Chapter 47: Full Moon Bazaar ⑦

Fortunately, the place I had been teleported to was the Heizen Plains, just behind the mobile palace.

Carrying a woman—though whether she could even be called a corpse—I was naturally stopped by the palace guards.

Explaining the situation was difficult, and I wasn’t sure what to do.

Thankfully, the Zensera family extended a helping hand.

Thanks to Giza rushing over, I was released.

I immediately headed into the mobile palace, making my way to the witch’s shop.

“Ah, Hoss-san?”

Hoss was standing in the courtyard, just lingering there.

“Wof!?”

When I called out, he turned around and looked surprised to see me.

“What are you doing here? Ah, right—Ruma-san’s in trouble.”

“Ruma? Ah, yes, Ruma! She wasn’t in the palace.”

Judging by his words, Hoss knew the situation. His absence until now was related to this.

“So that means the Jinryu family mansion. I’ll help too.”

“That’s a relief. And, uh… that?”

I could tell what Hoss wanted to ask.

“Ah, this… um, well, there’s a bit of a situation.”
“I see. Night King, huh…”
“No! That’s not it!”

“See? That’s what I mean.”

“Hey. If we’re entering the mansion, we’ll cooperate.”
“Y-You are?”
“I’m Giza of the Zensera family… on your side.”
“Ah… thank you.”

Hoss bowed in shock.

Giza gave us a single glance and said:

“We plan to intervene after the Full Moon Bazaar. You’re Hoss, right? I’ve actually heard about your situation. If you want to participate, we’ll support you.”

“Th-Thank you so much.”

Hoss bowed again. Good. I hoped Ruma and the others were safe.

Ah, and since I knew Samaniya-san was captured by the Jinryuu family… that would be fine too.

“For now, let’s head to the witch’s shop.”
“The witch’s!?”
“Everyone’s there.”

After speaking, I remembered Dagaa and Bid weren’t present.

Soon, wealthy-looking men descended the stairs, chatting excitedly.

“That was amazing. The champion match!”
“Ah, such a gripping, brilliant fight!”
“Reversal after reversal, and then a super reversal!”
“Both were strong!”
“Too amazing!”
“Nice fight!”
“Such an intense night!”

They were ecstatic, praising something I didn’t catch—but whatever.

At the witch’s shop, the bell chimed: Chiriririn.

“Welcome back! Ah, good to see you, Deputy Manager!”

Shaldina and Anna Kreuz greeted me with smiles, noticing the Hiyaan body I carried on my shoulder.

Hoss looked slightly surprised.

Giza appeared puzzled.

“You’re back safely. That… Laada?”

Mineha-san set down her tea and spoke calmly.

“Ah… well, this is…”
“And Hoss. Long time no see.”
“Th-Thank you.”
“Mineha-san. Where’s the witch? Also, Barrow’s body is gone.”

The shattered coffin and debris seemed cleaned up.

“They went out to sell it to the Zensera and Gouro family heads. That corpse… Barrow, right?”
“I… see.”

Such mercenary audacity. Knowing the situation, it was truly witch-like.

Selling a corpse in the VIP area—probably only a witch would do that.

Other places, like the outskirts, seemed plausible too.

“Barrow… as expected.”
“So the witch took the body.”
“Ah, Giza’s here too.”
“Daughter, do you know where the witch took the corpse?”
“An auction house, she said.”
“That vixen! Think of human dignity! I’ll excuse myself now!”

Giza left. Human dignity… coming from the daughter of the Sword Goddess—impressive. I’d mentally start calling her Giza from now on.

Still, the corpse of the next heir of the Jinryuu family being auctioned… the witch truly has no regard for dignity.

Half amused, half exasperated, I placed the Hiyaan body on a nearby chair.

She looked like she was sleeping.

Mineha-san and Hoss approached.

“Still, she’s astonishingly similar.”
“Yeah, just like Megadia. Even more bewitching.”

Perhaps older than Megadia-san. If left silent, she was a refined, exquisite beauty.

“That’s like her ancestor, I suppose.”
“Really?”
“Is that so?”

Ah, they didn’t know. I explained.

Afterward, they each had complex expressions.

Hoss spoke with hesitation:

“…Can’t really say.”

Mineha-san murmured sympathetically:

“Poor Megadia.”

Sincerely feeling pity. Well… yes.

Shaldina and Anna Kreutzen looked at the Hiyaan body with curiosity.

“So this is the original body of that erotic rabbit? Amazing! Even surpasses Munieka!”
“…?”

Anna Kreutzen poked the body, tilting her head.

“Apparently, the personality was the same with this body.”
“So that… is it, then?”
“…”
“Can’t really say.”
“Makes you want to put a soul into the rabbit.”

I thought the same. Laada executed that plan. She may have been aiming for Haiyaan’s body from the start.

Also, judging by Laada’s personality, I can’t imagine she gave birth. Perhaps for fun—but she looked down on people completely.

Doing it with someone she despised seems unlikely. Being a different body doesn’t matter.

From her last words, she seemed to value the Haiyaan body. Otherwise, she wouldn’t drink the talismans and remain in the same body for thousands of years.

Megadia-san’s ancestor, but not in direct lineage. That’s the only small relief.

“By the way, how do you know Laada’s name?”
“The witch told me.”
“I see.”
“What does Laada mean?”

I explained to Hoss. Learning she was the root cause, Hoss looked bitter—he probably wanted to fight her himself. I understood the feeling.

“So Laada used Haiyaan body as a vessel, right?”
“Yes. She did.”
“And Laada’s true body?”
“I destroyed it. Honestly, she was incredibly strong.”
“So strong?”
“Yes. I used everything I had just to barely win.”

Hence, my true trump card is unusable for a week. Hoss smiled wryly.

“A foe strong enough to give Wof a hard time? I’d be dead.”
“Truly fearsome, then?”
“The strongest I’ve ever faced.”

I hope never to fight her again. The world is vast. I realized that again.

“…I see.”
“Mineha-san?”
“Tired, aren’t you?”

She muttered, suddenly seeming drained.

She sat apart from us, drinking the cooled tea.

Anna Kreutzen hurriedly poured fresh tea into her cup.

“Thank you.”
“…!”

Anna Kreuz smiled warmly. Hoss also accepted a chair from Shaldina.

I informed them that Samaniya was captured but unharmed in the Jinryuu household.

Hoss exhaled deeply, relief flooding him. His struggles dissipated in that moment.

“Complicated, but grateful to Rell’s family.”

By the tyranny of power, Ruma was in danger—but it was also power that saved her.

A cruel irony. Everything has positives and negatives.

I also had a feeling I’d be summoned next.

A mysterious white mist enveloped a strange, white space.

“……”

I stood there, frozen.

Ah… yes.