Chapter 26: 26

Episode 26: The Best Incentive (IX)

 

I met Iprus separately at a cafe. I was going to share my opinions with her and decide my future course.

Of course, Hanu, who had followed as an escort, was chased away to a place where he could barely see us. This was so that he wouldn’t overhear the conversation.

“Come to think of it, in the original work, Theodore was attacked by a certain family…”

Hearing my murmurs, Iprus shrugged her shoulders.

“What, do you really need to know? He should be grateful that you saved his life.”

“That’s right.”

I told her everything the very next day after the hunting competition.

There was no hesitation because Iprus was probably more reliable than my father.

When I confided that I had been reincarnated and that I had read about this world as a novel in my previous life, Iprus was dubious.

However, after explaining it based on various circumstances, she eventually came to believe me.

She then joked that no wonder I was somehow too smart for a penguin.

And that it was amazing yet confusing how I could predict Theodore would be attacked and that I might be imprinted during the hunting competition, but now those questions were solved.

“By the way, my lady, I want to ask you something.”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to the Weil family estate after the Igle’s succession banquet next week?”

I replied with a small sigh.

“I think so. Originally, I was planning to jump before Madam Bella figured out my identity, but as it turns out, there’s something I want to check at the Weil family estate.”

“What do you want to check?”

I didn’t answer right away. I took a sip of the tea in front of me before furtively opening my mouth.

“The Weil family’s past. And the identity of Suradel.”

“Identity… huh?”

Iprus tilted her head slightly with a bewildered expression.

“Is there something to check? Sir Suradel is a killer whale demibeast.”

“When Theodore was attacked in this hunting competition, I confirmed that the contents of the novel I read really come true in reality.”

The blue eyes looking at Iprus sank solemnly.

“Then, the extinction of pure-blooded humans can actually happen.”

“How does Sir Suradel’s identity relate to the extinction of pure-blood humans?”

“Think about it. The Weils didn’t appear in any part of the novel I read. Isn’t something strange?”

With a questioning gaze, Iprus asked as if she still didn’t understand.

“But there’s no imperial court scandal or political strife, it’s an ordinary romance novel, and there’s no law that says they have to appear just because it’s a family with a lot of influence, right?”

“That makes it even more suspicious. Let’s face it, if you look like Suradel, you have to be a male lead in a romance drama. Or at least, you have to be a sub-male lead or a villain.”

Only then did Iprus nod her head with a small admiration.

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right.”

“And didn’t I tell you? In the novel, only humans could use magic.”

“The Weil family that can’t use magic… I can’t imagine it right now.”

“Yes. So I’m going to the Weil estate to find out when the whale demibeasts were able to use magic.”

Iprus corrected her disheveled clothes, sat down, asked,

“What’s a bit different from the novel the lady knew… maybe it’s because Sir Suradel-nim is the black curtain?”
(TL/N: ‘black curtain’ has two meanings, (1) a person with wicked intentions, or (2) the dark secret/inside story behind a certain event.)

“I don’t know. First of all, the most suspicious person is Suradel. I think there’s something about him. That’s why I’m going to the Weil estate, to find out something.”

“Well, there’s a lot of uncertainty about Sir Suradel.”

Fortunately, it seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

“What are you curious about?”

“Umm… He’s a killer whale demibeast, but has silver hair. And even the demibeasts at the top of the food chain tremble in front of him.”

“What? The top predators… are afraid of Suradel?”

I was stunned by the words of Iprus.

I knew that the prey-like demibeasts felt an instinctive fear of the predators.

However, I couldn’t imagine that demibeasts belonging to the top predator group would be terrified of Suradel, whom I had always regarded as insignificant.

“Iprus, are you afraid of Suradel too?”

“Absolutely. He is one who strikes a visceral sense of fear in even the apex predators.”

Truly bewildered, I grabbed her sleeve and shook her as if to ask her to think about it again.

“Why are you afraid of Suradel? He’s just an ordinary perverted stalker.”

“Listening to the lady’s words made me even more frightened.”

“…No way!”

Iprus, who had good affinity and had been in a relationship with various kinds of demibeasts, was very strong in the instinctive fear in front of predators.

So it was rather shocking that she, not someone else, was fearful of Suradel.

“Am I weird…?”

“Well… kind of.”

Realizing that I was an outlier, I was struck by another question.

“Come to think of it, it’s really strange. I have never been afraid of Suradel, let alone other demibeasts.”

Iprus looked at me in disbelief.

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“Not after being a human, but even when you’re a penguin?”

“Yes.”

“Uh… You said that you’re a pure-blooded human in your previous life, so it might be because of your memories…?”

Iprus’ reasoning was plausible.

This was because pure-blooded humans have less developed senses, so they did not feel as afraid of predators as demibeasts.

“But isn’t fear like an animal’s instincts inscribed on the body? I’m definitely a penguin demibeast.”

“Then what the hell…”

As if Iprus had suddenly remembered something, she questioned with furrowed brows.

“Come to think of it, what is the lady’s special ability?”

“Oh. Right. Since I’m a demibeast, shouldn’t I have something?”

The more our conversation developed, the more I felt that nothing was resolved and only questions increased.

Suddenly, a bright expression appeared on Iprus’ face, and she spoke as if she had found the correct answer.

“If no other ability has stood out yet, wouldn’t it be that ‘not being afraid of other demibeasts’ is your racial trait?”

“Like a honey badger demibeast?”
(TL/N: The honey badger has been called the world’s most fearless animal because it doesn’t hesitate to attack animals much larger than itself- even lions and crocodiles.)

“Yes!”

“I don’t think so.”

Primo definitely said that I had mana.

Since normal demibeasts didn’t have mana in their bodies, there was a high probability that my species ability was related to that.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly as if it wasn’t important.

“We’ll figure out my special ability later. The urgent thing right now is to save Dad. Furthermore, the extinction of pure-blooded humans…”

Then Iprus tapped her chest and said faithfully.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to help. My lady, you know who I am, right?”

I glanced at her lace parasol, recalling a nickname of Iprus I had heard the other day.

“…The parasol prophet?”

Perhaps it was the first time Iprus heard such a nickname, for she clapped her hands happily.

“Oh, you mean I lead the parasol-carrying culture?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“What? Then what kind of…”

“There are rumors that the reason why you like to carry a red parasol is because you can’t see the other person’s blood on the parasol.”
(TL/N: ;_; I’m sorry, I can’t completely translate the misunderstanding/joke into english… ‘선지자/seonji-ga’ means ‘prophet’ while ‘선지’ means ‘blood’. When Lia said ‘the parasol seonji’, Iprus misheard it…)

Only then did Iprus realize the true meaning of the nickname, and her expression became subdued.

“…Lady Lia, by any chance… who did you hear that nickname and rumors from?”

“Sir Hanu.”

“That damn black bull!”

Iprus’ pretty face twisted like a demon’s. Her bitter eyes reached Hanu.

Because of her loud voice, Hanu, although far away from her, could hear it, and he also began to ferociously glare at Iprus.

His eyes emanated these words: What did you say!?

After a short glaring contest with Hanu, Iprus momentarily turned her head around and looked at me.

“Anyway! You know I have wide feet. I will use all my connections to help you, my lady.”

“Iprus…!”

Enjoying the touched expression of her lady, Iprus’ cheeks became higher as she grinned.

“I also have a lot of pure-blooded human friends. I became close with them while working at the Magic Tower. We cannot let them die.”

Close pure-blooded human friends… 

“Iprus, I’m just curious, but how many times have you dated a pure-blooded human?”

“I’m not the type to enjoy dating at work, so there aren’t too many of them.”

So, it was more than once.

When in the world did you secretly date? I really need to know how she was so sociable.

Pushing away the thoughts that she was great at both work and dating, I sorted out what I had to do.

“First of all, there is no way for us to stop the plague, so finding someone who can make a cure is the priority.”

“I guess so. We can’t do anything about Mother Nature.”

“This is just my guess, but since it’s a novel, I’m sure there’s a reclusive master who’s better than the overtly popular pharmacist. Clichés like that are common.”

“If it’s a recluse…”

“It’s better if he’s talented, but it’s better if he’s known as eccentric or a lunatic.”

Iprus, who had been thinking about something after hearing my words, slammed the table with her palm and stood up with a grim expression.

“Let’s go see him.”

I blankly looked up at the determined Iprus.

“…Do you have any ex-lovers who are reclusive pharmacists?”

“Nope. It’s someone who might know the reclusive master.”

“…Him? Could it be?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

My heart was racing by the spirit of sacrifice that could not be seen without the tears of Iprus.

I sprang to my feet and looked at her with eyes telling her to think again.

“But… it’s not another ex, it’s the one engraved on your body…!”

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