The Life, Death, and Relife of the Mushroom Mage

Chapter 17

Even so, she needed to not be so casual with commoners. Especially suspicious ones like Mally Mack. He had never heard of fungal magic before. Sure, there were a lot of weird magics out there, but he had certainly never heard of something so niche. And a fifteen year old should not be so casual about killing people. He should have panicked. Edwin was used to it due to the demon beast incursions from the northern mountains. But them? They were perfectly calm and composed. Which meant they were accustomed to death, and no one adjusted that quickly in six months. Edwin had been killing demon beasts from the age of thirteen and he still wasn't used to it.

Furthermore, it was very different to kill a monster versus a regular human being. They had obviously killed before. Killed people before. Of course, it could be something as being waylaid by bandits. That was the obvious solution. But, he always assumed the worst. Assuming the worst was for the best, and the Saint seemed obsessed with them.

It was concerning.

It was very concerning. He even heard she requested that she be there when the prince offered them their reward. Hopefully, they received something extravagant that they accepted and exposed her to their true character.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew a liar when he saw one.

"I don't think I should be celebrated for being able to kill easily."

Those words bothered him. Did they regret their dark past, or were they simply saying that to throw him off his rhythm? What was their game? He found it suspicious that they simply found themself at the inn where the Saint might be. It was kept closely under wraps for a full year that the Saint had been found, but...

He didn't trust them.

Their eyes were too trusting.

With a grunt, he pushed open the doors to his bedroom and closed them behind him. His head hit the back of the door with a thunk, and he stared up at the ceiling in silence.

Mally Mack was going to bother him for a while. He did not believe that they didn't have ulterior motives.

If the Saint fell in love with a commoner...

It would be worse than a scandal. It would be a problem. If the Saint tried to run off with them, it would spell disaster. The Saint was a fifteen year old girl, and fifteen year old girls were silly, vapid things, Saint or not. A pretty face was enough for them. Well, Edwin had a pretty face. If he had to get the Saint to fall for him to prevent a complete disaster, he'd do that.

He would have to do that.

His father would be disappointed in him for actually chasing a woman, but it was for the greater good. Anything to get her eyes off of that dirty little adventurer.

Yes, he would do that, he decided, and made his way to the clothes set up for him on the mannequin. He started to strip and got changed into the clothes he had commissioned for the evening. He didn't entirely want to go to the festival, but if the Saint was there, he'd have to go.

Changed into the black outfit, he turned for the vanity and swallowed down the potion that changed his hair color. It tasted faintly of strawberries and cream, and he wiped the back of his hand over his mouth as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair shimmered and slowly bled to black, and he put the mask over his face and secured it in the back. He was ready to go.

The Saint would probably hover around the guild hall with the intent of meeting Mally, and probably changed her hair. He would head there first. With a swish of his coat, he turned for the door and walked down the hall, his shiny boots flashing in the lamplight. The butler was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with his gloves, and he nodded as he picked them up and slipped them on.