CH 21

Quests involving Vivian occur a total of two times in Hirome.

The first one is called 〈The Last Vestiges of the Unfortunate Genius Wizard〉.

If you listen to Vivian’s plea as a wandering ghost in front of the temple, you receive a map of a certain warehouse as a reward.

And the second one is a linked quest that occurs when the condition of obtaining the map is fulfilled, called 〈Cecil’s Lullaby〉.

As I progressed through the quest, I finally found out. That it was not hunger that killed Vivian, but guilt.

“Your face looks so haggard that I want to put it in your coffin and nail it shut right now.”

Although the Belinda translation of my concern about Vivian’s bad complexion sounded quite drastic, this time I could agree with the translator’s words.

Vivian seemed completely different from how I remembered her.

‘You went to the place I told you about.’

The map I gave to Vivian was the location of the warehouse where the magic potion ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ was stored.

It was the map of the very warehouse that could only be obtained as a reward after clearing the quest 〈The Last Vestiges of the Unfortunate Genius Wizard〉.

Although I hadn’t cleared the quest yet in this place, I have cleared it several times in the game, so I could draw the map even with my eyes closed.

Thanks to the map I gave Vivian, she reached the truth earlier than in the original story.

Vivian, with her head bowed and silent for a while, finally opened her mouth.

“How much….do you know, Miss Belinda?”

“That ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ is your earliest work, that it’s being exploited in a terrible way by an individual called your teacher, and that you haven’t slept for days.”

As I continued, Vivian’s face grew dejected.

“You seem to know everything, Miss Belinda.”

If Vivian were to know the future I know, she might faint on the spot.

‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ was a magic medicine developed by Vivian for her grandmother who suffered from dementia.

It was a magical potion that allowed the person who consumed it to dream of their happy past.

However, Vivian, who just wanted to present a comfortable tranquility to her grandmother who was losing her memory, would not have dared to imagine it. How dangerous a honey-coloured potion that promised sweet dreams could be when mixed with powerful sleeping pills.

Vivian’s mentor, Bruno, began secretly selling the modified ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ in the slums.

The residents of the slums, who had difficult lives, started taking ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ to escape reality and flee to the past in their dreams.

Eventually, when they spent more time in dreams than in reality, they withered away, without realizing that they were addicted to ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’.

By mid-game, ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ had become so widespread throughout the kingdom that when someone died of an overdose in the kingdom, it was said that Cecil had taken them.

Quest 〈Cecil’s Lullaby〉.

It would later be a quest to deal with the worst of the magic potions that swept across the kingdom.

“Vivian, you can probably guess the reason why I revealed the truth to you.”

“……Yes.”

“If you tell me you’ll leave the Magic Tower and work for me, I’ll give you what you want in return.”

However, once again, she didn’t readily accept my offer.

“Why… are you showing me such kindness?”

For the first time, a sense of wariness and suspicion appeared in her previously darkened eyes.

That’s how much her master’s betrayal had left a deep wound in Vivian. Desperate for help, yet hesitant to take the hand that was extended to her.

I felt a twinge of bitterness as I remembered the eyes I’d seen before, eyes that shone with faith and conviction.

“Do you consider my proposal a favor?”

I asked, pouring tea into the cups with a cool demeanor.

Even as Vivian held the teacup in her hand, she couldn’t utter a single word in response.

“The Blanche family would never casually place any teacup into the manor. How much do you think this teacup is worth?”

Perplexed by the sudden change of topic, Vivian hesitated, holding the teacup in her trembling hands, examining it from every angle.

“It looks expensive…….”

Unable to come up with a definitive answer, I held up three fingers.

“3 gold?”

“…….”

“3–30 gold?”

“…….”

Still receiving no response, Vivian, with a mix of awe and hesitance, carefully placed the teacup back on the table, her hands trembling.

“Uh, uh, could it be 300?”

“Yeah.”

Of course, I’m lying.

As an ordinary commoner, it was unlikely that I possessed an eye for luxury goods.

Nevertheless, I spoke shamelessly, not even batting an eyelid.

“The people of the Blanchet family, who have built mountains of gold, are trained to recognize a pearl in the mud. Because of this, I am very discerning.” I tilted my teacup (estimated at 300 gold) in a graceful manner as I spoke. “From what I can see, you’re worth quite a bit.”

Clink. The sound of the teacup hitting the saucer startled Vivian causing her shoulders to flinch.

“So, I’m not doing you a favor, I’m making an investment. It’s my hobby to nurture things that haven’t yet seen the light of day.”

“Well, you’ve mistaken me. I don’t have that much value…..”

“Are you implying that my judgment is wrong?”

“It’s not that, but… …without my mentor…..”

I sighed secretly as I watched her say that even in the midst of this, she felt she was nothing without her mentor.

This was precisely why Bruno could take advantage of Vivian under his command.

Her timid nature and low self-esteem.

It wasn’t difficult to guess how Bruno had manipulated and exploited her with his words.

Apparently, he had initially approached her for the ‘Elixir of Life’.

‘I feel sorry for her, I wish she could let it go.’

She needed to know how brilliant she was.

I spoke in a lowered voice. “Vivian, if you refuse my offer this time…….”

Under an atmosphere that seemed almost like a threat, Vivian swallowed a dry gulp.

I continued nonchalantly, “You’ll keep living consumed with guilt, and one day you muster up the courage to ask your master to stop selling ‘Cecil’s Lullaby,’ but guess what? That worthless human won’t give you a single penny and will cast you aside. Eventually, unable to fight off the cold and hunger, you’ll die a miserable death in front of the temple. That’s how I think you’ll end up, what do you think?”

Vivian’s mouth hung open in shock.

But this time, I wasn’t lying or exaggerating. That was Vivian’s ending in the 〈Hirome〉 that I knew.

“I’m not a very forgiving person, but I’m giving you one more chance. Will you still refuse my offer?”

Please, please don’t refuse. I clasped my hands under the table as if praying.

It may have sounded like a threat, but I didn’t have ill intentions, you know?

And finally.

“…… please.”

“Your voice is quiet. Again.”

“If–if you help me, I’ll do anything.”

“You’re making the same mistake again. You’re so foolish. Don’t sell yourself short. Say it again.”

Vivian paused for a moment in thought before speaking again.

“If you help me stop the distribution of ‘Cecil’s Lullaby,’’ in return, I will create any magical item you desire, Lady Belinda.”

The quest window appeared, and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Ding.

I rang a bell made of glass, and the servants who had been waiting outside pulled in a trolley full of food.

Hoping for my smile to be kind, I spoke to Vivian.

“Alright, let’s start by satisfying our hunger.”

* * *

Late afternoon.

A picturesque scene unfolded as several carriages lined up and passed through the main gate of the Blanche mansion.

The carriages varied in shape and color, but they all had logos of upscale clothiers affixed to them.

The bewildered servants, taken aback by the unexpected visitors, trembled as they saw the carriages heading towards the annex.

“Goodness, how many of them are there?”

“Well, I guess so. It’s been quiet for a while.”

“The young master, no, the head of the family, is busy preparing for the succession.”

“Lately, the chef’s wrists have been strained from preparing three meat feasts a day for the young lady. Even between the four of us, we have no idea where all the food disappears to.”

They clicked their tongues, thinking that the Blanche family wretch was back to her previous extravagance and vice.