Magical Girl

Chapter 15

My Dear Friend Vald

After so long without contact, this is already the second letter I am writing to you. The time between receiving this letter and the last may be a month or longer, as there are so few caravans leaving from Odelyn to Jettugara, and unfortunately, my duties prevent me from leaving Odelyn.

In reality, this letter follows the last by only three days, and both letters are about the same individual I recommended to you in the last one—Marlene Dass.

I cannot be sure whether Marlene Dass is indeed a true God-blessed individual. The poverty of Odelyn prevents us from having a Sacred Crystal to properly test her, so I have recommended her to you for further assessment. If she truly possesses magic, she should learn in the temple, for every child with magic is a treasure of the Goddess and should not be buried in a place like Odelyn. If she does not, we will have lost only some time, but at least we won’t risk missing a God-blessed one through our negligence.

However, I now realize my decision may have been too hasty.

The day before Marlene Dass left Odelyn, Carl Dass suffered a grave injury. His house caught fire, and being drunk, he was trapped in a locked room with no way out. Fortunately, heavy rain began soon after, so he wasn’t burned alive, but unfortunately, the fire destroyed his home. In the downpour, a collapsing stone wall crushed his legs. When I saw him, his bones had shattered, his skin was scorched, and both legs were nearly decomposing. He was beyond any hope of survival.

The man told me the person who had caused his plight was none other than his daughter, Marlene Dass.

From Carl Dass, I learned more about Marlene Dass’s background. Her deceased mother was a prostitute, and sixteen years ago, she had serviced a client who seemed to be a magician, who left a magic ring as payment. That same ring is now in Marlene Dass’s possession.

Carl Dass assured me that Marlene Dass is not his biological daughter. Her black hair and eyes clearly do not come from either him or her mother. Furthermore, I also believe that two people without magical bloodline could hardly produce a child with magic.

I conducted some inquiries about those past events, but too much time has passed, and beyond the ring, there are no other clues. If the opportunity arises, I hope you can further investigate Marlene Dass’s lineage, as it is of great importance to both her and the temple.

Carl Dass passed away the day after my prayers for him, and in the interest of his soul’s peace—and to uncover the truth—I hope you can delay Marlene Dass’s entrance as a temple acolyte. Regardless of her magical ability, without a devout and kind heart, she is unworthy to serve the Goddess. Marlene Dass requires further observation and testing.

Additionally, during my visit, I encountered Marlene Dass’s betrothed, Cleo. The poor boy seems deeply in love with her. Despite knowing she has fled Odelyn, he declared he would not easily give up their engagement, which has been blessed by his parents. I hope you will remind Marlene Dass to return to Odelyn to resolve this engagement.

Your friend, Ash Priest

Eagerly awaiting your reply."

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Three Months Late

Unconsciously, Marlene had already been in Jettugara for several months. When she had no place to stay, every day seemed unbearably long, but once she settled into a home, time flew by.

Looking back now, it felt like she had only just arrived in Jettugara and that the burning letter incident had happened just yesterday. Marlene was still staying in the attic of Granny Mera’s place. With Granny Mera’s recommendation, she now worked as a helper at the Jennie Flower Tavern, which was a small, rundown place near the slums. It catered to impoverished folks and country dwellers who couldn’t afford good wine, so no one cared where Marlene came from.

She had grown quite a bit during this time. Life was still hard, but because she could eat enough and wear cotton dresses from secondhand stores, she looked much more spirited. Now, when she walked outside, at least she resembled a young woman rather than a street urchin.

Today, Marlene arrived a little late at the Jennie Flower Tavern, and the owner was clearly displeased: “Hey, what’s going on? You’re late!”

“I’m not late. The town square clock hasn’t chimed yet. Just because I usually arrive early doesn’t mean that when I’m on time, I’m actually late,” she replied. He always tried to find ways to dock her pay. Though sometimes, you just had to bow your head when you were under someone else’s roof, Marlene had shown him within two days of working there that, although she might look like an easy target, she had quite a fiery spirit and wasn’t to be trifled with.

“Spinster crybaby!” the owner sneered at her.

“Thank you for your concern, but no thanks.”

She retorted back at him while tying her apron and rolling up her sleeves, ready to work.

The tavern was bustling today. Even before nightfall, the place was packed. Marlene was a bit surprised and remarked to the cook, “Why so many people? I only made twenty-five meat pies today.”

“You should’ve made more.”

“We sold twenty yesterday; I thought I had enough for today. But who knew?”

“More and more out-of-towners have been coming to Jennie Flower Tavern lately,” the cook grumbled. “I can barely keep up. The owner really should hire me an assistant.”

“Marlene, the customers in the corner want two large beers and a plate of roasted chicken.”

“On it, right away!” Marlene answered while swiftly washing the glasses and preparing the plates. After working here for over three months, she could now carry a large tray with one hand, stacked higher than her head.

“Here’s your buttered bread.”

“Your roasted pork.”

“And here’s your beer and roast chicken,” Marlene said as she set down the tray. “The pork pies are fresh out of the oven today, delicious as can be. Would you like to try some?”

Marlene skillfully began her sales pitch without even looking up, but the person across from her didn’t seem too interested and merely said, “That’s enough, go away.”

“Alright,” she replied. Not every sales pitch worked, and Marlene was used to hearing responses like this. She put down the items and looked up to leave. As her gaze swept across the people in front of her, she saw a familiar face: “Mr. Neel, the butler?”

Marlene was surprised; she hadn’t seen him in a few months, and now he was so thin she almost didn’t recognize him. Plus, he was someone with a bit of extra money—what was he doing in a low-end tavern like Jennie Flower?

Neel also hadn’t expected to be recognized. He looked briefly flustered, but as soon as he recognized Marlene, he seemed relieved. “Oh, it’s Marlene from the Das family.”

“Uh, yes, it’s been a while,” Marlene replied. She was about to walk away but remembered the debt from a few months back. She continued, “Mr. Neel, I didn’t mean to delay the repayment. I went to Jennie Flower Tavern to find you, but you were already gone. If you want me to pay you back, I can try to figure it out right away…”

As soon as he recognized Marlene, Neel’s tone turned curt. He interrupted her, “Go away. You’re annoying.”

Marlene was taken aback. Was this the Neel she knew? The Neel she knew was greedy and miserly. It was strange enough that he hadn’t demanded repayment the moment he saw her, but for her to bring up the debt and then be dismissed like this?

Seeing that Marlene hadn’t moved, he grew impatient. “Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Don’t bother me. Go away.”

Marlene stole a glance at the man sitting with Neel. He was a burly man, wearing a windproof cloak, and even inside the tavern, he hadn’t removed it. The cloak covered him entirely, and Marlene could only see the stubble on his chin.

They were likely discussing something important—something worth more than a single coin.

“Very well, enjoy your meal,” Marlene said as she backed away, carrying her tray back to the kitchen.

After Marlene left, the man sitting with Neel raised his cup, his thick arm emerging from beneath his cloak. Due to the cloak’s cover, no one noticed his unusually large frame.

His voice was deep, “Who was that?”

“A girl from my hometown, an Odelyn villager who came to Jettugara to make a living,” Neel replied.

The man continued, “If she were to leak anything, it could bring us trouble.”

“Don’t worry,” Neel said dismissively. “She’s just an ordinary country girl, a little insect who could be crushed with one hand. I’m only concerned with how long we need to wait before we can leave.”

The man chuckled, “Not much longer. My partners will be arriving in Jettugara very soon.”