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Chapter 47
“…Ah, witches.”
They were indeed here.
The evil dragon Ather rose to his feet once more.
“This is rare. Spirits of the forest and even witches. Such precious beings gathered in one place again. And this is even near human territory.”
Why had these two species, who usually avoided humans, returned here?
Because of the saint?
Or perhaps…
“That cheeky little cat.”
The Great Spirit of the Forest nudged the evil dragon’s head once more with its snout.
Ather rolled over obediently, thinking, Alright, alright.
“On the day her aunt sent her to be protected, she hissed and drove them away. That cheeky little brat. Should we not protect her?”
“Protect her.”
“Hmph.”
“Didn’t you see it too?”
That strange… thing.
Though unspoken, Ather understood perfectly what the Great Spirit of the Forest meant.
It had been lingering near Diamor as well, and it worried him.
If anyone moved too far from the saint and their companions, that bizarre entity would likely reach out with its tentacles even at him.
Even for the ancient, knowledgeable evil dragon, it was terrifying.
It was something that had never existed since the creation of the world.
“Does the Great Spirit know what it is?”
“It’s something that devours, twists, and recreates our world.”
“Recreate….”
That sounded accurate.
That bizarre entity kept targeting its subjects and began altering them in strange ways.
Yet it didn’t seem to be exerting its full power.
Because…
“It couldn’t do a thing against the saint’s blessing.”
So, Nibellia, Diamor, and those around her were safe even while it hovered nearby.
Saint Muniel’s blessing protected them.
“Camping means meat, of course.”
The first evening of camping featured meat grilled over charcoal.
Various meats marinated in spices crafted by the witches themselves were grilled to perfection on a charcoal fire that Ardorres had painstakingly prepared, sweating all the while.
“…….”
“…….”
The children standing in front of the grill drooled uncontrollably.
“Don’t touch.”
Kaleo brandished tongs to maintain a safe distance. Today’s cook was Kaleo.
“It’s dangerous, so stay back. Otherwise…”
Before he could finish, a strong gust of wind blew, scattering bright red charcoal dust like snow.
“Wow!”
“Fire, fire!”
The children ran when sparks flew, and regrouped when they disappeared.
After watching for a while, Nibellia suddenly eyed Kaleo suspiciously.
“Dad.”
“Hm?”
“Do you grill meat well?”
“Of course. Ralph always ate the meat I grilled very well too.”
“Who’s Ralph?”
“Just Uncle Kalarof’s nickname.”
Soles explained beside her.
“Your father and Uncle Kalarof have been friends since childhood.”
Nibellia nodded.
Kaleo said,
“When Ralph and I went hunting in the forest, cooking was always my job.”
He boasted that Ralph was terrible at cooking and that if it weren’t for him, Ralph would have starved.
Nibellia, listening blankly, asked,
“Did you and Uncle love each other?”
“What?”
“Ahahaha!”
Before Kaleo could recover from embarrassment, Seletina burst out laughing.
Nibellia immediately ran to Seletina.
“Mom, Dad loved Uncle!”
She acted as if it were a big deal.
“That is a serious matter. What about Mom?”
“We’d have to divorce and claim alimony.”
Seletina pressed a kiss to Nibellia’s forehead and spoke softly.
But Nibellia still looked displeased.
“You only have one partner.”
“Exactly. No cheating.”
“Nini got angry because Aleph cheated today!”
Aleph, nearby, shook his head rapidly.
Having reached out to a cat once and suddenly become an adulterer, Aleph kept a close eye on Nibellia.
“Nini kept waiting just for Aleph…”
“I see. But Aleph really likes Nini too, right?”
Seletina offered a comforting hand.
Aleph nodded earnestly again.
“I… I like Miss the most…!”
He confessed shyly, his face redder than the charcoal.
“Is that so?”
“……”
“Nini.”
Now, forgive him.
Aleph had done nothing truly wrong; if anything, he merely paid attention to another cat in front of Nini.
“Aleph just liked the cat.”
“That’s the problem! Right in front of Nini!”
“Nini isn’t a cat, she’s a person. Can’t you be a little forgiving?”
“Nini is a cat.”
“But also a person, right?”
Seletina gestured at Nibellia’s soft hand.
Nibellia stared at her own hand.
No soft pink paw pads, no hidden claws popping out—just smooth flesh instead of fluffy white fur.
“…Yeah.”
Now, she was a human.
Sometimes Nibellia felt strange when she faced the fact that she wasn’t a cat.
“Aleph.”
Ignoring the odd feeling, Nibellia approached Aleph and hugged him tightly.
The adults smiled warmly at the sight of the young couple embracing each other.
Only Kaleo fretted silently, thinking, Isn’t this too fast? Not that I’m worried… well, actually I am…!
“Aleph.”
“Yes.”
“If you cheat, I’ll kill you.”
“…Yes.”
Though he had no intention of cheating, and couldn’t even understand what was happening, Aleph gave the answer Nibellia wanted. He intended to do as she wished.
Nibellia finally relaxed, smiling naturally as if all her tension had melted away.
Aleph’s heart melted too.
That night, the meat grilled by Kaleo melted like honey.
The first night of camping passed peacefully.
“Damn it!”
Count Petra Youngsick threw the newspaper he had been reading.
His well-groomed mustache shook violently as he exhaled sharply.
The newspaper on the floor reported a recent press conference held by Seletina, the head of Rubeo.
“Because of that cunning woman, I’ve been labeled a liar!”
Seletina had clearly drawn boundaries, claiming she wasn’t particularly close to Petra Youngsick, and that Rubeo was busy with ongoing business.
Petra Youngsick, slightly ahead in the succession race, faltered with this article.
Seizing the opportunity, his sister surged forward.
Petra Young introduced a new product called “insurance,” receiving positive responses first in the northern region, and announced plans for distribution across various regions including the capital.
It felt like a taunt directed at her younger brother.
“These fools don’t even know their place…!”
Petra Youngsick despised both his sister blocking him and the Rubeo head undermining his efforts.
Beside him, a horse neighed.
“It’s alright. It’s not over yet, is it?”
Petra Youngsick turned to see the recently contracted broker.
“Felsone.”
The sturdy man, with particularly broad shoulders, was a well-known broker in finance.
Every business or stock he took interest in was always a hit.
To recruit Felsone, the Petra siblings had used every possible strategy.
Especially Petra Youngsick, who desperately needed him.
He could not surpass his sister by skill alone. He needed someone to help him.
By chance, he had met Felsone at a favorite bar and managed to enlist him.
“Rubeo is conservative and careful. Seletina’s success at such a young age is no accident.”
“Because of that, I became the liar!”
“Just say it was a miscommunication.”
Felsone shrugged his broad shoulders, as if to say, Words matter in the right context.
Half of his face was hidden, always masked, so no one knew what he looked like.
“The important point is, you can claim the potential returns Rubeo might have invested in.”
“Easier said than done.”
Petra Youngsick laughed dryly, but his anxiety burned within.
The Frost Kingdom’s magic stone mining venture was a guaranteed success.
Even a nail-sized high-quality magic stone could fetch millions of Uba.
When Felsone told him about it, Petra Youngsick secretly confirmed the truth through information brokers.
Fortunately, it was confirmed true.
“The Frost Kingdom recently discovered a magic stone mine. They probably need investors. Forty years ago, they tried to deceive the saint but ended up getting punished…”
Petra Youngsick immediately used his personal funds to give Felsone to invest.
Soon, Felsone brought proof that the investment was successful.
“Invest one million Uba, and you can receive magic stones worth ten times that.”
Felsone whispered the same advice again.
Petra Youngsick still fretted.
If he could buy the stocks Rubeo foolishly abandoned, in a few months he could surpass Rubeo in wealth.
