Chapter 21
The nearby bushes rustled, and a small figure appeared.
“Grandmother.”
“Bianca? Since when were you there…?”
“From the beginning. Hehe.”
The countess hadn’t chosen an outdoor location for tea time just for the pleasant scenery.
It had also been her daughter’s recommendation—she had deliberately picked a place with plenty of cover.
Now, it was time for grandmother and granddaughter.
“I didn’t know you had such an ability, Grandmother.”
“…Abilities related to death tend to be avoided by people, so I don’t speak of them often.”
“Is it really true that I’m destined to die soon? That’s why… not because you disliked me?”
“I’m truly sorry. If I grew attached, I wouldn’t be able to bear it later… As a grandmother, I couldn’t even say a kind word or embrace you… I was afraid of the pain I would feel, and instead, I ended up hurting you.”
“Grandmother…”
Watching the misunderstanding finally clear up, I smiled with satisfaction.
“If it’s alright… would you like to have tea with your grandmother?”
“Yes…!”
It felt like I should step out now. Reading the room, I quickly swallowed the macaron and was about to stand up—
“Ailet, thank you so much. I owe you a great debt. I don’t know how I should repay you.”
“Oh, it’s fine. You already gave me that necklace earlier.”
“That was payment for your help. This is separate.”
“It’s okay—”
Wait, hold on! This isn’t the time to refuse out of habit!
‘Word Spirit, Word Spirit! Are you there right now?!’
[“The Word Spirit that Constructs the World” rushes over urgently, looking around and asking what’s going on.]
Good. Authority secured.
“Well… in that case, there’s a small favor I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I want to visit the Holy Palace!”
Will it work? Can it? It will, right?!
Cardinal Cattleya answered without hesitation.
“What a devout child. It just so happens that this is the season when children gather at the Holy Palace to undergo divine power testing. That’s not a difficult request.”
A message appeared.
[“The Word Spirit that Constructs the World” admires your cleverness.]
[<System> “The Word Spirit that Constructs the World” consumes plausibility and assigns you a quest.]
[<Quest> “A High-Grade Herb Mistaken for a Weed (Difficulty: F)”
Collect the herb ‘Elephantipes,’ which grows nourished by divine power in the Holy Palace.
Success Reward: Fresh Elephantipes seedling
Failure Penalty: None]
[<System> Would you like to accept the quest? (Yes/No)]
Obviously—Yes!
“Then let’s depart together in three days.”
“Yes!”
And just like that, the conditions were fulfilled.
Alright—time to go gather weeds! And sweet potatoes!
✠
Meanwhile, that evening.
Bianca came to find me, her face slightly flushed.
I thought she was going to share how much she enjoyed her time with her grandmother, but—
“Ai, this isn’t your first life, is it?”
She bluntly pressed me about my secret.
It was bound to happen someday. Bianca is sharp. And I had dropped quite a few hints at the tea table.
[“Inspector of Heavenly Secrets” has been dispatched following a report of a forbidden revelation.]
[“Inspector of Heavenly Secrets” glares fiercely at you.]
A new one showed up.
Ugh… what do I do? How should I explain this without violating the rules of the world…?
At that moment, Bianca placed her finger over my lips.
“Shh. Don’t say anything.”
“Mmm…?”
“Usually things like this can’t be spoken because of taboos. Just listen comfortably, Ai.”
“….”
“I didn’t ask Grandmother. I just thought over your conversation earlier today. She said you were special, right? Between the lifespan you’ve lived and the one you have left, she was probably referring to the one you’ve already lived. People with the Eye of Life and Death can’t casually talk about the future, after all.”
“….”
“I think the time you’ve lived is different from your physical age. You never really seemed like someone your age anyway.”
…Sorry, Bianca, but using my mental age as evidence is a bit—
“You’re not a disguised demon—you’re definitely human. I looked it up in the records, and there are a few cases of people with unusual lifespans.”
She even went to the library. Thorough as ever.
“Grandmother said you’re ‘someone who returned,’ which implies regression, right? But I think differently.”
Gulp.
“It’s not regression—it’s reincarnation. If you had regressed and knew the future, with your personality, you wouldn’t have let me get dragged into that dungeon.”
“Oh…”
That’s sharp.
Technically, I am a possessor—but I was also reincarnated, so she’s not wrong.
[“Inspector of Heavenly Secrets” shouts that reacting like that is basically admitting it.]
Not my problem.
Anyway, I didn’t say anything. It’s not my fault Bianca is smart. Ahem.
While I was feeling proud of having such a great friend, Bianca took my hand.
“To think I have a friend who’s both a divine apostle and a reincarnator… I’m really lucky.”
“Bia…”
“I’ll keep your secret to myself. Don’t worry.”
“Mm… thank you.”
Now I had a friend who shared part of my secret—everything except the possession.
It felt like our friendship had grown a little stronger.
“So how old are you, Ai?”
“…That’s a secret.”
“Age doesn’t matter between friends.”
“S-still, maybe later.”
“Alright.”
Someday, either I’ll tell her… or she’ll figure it out herself.
The complete truth.
