrow!”
“Cheer for the floor-rolling play!”
I never said I was going to roll……
Anyway.
“Let’s go.”
When I poked with my toe the Tofu lying sideways on the street, he lazily rolled only his eyes toward me.
He had eaten five roasted sweet potatoes that my costume-room colleagues gave him saying he was cute, so his belly was bulging and he hadn’t been able to move for a while.
“Get up. You’re not coming?”
“My belly is too full, I can’t get up-woof…….”
“If we go to the pub I’ll buy you whipped cream.”
With your money.
At those words Tofu jumped right up.
“Let’s go-woof!”
“…….”
Pig…….
We caught a carriage and headed to the White-Bearded Whale and Foam pub.
‘It’s famous around Dock 3, the White-Bearded Whale and Foam pub.’
It’s not that I believed the silver-haired man’s words.
“White-Bearded Whale and Foam pub, please-woof!”
As soon as we got on the carriage, Tofu shouted that to the coachman instead of me.
Thanks to that I had to make the excuse “I spoke with ventriloquism, hahaha” to the coachman who turned around in shock asking “A dog talked?”……
“Can’t you stay still?”
“I can’t.”
“If you can’t stay still, no whipped cream.”
“Grrr….”
I entered the White-Bearded Whale and Foam pub dragging Tofu who was biting the hem of my skirt and shaking.
Just as the silver-haired man had proudly claimed, the most famous tavern in the area was packed with people.
The moment I entered, my eyes immediately met a particularly loud group among the excited drunk middle-aged men.
Skin tanned by the sun, roughened by sea breeze. Forearms thickened from hauling nets and pulling ropes every day. Voices so loud and resonant that they were clearly used to shouting to communicate.
“Those people, right?”
“This body thinks so too-woof.”
They smell of the sea. Tofu, who had already taken a seat before me, said.
“Would you like to order?”
“One orange juice and whipped cream for puppies, please.”
Less than a minute after ordering from the approaching server, the drinks arrived.
“Thank y—”
Before I could finish, Tofu shot forward and swallowed the paper cup of whipped cream whole.
Chomp chomp slurp slurp nom nom purr sniff.
“…….”
While Tofu had his nose buried in the cup, I signaled with my eyes toward the sailors to the server.
“Those people are sailors, I presume?”
“Yes, they’re the crew of the Temeren that docked today.”
“I see.”
Found them.
“Purrr!”
I stroked the crown of Tofu who was focused on the whipped cream and observed the sailors.
“So, I punched that shark right in the—”
On the surface it was an ordinary sailors conversation.
‘But no one is actually paying attention to the conversation.’
Instead they kept taking turns looking at the door.
The fact that our eyes met the moment I entered too.
‘They’re definitely waiting for someone.’
Pepper’s dad who ate the suspicious-smelling cookies and suddenly went strange overnight.
If those cookies contained something addictive, and these people ate the same cookies…
In short, if these people are collectively addicted to drugs, then right now, having just come ashore after a long voyage, they would be desperate for the drug.
Sure enough.
A little while later a man wearing a hood approached the sailors table.
Something wrapped in a bundle of cloth was quickly exchanged under the table.
There was nothing more to see.
“Even if I snatch that drug bundle right now it won’t solve anything, right?”
“Nom nom chomp… Huh? What did you say-woof?”
“Nothing. Get up, let’s go.”
Leaving behind the Temeren crew who were trembling as they unwrapped the bundle, I followed the hooded man.
‘First let’s find out who he is and then make a plan.’
In front of the pub stood an old carriage that looked like the one the man had arrived in.
Perhaps trying to imitate a hired coachman who works late and goes home, he climbed onto the coachman’s seat himself.
“Hya!”
Timing the moment the carriage started moving, I slipped into the completely empty interior.
“Seraphina? Where are we going-woof?”
“Shh. We’ll get caught if you make noise.”
Not knowing anyone was inside, I observed the speeding man through the small window connecting to the coachman’s seat while scanning the surroundings.
As befits a man selling unidentified drugs, I thought he would head to some shabby place on the outskirts of the capital,
but the carriage that left Dock 3 had left was heading toward……
‘District 2?’
Not quite as much as District 1 where the imperial palace and the great temple are, but still a district with historic noble families and merchant mansions.
Finally the carriage slowed down and approached the front gate of a certain grand mansion.
Taking the chance when the carriage briefly stopped at the gate, I quickly jumped down.
Instead of a family crest, the name of the trading company engraved on the gate was read.
“……Ingrid Trading Company?”
A super-large trading company that does business with the Temeren.
It’s also famous for taking kids like me—who graduated from the academy but couldn’t officially graduate because of no money—working them cheaply, and firing them in the 11th month so they don’t have to pay severance.
“…….”
I kind of get what’s going on.
Good heavens.
Are they insane?
* * *
Meanwhile, at the time Seraphina left.
Second floor of the White-Bearded Whale and Foam pub, overlooking the first-floor hall.
“Hey, there’s a girl down there?”
“Where?”
At the words of the friend returning from the bathroom, the group drinking beer among themselves all raised their heads at once.
“Where? Where?”
“Over there by the stairs.”
“For real?”
“Why is a girl here?”
“Hey, hey, she brought a puppy.”
“So cute.”
“Should we go talk to her?”
“What would you say?”
“Ask if I can pet the puppy just once.”
“You lunatic!”
They giggled among themselves for a while.
“Hey, but isn’t that girl pretty?”
“Then actually go talk to her.”
“Oh oh, she’s standing up, she’s standing up.”
“Hey, hurry go!”
The moment one impatient guy hurriedly lifted his butt from the chair,
Thump!
A silver-haired man who had been staggering up from the next table bumped into the impatient guy’s shoulder.
It was a light collision, but contrary to his delicate appearance, the silver-haired man was quite heavy. Unable to overcome the size difference, the impatient guy stumbled and hit his own beer glass with his elbow.
Thump! Crash!
All hell broke loose.
“Hey, I’ll be right back!”
That girl is my ideal type! I feel like I can’t miss this chance! The impatient guy tried to go after Seraphina even with his shirt soaked in beer, but—
“Uwat!”
He lost his balance and ended up sitting on the floor because of the silver-haired man leaning on him.
Now even the butt of the impatient guy’s pants was completely soaked with beer.
There’s no way to pick up a girl looking like you pissed your pants.
“Ah, what the hell, seriously!”
“I’m sorry.”
Contrary to the way he had been staggering as if he would faint any second, the silver-haired man’s voice when apologizing was extremely clear.
“Ah, no, it’s…”
Overwhelmed by the imposing physique, the group politely accepted the apology.
“Hey, hey, quickly wipe your pants.”
“Yeah. You look pathetic.”
“Why weren’t you more careful?”
Then, excuse me. The friends could not say a word to the silver-haired man who leisurely disappeared, and instead scolded the poor impatient guy.
By the time the situation was barely resolved,
the girl and the puppy had already left a long time ago.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
