Aries Kingdom Arc - Chapter 30: Culprit

In front of me now was Thalia-san. I was too much in shock to formulate a response. What can I say after meeting someone after a long time?! I haven't experienced that for years so I don't know!

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm completely alright!"

Fuwah, it's a good thing she made the first move or I definitely would have stood quiet for a while.

"Excuse me, but you look familiar. Can I ask for your name? I'm certain we've met before."

So she forgot about me? That's saddening. But I guess it can't be helped since we haven't seen each other for 3 months and our interaction was by all means, very short.

"Ah, my name. It's Seven Clavery. It's nice to meet you again, Thalia-san."

"Haha, I'm embarrassed. You remembered my name but I didn't remember yours, I'm truly sorry."

"It's completely fine, even I would forget if I was you. By the way, what brings you here?"

Thalia-san, looked intently at my eyes and calmly said.

"I'm here to meet up with someone from work, I have a job at another continent you see. It's a stroke of fate that we've managed to meet again in this very wide world."

I swallowed my saliva. Now that she mentions it, me and the girls were talking about a neighboring continent earlier. One where humans with attitudes similar to my world exists.

"I-I see."

"What about you, Seven Clavery? What brings you to the Aries Kingdom? I recall we've first met in the Libra Kingdom, yes?"

At this point, idle chatter worried me.

As someone who was the type to not make people wait, I immediately grabbed Thalia-san's hand and started walking through the Merchants' District with her all the while explaining my circumstances. She listened to me quite eagerly and wasn't even taken aback when I suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Does this mean you're lost?"

"Um, well yes actually. I don't know where my companions went."

I said while forking out One again which Thalia-san instantly grew interested in.

"Is that a Recon Sedar."

Thalia-san lowered her head to take a better look at One. Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Yep, she is. I found her when I was in the Libra Kingdom."

I said to her, simultaneously with when I kneeled on the ground and allowed One to run off and locate the others.

After that, me and Thalia-san had conversations while walking around the place. It kind of feels like I'm on a date with her instead of Arlet or Aria. But ofcourse I'm keeping a lookout for any of the three.

"Should we go to the clock tower? It's the highest building around here. I heard it's a good view out there."

"Uh."

At first I was hesitant since it sounded like simply sightseeing, but it occured to me that maybe I could use the tower's height to survey the area. I may find them that way.

"Alright let's go."

I can't let One run around this large place all by itself. That would seriously tire her out. I'm a bit worried that a cat might pounce at her but I don't think I should be worried with how overpowered it became because of the pet system. It can defend itself just fine.

It took us some time, but we made it. The clock tower reached heights of up to 30 meters, it was so damn tall. And one other notable thing was that, it was not just tall but seemed like it was very spacious inside. Does it need that many pendulums and wheels to turn. I have completely no idea how clocks work.

"Come on, Seven. Let's go inside. My treat."

Thalia said to me with a bewitching smile. She's so friendly to treat me like this when the first time she lent me money.

However I'm not going to let her treat me, I owe her too much.

"Thanks, but I think I'll treat you instead. Thanks to you I've become an adventurer and earned myself alot of money so please let me repay the favor."

"I really don't mind, but if you say so."

Currently I have a total of 40 Platinum Coins on me which means I have 40,000 mithras on me right now.

We entered the clock tower, at a close distance I can tell the whole building is made out of bronze. The interior, as expected were filled with turning wheels, but beside the walls was a staircase spiraling upwards.

And for some reason, an alluring smell was coming from atop that made me stop in my tracks. It smelled richly of cooked meat.

Wait, what did she mean earlier when she said she was going to treat me? Did it mean that the clock tower is also a restaurant?!

"What are you doing, Seven? Let's go up."

"Ah, y-yes!"

I quickly followed Thalia again who was already ascending the stairs. As expected, the merchants' district is unique, even a clock tower is used for business.

Even the previous restaurants I've went to doesn't hold a candle to how fancy this one is. But it's not the time to judge a book by it's cover just yet, I want to see the actual dining place first.

I've noticed something about her appearance as we ascended the stairs, maybe it's because I don't remember it clearly but she seems to be wearing a leather-made armor right now instead of the metal one from back then. The lightness of her current armor can be judged just by looking. She looks like an adventurer now rather than a knight, because she is an adventurer according to her.

Huh?

We've finally arrived at the top of the tower, indeed there was a restaurant here. But is this a restaurant? This looks different. Hold on, this is a bar!

"Do you drink, Thalia-san?"

"Yes, how about you, Seven?"

"I'm only 16 years of age, so I don't."

Thalia-san tilted her head adorably in puzzlement.

Crap, I forgot the legal age of drinking alcohol in this world is 15. So I probably look like a well behaved teenager in her perspective.

We were led in by a waiter and made to sit at a table close to the scenery of the whole district.

"Come to think of it, how old are you Thalia-san?"

"I'm 25 years old. I'm quite old aren't I?"

25? She looks like she's only slightly older than me but she's actually older than even my past self?

"Nope, it still seems marriageable to me."

Thalia-san laughed at my remark.

"I hold some bad secrets, Seven. So noone even dares want to marry me."

She said with a beaming smile, she's so beautiful when she laughs. I think I really have a thing for her.

"Can I know more about you, Thalia-san?"

"Hm? Only some filtered out things about me is okay for me to say though, so if you wouldn't mind."

Sheesh, what am I doing? I'm supposed to be having a date with my girlfriends and not with an old acquaintance. But it would be wrong to leave her here just like that, I respect her alot afterall and it'd be rude too.

"So you're not drinking, Seven? Want milk instead?"

"Yes please, milk sounds good."

Thalia-san sneaked a snigger. But what's so funny with me wanting milk? That aside, It's really nice getting to know someone like this. Since I get to learn how they behave.

"Thalia Ronacsof."

A man's cold voice came from my right side, it took me by surprise.

The person who spoke was wearing a dark mantle that went down to his feet and a mask that covered his face fully, it had tiny slits to accomodate the eyes. He looked pretty shady if you ask me.

When Thalia-san heard him call out her name, she simply nodded and turned to look at me.

"Seven, I'll be right back. I just have to talk to my co-worker about stuff."

And she left me just like that to follow that creepy person. Even when he was wearing a mask to hide his expression I could still feel his baleful stare. Even the time he left with Thalia-san he didn't take off those venomous gazes until they reached the stairs leading down. Just thinking that he might still be watching me now gives me the chills.

I sat there drinking the milk I've received, it's been 10 minutes since they left. Did something happen to them?

I guess while they're gone I'll take a look from the balcony that has the view of the entire district. Apart from the buildings that could possibly be blocking the people I'm looking for I guess.

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Alric's POV

It's a real pity I had to get called by my father before the hangout with Hunter and the others. I would have seen some live yuri right then but I may have to save that one for later.

Judging by how my father wrote that letter he sent, he may have already caught on about the whereabouts of my mother and his wife's killer.

I entered the entrance to the guild and was met with the liveliness of it's adventurers. Without paying it much heed, I proceeded and walked past them to go straight over to our main receptionist.

"Welcome back, Sir Alric Ruthenford."

"Thanks Nina, is father inside his office?"

Nina had a worried look on her face when I mentioned dad.

"Yes, he's been waiting for your audience for quite some time now. It must be dire, he didn't seem like he's been sleeping for days."

That's so like him, I shouldn't delay this any further.

I went past the receptionist girl and reached out to the guild master's door.

The moment I opened, I saw his whole office was a complete mess. It's as if some crazy dog came in here and messed with every document. And at the center of it all was my father holding his forehead, his eyebags swelling already.

Has he gone mad?!

"Father."

I called out to him to get his attention.

He noticed me straight away and looked at me with those lifeless eyes.

He slowly stood up from his chair and raised his hand, at such action the papers on the ground started levitating and stacking on each other. Within a few moments, his room was all clean and tidy again.

"Come in."

I entered the guild master's room while looking at my father's back. Assessing his health through Alvis. He hasn't been sleeping for at most 4 days, insufficient amount of food consumed, lack of exercise and most importantly he looks severely dehydrated. Just how immersed is he in his investigation these days.

"I found her..."

"Found who?"

"The one who killed your mother."

"Is that so."

My father didn't mind my indifferent attitude, he was somewhat already used to the fact that I didn't care much about my mother since I barely met her.

He gave me the piece of paper he was holding ever since I came in and I reached out to grab it by the edge.

A few moments of inspection, I finally know the face of my mom's murderer. It's surprising that it wasn't a man that killed her, but rather a girl. A stunning beauty at that.

"Natalia Gliese. An assassin of the Aerouant Cult from the neighboring Dragon Continent. Responsible for mass murder and many cases of disappearance which involved government officials. Including Juliana Ruthenford, your mother."

He recited as I read the contents of the documents he piled up. According to these latest updates she's been visiting our continent, the Star Continent for the past 3 years.

"So what did you call me for, father?"

"...I only wanted you to know."

"Is that all? Then I'll be leaving then."

I turned my back and headed straight to the door.

Who knows, maybe I can still make it to Arlet's date if I go now.

"Alric. If you find that person, report it to me. I will personally make that person feel the dread of death."

He said that as if he knew I was going to meet her. The world is wide so the possibility is not that great.

But really... Atleast now I know who to direct my anger to. The one responsible for making my father such a big fat sack of a cry baby.

"...Natalia Gliese was it, and her current alias is Thalia in the Star Continent. I'll make sure to remember that."

I mumbled before exiting the door but I remembered one thing so I came right back. Father was confused by that but regardless I approached him and poked his forehead. And ugh, he's all greasy and sweaty.

"?"

"[Drowse]."

I chanted and my father instantly lost consciousness. It would have been unfavorable if he doesn't atleast sleep when he's already this fatiqued. Sooner or later he'll be joining my mom in the afterlife if he keeps this up.

Now then since that's done, I better go back to Seven and the others before their date ends!