…Why did it change?
Could it be… because he wanted this? Jeril was flustered as she quickly examined the object in her hand. Even on a second look, it was just a common belt worn by knights.
But this emblem… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere.
The geometric pattern encasing a purple gem at the center of the belt caught her eye. As she brushed it with her fingers, a low voice echoed through the cave.
“Jeril.”
Was it just her imagination? The call sounded more urgent than before.
At the same time, she realized.
“This… isn’t this the seal of the Holy Empire?”
“…….”
“I’ve seen it in books.”
“……Yes, that’s correct.”
Why was a Holy Empire knight’s belt in a cave in the imperial capital? There was no time to ponder; Ian had already stepped forward and extended his hand.
“Give it to me.”
What? It went up again? Has the system really gone haywire?
From years of experience, Jeril knew that karma only increases when one causes harm to others. There was no reason for karma to rise just from handing over a belt.
“What will you do with it?”
“I intend to investigate how an item from the Holy Empire made its way to the capital.”
A proper, knightly answer. Jeril, unable to see any connection between the belt and harm, reluctantly handed it over.
The cave exploration resumed, and for a while, silence hung around them. The quiet was broken when Ian, walking ahead, stopped and gestured to something scattered on the floor.
His tense green eyes focused on strange shells lying on the ground. Jeril, frozen in shock, spoke hesitantly.
“Ian, I think this cave….”
“It seems to have been a nest for monsters.”
Monsters living in the mountains—why on earth had they appeared in the capital?
“Those are monster eggs, right? Already hatched?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ah… I guess we’ll need to change the outing location.”
Monsters, and earlier, items from the Holy Empire—Jeril was about to lose her mind. But Ian’s next words calmed her.
“No need. The parents seem to have already left this cave with their offspring.”
“How can you be sure?”
“It’s the behavior of Luxo. When their young hatch, they move their nest to a bigger location. I’ve had trouble tracking them before.”
A thorough explanation, befitting the captain of the 1st Knight Order, responsible for managing monster populations. He examined the shells and seemed to identify the species by the patterns.
“If it’s Luxo, they’re gentle herbivores living near the border. Why did they come all the way to the capital?”
Jeril muttered in curiosity, picking up a piece of shell.
Luxo are famous for their strong attachment to their partners, always traveling together. In some outer regions, they even symbolize a happily married couple.
“They’re timid and delicate for their size.”
“I see.”
“But if their partner is in danger, they recklessly charge in without thinking.”
“Reckless…”
Jeril blinked at Ian’s unusually candid words.
“Still, isn’t that romantic from a human perspective?”
“Romantic…”
Ian stared at the disrupted nest, murmuring to himself. His green eyes tilted as if searching for something.
“More than romance, it seems like stubbornness.”
“Why?”
“It seems foolish. I don’t understand risking death over love.”
“Really? I think I’d risk death if someone precious to me were in danger.”
“Those around you would be worried sick.”
“Does that include you, Ian?”
Jeril teased lightly, but Ian’s composed hand twitched slightly. No answer came.
Did I say something silly?
Embarrassed, Jeril naturally changed the topic.
“There may not be monsters here anymore, but we should still keep the children away from this area.”
“……Yes.”
As they did a final inspection, holding torches to check every corner, a strangely-shaped plant caught Jeril’s eye in the dark.
“……A plant?”
A plant in this dark cave? Looking closer, it was clear it hadn’t grown naturally but had been brought in and dropped by someone.
Jeril picked it up to examine it. In an instant, a bizarre sensation swept over her entire body.
“Ah.”
The smooth stems were twisted with unnaturally bright blue petals. What disoriented her wasn’t the oddly vivid flowers or the chaotic leaves.
“……The scent.”
It was an unpleasant smell. A sharp memory transported her back to the massacre at the banquet.
The smell I sensed then—the one from the flowerpot Caron threw, the one Chelsea detested.
Instinctively, Jeril checked Ian’s bare skin for blue spots. Fortunately, there were none.
Her heart raced. She quickly stuffed the plant into her pocket. Just then, Ian, who had been inspecting the other side, approached.
“The ground is unstable deeper inside. As you said, it’s best to block access for the children.”
“…….”
“Jeril? Are you all right? Did something feel off…?”
“No, I’m fine. Shall we go out now?”
Though he smiled calmly, her mind was in turmoil. The unpleasant scent seemed to linger at the tip of her nose.
Back at the Rubian Marquisate, Jeril immediately wrote a letter to Chelsea. She included the substance suspected to have been used in the massacre, asking for an investigation.
“Belle, deliver this personally to Viscount Levellin. Do not—absolutely do not—touch the sealed contents.”
“Yes, milady.”
Three days passed. During that time, Jeril often woke suddenly at night, pacing her room.
The massacre of the saint and the crown prince won’t end with just one attempt.
Those who had experimented in the Mekel region to stage the massacre had meticulously prepared. Having failed, they were likely plotting their next attempt.
If this plant is indeed a material used in the massacre, it might also hold the key to preventing one.
Until she could freely use her azure purification magic, this was the best way to stop the massacre.
Four mornings after sending the letter, Jeril woke after a night of worry and found Chelsea, her eyes tired and sunken.
“Ah!”
“Good morning, Jeril.”
“Please come through the front gate next time!”
Why did she always teleport into my room with magic?!
As Jeril tried to calm her pounding heart, Chelsea stepped forward, rolling up her sleeve.
“Look at this.”
A blue rash had appeared. Jeril’s heart nearly stopped for the second time that morning.
“The plant you sent… was indeed used in the massacre.”
“That’s not the point! What’s this on you?!”
“It splashed on my arm when I crushed the petals during experiments.”
“Stay still. I’ll purify it.”
Jeril, pale as chalk, raised her azure purification magic. The warmth surged through her body. Being a magic she couldn’t freely use, it was sure to cause her pain.
Yet she hesitated not at all. Exchanging her discomfort for Chelsea’s safety and the relief of weeks of suffering was nothing.
“Don’t.”
“That’s ridiculous. Do you want to die?”
A sharp voice cut through the air. Her just-awakened, messy silver hair slowly tinged with blue.
“It’s not that. I think ordinary purification magic will suffice.”
“……What?”
“The blue rash started yesterday afternoon. Already eighteen hours have passed.”
“No seizures?”
“No.”
Calmly nodding, Chelsea made her request again.
“Not azure magic—please treat it with ordinary purification magic.”
Jeril exhaled in resignation. She blew ordinary purification magic onto the rash, just as it began to form.
