Chapter 231: Must Go Find Him
Irisis Principality.
Capital "Obenlo."
At dawn, when all things began to revive, the vast city of Obenlo gradually grew bustling.
In a certain room within the Bard Earl's mansion, a girl lying on the bed suddenly opened her eyes. Her face was full of exhaustion, and her eyes were clouded with gloom.
"Ugh!"
She leaned over the bedside and retched dryly, tears streaming down her cheeks like rivers.
Covering her mouth, she wept.
Even though she had died over and over again, the agony of death remained etched into her bones.
It took a long while before the girl stopped crying.
She wiped away her tears and got out of bed.
Dressed in a black nightgown, she walked to the window and gazed at the courtyard outside.
This was the Bard Earl's mansion.
Although he held the title of Earl, the Bard Earl had no fief.
An Earl without a fief was known as an honorary noble.
As a Fire Saint-level court magician, the Bard Earl enjoyed an esteemed status in Obenlo.
Her encounter with Alisa had led her to become a guest at the Bard Earl's mansion.
"I must go find him!"
Among the twenty-odd cycles of death retrospection, the appearance of her fellow countryman had been the only disruption to the loop.
Although the ultimate outcome was still death, the presence of the Silver Mask provided hope for a perfect resolution.
"What should I do?"
Standing by the window, Susan frowned deeply.
If she left the mansion with Alisa, then Emma and Aya would die.
Though she could also take Emma and Aya with her, she needed a reason to make everyone leave the mansion together.
Susan couldn't think of a plausible excuse to get Emma and Aya to accompany her.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
The sound brought Susan out of her reverie.
She rubbed her stiff face, turned around, and walked towards the door.
When Susan opened it, she saw a maid standing outside.
The maid was dressed in a black-and-white Gothic-style outfit, with shoulder-length golden hair that gleamed smoothly.
"Miss Susan, breakfast is ready!" Emma said, her hands placed modestly on her abdomen as she slightly bowed her head.
"Uh… Okay, Emma. I'll come after I change!"
Emma didn't say much more. After giving Susan another courteous bow, she turned and left.
---
At dawn, in the dining hall of the Bard Earl's mansion:
"Susan, what are you thinking about?"
Noticing that Susan seemed absent-minded, Alisa asked with concern.
Seated at the long table, Susan turned her head to look at Alisa beside her.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if there was anything I could do."
"Susan, isn't it good here?"
Meeting Alisa's gaze, Susan shook her head gently.
"We've troubled Lord Bard for too long. I need to learn to be self-reliant!"
"Self-reliant?"
Alisa looked at Susan with worry.
Wouldn't it be difficult for Susan to survive alone in Obenlo?
"If Miss Susan tries to live on her own, it'll be very tough."
"Indeed, that's beyond doubt."
"Just look at Miss Susan's hands—they're more pampered than a princess's."
"I can't imagine how Miss Susan could survive on her own outside."
"Women do have an easier time than men."
Emma and Aya, standing nearby, took turns commenting.
The two sisters were nearly identical in appearance, with Emma sporting shoulder-length short hair, while Aya had long hair flowing down to her waist.
Their remarks made Susan smile awkwardly.
"Emma, Aya, am I that useless?"
Am I really that useless?
Susan couldn't help but doubt herself.
If she hadn't met Alisa on her first day in this world, she probably would have faced hardship—starving, freezing, and begging to survive.
Before becoming a beggar, perhaps she'd even have been captured and sold into slavery.
She wasn't some overpowered protagonist from a fantasy novel.
Though she had the cheat ability of "death retrospection," her weak self often ended up trapped in deadly situations.
This time was no exception. No matter what she tried, she couldn't change the outcome of death.
It was only after countless deaths that she met the one person who could break the cycle—Silver Mask.
"I've decided. I'm going to learn survival skills!"
Although Silver Mask wouldn't appear until three days later, he undoubtedly already existed.
Finding him earlier would lead to the most perfect outcome.
Watching Susan, full of resolve, Alisa smiled gently.
Let her give it a try.
---
After breakfast, Susan set off in haste.
Despite Silver Mask's peculiar attire, one thing was certain: he was far stronger than she was.
In the previous cycle, Silver Mask had easily dealt with the assassins pursuing them.
A person of such strength was likely to operate as an adventurer.
Thus, Susan decided to keep an eye on the Adventurers' Guild.
With such conspicuous attire, Silver Mask would be impossible to miss.
Time ticked away, and the day quickly passed.
As dusk fell, the streets were bathed in a faint red glow.
"Did I get it wrong?"
Walking slowly along the street, Susan frowned in thought.
From morning till afternoon, she had been watching the Adventurers' Guild entrance but hadn't seen Silver Mask among the adventurers coming and going.
Perhaps Silver Mask wasn't an adventurer but a guard for some noble.
The place where she encountered Silver Mask was also some distance from the Adventurers' Guild.
"Tomorrow, I'll explore the area where I met Silver Mask."
With only two days left, she could afford no more wasted time.
As night fell, Susan dragged her weary body back to the Bard Earl's mansion.
The next morning, Susan once again set out full of energy.
"This is where I met Silver Mask!"
Standing outside a dim alley, Susan stared into its shadowy depths.
Following the route in her memory, Susan found the alley where she had encountered Silver Mask.
From the street, she scanned the surroundings, finding a spot to sit down.
With great anticipation, she watched the passersby moving to and fro.
As time passed, her initial excitement gradually turned to disappointment.
"Miss, you've been sitting here all day. Are you waiting for someone?"
A fruit vendor nearby had been observing Susan.
From morning until afternoon, she had stayed there, arousing his curiosity.
Susan looked up at the vendor.
"Sir, have you seen someone dressed in black robes and wearing a silver mask?"
A man in black robes with a silver mask?
The vendor thought for a moment and shook his head.
"It's getting late. It's dangerous to stay here alone. You should head home."
Susan looked up at the sky.
It was indeed getting late, and it was time to go back.
After all, this was another world, and its law and order couldn't compare to that of modern China.
During the day, she had refrained from entering the alley, wary of Obenlo's darker side.
Without Alisa by her side, she dared not venture in.