I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

After Mari Dundragon had calmed down, and asked Wiggen to go into the garden because it was already daylight, they were finally able to talk without interruption.

"I still can’t stop thinking about what Wiggle said." Victor said. "How can a ’smell’ be on me and I not feel it?"

Mari, with her concentrated expression, was fiddling with some vials and preparing something chemical on a worktable. She looked at Victor over her large glasses and answered:

"Indeed, this question of ’smell’ is quite intriguing. I don’t know exactly what Wiggen meant either, but I don’t think you should worry about the smell itself. It doesn’t really stink, but it could be a sign of something worrying."

Victor arched his eyebrows, put his hands together and leaned forward in his chair. "How worrying?"

"You know, there are serious illnesses that, when they appear in people, can cause bad odor. I’m not saying that you’re seriously ill, but I’ve heard that the same happens with some curses. So the manifestation of this particular odor that Wiggen smelled must be related to the curse we’re trying to identify."

"If this isn’t a smell per se, what is it? Not only did Wiggen say it, but, come to think of it, Frugeon also said something similar about me at some point."

Mari put the still aside as the water began to boil and turned to speak to Victor. "It’s hard to explain, but some creatures have better senses than others. There are artisans in this world who can tell what the last spell cast by a wand or staff was just by the smell impregnated in the object, because everything in this world has its sensory effects, such as strange smells or tactile sensations. If Wiggen or Frugeon feel it, it doesn’t mean that you attract looks of disgust wherever you go."

Victor considered this for a moment, his mind trying to connect the dots. "If they smell it, does that mean the curse is active?"

"Yes, but not necessarily. It could be a sign that the curse is starting to manifest itself or that something related to it is approaching. It’s hard to say exactly without knowing the type of curse."

When the water had finished boiling in the still, Mari separated the hot liquid into two beakers that had a kind of dark powder in them, stirred it lightly and offered one of them to Victor.

"What’s that?" Victor asked, confused.

"Coffee." She replied.

Immediately, the aroma of coffee began to mingle in the room, and Victor, hesitant because he hadn’t seen Mari strain the coffee, took the beaker in one hand, feeling the comforting warmth radiating from the drink. He looked at Mari and then drank.

The coffee was wonderful, at least it was much better than any dirty half-brewed coffee Victor had ever had during his travels.

"Mari, apart from all this about odor, what else have you discovered about the curse in your investigation so far?" Victor asked, after taking a sip of his hot coffee.

Mari sat down in a nearby chair, crossed her legs and looked at Victor seriously from behind her large glasses. "Well, since you left here yesterday, I’ve dedicated myself to looking more deeply into the evidence we have about your condition. As you are under a similar curse that has a similar effect to the ’Vow of Silence’ spell that inhibits the bearer from saying anything on a given subject, I believe that you may be afflicted by an unknown entity or spirit powerful enough to make this ’Vow of Silence’ without your consent."

"An entity or spirit? Would that explain the ’smell’ that Wiggen and Frugeon mentioned?"

Mari nodded. "It’s impossible to say. However, I’ve already defined a methodology so that we can move forward a little each day. At the moment, I need a specific and rare material, which you can’t find easily even in specialized stores."

Victor took another sip of coffee and then asked: "What material do you need? I can look for it, I know merchants from all over the kingdom."

Mari took a deep breath before answering. "It’s not something that can be bought. It’s the brain of a local monster, a powerful creature that lives in the Klento Sea. It’s a Moon Squid, but the locals call it a "Devourer of Ships". Moon Squid brains have unique magical properties that will go a long way towards ruling out a number of alternatives. It won’t be the solution to the problem, but it will be a good first step."

The idea of hunting such a unique creature was not foreign to Victor. As a skilled hunter, he had already faced similar missions. "So, you want me to go and hunt down this creature and bring back a part of its brain so that I can advance my investigations?"

Mari nodded again. "It’s the best option we have at the moment. If I get any part of this monster’s brain, I’ll be able to carry out the necessary tests to rule out a number of variables or, with a lot of luck, find the type of curse that afflicts it."

Victor got up from his chair and put his coffee on the table. "All right, I’ll do that, Mari. But first, I need to know more about this creature. What are its abilities? Where can I find it? I’ve never hunted in the North Sea." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Mari opened a book that was already resting on a nearby table and the page she wanted was already marked. "As I said, although the locals call it a Devourer of Ships, it’s a moon squid. This species of monster is endangered because they are prey to the Nightmares of the Sea. Despite this, they are powerful like few monsters you can find on dry land. They have ten huge tentacles, capable of embracing a ship and also crushing it to pieces in a matter of seconds."

Victor absorbed the information, and his mind was already strategizing how to deal with the Shadow Eater. "I see. And where can I find this creature?"

Mari pointed to a map spread out on the table, indicating a region of the sea. "The area where the Devourer of Ships attacks most often is in the southeast of Naeross Island, near the open sea. You’ll have to take a ship or a boat, and when you fight this monster, I don’t know what you’ll do, because they say it’s over twenty meters long and the survivors have never seen its head, only its tentacles. The Devourer of Ships isn’t a normal Moon Squid, but it’s the only one that’s seen so often."

A determined smile appeared on Victor’s lips, because he enjoyed hunting creatures he had never hunted before. "Don’t worry, I think I have a good idea of how to deal with big monsters, Mari. I’ll do my best to bring you the brains you need."