54. At Dawn
“…And that’s what happened. So, Miss Lorraine ended up sleeping here.”
“I see…”
It was just before six in the morning. Lorraine had asked the inn staff about my room and came to visit. She didn’t remember anything after fainting in the tavern toilet the previous night and hadn’t woken up even once until this morning. She had asked me to explain everything that had happened.
We had just finished going over yesterday’s events, and now Lorraine was organizing her thoughts.
No matter how close we were, the fact that I had brought a woman back to my room and spent the night with her would naturally feel dangerous from Lorraine’s perspective as a woman. Especially since I had been the one who invited her to the tavern. It wouldn’t be strange for her to suspect I had gotten her drunk and taken advantage of her for the night.
Of course, I had explained the situation in detail and told her she could ask the tavern staff or the innkeepers if she didn’t trust me, but none of that was definitive proof.
After a long silence, Lorraine took a deep breath.
“I understand, Takuma-san. Thank you so much. And I’m truly sorry for causing you so much trouble.” “N-no, not at all! I didn’t really do anything major, so please, lift your head!” “It helps to hear you say that. Thank you again.”
She bowed deeply once more. While I felt that I was the one who had been truly helped in this situation, I was deeply relieved that I hadn’t lost Lorraine’s trust.
“By the way, did you contact your family at home? They must be worried.” “I asked the tavern owner about you yesterday, but of course he didn’t know where you lived, so I had no choice but to bring you here. I wasn’t able to contact your family.”
“It’s a bit problematic, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped this time.” “Right… If you want, I can go with you and explain the situation to your family.” “No, it’s fine. I’ll explain it myself.” “I see. That’s good then…”
I wasn’t sure whether Lorraine’s current hesitation was out of consideration for me, or if her trust in me had dropped and she didn’t want me to know where she lived. Either way, I couldn’t force the issue, so I decided to respect her feelings.
“I’d like to thank you properly for everything, Takuma-san, but may I go home now?” “Yes, of course. And please don’t worry about thanking me. This all started because I invited you in the first place…” “That’s not true at all. If Takuma-san hadn’t invited me, I would never have gotten to eat karaage or fried potatoes in my entire life!” “I-is that so…?” “Yes. So there’s nothing for you to feel responsible about.”
I was impressed by how considerate Lorraine was toward others. I found myself thinking that her husband must be a wonderful person, unlike me.
“Well then, excuse me, I should be going soon…” “Ah, Miss Lorraine. There’s just one thing I’d like to ask you.” “Yes? What is it?”
Even when I stopped her, she didn’t show any annoyance. She looked straight at me and answered calmly. Feeling bad about holding her up any longer, I still asked the question that had been weighing on my mind.
“Actually, last night Rena was supposed to be sleeping in the same room as you, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, she was here in my room. Sitting on a chair.” “That’s… a bit strange…” “Exactly. And when I noticed her, she was already unconscious — she wasn’t responding at all…”
Lorraine and I looked over at Rena, who was still sleeping on the bed I had been using until I woke up in the middle of the night. She showed no signs of waking up yet.
“Also, I might be imagining it, but there are marks on Rena’s wrists like she was tied up…” “I’m sorry, may I take a look?” “Ah, yes…”
Lorraine, who had been about to leave, immediately pulled back the blanket covering the sleeping Rena and examined her wrists. When she turned back to me, her expression was the most serious I had seen during our entire conversation.
“Most likely… Rena-chan was attacked by someone.” “A-attacked!? R-really??” “Yes. There are marks on her wrists from being bound with something like rope. However, the fact that the marks aren’t very distinct suggests this was probably done with magic.” “There’s magic like that…?” “Yes. There may be other things done to her as well…” “But I didn’t hear anything! Rena was sitting right here and I didn’t notice any—” “That just means whoever attacked her was extremely skilled…”
The more we talked, the darker Lorraine’s expression became. It was almost as if our conversation was helping her narrow down who the culprit might be.
“Takuma-san, how much do you know about magic?” “Almost nothing.” “Then please take Rena-chan and go see Grandpa Roro.” “Grandpa Roro?” “He’s the most knowledgeable person about magic in this town. Anyone who lives here knows where he is. Once Rena-chan wakes up, take her to him immediately. He might be able to figure out what kind of magic was used on her.” “Understood…” “Also, while magic is said to depend heavily on talent, you should still learn at least enough to protect yourself. Otherwise…” “Otherwise…?” “In the worst case, you could die.”
A terribly grim reality was waiting for us.