[Apology] In the afterword of the previous chapter, I announced that the next chapter would feature an intense scene, but it ended up being longer than anticipated, so I’ve decided to move it to the next story. I sincerely apologize to those who were looking forward to it.
“Well then, where should we look? Al, do you have any idea where she might be?”
“That’s a good question. If Master is right, I believe Josette is looking for a fake medicinal potion, but I don’t know where she obtained it, so I can’t say anything definitive.”
“I see… Usually, Al finds what we’re looking for right away, but if even he doesn’t know, it looks like we’ll just have to search by walking around.”
Kent and Al left Marie’s Bakery and began their search for Josette. They had held onto a sliver of hope, asking Al if he knew Josette’s whereabouts, but the answer wasn’t very encouraging. In the past, Al had often found their target before Kent and his companions even started their mission, or he would find people at just the right moment. However, this time, it seemed things wouldn’t go as smoothly as usual.
“Even if we ask around, if people don’t recognize her as Josette, asking would be a waste of time. Let’s start by searching the crowded parts of town.”
“It would have been nice if Caro were here, but since her phone isn’t connecting, she seems to be outside of town.”
“Why would Caro have been helpful?”
Kent asked, wondering about Al’s statement.
“Caro’s sense of smell has become very sharp due to Master’s influence. Josette’s abilities affect sight and magic power, but they don’t work on her body odor.”
“I see, so she can detect her by smell.”
“Yes. Caro can even smell fairies that are invisible to the eye.”
“In a way, isn’t that the strongest ability?”
Kent was surprised by the high level of Caro’s detection abilities.
“Hmm. I can’t find her.”
“Indeed. Seeing as we haven’t heard anything from others, it seems she hasn’t been found yet.”
Kent and Al searched throughout the town for a considerable amount of time but were unable to find Josette.
“That’s right. Suspicious medicine wouldn’t be sold on the main street, would it? It’s a little dangerous, but since Al is with me, let’s try searching the back streets too.”
“Master, I will protect you, so please focus on your search.”
Al patted his flat chest and said to Kent. Then, the two of them stepped into a dimly lit back alley.
“Hey, kid. I’m a little short on cash. Can you lend me some?”
“I’m sorry, we’re in a hurry. Could you please let us pass?”
As soon as they entered the alley, Kent was accosted by some rough-looking men.
“Master said we’re in a hurry, so if you don’t want us to get rough, get out of the way.”
“Whoa, you’re having such a small kid call you Master? Were you planning on doing something fun in a place like this where there’s no one around?”
Although Al spoke in a rather stern tone, the men smirked lewdly at Al’s childlike appearance.
“We might, if we weren’t in a hurry right now.”
“Whoa, you guys are like that, huh? You’ve got good taste, kid.”
When Al said that, the men seemed to become interested and surrounded Kent and Al.
“Alright, if you two are going to do something fun, we’ll keep watch for you. We don’t want anyone else seeing you.”
“Master, these guys are annoying, so I’ll get rid of them. Eat this!”
” ” ” *Thwack!* ” ” ”
Al, finding them bothersome, summoned vines from the ground and sent the men flying as if to mow them down.
“Hmph. There’s no reason why we should show ourselves around vulgar people like you when Master and I are having fun.”
Al looked down at the unconscious men and said.
“I’ve cleaned up the trash, so let’s hurry along.”
“R-right.”
Kent, who hadn’t seen Al like this in a long time, was reminded that he was, in fact, quite strong.
“Hmph hmph hmph ♪”
After that, Kent and Al continued their search down the alley. Then, a middle-aged man with a cheerful demeanor walked toward them from the other side.
“Master, did something good happen?”
“Perhaps. But it has nothing to do with us, so let’s hurry.”
“Yes!”
The man they passed was actually the one who sold the elixir to Josette, but Kent and Al, who had no information about it, obviously didn’t realize this.
“It looks like there are a lot of people ahead.”
“It seems so. What should we do?”
“It’s a waste of time to go back, so let’s keep going.”
“Understood, Roger that.”
After proceeding a little further, the narrow alley ended, and they emerged onto a slightly wider street with people passing by. Kent decided that turning back would be a waste of time, so he decided to temporarily halt their search of the back alleys and instead search the wider street.
“Ah, excuse me.”
Kent, in his haste, was walking a bit too quickly. He bumped into a woman who appeared to be a homeless person, staggering as she walked ahead.
“Eek!”
“Whoa, careful.”
The force of the collision caused the woman to lose her balance and fall. Kent quickly caught her. As he did, he felt a soft bulge in his hand. It didn’t take him long to realize it was the swell of a large chest.
“I-I’m so sorry.”
Kent was flustered, having touched a stranger’s chest in the middle of town. He could only apologize and beg for her forgiveness. He risked being reported to the guards or even being sued for a large sum of compensation.
“But… this feeling… it’s somehow familiar…”
While Kent was apologizing verbally, his hand remained on the woman’s chest. Furthermore, he moved his hand, as if checking the feel of it, caressing it. In this world, such actions towards a stranger in a crowded street were completely criminal.
“Kent, you don’t have to be groping my chest in such a crowded place. Everyone is watching… *blush*”
“Ah, Josette!”
It turned out that the woman Kent was groping was Josette. By chance, Kent had found Josette with his own hands.
“Um, I’m in a hurry. Could you please let go?”
“Ah, sorry.”
Josette’s words made Kent hastily release her.
“Josette, were you walking around town until you were this disheveled because you were looking for the medicine?”
“Yes, you understand well. I searched all over town and finally found it. I’m going to sneak into the castle now and give this elixir to Lord Gordon.”
Josette was dressed in rags, her hair was messy, and her clothes and skin were dirty in many places. This was why Kent had mistaken her for a homeless person. Josette took out a small vial from the cleavage of her dress and showed it to Kent.
“That’s a fake, so don’t give it to Gordon.”
“What are you talking about? It’s an elixir that cures all ailments. Even you, Kent, must have heard of it, right? This elixir is said to be a legendary medicine, and it’s difficult to obtain even for royalty or our Duke’s family.”
“That’s exactly why it’s fake.”
“That can’t be true. Talking to you, Kent, seems like a waste of time. I’m in a hurry, so I must be going. Excuse me.”
Even though Kent told her it was fake, Josette stubbornly believed the medicine was genuine.
“We can’t let Josette go. How can I make her believe me?”
“Believe? Lord Gordon’s illness is unique to royalty. How many members of the royal family do you think have died from this illness? I have this elixir. If we use it, we can surely overcome the illness. If you insist on stopping me, Kent, then stop me here and now, even if it means assaulting me. Don’t carelessly deny my efforts if you’re not prepared to do so.”
Josette, exhausted to her limit, had impaired judgment. She was convinced her actions were correct and was about to act without listening to anyone else.
“Josette, I want you to stay by my side.”
“Wh-what, mmmph!”
Kent pulled Josette into an embrace and kissed her in a busy street with many passersby.
(Master, don’t worry about the surroundings. Please do your best.)
Kent subtly averted his gaze and looked at Al, who gave him a thumbs-up and seemed to be communicating something. Seeing that, Kent was convinced that Al would somehow manage if he were to engage in that kind of act with Josette right there.
“It’s going to get a little cold, but I’m sorry.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
Kent whispered to Josette’s ear. Then, he put his arm around Josette’s back and searched for something.
“Ah, found it. This is probably it. Hah!”
“Eh? Ah!”
Kent found a thin red string, made of lace, from a decorative part on the back of Josette’s dress and pulled it with all his might. Then, the parts of the dress separated, falling to the ground one by one. This was an emergency string that Rachel had playfully attached. When pulled, the threads connecting the various parts would unravel, causing the party dress to fall apart. Naturally, Josette, having lost her dress, was exposed in her undergarments in such a public place.
“Wh-Kent, how could you make me do something so humiliating in front of so many people?”
“You were the one who said to stop me, even if it meant assaulting me.”
“…Th-that’s…”
Josette sat down in embarrassment.
“For now, I’ll be taking these back.”
“Ah!”
Kent rummaged through Josette’s cleavage and recovered four small vials.
“Just how many vials are you keeping in your cleavage?”
“The dress didn’t have any pockets, so this was the only place I could store them.”
Normally, cleavage isn’t a place to store things, but for some reason, both Josette and Margaret used this area as a substitute for pockets. Kent was curious about how it was structured, but even after taking them out, the mystery remained unsolved.
“It’s dangerous to bump into things in such a crowded place, so let’s move to that bench.”
” …Yes.”
Josette, who had suddenly become docile, did as Kent said and moved to a bench that happened to be installed nearby.
I apologize for extending the story. I plan to deliver a scene with intense interactions next time.
