Chapter 99

The next day.

As expected, Masetike’s identity was kept a secret within the Imperial Palace to prevent further chaos.

However, it was impossible to hide the void left by his absence.

People began to wonder about his sudden disappearance.

Then, to make matters worse, knights from the 3rd Knight Order barged into the Counseling Office.

Their curiosity turned into full-blown interest in the Counseling Office.

Step. Step.

The sound of military boots echoed as the knights entered, stopping in front of Pell.

“We have questions regarding Masetike. Cooperate with the investigation.”

“What?”

“Investigation…?” 

Pell blinked, muttering in confusion.

It was only natural.

Since she hadn’t told Pell anything about Masetike, he was completely in the dark.

But more important than Pell’s confusion was the knight’s tone.

She stared at the knight.

It was the deputy commander of the 3rd Knight Order, known for his arrogance and high pride regarding nobility.

The deputy commander, with an irritated expression, pressured Pell.

If Pell didn’t follow him immediately, it seemed he was ready to drag him away.

“Hey.”

Thud!

She put down her pen and stood up.

“Where do you get off treating someone like an accomplice?”

Her superior tone was clearly displeased.

As she intervened, the deputy commander’s expression twisted in annoyance.

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation into anything suspicious.”

“Sure, thorough investigations are good. But Pell is just a witness, isn’t he? Is it appropriate to treat him so aggressively?”

“Because he’s a close associate, we’re being thorough.”

“Then you should investigate me too.”

“But you’re the victim, Chief.”

“You never know. I could be pretending to be a victim and working with him.”

The tension in the Counseling Office was palpable.

She stood firm, locking eyes with the deputy commander, neither willing to back down.

In the end, it was the deputy commander who looked away first.

Realizing he couldn’t push further due to the difference in status, he averted his gaze but still sighed in frustration.

“…Fine. Then come along for questioning, Chief.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

She had nothing to hide.

Once the investigation was over, she planned to mock them, saying, 

“His Majesty wasted time on such a useless endeavor. How incompetent.”

But Pell suddenly stepped in front of her.

“I’ll go with the deputy commander.”

“Pell. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I’ll vouch for your status.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t know much, but I’ll share everything I’ve observed about Sir Masetike.”

Pell urged the knights to take him instead.

The deputy commander glanced at her before quietly leaving the Counseling Office with Pell.

It was clear they were underestimating Pell because he was a commoner.

‘What if they label him as Masetike’s accomplice?’

She imagined a worst-case scenario where Pell was tortured for information about Masetike’s whereabouts, couldn’t endure it, and either died or was executed.

But contrary to her grim thoughts, Pell returned to the Counseling Office unharmed.

She immediately ran to him.

Pell, looking somewhat dazed, trudged to his seat and collapsed into it.

“Are you okay? Did they t*rture you?”

“Chief, was all that talk about being a victim because of Sir Masetike?”

It seemed Pell had learned about Masetike’s true identity during the questioning.

‘That’s why he’s so out of it.’

The Counseling Office was a small department with only three staff members.

Even though Masetike’s return had been brief, their shared history made their bond significant.

To learn that someone they worked with was not only a criminal but a dark sorcerer—a dangerous enemy of the world—was shocking.

“And he attacked you…”

Pell muttered in disbelief.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it an attack.”

The storm that had raged wasn’t aimed at her specifically; it had been a result of Masetike’s escape.

Her injuries were more of an accident.

“How could he do that to you…”

Hmm, he wasn’t listening at all.

She shook her head, watching Pell’s dazed expression.

Understanding his confusion, she decided to leave him be for a while.

While Pell processed everything, she returned to her work.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of her quill on paper filled the room.

“Chief. How are you so calm about this?”

Pell, seemingly more composed, asked her.

She answered nonchalantly.

“I wasn’t sure, but I did suspect something.”

She added that she wasn’t entirely calm, recalling the confusion she’d felt upon learning Masetike was a dark sorcerer.

“Oh… So when you asked me if anything seemed different about Sir Masetike, it was because of that?”

“I wasn’t certain, so I wanted to know if you’d noticed any changes.”

But the two years she’d been apart from Masetike had muddled her judgment.

If she’d realized sooner, she would’ve ordered his arrest.

It was thanks to the raccoon that they’d been able to act quickly.

‘It’s surprising the raccoon and Masetike hadn’t crossed paths until now.’

Probably because the raccoon wandered around so much.

“I still can’t believe it. Why…”

Pell was echoing the question she’d asked herself the day before.

She abruptly stood and placed a stack of documents in front of him.

“Dwelling on it will only give you a headache. Focus on something else.”

“…That’s a good idea.”

After all, the documents needed to be dealt with.

As a workaholic, Pell buried himself in the paperwork to escape reality.

***

The rains grew heavier with each passing day, as if they intended to flood the entire world.

And then, the feared scenario unfolded.

Reports flooded in about parts of the capital being submerged due to the relentless downpour, with no time for the overflowing river to recede.

Imperial Palace staff were busier than ever.

Even desk workers were sent out for rescue operations due to the lack of manpower.

The Counseling Office, which had no consultations due to Masetike’s absence and the staff’s external duties, was no exception.

Pell and she joined knights at an urgently affected site.

What was once a road was now a river due to the flooding.

“Help us…!”

“There are people here!”

People trapped on higher ground cried out desperately.

The knights, ropes tied around their waists, dove into the raging waters.

Once rescued, the survivors were brought to safety, where Pell and she assessed their conditions.

Rescue efforts were a race against time.

Even a slight delay could mean people being swept away by the current, but the knights couldn’t rush through the strong waters without exhausting themselves.

The harsh environment only made things worse.

There were too many people in need and not nearly enough hands to help.

As time passed, exhaustion set in for everyone.

During a brief meal break, the reality hit hard.

Due to supply shortages, all they were given was dry rye bread.

“This won’t do…”

Thud. She dropped the rock-hard bread, letting it roll across the ground.

Exhausted and facing unappetizing food, it was unbearable.

“Chief? Where are you going?”

“I’m getting something better to eat.”

“What?”

Ignoring Pell’s confusion, she left the tent.

The central district wasn’t far from their location.

And since no rescue requests had come from that area, it was likely still safe.

That meant her rice cake shop was probably intact.

Borrowing a horse, she braved the storm and arrived at the shop.

Due to the chaos outside, there wasn’t a single customer inside.

“C-Chief?”

Jeff, startled by her sudden appearance, jumped up.

“How did you get here in this rain?! I’ll prepare some warm tea right away.”

“No need for that. Jeff, how many rice cakes can you distribute immediately? What about the ingredients?”

“Well… We have a thousand boxes prepared for tomorrow’s delivery to the Welfare Department, and the warehouse is fully stocked in anticipation of the rainy season.”

“A thousand boxes won’t be enough… How much rice is in the warehouse?”

“Well…”

“There are a thousand sacks, costing 40 gold coins in total.”

Ser, who had appeared quietly from behind, removed his hood and answered.

“I came to check on the shop, but I see you’re here too. Why are you asking?

“I have a use for it. Forty gold coins, huh? That’s manageable. Altogether, it’ll be about 70 gold coins.”

After quickly calculating, she finally looked up at Jeff.

“Use 500 sacks of rice to make more rice cakes!”

“What?!”

Jeff looked at her as if she were a tyrant.

Ignoring his shock, she turned to Ser.

“Gather people immediately and move the rice cakes to the rescue site. Donate everything, including tomorrow’s delivery.”

“Are you serious…?”

“Yes.”

She had already planned to donate funds for the city’s reconstruction after the rainy season.

‘Think of this as an early donation.’

“What about the ingredients for the new menu?”

“They’ve all been delivered.”

“Perfect…”

Her meaningful smile made Ser suspicious, but she didn’t care.

She couldn’t hide her excitement over her new idea.