Chapter 77
✠
One day while I was focusing on my training to become an Aura Master.
Unlike me—who was exempt from all labor because I worked as my alchemist father’s assistant—the servants of the Count’s estate looked unusually busy today.
The maids seem especially busy. Am I imagining things?
“I don’t think it’s your imagination.”
Right then, I overheard the maids talking.
“Did you hear what the head maid said? Cardinal Cattleya is arriving tomorrow.”
“What? The Grand Lady? Is tomorrow some special day?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, let’s start by cleaning the chapel.”
Agnes clapped her hands happily.
Oh my, Cattleya is coming? It’s been so long!
“Yeah. It seems she’s spending this year’s holy festival at the Count’s estate.”
A festival? Oh! Now that I think about it, tomorrow is the first new moon of the year.
The new moon—the first day of the lunar month.
For the religious order that valued the lunar calendar, the first rising moon of the new year was a very important holy day.
On this day, the Holy Nation held large ceremonies of atonement offerings and burnt sacrifices.
New moon.
I repeated the word in my mind.
A very special event day was approaching.
✠
Ailet, wake up! Time for morning exercise!
Sunlight streamed through the window—I had forgotten to close the curtains last night. Considering how lazy the winter sun usually was, it was already quite late in the morning.
I squirmed under the blankets.
“I want to sleep more…”
Don’t say that—look outside! It rained last night and there’s a double rainbow! Let’s go sweat beautifully under rainbow colors!
“Ugh… I said I’m sleeping…”
With that attitude, how will you ever become a master! Cadet Ailet, wake up!
“No… I’m sleeping…”
I pulled the blanket over my head and curled up like a grub.
Honestly, you never used to fuss about sleeping. What’s wrong today?
“There are days like this…”
Wait… are you sick?!
Agnes pushed her face into the blanket. It looked like something out of a horror scene.
“No. I just want to rest today and do nothing.”
Hmm… your will is firm.
“Yes. See you later, Agnes.”
I turned over and quickly fell back asleep thanks to the warm, cozy bed.
“Yaaawn.”
When I woke up again, it was almost 10 AM.
After rolling around for a while, I finally got up to eat my first meal.
Even after eating, I just lazed around in my room.
Agnes put her hands on her hips while watching me refuse to go outside.
You’re really not training today?
“No.”
Not even making potions?
“No.”
You? The one who lived so diligently? Is this a late puberty phase?
She looked ready to start an intervention if I agreed.
“That’s not it.”
Right then, I heard the butler and the head maid outside the window.
“Head maid! The Grand Lady has just arrived!”
“Al-already?! Oh dear, madam hasn’t even woken up yet!”
“This isn’t the time! Go wake her and help her get ready!”
Hearing her friend had arrived, Agnes’s eyes sparkled.
Cattleya is here! Let’s go greet her, Ailet!
“Yes, let’s.”
I got dressed and finally stepped outside.
If Cardinal Cattleya had just arrived, there was only one place she would be.
I headed toward the chapel on the first floor of the main building.
In the solemn space lit by candles, it was easy to spot a middle-aged woman praying at the center.
That’s Cattleya!
I waited until she finished praying before approaching.
“Greetings, Your Eminence.”
“No need for such formality. Call me Grand Lady. Have you been well, Ailet?”
“Yes.”
A gentle smile spread across her face as she looked at her granddaughter’s friend. Her usual coldness seemed to melt away like a lie.
Soon her gaze shifted slightly beside me.
“Agnes too?”
Yes! Rhea, you’ve been well? You’re not sick anywhere, right?
It had already been revealed that Agnes’s soul stayed with me thanks to the holy relic necklace.
Though they couldn’t hear each other’s voices, Agnes and Cardinal Cattleya looked warmly toward where the other stood.
It was a touching scene of friendship transcending life, death, and time.
“She says she’s been well. She also asked about your health, Grand Lady.”
“My health? Tell her I’m still perfectly fine. It’ll be a long time before I join her.”
“Yes. You heard that, Agnes?”
Honestly… that girl’s way of speaking hasn’t changed at all…
“She’s probably complaining about how annoying my tone still is, right?”
……
“Pfft… Yes. You two must have been very close.”
For a while, I helped them communicate.
Then someone else I was curious about came to mind.
“How is Tesilid doing?”
“Tesilid… recently became the owner of the Holy Sword. He’s growing well according to the Holy Emperor’s expectations and gaining fame. He’ll also be carrying the sacred flame at today’s burnt offering ceremony.”
“I see.”
“You seem quite concerned. Your only connection was that dungeon incident ten years ago, wasn’t it?”
“We happened to meet once more recently.”
“Is that so?”
Her eyes, filled with years and wisdom, studied me deeply.
“Ailet.”
Cardinal Cattleya spoke.
“Tesilid Argent will probably not live an ordinary life.”
“……”
“So getting involved with him—”
As she spoke, tension visibly built in her jaw.
“Grand Lady.”
I interrupted her.
“I understand. Please don’t say more.”
“……”
With her Eyes of Life and Death, which could see lifespan, Tesilid must have appeared abnormal.
She had been trying to warn me despite breaking a taboo.
What? Even Cattleya is worried about that Tesilid guy?
Agnes muttered, clearly curious.
“Thank you for your concern, Grand Lady.”
“…Now that I think about it, I may have said something unnecessary. After all, you aren’t an ordinary child either.”
Cardinal Cattleya smiled kindly.
I returned the smile.
“Oh! Mother! You arrived earlier than expected!”
The Countess appeared just then. Perfect timing for me to leave.
“I’ll take my leave now.”
After politely greeting them both, I left the chapel.
Since I was already out, I headed to the library.
I borrowed some literary works from the continent and spent time reading them.
I could have used the integrated library system, but Agnes would have gotten bored.
Wait, don’t turn the page yet. I haven’t finished reading!
“You read slowly to savor the sentences.”
You read way too fast.
“There are readers like you and readers like me.”
After finishing several books and exchanging impressions with Agnes, I noticed it had grown dark outside.
The sun had already set.
[The Word that Builds the World informs you it is time.]
I pushed my chair back without hesitation.
“I have something to do, Agnes.”
Something to do? I thought today was your lazy day.
“It’s important. Let’s go.”
The early evening sky was deep blue like the ocean depths.
I searched near the western horizon.
There it was.
A thin crescent moon like a fingernail scratch—the new moon.
I climbed to the roof of the Count’s estate, avoiding the servants’ eyes.
You’re acting weird today. Doing things you normally wouldn’t.
“There’s a reason. Watch carefully, Agnes.”
It was January, just before February.
My breath turned white in the cold air and quickly scattered in the winter wind.
I opened the system.
For the first time in a while, I turned on the rank change notification and looked back at the sky.
About thirty minutes passed.
Then—
Flash!
A star fell across the western sky.
After the brief moment passed, I took a deep breath.
A shooting star? You came just to see that?
“Yes.”
Hmm… did you make a wish?
Agnes teased me with superstition.
But my expression remained stiff.
“Agnes, that’s not a good omen.”
Huh? Then what is it?
At that moment—
[<System> Your rank is changing. Current rank: 8th (▼1)]
Dropped by one rank.
Not because I became weaker.
Simply because—
“…You’ve arrived.”
Who arrived?
“The one Carpeios talked about. Remember?”
—The new moon approaches the human world.
On that day, that being, the Newborn Chaotic Evil, shall personally descend.
No way…
Agnes gasped.
I spoke calmly.
“He is…”
“The final hidden boss of this world.”
The winter wind swept past my body.
[<System> Emergency alert! Due to the appearance of a new entity, this world’s difficulty is being recalibrated.]
[<System> Survival difficulty of this world: SS-Rank.]
