Let Tell You About This Product.
While I was racking my brain for a way to sneak into the Rose of Blood rchant guild's mansion, Serena's words were truly a welco piece of news.
Moreover, by coincidence but also by design, sending Serena to the Adventurer's Guild first turned out to be the best choice.
Right now, Barkal and I are both wanted by the Rose of Blood guys. But not Serena.
"Wait a mont, Serena."
"Yes?"
Co to think of it, there was one thing I overlooked. The reason for sending her to the Adventurer's Guild first was to 'find soone.'
"Will you be alright? Weren't you here because there is soone you were looking for?"
"Actually... There is a reason why I didn't refuse."
As she spoke, Serena's expression was quite serious. She soon opened her mouth again.
"I asked one of the staff at the Odheim Adventurer's Guild here: 'Have you ever seen an adventurer with the scent of roses?'"
I quietly listened to her speak.
"It turns out, 'adventurer with the scent of roses' wasn't a nickna given just because that person slled like roses."
Then what was the reason for the na? Serena, seeing my skeptical look, continued.
"It's a derogatory term here in Rozelia."
"A derogatory term?"
"Yes."
Serena nodded.
"In this Rozelia region, there is apparently a saying: 'rose's hocoming.'"
"Rose's hocoming?"
"Yes, it ans when soone leaves their holand, becos successful elsewhere, and returns. Like a rose seed caught by the wind, floating far away, taking root and growing a stem, and then finally returning as a blossod rose."
It's a pretty elegant expression, but in the end, it just ans 'returning triumphantly ho'—nothing more.
"But 'adventurer with the scent of roses' is different."
What could it be?
Maybe it's less grandiose than a triumphant return—more like a modest return—sothing like that?
"They're people who never beca a full-blown rose—people who returned ho with nothing but a faint scent of their birthplace clinging awkwardly to them. In this region, people used 'slls of roses' as a kind of insult for them."
A derogatory term.
Even as Serena said the words, her feelings didn't seem particularly stirred. Instead, she seed calm, as if she had expected as much.
"Serena, wasn't that your family mber?"
So I asked.
The reason why she was searching so hard—was it because the 'adventurer with the scent of roses' was her family?
"I see you've guessed it. Yes, it's my father."
Even though this nickna attached to her father was far from flattering, Serena seed unfazed.
"To be honest, I don't really rember his face... haha."
The only blood relative who abandoned her. Even if the person she tracked down by the faint scent of roses ended up being a criminal or a notorious villain, it didn't seem to matter to Serena.
What was important to her was her roots—just finding out where she ca from.
And, maybe at the sa ti, understanding the reason why she was abandoned.
"In any case, back to the point—'the adventurer with the scent of roses' I'm looking for is said to have taken a job from the Rose of Blood rchant guild."
"The Rose of Blood rchant guild, huh."
"The adventurer's na is Garbidal. Fifteen years ago, in the Rozelia region's scandal, he was caught leaking the cultivation thod for the 'Bloody Rose,' Od Heim's famous rose."
"... Wait, fifteen years ago?"
"Yes, on the very day I was left at the Iushil orphanage."
If 'slls of roses' is a derogatory term here, there must be more than one or two people with that nickna.
Yet from the way she speaks, Serena seems quite sure.
But that's not really the point.
Fifteen years ago.
Serena said she doesn't even rember her father's face.
Which ans she was sent to an orphanage at a very young age.
"Serena."
"Yes?"
"Um, how old are you now?"
Serena tilted her head at my question, as if wondering why I'd ask such a thing now, but she answered readily.
"I-I'm seventeen, actually?"
Wait a second.
Seventeen—that's a minor.
So she's not supposed to drink alcohol.
More importantly, couldn't this be a violation of child labor laws?
"D-Dmihtan, brother?"
"Hold on Serena, I need to think about sothing."
Calm down.
Co to think of it, it's not like minors can't work, right?
Besides, this world probably doesn't even have child labor laws.
With that decided, the pounding in my chest began to subside.
Thinking that our blood-like expenditures might decrease, I felt more benevolent than usual.
"So you want to investigate the Rose of Blood rchant guild."
"Yes? Oh, yes."
"Very well. If you wish, we'll help you."
Thanks to Chunsik's words, I was curious about the Rose of Blood rchant guild's inner workings anyway.
"Is—is that really alright?"
There's no reason to refuse what Serena just asked.
"But you must rember, it could be dangerous."
Rune of the Abyss.
And Serena's goal.
Everything points toward the Rose of Blood rchant guild.
"I'll be fine!"
Serena smiled brightly.
"Besides, I'm pretty good at physical work!"
That, I know all too well.
* * *
"Welco, lady Serebrina."
The reception room of the Rose of Blood rchant guild manor. Guided there, Serena greeted them with proper courtesy, and Rozenkranz greeted her with a far gentler smile than usual.
"Thank you very much for sparing the ti from your busy schedule. Even though it's just a product test, there's nothing major to be nervous about."
"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Rozenkranz!"
After thanking him, Serena sat down on the chair and looked around.
The luxurious furniture and rose paintings hanging on the walls were impressive, but what stuck in her mind more were the shattered windows and broken statues.
"A-hem."
Noticing her gaze lingering on the manor's wrecked decorations, rozenkranz let out an awkward cough.
"We recently had so trouble. It'll take so ti to take care of it all."
"Ah, I see..."
She couldn't guess what kind of trouble it was, but Serena sincerely prayed that it would be resolved.
"Anyway, what exactly is this product you want to test?"
"Ah, but before that, how about so tea?"
Rozenkranz slid an already-prepared teacup toward Serena. The tea was a red brew releasing a gentle rose fragrance.
"It's a new rose tea developed by our rchant guild. Please judge the flavor for yourself."
"Wow, it slls amazing!"
Serena lifted the cup. The sweet yet subtle rose scent tickled her nose.
"This is the product we want you to test. We thought it would be especially popular with won."
"Hmmm..."
Taking another deep whiff of the tea, Serena tilted her head.
"B-but did it really have to be testing this tea?"
"Well... that's..."
Rozenkranz trailed off for a mont.
A rchant guild as prominent as theirs didn't need to go far for volunteers.
Like anyone else, she could have just accepted their offer. Rozenkranz hadn't given it much thought.
"L-Lady Serebrina, aren't you from another region?"
"Yes? Oh, yes. I'm from Iushil."
"I thought so."
Rozenkranz, relieved inside, continued.
"We think this rose tea has potential not just in Rozelia, but elsewhere as well. It could surely beco popular among the nobility in the capital or up north."
Serena nodded and took another sip.
"That's why we wanted your opinion, lady Serebrina. To see whether soone without a Rozelian palate finds it agreeable. It's a question we needed answered."
"With a taste this deep and elegant, it'll be loved anywhere."
"Exactly! Especially at upper-class ladies' teas or social gatherings—it's sure to be a big hit."
Rozenkranz skillfully led the conversation, encouraging Serena to drink more tea.
His voice radiated true rchant confidence.
"But... sothing's odd."
After a few minutes, Serena felt her eyelids grow heavy. The hand holding the cup began to tremble slightly.
"What do you an?"
"I feel a little dizzy. Suddenly... tired..."
Serena's voice began to trail off.
"Lady Serebrina, are you alright?"
Rozenkranz's voice sounded concerned, but a cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Don't worry. You'll be feeling relaxed very soon."
As Serena's eyes closed completely and she slumped forward, rozenkranz looked at the remaining tea.
Rose tea laced with a sleeping agent. Serena, upon drinking this, had descended into slumber.
That he was forced to do sothing so low disgusted him—but if this was enough to fulfill the month's 'sacrifice', rozenkranz could stomach any amount of villainy.
"Now then."
Rozenkranz looked at Serena's unconscious face.
"I see now why they chose this outsider as a sacrifice."
Serena's sleeping face was picture-perfect. Her golden hair spread softly over her shoulders, and her beauty was elegant even in slumber.
"Exactly. Our master is quite the gourmand after all,"
At the sudden voice, rozenkranz jumped and turned his head.
At so point, isabella had appeared from the shadows in a corner of the reception room.
Even in the dim room, her pale skin glowed softly. Red eyes gazed down at the unconscious Serena.
"Since when were you there?"
"From the beginning. I've been watching since she drank the tea."
With a sly smile, isabella looked at Rozenkranz. He frowned at her, but refrained from complaining.
"So, does this an we're set for this month's sacrifice?"
"Yes, you did very well."
"Then I'd like you to make an effort in cultivating the Bloody Rose, as promised."
"Oh, don't worry about that. The conversion of the supplied roses into Bloody Roses is already finished."
A large fang was visible at the edge of Isabella's smiling lips.
"We're partners helping each other out, aren't we? You get blood and sacrifices. We get roses infused with magic power."
Isabella continued in her elegant voice:
"Isn't it a perfectly matched relationship of interests?"
"So that's why I was invited like this!"
A sudden voice cut in. Isabella and Rozenkranz both turned, startled, toward the voice.
There they found Serena—who, until just a mont ago, should have been unconscious.
She was sitting upright, perfectly composed as if she'd never fallen asleep. Rozenkranz stared at her in astonishnt.
"H-How...?"
"Yes?"
"How are you awake!? That sleeping agent could knock out grown n instantly!"
"Well..."
Serena gave a sheepish smile in response.
"I'm a cleric. A very devout cleric, in fact."
Serena pointed at the cup.
"Because of my deep faith, Lord Liberas is always protecting . He purifies anything harmful before it can hurt !"
Her voice was clear and pure.
"It's always been that way, ever since I was little. Even if I ate spoiled food or touched poisonous herbs, I was fine. The Lord envelops in goodness and love."
Rozenkranz found Serena's purity terrifying.
"Oh—and the tea was delicious! I think it would sell pretty well in Iushil, too!"
As Rozenkranz floundered in confusion, isabella spoke coldly.
"So you're a cleric. That ans you can't fight."
Her red eyes fixed on Serena, cool and analytical.
"What a pity. If you'd only pretended to fall asleep, at least it wouldn't have hurt so much."
Isabella began approaching Serena slowly.
"I—I just wanted to have more of a conversation. So please, don't co any closer."
"Don't say that. Co on, let's just—"
Before Isabella could finish, Serena suddenly ducked and, moving like lightning, snatched Isabella's wrist.
"H-huh!?"
From Isabella's spinning perspective, all she could see was the inside of the mansion as it whirled around.
Thud!
The next thing she knew, her body crashed into the floor in a comical heap.
"I—I told you not to co closer..."
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