Osiris (2)
Chapter 114
Ropheiren, who had taken measures to ensure no sound would escape, began to speak.
Ray, listening to Ropheiren’s story, asked in a somewhat brusque tone, “Really? Is it worth taking unnecessary risks just for a bit of money?”
“I thought the same at first…”
As Ropheiren continued to explain, Ray finally understood his intentions.
“Is that so? Then… there’s no harm in meeting.”
Having finished his conversation with Ropheiren, Ray approached Luna and requested her understanding.
“Luna, I’m sorry, but something urgent has come up. Would you mind if I left first?”
“…”
Luna quietly stared at Ray before nodding.
Ray brushed her hair aside and then disappeared together with Ropheiren.
Luna stood for a while staring at the spot where Ray had been, then returned to her spellbook under the shade.
Karga was busy repeatedly lifting and dropping the children of the baron’s territory into the water.
*
Recently troubled by worries, Johanna often suffered from sleepless nights.
Despite going to bed early, she kept waking up in the early hours after strange dreams.
Eventually, Johanna decided to visit an old acquaintance to resolve her concerns.
“Sister, I have a question…”
“What is it?”
Lisa, who had once worked at the Lavender Evening, looked at Johanna with great interest as she asked.
Seeing Johanna nervously glancing around and blushing, Lisa couldn’t help but feel curious.
Johanna, scratching her head awkwardly, finally gathered her courage and clasped her hands together.
“Is this size… considered large?”
“…”
Confused by the abrupt question, Lisa fell silent for a moment.
Johanna added hastily, “I, I don’t really know…”
“Uh…”
Lisa caught on to Johanna’s intention.
“You mean… that thing?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I mean.”
Although it might be unpleasant to think someone came all the way to ask such a question, Lisa merely chuckled and clapped her hands together.
“Hahaha! Well, unless you’ve been with several men, it’s hard to know.”
Since no one provides averages or statistics, and men only boast about having arms-thick ones, ultimately, one must consult an expert like Lisa to obtain credible information.
“So, our Johanna is finally interested in men!”
As Lisa kept laughing, Johanna’s face turned even redder, and she fidgeted uncomfortably.
After sufficiently teasing Johanna, Lisa cupped her chin and gauged the distance between Johanna’s hands.
“Not too thick.”
If someone had a tool of that thickness, that itself would be unfortunate due to lack of compatible partners.
“Hmm… length?”
“…”
Johanna nodded awkwardly.
Lisa managed to suppress her laughter and began her evaluation.
“Absolutely not small. In fact, that’s quite impressive.”
“Really?”
Relieved to get an answer to the question that had plagued her for days, Johanna instinctively clenched her hands.
Hmm, hmm, apparently it wasn’t small after all.
Johanna, smiling to herself while nodding, furrowed her brow slightly.
“But how much bigger can it get from here?”
“Wait, you mean this is before it grows?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
After pondering for a moment, Lisa shook her head.
“It varies greatly from person to person, so I can’t give a definite answer. In many cases, there isn’t much difference. But it might grow another finger or two.”
“Finger…”
Johanna seriously widened the gap between her hands by a finger’s width.
Even such a small difference seemed to make a significant impression.
Just as Johanna stealthily tried to place her hands vertically on her stomach, a familiar voice came from outside the door.
“Big Sister Johanna! Are you here?”
It was Delun.
Johanna excused herself from Lisa and opened the door.
Delun bowed politely to Lisa before whispering in Johanna’s ear.
“The knight is looking for you.”
“Huh? Really?”
Answering a summons immediately was the duty of a squire.
Her curiosity now satisfied, Johanna thanked Lisa and rushed out of her house.
‘Hmm, hmm, maybe a couple of fingers more.’
Shaking her head to clear new worries, Johanna hurried off.
*
Ropheiren stopped by the manor and formally informed the Count of Phillip’s County of his return.
Later, Ropheiren was guided to the reception room with Ray.
When the Count of Phillip’s County arrived and took his seat, Ropheiren began his explanation.
The Osiris Countdom.
Part of the Osiris Countdom borders the coast, and they built a port there to mediate trade with the Rubia Kingdom, making it one of the main sources of income for the territory.
A few years ago, when tensions escalated between the Empire and the Rubia Kingdom, the Osiris Countdom had to endure significant losses.
Fortunately, with recent easing of tensions between the Empire and the Rubia Kingdom, the Osiris Countdom is now recovering.
“The Count of Osiris subtly asked me to gauge your thoughts, my lord.”
“My thoughts?”
“It’s not a serious matter.”
Ropheiren eased the count’s tension before continuing.
“There’s a merchant guild from the kingdom that frequently trades with the Count of Osiris.”
The head of the guild was from Gentry, known for being quite capable despite his young age, and had a bright future ahead.
“However, there seems to be a problem with this merchant.”
“What kind of problem?”
“He struggled due to a poorly executed contract with a spirit at a young age.”
This was similar to Florya’s case, and instances of suffering due to a poor spirit contract were not uncommon.
Given that he was still managing his business well, the situation wasn’t as dire as Florya’s used to be, but the presence of the spirit was undoubtedly bothersome.
The Count of Phillip’s County roughly understood the situation.
The Count of Osiris believed that Alesya possessed some means to adjust contracts with spirits.
With Alesya’s help, solving the merchant’s problem could yield considerable profit.
It wasn’t a bad proposition for the Count of Phillip’s County either.
By resolving the merchant’s issue, the Count of Osiris would certainly express gratitude towards Phillip’s County.
The Count of Osiris enjoyed flaunting his power and wouldn’t be stingy over a few coins.
However…
In reality, it was Ray, not Alesya, who solved Florya’s spirit problem.
After careful consideration, the Count of Phillip’s County slowly shook his head.
He couldn’t risk exposing Ray’s unusual abilities for mere financial gain.
Of course, Ray and Ropheiren shared the same sentiment as the count.
There was, however, one variable in this story.
“The merchant is from the Tarannis Family.”
“Tarannis…?”
Unfamiliar with the name, the count expressed his curiosity.
At that moment, Ray spoke.
“One of the rangers suspected of involvement in the corruption of the Crown Prince of the Rubia Kingdom was also from the Tarannis Family.”
“Hmm…”
The count, contemplating deeply, asked Ray, “What do you suggest we do?”
“I believe it wouldn’t hurt to make contact with the merchant when the opportunity arises.”
Ray didn’t assume that every member of the Tarannis Family was involved in devil worship.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
If the merchant had deeply embraced demonic powers and Ray noticed signs of corruption, they could prepare for potential dangers in advance.
Even if that weren’t the case, gathering information about the Tarannis Family through this contact would still be a worthwhile outcome.
After some deliberation, the count agreed with Ray.
Since the suggestion was merely to lightly probe the situation, there was no need to oppose it outright.
“Then… how do you plan to handle the spirit issue?”
“We will assess the situation and respond accordingly.”
There was no need to take unnecessary risks to solve the merchant’s spirit problem.
Simply informing them that the contract adjustment failed and leaving would suffice.
Alesya might need to pretend to attempt the adjustment, though.
The count made his decision.
“Understood. I’ll arrange for a visit to the Osiris Countdom.”
After all, it was a neighboring territory to Phillip’s County.
Though larger than Phillip’s County, it was still traversable within a few days.
Alesya had occasionally visited the Osiris Countdom in the past, so revisiting wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
“I’ll assign two knights to escort Alesya.”
Since Ray would also be going, one of the knights would be Sir Jenkins.
“…Let’s assign the task to Sir Jenkins and Sir Didier.”
“Thank you.”
Ray bowed respectfully.
Not a particularly grand matter deserving thanks, the count responded calmly.
“Move cautiously compared to when you’re in Phillip’s County.”
“Understood.”
This wasn’t a place where rash actions could be easily rectified.
Even if the merchant turned out to be a servant of the devil, extreme caution would be required to handle the situation.
Having received confirmation from Ray, the count summoned Alesya and the knights.
*
Upon hearing the count’s story, Alesya brightened up.
Despite various precautions, this was essentially just a short excursion to the Osiris Countdom.
Alesya wanted to take the chance to see the sea again after a long time.
Watching the waves rise and fall while surrounded by salty breezes was a romantic experience.
After listening to the count’s full explanation, Alesya left the reception room in high spirits.
Just as Ray was waiting outside, Alesya engaged him in conversation as they strolled through the garden.
“My knight, I never thought you had any reproductive issues.”
“Wha-!”
Choking on his saliva, Ray burst into a fit of coughs.
Regaining his breath, Ray firmly stated to Alesya, “That’s a false rumor. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Then that’s fortunate!”
As the legitimate heir to the Phillip’s County family, Alesya needed a spouse capable of bearing children.
Alesya dismissed her worries and smiled brightly.
“I was considering sending someone to the Imperial Capital to investigate herbs.”
“That would’ve been disastrous…”
The rumor of the squires of Phillip’s County being infertile almost reached the capital.
Ray quickly changed the subject.
“In any case, we’ll see Florya soon.”
“Florya has been troubled lately, they say.”
“Why?”
“They say past rumors are hindering her from finding a suitable partner. Isn’t Florya already of marriageable age?”
Actually, Florya was enjoying a free-spirited life, and it was the Count of Osiris who was worried, Alesya explained further.
“Hmm, Ray.”
Alesya grabbed Ray’s wrist and leaned closer, implying that she was now of marriageable age.
Ray looked down at Alesya silently.
Frankly, Ray found Alesya cute, but somehow…
‘I just don’t see her as a woman…’
For Ray to view Alesya as a woman, her karmic baggage of antics was…
Too much.
Far too much.
Although she had become relatively well-behaved recently, the past wasn’t something easily erased.
“Hmm… Lady Alesya.”
“What is it?”
“…Never mind.”
Ray walked silently alongside Alesya in the garden.
Alesya departed for the Osiris Countdom a week later.
Sir Jenkins and Sir Didier were assigned to guard Alesya, and their squires, Ray and Johanna, accompanied them.
The official purpose of the visit to the Osiris Countdom was simple exchange.
