What’s the amulet price? (3)

JustSomebody13-Fujo

A grand welcoming ceremony wasn’t prepared. After Julia and Patrick were given separate rooms, three days passed without much mention.

For her to be called in as if there was something important and then spending her free time without having much mention made Julia’s temper finally explode on the fourth morning.

Julia spoke to Doria, who came to her every morning and greeted her.

“Baron Doria.”

“Yes. Is there something you need, Julia?”

“Yes, there’s something I need.”

“What is it?”

He said so himself, ‘If you need anything, just say so,’ and thus, Julia spoke without hesitation.

“I need an explanation.”“Explanation…?”

“Yes. I need an explanation as to why I spent four days here for nothing.”

Doria gazed at her, then soon nodded his head. Baron Doria, whose thoughts were hard to read, always looked at people’s eyes.

“I can’t tell you about it because it’s related to him.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know anything. We’re just told to serve well, and we don’t ask any questions.”

His stiff answer was restrained as if he were a well-trained knight. But for Julia, it was just going to be an inconvenience.

“Then, please introduce me to someone who might know about this matter.”

“Hmm.”

“Understood. I will ask and come again, so please wait for a moment.”

Julia wished he, who just left the room, would be back soon. Stuck here doing nothing made her feel as if she was being kidnapped, and it didn’t help her at all.

The only reason she came here was to do business with the Duke of Ephesia, but he didn’t even show his nose once. So naturally, Julia’s dissatisfaction level rose.

After a while, Doria, who had left the room, returned and spoke to her.

“Would you come with me?”

He didn’t say who she was going to meet or where she was going to go. Julia nodded when she was asked if she would just go with him. She thought anywhere would be better than to be in this room.

When Doria took the lead, Julia followed after him. Although the castle was located on the seashore, its size reached considerable lengths even within the Kingdom of Proren.

“Hap!! Hap!!”

“Hit a little harder! With the determination to destroy the wood carving!”

Julia followed Doria and looked around again. Julia often just walked around the room and nearby, just in case she got lost in this spacious castle.

Within her eyes were numerous vacant lots and training grounds within the castle. Soldiers and knights were wielding swords, stabbing spears, and shooting arrows at their training ground.

It was once again felt that this was indeed the territory of the Duke of Ephesia, who led the mighty military forces of the Proren Kingdom.

“This way.”

As she opened the door and leaned forward, Julia steadied her eyes that were looking left and right. When Julia entered through the open door, she saw numerous windows and ample space without any furniture– and a man standing vacantly within that space.

Standing with great posture was a man with straight shoulders, lean waist, and tightly packed back muscle.

“You came?”

It was Rio. His fluttering, sky-blue hair shook every time a word came out from his mouth. Julia stared blankly at him as he took off his top. If her age was combined with her previous life, she would be over 40, but Rio’s appearance was quite stimulating to her, who still had no male experience.

“Wh-what?!”

When Julia stuttered with her face flushed red, Rio looked down at his body. At the same time, after an “Ah~” came out, Rio walked to the other side, picked up his coat, and put it on his body, then slowly approached Julia.

“It’s alright now, right?”

“Y-yes.”

Julia, who obviously looked perplexed, stared at Doria at the door, avoiding Rio’s eyes. You should’ve said something! Her eyes were talking to him, but Doria averted her gaze.

“I’m sorry.”

Julia, who was looking at Doria, turned her head to the sudden apology and looked at Rio. His blue eyes were fixed on Julia.

“I was too busy, so I couldn’t take care of you. I have to apologize.”

Julia looked up at him as he admitted his mistake honestly. Standing like this, she could directly feel how tall he was. Did he have another head?

“It’s okay now that I know. More importantly, if you called me here, it means you have something to explain, right?”

Rio nodded his head at her words and moved his legs.

“Let’s sit down while we talk because we have a lot to discuss.”

His gaze fell, and he looked at Julia’s slender legs and feet. Julia, too, followed his gaze and glanced down at her legs.

His eyes rose again and met Julia’s eyes. Rio smiled slightly.

“Your legs will hurt if you wear those shoes.”

Usually, women wore low-heeled shoes. But these weren’t too hard nor painful to wear. She used to walk around often, and she was confident in her lower-body strength. But Julia just nodded because she didn’t feel the need to answer his considerate words.

Julia, who followed Rio to the nearby terrace, faced the sea over Rio’s back. Rio opened his mouth lightly.

“Tea? Or any other favorite drink?”

“I’m not picky.”

“That’s good.”

He seemed to like it so much since he looked cool when he smiled. It matched his bright atmosphere very well. Rio talked to Olden and looked at Julia while placing his hands on the table.

“How have you been?”

“I have been in my room. Thanks to someone.”

Rio burst out laughing at her thorny words. When Julia knitted her eyebrows, Rio smiled.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. You apologized earlier, so I’ll let that one go. And don’t apologize so easily. You will look easy to people.”

“I meant to make myself look easy, though.”

“…”

Julia tilted her head as he looked at her with a soft smile. Rio looked at her closely and spoke slowly while rubbing his finger against his neck.

“Why do you think so?”

Julia sighed as she stared at him, who gave off a strange atmosphere. No matter how inexperienced she was about men, his behavior was plain and easy to see.

“Duke of Ephesia. I just want you to know that I’m not here for personal reasons.”

When she drew the line with a firm expression on her face, Rio smacked his lips and smiled. Once Olden brought the tea, placed the teacup in front of her, and poured the tea gracefully, a fragrant smell came up. When silence continued to flow in the room, Rio broke the awkward atmosphere and opened his mouth.

“So, let’s move on to public matters instead of personal…”

Rio glanced at Julia while bringing his hand to the teacup.

“Are you feeling the energy well or something?”

“Energy?”

Julia tilted her head. Rio stretched out his arm to help her understand and focused for a moment. Then, bluish energy wrapped around his arm.

“Ah…”

This was the decisive reason why Julia felt that she was in a completely different world since she was reborn.

Seeing ghosts or talking to spiritual beings was regarded as a lie or a prank in her previous life. As such, people had distrust in a supernatural phenomenon.

But it was very different here. The magic that appeared in movies and cartoons as a gag actually existed, and people who handled it had met her.

Although the number was not very large, many people who can feel this natural energy used to take the job of wizarding.

They were on the same level as Rio, who formed energy in his hand.

“No. I wasn’t chosen.”

“Is that so?”

Rio lowered his arm and was worried for a moment. Julia lowered her head obliquely and looked at him, then spoke.

“I think I can help you if you tell me the reason.”

“I’ve changed the order, huh. Then I’ll explain it from the beginning.”

When Rio reached out to Olden, a pile of paper was placed on his hand. Rio, who received the paper, spread it out on the table.

“This is…?”

“A map.”

It was a map with a very detailed accumulation. Most of the geographical features and large-scale shops in this neighborhood were also listed. Julia stopped looking at the map and stared at him.

“This is the castle where we are now. And then you go down, and you go this way, and you go this way. Finally, this way. Do you know what’s in common here?”

She followed his pen that formed a triangular shape. Julia looked at the map and soon opened her mouth at Rio’s question.

“…There’s a grave nearby.”

“Exactly.”

Rio unfolded another piece of paper on the map. It was a map that represented the area more intensively.

“Do you know what the family of Ephesia is famous for?”

“It is known to be a major stronghold of the Proren Kingdom, as it has produced past commanders, and has been promoted to be a dukedom, protecting the eastern coast and western mountain ranges.”

“That’s right. As such, the Dukedom of Ephesia is very dangerous to enter from the outside. Although it is a fortress of a shallow sea, it is a critical strategic point because you can directly damage the Kingdom of Proren if you attack this place. Is it a little difficult to understand this?”

Rio, who was explaining the strategic advantages of its geographical features, asked carefully. Julia shook her head. It wasn’t very difficult. In general, however, it was Rio’s consideration that came out naturally because the ladies were not educated in this aspect.

When Julia said it was fine, Rio grinned and continued to speak.

“To continue, there were so many outside invasions, and this place frequently became a battlefield. But in these three places, we’ve given them a resting place, since their funeral can’t be held right away if they’re killed in a dangerous and frequent battle.”

Among the basic knowledge, the resting place of the fallen soldiers in the Dukedom of Ephesia is learned to be a pilgrimage site visited by many people. That’s how many people died and were killed in action. Their shelter was always full of silence and respect.

“But what’s troubling now is that as the number of people increases, more and more people are naturally settling down near these resting places. As the country has been reorganized and stabilized, the soldiers’ treatment is proper, and the risk of war has been reduced as well. So, due to the lack of housing, we decided to designate a particular area around here as a residential area for people… however, that is not the problem.”

While Rio looked at Julia with a serious look on his face, he opened his red lips.

“There’s been a rumor going around.”

“Going around, you say? What is it?”

Rio’s eyes glistened intensely at Julia’s question.

“Ghost.”

“Ghost?”

Julia tilted her head at his words. Rio went on to explain again just in case she didn’t believe him.

“Rumor has it that a ghost has been seen around this shelter since three years ago. Typically, there are rumors that their father or brother, who had died in the war, had appeared.”

If anyone else heard it, they might laugh and say it was nonsense, but Julia thought it was possible. It was common for dead people to wander around, since a deep grudge or regret was the same for the living and the deceased.

As Julia listened to his story with a serious look on her face, Rio smiled slyly at her reaction.

“That’s why Lady Julia, I need you.”

“Is this the request you asked me last time?”

“This is the first one.”

“There’s something else?”

“First of all. I’d like you to figure this out first. How is it, is it possible?”

Julia glanced at Rio’s words as she made a moment of thought, then soon smiled. Her eyes were crooked in the shape of the crescent moon. It was a very well-matched smile.

“Don’t worry and leave it to me. It’s my specialty.”

Rio stared blankly at her smiling face and soon smiled while nodding.

“I look forward to your cooperation, Julia.”