The Princess Kidnapping System Made Me OP-Chapter 88: Renowned Scammer

The smoke thickened, becoming almost solid and twisted itself into a very peculiar shape.

It was a rune ring with countless strange patterns lining it. Every single part of it seemed to have an untold purpose, like the parts of a circuit board.

But there was one thing that caught Wise’s attention. He quickly slipped out the black card from his pocket and glanced at it.

’What does this mean?!’

How was the Phoenix hovering above him identical to the one on the card he had picked up?

Wise was even more eager to remember what he had forgotten more than before. It seemed there were far too many secrets buried in his mind.

The story of the SkyFires’ demise.

The hero he was after.

And the lie his predecessor had spoken of.

Everything he craved to know might just be locked behind the damned seal.

Beidou stared at the cloud of smoke and smiled nervously. "A seal, a powerful one at that. Whoever did this to you has gone the extra mile to make sure you never remember."

"It’s nasty work...

First, it makes it near impossible for you to tell others what you have seen, and then it slowly strips you of your memories one by one, until there is nothing left.

At that point, there is nothing to report so the first part of the spell vanishes, but the other remains."

There was an unsettling silence at the end of her words.

"Can you break the seal?" Wise asked, his curiosity burning in his chest.

Beidou kept her gaze on him as she picked up her bottle of gin and drank, letting out a soft whistle. "That kick at the end is one of the many joys of life," she said, smiling.

"Can I undo the seal? Do you know who I am? I am the greatest shaman to ever walk on this earth!" She lifted her bottle into the air, a goofy alcohol-induced grin on her face.

Then she settled down.

"Then get to work! I want to remember everything—"

Beidou slowly waved both her hands in a downward motion, indicating that he should slow down a bit.

"That being said... I cannot undo the seal."

Creak!

Wise gripped the table so hard that it groaned from pressure and a piece of wood flew out of it.

He smiled, but it was not the friendly type. "Don’t fuck with me, old woman."

Beidou hurriedly moved a step back. "Wait, wait, wait. It’s not that I can’t, I just can’t get the materials anymore. I’m too old to go into those woods."

"More like too lazy..." Charlotte chipped in and the old woman threw her the middle finger.

"Huh?" Charlotte got up and was about to storm towards her when Daphne held her back.

"Are you really going to fight an old lady?" she asked, her voice calm.

Beidou smiled. "At least someone among you has manners—"

"... she looks like she would have a heart attack before the fight even starts," Daphne continued.

"Hey! I’m not that old, I’m just twenty-three!"

"Huh?"

"Heh?"

"Wait, what?"

Beidou shrunk, realizing she had said something she shouldn’t have. She began tapping her index fingers together, her eyes shifty as she spoke.

"Ummm... you know... the older a shaman is the more trusted she will be..."

"Wait, but you look sixty and that is me being generous," Daphne said, unable to contain her shock.

For a brief second when no one was looking, Wise switched back to his dragon eyes and watched her closely.

That was when he saw it, faint spiritual energy swirling around her face and hands...

He dismissed his eyes and then sighed, but before he could say it, Beidou spoke.

"It is a cloaking spell..."

Suddenly, her face shimmered, a smoky aura enveloping her head and vanishing a second later.

The old woman they knew was gone, replaced by someone so much younger that they struggled to believe it was true.

Her wrinkled face was replaced by clean, smooth skin, her tired eyes were bright and youthful, and her lips were redder and more full.

She was actually easy on the eyes...

Only her long silver hair remained, albeit with a little more sheen.

Once again, the room was quiet, as for more than a minute no one spoke, they just stared. Stunned by her sudden transformation.

...right up until Charlotte dived at her.

"Mirabell? You scammer!"

Mirabell got up and began running around the room, her long robes fluttering in the air as Charlotte chased her.

She had an anxious look on her face as she evaded the petite lady who seemed hell-bent on giving her a beating.

"Come on, Boss Chal, my bones are tender, you’ll break them!" she screamed as she jumped over the table to hide behind Wise, grabbing onto his back with shaky arms.

Charlotte stopped at the other side and frowned, thinking of the best way to get to the girl.

Meanwhile, Wise just tiredly stared ahead.

"You haven’t come to work in the past three weeks! We added your name to the list of missing adventurers. But you were here playing gypsy!"

"Do you know how worried we were?! I’ve been hiding from your dad ever since your disappearance!"

Charlotte latched onto her and pulled, but her hands remained wrapped around Wise like glue.

As they struggled, Wise and Daphne watched the drama, unable to do anything but stare.

’What did I even walk into...’ Wise thought, slowly shaking his head as his clothes were on the verge of being pulled off.

"I’m not cut out for guild work! All that standing makes my knees ache!" she complained, tears forming in her eyes as she held on for dear life.

"When your dad told me to take care of you, he also told me about all your lies!"

"Heh? He told you that?!"

"No, but you just confessed now didn’t you?!" Charlotte slipped out her slipper and raised it.

Whack!

•••

After the commotion finally settled, Beidou, or rather, Mirabell was kneeling in the center of the room, nursing her swollen cheeks with tear-glistened eyes.

"These are the materials I’ll need..."