The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 92
“This side will be taken care of by them.”
Since we couldn’t call Hedonia or Esban by their names here, Shaelock simply gestured towards Esban and Hedonia.
“I can take care of myself.”
At Hedonia’s prideful words, Shaelock whispered calmly,
“You can’t compare to an Esper.”
Hedonia’s face twisted. I watched their bickering with an amused expression.
…Is this the start of their hostile relationship?
Seeing the heroine and the hero so eager to tear each other apart felt strangely intriguing.
Though it’s often the beginning of romance… seeing Hedonia get hurt didn’t sit well with me.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
Thinking it was best to separate them quickly, I practically dragged Shaelock into the room.
The reason no one was left in the drawing room was right here in this room.
“Welcome, new big shots.”
Like someone from a play, the affected tone made it hard to identify him.
If Shaelock hadn’t told me, I might not have recognized his identity.
But I already knew that the person behind that grotesque mask was the Marquis of Shepherd.
The masked Marquis of Shepherd sat with people tightly packed on either side.
There were about ten people acting as his guards. These burly men, almost as big as a mountain, were practically blocking the walls.
“You said you wanted to exchange all those chips back into money.”
“Yes.”
Shaelock, seated, directed her gaze towards the bookshelf covering the wall behind the desk.
It was similar yet different in structure to her own study.
Her gaze, which had lingered there, moved back to the Marquis of Shepherd.
“If you truly welcome us, how about paying the money first and then we start talking? I’ve heard much about the reputation of this place.”
“Ah, a reasonable suggestion.”
The Marquis of Shepherd chuckled and clapped his hands.
His behavior here was entirely different from what I had seen before.
As if he had put on a new mask.
…This different demeanor likely contributed to why no one had suspected his true identity all this time.
Soon, several rectangular bags, the kind you see in movies, were neatly stacked before us.
“Open the bags so they can check.”
At the Marquis of Shepherd’s command, his guards swiftly moved to open the bags.
Inside, they revealed stacks of bills packed tightly.
…They appeared flawless on the surface.
“Hmm.”
Shaelock moved closer to the box and began inspecting the bills closely.
“Feel free to check as much as you like. Trust is everything in our gambling house.”
The confident voice suggested a strong belief in the counterfeit skills.
Shaelock inspected the bills and then chuckled.
“These are fake.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Here, there’s still an ink mark. Marquis of Shepherd.”
The moment Shaelock pointed to a corner of the bill and called his name, the Marquis of Shepherd, who had been moving leisurely, stiffened.
“It means the good times are over.”
The marquis stood frozen in place as if time had stopped, remaining silent for a long while.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I don’t even know who you’re talking to…”
He seemed determined to deny everything, but his acting was terrible.
Repeating the same words over and over made it obvious.
His trembling hands were visible even from here. He slowly extended his hand, curling his fingers into a signal.
The burly men surrounding him lunged at us.
Swoosh.
But Shaelock moved much faster than they did.
Before we knew it, a giant whirlwind surrounded Shaelock.
‘It’s the same power I saw in the dungeon.’
As expected, when I turned my head, I saw Rodite’s faint silhouette glowing and enveloping both Shaelock and me.
“Ugh… A mage!”
Shaelock’s power was so diverse that it couldn’t be easily identified, and thus her true identity remained unpredictable.
The Marquis of Shepherd, having made a grave miscalculation, ran to the desk and hastily took something out.
The Marquis, holding a round orb-like object, threw it at us. The speed of his action was unbelievable given his usual demeanor.
“Rodite.”
“I know.”
Of course, Shaelock’s call to Rodite came even faster.
Rodite swiftly created a barrier of wind to block the mysterious object thrown by the Marquis of Shepherd.
But merely blocking it was not all she did.