February 18, 2021
"So, my thoughts on this matter are... Oh? My Lady!"
Fenril’s face broke into a wide smile mid-conversation. Cher clicked his tongue as he watched Fenril dart forward like a startled chicken. Despite Fenril’s insistence that there was nothing wrong with his behavior, Cher couldn’t help but worry every time he saw him act like this. He was bound to get into trouble sooner or later.
"I was just looking for you, and it’s fortunate that I ran into you right away."
"Are you feeling alright? You didn’t seem well the last time we met, and I was worried."
"Thank you for your concern."
"Not at all. Rather, I regret that I couldn’t do more to help."
Fenril spoke in a slightly rushed tone. Alicia smiled and took out a small package from the basket she was carrying.
"It’s nothing much, but I’d like you to have this."
"What is it?"
"Some cookies I baked myself. I wanted to thank you for your help before. You can have them whenever you feel like a snack."
"You—you baked them yourself?"
Fenril’s voice wavered. They were just cookies, yet the mere idea of them made it hard for him to breathe. These weren’t just any cookies—they were personally made by Alicia.
"Yes. I’m not sure if they’ll suit your taste, but—"
"They absolutely will! There’s no doubt about it!"
"...."
"I mean, I’ve had a weakness for sweets since I was a child!"
Alicia blinked at his sudden outburst, and Fenril hastily cleared his throat. He wanted to maintain his dignity, but in front of Alicia, it was impossible. Even closing his eyes, he could still picture the look in hers from when they had met in that dark prison cell.
"I’m glad you like them. I made enough to share with those around you, but I was worried you might not."
"Of course not! I can never get enough cookies."
"Then enjoy them."
Alicia gave him a slight nod and turned to leave. Fenril watched her retreating figure for a long moment before suddenly raising the cookie package high above his head—just as a large, calloused hand reached out for it.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"Keep your hands off."
Fenril shook his head firmly. Cher waved his arm, trying to snatch a cookie, but it was out of reach. His scowl deepened.
"Didn’t you hear her say to share?"
"I must have missed that part."
"Come on, don’t be stingy. You don’t even like sweets that much."
"Well, starting today, I do. And I’ll continue to like them from now on."
Fenril clutched the cookies to his chest like they were the most precious treasure in the world. Cher’s face contorted in frustration.
***
"Just ignore me and continue your report."
Cabelenus answered indifferently, but Gajev found it impossible to do so. He looked at his superior, who was glaring daggers at a block of butter, and forced an awkward smile.
"Your Highness... what exactly are you doing?"
"Baking cookies."
"...Cookies?"
Gajev reflexively repeated the word, his brain struggling to process the sight before him. He had already been confused when Cabelenus summoned him to the kitchen, but the sight of measuring tools, ingredients, and various baking supplies scattered around was beyond comprehension.
"Mikael asked me to bake cookies for him."
"...He asked you?"
"And he specifically insisted that I do it alone."
Cabelenus ground his teeth as he sliced the butter and placed it onto the scale. The cut was excessively clean—far too precise for something as simple as cookie dough.
"It’s still not enough. I’ll need more."
He added another portion of butter to the scale. The cookies he had made with Alicia had been perfect, but he hadn’t baked those alone. And since he had made a promise, he had to get it right by himself.
"..."
"What are you waiting for? Continue your report."
"A-Ah, yes. Right..."
Gajev moved stiffly, like a broken puppet, as he opened his documents. Even as he tried to focus, his eyes kept drifting back to the absurd sight of Cabelenus carefully weighing butter.
"We’re still searching, but the room where the young master was found remains missing. It’s as if it never existed in the first place."
"You’ve searched the entire castle?"
"Yes. We checked multiple times, but the results were the same. The room is simply gone."
"Magic, then."
"It’s the most likely explanation."
Cabelenus’s eyes narrowed. He had ordered an investigation into the room where Mikael had been found, but all they had discovered was its disappearance. A hidden room was suspicious enough, but one that vanished without a trace? That was beyond unusual.
"I’ll have to look for it myself. I need to see it with my own eyes."
"Perhaps... you should bring the young master with you."
"You want me to take the child back to the place where he was trapped?"
"If not now, then maybe later."
"Why would I?"
Cabelenus tilted his head, unconvinced. Mikael had scraped his hands raw trying to escape from that place. Taking him back there didn’t sit right with him.
"From what I understand, concealment magic often requires specific conditions to be met in order to reveal what’s hidden."
"And you’re suggesting that Mikael is the key?"
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“At the very least, we can be certain that the young master is connected to it. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to lure him away in the first place.”
Even as Gajev voiced his thoughts, he kept a close eye on Cabelenus’s expression. As expected, his superior didn’t seem pleased. A capable adjutant knew when to present alternatives, and this was one of those moments.
“If you’re truly unwilling to bring the young master, what about taking Lady Alicia instead?”
“Alicia?”
“There’s something that’s been bothering me.”
“What is it?”
“Why was it Mikael?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Cabelenus tilted his head.
“If the creatures were drawn to the young master because of the monster’s blood in his veins, then they should have also reacted to you, Your Highness. But they didn’t.”
“...”
“And Lady Alicia—she knows the ancient tongue.”
“The ancient tongue?”
“She mentioned learning it from her mother.”
“But her mother wasn’t from the Empire. Where would she have learned it?”
Cabelenus’s brows knitted together.
“That’s what struck me as odd as well. The Prime Faith is the Empire’s state religion, and the ancient tongue is only taught to the upper ranks. Lady Alicia, who grew up in isolation in the South, should not have had access to such knowledge.”
“...”
“Moreover, the Prime God is known to grant wishes. And Lady Alicia possesses a power similar to that.”
Gajev paused, steadying his breath. The connection between the Empire’s revered deity and the fallen princess of a ruined kingdom was an absurd one. It was something no one would have even considered. Yet, he couldn’t ignore the growing list of peculiarities.
“The maternal lineage of Lady Alicia, the Noitraira tribe, is often referred to as ‘the vessels of the gods.’ If the gods worshipped by the temple and the Noitraira people are one and the same—”
“You realize how dangerous this claim is?”
“Yes, I do.”
“If you’re willing to take responsibility, then continue.”
Cabelenus set his mixing bowl down on the table. Gajev swallowed dryly.
“Technically speaking, the Prime Faith may be the Empire’s dominant religion, but its myths encompass the entire continent.”
“...”
“And names tend to evolve based on culture and environment. Different languages and dialects often give the same entity different titles. If we consider that possibility, it’s not unreasonable. There have been cases of a single people splitting into multiple nations, each developing its own distinct traditions.”
“So?”
“I don’t believe the creatures reacted to Mikael because of the monster’s blood he inherited from you.”
Gajev’s gaze sharpened. On the surface, Cabelenus had always seemed like the more likely cause. He was the one with the direct connection to the monstrous lineage. It made sense to assume he was the reason. But upon closer reflection, something was amiss.
Throughout his life, Cabelenus had faced countless creatures on the battlefield. As the vanguard of every hunting season, he had encountered and slain them without hesitation. Yet, never once had they displayed an unusual fixation on him. They had always acted as any beast would—baring their fangs, wary and hostile, but never drawn to him.
“Of course, this is only speculation. Even if there are overlapping factors, I can’t say for certain. It would be strange if the divine figure praised by the temple turned out to be nothing more than the bloodline of a small, isolated tribe.”
“...”
“But if Lady Alicia can also locate the missing chamber, then this theory will gain weight.”
“A mere theory...”
“I understand that you wish to keep Lady Alicia’s secrets undisturbed, Your Highness. However, in my humble opinion, it’s worth investigating.”
Gajev kept his voice steady, but inwardly, he was tense. He knew Cabelenus wouldn’t be fond of this line of reasoning. If the creatures weren’t reacting to him, then the only remaining explanation was Alicia. And if that were true, it meant her origins were far more entangled in the unknown than they had assumed.
Yet, to Gajev’s surprise, Cabelenus did not seem particularly /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ disturbed. If anything, he appeared... deep in thought.
“The Prime God is said to be capable of granting anything, is he not?”
“Yes. At least, that’s what the temple teaches.”
“Then this works out well.”
Cabelenus’s lips curled slightly, but his expression was anything but pleased. He had done everything possible—ordering the best remedies, ensuring she had proper meals, and even looking into forbidden methods—but Alicia’s condition was only worsening. Every day, it gnawed at him, like a blade slowly carving into his nerves. He needed another solution.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. He had hoped to ignore it. To let the unanswered questions remain buried. But unresolved mysteries were like needles hidden in a pocket—no matter how carefully they were concealed, they would eventually pierce through and draw blood.
“Investigate. I don’t care what methods you use. Whether it’s the Prime Temple or the Noitraira tribe, dig into anything related to the gods.”
“...”
“What? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Well... to be honest, I thought you’d be more shocked. You’ve never exactly been fond of the creatures, Your Highness.”
Gajev gave a weak smile. Even if he tried to phrase it delicately, everyone knew how deeply Cabelenus despised them.
“This isn’t the time for that.”
“...”
“Whether it’s gods, monsters, or even devils, it doesn’t matter.”
As long as it could save her.
Cabelenus’s voice was quiet, but it carried a weight that settled deep in Gajev’s chest. It was then that he realized—Cabelenus wasn’t unaffected by this. He was simply enduring it in silence.
