The Tale of Hero Alice’s Social Death

Chapter 198

Even though Rosa had already washed her hands of thievery, she still retained the connections she had during her active days as a thief.

In this world, the thief profession was akin to the mercenary profession. However, the range of the jobs they took on was much more varied. So long as the pay was right, they were willing to work as bodyguards, assassins, private investigators, and even spies. Essentially, thieves took on jobs that the average person would rarely come into contact with. Because of this, thieves were very well-connected.

Although some of these connections couldn't be brought to light under normal circumstances, so long as discussions were being held under the table, these connections could be very useful.

Very quickly, Rosa finished talking with her acquaintance on the phone. Although Alice could only hear Rosa's voice due to the phone's volume being set to very low, she could still tell that discussions didn't go very well based on Rosa's manner of speaking.

Sure enough, after Rosa hung up the call, a small frown immediately formed on her face. If she could reveal to her friend that it was the Hero making this request, her talk with her friend would have definitely gone very smoothly. However, one should never overestimate the trustworthiness of a thief.

Thieves might be reliable when it came to completing the jobs commissioned to them, but their ability to keep a secret couldn't be considered reliable in any way. Situations where thieves revealed their employer's identity, whether it be accidentally or deliberately, occurred frequently. Because of this, almost everyone would use a false identity when doing business with a thief.

"Did negotiations not go well?" Alice could naturally see the troubled look on Rosa's face. So, she asked, "Did the other party make a troublesome request? You can tell me if that's the case. My identity on the surface is that of a princess, so I might just be able to get her what she needs."

"Negotiations have indeed failed, but what she wants isn't something a princess can give her," Rosa said, shaking her head. "Actually, I've previously heard rumors about it already It seems that one of her family members has had a terrible curse cast on them, and the curse cannot be dispelled using normal means. So, She is now searching around for people who can help dispel this curse."

"Could her request be"

Alice raised an eyebrow, seemingly understanding the problem at hand.

"Yes. Because of her desperate situation, she only has one condition for everyone seeking her help, and that is to lift her family member's curse," Rosa said with a wry smile. "As long as you can help her lift that curse, she will help you back to the best of her abilities. So..."

"What kind of curse is it? Has anyone looked into it yet?" Alice asked while rubbing her chin. Based on Rosa's claim, the other party seemed to be the first person most people in the thieving industry would find whenever they needed help with a commission related to the beastkins. This meant that the other party was quite reputable among the beastkins. So, if possible, Alice would like to get the other party's help.

"Let me see... I remember that someone has looked into the curse. However, I've already retired from thieving when all of this took place, so I didn't pay much attention to it..."

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After saying so, Rosa held up her phone again and began searching for the relevant information. A short moment later, she said:

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"I found it. It seems this matter has already spread across the entire circle of thieves. The person suffering from the curse is her mother, and it is caused by the taboo 'Sunset Bug Erosion.' Those cursed would gradually transform into the Sunset Bug both physically and mentally. Once the transformation is complete, the person will never be able to change back into a human."

"A taboo? Did this person offend someone powerful?"

Alice's mouth twitched a little when she heard Rosa's words. Other than the Hero and the Demon King, the only other individuals Alice could think of that were capable of casting a taboo by themselves were the demons' Four Heavenly Kings and the leaders of the human kingdoms' royal guards.

Of course, there were also some strong individuals that were capable of using taboos by themselves but disliked holding important positions that came with great responsibilities. However, no matter how much such individuals disliked wielding authority, so long as they had the ability to cast taboos without relying on outside help, they typically wouldn't be nobodies.

After all, it was unlikely that a person wielding such strength would be willing to live as a beggar. Even if they disliked shouldering the responsibilities that came with great authority, these people should be doing very well financially and socially.

"I don't know. Actually, while searching for a solution to her mother's curse, that person is also searching for the culprit responsible for casting the curse on her mother. She is also willing to exchange a favor for the culprit's identity," Rosa said, shaking her head. "So, do you plan to give it a try?"

"I might have learned how to use taboos, but I'm clueless when it comes to lifting curses," Alice said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are there any known solutions to the Sunset Bug Erosion? If I learn the Sunset Bug Erosion taboo, will I be able to lift the curse?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. When it comes to curses of this sort, only the person responsible for casting the curse can remove it using the method you mentioned," Rosa said, dashing Alice's hopes. "In reality, the reason this curse got recognized so quickly is because Sunset Bug Erosion is a relatively famous taboo. Its magical binding principles have been used to develop the magic lock technology."

"The Sunset Bug is a species of beetle that only emerges from hiding at sunset. According to research, this behavior is because the Sunset Bug finds the wavelength of the natural mana at sunset more comfortable. Aside from sunset, the Sunset Bug would typically hide underground the rest of the day," Rosa explained. She knew that Alice's knowledge was limited to mainly taboos, so she took the initiative to share information relating to the Sunset Bug Erosion taboo to Alice. "That person's mother is currently using a type of plant called the Sunset Grass to suppress the curse. Otherwise, her mother would've completed her transformation into a Sunset Bug within a day."

As its name suggested, the Sunset Grass was a type of plant that could replicate the wavelengths of natural mana at sunset. However, while it could be used to suppress the Sunset Bug Erosion taboo's effects, it wasn't a permanent solution.

"Do you know where I can get my hands on the magic book for the Sunset Bug Erosion?" Alice asked after giving the matter some thought. "As you know, I have the ability to quickly learn taboos. Since we don't have any viable solutions right now, I might as well study this taboo and try to reverse its effects."

The principles of taboos were similar to mathematical formulas. Similar to how the equation of 1+1=2 could be reversed into 2-1=1, so long as she could reverse the principles, she would be able to reverse the taboo's function and lift the curse.

This wouldn't be the first time someone had tried reversing the function of a taboo, either. The theory for doing so was even mentioned in high school textbooks. For example, the Fireball spell could be reversed to extinguish a Fireball spell instantly.

However, reversing a spell's formula was incredibly difficult, and typically nobody would waste their time just to extinguish a fireball. Hence, the topic was only mentioned at a minimal level in high school textbooks.

Needless to say, even fewer people would bother reversing the function of taboos. After all, very few people could cast taboos by themselves, and even these people would typically have difficulty accomplishing this feat. So, wouldn't it be even more challenging for these people to reverse a taboo?

However, Alice was different. Alice could cast taboos with ease. Even if the difficulty of reversing a taboo was slightly higher than the difficulty of learning a taboo, it still wasn't an impossible feat for her.

Rosa also realized this point. So, upon hearing Alice's suggestion, her eyes glowed with excitement.

"If it's the taboo's magic books, she should have already acquired it when trying to lift her mother's curse. So, if you want to check out the book, we can just ask her for it directly."

After saying so, Rosa promptly held up her phone and dialed a number.