Chapter 52
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Chapter 52
Ding.
"Welcome to—what in the world? These brats."
The Shop Owner rose from his seat to greet what he thought would be a customer, but the moment he spotted the three children, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Get out. This isn't a place for little ones like you."
The Shop Owner waved his hand dismissively, his expression sour.
"We're not little."
"Fine, I'll pretend you're not. Now get going."
At this continued dismissal, Lucian's face twisted in indignation. For a child accustomed to nothing but warm welcomes, such curt rejection was deeply humiliating.
"You can't even afford—"
"I have plenty of money!"
Lucian planted his hands on his hips and declared it loudly.
"Is that so?"
"Of course!"
Though it was all back home, of course.
"Hmm."
At Lucian's words, the Shop Owner's eyebrows twitched.
The quality of his clothing, the natural arrogance in his tone—nobility oozed from every pore. The boy's claim didn't seem to be a lie.
'And there doesn't appear to be a guardian in sight.'
This could be an excellent opportunity to unload some of his slower-moving inventory.
"Very well. I won't throw you out. Feel free to browse."
"Hurray!"
Lucian bounded inside with excitement.
"Lucian, I told you not to run."
Even as Amelia spoke, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"What's this?"
"A golden bat's wing."
"And this?"
"Dried slime."
Lucian pressed his index finger against the dried slime.
Poke, poke.
"It's so soft."
"Don't touch it."
Poke, poke, poke.
"I said don't touch it!"
The Shop Owner tried to stop Lucian from leaving fingerprints all over the slime.
But as everyone knows, telling a child not to do something only makes them want to do it more.
"What about this one?"
"A crystal that only forms in the bodies of high-ranking monsters. It's saturated with magical energy, so it's also called a monster's core."
"I see."
"Sir, what is this?"
"That is...."
It was the moment the Shop Owner turned to answer Amelia's question that Lucian seized his chance, reaching toward the crystal while the man's attention was diverted.
In that instant.
A brilliant flash erupted.
"What?"
As white light burst forth, the crystal vanished without a trace.
* * *
"This is maddening. Where on earth could they have gone?"
I stood in the middle of the street, clutching my head in despair.
Dismissing the guards under the assumption of safety had been a grave mistake.
I was never equipped to properly watch over three small children in the first place.
"I'm terribly sorry. If only I hadn't lingered in front of the shop...."
"No, that's not it. I failed to keep watch over them as well."
This wasn't Claude's fault—it was mine for carelessly sending away the guards.
Moreover, I had become so absorbed with Claude that I'd forgotten about the children entirely.
But now was no time for self-recrimination.
"The children—have you found them?"
"Someone reported seeing three children holding hands heading down the alley below. One girl and two boys, which matches our search!"
At least they hadn't scattered in different directions.
It was a small mercy in this disaster.
"Search that entire area at once."
I rushed forward with the knights toward the direction the children had taken.
"I'm coming with you."
Claude kept pace beside me, moving with surprising speed despite the crutch supporting his leg.
"My lord, you should rest. Your leg isn't fully healed."
"I cannot simply stand idle while the children are missing."
"What if your injury worsens?"
At my concerned words, Claude bit his lip before speaking.
"Actually, my leg has been...."
"Lady Lucella, we've found them!"
A knight's urgent voice cut through Claude's words.
"Where?"
I abandoned the conversation and rushed forward.
"They're in that shop."
The knight pointed to a storefront ahead. Above its dimly lit entrance, a shop name was painted in purple lettering.
"Recky's Monster Byproduct Shop?"
Now that I thought about it, I'd felt an unsettling presence from the moment we entered this district—the same sensation I'd experienced when Claude showed me that monster core.
But the children were in a place that sold such things?
"Yes, but I believe we should hurry. Something doesn't feel right."
The knight's expression darkened at those words, and my unease grew. I quickly made my way into the shop with Claude.
"I really didn't steal it!"
The moment I stepped through the shop entrance, I heard a familiar voice.
"You little brat! Are you going to keep lying?"
"I didn't steal anything!"
"Lucian!"
The voice belonged to Lucian. The boy's arm was being held by a man who appeared to be the shop owner.
"Auntie!"
Tears welled up in Lucian's eyes when he spotted me. The boy wrenched his arm free from the owner's grip and rushed toward me, throwing himself into my embrace.
"What do you mean, theft? What's this about?"
"It's true. I didn't steal anything. But this man keeps demanding I hand something over!"
Lucian pointed at the shop owner while his voice trembled.
"What is the meaning of all this?"
I demanded an explanation from the shop owner.
"There's a monster byproduct called a monster core that trades for a considerable price. While I was distracted for just a moment, this young master here snatched it right under my nose!"
"A monster core, you say...?"
This was the very item Claude had shown me not long ago.
"It seems the boy took it because it sparkled so prettily, but that's not something one should do."
"I didn't snatch it!"
Lucian let out a sharp cry and turned his pockets inside out, shaking them vigorously. The desperation in his actions made it clear how unjustly accused he felt.
"Lucian, don't raise your voice."
I quieted the boy and knelt down before him.
"You really didn't steal it, did you?"
"No. I absolutely didn't. You don't suspect me too, do you?"
"No. I believe in you, Lucian."
Lucian was a reckless, mischievous child, but he wasn't one to lay hands on things that belonged to others.
"Then where did this monster core go?"
"I don't know. It looked interesting, so I was about to touch it when suddenly a white light burst out—whoosh!—and it disappeared."
"You're asking me to believe that...?"
That right now?
I pressed my temples, which throbbed with pain. The oppressive atmosphere emanating from the shop only made my headache worse.
"An object that was perfectly fine suddenly vanishes? Do you expect me to believe such nonsense? If you're going to lie, at least make it convincing!"
"..."
I found myself unable to speak in response to the shop owner's words.
Lucian wasn't a mage. How could I possibly believe that some mysterious light had made an object disappear?
I wanted to trust Lucian's account, but not this time. My unconditional faith might warp the child's character.
I was about to reach for my wallet to offer compensation when—
"Lucian, is that really the truth?"
Claude, who had stepped back, suddenly addressed Lucian directly.
"Yes. It's really true. A white light burst from my fingertips—whoooosh!—and it was gone!"
Lucian cried out in excitement at the thought that someone finally believed his words.
"Light came out, I'm telling you...."
Watching Lucian, Claude—who had been lost in deep thought—opened his mouth toward the Shop Owner.
"Is that all the monster cores on display?"
"Since they're such rare items, we only display one. There should be a few more in the warehouse."
"Then bring out a couple more for me."
"Pardon? All of a sudden?"
"I want to verify whether the child's words are true. I'll pay whatever price you ask, so hurry."
Urged by Claude, the Shop Owner immediately headed toward the warehouse attached to the back of the shop.
When he returned shortly, three wooden boxes were in his hands. Upon opening them, three monster cores of varying sizes were revealed.
"Lucian, would you touch this crystal once more? Just like you did before."
"You believe me?"
"Yes. I simply want to show that you didn't steal anything. So don't be afraid."
The trembling of his golden eyes lasted only a moment. Soothed by Claude's quiet reassurance, Lucian nodded with determination.
Lucian reached his hand toward the monster core.
"I didn't do anything special. I was just curious, so I reached out my hand like this...."
It was the moment his small hand made contact with the crystal.
Whoosh!
Just as Lucian had said, pure white light burst forth from his fingertips. The light enveloped his hand and soon wrapped around the crystal where the child's fingers touched.
And where the light disappeared—
"It's really gone, isn't it?"
Only the wooden box, now empty of its contents, remained sitting there forlornly.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org