“Good evening, Count Kolanda. Did you rest well last night?”
“Yes, Your Excellency Count Kolanda. I slept soundly last night.”
Alicia, Liliana, and I were having breakfast with the members of the Count Kolanda family in a harmonious atmosphere.
I am accustomed to being sleep-deprived for various reasons, so I managed to hide it well. However, Safiya, who secretly underwent the ‘First Night Ritual,’ was sleepy, occasionally yawning.
Countess Deer also appeared sleepy, but her skin was more radiant than when I first met her, suggesting that, as Safiya had predicted, last night was quite passionate.
Conversely, Count Kolanda had dark circles under his eyes, but, as they say, “some things are better left unsaid.”
Gaspar had once told me that men are often drained by women in such situations.
Speaking of which, it’s been quite some time since I last visited the Raymond Trading Company.
Since Alicia, who is in charge of things in my absence, is accompanying me, I am concerned about the treatment of the slaves I purchased.
Alicia shared the same concern.
Apparently, Alicia also purchased some slaves, so she was worried about them as well.
Of course, Alicia had also been diligently engaged in enlightenment activities for female slaves.
Furthermore, upon closer observation of His Excellency Count Kolanda, I noticed kiss marks on his neck.
Meanwhile, Rubiliza has been sending intense gazes toward Alicia and Liliana, but they pretended not to notice.
Incidentally, Alicia and Liliana were aware of Safiya’s ‘First Night Ritual’ with me last night.
It seems the earnest Safiya had obtained their permission before visiting my bedroom.
Alicia and Liliana apparently offered wry smiles, but they had expected this outcome the moment I saved Safiya.
When I summon the two of them for night duty, I will love them with all my might as compensation for last night.
And after the ‘First Night Ritual’ concluded, I thought Safiya had returned to her room. However, it seems they gathered in Liliana’s room and were having a lively girls’ talk.
I wonder what they were discussing…
Of course, Holy Spirit Serena was also present, and apparently, as a “Sex Spirit old man,” they had a lively time discussing lewd topics.
Despite her divine and lovely appearance, Holy Spirit Serena has a corrupted and unfortunate personality and habits. However, this seems to have increased their sense of closeness.
Perhaps this is why she wasn’t strangled when she was sealed.
I was so curious about their conversations that I later questioned the “Sex Spirit old man.” He told me they were discussing the pain of losing their virginity and the fear of my son (penis) advancing into their vaginas.
Indeed, they were all women with whom I had performed the ‘First Night Ritual,’ including Holy Spirit Serena, and they were excited comparing their experiences.
It left me with a complex feeling.
“Well then, travel safely. Safiya, I will not forgive you if you disgrace the name of the Count Kolanda family by being a hindrance to everyone, so keep that in mind and work diligently.”
“Safiya, you must do your best!”
“I’m jealous of you, older sister Safiya… I wish I could have gone too…”
“Father, Mother, Safiya will do her best for the sake of the Count Kolanda family. And Rubiliza, please take care of things here while we’re gone.”
Waved goodbye by everyone from the Count Kolanda family, we departed with Safiya to rejoin the remaining group.
Our attire was the formal wear we wore when we first visited the mansion, covered with the ‘Princess Harem’ uniforms. Safiya, however, wore sturdy adventurer-style clothing.
We decided that Safiya would accompany us for the duration of our stay in the Former Yangus Kingdom Territory.
If necessary, Count Kolanda would also offer his assistance, so it seemed we were well-prepared.
Ultimately, we decided to keep Safiya’s identity as the ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star’ a secret among ourselves.
There was no one who would benefit from revealing the truth now.
When I subtly inquired about the movements of ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star’ during breakfast with Count Kolanda, I learned that she had been seriously injured during the raid the day before yesterday.
He believed that she had likely run out of strength while fleeing and died in the wilderness.
As expected, Count Kolanda is an efficient administrator.
If we hadn’t intervened, Safiya’s fate would have been sealed at that moment.
Safiya, who is a poor actress, listened to our conversation while sweating profusely, but the Count Kolandas did not seem to notice.
They would never suspect that their beloved daughter, Safiya, was ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star.’ Moreover, her being unharmed further distanced them from the truth.
It is unlikely that ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star’ will appear again, but this is convenient for us.
Furthermore, ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star’ was a vigilante who stole money and valuables from those who had amassed wealth through wicked means, so there were no truly sympathetic victims.
On the other hand, since Safiya is the beloved daughter of Count Kolanda, who temporarily governs the Former Yangus Kingdom Territory, it was considered convenient for her to accompany us.
We boarded the gondola again for our return journey, heading towards the pre-arranged rendezvous point with the remaining group.
Safiya, having completed the ‘First Night Ritual’ last night and truly entered adulthood, was chatting with Alicia and Liliana.
I could sense Holy Spirit Serena nearby; she was likely in an invisible state, blending into the surroundings.
“Welcome back, Hal. How did everything go?”
“Apart from Safiya being spanked by Count Kolanda as punishment for her unauthorized absence, everything went smoothly… Also, Safiya has decided to serve Liliana in the future. So, she will be accompanying us while we stay in the Former Yangus Kingdom Territory.”
I reported the day’s events to Elise, the vice-leader of ‘Princess Harem,’ under a tree in the park, our pre-arranged meeting spot with the remaining group.
The party members surrounded me, listening to my report.
“Your adventurer outfit suits you well, Safiya. You look cute.”
“Thank you for your praise, Princess Lyusienne. I am humbled.”
Safiya and the others immediately mingled with the remaining group. Safiya blushed as Lyusienne complimented her attire.
Strangely, with so many beautiful girls gathered, one might expect factions to form and severe bullying to occur. However, in reality, while there were minor pranks and mischievous acts, they never escalated into insidious bullying.
Well, perhaps the only exception is the lovesick knight, Sophie.
Sophie is currently undergoing rehabilitation with Ilisha under Rulus, who has obtained a new body. I have asked Anya, who is in charge of them, to strictly educate them as ladies.
It will be a pleasant surprise to see how wonderfully refined ladies they have become when we meet again.
“So, have there been any developments on your end?”
“I will report on that. The fortune teller, Astarotte, is an old woman, isn’t she?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The fortune teller, Astarotte, who was thought to be the reason Safiya unbeknownst to herself was active as ‘Phantom Thief Le Vina☆Star,’ turned out to be an ancient old woman.
She made her living as a fortune teller on the first floor of a dilapidated rented house in the lower town, living with a man who seemed to be her grandson. She was originally a wandering street fortune teller and settled there at some point.
“Astarotte was an old woman…”
I had envisioned a bewitching beauty, like a poisonous woman who deceives her customers, but my assumption was completely wrong.
On the other hand, for Safiya, who visited her as a customer, it was a natural fact, and she looked at me strangely, which made me feel rather awkward.
And it seems Astarotte is well-reputed for her accurate readings, with customers constantly visiting, indicating a prosperous business.
“…But, when I approached that house, my nose inexplicably itched for some reason!”
Even with Swan Hilda’s eyes, something about Astarotte and her grandson remained elusive and unsettling.
Although Swan Hilda is still immature, she is a legitimate Lower God Clan Valkyrie.
The fact that Swan Hilda felt something was amiss suggests that our instincts might be correct.
We also confirmed Astarotte’s fortune-telling method with her clients.
According to what they said, when an individual tells Astarotte what they wish to know, she imbues a crystal ball placed in the center of a dimly lit room with her thoughts, and then gives them a charm sealed with beeswax.
Then, if they place that charm under their pillow and sleep, they receive an oracle in their dreams.
This process was the same for Safiya.
Incidentally, Safiya visited Astarotte purely out of curiosity. However, while she was there, she asked for the whereabouts of a ring she had recently lost and found it in the location revealed by the person she met in her dream.
However, she had completely forgotten the appearance of the person who appeared in her dream, as her memory had faded.
Thus, Astarotte is apparently called the ‘Dream Fortune Teller.’
Speaking of which, I remembered that Seira Hyperion, whom I rescued shortly after setting out on the Second Expedition Trip, was also called the ‘Saintess of the Dream Hall.’
In Seira’s case, a god would appear in her dreams and deliver prophecies…
In Astarotte’s case, although the client receives a charm, the client themselves dreams and finds the solution – a style I had never heard of before.
However, I refrained from asking Astarotte for a divination for reconnaissance purposes.
Since Swan Hilda, who is a god, sensed something abnormal, we decided to wait for our return.
“Thank you for your report, Swan Hilda.”
“It’s nothing, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
Swan Hilda smiled happily as I praised her.
Furthermore, her cousin Edele patted her head, saying, “Good job, good job.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Now it’s my turn.”
“What is it, Kirika?”
“From the information I’ve gathered, the activities of rebel elements have been increasing in Schwerin lately. Among them are a group called the ‘Knights of the Azure Moon,’ composed entirely of women. I believe we should capture them and make them Liliana’s subordinates.”
“My word, are there any surviving female knights from Yangas? I would love to meet them!”
“Well done, Kirika.”
Having finished reporting the current situation, we decided to meet the mysterious old woman, Astarotte, directly.
Now, let’s see what awaits us…
Thank you for reading.
This concludes the split posting of Episode 35, “Liliana III.”
On the night of August 18th at 0:00 AM, I will be posting Episode 35, “Liliana III,” in its entirety, titled “The Beautiful Phantom Thief Who Stirred Her Homeland and Charming the Stubborn Old Man? Princess III.”
Please note that the ‘split posting’ and ‘full posting’ contain the same content.
As a special summer vacation project, split posting for Episode 36, “Astarotte,” will begin on August 20th at 0:00 AM.
