Chapter Four
Disguise magic involved creating a thin magical veil around an individual, which then distorted their appearance. In essence, the caster’s true form remained unchanged; instead, it altered how others perceived their outward features.
The demoness standing before Lisbeth was employing precisely this magic. While such transformation spells were common two centuries later, they remained exceedingly rare in the present era.
This realization prompted Clotilde to issue a swift warning to Lisbeth. “Lisbeth, let’s keep our distance from her for now. Anyone capable of using such magic in this era is not to be trifled with. I doubt you want any trouble before the Dance Ball, do you?”
“I understand,” Lisbeth replied. “But she approached us so suddenly. I can’t tell if it was deliberate or if she genuinely found this gauntlet interesting. Perhaps we should test her intentions first?”
“Ah, you have a point.”
After a brief exchange with Clotilde, Lisbeth took a deep breath, her gaze returning to the demoness before them. Yet, before she could utter a word, the woman had already turned to Angelina. “This gauntlet is quite lightweight,” she observed, “but I question its durability. While gauntlets aren’t always in constant use, in a true battle, they can be life-saving, capable of blocking a single strike. If its hardness isn’t sufficient and it shatters, that would be far from amusing.”
Angelina nodded in apparent agreement with the demoness’s assessment. Meanwhile, the shop owner beside them looked visibly displeased, for no one would be happy to have their business disrupted.
Just as Angelina seemed poised to respond, Lisbeth quickly interjected. “Angelina, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t we be heading to do our shopping? This isn’t our day off, after all.”
“Huh? Lisbeth, why the sudden enthusiasm for shopping?” Angelina asked, surprised.
“No, no, I’ve always been enthusiastic,” Lisbeth insisted, her voice tight. “Let’s just go, quickly. We’re running out of time.”
With that, Lisbeth firmly took Angelina’s hand and led her out of the armor shop. As they exited, she stole a quick glance at the demoness, but the woman appeared unconcerned by their abrupt departure, continuing to examine the surrounding armor.
‘Phew… it seems we’re safe for now,’ Lisbeth thought, a breath of relief escaping her.
Lisbeth let out a soft sigh, glad to have avoided a confrontation. If the woman had truly intended to cause trouble, resolving it with Angelina present would have been difficult. Now that they had shaken her off, there was nothing more to be said.
“So, Lisbeth, if there’s nowhere else you want to browse, shall we go shopping?” Angelina asked.
“Yes, let’s go.”
****
Soon, Lisbeth and Angelina arrived at a nearby shop. Lisbeth’s gaze swept over the storefront, where numerous small decorative items for banquets were displayed. “Yes, this must be the place,” she confirmed, nodding. “Angelina, please get out the shopping list.”
“Ah, I understand,” Angelina replied.
Upon hearing Lisbeth’s words, Angelina reached into the bag she carried. Meanwhile, Lisbeth spoke to Clotilde. “My Sword, it seems the woman using disguise magic earlier was just looking for a chat. I don’t know who she is, but it doesn’t concern me.”
“Indeed,” Clotilde agreed. “Our only concern is the one who cast the curse; what others intend is irrelevant to us. But more to the point, why is Angelina taking so long to find the shopping list?”
“Huh?” Lisbeth uttered, surprised.
As Clotilde finished speaking, Angelina was indeed still frantically searching for the shopping list, her expression growing increasingly anxious. A sudden wave of unease washed over Lisbeth, and she quickly asked, “Angelina, what’s wrong? Can’t you find the shopping list?”
“Yes, it’s so strange,” Angelina replied, looking puzzled. “Did I lose the shopping list? I haven’t even taken it out yet.”
Lisbeth’s pupils constricted sharply as she looked at the bewildered Angelina. She urgently turned to Clotilde. “My Sword, did you notice that demoness earlier? Did she do anything to Angelina discreetly?”
“Hmm? I didn’t see anything, no,” Clotilde responded. “But Alex, are you suggesting that woman stole it?”
“Exactly,” Lisbeth affirmed.
Lisbeth realized she had been careless. A person capable of using such rare disguise magic would have no reason to risk exposure by casually approaching them, unless it was absolutely necessary. With this thought, Lisbeth quickly told Angelina, “Angelina, I’ll go look for the shopping list around here. You go ahead and buy the items you remember.”
“Huh? Lisbeth, wait,” Angelina hesitated. “Perhaps I should come with you to search? It’s my responsibility, after all.”
Angelina, believing she was solely responsible for losing the list, looked utterly dejected. Though Lisbeth longed to comfort her, she knew time was of the essence. Gently patting Angelina’s shoulder, she spoke softly, “Angelina, you don’t need to overthink this. I’ll go search for the shopping list first; you just do as I said.”
“Ah! Lisbeth… you…” Angelina stammered, taken aback.
Without another word, Lisbeth turned and dashed back towards the armor shop.
****
“Shop owner! Do you know where the demoness who spoke to us earlier went?” Lisbeth demanded urgently.
When Lisbeth reached the armor shop, the woman was, as expected, gone. Seeing this, Lisbeth quickly questioned the owner about her whereabouts. However, the shop owner simply shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “She left right after you did. Though, for some reason, she had a smile on her face the whole time, looking quite pleased.”
‘Tsk, just as I suspected,’ Lisbeth thought with a grimace.
The shop owner’s words confirmed Lisbeth’s suspicions. She nodded to him, then added, “Thank you, sir. I’ll search the surrounding area for her.”
After bidding the owner farewell, Lisbeth frantically questioned passersby, asking if anyone had seen the woman. To her utter disappointment, no one had caught sight of her.
‘Damn it, she’s truly vanished, isn’t she? I should have been more vigilant earlier; then this wouldn’t have happened,’ Lisbeth lamented.
In that moment, Lisbeth fully grasped that she had been tricked. More importantly, she deeply regretted that she and Angelina had ventured out in their maid uniforms. While a maid outfit itself wasn’t particularly conspicuous, the uniform of a personal maid was an entirely different matter.
The uniform of a personal maid was specially designed; anyone with a keen eye would recognize it instantly. Thus, it was hardly surprising that they had attracted the attention of such an enigmatic individual. Lisbeth smacked her forehead in regret, and at that moment, Clotilde’s voice chimed in.
“Alex,” Clotilde began, “while you were certainly outmaneuvered, there’s no need to be so distraught, is there? It’s just a lost shopping list, after all. At worst, Hilda might scold you a little, right?”
“That’s not the problem, My Sword,” Lisbeth corrected, her tone serious.
Lisbeth shook her head gently, letting out a sigh. “Never mind her identity for a moment, but that person clearly recognized us as personal maids, and then proceeded to steal our shopping list for today. While a missing shopping list isn’t a huge deal on its own, if she uses it to find a way to infiltrate the Demon Lord’s Castle, that would be no laughing matter.”
Lisbeth was right. A portion of the items they were buying today needed to be delivered inside the Demon Lord’s Castle. If the woman knew the source of the delivery, she could undoubtedly follow the delivery personnel and sneak into the castle. Any major disturbance caused then would be disastrous.
Lisbeth was not one to meddle; she wouldn’t even care if the Demon Lord’s Castle fell into chaos. However, by an unfortunate coincidence, the celebration was fast approaching. If a major incident on that day caused all attendees to leave, she would be unable to find the person who cursed Chris.
With this thought, Lisbeth felt an even greater headache. Yet, at this point, no amount of regret could change anything. Thus, she could only sigh in resignation. “Regardless, let’s leave it at that for now. Since I can’t find her, there’s no point wasting more time. Instead, next time we make a delivery, I should keep a close watch. If I see that woman, I’ll apprehend her immediately!”