CH 124

Chapter 124 of “Mastering Magic in an Otome Game Part 4 (Eildart Castle During Winter Break)”

The brothers and Connie were surprised by my sudden desire to go into the danger zone.

Surprisingly, however, it was Connie who quickly regained her composure.

“…You must have a reason for this, young lady, not just out of curiosity.”

Nodding at the serious question, Connie turned to Oluris.

“Well, Oluris-san, I don’t know much about it, but how dangerous is planter hunting?”

“…It’s hard to really say. If it’s asleep, it’s nothing, but if it’s awake, then you’ll have to fight.”

He poked his head out of the window like Connie before him, talked to the guards, and then opened his mouth again.

“It looks like it’s right on the side of the road, and the planter looks small. …I think it would be fine as long as we don’t go in front of it.”

“Then…!”

“Yeah. As long as you don’t leave Will’s side, you can go.”

When I looked up at Brother Will with expectation, he stood up with a bitter smile as if to say, ‘it can’t be helped.’

***

I left Connie, a non-combatant, in the carriage and got out of the carriage hand in hand with Brother Will. The surrounding area was quite hilly.

When I looked down, I could see farmland quite a ways ahead, and a small hill on the other side.

“Why did you even come out here when you can leave it to the guards and the adults?”

It was Brother Onyx who said this while sniffling. He was supposed to be watching from inside, but he seemed to have come out in a hurry when he saw me coming out of the carriage.

“I think it would be better for you to wait in the carriage, Brother Onyx…”

He was, after all, the eldest son of a duke. He was too noble to be worried about my escort efforts.

But when he heard my words, he made a slightly disappointed face.

“Don’t be silly. How can I hide in the carriage while my younger cousin goes out to watch over the hunt?”

“Uh…I’m sorry.”

Is that so? I felt really sorry to both Onyx and the guards, but when I looked at him, he turned a little red for some reason.

“Well, that’s fine then. If we’re going, then let’s go quickly.”

“Yes.”

While having this conversation, the two guards of the carriage, Brother Onyx and his aides, and the Virgil Brothers and I went off the road.

Then we saw something ahead of us.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. What kind of demon beast is this?”

“If you’ve never seen it before, then it must be a…high-ranking monster?”

After hearing the conversation between the two men who were guarding the plant, Brother Oluris, who was walking fast, approached the plant. Then I saw his body tense slightly.

“No way, Baphomet…”

Brother Oluris looked terribly surprised. The grass beneath his feet rustled in time with his increased alertness.

Recently, I had heard that he’s been able to control his mind a lot better lately, so it was unusual for him to be disturbed like this.

Peeking out from behind, I could see the entire plant in front of me.

It was a shrub about a meter and a half tall. A translucent sack filled with water was hanging from it, entwined tightly together.

Something the size of a child was floating in the bag, which was parasitized by a white root-like substance.

I was horrified by the strangeness of it.

The word ‘Baphomet’ reminded me of my previous life’s ‘Fierce Occult’ knowledge, and it looked just like the folklore.

Its head was of a black goat with distorted horns, and the upper half of its body resembled a human. The lower half was a beast with a tail and hooves.

Large black wings sprouted from its back, covering its curled up body as it held its knees.

As the guards had said, it was still in its infancy, the size of a child, and it seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

“Why is it in such as place…?”

I tugged lightly on the hem of my brother’s shirt, who muttered in doubt. When I asked him what was wrong, Brother Oluris began to speak as if collecting his thoughts.

“I’m not sure if it’s true, but this is a magical beast that should only be found in remote areas.”

“!”

This means that if it grows up and is born, it will become a threat.

Indeed, Baphomet was said to be a servant of Satan in my previous life, and was a famous monster that became a symbol of certain faiths.

The most popular Tarot card of the Devil, created by Arthur E. Waite, one of the members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, was also the Baphomet.

As I pondered what this could mean, one of the guards drew his sword.

“It’s creepy…We should cut it off early and head into the city!”

“…Ah, wait!”

Brother Oluris’ restraint was one step too late, and the guard’s sword swung down. The bag broke and the estrange creature inside fell down with a large amount of water.

…And now, as is so often the case…

The creature quietly opened its eyes.

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T/N: Ack! Not another cliffy!! But for now, let’s place our bets. What do you guys think will happen?

I personally wish #2 would happen, but I’m guessing it might closer to #1.