【Salon ‘Bling Bling’】
“What’s the news?”
“Come closer, come closer. I have something important to tell you.”
The man’s voice dropped rapidly.
Even so, I could hear him without difficulty since I wasn’t far away.
‘Hmm…’
I felt strange.
I had unintentionally eavesdropped on someone else’s conversation.
‘But I can’t make a sound now.’
It was an awkward situation where I couldn’t do anything.
Fortunately, the people didn’t seem to notice my presence at all.
I just hoped this moment would pass safely and stood my ground.
“I heard from a relative in the capital. These days, the Imperial Family isn’t what it used to be.”
“What? That can’t be. The Imperial Family’s power is extraordinary.”
“Hey, that’s all old news.”
What? Is there something I don’t know?
It was truly an enticing story.
“Hey, watch your mouth. What if the higher-ups hear you?”
“Oops! I shouldn’t have said that. There are rumors of problems with the bloodline, and just a moment ago, you saw the earthquake, right? That’s why I closed up shop early today.”
“You’re telling me. I’m just as upset about this as you are.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Anyway, it’s all because the heavens are angry!”
The man who brought up this topic seemed to have a lot of complaints about the world.
If he closed up shop early, it would definitely cause problems with his income.
He couldn’t help but be more sensitive.
Moreover, in this era, there was plenty of room to interpret natural disasters as the wrath of heaven.
‘Yeah, I guess so.’
I found their story very interesting.
I had been reading books all day that revered the Imperial Family, so I was curious about what the actual imperial citizens thought.
“Hey, don’t say such things! Our empire is blessed by God, isn’t it? It’s written in the oracle.”
“Then how do you explain that earthquake just now? Huh?”
At the angry man’s question, the other seemed to ponder for a moment, saying, “Hmm…” before finally opening his mouth.
“Ah! I think it’s probably because of that! I know that well.”
“Because of that?”
I was curious too.
How would he explain the earthquake?
I swallowed hard and focused on the story.
“I had to go to the capital before. Back then, I thought it was just a made-up story. But seeing what happened today, it seems quite credible.”
“So what is it? What makes it credible or not credible!”
“Hey, calm down.”
“How can I be calm right now? You’re burning me up!”
“Well, what it is is…”
Oh, seriously.
Hey, mister!
‘Ugh, I’m not going to listen!’
I’m going to suffocate at this rate.
I was already on edge trying to listen in like a mouse, and the man kept stalling, melting my heart along with it.
The man cleared his throat repeatedly and then continued the story.
‘Ugh, it better not be unimportant!’
I grumbled inwardly, even though I wasn’t going to do anything.
I felt like I would get sick if I didn’t do this.
“These days, the country is focusing on witch hunts.”
“What? Witch hunts?!”
“Shh! Keep your voice down.”
“Ah, okay, okay.”
The men looked around.
I quickly lowered myself to avoid being seen.
And it wasn’t just that man who was shocked by the word “witch hunt.”
‘Witch?’
The unexpected word made my heart sink.
I recalled the strange thing that happened to me last night.
The mark had disappeared now, but I could have been the target.
I suddenly felt a chill down my spine.
‘Witch hunts are they really happening?’
Granny Horulu had said that before too.
I had dismissed it as an old story, but had the Imperial Family been doing that all along?
If so, how?
‘Could it be that thing about poisoning food with magic?’
I didn’t know the answer.
My lips kept drying out from the encroaching anxiety.
“So how do you know when a witch has appeared?”
“Well, there’s a saying that the ground shakes when a witch appears. This earthquake is the witch’s fault.”
At that, the other man ran his hands down his arms.
“Ugh! So, a witch has appeared around here?”
The man looked around with a pale face.
Because of that, I had to be even more careful not to be discovered.
“I thought it was nonsense back then. But it seems like it was real.”
“Just hearing about it makes my hair stand on end.”
“But it’s a relief. The country is stepping up the witch hunts. Isn’t it all to protect our imperial citizens?”
“Ugh, you can say that again!”
Even with their words, I still couldn’t shake my doubts.
Here, they could attribute natural disasters to witches or some other strange being, but how exactly do they conduct witch hunts?
‘Could it be that they’re questioning individuals?’
Just in case, I slowly pulled down one of the gloves I was wearing.
Fortunately, the mark was still gone.
“Listening to you, I realized I was suspicious for no reason. I was very hasty. I didn’t even know the higher-ups were suffering so much. So, you didn’t hear what I said earlier, right? Huh?”
The man who had been angry softened his voice as if nothing had happened.
“Ahem, don’t worry. Aren’t we like brothers? But be careful what you say elsewhere.”
“Thank you, brother! I’ll buy you a hearty drink!”
“Ahem, then I won’t refuse.”
The conversation ended, and after resting, they shouldered their bundles and left.
Watching the bundles disappear, I could barely straighten my crouched body.
“Ugh, my back. I almost broke my back trying to avoid the peddlers.”
As I patted my back, a light bulb went off in my head.
‘Wait a minute peddlers?’
Wow! Why didn’t I think of this?
I jumped up from my seat as if I had made a huge discovery.
In this game, there was a peddler who specialized in selling rare items.
Most of what he sold were items related to the game’s ending or very important clues.
‘I think there was a book related to the oracle there.’
I rummaged through my memories faster than ever.
Yes, it was definitely there!
I remembered buying the book out of curiosity and failing at the ending.
Because I owned the book without disposing of it, I became a priest and the male lead’s proposal was called off.
‘I’m still angry, I’m angry.’
I almost cried because I wasted time replaying the game from the beginning.
But why is this coming to mind now?
I didn’t even think of it when I was searching so hard in the library.
I chuckled and decided that everything has its time.
Maybe it was the key to unlocking the clue to the mark, which made my heart swell.
But.
‘But, how do I get that item?’
The joy was only temporary.
The problem was that I didn’t know when the peddler would appear.
It was literally a surprise event.
But it wasn’t like there was no way out.
‘I’ll have to ask around and chase after the peddler.’
It would be quite a struggle.
But I felt more at ease because there was hope.
Cheered up, I grabbed the handle of the basket to go home.
How many steps had I taken?
Boom, rumble.
I felt a vibration on the ground.
‘What, another earthquake?’
It was like the nightmare at the library was coming back to life.
This time, the movement was more intense than before, and the sound gradually increased.
This was a big deal.
‘What should I do?’
There was nowhere to hide this time.
No, was it fortunate instead?
Since it was outdoors, it was open on all sides, so at least I didn’t seem likely to get hurt.
Rumble!
The sound got closer.
‘Uh oh?’
My body shook along with it, and my heart rate increased.
Just as my tense face was turning white,
“Clear the way!”
A sound with an unusual voice was heard with the constant vibration.
Rumble! Neigh!
“Anyone who obstructs the march will be severely punished by the laws of the Empire!”
“Clear the way!”
I was frozen in place.
‘Suddenly, what?’
A procession of guards was in front of me.
Moreover, the source of the vibration was not an earthquake but the sound of horses’ hooves.
Bewilderment crept in.
In fact, the guards themselves were not surprising.
It was their usual job to patrol the village to maintain order or to go out to monitor and arrest criminals.
But.
‘That is!’
I seriously doubted my eyes.
The Imperial Family’s seal was clearly stamped on the flag held by the soldier.
That meant they weren’t just guards protecting the village.
Moreover, it was unusual for them to be riding so urgently, or to be talking about the laws of the Empire in a loud voice.
The flag fluttered powerfully in the wind, showing off its majesty.
‘Could it be, the Imperial Guard?’
The game usually didn’t deal with such incidents in a big way.
Most of them were minor accidents, and it was common to maintain public order or warn people of danger.
If you were alert at times like this, events that improved your stats would often occur.
But this case was a little different.
‘If the Imperial Guard is moving, there’s a high probability that it’s a serious crime.’
I swallowed hard.
At that moment, the peddlers’ story flashed through my mind.
‘These days, the country is focusing on witch hunts.’
‘Isn’t it all to protect our imperial citizens?’
My pupils dilated in an instant.
I didn’t know if it was because I had heard unnecessary words, but I felt like I was going crazy with worry.
I instinctively hid my gloved hand behind my skirt.
What if the guard’s procession stopped in front of me?
Knowing that it couldn’t happen, my head kept spinning and I felt dizzy.
‘No! I can’t fall here.’
Such an unfortunate event must never happen.
I gritted my teeth and endured to come to my senses.
I was so nervous that a moment felt like an eternity.
‘Please, let nothing happen. Please.’
I don’t know how many times I repeated these words in my heart.
Was it because my heartfelt feelings got through?
Before long, the guards were out of sight.
Only then could I catch my breath.
“Hah! hah, hah!”
Sweat poured down like rain.
It was exactly like a thief feeling guilty.
I hurried home, wanting to rest as soon as possible.
But.
“Excuse me, lady.”