Chapter 62
“Even if they’re just the children of some nobodies, they’re crossing the line! How dare they stare up at the Holy Maiden of Magic!”
A gentleman’s—no, an old man’s—shout boomed across the plaza.
The gazes of the people who had been smiling as they watched the children and Arden all turned toward him at once.
The kids, who were being scolded out of the blue by a stranger, stared up at the man with wide eyes.
I looked at him too.
A classic, timeless fedora. Short-cropped gray hair. A well-tailored bespoke suit and ivory-rimmed glasses. Even an ebony cane inlaid with animal bone.
Judging by appearances alone, he looked like a perfectly educated gentleman—so why was he yelling at kids he didn’t even know?
He looks like a drunk making a scene.
Or maybe he was the type who made lecturing a habit.
The kind who believed he had the right to do so.
The old man bellowed again.
“It’s bad enough that you praise criminals who disrupt social order and act however they please as if they were heroes of justice—but now you even imitate them?! Are you planning to grow up to be criminals like that too?!”
“…….”
“You adults should reflect as well! If children behave this insolently, you ought to know how to stop them!”
“…….”
They had only been passing by, yet the people being scolded wore stunned expressions.
“Honestly! There are far too many uneducated people these days—it’s a serious problem. When the ignorant make up most of the population, they can’t even tell right from wrong, and social order collapses more and more!”
Clicking his tongue in disapproval, the old man waved his cane behind him.
A man who appeared to be his servant stepped out from a waiting carriage and pasted a single sheet of paper onto the plaza’s notice board.
“How regrettable that I must personally spare my time to enlighten people about such obvious concepts of good and evil!”
With that, the one-man army who had just scolded dozens of people pointed his cane at the paper he’d posted.
“Tonight, at the Salon in District Three, we will hold a mock trial of the Holy Maiden of Magic! I will teach you how the present reality has gone wrong—so come and learn!”
Especially you lot! Make sure you come!
He glared at the children, then turned—
“Oh! Sir Arden, isn’t it!”
He had spotted Arden standing beside me.
“The only normal man in this chaotic society!”
“…….”
“I’ve read all the articles about your exploits! Keep doing exactly as you are!”
After patting Arden on the shoulder in encouragement, the old man climbed into his carriage and disappeared.
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the Arden who’d been left behind.
Blinking, Arden said,
“I don’t know him.”
“…….”
“…….”
“I really don’t.”
The staring only stopped after Arden removed the coat the old man’s hand had touched and threw it into a trash bin.
Now coatless, Arden stared blankly up at the sky.
I held out a milk tea.
“Drink this, at least.”
Still dazed, Arden accepted it obediently.
Apparently not so out of it that he didn’t place his lips exactly where mine had been.
A kid who was watching said,
“Sir Arden, cheating on the Holy Maiden of Magic.”
“…….”
“Definitely a villain.”
That evening.
Posters reading “Mock Trial of the Holy Maiden of Magic: All foolish supporters of the Holy Maiden must attend!” were plastered all over the streets.
I tilted my head as I looked at the posters, pasted right next to the Holy Maiden’s wanted notices.
“That old guy must be rich. How many of these did he print?”
“Unni, are you going to go?” Ellie asked.
“Well? If I go straight after work, the timing should work out.”
“I’m not going.”
“Why?”
Ellie, don’t you like the Holy Maiden of Magic?
She replied,
“Even if I go, they’ll just badmouth the Holy Maiden, right? There’s no need to make time just to feel lousy. I’ll just close my eyes and ears and support the Holy Maiden.”
“That’s true.”
The Emperor. A self-made tycoon. Or friends whose opinions I respect.
If it were people like that, sure.
But there’s no reason to spend time listening to some random old man.
Especially if he’s trash-talking me.
Decision made, I turned to leave—
—and suddenly felt a familiar, damp sensation at my ankle.
I looked down. Tofu, bundled up in a padded coat, was staring up at me, tail wagging.
“Pant, pant, pant.”
“What?”
“Pant, pant, pant.”
“Oh, you want to go here?”
“Pant, pant, pant.”
“So annoying……”
“Pant, pant, pant!”
“Fine……”
I never had a choice to begin with.
“‘Blue Wall Salon, District Three’… this must be it.”
“You made it?”
After work.
After walking exactly three minutes and then collapsing because he “couldn’t walk anymore,” Tofu (which is to say, he’d gained weight) tucked under my arm, I arrived at the mock trial venue.
Cassian, who was standing at the entrance, took Tofu from my arms.
“It’s cold—why are you standing out here? You should’ve waited inside.”
“I was going to, but they said you can’t enter without a partner.”
“Huh?”
Why would you need a partner just to watch a trial?
At my incredulous question, Cassian unfocused his gaze.
“This is a salon that values decorum. Entry is forbidden unless you’re accompanied by a partner of the opposite sex.”
“But earlier today he told everyone to come watch.”
“You can observe without a partner. From outside. Standing over there.”
“In this weather?”
It’s freezing right now!
Even Tofu, whose entire body is covered in fur, is wearing a padded coat!
“Inviting people and then treating them like that—what kind of manners is that?”
“Exactly.”
“Unbelievable.”
Shaking my head, I entered with Cassian.
Inside, tall chairs set against the wall immediately caught my eye.
In front of a chair modeled after a judge’s bench—with an imperial court emblem hanging behind it—were two smaller chairs facing each other.
“Do you know what time the trial starts, Cassian?”
“Soon.”
I nodded and looked for the most inconspicuous seat—
—when a sack blocked my path.
“…Arden?”
Arden, wearing a thick hood, was glaring at me.
“You’re here to watch the trial too?”
“Did you bring this man as your partner?”
He jerked his chin at Cassian, as if he didn’t even want to say his name. Cassian smiled with his eyes when the glance landed on him.
“No. We met in front. They said you can’t enter without a partner, so we just came in together.”
“Hm.”
Only then did Arden’s expression soften.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Then why are you wearing a sack?”
“…If he realizes I’m here, I’m afraid that old man will try to talk to me like earlier.”
“Oh, so you’re hiding your identity?”
“Yes.”
“Hang in there.”
As I offered my support—
—Cassian asked,
“Then you, Arden—what lady did you bring as your partner?”
“Huh?”
“Well, to enter here you need a partner of the opposite sex. Where is the woman you brought?”
“…….”
Right. Hadn’t thought of that.
“…….”
Suddenly, my left chest prickled, and I scratched it.
That’s right. Exactly.
If Arden entered, he’d need a female partner too.
So why is my skin suddenly itchy?
…That’s weird.
“Well, yeah. Arden, who did you come with?”
I asked with a bright smile, hiding the itch. Tofu poked his head out from Cassian’s arms.
“Woof.”
Now under the gaze of two humans and one dog, Arden hesitated.
“I—”
“Yeah? You?”
You! What!
Answer already!
“Why aren’t you answering?!”
