Chapter 12 : In Pursuit of The Wolf Witch Part 2

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We were shown to the parlor and we were able to hear the testimony from the maid and the servant there. 

“Miss Marirose went out yesterday afternoon with her personal maid, Leila.”

“We didn’t see anything unusual.”

We couldn’t obtain further statements other than what was already in the knight’s report. Then, Gilbert-sama moved. He took out something from his pocket and showed it to the two of them. 

“That’s….?”

“It’s a magic pendulum.”

Gilbert-sama swung the pendulum in front of them. The pendulum had a crystal attached to its chain. 

“The crystal is enchanted and when you shake it from left to right like that, the magic will be activated. This allows us to hear the truth from them as they go into their subconsciousness.”

“I-I see.”

This must be what they meant when they said the investigation conducted by the Fenrir Knight was different from the Royal Knight. The gaze of the maid and the servant then became empty. Only after that Gilbert-sama started asking them questions again. 

“Did you see anything unusual when you sent Marierose-sama off yesterday?”

“…… I was… Ordered… To prepare… A lot… Of jewelry.”

“…….. After that… I was ordered… To pack…Silverwares in the bag…. As much as possible.”

“I see. And then? Is there anything else?”

“……. Meat… Then… Sweets and…. Fruits.”

“…….. I was also…. Told to prepare liquor.”

So they loaded the carriage with jewelry, silverwares, food and liquor before they departed. 

“Do you know where they were heading off to?”

“………The forest… West…. Forest….”

“………….Black wolf… Led them….”

“I understand.”

Gilbert-sama stopped swinging the pendulum and then CLAP!! He clapped his hands together. Then both the maid and the servant looked visibly taken aback as they returned to their senses. 

“We… What have we been doing?”

“Why…. We’re here?”

Apparently, they were under the Wolf Witch’s magic. Upon further investigation, we found out that Marierose-sama’s jewelry were gone and they had also taken the silverwares with them. Their testimonies were accurate. 

“May I borrow some of Marierose-sama’s personal belongings?”

“Ye-Yes.”

They prepared Marierose-sama’s handkerchief for us. They must be going to use this handkerchief as part of the Fenrir Knight’s peculiar investigation. I needed to pay close attention to how they conduct their investigation for the sake of our future mission. 

What are they going to do with the handkerchief?

After the servants of Cellotene family left the room, they finally started their action. Gilbert-sama grabbed the handkerchief and crouched down in front of Dietrich-sama. 

“Big brother, here it is.”

“Fumu.”

Gilbert-sama then let Dietrich-sama sniff the handkerchief. 

“I see…..”

“………………”

No matter how you looked at it, he looked like a search dog tracking for a missing person. 

“E-Erm…. What is the meaning of… This?”

“We are searching for the remains of magic in Marierose-sama.”

“Ah, of course.”

Apparently, this was something that Dietrich-sama could only do in wolf worm. It had nothing to do with tracking the scent or anything. 

“Well then, let’s depart.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

Leaving the Cellotene family residence, we headed to the forest. This time, Dietrich-sama was the one who was leading our carriage. By relying on the remains of Marierose-sama’s magic power, he searched through the forest for the missing Marierose-sama. 

The trees in the West Forest had grown to be so thick and dense, giving the forest a creepy feeling. Monsters also appeared in this forest so the knight had been dispatched to investigate this forest several times already. 

Me and Gilbert-sama, we just sat there awkwardly. I couldn’t think of anything good to start a conversation with him and by the time I was about to have difficulty in breathing due to anxiety, the carriage stopped. 

“Gilbert, Melodia,come here.”

Seemed like Dietrich-sama had found something. I followed Gilbert-sama as he exited the carriage. The place we had finally arrived was a dead end. From beneath the vines covering the foliage, we could see a large rock. Despite the predicament we were under, Dietrich-sama continued to sniff the ground. 

I knew it, that’s how he tracked the magic but honestly, he looks like a dog when do it. 

“Marierose-sama’s magic power ends here.”

“This place must’ve been protected by the Wolf Witch’s barrier.”

Gilbert-sama drew out his sword and he started swinging it at the nearby tree. Then, I heard the sound of something snapping. The scenery wavered and the big rock in front of us disappeared, revealing something that appeared to be a cave. 

“You’ve done it. As expected from my younger brother.”

“It was thanks to big brother for noticing the peculiarity of this place first.”

Seemed like things were going to become more dangerous from this point onward. We became more cautious as we continued forward. In order to traverse through the cave, we used a magic stone lamp. This was a device that would glow when we poured magic power into the magic stone in it. It was shaped like a glass lantern with the magic stone placed in it. Just one of these devices was enough to lit up the cave in a dazzling light. 

“It’s pretty…. Creepy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

It felt damp inside and I could hear the sound of water dripping from somewhere. There was also a draft of whistling wind blowing in occasionally. Dietrich-sama began to sniff the perimeter of the cave but he couldn’t sense Marierose-sama’s magic power anymore. 

“We are within the Wolf Witch’s dominion. It can’t be helped.”

We had no other choice but to investigate this place ourselves.

Suddenly, the air inside the cave shifted. Goosebumps and chills ran through my spine and Dietrich-sama. Something was happening. 

“Melodia, Gilbert, they’re coming.”

“Yeah.”

“Wh-What is coming?”

“The Wolf Witch’s wolves.”

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T/N: Melodia, expecting some sort of sophisticated investigation method. The Fenrir Knight: BEHOLD!! OUR ACE, THE TRACKING DOG! (ง’̀-‘́)ง