Chapter 105
Isolde Has Disappeared>
“Eww, what is this?!”
[Fish stew. It’s rich in protein and calcium.]
The armored servant calmly replied as it handed out the food.
“Ugh! I’m so sick of this!”
“Sniff… Even the Academy Coins are too expensive…”
The students twisted their bodies in disgust.
But they were too hungry. No matter how gross the food was, they had to eat it. Without energy, they couldn’t get through the lessons.
In the end, everyone forced the stew into their mouths.
‘If we don’t unlock better facilities soon by earning credits, some students might really collapse.’
Thinking that, Idnia finished her breakfast and headed toward the Wizard Ball clubroom with Marie.
But in the middle of the Academy plaza, where students usually met their servants, someone suddenly called out to her.
Her servant, Heukrang, had gone out to find spice seeds and plant cuttings—so who could it be?
“Lady Idnia. I have come.”
It was a man wearing a silver mask and a formal suit.
It was Parinelli, the agent of the criminal group Scarlet Pimpernel.
Earlier, Idnia had defeated Parinelli and demanded that he bring her the money from selling the golden cross before giving him the item.
That had been an extremely tough and risky deal.
Surprisingly, Parinelli had returned sooner than expected—and it seemed like Heukrang had allowed him to temporarily act as Idnia’s servant.
“How did you do it?”
“Only one servant is allowed inside the Academy, but they can be switched out.
Otherwise, a servant would have to work without ever getting a break.”
“I know that, but still…”
Idnia was confused. Would Heukrang really agree to let Parinelli take his place?
That question was soon answered.
“I’ve brought a conditional escrow check.
If you give me the item, you’ll be able to withdraw the funds.”
The check was issued by Medici Bank, owned by the Lorenzo family. It was known as the most powerful bank in the world, using magical escrow systems for safe trades.
Both sides had to confirm the transaction before the money could be withdrawn—just like an escrow.
Thanks to this system, Medici Bank wasn’t just a bank. It also acted as a kind of global trading court, gathering information from deals across the world.
So Parinelli had kept his promise—and that was probably why Heukrang trusted him enough to give him the servant role.
‘An escrow system in a fantasy world… impressive.
Even without computers or big data, this bank could gather terrifying amounts of information.’
Idnia checked the check. It seemed real. It didn’t look like the kind of thing someone would try to fake.
“But that mask—can you really wear it here? It’s from Scarlet Pimpernel.”
“Oh, that? It’s trending lately.
Actually, Scarlet Pimpernel is selling them at almost no cost.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
They were mass-producing their trademark masks?
But now that she thought about it, masks were often sold at festivals. And shiny, metallic-looking masks like that would be popular if cheap.
She reached out, curious.
“Can I try wearing it?”
“I thought you might ask. I brought a new one just for you.”
Parinelli had come prepared.
When Idnia tried it on…
‘This is like one of those plastic visors that middle-aged women wear when jogging.’
She could see clearly through it. It blocked sunlight and probably UV rays too, though it wasn’t made of plastic.
‘It’s a kind of thin, hardened tree sap. Like a fantasy version of celluloid.
But it’ll probably fall apart in the rain.’
She realized it wasn’t metal at all, but resin from a special tree.
‘Fantasy world things really are different. I need to broaden my thinking.’
Amazed, she asked,
“Can you really make these cheaply? They’d make great toys too.”
“Yes. They’re made from silverwood sap from the south.
They do tear easily when wet, though. This one is a gift.”
Just then, a suit of armor approached—Gibbles, the school gatekeeper.
“Oh. Lady Idnia and her new servant, I see. Last time it was that nomad boy…”
“Good morning, Mr. Gibbles.”
“Could he take off his mask for a moment? There might be wanted criminals hiding around.”
“Wait, a criminal?!”
Idnia flinched. She was angry.
Yes, Parinelli was from a crime guild, but accusing him right in front of her? That was too much. It even insulted her.
“…It’s alright, my lady. Mr. Gibbles, I’ll take it off.”
Parinelli calmly removed his mask.
“Hmm? Hey, I know you.
Ah, that’s right—you’re the son of that noble shipping family that went bankrupt!”
“Bankrupt?”
“Yes. We were once a respected gentry family…
But our ship sank during a storm, and we couldn’t handle the debt…”
Parinelli had been wealthy enough to graduate from this Academy.
But one accident had ruined everything.
“Huh. Life’s rough, I see.
So now you’re back as a servant, huh? Hiding behind that mask because you’re ashamed?”
Gibbles sounded mocking, but he was clearly enjoying this.
He had always been jealous of the noble students.
Seeing one of them fall and return as a servant made him feel great.
‘Ugh… seriously.’
Idnia frowned. She didn’t mind when someone insulted her.
But she hated when someone bullied others.
“Mr. Gibbles, actually… thank you!
That letter you gave me last time—it had a large sum of money in it.
At first I was surprised you delivered it in person, but now I understand—it was probably to make sure it didn’t get lost, right?”
She said this loudly on purpose, so others could hear.
Professor Magram, who was nearby, chuckled quietly.
The Academy staff already knew that Gibbles liked to act superior toward students.
He had probably peeked into Idnia’s letter and noticed the money, then decided to hand-deliver it for personal gain.
Now, the other students were starting to whisper:
“Wait… did he open her letter?”
“Was he snooping through student mail?”
With all the eyes on him, Gibbles coughed awkwardly and backed away.
“Ahem. Well, that was, uh… yes, next time don’t send so much money by letter. I, uh… have things to do.”
He gave up on interrogating Parinelli and left.
‘Wow… this lady…’
Parinelli was amazed.
Idnia had defended him without getting angry, without acting pitiful, and without losing face.
That was impressive. No wonder she had defeated him before.
“She really is something.”
“She is, huh? Oh, here’s the cross.”
Idnia handed over the golden cross.
Parinelli nodded as he accepted it.
“I’ll continue acting as Heukrang’s stand-in for now.
Is there anything you need?”
“Oh, are you staying at Black Cow Village?”
“More precisely, at Heukrang’s camp on the outskirts.”
“Did he agree to that?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. He must trust you a lot. Alright.”
She accepted Parinelli’s offer to keep working for her.
Since she had money now, she could make good use of him.
“I need salt. Raw, not refined.”
“A large quantity, then?”
“Yes. Also, a bit of mercury. And some pure iron.”
“Mercury and iron. Got it.”
“And sugar… wait, that can’t be brought in, right? I’ll have to make that myself.
Can you get sugarcane sprouts?”
“Sugarcane sprouts? Hmm… it’ll be hard to grow them in this climate, but I can find some.”
Parinelli wrote everything down calmly.
Even though she’d once beaten and threatened him, she now treated him like a regular helper.
He was amazed at her composure.
“But you should be careful. Lately, strange people have been seen near Black Cow Village.”
“Strange people?”
She was curious—if a criminal was calling them strange, how bad could they be?
“They’re a new group that works with demons.
They’re so bold they’ve even attacked members of Scarlet Pimpernel.
Lately, there’ve been bodies showing up every night in Dynaise.”
“And now they’ve reached Black Cow?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. I’ll be careful. You be careful too, Parinelli.”
“Phew. I’ve got quite a fortune now.”
With the Academy Coin voucher from her father and the escrow check from Parinelli,
Idnia now had more money than she’d ever held—even back in Betelgeuse.
‘Should I send some back home to help out?’
But she couldn’t fully trust Parinelli. If she wanted to send money, she’d have to do it through Heukrang.
Still, with Parinelli helping while Heukrang was away, it was the perfect chance to stock up on supplies.
‘But what’s going on with that new demon-linked group showing up in Black Cow?’
With a small frown, Idnia headed to the Wizard Ball clubroom.
But something felt… off.
Rudolf ran up to her, clearly alarmed.
“Lady Idnia, have you seen Isolde? I mean, Lady Isolde?”
“What?”
Idnia was shocked.
Had Isolde gone missing?!
