The Horax village was in an uproar the next day. And the main reason for such an uproar was the arrival of a single figure.
“L-Lady Minerva, what are you doing here yourself? There was no need for my lady to take up such a task herself when….”
“I came here because I had business here. Do not flatter yourself by thinking it is for you. Now, where is the couple that was stationed here? Bring me to them.”
Meanwhile, Quince was thankful for the support team and their quick response to his inquiry.
It was all thanks to them that Clove was recovering at a rapid rate and her fever had finally broken as well.
As soon as Clove stabilized, Quince handed the healing potion vile over to the doctor who had cured Clove. He was a highly-learned man whom Quince trusted.
And he also wanted to get his doubts cleared as soon as possible.
“M-Master Quince, where did you get this potion vile? The one who gave this to you did not lie at all. It is the highest-quality healing potion one could find.”
The doctor looked to be in awe of the vile. But Quince was just relieved to not be ripped off in such a blunt manner.
It looked like Aurora had been telling the truth about her having high connections. And Quince would need to exercise caution with her.
And also keep Aurora and Clove as far away as possible.
“What is all this commotion about? I would like to participate in this talk as well.”
Quince had just started to relax but he tensed as soon as he heard that voice. It was such an iconic voice that he could not help but get whiplash as soon as he heard it.
“L-Lady Minerva, it is incredible. This potion is potent and it is undiluted. Here, have a look.”
Had Quince known about Lady Minerva’s arrival, he would have never dared to hand the healing potion over for inquiry in Horax village.
He would also have prepared an excuse to account for his vile’s presence in his inventory.
“Oh, let me have a look. Give that vile here.”
Quince wanted to stop the exchange from happening but there was no way for him to do that anymore.
He watched with a heavy heart as Lady Minerva held the vile and opened it to take a sniff.
Her face did not change even a single bit as she observed the contents inside the veil before handing it back to the doctor.
“It is indeed the real deal. The potency of it tells me that a goddess made it. So, Quince, where did you get this potion from? And do try not to lie to me.”
Quince cursed his luck but he could no longer lie. He had to tell them what happened in Horax village before they arrived.
But although he could not lie, Quince could omit the truth to suit his needs. And that was what he was counting on doing.
“While out hunting beasts, I met someone who saved me and my companion. They took pity on me and handed me this potion and then left for the village.”
“I arrived back with Clove to allow her to recover but by the time I checked for that person, they were gone from this village. This is all I know.”
Lady Minerva’s eyes did not change at his answer. Quince had no idea if the goddess believed his words or not.
“You did not know this person you speak of? Is it the same one who put up this barrier around Horax village?”
“Yes.”
“I see. I suppose I cannot blame you for not being able to look through such a tough illusion. You are far too green right now. Now, rest here while I go and investigate this matter further.”
Quince held his breath till Lady Minerva left the room.
He was more than aware that his words had not been believed by the goddess at all but he was happy to have gotten this time.
Now if only Quince never runs into Aurora again, it would be the best-case scenario.
But he had a feeling that he would run into Aurora far sooner than he would have liked to.
==========================
Minerva exited the room with a dark expression on her face. Anyone who saw her quickly escaped out of her way.
It was not just her expression but her magic as well that was lashing out.
“My lady, you are scaring away our people. Kindly calm down a bit.”
Thankfully, not everyone in her guards was a coward and quickly established what needed to be done.
“Quince dared to lie to me. He might say that he never met the owner of that vile but his aura gave him away. If not for my fondness for him, I would have ended him there and then.”
It was not like Minerva could not understand why Quince had lied to her. It was clear as a day that only a goddess could have produced such a potent healing potion.
But to hide it from Minerva was a grave sin in her eyes.
“My lady, Quince is still a child. He will learn in due time and will understand what needs to be done. Meanwhile, we looked around for the kid you mentioned but it seems as if we were too late.”
“What did you say?”
“We looked around and it seems like someone took that girl away…”
Minerva had managed to calm down a bit but the news send her temper flying again. Minerva had never felt such peeved before.
It was like she was playing chess with an invisible enemy and she was always two steps behind her enemy.
She had been feeling the same ever since Astoria had managed to escape the tower with her guest.
“Who dared to do such a thing?”
Had someone discovered who that girl had been? Or had it been a coincidence? Minerva was no longer sure what to think about this situation.
“Let’s head to the village elder’s house and have a talk. Hopefully, the situation is not beyond our control just yet.”
Although Minerva said that, she could not help but feel like she had already lost this hand.
The leader couple looked nervous to see her. The man could not even look Minerva in the eye while the female tried everything to flatter her.
“No more. I just want to know who took the girl away.”
“It was someone named Aurora. She said she was from an institute and saw talent in that girl, Emilia, and our son. D-Did we make a mistake? But she could do magic?”
Lady Rose looked a little annoyed at being tricked but Lady Minerva already knew she had lost this gamble.
Now that she knew the name of the one who had taken away her prize, she could not help but remember the one person who had defied the tower and lived to tell the tale.
“Don’t worry. The one who took your kids away was not lying. Your kids are in safe hands.”
It hurt to say but Lady Minerva did not lie to the couple. She saw no benefit in lying and she also did not want to anger Karan right now.
Whatever beef Lady Minerva had with Astoria and Aurora would have to be settled during the first investigation report. Doing anything before that would cause the tower’s reputation to take a downfall.
“By the way, I am interested in one more topic. The main shrine in the village, can I possibly see it?”
With the major topic out of the way, Lady Minerva decided to focus on the one topic that was itching her.
There was weird energy coming out from the center of the village and the seal protecting it felt familiar to her.
Unlike the barrier that covered the village, this one was designed to keep something in and had a goddess’s power embedded inside it.
It made Minerva curious to look at the thing Goddess of Victory could have stored in this village.
“O-Of course. My lady, come and follow behind me.”
Lady Rose jumped at the chance to show her worth. Minerva had dealt with too many people having the same temperament so she was not surprised to face such an extreme reaction.
“Are you not going to follow us, Mr. Rose?”
The man looked startled at being called out but he shook his head as soon as he realized that he was being called upon.
“Let him be. My husband is such a shy person and he’ll hold us back if we take him with us.”
Lady Rose left her husband with no face when she criticized him. But it was not Lady Minerva’s place to say anything to them.
They had their own pace to follow and their problem to solve. Minerva will not interfere in their mess and leave the village be.
She had far more important things to take care of.
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