SCMBRN Chapter 27

“Who goes there?”

 

Cedric instantly dropped into a defensive stance, quickly widening the distance between us and reaching for the sword at his waist.

 

It was a swift and graceful response, befitting a male protagonist. In other words, even Cedric had unwittingly allowed this mysterious man to get behind him.

 

“Are you referring to me?”

 

The man, his face obscured beneath a deeply drawn hood, gave a casual shrug.

 

“Merely an assistant manager.”

 

“Assistant manager…?”

 

“A-Assistant Manager, sir!”

 

As if to confirm the man’s claim, a clerk exclaimed in shock.

 

“Was today your scheduled workday? I apologize. I didn’t even realize you were here.”

 

“It’s all right. No need to apologize. I was only planning to take a brief look around to see how business was going.”

 

Cedric, eyeing the man warily, turned to the clerk and asked,

 

“Does The Enchanted Forest even have an assistant manager? That’s news to me.”

 

The term caught the attention of several customers in the store, who tilted their heads in confusion.

 

“Ah, yes. The Assistant Manager only comes in occasionally, so he’s not well known.”

 

“Yes, something like that,” the man replied without much care, then pointed to Sir Calix behind me.

 

“You there, knight.”

 

“M-Me?”

 

“Yes, you. How long are you going to stand there watching the young lady remain on the floor? Do you still call yourself a knight?”

 

“Ah.”

 

With a small exclamation, Sir Calix dropped to one knee and extended his arm toward me.

 

“My apologies, my lady. It was my failing.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

I had knelt of my own accord. He had no reason to apologize.

 

I took Sir Calix’s arm and stood up.

 

But the slight falter in my step, caused by numbed legs, made the hooded man click his tongue.

 

“Honestly, letting a lady kneel for that long? Chivalry’s dead, clearly.”

 

The atmosphere in the shop chilled in an instant.

 

Though the comment had no clear subject, no one present failed to understand who it was aimed at.

 

“This is a matter between the lady and me.”

 

Cedric frowned, visibly displeased.

 

“Assistant Manager, stay out of this and mind your own business.”

 

“Unfortunately, this is my business.”

 

The assistant manager stepped forward and faced me.

 

“Welcome to The Enchanted Forest, Lady Charlotte Lindsay.”

 

Then, with the practiced grace of a well-trained servant, he gestured toward the stairs and bowed slightly.

 

“Please, allow me to escort you upstairs. I deeply regret to inform you that the manager is currently away, so we ask that you kindly wait in the guest salon.”

 

His next words were not directed at me, but at the dazed clerk nearby.

 

“Prepare refreshments for the guest salon.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Did you not hear me?”

 

“N-No, sir! I’ll prepare everything at once and see to it personally!”

 

Only after the flustered clerk had hurried off did Cedric speak again, his voice tinged with confusion.

 

“What is the meaning of this?”

 

“Meaning, sir?”

 

The assistant manager replied without even glancing his way.

 

“The guest salon? Are you saying Charlotte Lindsay is a guest of honor?”

 

“Precisely. Hence, she is being taken to the guest salon.”

 

“I’ve never heard of her being such a frequent customer.”

 

“My, my. The mighty Duke of Hicklid personally tracking the customer records of a humble little shop like ours? You must have a great deal of free time.”

 

I barely managed to suppress the snort of laughter rising in my throat.

 

Cedric’s expression darkened further.

 

“I am currently investigating a mysterious case of mass disappearance that occurred in my domain six months ago. There are suspicions that magical devices with unusual powers may be involved.”

 

Ah, that case.

 

Now that Cedric had explained it, I remembered that part of the novel.

 

It was the arc where Ayla and Cedric joined forces to uncover the truth behind the disappearances.

 

Turns out the victims had left of their own volition.

 

An illegal moneylender had been forcing victims to accept usurious interest rates. When they couldn’t repay, he resorted to violence, and the situation escalated.

 

The magical device that helped them escape unnoticed at night had been gifted by a kind-hearted mage passing through.

 

Once Cedric learned the truth, he had the moneylender and his protector punished, and arranged for the debtors to return home. That was how the case ended.

 

“So you came to The Enchanted Forest because you deal in unusual magical devices?”

 

Cedric nodded at the assistant manager’s question.

 

“Yes. I’ve been visiting a few places.”

 

“I understand. In that case, we’ll be happy to cooperate. The manager will see to you personally.”

 

That response was ordinary enough, but what came next furrowed Cedric’s brow.

 

“After we’ve attended to Lady Charlotte Lindsay, of course.”

 

“What?”

 

“Is there a problem? It’s only natural to prioritize prior appointments.”

 

“Do you not understand the gravity of the situation? People have vanished. Over ten individuals.”

 

“Lady Lindsay’s business will likely take thirty minutes. Surely the Duke can wait that long?”

 

“You—!”

 

Even faced with Cedric’s raised voice, the assistant manager merely stroked his chin, unbothered.

 

“Hmm. A man arriving half a year after the incident seems to find waiting thirty minutes unbearable.”

 

Cedric bit his lip in silence.

 

If memory served, he had also only stumbled upon the case well after it began.

 

It wasn’t difficult for an official to cover up the disappearance of a mere ten commoners.

 

He may feel wronged, but he has no argument.

 

Ultimately, this was an internal affair of the Hicklid Duchy, and The Enchanted Forest, who’d only just received a sudden request for cooperation, had no obligation to consider it a priority. Furthermore…

 

“Did you bring an official warrant for investigation?”

 

“…”

 

“If not, then we are under no obligation to address the Duke’s request before others.”

 

There was no way he had one.

 

The Emperor, already wary of the Duke of Hicklid, would never allow him the opportunity to operate freely under official authority.

 

To the Emperor, the disappearance of even a hundred commoners in the Duchy is no great concern.

 

Cedric remained silent, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the man whose face remained hidden beneath the hood.

 

There was no doubt who had won this silent standoff.

 

“State your name.”

 

At length, Cedric gave an abrupt order.

 

“Assistant Manager, I wish to know your identity. Reveal your face and name at once.”

 

My heart sank at those words.

 

No need to guess. I knew exactly who this assistant manager really was.

 

He can’t reveal himself like this.

 

There were complicated reasons why he only appeared occasionally and held the post of assistant manager.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

When the man gave no reply, Cedric repeated himself.

 

“It is a basic courtesy to offer one’s name when speaking to a noble.”

 

Cedric wasn’t wrong.

 

Only those of royal blood could refuse him without consequence.

 

“I am…”

 

Just as the assistant manager was about to answer,

 

“Apologies, but we are not required to follow that order.”

 

The door to the shop opened, and a middle-aged man entered.

 

“Manager!”

 

The clerk, recognizing him, brightened instantly. Perhaps he saw the man as a savior who could bring order to this chaos.

 

The manager of The Enchanted Forest looked around the shop once, then fixed his gaze on Cedric.

 

“Welcome to The Enchanted Forest, Duke of Hicklid.”

 

He then turned to me.

 

“And Lady Charlotte Lindsay, my sincerest apologies for being late to our scheduled appointment.”

 

“It’s all right. There’s no need to apologize.”

 

The apology was so courteous, I found myself waving my hand in protest without thinking.

 

“…Manager, what did you mean by that just now?”

 

Cedric asked, unable to hide his displeasure.

 

“You said you don’t have to obey my orders?”

 

“That is correct.”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because we are mages from the Tower. Long ago, the late Emperor entered into a cooperative agreement for the development of talent, and as part of that, he made a promise.”

 

Cedric’s eyes twitched at that.

 

“He pledged that, so long as mages fulfilled their duties faithfully during the agreed periods, they would not be bound by the Empire’s class hierarchy.”

 

“And so? Are you using that as an excuse to ignore basic etiquette?”

 

“Your Grace, courtesy is something shared mutually.”

 

Even in the face of Cedric’s sharp retort, the manager stood firm, like an ancient tree.

 

“As I entered, I heard our assistant manager offering to cooperate with Your Grace, despite the lack of an appointment or warrant. I believe that is already more courtesy than required. Moreover…”

 

He looked toward me, still standing awkwardly between Cedric and the assistant manager.

 

“It seems a conflict has arisen between Your Grace and our honored guest…”

 

At that moment, the assistant manager spoke up, like a child tattling to his parent.

 

“His Grace scolded the lady while she was kneeling. He even tried to forcibly drag her out, so I intervened.”

 

At those words, the manager’s eyes sharpened.

 

“This young lady is a guest invited by us personally.”

 

“I-I wasn’t aware!”

 

One of Cedric’s men hastily interjected, as if trying to excuse him, but it did little to dispel the cold hostility that flickered behind the manager’s composed demeanor.

 

“Just how much more courtesy are we expected to show Your Grace?”

 

“…”

 

Cedric said nothing.

 

And the silence from the other patrons, who merely watched the unfolding scene without a word, confirmed the truth in the manager’s statement.