Chapter 10
To God.
Hello? My name is Pepper.
I live with my mom in an ivory-colored house on Opetal Street. It’s the tall black-gated building with seven floors. The room at the very top — the one with the red geranium flowerpot — that’s where my mom and I live.
The adults call it the maid’s room because we can’t use the central staircase and have to go up and down a closet-like one instead… I don’t really know what that means though!
We have a dog too. His name is Collie.
My mom washes dishes at a restaurant nearby where nobles come to eat. Because of that, she works late every day.
I’m not old enough to go to school yet, so I’m always alone with Collie.
The kids around here don’t play with me. They say I’m not of the same social class as they are.
So Collie is my only friend.
Before going to work in the morning, Mom puts a warm stone inside my bed. It’s really warm at first, but by the time the sun rises, it gets cold. When that happens, I hug Collie and it becomes warm again. I like that a lot.
Collie is brave. Last time, when the landlord shouted at my mom, Collie protected her.
My mom and I love Collie very much.
I wish Collie could stay with us forever and ever.
You ask if I have a dad? I do!
My dad is a sailor. That means he rides on ships. So he’s always on a ship and only comes home sometimes.
He’s out at sea right now.
I think he’ll return soon. Last year and the year before, he always came back around the time flowers bloomed.
So, God.
Please, please…
“Please don’t let my dad come back.”
* * *
“So you want me to look into this kid named Pepper?”
“That’s right, woof!”
“And where did you even hear this story?”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
The details were too precise — as if someone heard it firsthand.
Doobu licked his nose with his tongue at my question.
“That Pepper brat comes to the Temple of the Substitutes once a day lately to make a wish. It’s always the same wish.”
“Hm.”
An ivory-colored seven-story house on Opetal Street…
Don’t tell me, is it that kid?
‘Mom!’
‘Pepper!’
I recalled the wheat-haired girl with rosy cheeks and the woman who looked just like her — the two I bumped into at dawn while walking home.
Was that Opetal Street?
It was a wealthy district where a seven-floor mansion with maid’s quarters could exist, so maybe…
But even if the kid has a story, how am I supposed to figure it out?
“Maybe she’s just scared of her dad. She hardly sees him, so maybe she’s shy.”
“You seriously believe that, woof?”
“No.”
Even if a dad is scary, it’s strange to pray every day for him not to return.
And doing it at the Temple every single day? Anyone would think something’s very off.
But I can’t just barge into their house and go:
‘Knock knock! Hi! You’re Pepper, right? Do you not like your dad? Why? Tell me. I know everything.’
I’d be arrested first.
“What did past Magic Saintesses do in situations like this?”
When you don’t know what to do, follow the predecessor — that’s usually safest.
“You’re a divine beast, aren’t you? Don’t you have something? Some sacred relic for investigations? Or some ability to find the truth…?”
“That’s…”
“That’s what?”
“The Magic Saintess has to figure it out herself!”
“……”
Pant pant.
I stared directly at Doobu, who tilted his head.
We stared at each other for a long moment.
“…I thought you were supposed to guide me.”
“Nope!”
“You don’t have any way to help? Not even a little?”
“None!”
“You can’t gather information or anything?”
“Nope!”
Unbelievable.
“Doobu.”
“Woof?”
“What exactly are your abilities?”
“I!”
“Yes?”
“Am cute!”
“……”
…?
Nothing is ever easy.
Is intelligence-gathering also the Saintess’s job now?
Shouldn’t that be what divine beasts or loyal companions do?
A proper helper is supposed to:
gather intel on the target,
obtain maps for infiltration,
find where treasures are hidden,
so I only have to do the action part!
Why do I have to do everything myself?!
Fine. I guess that’s why the pay is high…
I was brooding over this while running errands.
I’d bought five boxes of apple pies from the tearoom for customers and was carrying them back when—
“Need help?”
“No?”
I looked up at the man who suddenly came beside me.
It was him.
The silver-haired man who said he’d start running errands for the Temple today.
His fluttering silver eyelashes above blue eyes looked almost angelic…
He shrugged at my blunt refusal.
“Really don’t need help?”
“Yep. None.”
“No help at all?”
What’s with this guy?
“If you’re so desperate to help, then don’t block my—”
Before I could finish, someone else suddenly stepped in and grabbed the entire stack of boxes from my arms.
“Arden?”
Where did he pop up from?
He was holding three different newspapers under his arm. Arden plopped them on top of the pie boxes and frowned.
“Why were you carrying all this alone?”
“That guy offered to help, but—”
What the? Where did he go?
The silver-haired man had vanished without a trace.
Seriously?
Arden stared down at me.
“That brooch… isn’t that the Academy badge?”
“Huh? Ah. Uh. Yeah.”
“Why are you wearing that? You graduated ages ago.”
“Well…”
I couldn’t exactly say:
‘Actually, this is my magical weapon. In danger, it transforms into a whack-a-mallet!’
“It just suddenly looked pretty, okay?”
“So you’re wearing an Academy brooch even though you don’t attend anymore?”
“Mmh.”
“……”
I get it. I look pathetic.
Like someone ten years out of school still flaunting their college cape.
How humiliating.
“You bought newspapers!”
I changed the subject.
All day, everywhere, people have been talking about the Magic Saintess.
Pretty big spotlight for a first incident.
“You were reading articles about the Magic Saintess?”
Feeling proud, I asked.
“No.”
“Huh?”
“I was reading about the affair between Lady Scrooge and the son-in-law of the Oblonsky Trading Guild.”
“…oh.”
“This Magic Saintess person is just some attention-seeker trying to ride the wave of public interest. I only care about criminals.”
Oho.
“Maybe not an attention-seeker? She did warn criminals not to act, since she’s watching them.”
“Who is she to watch anyone? If she has time to watch, she should report them.”
“Well…”
He wasn’t wrong.
“And another thing.”
“Hm?”
“If she’s so confident, why warn people in secret? Why hide?”
“Maybe she doesn’t want her identity known?”
“Why? Guilty conscience? Maybe she’s a criminal herself.”
“……”
“Either way, if she commits a crime, I’ll catch her.”
Wow. This guy thinks he’s the center of the universe.
He’ll catch every criminal, change the world… even the Emperor can’t do that.
I asked dryly:
“And how will you catch her? All she left was a letter. And if she’s a Magic Saintess with abilities, how do you plan to catch her?”
“No matter her powers, she’ll leave traces. There’s an Eastern Empire proverb.”
Arden frowned.
“‘Birds hear daytime words and dogs hear nighttime words.’”
“It’s mice that hear nighttime words.”
“Ugh. Mice. Gross.”
“Anyway! Even if birds or mice hear it, it’s not like we can talk to—”
I stopped mid-sentence.
Talk… to animals.
My eyes widened. I gasped, covering my mouth.
Arden stared, confused.
“That’s it!”
“…What is?”
“I know how to solve this!”
Thank you!
“You’re the best junior ever!”
I slapped his arm in excitement. Arden’s face turned bright red at the sudden praise.
I didn’t care. I took off running toward the atelier.
“Oh, right!”
The apple pies!
“Arden! Can you throw those back to me?!”
“…Just go. I’ll bring them.”
At the same time.
Imperial Capital, Luar. Unknown mansion.
A man sat on a throne-like chair, tapping the armrest.
“Magic Saintess, huh…”
Interesting.
Despite the afternoon, the room was dark — curtains drawn tight. The man sat before another man who bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the floor.
“What will you do, my lord?”
“What is there to do?”
For now… let’s watch.
