Chapter 97
“Miss Seraphina!”
“…You know me?”
Of course I know Sir Chase, but how does he know me?
I blinked in confusion.
And what was even more bewildering:
At Sir Chase’s shout, all the eyes in the training yard were suddenly on me…
They glanced at me once, then at Sir Chase.
Once at me again, then at him.
In the meantime, Sir Chase, who had quickly jumped off his horse, briefly answered a fellow knight who asked, “Who is she?”
“Miss Seraphina.”
Is that supposed to explain everything?
“Ah!”
“Her?”
Apparently, yes.
The knights nodded and started whispering among themselves.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
They even kindly explained to the ones who didn’t know the situation.
They whispered something to each other, then looked back at me and giggled.
“…What’s going on?”
Had I suddenly become the most popular person in the empire without realizing it?
Why are they all reacting to me like this?
“This is… quite overwhelming.”
I looked up at Sir Chase as he approached me.
He said,
“Miss Seraphina, is that correct?”
“Yes… it is.”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Sir Chase, a royal knight. I apologize for the rudeness of introducing myself without permission.”
“Ah, well…”
“Did you come looking for Arden?”
“Yes.”
But I don’t see him anywhere.
There’s just a group of ☆unknown☆ knights giggling while glancing at me.
I awkwardly looked to the side and met eyes with a girl knight.
The knight, almost standing up from her seat, waved at me.
I waved back slightly, and she let out a little “Eek!” laugh.
Sir Chase, ignoring her, said,
“Arden was just visited by someone and went out…”
“Chase, is this the person?”
The royal knights who had crowded around interrupted him.
“Hey, hey, don’t push.”
“I came first!”
“What are you talking about? We came together!”
They jostled and bickered among themselves for a moment.
Then, a knight peeked out from behind Sir Chase’s shoulder and smiled at me.
“Hello! I’m Arden’s friend—”
“Quiet.”
Sir Chase pressed the knight’s head down to silence him, then nodded at me.
“As you can see, this is how it is here. I don’t think I can ask you to wait for Arden.”
“That’s fine. I just stepped out briefly anyway.”
“When Arden returns, I’ll tell him that Miss Seraphina visited.”
“Thank you.”
I automatically bowed in greeting, following Sir Chase who respectfully placed his hand over his chest.
“I’ll escort you to the palace entrance.”
“Goodbye, Miss Seraphina!”
“Come again next time!”
I waved my hand, trying to refuse Sir Chase’s escort, saying I didn’t need it even though I’m not a noblewoman.
“…Um, by the way, how do you all know me?”
I couldn’t hold back and asked.
I’m not the Magic Saint Sena, just a simple costume shop clerk—how do these royal knights, seeing me for the first time today, even know who I am?
Their sparkling eyes and reactions made me feel like I was overthinking it… but seriously.
“Did Arden happen to mention me?” I asked.
The knights looked at each other.
“He didn’t mention it.”
“Yeah, he didn’t.”
“Nope, didn’t say a thing.”
“Well… he goes to that costume shop on DeMarcy Street every day.”
“That’s where Miss Seraphina works, right?”
“What? He disappears there every day during his break?”
“Sometimes he doesn’t even eat after training and rushes there.”
“That guy… skipping meals?”
“And last time, at the ball… Arden kept ordering us to take a bath three times a day, saying it bothered him…”
“This place, the knights’ building, he strongly recommended cleaning it thoroughly at the time.”
Buzz, chatter, murmur.
“Even now, it’s ridiculous. The ball was over there, so why make us clean the knights’ building?”
“He even told me to wear a helmet because I’d spit when talking to him.”
“Wear a helmet to attend the ball?”
“Yep.”
“That’s intense…”
The knights who had been chatting in a cluster all turned to look at me.
“Anyway, Arden didn’t mention you, Miss Seraphina.”
“….”
Once again.
Arden, what kind of life are you living?
“Also, during the opening of Everlan Park…”
“Stop talking.”
Sir Chase lightly elbowed the excited knight to silence him.
The knight screamed “Agh!” and was pushed aside, while Sir Chase turned to me.
“I’ll escort you.”
“Yes…”
I nodded absentmindedly.
“Sorry. It must have been noisy.”
“No, it’s fine.”
In the end, Sir Chase decided to escort me to the main gate of the palace.
I glanced at him as we walked.
‘This person… he’s a member of the <Supporters of the Magic Saint>.’
Arden, the investigator dedicated to the Magic Saint, had his eyes wide open, yet right beside him, Sir Chase openly supported the Magic Saint.
It felt oddly comforting.
Feeling my gaze, Sir Chase looked down at me.
“May I ask why Arden sent you here today?”
“Oh.”
Right. I cautiously brought it up.
“Sir Chase, did you happen to see the threatening notice posted in the square?”
“A threatening notice?”
“Yes. A notice saying bombs would be planted at six locations in Luar city.”
“Eh?”
Apparently, he hadn’t heard about it.
“This is the first time you’re hearing about it?”
“Yes. We’ve been in training since dawn… ah.”
Sir Chase touched his forehead.
“So that’s why the captain left in such a hurry earlier.”
“Do the other knights not know either?”
“Probably not. They were all together except for Arden.”
“Ah.”
I see.
“Bombs… have the locations been identified?”
“No. It said the location was known only to the person themselves.”
“What exactly did it say?”
“I copied it down. Would you like to see?”
I showed the threatening note, copied onto my palm, to Sir Chase who had stopped in the middle of the hallway.
He’s almost as tall as Arden, so he bent slightly to read my hand.
“Was the original handwritten?”
“No. The letters were cut out from printed material and pieced together.”
I raised my hand so he could see it better.
“Senpai?!”
Arden appeared at the end of the corridor.
He blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly, then his gaze landed on Sir Chase, bent over my hand.
“Chase….”
Whoa, his eyes are deadly.
Arden strode quickly in front of me, naturally pushing Sir Chase aside, and said:
“Why are you here?”
“I came on an errand to the palace…”
“I know. I mean, why are you still here?”
“You know?”
“Yes. Did you hear about the bombs planted in Luar city?”
So I went to the costume shop, and my senpai said he came to the palace on an errand. Arden continued quickly.
“Bombs were planted, so why are you at the costume shop?”
“Who else would it be for?”
“Oh…”
So that’s why our paths crossed.
“Arden, it seems you know what’s going on. Can you explain?”
Sir Chase’s question didn’t even register as Arden checked the time.
“This isn’t the time. We need to evacuate immediately.”
“To where?”
“To a place protected by ancient wards.”
“Ancient wards… like the library?”
“That would be fine, but I think the innermost part of the palace is the safest.”
Rather than argue, I grabbed Arden’s wrist. He looked like he was about to immediately lead me inside the palace.
“Calm down, Arden. Where exactly in the palace?”
“The Emperor’s office. That’s the safest place.”
“Ehh…?”
Are you crazy? I looked up at Arden.
“Why?”
Arden stamped his foot as if frustrated that I wasn’t following.
“Think, Arden.”
“Think while moving.”
“Arden.”
Sir Chase interjected.
“Arden. Miss Seraphina cannot enter the inner sections of the palace, especially the Emperor’s office.”
Only then did Arden make an “Ah” face.
“You can go with me. I’ll take you there.”
“No…!”
You expect me to face the Emperor alone? Absolutely not!
How are you even going to get me into the Emperor’s office? What are you?!
“Just calm down, Arden.”
Wait. Ah, Arden. Wait. I spoke to him like handling a puppy, and he closed his mouth.
I asked Arden, who rolled his eyes in frustration:
“Is the situation very serious?”
