* * *
[I cannot let myself be overcome by a simple provocation and injure my Master.]
In a dignified tone that did not suit its small and cute body, the creature began to preen the feathers of its spread wings.
To anyone else, it would look like a cute, singing bird grooming itself.
Nevertheless, Klen’s gaze remained cold.
If he had answered honestly, it was my turn now.
Knowing that this was a garden where no one else came, my body naturally leaned toward him.
He also inclined his ear toward me, and I spoke in a low whisper.
“Actually… I am the master of this Divine Beast.”
Of course, Klen was surprised.
But he didn’t seem as surprised as when he confirmed he could use magic.
There was one thing I could guess as to why he wasn’t more surprised upon hearing this unbelievable story.
“Did you know?”
No way. But if not, why wouldn’t he be surprised?
“Rather than knowing… when you said this bird was the Divine Beast from back then, I thought it might be possible.”
The magic floating beside him had disappeared, unlike his still-cold tone.
It must have been a simple provocation, and he probably never really intended to use it.
But confirming that my eyes traced the spot where the magic had been, he let out a small laugh.
“I wouldn’t do something that might cause you harm, would I?”
The chilling cold that seemed about to freeze the surroundings felt like an illusion.
Thanks to these two beings who wouldn’t let me get hurt, the cool air gradually regained its warmth.
The leaves of the plants around us looked vibrant, as if they had regained their vitality.
“However, it’s best to avoid embracing living creatures carelessly.”
That was the extent of Klen’s warning.
There was no mention of not telling anyone about this or being careful not to get caught.
‘If he means living creatures, does that include ordinary squirrels or rabbits?’
As I merely rolled my eyes, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, as if to show an example.
A piece of paper, not a living creature, would be fine, I suppose.
And he handed it to me.
The neatly folded paper was Ebony’s report.
But surely he had just received it at the library.
“Aren’t you going to read it?”
“Hand it over when you’ve finished reading it.”
I was curious about the content anyway, so I quickly took the report.
Klen’s hand, after handing it over, did not immediately return to its original position but reached toward my shoulder.
[Take your hand away!]
He was probably trying to touch my head.
Of course, the small bird dodged the touch and fiercely struck the back of his hand with its wing.
Even so, I somewhat understood why he tried to reach out again.
‘As expected, I can’t help it; cute things are cute.’
Even if the creature hit his hand or attacked with its beak, it would likely look like simple play.
It would be fun to watch that, but reading the report was more important right now.
I gently picked up the bird and placed it on his hand.
[What are you doing! Handing me over to this fellow!]
“……It sounds like it’s saying something.”
“Ah, it seems to be hungry.”
Although it was noisily chattering in an annoyed tone, it sat still on Klen’s hand even though he wasn’t holding it.
Given that it wasn’t flying back to me, it seemed it wasn’t as upset as its words suggested.
[That’s not it!]
“Divine Beast food… Does it eat common earthworms?”
[I don’t eat such things, you rude fellow! At least think of fruit!]
Klen moved as if he were actually going to look for an earthworm, and the bird, despite grumbling, sat quietly on his hand and moved with him.
Linda’s words that the Divine Beast seemed to appreciate good looks came to mind.
Was the same context applicable now?
Taking advantage of the quiet surroundings, I unfolded Ebony’s report.
The detailed report, almost as thorough as a healer’s, was composed mainly of cold and concise sentences, indicating his former profession.
If the two of them could investigate together, they would be able to uncover even the smallest detail thoroughly.
‘That might be a bit scary.’
I would probably be scared if I were the subject of the investigation rather than the recipient of the report.
I shook my head as if to shake off the fear and began to read the report.
According to his investigation, the man in the dark blue clothes I saw at the ball was a person named Heinz from the East Tower, who seemed to mainly gather medicinal herbs.
The report stated that he frequented not only the area near the forest but also various places throughout this region.
And the woman in the green dress was a mage named Heather from the West Tower.
Since spells are affected by the surrounding nature, she seemed to have chosen that place, which resonates well with her, as her practice area.
Perhaps a significant portion of the scribbles the healer showed me were her work.
Seeing the approximate age, height, and favorite places of the two individuals listed, Ebony was indeed a former assassin.
Based on this data, one could probably determine the most suitable place for an assassination.
“Hmm.”
The last few pages took up the largest portion of the report, concerning that frail knight.
I concentrated more on examining the content.
His name was Rodney.
A member of the Black Eagle Knights. Age 25.
……My vision blurred there.
It seemed my eyes had trembled.
‘25 years old?!’
It was a perfect example of people whose age is difficult to guess by appearance.
I never thought he would be older than me.
He had entered to become a knight and continued training since childhood, completing his knighthood ceremony, but he hadn’t achieved significant success because he was frailer than other knights.
Thus, all the small errands seemed to have fallen to him.
It was confirmed that he had a faint talent for magic, and the West Tower tried to recruit him, but he refused.
He chose to remain a knight.
Since his magic power wasn’t strong, it didn’t become a particular topic of discussion.
And through that connection, he also seemed to take on requests or errands for the West Tower.
‘The more I look, the more suspicious he is.’
Perhaps because he was the most entangled of the three, I couldn’t shake off the suspicion.
A knight who can use magic is more suspicious than a mage who openly practices spells or a person associated with healers who gather medicinal herbs.
Clang—
“Huh?”
While reading the report, a sharp sound, different from the metallic one, brushed past my ear.
I immediately turned my head to trace the source of the sound.
Then, I saw Klen standing over there.
He was still using magic without concealment, and a circular cage formed by ice had been created on the ground in front of him, centered around the bird.
Since I had already finished reading the important parts, I folded the report in half again and headed toward him.
“What are you doing?”
[You’ve finally come! Your partner is truly rude. Why did you marry such a fellow!]
The bird, flapping its wings inside the cage, fully displayed its displeasure.
Seeing a quite large earthworm wriggle in front of it, it seemed he was indeed trying to feed it.
And fortunately, the earthworm was not caught in this incident and successfully dug into the ground and disappeared.
“Klen? What’s going on?”
He quietly stared at the loudly chattering bird, then lifted his head.
* * *
Thanks for the chapter! ✨💛