Chapter 73

It was undoubtedly the same pattern seen in the temple.

But why was it here…?

The question of why this pattern was engraved in the hidden underground of the Imperial Palace, rather than in a temple, lingered. Additionally, the reason why the Divine Beast had awakened here was equally puzzling.

Unable to confirm the situation with just her eyes, she thought it might be necessary to request an investigation from the Mage Tower or the temple.

If that were the case, she would have to keep the Divine Beast with her until the investigation was complete…

She glanced at the raccoon sitting idly. Its already messy fur was now tangled with dust, making it a sight almost unbearable to look at.

“For now… let’s tidy up that fur.”

Even if they were to stay together for only a few days, she couldn’t bear to leave it in such a state.

The Divine Beast protested, questioning why its magnificent fur needed to be groomed. However, with a single threat of, “Do you want to be eaten?” it calmed down again.

After pacifying Eched, who seemed to have a lot to say, they left the underground area.

***

As Pell stepped into the Grievance Counseling Office, he flinched in surprise at the raccoon occupying one corner of the room, his shoulders trembling.

The raccoon, now with its fur neatly groomed, briefly glanced in his direction before returning to its task.

The Divine Beast was vigorously washing apples in a basin of water. As a result, the surrounding area was already drenched.

“Raccoon. Didn’t I tell you not to splash water?”

The raccoon ignored her words. Although it was commendable that it kept its mouth shut, as she had warned it never to speak in front of others, she hadn’t expected it to ignore her entirely.

“Do you think it’ll understand? It’s an animal.”

The raccoon, just as it was pulling an apple out of the water, froze. It immediately shot a fierce glare at Pell. Of course, Pell didn’t notice the glare.

Suppressing a laugh, Shaterian shrugged her shoulders.

“Exactly. It’s just an animal, so it doesn’t understand. I’m only wasting my breath.”

The raccoon’s fierce gaze quickly turned toward her.

Well, who told it to act so brazenly? 

After making a mess of the office with water, it had the audacity to blame others.

The raccoon, as if indignant, slapped the floor with its paw. Then, for no reason, it splashed the water with its hand.

“Taking out your anger, huh…”

“So, why a raccoon all of a sudden…? Are you raising it?”

“No. Something came up, so I’m temporarily taking care of it.”

“But its personality is just like yours, Chief. They say pets resemble their owners. Why not just keep it?”

“What?”

“I mean, it suits you.”

Pell casually brushed off her sharp retort.

Looking at him, she thought, maybe even superiors and subordinates grow to resemble each other over time. Just look at how he spoke his mind without hesitation.

But then again, if she pointed this out, Pell would probably just respond with a nonchalant, “You’re right,” so she decided to hold her tongue.

There was no point in arguing when it wouldn’t have any effect.

After finishing its snack, the raccoon scurried over and curled up in a dark spot beneath her desk.

It had apparently lived in animal form for so long that its behavior was indistinguishable from that of a typical animal.

“What exactly have I picked up here…?”

The underground area was currently under investigation by the Mage Tower and the temple. Even His Majesty had been unaware of the underground passage, prompting a full-scale investigation of the palace for similar hidden pathways.

As a result of this incident, she had earned herself a new nickname.

The Ghost-Hunting Noblelady.

The credit for this nickname largely went to the commander of the soldiers.

When she had been leaving an audience with His Majesty, the commander had loudly thanked her, his voice echoing throughout the palace.

That wasn’t all. News that she had convinced His Majesty to reinstate dismissed soldiers had spread, leading the commander to kneel in front of her, sobbing and expressing his gratitude.

The soldiers, mostly commoners, had been in dire straits after losing their jobs, and the commander had apparently been deeply worried about their livelihoods.

The commander, weeping profusely, even confessed to feeling indebted to them.

Soothing the commander had been more exhausting than dealing with the ghost.

In any case, another case had been resolved, adding to the Counseling Office’s achievements.

“At this rate, we’re going to break records.”

She agreed with Pell’s innocent admiration. If they were to graph their performance, the bar would likely shoot through the roof and reach the ceiling.

In the past, such achievements would have made her happy, but now, they felt rather mundane. If the improved performance led to additional budget, she thought she might as well distribute hefty bonuses to Pell and Masetike.

‘And maybe keep a little for myself…’

Even though her rice cake shop was already earning more than enough, money was always welcome.

“You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”

She nodded at Pell’s question. Tomorrow marked the start of the Saintess’s street parade, followed by the Autumn Leaves Festival.

She also had to attend the banquet celebrating the Saintess’s inauguration at the palace, after which she planned to join Anella in exploring the Autumn Leaves Festival.

Once again, Pell would be left alone at the Counseling Office. This was because Masetike had suddenly requested leave.

“Will you be okay alone?”

“Well… there won’t be any work without Masetike, so…”

Pell, speaking nonchalantly, began planning how he would use the time to organize the backlog of paperwork, as though he had achieved some sort of enlightenment.

She felt as though she were looking at a sage who had reached the pinnacle of detachment.

Still, she was grateful for his positive outlook.

She considered herself lucky to have such good people around her, finding solace in that thought.

***

The streets buzzed with people gathered to see the Saintess.

The lively music of the band filled the air, cheers erupted from the crowd, and flower petals scattered everywhere.

The scene, so detached from the melancholic autumn of falling leaves, created an oddly beautiful spectacle.

Before long, the carriage of the Holy Temple appeared, following behind the knights of the Imperial Palace.

When the most elaborately decorated carriage came into view, the cheers grew even louder.

Although the reason for the Saintess’s selection after a hundred years remained unknown, people were simply delighted by her presence.

After all, the Saintess, as the Goddess’s representative, was undoubtedly a harbinger of good fortune.

“The Saintess waved at me!”

“Saintess, please look this way!”

“Saintess! You’re so beautiful!”

“Saintess, Saintess!”

People shouted themselves hoarse, desperate to catch even a glance from the Saintess. Their fervor rivaled that of the Empire’s top opera singers.

Caught in the excited crowd, she was swept back and forth. Fearing she might get carried away, she clung tightly to Eched’s sleeve beside her.

“Why am I…”

Even here, in this situation?

Swallowing the question that rose to her throat, she shot a disapproving glance at Eched, the cause of her predicament.

Eched, noticing her gaze while watching the procession, tilted his head in confusion. His expression suggested he had no idea why she was looking at him that way.

Soon, Eched pulled her hand, which was clutching his sleeve. Standing in front of him, she felt as though she were leaning against a massive wall.

Enclosed in his embrace, a sense of security washed over her, dissolving her displeasure like melting snow. The change was as swift as flipping a coin.

Eched resumed scanning their surroundings. Though he had initially complained about being her escort, he carried out his duties with utmost diligence once assigned.

“Saintess!”

The cheers grew louder as the open carriage carrying Anella, veiled and shyly waving, approached.

As she watched the procession draw closer, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd on the opposite side. It was Masetike, who had abruptly taken leave, claiming he had urgent business.

‘But why does he look…’

His expression was cold. Amidst the smiling faces around him, his demeanor stood out even more.

She had seen such an expression on Masetike’s face only once before.

‘It was probably during the counseling session with the client who said their entire family had died in a carriage accident, wasn’t it?’

Masetike, who was usually cheerful, had made her wonder if she had misread his expression back then.

But why had he appeared here, without taking his leave, and with such an expression?

As she pondered this, the large carriage blocking her view finally passed, revealing Masetike’s face once more.

He continued to watch the Saintess’s carriage before turning his head and meeting her gaze.

Masetike seemed to recognize her, yet he didn’t smile. He maintained the same cold expression as he stared at her.

‘Why…?’

The distance between them was significant. With the procession still underway, there was no way to push through the crowd to reach him.

As she stood there, staring blankly, Masetike turned away first and disappeared into the throng.

Even after he vanished, the memory of his unsmiling, cold demeanor lingered.

It left an unsettling feeling in her heart.

She decided she would need to investigate why Masetike had returned to the capital after two years and what he had been doing during that time.

“Shaterian.”

Lost in thought about Masetike, she was startled when Eched suddenly pulled her into his arms.

“Why…?”

Startled by the sudden embrace in such a crowded place, she noticed people glancing at them as they dispersed after the procession.

Fortunately, she wore a robe. Otherwise, the sight of Eched, already drawing attention with his imposing figure, acting in such a way would have been even more embarrassing.

Looking up, she saw that Eched’s expression was unusually serious. The first thing she noticed was the faint shadow over his furrowed brows. He scanned their surroundings with a grave look.

“What’s wrong?”

Was there something in the area?

But aside from the large crowd, she couldn’t sense anything unusual.

After scanning like a meerkat, Eched finally released her from his arms.

“I felt a bad energy.”

However, he added that the energy had vanished too quickly for him to identify it.

“Could it be that someone is targeting Anella?”

“It’s not an impossible scenario.”

If that were the case, it was a serious matter. If someone were targeting Anella, it would undoubtedly involve dark sorcery.

For now, they decided to discuss the details upon returning to the palace.

Blending into the dispersing crowd, they began to move.