An Adventurer Mom, Who Awakened [Housewife] Skill Through a Login Bonus, Is Making the Most of Her Adventurer Life With the Weekly Flyers She Gets! - Chapter 50

Even her father, Garfa, seemed taken aback by this.

“Now, Minerva” he said, trying hurriedly to stop her, but Minerva looked straight at Og and spoke.

“Everyone’s Acorn Chalice — is it truly all right for us to use it? I have heard it was gathered for your comrade and the people of his home village.”

“Minerva!”

“Father, the suffering of becoming a werewolf is the same for all of us. But something so precious… is it truly right for us to accept it?”

Minerva furrowed her brows in worry.

“…………”

Og paused, as if thinking deeply, then quietly began to unwrap his bandages.

His entire body was covered in thick fur, to the point where he was indistinguishable from a true beastman.

“Please use it. Bernhardt-san gave me the Acorn Chalice, but we haven’t gathered the other ingredients yet, and we don’t even have an apothecary to make the medicine. I want to return to my original form as soon as possible but my village is a peaceful place — we’ll manage somehow.”

Og smiled with his wolf’s face.

Minerva, in turn, gave Og a graceful, formal lady’s bow — the highest form of courtesy.

“Thank you, Og-sama, everyone. I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live.”

As she said this, a single tear rolled down Minerva’s cheek.

＊＊＊

The dinner gathering began.

“Since we have children present, please do not worry about formal manners” Garfa said.

Thanks to that, even though the meal was an ultra-luxurious feast lined with top-class ingredients, they could eat without feeling too nervous.

Incidentally, the main dish was a steak of the highest-grade, marbled Momo beef.

What do you even talk about with the super-rich? the Gamma Team wondered inwardly, but both Garfa and Gilbert had a wealth of topics to share, so the conversation flowed surprisingly well.

Minerva joined in as well.

“Eh, Minerva-sama, you’re an apothecary?”

Minerva, Og, Rick and Laura were all around the same age.

Though their positions in life were completely different, they warmed up to each other quickly, chatting happily like young people do.

“Yes. It was a year ago that we were attacked by beastfolk and became werewolves. Since I could no longer go outside, I began studying to be an apothecary.”

“Hee—”

Minerva was sixteen years old.

She’s so young yet so capable, Kachua thought in admiration.

Through a year of intense study, Minerva had earned the qualification of an advanced apothecary, capable of making the highest-grade status ailment recovery potions.

“That’s amazing!” Ed exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.

After the pleasant dinner gathering was over and Kachua and the others were full, they were just about ready to take their leave when—

“Before that, I would like to speak with you for a moment. Would that be all right?”

One of the guards addressed them.

For some reason, the guards were wearing hats or masks even indoors, their whole bodies hidden beneath cloaks.

“This will be a somewhat delicate matter. The children should accompany the young lady to another room.”

It seemed Minerva herself would be looking after the children.

As if everything had already been arranged, Minerva nodded to the guard and beckoned to them.

“Ed-kun, Barbara-chan, please come this way.”

The guards then turned to Bernhardt.

“His Highness is to be entertained by the master and young master”

Apparently, they wished to speak only with the Gamma Team.

“You heard them. You go over there” Ann said, trying to shoo him away, but Bernhardt was undeterred.

“No, I’ll go with Ann.”

“This is a matter between adventurers…” the guard said reluctantly, clearly hesitant to bring Bernhardt along.

“My current standing is also that of an adventurer.”

At this reply, the guard raised his voice slightly.

“What we are about to discuss will be most unpleasant for His Highness to hear. Please, accompany the master.”

It was now an outright『Do not come』, but Bernhardt simply turned a dazzling smile on the guard.

“Don’t worry. Whatever it is, it won’t be considered disrespect.”

He clearly wasn’t budging an inch.

The guards let out a resigned sigh.

“Very well. His Highness may accompany you. However, what we are about to discuss must not be spoken of elsewhere.”

“And please, do not forget your own words — 『it won’t be considered disrespect』.”

They made sure to impress this point upon him.

Kachua and the others were led into a room quite different from the bright, elegant space they had just been in — this one had a somewhat tense atmosphere.

It wasn’t part of the section of the Garfa estate used by Garfa himself or his family, but rather seemed to be a room for the servants.

There were sofas and tables arranged inside — apparently, it was the guards’ quarters.

“Sorry for bringing you to such a cramped place” they apologized, but the slightly cluttered state of the room actually felt more comfortable to Kachua and her companions.

“Kachua.”

“Jessica.”

To their surprise, Jessica was there. When she saw the Gamma Team, she bowed her head with a quick, “I’m sorry!”

“I’m the one who reported the Acorn Chalice to Mr.Garfa” Jessica said in a subdued tone.

“Mr.Garfa is your employer, Jessica, so you couldn’t help it” Kachua reassured her.

“But still…”

“It’s not like I was forced to give it up or anything” Og said. “My sister taught me to be kind to women. If I hadn’t given the Acorn Chalice to Lady Minerva and the others, my sister would have scolded me.”

“If Og’s fine with it, then I’m fine with it too” Rick added.

“Me too” Laura agreed.

“See? So don’t worry about it so much, Jessica” Ann said.

“But, Ann-senpai…”

“I’m the one who received it, and I say it’s fine. Being earnest is a good trait, but you’ve always had a tendency to brood over things too much” Ann pointed out sharply.

Jessica, caught squarely on the mark, gave a small gasp.

“We’d also like to offer our thanks” said one of the guards.

There were six of them in total.

They began removing their masks, hats, and cloaks.

“I knew it…”

That was the thought that crossed the Gamma Team’s minds as they looked at them.

The guards bore wolf-like traits.

They were the guards who had been attacked a year ago.

One in particular had features as strongly lupine as Og himself.

“Thank you so much for giving the ingredients to the young ladies. We cannot express our gratitude enough.”

Saying this, they all bowed their heads to the Gamma Team and to Bernhardt.

“After becoming werewolves, our strength and speed increased. We tried to use that to gather the ingredients for the highest-grade status ailment recovery potion”

“But we lacked the ability to succeed” another admitted, frustration in their voice.

“They were one of the adventurer teams that headed for the ninety-ninth floor” Jessica explained.

“The matter we wish to discuss is about the wolf beastman who attacked us… and Og-kun.”

“Eh?”

“After meeting you, Og-kun, we’re certain of it. The one who attacked us and the one who attacked your village — I believe it’s the same beastman. It’s hard to explain, but… the scent is the same.”

“Y-yeah… it does smell kind of the same” Og said hesitantly.

It seemed there was some kind of unspoken connection between beastmen, conveyed through scent.

The guards cast a brief glance at Bernhardt’s face before beginning to speak.

“A year ago, we were suddenly attacked by a wolf beastman. It happened just after Lady Minerva received a marriage proposal from the Third Prince.”

They spoke the Third Prince’s title without any honorific, their tone dripping with resentment.

“From the Third Prince…”

“A little over a year ago, the master refused the Third Prince’s proposal. I’ve heard that Lady Minerva herself also had no desire to become the prince’s bride”  another guard added.

“It was a decision made as the head of a great merchant association and as his family. We don’t know the details, nor do we need to. But after refusing the proposal, Lady Minerva was attacked by a wolf beastman and turned into a werewolf.”

“We believe the one who sent that wolf beastman… was the Third Prince.”

“Eh??!”

Kachua was speechless.

“Why would he do such a thing? I mean, he’s the one proposing to her, isn’t he? The prince?”

“Lady Minerva was attacked on her way back from a tea party at a young lady’s home she knew well. It happened right after she refused the Third Prince’s proposal for the second time.”

After the engagement was refused, Minerva’s security had been tightened. She was never left alone, always accompanied by multiple maids, with more female knights assigned, and protected by guards in several layers. Even so, she was still attacked.

“Lady Minerva has an elder brother, Lord Gilbert. For a young lady not in line to inherit the family estate to have this level of security — any reasonable assailant would have backed down immediately.”

“Wolf beastmen are naturally very cautious. For them to attack so many people in a densely populated urban area is extremely rare.”

“It makes far more sense to believe that the wolf beastmen were『sent』by someone” they said.

Ann cast a sidelong glance at the Second Prince, Bern Luvald with his current name Bernhardt and asked the guards,

“So you’re saying that someone… is the Third Prince?”

“That’s right.”

The Third Prince was Bernhardt’s younger brother. It was no wonder the guards hadn’t wanted him to hear this.

Bernhardt himself stood with his arms folded, eyes closed, and said nothing.

“…………”

“The Third Prince is currently seeking backing for himself. The one he chose was a woman he could easily discard later — someone with wealth and influence, but not of the nobility. That woman… was Lady Minerva.”

The guards spoke in voices heavy with bitterness.