Chapter 23 — Off to the city! (3)
Charlotte exclaimed in shock, clearly taken aback.
On the other hand, Eruka just shrugged her shoulders in exasperation.
"Like always, you never hesitate to push yourself to the limit, brother. C'mon now, Charlotte-chan, don't mind him and try this one on next."
"B-but, he said his heart stopped! Are you sure leaving him alone is fine!?"
"It only stopped for a second or two, no biggie. Come on, let's get moving!"
With the clothes piled in her arms, Eruka swiftly guided a flustered Charlotte into the fitting room. Allen couldn't help but be impressed by her swift and decisive actions.
And so, only the siblings remained in front of the fitting room.
"So..."
Eruka paused, glancing briefly at Allen before continuing.
"What should I do?"
"For starters, I want to know the current state of the Neals Kingdom."
Allen said as he slowly stood up while stroking his chin.
On the other side, separated by just a thin curtain, was Charlotte. Making sure his words wouldn't reach her ears, he tried speaking in a hushed voice.
"I was able to successfully repel the pursuers at one point. However, it's unclear whether they have given up on the chase or if they are still frantically searching for her. The newspapers alone don't tell me much about this matter."
It was an incident in the Neals Kingdom that was making headlines in the newspaper for a while, but lately, it had completely disappeared from the pages.
It was undoubtedly an infamous event, but with no recent updates to report, the journalists were left with nothing more to write about.
As a result, very little information was coming in from that side. Allen could hire an informant, but… not only was it troublesome, he didn't want to stir up unnecessary suspicions as well.
"That's why, could you go look it up for me?"
"Leave it to me. I'm sure papa has some acquaintances in the Neals Kingdom. I'll try looking into it discreetly."
Eruka replied, winking at him.
"While I'm at it, should I try looking into that prince and his family as well?"
"Well… I suppose that can wait for now."
"Oh? You thinking of letting him off the hook? Still, I think it's crucial to gather enough information, though."
"If you did that... I might find out…"
Allen paused before letting out a small sigh.
It would be a lie to say that he wasn't bothered. He was curious… Just what kind of person could have treated Charlotte with such disdain and how badly was she mistreated by her own family.
But, at the same time, if he were to find out...
"If I find out, I won't be able to stay silent. I'll probably end up storming into that country, disregarding Charlotte's feelings. That's why, for now, there's no need to look into it."
"Heeh..."
"...What's with that face?"
"Oh, nothing. I just thought that you've changed, brother."
Eruka grinned mischievously as she lightly poked Allen's side.
"Brother, this is the first I've seen you being so invested in someone's well-being, you know? Still, it's a good thing."
"...Is it?"
Allen asked as he furrowed his brow.
It was true that he rarely showed such genuine concern and worry for someone outside of his family. However, he couldn't quite grasp why it would be considered a "good thing."
"I'll only look into the things we've talked about then. In exchange, I'll bring you back ho–."
"I absolutely decline."
"I figured as much."
Eruka chuckled in exasperation and glanced briefly at the fitting room where Charlotte was.
"Alright, I'll let you off the hook for now. There's the whole thing about Charlotte-chan, too. Instead, how about helping me with making some magic tools?"
"Fine. If that's all you want, then I don't see why not."
"Yay! With you around, it's like having a hundred people!"
Eruka beamed with a wide smile and playfully tapped Allen's shoulder.
She was capable and quick-witted, a truly competent little sister. He sincerely felt relieved that she didn't turn out to be an introvert like himself.
"Uhm…"
Just then, a voice called out from within the fitting room.
'...Don't tell me she heard what we were talking about just now!?'
With that thought in mind, Allen held his breath, but Eruka casually responded as if nothing had happened.
"Hm? What's up?"
"I'm sorry, but… I'm having trouble fastening the clasp on my back…"
"Oh, I see! Hang on a sec."
Without any hesitation, Eruka walked into the fitting room.
Thanks to that, Allen hurriedly averted his gaze. He caught a glimpse of Charlotte's skin through a gap, but he quickly erased that fleeting memory from his mind by casting a brainwashing spell on himself.
