Kays Translations

Chapter 23: Letter and Painting.

The edge of the letter had a slight crease, as if the recipient had something on their mind.

"Could this Geno be the director of this orphanage?" 

Licia peered into the letter from the side and said.

Fiona also peeked into it from the opposite side and exchanged glances with Lyicia.

"If that's the case, it seems like a letter from a friend of the director. It's quite rare for someone to have been able to go to the Sky Continent during the time of the Demon King's attack...," 

Fiona said.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. At that time, the technology of airships hadn't developed much, so there were limited means to reach the floating Sky Continent."

The three of them were curious about what followed. Ren looked at another letter.

"I've decided to forgive you for  not planting the Dragon-Eater seed I sent in the lab sending. It might have been my fault after all. But it's a rare flower, so take good care of it. Oh, by the way, I met Mirim Altia in the Martel Continent the other day. I met her secretly without the other six knowing and had her make some things for me. Now I can return there."

Mirim Altia.

Ren, Licia, and Fiona couldn't hide their surprise at the mention of the ancestor of Nemu Altia and one of the Seven Heroes.

"The Dragon-Eater is an extinct monster..."

Licia was astonished, and Fiona continued.

"Yes... it's a giant flower-like monster that feeds on dragon kind. I believe the seeds were kept in the Imperial Museum..."

"Why would such seeds be sent to the director of an orphanage... Ren! Does the envelope have the sender's name on it?"

"No, it doesn't. Neither the sender's name nor the recipient's name is written."

Ren shook his head.

Even if they needed to verify the truth of the contents of the letter, at that moment, the magnitude of what was written overwhelmed their surprise. 

Fiona eventually said. 

"There might be reasons for this."

It was highly unlikely that the private letters were exchanged through official institutions or guilds. According to Fiona, when such private letters were exchanged, it was often done secretly through special servants acting as intermediaries between the parties.

In other words, the person who exchanged letters with the director had a reason to keep it a secret.

If the contents of the letter were true, then undoubtedly.

There was one more piece of stationery left.

Representing the curiosity of the three, Ren took out its contents.

"I have a problem or rather a worry at the moment. I wonder if that child will talk to me again. Well, before, she just chased me away as an expedient... Ah, no, I don't mean to speak ill of Geno's sister, but I can't calm my heart with worry... I understand. When you, Geno, read this letter, you're probably thinking that I should shut up and come home. So, I'll hurry back."

This letter had such a contrast with the previous one that the three of them felt a little deflated.

At the end of the letter, there was one more.

"The battle with the Demon King continues, so I understand that there are many orphans. But I think it's tough for Geno as well. After all, you have your original position... You would hate to be told by someone who's always being reckless, but please don't push yourself too hard."

Even after reading it, they still couldn't clearly determine who this person named Geno was or who the sender of the letter was.

There was little they could grasp. The sender of the letter was acquainted with Milim Altia, and they seemed to have feelings for Geno’s younger sister.

Still, Ren strangely felt that the sender might be related to his ancestor—Adventurer Ashton. It was mostly based on intuition, and it was nothing more than a vague thought.

"We should take these letters with us."

"I agree. The Mystery Agency will probably be involved, so it's better this way."

"Then I'll keep them for now."

Ren put the letters in his inner jacket pocket and then turned his attention to the wall painting.

The painting covered the entire wall, drawn above the altar set up in front of it. The wall painting and the canvas placed on the altar caught Ren's attention.

In the painting were the figures of a couple.

"These two look really happy." 

Fiona said with a smile.

It seemed to be a scene outside this orphanage. It depicted a landscape of a girl swinging on a wooden swing in a corner of the garden, while a man watched her from nearby.

The difference in attire, with the man in casual clothes and the woman in a dress, caught their attention a bit. However, the painting exuded a warm atmosphere that made those looking at it feel at ease. The two paintings, the wall painting, and the canvas on the altar had a similar vibe, suggesting they were the works of the same artist.

Licia and Fiona didn't feel the need to speak out loud.

The man depicted in the painting had a slight resemblance to Ren, and his gentle atmosphere was also quite similar.

However, it was clearly a different person, so Ren refrained from saying it out loud, thinking it might be a mere illusion.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

"Would you come to us once you graduate?"

"No, I won't."

On the same night, after hearing the story, Ragna invited Ren to the Mystery Agency.

Outside the excessively large window in this room was the beautiful night view of Eupheim.

"I don't quite understand why you're suddenly inviting me like this."

"You opened the unopenable door. That explanation alone suffices. Do you have no intention of considering it seriously? I like your personality, Ren. How about you join as my assistant, for starters?"

"I'm sorry. I'm planning to take over the village eventually, so it's impossible."

"Hmm..."

Though it seemed that Ren was going to withdraw smoothly, Ragna continued to look at him.

"What about part-time work?"

Ren held his ground.

"Whenever I have time and can spare some, I can help a little."

"That's enough. As long as we continue to be friends."

"Well, it's somewhat similar."

"Then that's fine. —By the way, it's quite interesting."

After trying to open other unopenable doors following the one in the orphanage, none of the other doors budged and remained steadfast. Even Ragna couldn't explain the cause of this phenomenon.

At the moment, they were too interested in the orphanage, so they didn't focus on it, but...

"I don't understand the paintings either, and I've never heard of a person named Geno. It could be a nickname, so I might have to search through history books and look for people with similar names."

"The fact that the sender of the letters was acquainted with Milim Altia could be relevant."

"We can't rely on that. Investigating human relationships from that time is challenging. If they paid money and made requests for work, there's no way to investigate. They were just customers."

"I see... So, we have to slowly investigate through the Mystery Agency then?"

"That's not a bad idea. They say the preparation period for a festival is more enjoyable than the actual event. It's the same when chasing after romance."

Ragna was in such high spirits that he seemed like he might start dancing.

"Oh, right. You can take that painting with you."

He was referring to the picture on the small canvas.

Ren thought that he might recognize the person depicted in the painting, so he brought it with him. It was also easy to carry because of its size.

...But that might just be an excuse.

It was difficult to explain this feeling, this sixth sense that lacked concrete evidence, but...

(It seemed to want me to take it with me.)

Ren thought back to that moment but didn't say it out loud as he looked at the painting.

It seemed absurd to think that a painting would desire to be taken home by someone. 

"It's a beautiful painting, that's for sure. But that's about it. The paper isn't special, and the ink used in the painting isn't either. I even considered the possibility that something might be hidden inside the canvas, but no matter how much I investigate, there's nothing. It's just a beautiful painting from any angle."

"It might still have historical value as an art piece. Don't you have any romantic inclinations, Ragna-san?"

"I haven't forgotten my respect for things that inspire romance. If that's the case, it would be a waste to leave it in the lab."

"But even so, are you allowed to take excavated items with you?"

"Oh, right... I forgot. It’s an excavated item, but the Mystery Agency is indeed involved in the management. Nevermind. However, the Ignat family also has close ties to it. The pure management of art pieces belongs to them."

Ren and Ragna had met through the introduction of Radius, so there was no need to worry about credibility... it might also be related to Ulysses.

"Then I'll talk to Ulysses-sama about it on the way back."

"He'll probably say you can do as you please. In that case, just display it carefully in the Elendil mansion. It's fine for the two depicted in the painting to look happy."

"That's true."

It was already past 11 o'clock at night.

Ragna let out a yawn.

"Next is about the black and corroded coin found in the desk. Is there any connection between those corroded items and the orphanage...? It's interesting."

Well, never mind. I'll investigate later.

Ragna said with a mix of a yawn.

Then, Ren mentioned the door that was opened at the orphanage. There was nothing truly remarkable about it, but it was all too intriguing.

"Why do you think I was able to open that door?"

“Like I said earlier, I don't know. It might have been because you touched the magic tool just before it finished operating, or there might be another factor at play. As you know, most of Mirim Altia's magic tools are still not fully understood. Even the current Baron Altia finds it difficult to analyze the unknown technology."

"True..."

"Considering the current situation where the world's most advanced magic tool research is being carried out in Leomel, we might still be far from being able to analyze it. Don't expect too much."

Ragna, looking somewhat disappointed, continued with a bit of annoyance.

"I doubt even that tech of the detestable shelgadians can be analyzed."

“Hey…” Ren muttered.

"Oh, so you're surprised by shelgadian technological prowess?"

"They're considered a world-class military power even if they're rotten. They boast impressive technological capabilities in all fields."

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