IHDOE Ch 19

[Satina] "Could he have spotted his younger brother?"

[Katan] "Have you gone outside the mansion since I bought you and Wazl from the slave trader?"

[Satina] "Never."

[Satina] "Then how did he find out?"

He thought before answering.

[Katan] "Could it be through a servant inside the mansion?"

[Satina] "Even minor information within the ducal house sells for high prices. Do they look like they possess such money?"

[Katan] "Then how did he discover that fact?"

[Satina] "Information they gathered themselves."

Satina spoke, standing at the underground aqueduct entrance.

[Satina] "People curse rat beastkin, claiming they have small builds and weak strength while being cunning and quick to flee when trouble arises."

[Katan] "……"

[Satina] "Thinking conversely, a small build means entering places others can't reach easily. Strong survival instincts and sharp wits mean being sensitive to surrounding information. Does that description not bring a specific profession to mind?"

[Katan] "That is……"

Are those not abilities an assassin or information merchant would possess?

---

When Satina entered the cavern inside the underground aqueduct, Hedzel—who happened to be standing there—welcomed her.

[Hedzel] "Glad you came. Word says Lina has been walking around in a strange state since this morning. Did you meet her?"

[Satina] "Right, I came because of that matter. She said her dog vanished, so can we find him?"

At her question, Hedzel tilted his head in curiosity.

[Hedzel] "If you mean a dog, you mean that large yellow dog we saw back then, right? The fellow wearing a green collar."

A rat beastkin resting nearby raised his hand sharply upon listening to that conversation.

[R. Beastkin] "Huh? If you mean that dog, I saw him early this morning while hauling cargo! He was heading toward Alleyway 14!"

[R. Beastkin] "Come to think of it, Uncle Brown said this morning that he saw a large dog heading toward the pier from Alleyway 14."

[R. Beastkin] "Who is working at the pier around this time? I will go ask!"

Satina shrugged her shoulders toward Katan as if saying, See?

Finding the dog hidden aboard one of the ships anchored at the pier required barely two hours.

---

[Lina] "Cookie!"

Satina returned to Lina, bringing the dog found with Hedzel's help. She hugged the dog—now filthy after a single day—offering repeated thanks.

[Lina] "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. How can I ever repay this grace…… Ah!"

Unfastening the necklace worn around her neck, she handed it to Satina.

[Lina] "If it is all right with you, I will give you this."

[Satina] "Are you certain you are fine with this?"

[Lina] "I am fine."

Wiping remaining tear marks from her face, she spoke.

[Lina] "In truth, I wondered ever since the day we first met. What secret was hidden in this necklace that made you desire it so desperately……"

She stroked the head of the dog panting ignorantly beside her.

[Lina] "Had it not been for My Lady's help, I would have lost this fellow who is like my own life. You saved my life, so I should grant help once as well."

[Satina] "……"

[Lina] "I don't know the detailed circumstances, but I hope everything you do turns out well."

[Satina] "Thank you."

Tightening her grip on the necklace, Satina offered a smile.

[Liv] "Quest complete.

Ownership of 'Necklace Containing Lina's Memories' transferred to the player.

Destroying 'Necklace Containing Lina's Memories' grants the skill 'Purify Contamination'.

Would you like to destroy the gem and acquire the skill immediately?"

---

Returning to the underground aqueduct, Satina headed straight toward the contaminated well.

Destroying Lina's necklace in the skill window, she checked the newly acquired skill.

[Liv] "Purify Contamination. Utilizes holy power once per day to purify contaminated land and entities within a 1m radius."

Satina placed her hand on the blackened, contaminated land and sang. As the skill activated automatically, a system alert chime sounded.

[Liv] "Purifying contaminated land. Current land contamination: 100%."

With a tense face, Hedzel watched Satina sing.

Please.

If she failed here, a miserable death was all that remained in Hedzel's companions' future.

Taking in his expression, Katan spoke.

[Katan] "Don't feel anxious."

[Hedzel] "Huh?"

Unprepared for Katan to speak to him, Hedzel turned to him with wide eyes.

[Katan] "Simply trust."

Without even glancing toward Hedzel, Katan continued speaking while gazing solely at Satina.

[Katan] "Because she possesses the capability to accomplish this."

[Liv] "Current land contamination: 80%

Current land contamination: 70%

Current land contamination: 50%

The land has been completely purified!"

White light erupted from the ground. Blackened, contaminated soil transformed into clean, fertile ground.

[Liv] "Completely cured Hedzel's companions. Successfully purified the sanctuary of Hedzel and his companions.

Quest 'Hero of the Gutter' complete. Acquired title 'Hero of the Gutter'.

The rat beastkin now consider you one of their own. They hold absolute trust in you, treating your difficulties and pain as if experienced by their own family.

Hedzel gained strong trust in the player! Even if the player threatens his life, he will willingly trust you."

Taking in the completely purified land, Hedzel let out a breath of relief, leaning against the wall.

[Hedzel] "It is finally over."

[Satina] "Yes."

[Hedzel] "I owe you immense grace. I will repay this debt for the rest of my life."

[Satina] "Is that so?"

[Hedzel] "Yes. People claim we lack loyalty, but that is only because others ignore us first. We are not such disloyal bastards."

[Satina] "A path to repaying that grace immediately exists, though."

She extended her hand toward Hedzel sitting on the floor.

[Satina] "Will you enter into a partnership with me? Let us become the empire's top information merchants."

[Hedzel] "What? I-Information merchants?"

[Satina] "I say this because you possess exceptional talent for handling information."

Hedzel held outstanding talent for gathering, combining, and selecting useful pieces from collected information. Though currently busy earning day-to-day, he would establish himself quickly once he set his mind to it.

[Satina] "You can't live like this here forever. Shall we climb up together?"

[Hedzel] "Climb up together……"

He raised his head, looking at the completely blocked ceiling of the underground aqueduct.

Bright sunlight likely shone outside, yet inside the underground aqueduct, nothing could be discerned. Yet even inside this dark aqueduct, Satina shone brightly.

In that case……

Hedzel reached out, gripping her extended hand.

Shortly after, an invitation to the Imperial Ball arrived for Satina.

---

Satina inspected the invitation details written on high-grade stationery.

[Satina] "Attending the Imperial Ball means meeting the Crown Prince too, right?"

She recalled the Crown Prince ordering her dragged away cold-heartedly on her birthday.

[Satina] "I have no desire to meet him."

However, avoiding the ball was impossible.

[Liv] "Quest: Successfully attend the Imperial Ball.

Reward: Fame +10, Information regarding Male Lead Target 3"

Lacking even a guess as to who Male Lead Target 3 was right now, the information granted by this quest was vital.

[Satina] "Right, at least the Crown Prince will not charge at me attempting murder. Might as well go. At any rate……"

Looking into the mirror revealed a strikingly gorgeous beauty.

[Satina] "With a face like this, getting ostracized in high society is an achievement in itself."

Even draped in rags, her face would make them appear like top-quality luxury goods embroidered stitch by stitch by a master craftsman.

Well, such is her situation.

[Liv] "Satina's appearance is also connected to the player's soul."

[Satina] "My soul?"

[Liv] "Don't even identical people feel completely different depending on expression and atmosphere?

Because the player's soul awakened upon realizing your past life, Satina's appearance will feel completely different."

[Satina] "Then what about now? Does it look pretty only in my eyes even now?"

[Liv] "No. Because of the player's awareness, the light of your soul illuminates Satina. Right now, the player is……"

A round loading window popped up before her eyes as if Liv were selecting words.

[Liv] "The player is beautiful."

Satina burst into a small laugh.

[Satina] "Did you deliberate that much just to say those words? Well, whatever. The problem is what to wear."

Attending an Imperial Ball meant one couldn't simply wear any clothes. Holders of status like a duke's daughter attended every ball wearing a new dress.

However, she lacked money. Her position allowed no support from the family either. All she possessed was 199 gold and outdated dresses whose fashion had long passed.

Perhaps due to that, Hedzel sent her a letter filled with worry.

[Hedzel] "Everyone is talking since you are attending the ball, asking if you need to buy a new dress. Sometimes it feels like they like you more than me. If you lack money, tell me. It is not much, but gathering a little among ourselves will prove somewhat helpful."

Busy taking the first steps as an information merchant lately, Hedzel still paid attention to worrying about her dress.

[Liv] "How about accepting Hedzel's help?"

At the system's question, Satina shook her head.

[Satina] "Forget it. That would be taking candy from a baby. How could I ask for money from kids struggling with expenses lately?"

She held a dress with a tacky plaid pattern against her body, speaking aloud.

[Satina] "Wearing something like this will not do, right?"

[Liv] "To successfully attend the ball, a perfect outfit matching the player's status is required."

[Satina] "Then you mean I must acquire clothes starting with my entire wealth of 199 gold."

However, buying a dress suitable for the ball required at least 200,000 gold.

[Satina] "I must multiply my current money a thousandfold at least."

[Liv] "Will you use Liv for gambling again?"

[Satina] "Frequenting a gambling house until rumors spread that I am an addict will plummet Fame immensely, won't it?"

[Liv] "Then will you abandon the quest like this?"

[Satina] "It is fine. A method exists, after all."

Meanwhile, Sharlan also heard news regarding the Imperial Ball.

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