Volume 13 Chapter 16 Baroness Tabasa
Before, when Al asked Patricia about Baroness Tabasa, she said the baroness was like a mother to her. Since Patricia was young, Baroness Tabasa had taught her manners and had always been close to her.
Patricia's real mother, the first wife of His Highness the King's brother, was very busy with many things. Because of this, it seemed that Patricia was mostly raised by Baroness Tabasa.
Not knowing what would happen next, Al walked behind Chris and took out the Ring of Pact from a hidden pocket. He put it on his finger and connected with Patricia through 'Telepathy' to let her know he was coming.
He also considered the possibility that she might be a fake, so he secretly used the 'Magic Sense' and 'Sensory Boost' spells. He figured he wouldn't need the 'Shield' spell.
"This way."
Chris stood in front of the room at the end of the Levy merchant guild's mansion and knocked on the door. Immediately, a voice that still sounded a bit like a young girl replied from inside, "Yes!"
"I brought Sir Al."
The door opened just a little. A girl around ten years old appeared. She was probably Doris, the one taking care of Baroness Tabasa. She lightly nodded when she saw Al and opened the door just enough for him to enter.
"Please come in, only Sir Al."
Al glanced at Chris's face. She didn't seem surprised and lightly nodded, as if it was normal for her. He smoothly slipped through the narrow gap of the slightly open door and entered.
The room was about 4 meters (13ft) square, furnished with a sofa for guests. However, it was empty. There were several doors, so the person might be in the back bedroom or the servant's room. Doris quickly closed the door and locked it with a click.
"I'm sorry. There have been various things happening before we could escape here... Can you leave the weapons here?"
She seemed a bit more paranoid than cautious. What could have happened? For Al, who was a magician, weapons weren't a big deal, so he decided to comply. He took off the knife attached to his belt and placed it on the table the girl pointed to.
"Baroness Tabasa will be here soon, but I would like to hear your story first. Please, have a seat here."
Saying this, Doris offered Al one of the sofas.
Her way of speaking was not what one would expect from someone around ten years old. Did she have some kind of intention? So far, nothing had reacted to the 'Magic Sense' spell. Al decided to follow Doris's suggestion for now.
"Understood. What is it?"
Al asked as he sat down on the sofa.
"Sir Al, your letter mentioned that you contacted Lady Patricia in the border city of Lester. The handkerchief you exchanged proves that. The embroidery is definitely hers. But what is your purpose? Even if you seek a reward, we have nothing to give."
At Doris's words, Al smiled wryly. Did she not know that he was Naresh's friend? Naresh would never ask for a reward from someone he protected.
"What are you laughing at?"
Doris looked a bit annoyed.
"I'm sorry. I'm not laughing. It's okay. Can you please listen to my story calmly?"
As he spoke, Al placed his hand on the sofa. He felt vibrations, confirming only one person stood behind the left door--likely Baroness Tabasa. He noticed Chris had left right after guiding him. No magic tools were in sight, and no one else seemed to be listening.
"This is a message from Lady Patricia. She feels sorry for what she did to Mama Tabby. She thinks it's understandable if she's hated. But she wants to meet again. She wants to apologize... that's what she said."
When Al said this, Doris's eyes widened.
"That's... it's not Lady Patricia's fault. No one hates Lady Patricia..."
As Doris spoke, Al entered through the door on the opposite side. Suddenly, the left door swung open with a bang. A very thin woman in a calm navy blue dress stepped out. She wore a hood that covered her hair, and her eyes looked vacant. She approached Al, dragging her feet slightly.
"Mama Tabby... I want to apologize...? Could it be that Lady Patricia is alive?"
Actually, "Mama Tabby" was a name Patricia created, combining "Tabby," a nickname for Tabasa, and "Mama." It was a term used only when Patricia was young, known to her long-time servants.
The woman's reaction to that name meant she was likely Baroness Tabasa. Although they heard she was in her twenties, she looked older. It seemed she had lost a lot of strength, clearly thinking about Patricia.
"Baroness Tabasa! I asked you not to come here so many times!"
Doris hurried over, looking flustered. Baroness Tabasa didn�t seem to be under any magic. She reacted to the name "Mama Tabby," confirming she was the real person. There was no point in doubting further.
They needed to move the conversation along.
"Baroness Tabasa, and Ms. Doris, Lady Patricia is alive. And she wants to see both of you right away..."
"Ah..."
Baroness Tabasa felt like all her strength had left her when she heard Al's words, and she almost sat down right there, but Doris was there to support her.
'Patricia. I think it's really her. And she seems to be in pretty bad shape. Like you said, I think it's better to 'Teleport' over there and talk to her directly. After that, we can discuss whether she should come back with you. It might be a tough conversation, but is that okay?'
'Of course, that's fine.'
Her husband died defending Count Senet's territory, and she almost lost her life too. However, Patricia did nothing until now, hiding in the Tempest research tower for protection. It was understandable to blame her.
Still, Patricia answered firmly.
"Baroness Tabasa, and Ms. Doris... please listen carefully. This is a 'Teleport' magic tool. At the 'Teleport' destination, there are Lady Patricia and Ms. Joanna. But we can only 'Teleport' one person at a time, so you will need to use it in turns. I want you to follow their instructions when you arrive."
Al said this as he took out the oval-shaped 'Teleport' magic tool and showed it to them.
"'Teleport' magic tool?! Something like that exists..."
Doris muttered, sounding doubtful. However, Baroness Tabasa's gaze was not on Doris but focused on Al's hand. Her vacant eyes began to regain their strength.
"The ring is... Ring of Pact... Sir Al, could it be?"
I see, this ring is a famous magic tool among the nobles living in Count Senet. And it is known that you can't use this ring without a partner.
"I'm still talking with Lady Patricia through 'Telepathy'."
Al hesitated on how to respond but managed to say that. Baroness Tabasa looked at Al with a surprised expression.
"I understand. So that's how it is. That Patricia... then, let me..."
Doris hurriedly said she would go first, but Baroness Tabasa was determined. She asked Al how to use the magic tool, took it, and pressed the button.
Baroness Tabasa's figure slowly began to disappear. Doris watched in shock.
'Baroness Tabasa just 'Teleported' over there.'
'Yes. I can see Mama Tabby's figure starting to appear. Oh, she looks so weak... Huh? Her hair?'
From Patricia's 'Telepathy,' it seemed she was quite shocked by Baroness Tabasa's appearance.
After a while, something shaped like a barrel returned to the room where Al and Doris waited. Little toy-like hands were sticking out, holding a 'Teleport' magic tool.
This golem was meant to check if the 'Teleport' destination was safe. Malachi had asked to use it for teleportation without needing a person to carry it.
Since the golem was an object, it could be transported during teleportation. Using this, they could teleport one person at a time.
"Ms. Doris, can you carry this barrel and use the magic tool? If it's too hard, I can carry it first..."
The golem was about 80 centimeters (31in) tall, 50 centimeters (20in) wide, and weighed around 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs). It seemed a bit big for the girl, so if it was too much, Al could make a trip first.
"Yes, I will send Ms. Tabasa right away."
Doris said this and took the 'Teleport' magic tool from Al. Then, she hugged the barrel-shaped golem and pressed the button. It started to disappear gradually.
'Ms. Doris, who takes care of Baroness Tabasa, is also going there.'
'Yes, Sir Al.'
Doris completely vanished. However, after waiting for a while, the barrel-shaped golem that was supposed to return did not appear at all.
'Patricia. What's going on?'
Al couldn't wait any longer and sent a 'Telepathy' message.
'I'm sorry, Sir Al. It seems that Mama Tabby wants to talk without you. Could you please wait there for a little while?'
What could they be discussing? Al thought it would be hard for Patricia to talk alone, so he planned to join her, but maybe it was better for her to speak by herself.
'Are you sure it's okay? Baroness Tabasa might be getting tricked by someone, so if that's the case, Ms. Joanna should definitely be with you. Also, I won't 'Teleport' over there until I get a signal, so could you send the 'Teleport' magic tool over here? If anything happens, call me right away.'
'I talked a little, but there's nothing for you to worry about, Sir Al... It's fine. I understand, but... just a bit more...'
Reluctantly, Al waited for a while, and it wasn't a golem that 'Teleported' back, but Doris.
"I'm back, Sir Al... How strange... I'm sorry. There were so many surprises... Lady Patricia and Baroness Tabasa are talking, but they said they need more time. They think it will probably be dinner time, so I was the only one sent back. For now, I'll return this to you."
Al received the 'Teleport' magic tool from Doris. It should be fine, right? Joanna was there too, and if it was just Baroness Tabasa, nothing bad could happen.
Maybe he was worrying too much. He felt okay trusting them. They hadn't seen each other for a while, but they were like family. There must be a lot to talk about.
'Patricia. Are you talking with Baroness Tabasa for a while?'
'Yes. I'm showing her around the tower a bit... and talking about Sir Al...'
'She's probably explaining about Al to Baroness Tabasa. Saying that Al is a suitable partner for her.'
At Glee's words, Al was surprised. So, Patricia wanted Baroness Tabasa, who was like a mother to her, to accept Al.
Al had been too focused on Patricia's guilt about the escaping people and the threat from Lord Veil.
Maybe he should have talked to someone who was like family to Patricia after bringing her from the border city of Lester. When Baroness Tabasa saw Al wearing the Ring of Pact, she probably guessed their relationship.
But if that was the case, why didn't she let him join them? Maybe she wanted to discuss some things with her daughter first.
Many thoughts raced through Al's mind, but for now, he had to leave it to Patricia.
"Got it. So, Ms. Doris will pretend that Baroness Tabasa is still here, right?"
Doris nodded at Al's question. Al then chose a signal for when he would knock, in case Patricia sent a message through 'Telepathy.'
As a man, Al likely couldn't visit this room tonight. He told Doris he would return tomorrow morning. With that, Al decided to leave the room.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)