Chapter 44: System?

Celia dragged Olivia through the corridor, turned into an empty side hall, and closed the door behind them.

She let go, turned around, and took a deep breath.

“What do you mean by that?”

Her voice was very low, afraid someone outside might be eavesdropping.

Olivia rubbed her reddened wrist but didn’t seem annoyed at all.

Instead, she tilted her head to look at her, her vertical pupils filled with innocence.

“What do you mean by what?”

“Don’t play dumb!”

Celia took a step forward, full of imposing manner.

“What ‘darling’? What ‘token of love’? What ‘long time no see’? I don’t even know you!”

“But…”

Olivia blinked.

“Your system inventory does have my things in it.”

Celia froze.

System?

How does she know about the system?

Her change in expression was completely captured by Olivia.

Her Highness the Princess curved her lips into a smile, looking like a cat that stole a fish.

“Just a little poke and it came out. You really do have a system.”

Celia’s brain short-circuited again.

“You… how do you…”

“How do I know?”

Olivia took over the conversation, her tone light as if discussing the weather.

“Because… I have one too.”

Celia opened her mouth but no sound came out.

Seeing that expression, Olivia smiled even more happily.

She sat down on a nearby chair, her skirt spreading out, hands folded on her knees, her posture as leisurely as if she were drinking tea in her own backyard.

She didn’t continue speaking, just watched Celia with great interest.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Celia couldn’t hold on anymore; her face began to feel hot.

“You… why are you looking at me?”

“Curious,” Olivia said matter-of-factly, propping her chin on her hand.

“It’s my first time meeting another person with a system. I wanted to see what they look like.”

Celia was taken aback.

That reason… actually sounded pretty normal?

“T-then, you don’t have to stare for so long, right?”

“Long?”

Olivia blinked.

“I think it’s fine. And your blushing face is quite interesting. What’s wrong with looking a little longer?”

Celia felt a lump in her chest.

“You—what kind of person are you…”

“What kind of what?”

Olivia tilted her head, looking innocent.

Celia took a deep breath.

“You… you rude person!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she herself felt they were a bit weak.

“Hmm?”

Olivia’s eyes lit up, her face full of interest.

“To hear that word from a Dark Elf? That’s just too wonderful.”

She stood up, walked over to Celia, and looked up at her.

Even though she was half a head shorter, her presence was not diminished in the slightest.

“In my impression, the term ‘rude person’ should be used to describe you Dark Elves, shouldn’t it?”

“What?”

“I heard Dark Elves are naturally unrestrained and don’t adhere to etiquette,” Olivia blinked.

“How come when it gets to you, you’re the one calling others names?”

Celia took a step back.

“T-that’s a misunderstanding from the outside world! Anyway, I’ve never been like you!”

“Not like me?” Olivia tilted her head. “Like me in what way?”

Celia was stumped.

This person’s words were annoying, but thinking about it carefully…

She hadn’t actually done anything truly out of line, had she?

She was overly familiar.

Just spoke too bluntly.

Just had a look in her eyes that made one’s hair stand on end.

But to say exactly what was wrong…

“Alright, alright.”

Seeing her expression changing back and forth, Olivia finally waved her hand and sat back on the chair.

“I won’t tease you anymore. I don’t actually have a system. As for how I found you… it was actually Sister Veronica who divined it for me.”

“Veronica? Who’s that?”

“The Dragon Sage, the most powerful person in the Dragon race besides the Dragon Queen,” Olivia said.

“My stockings were taken by you… well, it wasn’t exactly stealing, but anyway, after I discovered three pairs of stockings were missing, I went to her for help.”

“After all, this matter was too bizarre. My stockings were kept in the wardrobe, in the heavily guarded palace. Who would specifically use space magic to steal a few pairs of my stockings? Wouldn’t stealing jewelry be better?”

Celia’s mouth twitched.

‘I’d rather the system gave me jewelry, not stockings.’

“…And then?”

“And then Sister Veronica divined for a long time.”

Olivia blinked.

“Finally, she told me this wasn’t an ordinary theft. It was more like they were taken by a system.”

Celia’s heart skipped a beat.

“She… how does she know about the system?”

This system thing, she had always thought was her own unique secret, kept for sixty years.

How come now, suddenly, a Dragon Sage pops up who even knows about this?

Seeing her nervous look, Olivia’s lips curved up again.

“You don’t actually think the system is some very rare thing, do you?”

“Could it be… not rare?”

“It is quite rare. But not so rare that no one knows about it. Actually, all the top old folks on the continent, oh sorry, the venerable elders, know that something like a system exists.”

Celia’s brain couldn’t quite process it.

“Everyone knows?”

“Mhm.”

Olivia nodded.

“After all, you’re not the first system holder.”

Celia opened her mouth, wanting to ask something, but didn’t know where to start.

Seeing that expression, Olivia smiled even more happily.

“And, sixty years ago, the Dragon God personally delivered an oracle.”

Celia’s eyes widened a whole circle.

“The Dragon God? Delivered an oracle?”

“Yes.”

Olivia blinked.

“The Dragon God said that in the future, there would be people with systems appearing, and told the Dragon race to pay attention and cooperate if necessary.”

She continued to add, “It was because of this oracle that Sister Veronica thought in the direction of the system. Otherwise, who could have guessed the stockings were taken by a system? That’s just too absurd.”

Celia was silent for a good while.

The amount of information was too much; she needed to digest it.

“Wait.”

She finally spoke.

“You said… an oracle? The Dragon God?”

“Mhm.”

“So… gods really exist?”

Olivia tilted her head to look at her, a trace of strange amusement flashing in her eyes.

“You don’t actually think gods are fake, do you?”

Celia didn’t speak.

But in the sixty years she grew up in her homeland, she had never personally witnessed any divine miracles.

Elves believe in the Holy Tree, Beastmen revere their Ancestors, and humans have the Radiant Church… but these are all faiths.

She had never thought that gods might actually exist.

“Of course gods exist.”

Olivia’s tone was casual.

“The Dragon race has served the Dragon God for generations, and we can receive oracles every few hundred years. Although most of the time they’re not very useful.”

Celia opened her mouth.

“Then… other gods?”

“Probably exist too.”

Olivia shrugged.

“But I’m only familiar with the Dragon God. For the others, you’d have to ask their believers.”

Seeing Celia’s expression of having her worldview shaken, she couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Ah, your expression is so amusing.”

Celia snapped back to reality and glared at her.

“Can you be serious for a moment?”

“I am being serious.”

Olivia blinked innocently.

“I’m answering your questions very seriously.”

Celia took a deep breath.

No good.

Talking to this person, she always felt her blood pressure going up and down.

“So…”

She tried to pull the conversation back on track.

“The Dragon God’s oracle said there would be system holders appearing?”

“More or less.”

Olivia nodded.

“And based on the divination results, Sister Veronica thinks you are one of the chosen ones.”

“One of? There are others?”

“There are. Isn’t the Hero one?”