By Zephyria As expected, the inside, which he entered following her guidance, was filled with a savory smell. Olive oil, chili, bacon, butter, various spices. He couldn’t tell what the main menu was from the miscellaneous scents, but it seemed that the chef was skilled. Beyond the door at the end of the hallway, he could hear a noisy sound, indicating that there were many customers even at this hour.
Having confirmed that most of the stores were closed today, the contrasting atmosphere inside and outside the building was as alien as if it were dividing the world.
“Wait, wipe off the water before you come in.”
The woman, who had been leading the way, turned around and pointed to the mat on the floor. Then, she went up the steep stairs next to the long hallway first.
Leonardo stopped for a moment and pretended to rub his feet, drying off the rainwater appropriately. Even so, he didn’t let his guard down as he followed her, not knowing where she was leading him.
Creak, creak. The sound of the old wooden stairs crying was muffled by the moisture. He held his breath and went up about two floors, and another door appeared, and soon a dark attic appeared.
The floor itself was high enough to stand up straight with his back and neck fully extended. The woman closed the door tightly only after bringing both of them inside and lit the lamp.
“How do you know the old man?”
She bent down and asked, pulling out a chest hidden under the table. It looked quite heavy, so he expected it would be difficult to pull out alone, but she didn’t seem to have any particular difficulty.
As he watched her unlock the padlock with a key, Leonardo glanced at Terzio. He nodded once, so he looked forward again and opened his mouth.
“I visited the magic shop before. I did some business then, and got some help.”
“What kind of help?”
“…It’s a little difficult to say that far. Is this also a verification process?”
At the question that sounded a little sharp, the woman who was about to open the chest stopped her hand and looked up. Leonardo, who had lowered his eyes, added.
“I still don’t know anything about that side.”
“Ah, I see. I thought you were already aware since you’re with him. My name is Dott. As you can see from the nameplate, I’m the owner here.”
“……”
“And don’t talk so stiffly. It’s not like I let you in because I wanted to.”
At the similarly sharp answer, one of Leonardo’s eyebrows rose.
“If it wasn’t for the old man’s request, I would have turned that person away even when he came.”
Dott said, glancing at Terzio. Leonardo’s gaze naturally shifted as well, but Terzio just shrugged his shoulders without saying anything in particular.
“That old man asked you? What? Before he died?”
Leonardo bent his legs to match her eye level. Dott answered in a cynical yet somewhat kind manner.
“Of course, he asked me when he was alive. Just two days ago. He said that if he died, the owner of that card would come from out of town, and he entrusted it to me to give it to him then. He told me not to tell the Council or anyone else.”
After finishing her words, she flipped the lid of the chest back, and the light from the lamp was reflected, momentarily blinding his vision. Both Leonardo and Terzio squinted and turned their heads at the same time.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have told you in advance.”
Words of apology immediately followed, but she didn’t seem very sorry. Inside were strangely shaped charms, ornate jewelry, and parchments that he would have seen at least once in Grimbleton’s store. The metals and jewels attached to the jewelry sparkled luminously, even though they were covered in dust.
‘Don’t tell me he told her to give all of this to me?’
As he was looking at her with a puzzled expression, Dott took out a wax-sealed envelope from the gap. The surface of the envelope was bulging, as if there was something other than paper inside.
“Take it, he left it for you.”
She mimicked Leonardo’s stiff tone as she handed it over. Following that, she also took out an Amulet made of Siculus mineral. It was the Amulet that Leonardo had made for the store owner before he left the magic shop.
“This is….”
Leonardo, who had received the two items, fiddled with the surface of the envelope and asked.
“What’s inside?”
“I don’t know the details either. I didn’t open it. I just heard it was an address.”
‘Address?’
Suddenly, the voice of the magic shop owner, who said he would introduce him to someone who was well-versed in curses, flashed through his mind. Did he keep his promise before he died? Leonardo asked Dott in a low voice.
“…Besides you, who else knows about this item?”
“Since the old man is dead, it’ll just be you two besides me. Why, are you going to kill me?”
She said terrifying words casually, and Dott closed the chest again and locked it with a padlock. Leonardo narrowed his brow and moved his lips as if he were dumbfounded.
“What do you take us for?”
“I’m kidding.”
Her joke code seemed to be a little bizarre. Dott added that she had no reason to disclose the matter she had been asked to do to others, nor did she have any intention of doing so, so he could rest assured on that point.
“Is this all you have to tell me? What about the other things inside?”
“Don’t covet them, he left them for me. The old man said that the item he left for you had a strong energy, so it had to be sealed with a charm. So I just left it with the other charms.”
Strong energy? Leonardo tilted his head. At that, Dott continued as if explaining.
“You said you’ve been to the old man’s store, so you know what the atmosphere inside was like, right? Honestly, there are a lot of creepy things, right? It’s good to be careful.”
“…You, no. What’s your relationship with the old man anyway? Why did he ask you to do this?”
“Hmm, what if it’s difficult to answer?”
Leonardo was momentarily speechless. Dott straightened her bent legs and stood up, dusting off the dust on her apron with both hands.
“He’s like a father to me. He treated me like a daughter too. I don’t have a family.”
“……”
“I didn’t do it expecting this kind of reward, but I always took care of his meals. He always complained about the side dishes, but he came down here regularly. It’s already been 10 years, so I guess he trusted me a lot.”
As he stared at the chest going back under the lifted tablecloth, Leonardo recalled the story he had heard from Signe. Including Grimbleton, who regarded her as a daughter, the people of this town had all taken care of war orphans.
He wondered if the woman in front of him also had such pain, but he didn’t have the courage to ask. He didn’t really want to know either.
Instead, Leonardo brought up a story he had been curious about all along.
“I heard the residents talking outside. They said you were the first witness to the incident. …How did the old man die? It seems like he expected the day he would die, but did he take his own life or was he threatened by someone….”
“He wouldn’t do that. Even if he was called eccentric, he wouldn’t do anything to incur resentment, and his heart was so strong. Moreover, when I first found him collapsed, I didn’t even realize the situation was serious. He was lying on the floor of the store with both hands on his stomach. As if he were sleeping.”
Dott, having finished organizing by lowering the tablecloth, approached the small window in the attic. The gloomy light that came in from outside subtly illuminated her face.
“I remember what he said recently while having a meal. ‘I think I’ve finally finished everything I had to do’…. He used to say that he was fated not to die even if he wanted to. But lately, he said he’s been having good dreams.”
His eyes held both resilience and bitterness. The shadows of raindrops running down the window traced his cheeks. He looked like he was crying, but Dote didn’t show it.
“A good dream?”
Leonardo simply repeated the question, and she calmly continued her story.
“The Mother of this world told me it was okay to rest now. So I feel relieved.”
Swish―
For a while, only the fierce sound of rain echoed on the attic roof. The three remained silent for a few seconds. Occasionally, the sounds of the customers crowded on the first floor rumbled and traveled through the floor.
He had been puzzled by her calm demeanor, considering she was the first witness. When digging into death cases, it was often the case that the witness who pretended to be kind was the real culprit.
Since there were quite a few expensive-looking magic items hidden inside, he had entertained the thought. But judging from the short conversation, it didn’t seem like this woman had harmed him. That old man wouldn’t have been blind to people, and her seemingly resilient face was etched with deep, unhidden emotions.
Leonardo gazed at her with a relatively calm gaze. At the same time, he organized his complex thoughts.
If the probability of homicide is low… is it unrelated to the follower?
Did he really pass away when his ‘time’ came?
Do you develop the ability to guess such things yourself as you get older…?
Around that time, Dote, who had been looking out the window, turned and approached Leonardo. Then, she pushed him towards the door, urging him.
“Well, I’ve done my part, so please leave now. Frankly, I don’t want to meet anyone on a day like today, and I especially dislike strangers of unknown origin.”
Leonardo, who was inadvertently pushed, turned to her and retorted.
“Wait, wait. There’s still a lot I haven’t heard―”
“I’m tired. Please understand.”
“You were taking in dining customers.”
“Is that the same? If I don’t run the restaurant, people who live alone will starve. Especially on days like today. This is my calling, and I have no more business with you. And the Council’s investigation team will be here soon. I’m innocent, but I don’t want to be suspected of letting in strange people for no reason.”
Dote reopened the door she had closed and extended her hand outwards.
“Please leave carefully. And keep quiet about having been here.”
She had told them to follow her earlier, but now she was being incredibly cold. Leonardo grabbed the door frame and resisted with a dumbfounded expression. However, Terzio, who placed his hand on his shoulder, gestured as if to say, let’s go out for now.
“The owner is right. If we run into the Council, we might look suspicious.”
He snatched Leonardo’s hand from the door frame and pushed his back. Leonardo opened his mouth as if to protest, but reluctantly took a step.
He was about to be pushed outside when he stopped and turned around. Soon, he asked in a serious voice.
“…Did he pass away peacefully?”
Terzio frowned as if he had a headache. Dote stood behind the two, fastening her cardigan.
“Only he would know that. But I think so.”
Because his last expression looked peaceful, her voice that followed was small but exceptionally clear.
Leonardo, who had been standing still, slowly nodded. Then, he gazed at the gray sky beyond the window behind her.
It seemed like a rain to mourn the dead would fall all day long.
“Thank you.”
Only then did Leonardo move his feet.