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~Chapter 50~
“Hehe.”
I entered my room with a happy smile.
The tea time with Fabian hadn’t been bad at all.
He was definitely more used to quietly listening to others than talking about himself.
Which made him the perfect conversation partner for someone like me who liked to chatter away.
“Phew. Talking after so long makes me feel alive again.”
Well, it wasn’t like our conversation was about anything special…
But just the fact that I had tea time with someone other than Sophie or my parents in a long while was exciting.
I also learned a few new things about Fabian.
That he likes whiskey and chocolate.
That the Tower Master doesn’t actually have that much to do because his subordinates handle most of the work.
And that he doesn’t really enjoy making friends.
[To be honest, I don’t enjoy making friends. They all leave eventually.]
Fabian, who had lived alone for a long time, was rather cynical about human relationships.
Since he couldn’t feel emotions well, he never felt much need to have friends to share them with.
[Maybe that’s why I feel comfortable with you, Fabian.]
[…]
[I also don’t enjoy making friends. I’m destined to leave soon too.]
Fabian stared at me silently. I smiled.
[So, will you keep me company until I’m gone? Don’t get attached to me, and I won’t get attached to you either.]
[…]
[Still… I don’t want to die alone, trapped here.]
It might have been a cruel request, but if there was anyone I could ask such a thing, Fabian was the right person.
He would be good at not getting attached.
‘Anyway.’
I hoped Fabian would keep visiting often!
I was just thinking that as I flopped down onto my bed.
Rustle.
“…?”
I heard a sound from somewhere, and quickly lifted my head.
Huh?
It really did sound like it came from somewhere in the room…
I got up and looked around.
There was no one here.
Maybe I’d misheard? I scratched my head—
Rustle.
“What… what is that?”
I turned toward the sound again.
Still no one. The only thing on the table was that egg the strange old woman had given me…
“Huh?”
I looked at the egg. It had been sitting in the warm sunlight all this time.
‘Wait… did it just move?’
Crack!
“Kyaa!”
The egg twitched and started to break.
W-what?
My mouth fell open.
I had vaguely thought it might hatch one day, but… it was really hatching?
I just stood there in shock, watching the shell break.
The cracked pieces fell onto the desk with little tapping sounds.
And then—
From among the broken shell pieces, something stretched and poked out its head.
[Ah, damn. Finally out.]
“…?”
The little creature yawned and shook itself.
It was… a chick.
Slightly bigger than a normal chick, but with yellow fluff, thin legs, and cute black eyes.
And this chick…
[Oh? Hi, Saintess!]
It was talking.
[So you’re the Saintess. Nice to meet you!]
The chick glanced around, then spotted me and hurried over, flapping its wings as if to shake my hand.
I stared at it with my mouth hanging open, unable to control my expression.
One character from the novel came to mind.
‘No way…’
I bit my lip. This strange familiarity, this odd floating presence…
Yes. If I was right—
This chick was a character from the original story.
‘A divine beast.’
And… the very divine beast that accompanied Emily.
[Hey. Saintess. Nice to meet you.]
I stayed frozen, staring blankly at the chick.
[…Saintess? I said nice to meet you.]
I couldn’t understand it. Why was Emily’s divine beast here?
It was supposed to appear only after Emily awakened as the Saintess.
It had always followed her around, helping her.
So why…
Why was it here now?
My short reasoning skills couldn’t make sense of this situation.
‘…Did the novel ever say Irene had a divine beast before the story began?’
I searched my memory, but there was nothing like that.
This divine beast definitely appeared only after Emily became the Saintess.
[Hey, if you keep ignoring me, I might just leave.]
The chick began tapping its thin legs impatiently.
…Right. In the story, this chick was infamous among readers for having a terrible personality.
Picky, sassy, and, for a chick, absurdly rude—it sometimes drove readers crazy.
‘Still, I guess it did help Emily when it mattered…’
[Forget it. I’m leaving. A rude Saintess like you needs to be taught a lesson.]
“W-wait!”
I quickly grabbed the chick as it turned to go.
Thud!
[Ack!]
“Oh, no…”
I hadn’t meant to be rough, but I must have used too much force, because the chick flopped over on the desk.
It blinked its beady eyes at me.
[What do you think you’re doing?]
“I didn’t do it on purpose…”
Forget it!
I grabbed its legs and lifted it upside down. The chick flapped its wings angrily.
[Hey! Saintess! You’ve lost your mind! Put me down! How dare you treat this noble body like this!]
“…Sorry, but I need to ask you something. Answer me and I’ll let you go.”
[What? Are you threatening me?]
“Why did you appear in front of me? You’re not supposed to be here.”
I looked it straight in the eyes with a serious face.
The chick frowned like I was speaking nonsense.
[Because you’re the Saintess, obviously.]
“…That’s what I mean. I’m not the Saintess.”
I didn’t have any holy power—in fact, my natural power was so strong it had made me terminally ill.
There was no reason a divine beast should appear to me.
But the chick smirked, folding its stubby wings across its chest.
[Don’t be ridiculous. I only appear to Saintesses.]
“How can you be so sure?”
[…I don’t know the reason. But every time I die and hatch again, my master standing in front of me is always a Saintess.]
It pointed one wing at me.
[So you’re the Saintess. Period.]
“…”
[Now that I’ve answered, put me down! Put me doooown!]
The chick squirmed and flapped wildly as if it couldn’t take it anymore.
I stared at the divine beast with a serious face.
Only one thought ran through my head—
…Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
