Chapter 60
“What happened?”
By the time I reverted from my transformed state and found Arden and Cassian, Arden looked a little out of it.
Standing a step behind him, Cassian pointed at Arden and shook his head.
‘He got hugged by the Magic Saintess and his brain shut down.’
‘Oh dear.’
“Arden, are you okay?”
The Magic Saintess probably didn’t do it on purpose……
“There must’ve been some unavoidable reason…….”
I patted him and looked up at him.
Arden, who met my gaze, flinched.
“Why?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing. More importantly.”
Ahem. Clearing his throat, Arden checked his wristwatch.
“The park will be closing soon.”
“Already?”
“Yes. They say there’ll be fireworks from that magic castle over there once it closes.”
“Wow.”
I nodded solemnly. I knew a thing or two about fireworks.
“Arrr….”
“What? You’re asking why the blood sausage guy isn’t here?”
The four of us, including Tofu, grabbed a prime spot where the fireworks would be visible.
As a souvenir for participating in the agility competition, we spread out the cat-ear hood Tofu received and sat together on it.
(For the record, Tofu came in dead last.
Instead of avoiding the hurdles, he bulldozed straight through them, then suddenly charged into the audience demanding pets, his eyes going wild when he spotted roasted sweet potatoes someone brought, snatched them, and ended up being dragged out by the staff……
Whew.)
People gradually filled the area around us.
I smiled at the sight of little kids all wearing crowns.
“Ah, another day ended safely…….”
Then I turned to the side.
Bang!
Just as fireworks began exploding, Arden’s face was dyed crimson by the light. His bright green eyes were staring straight at me.
Bang! Bang!
Even with dazzling fireworks bursting in front of him, he didn’t look away for a second.
“…….”
I turned the other way.
Cassian was looking at me.
His expression wasn’t his usual easy smile—it was slightly furrowed, almost tense.
“…….”
After a brief silence—
I flopped backward.
“Ah!”
“Ugh!”
Arden and Cassian, now forced to lock eyes, both frowned.
Bang!
The fireworks painting the night sky were beautiful.
‘They’re similar.’
Their faces were clearly different.
Their voices were different too.
But the way they spoke, the way they stomped their feet when indignant, the way they squinted when they smiled……
‘But their faces are definitely different.’
…Are they?
Lost in confusion, Arden looked up at the night sky.
Beyond the magic castle where fireworks were bursting, the full moon shone brightly.
As he stared at it, somehow……
‘Sir Arden!’
‘Sir Arden! Hug me!’
“Ugh!”
Arden shuddered.
“So in the end, we still didn’t get any clues about the villain.”
There wasn’t even time to get any.
The costume shop’s second-floor storage room had practically become our base.
When Cassian—disguised as a delivery man again—opened the tea box he brought, Tofu popped out.
“Greetings!”
As always, I scratched the crown of Tofu’s idiotically adorable head, making his fur stick up.
Holding Tofu’s warm body, I turned to Cassian.
“At this rate, we’re really stuck. There has to be some way….”
“…….”
“Cassian?”
“…….”
“Cassian!”
What’s wrong with him?
Snap out of it. I grabbed Tofu’s front paw and waved it in Cassian’s face.
“Don’t doze off. Sleep when you’re dead.”
“…Recharge.”
“What?”
“Magic recharge.”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about? I tilted my head.
Ignoring my confusion, Cassian stayed serious.
With a grave expression, he said,
“That thing you did earlier.”
“What.”
“Can’t you do it with me?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
I was horrified.
So what—he saw me hugging Arden to recharge magic, and now he wants to do it himself?!
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Tofu screeched just as loudly as I did. I aggressively petted his back.
I was so shocked I needed some animal therapy. As I rubbed Tofu, I snapped,
“You’re a priest! Does that even make sense?”
Hugging some random woman?!
“You hugged Arden.”
“Arden isn’t a priest! And!”
You said you wouldn’t help me!
“Why are you suddenly willing to sacrifice your body?!”
Have some decorum, High Priest!
“You’ve completely lost it!”
I lifted Tofu and shoved him toward Cassian. Tofu slapped Cassian’s face repeatedly with his paws.
Even while getting smacked, Cassian looked troubled.
“…Yeah. I’ve been strange lately.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“But the god sent you to me through an oracle.”
“…….”
“Then isn’t this also the god’s will?”
Cassian looked straight at me.
“What is.”
“That I offer myself as your charger.”
“…….”
I scoffed.
“If that’s true, then that’s a messed-up god. Stop believing in them.”
Focus on work instead.
I handed Tofu over to Cassian.
As if waiting for it, Tofu climbed onto Cassian’s shoulder and neck.
His hind legs slipped down Cassian’s face as he tried to climb higher.
Watching that, I suddenly asked,
“Cassian. You said divine beasts can disguise themselves as humans, right?”
“Then is there a way to recognize one when they do?”
Still dazed, Cassian replied,
“I’ve only ever met Tofu, but according to records……”
“According to records?”
“Somewhere on their body, there’s a mark.”
“What kind?”
“A tattoo shaped like an animal’s paw.”
“Oh.”
A human with jelly-bean paw tattoos… sounds cute.
“But why ask?”
“Well. If Tofu isn’t the only divine beast, we might run into another someday.”
So I can punch them.
How dare they kick out our Tofu?!
“Paw-shaped tattoo, got it.”
I nodded and tucked that info away.
“So, today’s paper?”
Another article about me?
I took the newspaper Cassian brought.
[Magic Saintess Sena Appears Again!]
Yep. Front page again.
“‘The official who mishandled the Crown Prince’s order to build a dream-and-hope amusement park has been dismissed’—oh! Look here!”
[The Touching Story of the Nutty-Nippy Raccoon Sisters Goes Viral]
“The Crown Prince is sending a personal physician to Nippy!”
They were girls.
Three sisters.
[How Many Border Collies Were Abandoned After the Competition…
Zero!
We at Dogs & Words will continue monitoring families to the end.]
“Thank goodness. I was worried.”
[Magic Saintess’s Shocking Cry: ‘Sir Arden, Hug Me!’]
[Magic Saintess Toying with Investigator Who Follows Her]
[Thoughts on Hugging the Magic Saintess? Sir Arden Remains Silent]
“I never toyed with anyone…….”
And they went and interviewed Arden too?!
Indignant, I flipped the page—
Then my eyes stopped on the ad section.
60-year-old seeking husband in his 20s
Buying anything with Rosena’s autograph
Recruiting members for the Magic Saintess Research Club
Taste Eastern Empire-style half-and-half chicken!
Among the bizarre ads—
“This.”
I traced the tiniest line of text at the very bottom with my finger.
“Look at this.”
I turned the paper toward Cassian.
“Isn’t this totally a Cree. Py. Old. La. Dy?”
“…Do you really have to emphasize every syllable like that?”
