Chapter 90

This was all because of a superior who constantly spouted nonsensical remarks.

Pell, who originally didn’t know how to joke or play pranks, had changed significantly under Shaterian’s influence.

‘Well, I guess I can’t avoid these quips.’

With a resigned heart, Pell decided to accept his transformation solemnly.

However, he could never come to terms with the so-called “dad jokes” that his superior occasionally dropped.

Pell recalled a recent conversation.

‘Pell, did you know that cheese and milk got into a fight, and cheese ended up being arrested by the security force? Do you know why?’

Pell, sensing the start of another one of these jokes, didn’t want to answer but mustered his patience and replied, 

‘No.’

‘Because the milk pressed charges.’

‘…….’

‘But the milk got arrested too. Do you know why?’

‘Because the cheese filed a counterclaim?’

‘No. Because the cheese clung to it.’

Pell vowed never to adopt such jokes.

“Sir Pell! Over here!”

“Yes…….”

Pell shuffled forward like a pig being led to the slaughterhouse.

While it was nice to get some fresh air after a while, the current situation was far from pleasant.

Pell, a perfect example of a desk worker, was now climbing a steep mountain amidst sturdy knights.

No matter how fresh the air was, breathing it in such large quantities wasn’t ideal.

His briefly calmed breathing became labored again after just a little exertion.

Exhaling heavily, Pell approached the knight who had called him.

Wiping the sweat that had gathered after finally arriving, Pell froze as he saw the breathtaking view below the hill.

The forest village on the outskirts of the capital was surrounded by dense greenery on all sides.

Cloud-like mist drifted between the fortress-like trees, enhancing the tranquil atmosphere of the village.

It felt like discovering a hidden treasure chest.

‘The Chief said she bought land here…….’

Knowing her preference for calm and quiet, this scenery seemed to suit her perfectly.

However, the noisy murmurs of the knights soon revealed that this wasn’t tranquility but eerie silence.

Descending the hill they had climbed with difficulty, they reached the village.

Standing at its edge, Pell couldn’t hide his shock at the desolate sight before him.

“What is this?”

The village was far from normal. Piles of inexplicable sand were scattered everywhere, and there wasn’t a single sign of life.

Sand in a mountain village like this?

The other knights were equally bewildered by the unexpected scene before them.

While Pell surveyed the village, the knights quickly began their investigation.

The village contained only large quantities of sand, with no trace of its inhabitants.

“What on earth happened here?”

“How could 150 people disappear without a trace?”

“Deputy Commander Eurell!”

Someone called Eurell, who was leading this investigation team.

All the knights’ attention turned toward the voice.

Pell was no exception. Carefully avoiding the unsettling sand, he arrived at the gathering point of the knights.

There, a large magic circle stretched across the open space.

Notably, there was an abundance of sand around it.

What on earth had happened in this village……?

Eurell, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.

“Count the piles of sand in the village.”

“Pardon?”

The knights, confused by Eurell’s order, hesitated.

“Do not disturb the sand piles. It seems…… the sand might actually be the villagers.”

A heavy silence fell over the area.

Without room for debate, the knights hurriedly began counting the piles of sand.

There were 147 piles of sand, almost matching the village’s population.

Given the nature of sand to scatter easily or blow away in the wind, it was reasonable to conclude that the sand was once the villagers, considering a margin of error.

“How did you figure out that the sand was the villagers?”

While the knights moved around the village, Pell discreetly asked Eurell.

Eurell answered nonchalantly.

“The circle resembles one used by ancient dark sorcerers. That dark magic involves using humans as sacrifices in rituals to summon unholy entities.”

Pell looked at Eurell with amazement.

No matter how much one studied, recalling events from ancient times was no easy feat.

In any case, Pell sighed quietly at the gravity of the situation.

He had only wanted to get some fresh air, but now he was in the middle of a major incident.

Pell silently cursed Shaterian for sending him to the field.

Since this case had originated from a counseling session, it was inevitable for a staff member from the office to accompany the investigation…….

Pell resolved to submit his resignation if he was sent to the field again.

And he also decided to demand an assistant to help him with such cases in the future.

Pell, quick-witted like Shaterian, didn’t miss the opportunity.

***

“Raccoon, do you know what this is?”

The Grievance Counseling Office. At long last, she had succeeded in bringing the raccoon to the Imperial Palace.

She took out a white honey thread from the box Ser had brought and held it out in front of the raccoon.

If Pell had seen this scene, he would have been horrified, questioning why she was giving such a thing to an animal.

The raccoon, who had been vigorously washing grapes in water, tilted its head as it looked at the honey thread in her hand.

It sniffed curiously at the unfamiliar object, seemingly intrigued by the sweet scent wafting from it.

‘Gotcha.’

“Eat it. It’s tasty.”

As she offered the food without hesitation, the raccoon looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“It’s fine, really.”

To reassure it, she picked up one and ate it herself. Watching her eat the honey thread, the raccoon, still skeptical, took the honey thread from her hand.

Then, it washed it in water.

Naturally, the honey thread dissolved instantly upon contact with the water.

She stifled her laughter as she watched the raccoon, now tilting its head in confusion at its empty hands.

The raccoon began frantically searching the water with its hands, looking for the vanished honey thread, before raising its head to stare at her.

“What? Want another one?”

She took out another honey thread and handed it to the raccoon.

Again, the raccoon took the honey thread from her and submerged it in water.

As expected, the honey thread dissolved instantly in the water.

Finally realizing what was happening, the raccoon jumped up in shock.

“Pfft—hahaha!”

At that moment, she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer and burst out laughing.

The laughter she had held in felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest.

“You’re the one who washed it, so why are you blaming me?”

At her words, the raccoon jumped even higher in protest.

“Alright, I’ll give you another one. But this time, don’t wash it, okay?”

Snatching the honey thread with a sulky look, the raccoon finally ate it directly without washing it.

Luckily, it seemed to enjoy the taste. Its already round eyes widened even more as it reached out its hand, asking for more.

“Is it alright to give such things to animals?”

Ser, who had brought the honey thread, asked her.

Because Ser was present in the Counseling Office, the raccoon had refrained from speaking so far.

Ser looked at the raccoon, which communicated so well, with eyes full of amazement.

Whether it was okay to feed honey thread to a real animal raccoon was unclear, but…

“It’s fine. It can eat it.”

The raccoon in front of her wasn’t just any animal—it was a Divine Beast, so there was no problem.

After finishing her little prank on the raccoon, she straightened her crouched posture.

“The newly released honey thread is selling quite well.”

She carefully reviewed the sales report Ser handed her.

Although sales had decreased compared to midsummer, shaved ice remained a steady seller.

“As the days grow colder, more people are lining up to buy freshly made rice cakes.”

“Really? Then we should release a warm rice cake for the winter. How do customers feel about red bean paste?”

“According to surveys, 95% of customers like red bean paste, while only 5% don’t.”

“That’s an overwhelming majority. Alright, wait a moment. I’ll write down the recipe for the new product I’m planning.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”

Ser looked at her with a shocked expression, as if questioning how she could come up with a new product recipe from just their brief conversation.

Ignoring his gaze, she began jotting down recipes for both scorched rice shaved ice and dried pumpkin rice cake.

The scorched rice shaved ice was designed to highlight its nutty flavor while providing a satisfying texture. Meanwhile, the dried pumpkin rice cake added a chewy, sweet touch to an otherwise plain rice cake, enhancing both its taste and fun.

As she wrote down the recipes without hesitation, Ser looked on in astonishment once more.

“You’re going to drool at this rate.”

She chuckled, and Pell quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

After finishing the recipes, she handed them to Ser.

Ser promised to deliver them safely to Jeff and left the Counseling Office.

A glance at the clock reminded her it was time to meet Anella at the library.

She left a note on Masetike’s desk, informing him that she would be stepping out briefly to visit the library.

“Raccoon, let’s go.”

The raccoon eagerly followed her, its fur sleek and shiny thanks to Kirin’s excellent care.

With the raccoon in tow, she headed toward the library.