Evelyn seemed to be hiding some secret, and there must be something significant behind it—the impact of this information on Erica was dull and complex.
What exactly was this Evelyn, whom she accompanied every day, hiding? Until now, she had never felt that Evelyn was hiding anything or deceiving her. If anything, the opposite was true; there were countless instances where she had been completely open.
So, did this mean this information was lying to her or misleading her…?
No, that made no sense.
Even if the status window spoke of unbelievable truths without context, it would never, and had no reason to, lie.
It was precisely because of this premise of absolute neutrality and objectivity that this exquisite, autonomously functioning mana product—the Noel System—could exist.
It was like how binary only consists of one and zero; it was impossible for other numbers to appear, right? It was the same in the original novel.
“Mm-mm~” Evelyn suddenly made some strange sounds in her sleep, her body wriggling under the covers. Erica, already feeling guilty, immediately panicked, worried that her peeking at the status window would be discovered.
“…” However, as if nothing had happened, Evelyn quickly settled down again and fell back into a baby-like sleep.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief and decided to first figure out the things she could clarify for now.
First, what concerned her most was this—**[Talent [Callista]: In the distant era of gods and spirits, a clever young girl appeased the wrath of the great six-legged spider and received a blessing because of it.]**
**[The senses of the holder of this talent will be as sharp as a spider’s, and the probability of seeing through lies and deception is greatly increased! They show extraordinary talent in architecture and art, and are also quite talented in finance and calculation…]**
What an excellent talent…
The probability of seeing through lies and deception is greatly increased?!
Was the reason Evelyn loathed the hypocritical old fogies of the court and stayed away from them because this talent made her naturally repelled by those who were conniving and deceitful…?
Was that why? But if that were the case, the lies she told Evelyn might also be easily seen through.
Perhaps it was because her “Performer” class level was high enough to slightly obscure Evelyn’s eyes and ears, allowing the girl to barely scrape by.
In any case!
Evelyn really was remarkable.
In fact, even the protagonist’s party in the novel failed to directly defeat Evelyn in the end. What truly crushed the Queen of Mages was the people, surging like a great tide of the era.
An image flashed through Erica’s mind of that slender, porcelain-white neck being placed in a noose. Amidst the clamor of the indignant crowd, a mocking plaque hung around Evelyn’s neck that read “The Great Queen of Noel”…
“The tyrant Evelyn is sentenced to death!”
Standing on a chair, she finally reached the moment the lever was pulled. Her life came to an end, struggling like a puppet on a string…
“…” For some reason, she felt a bit unsettled. That was certainly not a sight she wished to see.
She, Erica, would not let the story end like that.
—
After closing the door and leaving Evelyn’s room, the girl realized she had broken out in a cold sweat. That feeling of a sudden racing heart and step-by-step terror was just like a butterfly narrowly escaping a spiderweb.
Perhaps it should be described as the feeling of accidentally learning something she shouldn’t have?
Although she hadn’t actually discovered anything concrete, the girl was currently drenched in sweat.
“Phew.” She adjusted her breathing, trying to calm herself down.
*Sss…*
Her mind cleared in that moment, becoming as still as water as if the previous chaos had never existed—her talent **[Cool-headed Thinking]**. If not for this, she might have already made a fatal mistake and died during her time as a slave.
So, what should she do now? Erica began to think about her next plan.
Today was her first night in the Holy City of Regtaya. She had already settled her luggage and finished the check-in procedures, so she had nothing to do for the time being.
If Cirsir were by her side, she could have asked for more advice regarding the information bar, system characteristics, and the Demon King Noel. She really did miss that silly little secretary.
Maybe she should just go to sleep as well.
Erica’s physical strength was only slightly above the level of a fat orange cat. Although her mental power was quite strong and something to be proud of, her delicate girl’s body was easily fatigued. She was more like a high-born lady than any actual lady, so she had better seize the chance to rest when she could.
‘Wait, leisure time?’
Erica couldn’t bring herself to smile.
Leisure? That word was a stranger to her.
How could she have time for leisure? Every time she wanted to rest in peace, she felt as anxious as if she were sitting on an escalator waiting to go up to a high gallows.
‘Am I actually a workaholic?’
However, the girl also knew that without rest, her spirit would eventually break. Sharpening the axe would not delay the woodcutting; she still needed to get a good night’s sleep tonight.
Scenes of the kiss from earlier flashed through her mind. Today’s emotional fluctuations had indeed been significant, and it was unavoidable that she felt some fatigue now. But… Erica’s legs under her skirt rubbed together unconsciously. The unfamiliar sensation felt strange and left her at a loss.
**[Your expression is quite enchanting and seductive!]**
**[Experience points for ‘Alluring Succubus’ class + 5]**
“…”
The girl silently covered her burning face. After confirming that no one else was around to see, she let out a sigh of relief. Was her expression just now… strange?
Speaking of which, wasn’t this class already at its maximum level? Does the fact that it can still gain experience mean it can be promoted?
*Whoooosh.* A gust of wind blew past her face. The girl looked around in front of the door, trying to figure out where the wind was coming from. Only then did she notice a square Inner Courtyard Garden within the corridors of the Great Cathedral.
The ceiling of the Inner Courtyard Garden was open to the sky. The moonlight spilled down gently from the heavens, softly and quietly covering the garden floor, draping a silver coat over the trees and flowers.
It seemed much more sacred here than in the assembly hall. Erica, who had been thinking of strange things, felt her mood instantly healed and cleansed.
“It’s so beautiful.” The girl realized once again that she was in a foreign land. Come to think of it, this could be considered an overseas trip, couldn’t it?
Of course, she didn’t feel particularly excited.
“Excuse me, are you lost?”
In this moon-blessed courtyard, an ethereal and airy voice sounded from behind, making one think it was a moonlit elf speaking to a traveler.
Even with Erica’s sharp half-elf perception, she hadn’t been able to detect any movement just now.
Surprised, she turned around to see someone walking toward her with dignified and steady steps through the clusters of flowers.
Upon confirming the person’s appearance, Erica couldn’t help but feel even more shocked, because this was someone she had never imagined meeting here.
“First-time visitors can easily get lost here. It is like walking through a pitch-black forest… that is why someone is needed to guide the way.”
“Ah…”
The woman who approached was dressed very similarly to Cirsir. She wore a long white veil over her head, and the priestess robes covering her shapeless body were made of high-grade, moon-white silk. Two transparent light gauze ribbons hung from her neck, sliding off her shoulders and extending past her chest and knees, outlining the image of a pure Saint.
“Is that not so?”
The woman shone the lantern in her hand toward Erica. Thanks to this, the girl could observe her appearance more closely. In the reflection of the firelight, she could see a black, opaque band covering the woman’s eyelids.
This meant one thing—this woman was blind, unable to see with her eyes.
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