Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 137: The Decoy Operation Begins
When Lionel, Mira and I returned in our original forms, the female knights looked both relieved and disappointed.
“It truly was Lady Mira. Lord Julius’s potions are extraordinary.”
“I compounded it, but the recipe came from Grandmother and her teacher,” I said, continuing the cover story.
I silently apologised to Grandmother and to the imaginary master whose name I kept invoking.
Everyone agreed that the transformation-potion recipe had to remain secret. Used maliciously, it could enable countless crimes.
After cleaning the indoor training hall, we returned to the knight order’s quarters.
“When will the operation begin, Lionel? I want to accompany you.”
“Would that not defeat the purpose of using a decoy?”
“I’ll move separately under guard. Probably.”
Lionel considered the matter before sighing.
“It’s safer to permit you than to refuse and have you follow us secretly. The preparations are complete. We begin tomorrow.”
He knew me too well.
“We need to resolve this quickly. Father is exhausted, and Mira can’t remain confined to the mansion forever.”
“Kyu!”
After a brief discussion, I returned to the mansion. Father and Lionel could handle the detailed deployment.
Rosalia was waiting with her cheeks puffed out.
“Big brother! Mira! Where have you been? I looked everywhere.”
I couldn’t tell her about the transformation experiment.
“I’m sorry. We were training with the knights.”
“That’s strange. The knights I asked said they didn’t know where you were.”
We had narrowly avoided discovery by using the indoor hall without informing the wider order.
The transformation potion had to remain known only to a few trusted people. If its existence spread, criminals might target me or powerful people might demand their own batches.
I distracted Rosalia by asking about the new magic tool she wanted to discuss. She happily explained her idea over tea.
Mira soon fell asleep. Moving in a human body had evidently exhausted them. I sent Lionel an elementary stamina-recovery potion and instructed him to drink it as well.
No potion was entirely free of side effects. Excessive use of recovery potions could itself cause fatigue, and too many stamina-recovery potions could prevent sleep.
The next morning, everyone involved in the decoy operation gathered in a conference room at the knight order’s quarters.
“How are you feeling, Lionel?”
“I drank the elementary stamina-recovery potion as instructed. I have no remaining problems.”
Mira had slept through dinner and only awakened that morning. In future, any transformation test on them should be conducted shortly before bedtime.
Father called the room to order.
“Beginning today, we’ll use a decoy to capture the suspicious people operating in our territory. The operation may take time. Rotate personnel and remain alert.”
The knights answered in unison.
A female knight would accompany Lionel during his patrol of Mount Claire. Other observers would dress as workers and remain close enough to intervene.
The disguise could only be used effectively once. If the enemy discovered the false Julius, they would become far more cautious.
I would also join disguised as a worker’s child. My invaluable Search skill could identify unfamiliar or hostile people quickly, allowing the knights to complete the encirclement before an attack.
Father approved my participation reluctantly because the skill might let us locate the suspects without waiting for them to commit a serious crime.
For Mira’s freedom and my own peace of mind, I intended to settle this here.