Chapter 34: Together forever

Translator: Tseirp

I drank apple cider in the living room as I waited for Lit to return home.

“I’m home~”

“Welcome back, many thanks for working until so late.”

“Phew~ I’m exhausted.”

Lit tottered to the chair beside me … or not, as she hugged me and sat on my knees.

“Ooh?”

“Ha~ I’m back to life.”

“You sound like you just entered a hot spring.”

“Ooo a hot spring sounds nice. We talked about making one but I totally forgot about it.”

“I’ll talk to Gonz once we finish our investigation.”

“I wonder how many should we have?”

Lit placed her chin on my shoulder and relaxed her body.

“Oh right, there’s something I want you to see.”

“What is it?”

“Al received a shotel from a lackey of Big Hawk. I investigated it a little but I wanted Lit to have a look at it too.”

“All right, I still have enough strength to cast Detect Magic.”

“Nn, it’s placed below that table.”

Lit released her hands from my neck but stretched toward the cloth bag without moving from my knees.

Once she took the sword out from the bag, she chanted the Detect Magic spell.

Detect Magic.

Belonging to the Law Art or Spiritual Technique system rather than the Magic system, it was a spell capable of visualizing magical power and was only available as a martial art to certain front-line Divine Protections.

Its basic use was to see through the strengthening magic used by an opponent or the effects of their equipped magical tools.

Other practical use would include seeing through magical traps or appraising magical tools like what we were doing.

Of course, I could not use it.

“Double-edged shotel. The blade is made of Crimson Steel. The handle is made of Ebony. The pommel is larger than the sword guard. Made by a swordsmith from Igosu Island. The quality is not bad. It can be considered to be an excellent item for C-rank adventurers.”

“What about magic?”

“Based around a simple strengthening magic. The sharpness and hardness of the blade have been strengthened. Additional magic has been applied to further amplify the strengthening. This would be the perfect first magic weapon for a C-rank adventurer, but.”

Lit stared at the precious stone affixed to the pommel of the shotel.

“There’s no mistaking it. This sword has the Locate spell cast on it.”

Locate was a spell that could indicate the location of the item it has been cast on no matter where it was.

The information obtained from the spell could not only purely be used to inform the user of the location, it could also be connected to a compass to indicate the direction or to a piece on a map such that anyone could tell the location.

“Even though I am able to use Spiritual Magic, my Divine Protection is a front-line type so I can’t dispel it.”

“I know. I reached the same conclusion.”

I, who investigated it from a knowledge standpoint, and Lit, who investigated its magical aura. If both our conclusions matched, it was most likely true.

“Locate huh. Considering it from a friendly standpoint, it’s so that they can come to his aid wherever Al is in danger.”

“You believe that?”

“Nope. Big Hawk is not such a ‘good guy’.”

Big Hawk rose up the ranks of the Thieves Guild through numerous ‘legends’, in which there were many brutal actions in Zoltan that stood out.

He made many enemies through those means so it was said that he rarely stepped out from his own territory, South Marsh.

“There is probably a reason why he wants to know Al’s location.”

That was most likely why he gave such an expensive magical weapon as a gift.

“A reason to know his location …”

I could think of a few.

“Ah, sorry to bother you with this even though you’re tired and just came home. Did you eat anything outside? I prepared sandwiches but if you didn’t eat anything I came whip up something proper.”

“I’m fine with just sandwiches.”

“Really? … I’m guessing you didn’t get to eat anything outside.”

“Yup, but I want to stay like this for now.”

Lit felt a little strange.

She seemed somewhat lonely or uneasy compared to her usual self …

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Will we be able to continue living like this forever?”

“Forever ? …”

I guess something happened after all?

Lit showed an anxious expression that I had never seen before.

“It will be forever. I will make sure it does.”

“Really?”

“Really, have I ever lied to Lit?”

” … You have!”

“Eh?”

“You told me there would be ruins on the left road! But it was on the right!”

Ah! That was when we were searching for ruins in Logavia!

“Ah, that was … or rather, who would actually listen to their competitor when we were competing on who would be the first to obtain Elven treasure!”

“You lied to me!”

Lit hugged me tight and repeatedly said that I lied to her.

I smiled wryly and gently hugged her back.

“All right all right, I certainly did lie to gain an advantage.”

“I knew it!”

“In other words, I won’t lie when I have nothing to gain from it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wish to stay with Lit forever. I have no reason to lie and leave Lit. So I’m not lying.”

” … Mu, are you not ashamed to say that out loud.”

“Of course … it’s terribly embarrassing.”

Lit submissively kissed my neck lightly and reluctantly released me.

“I want to eat Red’s cooking after all.”

“Sure, then, I’ll quickly make something.”

” … Thank you. Um, I, also wish to stay with Red forever.”

“Then, we’ll be together forever.”

I looked at Lit’s expression once again before entering the kitchen but she still looked uneasy after all.