I'm Not Serious Yet

The city of Pindos, a familiar brothel.

I'm in Ortia's room, facing Cyrus.

The owner of the room, Oltia, is like a virtuous wife, watching our conversation from a distance.

When I got back to Pindos after things with the pro-guard bandits were settled, I called Cyrus and explained to him what happened that night.

'You saved my life that night, and you did a good job of coordinating the conversation.

I'm surprised, but my brother's in disguise, so I'm sure there's something to it.

So, here's the thing, though...

I'll go with the policy of standing up when my brother shows up, we've discussed it together.

Are you sure?　You're going to bring down the Dreamers' stock.

No problem.

Cyrus snickered and laughed.

'It's my brother's ... oh, it's my former brother's policy, but we don't care about the name or stock of the Dreamers. Thieves are thieves no matter how far they go.

I see.

And from what my brother tells me, they're bandits too, so it's the poor guys who benefit anyway. That's not a problem at all.

Cyrus is able to say that as if it were a matter of course.

I thought he was a pretty amazing guy.

☆

After Cyrus left, it was just me and Ortiz in the room.

''Good work!''

Ortiz brought out a hot hand towel that was squeezed out moderately well.

With that, she wiped her face and took a breath.

'Thank you.'

You're welcome. Hey.

Yeah?

Good, because it's such a big deal by my place. It's something that involves the king, right?　Wouldn't it be bad if I knew?

You don't get to blab about what's important to your customers, do you?

What are you going to say?

".........

Hmm?　What's the matter, you're blushing.

'What?　Uh ... uh ... um ... yeah!　I just got a crush.

What?

The fact that you believed in me so much, and that you said it so easily, was so cool, I just loved it.

Okay.

It sounds like they cheated something, but if you're going to cheat on this flirtation, it's not a big deal.

''Fuu ... you're really cool and I'm surprised ...''

Obviously, he patted his chest and mumbled something.

I didn't even hear the content, but I let it pass.

'No more of that sort of thing, please, as usual.

The usual?

Yeah, the usual.

"Hmm.

Ortiz puts a finger to her cheek and thinks.

I rather like this kind of gesture of hers, which is charming.

'That's right. You know, Hermes-chan, I need to ask you a favor for the rest of my life.

It doesn't even have to be 'the usual' like that.

I quickly pull Oltia to me and umebosh her with a flowing motion.

Grigori grigori, and grigori her temples over her neatly groomed hair.

'Ouch, ouch!'

So what?　The request of a lifetime this time.

Heh, you're really good at that, Hermes. I know what you're talking about.

Okay.

I'll be there in a minute.

With that, Ortiz gently pulled my hand away and said something as he went to the door and caught the maid passing out of the room.

The maid nodded, ran to the door and came back with a flash.

He handed Ortiz a jewelry box.

I'm sure you'll be able to find it here.

'Here's the thing, though.

What is that?

Jang, the necklace. Isn't it beautiful?

"Hmm.

I look at the open jewelry box and the necklace in it.

It is an excellent piece of jewelry with bright red jewels inlaid into the fairly elaborate silverwork.

It's a pretty pricey thing.

You see?　But alas, it was cheap.

Cheap?

Yeah, actually, it's cursed. A lot of people have been cursed to death with it.

Yeah.

So, Hermes, break the curse.

Yeah.

I touched the necklace.

The easiest way to break the curse.

Touch your hand and make yourself empty (,).

By creating a state of "susceptibility", it indirectly encourages the trigger of the curse.

Then, something came out of the necklace.

'Hiyah.'

Screaming Ortia, it's a curse so powerful(,) that even she can see it.

I drew my sword and slashed the curse away.

Ortia can already see it, a pretty serious flash with a ragged sword.

The curse was broken.

'Yes, it's over.'

....

What's up, poppin' again?

Yeah, no, this is after everyone else has screwed up.

What?

I tried to find Pindos or someone who could break the curse in this neighborhood, but they didn't like it, so I spooned them.

Oh....

Come to think of it, it was pretty powerful........

''That was easily done by Hermes-chan...............amazing.

Ugh ... I've done it.

I was paralyzed by the scale of recent events, the scale of what His Majesty the King asked me to do, and my senses were paralyzed.

I did it by accident without thinking about it at all....

"Don't tell anyone.

Uh... what should I do?

With a grin, Ortizia smiles with a mischievous smile.

Huh ... totally.

''Well, I trust you.

I don't blab about my clients, Oltia.

"....

Suddenly I realized that for some reason, Ortiz fell silent again.

'What's wrong?'

It's nothing!

A reaction similar to the one I saw earlier.

Oltia blushed grandly and turned her face away.