‘Crazy.’

A fear similar to when she had faced a beast behind her back in the forest where she first encountered Nox ran down her spine. The beast uncurling and opening its eyes happened almost simultaneously with Evelyn urgently shouting “Purification.”

Paah-! The sacred light that burst from Evelyn’s palm enveloped the entire egg that had been pulsating like the umbilical cord of the maze.

Thud! Evelyn’s face turned pale at the sight of the mermaid figure thrashing as if it would tear through the egg at any moment. She felt the urge to remove her hand from the egg and flee without looking back, but she resisted.

From inside came the chilling cry of the beast, “Kieeeeee!” Occasionally, there seemed to be mixed-in savage curses filled with deep-rooted hatred toward all of humanity. But soon, the siren’s voice was buried and scattered by the stronger light bursting from her palm.

Evelyn took rough breaths as she felt the magical energy pooled in her heart drain completely. Soon after, the maze that had been shaking with rumbling sounds began to collapse like half-burnt ashes.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the fifth main quest <Escape the First-Class Beast Maze with the Third Male Protagonist Hezel>. Hezel’s affection has slightly increased, and you are rewarded with a ‘Paralyzing Dagger’.]

Paralyzing Dagger? The name alone sounded ominous, making her feel conflicted as if she had already been spoiled about how challenging the next quest would be.

[As a result of completing the fifth main quest, you can open a hidden route. Would you like to open the hidden route <Secret of the Tower Master> now?

*If accepted, you will be automatically transported to the magic tower.]

The purification skill or whatever it was consumed far more mental and physical energy than she had expected, leaving her without even the strength to stand. If she went to the magic tower in this state, an ending where she died at the hands of the official psychopath of <Evelyn’s Manor> would surely await her.

Shuddering at the thought of the Tower Master who had calmly demanded blood, Evelyn shook her head.

“No. Later.”

After she was thoroughly prepared mentally and physically…

Since all main quests were related to healing the male protagonists, once she started getting involved with the Tower Master in earnest, it was inevitable that they would become physically intimate. It seemed much better to progress that hidden route along with the main quest related to the Tower Master when it occurred.

Right now, she just wanted to return to the imperial palace and fall into a deep sleep. This was because she had somehow become physically intimate with both Nox and Luinel during the day, and had just been tormented severely in Hezel’s unconscious.

Beyond the maze that had begun to collapse with loud noises, a familiar building came into view. People who had been wailing and requesting rescue throughout the maze flinched.

“Huh, huh? Isn’t this the auction house?”

“What? What just happened?”

“Guards! Call the guards immediately!”

Leaving behind the panicking people, Evelyn adjusted her mask properly and hurriedly walked toward the nearest door. This was because she had spotted a familiar man among the police who had begun pouring into the building as soon as the maze was dispelled.

‘Nox? It would be troublesome if Nox recognizes me.’

Aside from having to explain why she, who should be at the annex palace right now, was here. Nox, having lived half his life as the Knight Commander, basically had many secrets and disliked suspicious people. Not that anyone would like suspicious people, but she couldn’t afford to lose Nox’s affection, which had finally reached 100%, in a place like this.

Evelyn focused on quickly leaving the auction house, failed to notice the strange gaze following her from behind.

“I heard you were recently appointed as the Imperial Knight Commander. Thank you for coming to the scene in person today, Commander.”

“……”

“It’s the first time a first-class beast has appeared in the slums within the capital… Commander?”

Jake, a detective inspector from the capital Granteum’s police department, turned his head following Nox’s intense gaze. He could see police officers rescuing people one by one who had fallen into panic after being swallowed by the first-class beast’s maze.

“Are you concerned about the suddenly disappeared beast?”

“…I thought I saw someone I know. I must have been mistaken.”

“For now, we’ll transport the injured to hospitals and take statements from those who are relatively unharmed. These illegal auctions are usually conducted in utmost secrecy, and unfortunately, most of the victims are prominent nobles of the empire, which makes this situation difficult.”

“What about the beast’s core?”

Beasts that emerge from the rifts between the human world and the demon world all possess their own cores. Usually, these cores must be destroyed to completely kill the beast, and remnants would typically remain.

“Our men are thoroughly searching the interior, but it seems they haven’t found any significant remains yet.”

“This building seems to have been illegally modified and expanded with magic. Will it be possible to find the auction organizer?”

“To be honest, it’s almost impossible. As I mentioned earlier, in these illegal auctions, both participants and organizers thoroughly conceal their identities, and the building ownership is usually registered under ghost names. But I wonder who killed the beast? It couldn’t have been easy to deal with a first-class beast.”

If carelessly provoked, a first-class beast going berserk could contaminate the entire capital with demonic energy. That’s why even Nox, who had rushed over with his knights upon hearing about the first-class beast’s appearance, had to wait outside with the police. While the maze created by the beast was gradually swallowing the slums around the building, the beast suddenly disappeared.

A first-class beast disappearing in such a short time without leaving any trace was unprecedented in the history of the war between humanity and beasts. Someone inside the maze must have dealt with the beast. But with no witnesses, the investigation was proving difficult.

That made it all the more suspicious. People capable of causing such an impossible miracle were extremely rare, even within the empire. One of them, the Crown Prince, would be busy preparing for the Founding Festival at the imperial palace. The other, the Tower Master, was reportedly secluded in his tower recently.

And there was another one he was unconsciously overlooking…

Even while discussing the incident with the inspector and surveying the scene, Nox’s attention was entirely focused on the woman he had glimpsed in a corner earlier.

‘She was wearing a maid’s uniform and a half-mask.’

Though her hair color was clearly different from Evelyn’s and her aura was completely different… why did she weigh so heavily on his mind? He had a nearby police officer investigate the woman’s whereabouts but to no avail.

“There’s no woman in a maid’s uniform wearing a mask inside the building.”

“The same goes for outside. It seems she escaped during the confusion inside the building. Should we search the surrounding area further?”

Only after hearing these reports did Nox turn away from the corner of the building to face the inspector.

“…For now, seal off this building completely and strictly control citizens’ access as additional contamination from demonic energy might occur. Please also secure as much of the list of participants in the illegal auction as possible.”

“Yes, understood. Will you be returning to the imperial palace immediately?”

“I need to check something, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

Why did these nonsensical thoughts keep occurring to him? The thought that Evelyn had secretly participated in the illegal auction for some reason, got caught up in the incident, dealt with the first-class beast, and disappeared… There was no reason for Evelyn, a Saintess, to participate in such an auction, and she would surely be sound asleep in the annex palace by now.

‘I’ll just check directly.’

Nox returned to the imperial palace with the knights who had been waiting outside. And just in case, he visited Evelyn’s annex palace while suppressing his presence…

“Kuuugh.”

Evelyn, who had been overworked in various ways today, had already changed into clean sleepwear and collapsed on the bed. Nox silently looked down at Evelyn, who was sleeping with her belly exposed, and carefully covered her with the blanket that had half-fallen to the floor, pulling it up to her neck.

‘So it was indeed a mistake.’