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nTranslator: Yonnee

nTranslator and Editor: Bunny and Clisely

nChapter 52 – An Unexpected Kidnapping

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nThat day, late in the evening.

nBefore she headed to the small pub where the celebration venue was to be held, Sierra gave Cassius a firm warning in advance. The pub was definitely in an alley near the Imperial Palace, but it was strangely bleak and desolate. As she had expected, the pub was very gloomy and strange. She cheered inside as she recalled her conversation with Cassius.

n‘You have to dispatch the Knights Order immediately if you think that I am going to be in danger.’

n‘Of course.’

n‘Because my life is the most important. I never intend to risk myself!’

n‘Yes, your life is the most precious. I’ll keep that in mind.’

nSierra smiled softly as she recalled her conversation with the docile Cassius, remembering her gold bars in the safe. She happily went inside. But as she went inside the gloomy pub, there were soft lighted candles laid around the carpet. It was as if they were having an anniversary party with someone….

nPretending to be moderately stupid, Sierra put her hands together and clapped as she walked into the pub. Though, things were a bit odd. Felia, who was in the middle of the trio, was holding a cake and said with a trembling voice, “Congratulations on coming to our pharmacy!”

n“This is a party to commemorate our friendship.”

n“Welcome!”

nSierra nervously walked away. She thought that the butter would fly on her face, but there was ‘Sierra, God of Pharmacy’ lettering written on the cake.

n‘No… what is this? I know I was good at it, but isn’t this too much?’ Sierra frowned.

nThen they opened their mouths cautiously.

n“I saw you check the medicine bottle last time. The public wouldn’t know, but we do – what great skill that is.”

n… it was honorifics.

n“… Moreover, I heard from people I knew that doctors in the Hippo Kingdom also praised Miss Sierra’s medicine.”

nShe could clearly see the color on their faces even though the pub was dark. Sierra widened her mouth.

n‘I thought that the three pharmacists, including Lily, would somehow kidnap or harass me…?’

nShe couldn’t figure out how this was going to turn out. Standing near the mellow candles in the meantime, they spoke in a friendly tone.

n“Should we sing a song?”

n“No, let’s just cut the cake.”

nShe didn’t feel anything until the end. Sierra was only able to keep up with the tension when they suddenly made their way to the center floor of the pub. But as soon as a large placard suddenly came down to the floor, their faces turned red and they began clapping.

n‘Are they insane? What is this? Why are they doing this?’

nShe thought that they definitely were scheming something if they had tried to embarrass her, but there were more problems. Their silly comments are not over yet.

nWe have seen your beautiful and brilliant skills, Miss Sierra. You are very nice and perfect! You are the best! God of Pharmacy!

nThey even handed a letter to Sierra and had a letter reading session. In fact, Sierra was very embarrassed by their flatteries that her face contorted into a bewildered expression.

n‘Isn’t this ridiculous…? What’s with this unfamiliar praise that’s making me blush?’

nThey began to raise their voices even more after Sierra stayed silent for a while.

n“I will choose the song titled ‘Honor, Honor, Honor’.”

n“Start.”

nThere were obviously people with their mouths open singing, but why was there a sound of a pig eating? Listening to their horrible high notes of a three-man-stage, Sierra rubbed her eyes and began to reflect on the bizarre happenings today.

n‘What the hell is this! No, should I say that it was a relief that we are friends?’

nShe thought that she should work a little harder, but she really felt that this is exactly the place to beat merit supremacy now that it has come to this. If Sierra spoke now, then they would tell her all the rumors inside the Imperial Palace, then that wouldn’t be bad. It was a little out of the blue, but anyway, it was quite joyful to have someone support her in the Imperial Palace.

nThe celebration party was over; the three pharmacists drank alcohol and got very drunk, ready to kiss up to Sierra. She abandoned the drunk people and rushed out of the pub. She had made all sorts of preparations in case they harassed her, but it was all useless now.

nThat moment when she trudged out of the entrance of the suspicious alleyway,

n‘Hey, what’s with that suspicious grandma?’

nThere was a suspicious person in front of Sierra. There was randomly an old woman with a bent back, she shouldn’t have been in a place like this at night.

n“Miss.” Her voice was sharp, and it looked like she was a suspicious person disguised as an old woman.

nSierra asked her with great anticipation, “Yes?”

nSierra quickly looked behind the old woman, and behind her in another fairly dim alleyway, there stood a suspicious carriage. The very dark fabric covering the carriage made it obvious that it was a carriage used for kidnapping.

n‘This was a kidnapping method about 30 years ago, but it’s the norm for them to do it this way.’

nSierra grinned as she remembered the pocket necklace Cassius had given her.

n‘This trap is too easy.’

nHow easy does Sierra look to set this trap?

nShe lightly lifted the old woman’s luggage and asked, “Where should I put this?”

n“The carriage, over there in the alley!”

n“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll bring it there right away.”

nSierra thought that after she carried the old woman’s luggage, a suspicious person would get off the skeptical carriage and kidnap her. However….

n“Aigoo, this young lady is very gentle and kind.”

nThe old woman praised Sierra as she patted her shoulder with her wrinkled hands. A man in a colorful uniform got down from the carriage as she coughed in vain. Sierra was expecting him to take out a white cloth to cover her mouth, but….

n“Thank you.”

n…. The man was quite polite. Sierra lowered her head, trembling. Soon, the old woman will change…!

n“This lady carried my luggage.”

n… I thought you’d hit the back of my neck?

n“You are truly a benefactor.”

nEven the man in colorful clothes, who got off the carriage, looked at her gently. He then escorted the simple-looking old woman into the carriage. The grandma handed Sierra a pouch of money and a small fortune cookie.

n“Thank you. I will give you a reward if you come to 1 Britton Street later.”

nHe then carefully bowed deeply towards Sierra.

n‘This… shouldn’t be it.’

nThe suspicious grandmother and the carriage left. Sierra, who was left alone, blinked her eyes in bewilderment.

n‘What is this fortune cookie for?’

nThere was a distrustful small fortune cookie inside the pouch, as if it had been already opened. Sierra stared at the fortune cookie, with its crunchy looking surface.

n‘It doesn’t smell like drugs. It’s really just like a fortune cookie….’

nSierra swallowed her saliva and opened the cookie with trembling hands.

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