The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 22: Lady Petra

Episode 22: Lady Petra 

As I peeked outside the carriage, I noticed that we weren’t heading toward the front entrance. But rather, it was toward the back of the mansion. We cut across the garden and made our way to the rear of the estate. After a short while, the carriage came to a stop. 

“To ensure that as few people as possible learn about you, Fel-san, we’ll be entering through the back entrance. Which is less conspicuous. Are you ready?” 

I nodded while wearing my suspicious-looking mask. Lilia, who was still invisible, was looking at me as if I were some kind of exotic creature. Please, Lilia, don’t look at me like that—it hurts my soul. I know this outfit is ridiculous. Even though I was the one who requested a disguise. 

Sancho-san was the first to step out of the carriage. After scanning the surroundings, he gave me a nod. 

Was all this really necessary? Just how serious was this request? 

As soon as I got off the carriage, I was quickly ushered inside through the back entrance. There, waiting for us, was a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant noble’s outfit. This was probably Count Hauzinha. He had the kind of face that would be popular with women. But his complexion didn’t look great. 

“I’ve been expecting you. I am Laurence Hauzinha.” 

Count Hauzinha greeted me with a noble’s bow. I almost instinctively returned the same kind of bow but managed to stop myself in time. 

“I am a traveling healer. I came here through my connection with Sancho-san.” 

I tried to be as polite as possible while keeping my tone that of a commoner. It wouldn’t be proper etiquette by noble standards. But it should be good enough for a commoner. 

“Let’s get started right away. I will now proceed with the curse removal.” 

“Please, this way.” 

Count Hauzinha didn’t ask any questions. He had likely already heard everything from Sancho-san. The real question was how much I could trust Sancho-san. But at this point, I had no choice but to go along with it. 

The count led us into a salon. The moment we stepped inside, I could tell it was a bright and spacious room with excellent natural lighting. Lilia, still on my head, was clearly delighted. She had a preference for places like this. I’d have to keep that in mind when renting a place in the future. 

Inside the room, a woman was waiting. She must have been the countess. Despite the melancholic expression on her face, she was undeniably beautiful. 

“This is my wife, Petra.” 

Introduced by Count Hauzinha, Lady Petra gracefully performed a noblewoman’s bow. As expected of a countess. Lilia was watching her intently, almost fixated. 

………She’s not feeling competitive, is she? Just so we’re clear, I’m not the type to chase after married women. 

“Let’s begin immediately.” 

I took a step closer to Lady Petra and held out my hand. 

“Anti-Curse.” 

Particles of light emerged from my palm and enveloped Lady Petra. It lasted only a moment. Before it faded away as if nothing had happened. 

“That was it? …Ah! My voice! I can speak again!” 

“Petra!” 

The count and his wife embraced, crying in relief. Meanwhile, the three of us quietly turned our backs to give them some privacy. 

“Sancho-san. Now that the treatment is complete, may I leave? I’ve already received my reward for dealing with the bandits. And I’d like to leave Everan by the end of the day if possible.” 

“Fel-san, if you leave now, you’ll end up having to camp outside. If you’re going to depart, I’d recommend waiting until morning.” 

Hmm… I wouldn’t mind camping, honestly. The monsters along the roads were weak. So there wasn’t much danger. But judging by Sancho-san’s tone, he clearly wanted me to stay another night. 

“What do you think, Lilia?” 

“Hmm, let’s leave tomorrow. We’ve only explored the food stalls so far.” 

“Oh, in that case, you should visit my trading company! I guarantee you’ll find something worthwhile. We have the best selection anywhere.” 

As we chatted, Count Hauzinha and his wife seemed to have calmed down. Their eyes were still swollen from crying. But they had regained their composure. 

“Forgive us for showing such an unsightly display. Healer, we would like to offer you a reward…” 

“Yes, yes, Laurence is right. It would be unthinkable not to repay our benefactor properly.” 

I had expected this. But now, I had to decide. Accepting a reward would probably make things easier in the long run, but I didn’t particularly need anything. 

…Well, actually, there was one thing. But would that be asking for too much? It would be incredibly useful, though… Maybe I should just ask and see what happens? 

“In that case, if you don’t mind, would it be possible to receive a magic bag? Even a small one would be fine.”

Count Hauzinha and Lady Petra smiled warmly. 

“Of course. We’ll prepare one right away.” 

I did it. I never expected to get one so quickly. While some nobles owned them, hardly any adventurers had one. That’s how rare and expensive they were. 

Count Hauzinha promptly prepared a magic bag. According to his explanation, it could store about as much as an entire warehouse. Wasn’t this too extravagant as a reward for lifting a curse? I started to feel a little guilty. 

I had only hoped for something much smaller—maybe one with enough capacity to hold a single chest’s worth of items. This was an unexpected miscalculation. But at this point, I couldn’t exactly say, “Actually, I don’t need it.” So, I gratefully accepted it. Besides, they seemed happy to give it to me. So I figured it was fine. 

After receiving my reward, we quickly left the Hauzinha estate. It seemed that Count Hauzinha and Sancho-san had planned this from the start. As we weren’t particularly urged to stay. We smoothly returned to Sancho-san’s residence. 

“Fel-san, I truly appreciate it. Since Lady Petra lost her voice, she hasn’t been able to attend any social gatherings. There were even groundless rumors spreading that her curse was contagious.” 

“I suppose that was part of the opposition’s strategy. But will she be okay now? Isn’t there a risk that she could be cursed again?” 

“There’s no need to worry. Lady Petra is now wearing an anti-curse necklace. As long as she has that, she won’t be afflicted again.” 

Noble life sure is tough. Curses and vendettas—it’s inevitable that someone will end up harboring resentment. And to prevent that, they have to spend money on countermeasures. No wonder nobles are always desperate for wealth. 

“Hey, Fel. Since we’re done with our task and we got a magic bag, why don’t we continue shopping? We still have time.” 

“Yeah, let’s do that. Sancho-san, we’re heading out for a bit.” 

“Understood. Would you like a carriage and a guide?” 

“There’s no need. We’ll go wherever we want and return whenever we feel like it.” 

The greatest privilege of being an adventurer is freedom—freedom from restrictions. Not even nobles could rival that. After saying farewell to Sancho-san, we stepped out into the streets of Everan. 

Maybe we should visit Sancho-san’s trading company first? He did say they had an impressive selection. If he were there, he might even say, “Take whatever you want.” So in hindsight, I was glad I declined the guide. 

Spending money earned through my own efforts was one of the joys of being an adventurer. Slowly but surely, life would become more convenient—and that was a win in itself. Well, getting a magic bag definitely felt like skipping a few steps ahead, though.