Episode 32

First of all, the statue was very beautiful and exuded grandeur.

With limbs stretching out elegantly, a muscular body, and broad shoulders.

The sword on its shoulder looked ready to cut down all the world’s evil.

The statue stood with one leg slightly bent, gazing into the distance.

Its eyes seemed to stare at an exalted ideal unattainable by humans.

Thick eyebrows and a straight nose suggested a strong character, and the straight, closed mouth indicated a serious person who was cautious in words and actions.

No matter how you think about it, the statue doesn’t fit this shabby vacant lot.

It should be proudly displayed in the most important hall of the Royal Palace.

Look at this nobly shining artistic figure…!

However, there were two problems.

First, no matter how you looked at it, the statue resembled me.

Second… it was nude.

Moreover, the genital area was very explicitly and intricately detailed…

And it was ridiculously thick and long.

Like a horse’s!

I turned to Idwild.

Idwild, her face reddened, looked at me expectantly, waiting for my reaction.

“Is that… me…?”

“Yeah…”

“But why is it not wearing clothes… and that…”

I pointed to the grotesque thing that hung almost to its knees.

“Why is that so detailed…? You’ve never even seen it. And why is it so long?!”

“I remembered trying to put it in my rear in a dream…”

“Oh…”

Kali, who had followed me, wagged her tail and sniffed the end of the long, hanging part curiously.

“Don’t sniff that, you rascal!”

I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

“Anyway, the look is done… so how does this thing move?”

“It stands guard here and attacks if it detects suspicious movements…”

When Idwild gestured, the statue’s eyes suddenly burned black.

Startled, Kali tucked her tail and ran to me.

The statue made a strange noise, turned its head, saw us, and slowly raised its sword.

Its movements were as if it was saying, ‘I’ve got you now’.

Then, with a sword in hand, it started thundering toward us.

The statue, having come right up to me, swung the sword at my neck.

I stared at the sword as it came at me.

Idwild, thinking I would dodge, hastily moved her fingers in surprise.

Creak…!

The sword stopped just a fist’s width away from my neck.

“That was… close…!”

“It moves quite fast.”

I commented simply, looking back at the sword.

Although it was made of marble, it was sharpened enough to easily cut through a person’s neck.

But I don’t need a killing machine, just something to scare thieves off.

It’s okay to beat them, but killing them would be legally troublesome.

“Can you replace the sword with a club and make its movements a bit slower? I don’t want any killings.”

“That’s easy…”

Idwild continued explaining.

She set up a barrier along the boundaries of the vacant lot I described.

The statue is linked to the barrier so that if someone enters it, the statue will detect and move.

“How does it distinguish between the carriage owners or inn employees?”

“If you carry this, it won’t react…”

Idwild took something out of the inner pocket of her robe sleeve.

They were cards covered with strange patterns.

“These are the entry passes, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Do they have any weird functions like Sansa…”

“No… nothing like that… really…”

Alright. Then we need to put up a fence around it and lock the entrance.

So Della or I will carry the card and unlock it when the carriage comes and goes.

Any crazy person who climbs over the fence will be dealt with by the statue.

Sounds good.

“Then quickly do what I told you earlier. Switch to a club and slow down its movements just a little.”

“That…”

Idwild fidgeted with her fingers hesitantly.

“It will take about another day…”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Idwild clamped her mouth shut and said nothing.

I sighed because I could roughly read her mind.

“I’ll let you sleep for another day.”

“Ah… Okay…!”

Idwild’s voice brightened instantly, and she waved her hands wildly.

Then, a black smoke-like substance swirled up and wrapped around her hand.

The smoke flew towards the statue’s sword like a creature with a will, and the sword melted and changed into a different shape.

A vaguely phallic-shaped club was grasped in the statue’s hand.

“That shape looks a bit odd.”

“Ah… Sorry… I was thinking about something else…”

“Fine… Let’s not talk about it… But can’t you do something about that?”

When I pointed at the statue’s middle leg, which hung thick and long like a horse’s, Idwild shook her head.

“That acts as a counterweight… Without it, it would fall while running…”

“That’s nonsense. The female statue in the castle walked just fine.”

“That’s because it’s bigger, so its weight is substantial, and it’s slower…”

“Okay… Got it…”

Still, I’m very satisfied with this.

“Turn it off for now so it doesn’t move. We need to set up the fence first.”

“Okay…”

We returned to the inn.

I told Della to bring a large towel or unused clothes and wrap them around the statue’s waist.

Della soon went outside with a shabby and thin blanket.

A moment later, Della’s scream was heard from outside the door.

“Kyaaah! What is this!!”

The three of us gathered in front of the fireplace and had a late dinner.

Tonight’s menu was ratatouille, various ingredients stir-fried in tomato sauce.

The recipe is simple and can be kept for a long time, making it suitable for bulk cooking.

I introduced Idwild to Della as someone I knew from before.

“Oh, then you’re friends.”

At Della’s remark, Idwild hesitated and shook her head.

“Fri… Friends…? No… It’s not like that…”

“Then, perhaps a romantic… relationship?”

“Uh… Uh…? No… No… It’s not like that… I mean…”

Idwild flailed like a drowning person, so I answered instead.

“We worked together for a short time.”

“Oh, I see… What do you do, Idwild? Seeing the statue, you seem like an artist.”

I had to answer this too.

“She’s a dark mage.”

“What?!”

Della covered her mouth and was shocked.

“A mage… you say? My goodness…”

It’s natural for Della to be surprised.

Mages are quite rare.

It’s unimaginable for a mage to be alone in an inn unless it’s in the Royal Palace, a Grand Duke’s castle, or an army headquarters.

Strictly speaking, mages and dark mages are completely different in nature…

But in any case, dark mages are also few in number, and to common people, both mages and dark mages are equally fascinating.

“You made such a distinguished person cry, Boss?”

“I’m not distinguished… I have only done bad things…”

“What are you saying? Idwild, you’re a distinguished person.”

Della said with a kind smile.

“Also, it’s rare to find someone with such luscious black hair and deep black eyes.”

I don’t know if she was being sincere or just polite, but Della’s words were true.

It’s hard to find someone with both black hair and black eyes.

And it’s even rarer to have such an absurdly large chest.

Embarrassed by the unfamiliar compliment, Idwild stammered and couldn’t respond properly.

“But Boss… I saw you differently today.”

“Why, what?”

“I wondered how you thought of displaying your statue in an open field… if you bought the land for that purpose…”

“Haha… That’s not it.”

“Hmm… I see…”

I considered clearing up the misunderstanding but decided not to.

It would just drag the conversation on, and I plan to explain the statue’s function formally once the fence is set up.

Della trotted to the basement and brought up a bottle of cold lemonade.

“That’s a great idea.”

The ratatouille was slightly spicy, so I was craving something like this.

Idwild’s eyes widened after taking a sip of lemonade.

“What… What is this…?”

“It’s lemonade. It’s water mixed with lemon juice and sugar.”

“Oh…”

Idwild drank the lemonade continuously.

“It’s so… delicious…”

“Drink more, then.”

“Yes…”

I stared at Idwild as she drank the lemonade.

How can someone be so intentionally miserable?

Oh… What should I do with her…

She seems useful in many ways, so it would be good to hire her cheaply…

But dark magic contaminates the surroundings if it stays for too long.

That’s why Idwild keeps moving her workshop.

If it weren’t for that, it would be great.

Isn’t there some way…

After the meal, I pushed Idwild, who wanted to do the dishes, up to the guest room.

Della said she would clean up, so I took the Holy Sword and went up to the room.

I lit a small candle and propped the Holy Sword against the wall on the table.

The Holy Sword looked like a cross under the candlelight.

I knelt at the table, put my elbows on it, and clasped my hands together.

I rested my forehead on my clasped hands and prayed in a low voice.

It’s been a really long time… I wonder if she’ll come…

I am one of the few humans who can communicate directly with the Goddess.

The others are the Cardinal and someone I don’t know well, making it the three of us.

Soon, the Holy Sword, responding to my prayer, flickered faintly.

The Goddess whispered.

It’s been a while, Goddess. I have something to ask.

I asked,

is there a way to control Idwild’s dark magic?

Then the Goddess whispered to me.

I’m sorry, but could you find a way that costs less money…

Then the Goddess whispered again.

Ah… Yes… That doesn’t cost money, so it’s fine… But won’t it be painful?

The Goddess explained kindly.

I see… Water as an intermediary… Neutralization… Yes… Thank you.

As soon as I got the answer, I stood up and grabbed the Holy Sword.

Indeed, our Goddess is the best.

To treat a materialistic believer who only prays when needed so kindly…

Surely, she must be a beautiful lady with a white, full body and a benevolent smile.

Anyway, since I found a good method, I’ll hire Idwild first thing in the morning.

The next day, even after all the morning guests had left, Idwild still hadn’t come down, so I sent Della up.

It seems she’s oversleeping again.

But a moment later, Della looked down at me from the second-floor railing and yelled,

“Boss! The mage is not here!”

“What?”

When I went up, the room was indeed empty.

Neither Idwild’s robe nor her sweat-soaked shirt were there.

Only a pouch of gold coins was left on the desk.

When I opened it, the ten gold coins I gave her yesterday were still inside.

“Could it be… she left during the night…?”

Della said worriedly, seeing that.

That can’t be… Even if she left, she would have taken the money…

I went down to the first floor and picked up the Holy Sword.

When I touched it to the floor, invisible marks appeared.

Ominous black marks, as if dripping sticky tar, were dotted on the floor and led outside the inn.

They were marks of Idwild’s dark magic, visible only to me through the Holy Sword’s power.

It seems… she really has left…

Hours before Bertrand and Della noticed, in the middle of the night.

Idwild was climbing a mountain path alone, wearing the new shoes Hildeba had given her.