Chapter 58: Hair Treatment Is Important!
Elidranthia waited for the assailant to burst through the door. But no matter how long she waited, that moment never came. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Alicia yawned and woke up drowsily, oblivious to the danger that had loomed just hours earlier.
“Munya… Hm…? What happened, Milady? Why are the chairs and tables in front of the door?”
“Alicia. Are you okay?” Elidranthia ran to the drowsy Alicia.
“Huah… that was a good nap. Ah… this is bad. Sleeping right after eating… ugh… I’m going to get fat…” Alicia pouted, checking her stomach.
“Alicia! Do you realize how much danger we might have been in?” Eli almost shouted. “Sleeping like that right after eating is unnatural. And all your friends fell asleep at the same time after eating the cake.”
“Huh?” Alicia glanced at Clarissa and Robert. They were indeed sleeping soundly. “Meh, it’s probably just a coincidence. They’re tired, that’s all. The cake was delicious too. Besides, it’s not like we were attacked, right? Who would dare kidnap academy students?”
Alicia waved her hand dismissively. As a modern person who had never truly been threatened, combined with her confidence from the goddess’s blessing, Alicia possessed the survival instincts of a rock. She genuinely didn’t believe anyone would dare cause trouble inside the academy grounds. Even if they did, she believed it would be fine. She was the MC after all.
Elidranthia gritted her teeth. She had no proof—only a gut feeling. Alicia might be right. The cake might not have been laced with sleeping agents. They could have simply been exhausted. After all, Eli had seen no one enter. She was even questioning herself about the fleeting shadow. She began to wonder if she was having a PTSD about it.
“Hah… just stay alert, Alicia. You’ve nearly been kidnapped before,” Elidranthia sighed. There was no point in arguing further. They were safe—that was what mattered most. Acting like the adult she was, Eli forced a smile.
“Come on. I’m going to be late for class.” Eli said as she moved the table away from the door.
She opened the door cautiously, her hand still gripping the knife. She peeked outside. Nothing. Not a single stranger in sight. Only a serene park of the Luxurious Royal Academy.
“Um… Lady Eli, could you return the knife?” Alicia muttered.
“Ah, sorry. Here,” Eli said.
No matter how carefully she scanned her surroundings, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She walked back to class, still wary. But even after she returned to her dorm later that evening, there wasn’t a single suspicious figure in sight.
What the heck. No one was watching us the entire time. I must’ve been having PTSD from my days on Earth. There were only the occasional delivery boys from the shopping district here apart from students and teachers, Eli thought.
Meanwhile, back at the Reapers’ base, another meeting was being held regarding Alicia’s and Elidranthia’s behavior.
Just as Eli had feared, the cake had been drugged. However, the Reapers withdrew the moment Eli noticed them. They had never intended to kidnap or assassinate anyone. Their purpose had been reconnaissance.
Reapers gathered information first and foremost—and the results left them baffled.
“It was Elidranthia who reacted appropriately to our probe. Alicia and the others were sound asleep. Just like any civilian would,” one Reaper reported as he read from the document. “She was hostile. Our agent noted she barricaded the door and armed herself, ready for combat.”
“Then was it Elidranthia who sent Alicia to probe us?” another Reaper asked.
“Most likely. What should we do? Should we take a more extreme approach?”
“They haven’t acted against us yet. We shouldn’t be hasty.”
“But she did foil our attempt to kidnap Alicia. Because of her, we were forced to pay a penalty to Duke Luca. We’ve already crossed paths. There are reasons for both sides to be hostile,” one Reaper said. He was the one penalized for accepting Duke Luca’s commission. Not only was that commission a failure, it even destroyed a bandit group. The reaper had lost a great asset that day.
“That’s…” another Reaper hesitated. “Elidranthia shouldn’t know that we were the ones who directed that bandit group.”
His voice was uncertain. He wanted to maintain the status quo. Althemer was his territory—and he himself was a noble.
The empire was technically hostile toward the Reapers. After all, they were an underground rogue organization. Even so, the authorities often turned a blind eye to their activities. Most of their clients were nobles—and on occasion, even royalty issued commissions.
Kidnapping a mage wouldn’t hurt the empire—merely moving money from one pocket to another. Some nobles might get angry, but that could be managed and falsified as migration. Killing them, however, was another matter entirely. A dead mage could no longer produce mana, and that would harm the nation as a whole.
“…As expected. We can’t afford to make enemies of the empire. But ignoring Elidranthia is no longer an option. She’s wary of us and is likely probing our movements. We should send a warning.”
“But sending a warning might justify her openly declaring war on us,” another Reaper countered. “We should start with someone inconspicuous—warm up to her, then turn her into a client later. A merchant or craftsman would work well.”
“Ah, excellent idea. Yes, we shouldn’t be overly hostile. She’s still young. With the right agent, her sense of righteousness can be bent. That agent could later vouch for our activities within her territory. So then, who will send their agent to Elidranthia?” the leader asked.
“I will,” one Reaper said, raising his hand. “I’m a noble. Nobles are closely tied to one another.”
“No. I should go,” another interrupted. “I’m a merchant. I’m far better suited for this mission.”
Apparently, Elidranthia and Alicia were so valuable that even the Reapers’ executives were competing for the chance to approach them. With profit and influence at stake, discord spread among the ranks.
“Enough,” the leader said. “Both of you may approach Elidranthia. We don’t care how—as long as you produce results. But you must proceed with caution.”
“Understood.”
The Reapers dispersed.
After that incident, peace and quiet returned to the two mages’ lives. In just three days, Eli and Alicia had nearly forgotten what happened. Now, they were spending one of their precious rest days shopping—completely oblivious to the Reapers who were already moving toward them.
“Please, please, come in—our most, very important guest. My name is Philia. It must be tiring for a mage extraordinaire like yourself. We at the Liberi Parlor are at your service. Please, come in.”
“…This place looks expensive,” Eli muttered. She was here with Alicia on the recommendation of a friend from the nobility course.
“Of course not. Nothing is more valuable to us than your appearance. What is a measly gold coin compared to your hair and nails?” the merchant said smoothly.
“A gold coin?!” Eli nearly shouted. No—she did shout. The price boggled her mind.
“Well, we just earned two gold coins helping the local guild fill their arcane stones. Let’s splurge,” Alicia said cheerfully as she skipped toward a chair. She then opened her purse and dropped a gold coin on the table. As promising high-ranking mages, they had already been paid two gold coins each for charging mana, and that amount would only increase once they learned enchantment.
Elidranthia, who still carried a beggar’s mindset, reeled at the thought of spending a commoner’s yearly salary on something as mundane as hair and nail care. But she was here with a count’s daughter from her nobility class—refusing outright would be rude.
“It’s fine, Lady Elidranthia. You’re a mage. It must be hard living in the countryside, hmm? Where even a count’s daughter and a prestigious mage couldn’t spare a single gold coin for grooming,” Veronica, a count’s daughter from Slane territory, said lightly.
“Hah… all right. We do have the money. I’d just rather spend it treating the sick or buying food. But since you insist, I’ll go with the treatment,” Eli sighed.
She had to admit—the service was excellent. The attendant wore a cute dress and was impeccably polite. Her hair was long and smooth, a silky black instead of Eli’s navy blue. Eli felt a twinge of jealousy.
I want hair like that…
“I wonder if I should dye it,” Eli muttered. “Your black hair is beautiful.”
“Milady, your hair is already lovely,” the hairdresser said gently. “It’s smooth even without treatment. The blue hair paired with your red eyes makes you look Inti—mature. It’s perfect. But of course, we’d be happy to indulge you. Would you prefer black hair?”
“No. I was just muttering to myself,” Eli said. She was about to say I am intimidating, huh?
“Of course, Milady. We are at your command. Please allow me to do your nails next.”
As Eli began to doze off, a whisper brushed against her ear.
“Go to the slum. We will be waiting.”
Eli jolted awake at once. She looked around and spotted a gentleman standing nearby, leaning on a cane. He looked wealthy—refined, even. Eli stared at him, tense.
“Excuse me,” the hairdresser said sharply. “Is there any trouble? I must insist that you do not harass our customer, sir.”
She was a commoner, but professionalism came first. The salon wouldn’t survive if it tolerated inappropriate behavior from nobles.
“My apologies,” the man said calmly. “I was merely confirming whether I had the right person. You looked like a worthy mage.”
He produced a letter. “Here. This is for you. Please excuse me.”
The man placed the letter into Eli’s hand and departed.
Eli stared after him, confused, her eyes lingering on his black suit.