Chapter 9

Yoidel did not want to accept the order assigning her to the Central Hall.

To everyone else, it was the greatest honor imaginable.

But she thought differently.

It means I’ll be living completely under Ulysses’ watch.

Yoidel had decided never to trust another smiling face again.

“…Priest.”

“…Sigh.”

“Trainee Priest Yoidel!”

Bang!

Looking up, she found a middle-aged man with white hair and crimson eyes glaring at her.

Right… I’m in class.

“Ah! Y-Yes!”

“Do you know what I was just talking about? Surely you weren’t daydreaming. Answer the question.”

At the same time, she felt countless sharp stares digging into her back.

The man asking the question was Elder Hail, one of the Temple’s senior elders, who had come to give a special lecture to the trainee priests.

From the very beginning, he hadn’t been particularly fond of Yoidel.

“You weren’t thinking about something else, were you? Especially you, sitting in the very front!”

Yoidel calmly looked toward the blackboard.

The lesson was on healing arts.

Medicinal herbs and their properties.

How should I answer?

Her thoughts whirled for a moment, but she slowly reread the writing on the board and pieced together the answer.

The question was:

“Which tree serves as the foundation for the greatest number of medicinal preparations?”

Ah!

Yoidel immediately stood up and faced Hail.

“The answer is the Mashent Tree.”

“Mashent? And why do you think that?”

“Because it was named after Priest Masha, who established the foundation of the Holy Kingdom’s administration during its early years and laid the groundwork for healing studies in the Southern Branch.”

“It symbolizes becoming the foundation of all things.”

“…Correct.”

“Precisely.”

Looking rather stunned, Hail stared at the shyly smiling Yoidel with a puzzled expression.

Even after class ended, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling.

Wasn’t that child supposed to be violent?

When did he become so perceptive?

He’d asked the question intending to criticize her…

Instead, he’d come away seeing her in an entirely new light.

How strange…

Tilting his head in confusion, Hail walked down the hallway.

Tap tap tap.

“Elder!”

“Hm? Ah… it’s you.”

“Don’t run—you’ll trip.”

“What do you need?”

Panting from chasing after him, Yoidel finally caught up.

She looked up and spoke urgently.

“If you boil honey-soaked pears together with Mashent sap…”

“…It works very well for a sore throat.”

“…Why are you telling me that?”

“I thought your throat might be hurting.”

“I hoped it would help.”

“…How could you tell?”

“I noticed your voice was rough.”

“You keep clearing your throat when you speak.”

“I’m sure that tea will make you feel better.”

It was the same tea the male lead in the original novel often drank because of his endless meetings.

“…Well.”

“Thank you, then.”

“I’ll remember it.”

Still wearing a bewildered expression and muttering, “I really don’t understand…”, Hail walked away.

Yoidel quietly giggled to herself.

I hope it helps.

Feeling unexpectedly cheerful, she headed to the dining hall.

This time…

Someone quietly sat down beside her.

They didn’t say anything.

But simply having people nearby made the room feel warmer.

“Yoidel.”

“Do you want some fig tart?”

Someone had finally worked up the courage to ask.

“…Me?”

She was so surprised she couldn’t speak.

You’re giving it… to me?

Why?

Seeing the confusion in her crimson eyes, the boy smiled awkwardly.

“Don’t you remember?”

“You caught that bug for me the other day.”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Ah…”

“And honestly…”

“I never thought you were that bad.”

“I saw Theo try to trip you first.”

The entire dining hall fell silent.

Some whispered,

“Has he lost his mind?”

The Yoidel everyone remembered would’ve exploded.

“You’re giving me garbage like this?!”

She would’ve thrown a fit.

Everyone anxiously waited to see her reaction.

Her eyes are getting wider…

Her mouth opened…

She’s definitely about to get angry…

“Thank you so much.”

“You’ve really made my day.”

The atmosphere froze.

Scrape…

“Y-Yoidel!”

“Do you like juice?”

“Here.”

“I picked it up on the way here.”

“It’s not really my taste.”

“Um…”

“I don’t like sweets… I mean, actually I do.”

“I just had extra dessert.”

“Would you like it?”

The thin layer of ice shattered.

Kindness flooded toward her like a wave.

These were all people Yoidel had helped.

One after another, they offered her little acts of goodwill.

Her reputation had been so terrible before…

That even small acts of kindness were enough to soften their hearts.

Because she’d behaved so badly in the past…

Even tiny good deeds left a huge impression.

“W-What?”

“Yoidel…”

“She’s smiling!”

“I’m not imagining it, am I?”

They were shocked for two reasons.

First…

People were actually brave enough to talk to Yoidel.

Second…

Yoidel’s shy smile.

Her infamous reputation had hidden it until now…

But while she wasn’t ruggedly handsome, Yoidel possessed delicate, beautiful features.

Everyone in the dining hall found themselves unable to look away.

I’d only ever seen her angry…

She smiles like that…?

Little by little…

The atmosphere warmed.

Unbeknownst to Yoidel…

Many hearts were beginning to change.

But not everyone welcomed those changes.

Yoidel…

That idiot is becoming the Divine Beast’s caretaker?

After hearing the rumors, Theo limped angrily through the hallway.

As soon as he reached a deserted corridor…

He threw away his crutches.

His face twisted into something almost demonic.

In truth…

His injury had never been that serious.

He’d exaggerated it.

The worse it looked…

The harsher Yoidel’s punishment would be.

As for the injury itself…

A few coins paid to a healing priest solved everything.

Theo adjusted his glasses.

Impossible.

It can’t be.

I’m far more qualified!

Grinding his teeth in frustration, he bit down on his fingers until blood seeped from beneath his torn nails.

This has to be a mistake.

His Holiness would never assign someone like Yoidel to that position.

Even if it was considered a dead-end post.

Everything was wrong.

Completely wrong.

The one who should’ve caught His Holiness’s attention…

Was him.

His family had produced summoners for generations.

Whether it was divine beasts, magical beasts, or ordinary animals…

He was unquestionably more talented than Yoidel.

Yoidel?

Yoidel?!

His Holiness simply hasn’t seen what I can do.

Once he notices my abilities…

He’ll throw Yoidel aside and recognize me instead.

Theo intended to use this opportunity to drive Yoidel out for good.

Her reputation was already terrible.

Sure…

Her recent strange behavior had improved it slightly.

But not enough.

If he crushed her now…

It would be even easier.

A vicious smile spread across Theo’s face.

Creeeak…

He pushed open the door to the Divine Beast’s chamber.

The security had been troublesome.

Fortunately…

He already possessed a summoned beast.

Without it, he would’ve never bypassed the locks.

Theo never realized the crucial difference.

The door had opened effortlessly for Yoidel…

But had remained tightly shut to everyone else.

From the very beginning…

He had never been a welcomed guest.

He casually brushed the tiny squirrel-like familiar perched on the back of his hand aside.

Instead of leaving, it obediently climbed back up, staring at him with sparkling eyes.

“Chit! Chit-chit!”

“Shut up.”

“Get lost.”

Annoyed by its innocent gaze, Theo dismissed the summon entirely.

He had no use for such a worthless creature.

Only something like that…

His eyes settled on the pink egg.

Only a Divine Beast deserves to stand beside someone from my family.

It would earn him honor.

It would gain him His Holiness’s trust.

It would elevate his name.

Theo stared intensely at the pink egg.

It never hatched because it hadn’t met me.

At least…

That’s what he believed.

Someone like Yoidel would only get in the way.

She’s nothing.

So Theo decided to teach that insolent fool a lesson.

I’ll just leave the tiniest crack…

Everyone will blame that pink-haired idiot.

He wasn’t wearing his own brown hair.

Instead…

He’d disguised himself with a pink wig.

He’d even collected strands of Yoidel’s fallen hair.

He’d purchased an expensive magical tool that left no fingerprints.

Whatever happened here…

The blame would fall on Yoidel’s negligence.

Or…

People would simply assume someone with such a terrible reputation was guilty.

Either outcome suited him perfectly.

He raised his fist high.

Then swung it down toward the egg.

Whoosh—

“No!”

Crash!

Yoidel threw herself forward, wrapping her body around the egg.

“Damn it.”

“You again?”

“What are you doing…?”

Groaning in pain, Yoidel slowly pushed herself upright.

She had used her own body to shield the Divine Beast’s egg.

Her skin had been scraped raw.

Bruises were already forming.

Pain throbbed throughout her body.

But she simply bit her lip and endured it.

Then she glared furiously at Theo.

“She’s alive!”

“She understands words!”

“She can see!”

“Why are you trying to break Flo when she hasn’t done anything wrong?!”

The egg…

Was her very first friend.

A few bruises meant nothing if it was to protect someone precious.

She already knew Theo hated her.

If he wanted revenge…

He should’ve taken it out on her.

Why bully an innocent egg that couldn’t even speak?

Yoidel simply couldn’t understand him.

Naturally…

Her words only infuriated the twisted Theo even more.

“How ridiculous.”

“So you’ve already started acting like the caretaker?”

“Flo is my friend!”

“If you don’t want your other leg broken too…”

“Stop it!”

“I won’t forgive you!”

Yoidel shouted with absolute sincerity.

Fortunately…

The egg hadn’t cracked.

But it trembled violently in her arms.

It had clearly been frightened.

“It’s okay, Flo.”

“I’m here now.”

“You don’t have to be scared.”

“Shh…”

Even if Flo still looked like an egg…

She was unquestionably alive.

Guessing where its ears might be, Yoidel gently covered part of the shell.

She didn’t want Flo hearing cruel words.

“Leg?”

“Hah!”

“You tried to trip me that day!”

“That’s why this happened to you!”

Then she noticed something.

Theo’s leg looked perfectly fine.

And…

Wait…

That pink hair…

That’s my wig?

Realizing what had happened, Yoidel angrily pushed herself to her feet.

“Ah!”

Only to collapse again immediately.

Pain shot through her leg.

She couldn’t even stand properly.

Of all times…

I must’ve sprained it.

The unexpected injury left her helpless.

Theo’s eyes gleamed.

Now was his chance.

Yoidel was holding the egg.

She couldn’t move.

“You don’t even know your place…!”

Whoosh!

He raised his hand.

But…

Thunk.

Something stopped it.

“Huh?”

“Why won’t my arm move?”

No matter how hard he tried…

His arm wouldn’t come down.

It felt as though it had been nailed in place.

Then…

His breathing became labored.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

“Urgh…”

At that moment…

Brilliant light poured in behind Theo.

No…

Looking closer…

It wasn’t light.

It was silver hair reflecting dazzling radiance.

Why is Yoidel making that face?

Her expression suddenly changed.

She wasn’t looking at Theo anymore.

She was staring at something…

Behind him.

Theo broke into a cold sweat.

No…

It can’t be…

How would he know…?

With a stiff neck, Theo slowly turned around.

His gaze rose upward.

“You don’t know your place…”

A calm voice leisurely repeated his own words.

“…Wouldn’t you agree?”

Standing there…

With icy blue eyes devoid of even the slightest smile…

Was Ulysses.