Before Calliphe and Lynen set out to meet White Ears.

Allen had already examined the place where he lost White Ears last night. And he thoroughly searched around the area.

Still, he couldn’t find White Ears.

“D*mn it…”

Wiping away beads of sweat, Allen uttered rough words that didn’t match his refined appearance.

‘Why did it suddenly appear yesterday?’

That creature that hadn’t appeared no matter how much he searched before.

Though he didn’t know the reason, yesterday’s incident confirmed one thing.

That White Ears was deliberately avoiding Allen.

Allen’s reddish-brown eyes burned red with anger.

It was because he was disgusted by a monster that would treat those with weaker holy power as prey while not daring to face those with stronger power.

But at the same time, a thread of doubt arose.

‘Why didn’t it actively attack me?’

He hadn’t noticed while unleashing attacks on White Ears. But now thinking about it carefully, White Ears’ attitude had been defensive.

Allen strongly shook off the doubt that was beginning to take root in his mind as he sensed its branches trying to spread.

“It must have been instinctively intimidated by someone strong. No need for sympathy. I must think of Imelen.”

He needed to steel his wavering heart.

Would White Ears have shown sympathy when Imelen screamed for help?

How about when he himself cried out after rushing there upon hearing the news of his sister’s tragedy?

‘It just looked down at me from the mountaintop. While wearing Imelen’s hairpin.’

When Allen’s eyes met White Ears’ then, he frantically called upon the light spirits.

Begging them to lend him power for revenge against that monster.

‘But they never responded in the end.’

What meaning did the title of saint have if he couldn’t even protect his only sister?

Once his faith was broken, Allen’s holy power gradually diminished from then on.

‘And the Eye of Truth, my ability as a saint…’

The ability to see through hidden truths was the first to disappear.

It was a power that would never return since his faith could not be restored.

“…Sigh. Let’s head back for now.”

Allen, who had been wandering the mountain in a daze, barely turned back as he remembered he had left the guests alone at the cabin.

I need to prepare Mother’s meal.

Come to think of it, I don’t even know Mother’s name.

While thinking this, he arrived at the cabin where Calliphe greeted him warmly, saying he came at just the right time.

Though Allen felt a strange sensation in his chest, like something dropping, when he saw her.

“Then please watch the child!”

“What, what?”

Calliphe disappeared like the wind along with Lynen.

But they were heading toward the mountain, not the village.

Puzzled, Allen asked the strangely pleased-looking child.

“Where did those two go?”

“I don’t know. But it’s fine wherever since they’re together.”

“Ah, I-is that so?”

Allen quickly changed the subject as he suddenly felt his chest grow heavy.

“By the way, how is your father doing? He was very ill yesterday.”

“He seems better. But…”

Noah recalled Lynen’s serious expression when they went to the village together, but soon shook his head.

“I’m not sure. I think something else isn’t okay.”

“…?”

“Would you like to eat this together?”

Noah changed the subject. The child led Allen to the kitchen and pointed at the mushroom omelet on the table.

Fortunately, the kitchen was clean as Lynen had tidied it up.

Thanks to this, Allen could immediately associate the mushroom omelet with Calliphe’s suspicious behavior from earlier.

“Such skill. Did Mother make this?”

“…Yes.”

“But… I saw them take a plate of this food when they left. You don’t know why they left?”

“No. Ah, but they said they were going to give it to someone.”

Noah had overheard part of the conversation in the kitchen.

“They took this to give to someone…?”

Suddenly, Allen remembered Calliphe’s question.

“Does your sister have a favorite food?”

To deliberately make and take his sister’s favorite food. Why?

Moreover, it’s even more suspicious that they went to the mountain rather than the village.

Allen, who was about to go find Calliphe immediately, hesitated. He couldn’t leave the child alone with no adults remaining.

“I’m going to look for Mother. Want to come along?”

“…Are you trying to interfere?”

At the child’s somehow lowered voice, Allen hastily shook his head.

“No no! I’m just worried because monsters appear on this mountain.”

“Then… I’ll go with you.”

Relieved, Allen set out with Noah.

And not long after, his expression hardened when he discovered Calliphe and Lynen.

Because White Ears was with them.

* * *

As I patted White Ears’ back while it ate eagerly, I felt magical power draining along with the system notification sound.

Ding!

[Using Villainess’s Parenting Method on target ‘Imelen’.]

‘I knew it!’

It felt like my eyes had suddenly opened wide.

At the same time, my heart sank.

It was a strange feeling of being both pleased and displeased that my far-fetched guess was correct.

Standing there blankly, I turned to Lynen who was waiting for my explanation.

“Lynen. I have something to tell you.”

Though I was worried whether this skeptic would believe me well, this wasn’t something I could say indirectly.

So I told him straightforwardly.

“Allen is the saint we’ve been looking for.”

I told him that Allen wouldn’t return to the Grand Temple until he got revenge for his sister who was a saint, and that his target for revenge was the monster called ‘White Ears’.

“But I met White Ears directly yesterday. It’s this one right here.”

Having finished eating, White Ears lay down and just blinked its gentle eyes.

“I don’t think it killed the saint. That’s why I came to check. I thought if the saint realizes his revenge target is wrong, he might return to the Grand Temple.”

Surprisingly, there was no trace of doubt in Lynen’s expression.

He just furrowed his brow while listening to my story, thinking about something.

“Special Magic Division… saint… monster. Could it be.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

After letting out a shallow sigh, he asked with a clean expression, never having frowned.

“But how did you know that this Allen person was the saint?”

“Dietrich told me.”

Dietrich is becoming more and more useful. Thank you, Drotrich!

Lynen’s eyebrows twitched into a frown.

“That fellow again.”

He muttered something lowly but it was too quiet to hear well.

“So you made the food to lure this monster.”

“That’s right.”

“And, have you confirmed it?”

I nodded.

From when I started telling him about White Ears, I had decided to tell Lynen more details about my ability.

“My ability doesn’t just increase magical power. It increases whatever ability the target needs. But that only works on people.”

This was something I learned after experimenting several times on objects and plants and animals.

“Just now I confirmed my ability worked on White Ears and.”

“…”

The conclusion to my words was clear.

I confirmed the fact to Lynen, who was gradually furrowing his brow.

“White Ears didn’t kill the saint. It couldn’t have. Because this monster is… the saint who was reported dead, Imelen.”

“…!”

It was a terrible conclusion.

But Lynen’s reaction was more severe than I expected.

His complexion turned pale instantly, and his eyes widened in shock.

“A person turned into a monster? Then those northern villages… my niece…”

“Lynen, what’s wrong? What niece?”

He covered his eyes with his hand, trying to calm his disturbed mind.

Finally, he asked in an infinitely sunken voice.

“…Do you have reliable evidence for this claim?”

An answer to that wasn’t necessary.

Because of White Ears’ change.

While talking with Lynen, I had continued patting White Ears’, no, Imelen’s back and using my ability.

The results were gradually beginning to show.

[Reason +1]

[Reason +1]

[Reason +1]