Tether, the secretary of the 2nd Princess, was sitting on the floor.
"Haaaaah…"
Occasionally, there was the sound of a deep sigh, but the surroundings were
unbelievably quiet. The guards and guardians had all left.
The reason they left was extremely simple and clear.
─It's better to report this to the higher-ups.
─This is Tether's responsibility and fault, isn't it?
─That's better! We shouldn't get involved…
─There's no reason to cover for her lie.
When a big problem arises, there's nothing more appealing than the idea
that it's not your responsibility.
It's a big deal if there's a fire at your house, but it's just a spectacle if it's at
someone else's. In the end, everyone cared about their own safety, and it
was partly Tether's fault to begin with.
As a result, they all left to report the situation.
"It's my fault… It's my fault…"
Tether muttered with a resigned expression.
She couldn't stop them from leaving. It was true that Tether lied, and if she
tried to cover it up, it would become a bigger issue, and everyone would be
held accountable.
But there was still one person left by Tether's side.
It was Jaekiel, the Auditor of the Imperial Tower.
Hoo.
He exhaled a long puff of Sun Grass smoke and asked.
"Tether."
"Y-Yes?"
Her bowed head lifted to face Jaekiel. Her face was full of fear, clearly
afraid of punishment.
But what Jaekiel actually asked was something different.
"Are you the only secretary of the 2nd Princess?"
Jaekiel, having once been part of the imperial family himself, found it
strange that there was a disruption in the work directly related to the
Princess.
And.
The answer he received was quite unexpected.
"Yes. I'm alone."
"Alone?"
"That's right…"
It was hard to believe, but it was true.
Jaekiel puffed out the Sun Grass smoke.
'The imperial family is still the same.'
A single princess, considering her influence, was like an entire living
institution.
The amount of work to be handled would be piled high like a mountain, yet
having only one secretary was a truly strange allocation of manpower.
"As far as I know, there should be almost ten secretaries?"
"It used to be that way. In the past, yes…"
"Explain in detail."
Tether's explanation continued for a while, but the gist was simple and
familiar.
The 2nd Princess Hedera's secretarial staff consisted of ten people, but
when she suddenly left the human world to enjoy life in the celestial realm,
the staff was reduced.
The problem was that Hedera returned without notice.
Since the 2nd Princess returned, work had to resume, but the other
secretaries were already gone, leaving Tether to handle the work of ten
people.
"Of course, they give me the salary for ten secretaries. They also provide
conveniences from time to time…"
Jaekiel quietly looked into Tether's eyes.
Dark circles deeply set behind her glasses.
Somehow, he felt he understood her feelings.
─Jaekiel, we're thinking of downsizing the organization this time.
─Can you take care of that too?
─You're capable, right? We'll make sure you're well compensated.
─Jaekiel, this time…
─You've already done it before.
─There's no one as good as you now.
─See, you did it. So this time…
In the distant past, when he had plenty of passion and energy but knew
nothing about the ways of the world, Jaekiel also used to take on additional
tasks beyond what was originally promised.
At first, he kept hearing words of gratitude, but later, all his work was
strictly evaluated as if it were expected, and even later, he was held
responsible.
They kept pushing and pushing until he broke.
It was a way of handling people like parts of a machine.
Speaking of which, there was one more thing he was curious about.
"The 2nd Princess wouldn't have had any problems if she had thoroughly
prepared before moving. Why did she return in such a hurry? What was so
urgent?"
"Um, I'm not sure if I can speak of the Princess's circumstances…"
But Tether soon made a decision.
"This much should be fine. She said she received a message. Of course, I
don't know the content."
"A message?"
"Yes. She said she received a letter."
"…"
Jaekiel bit down on the Sun Grass without realizing it.
A single message was the cause. And the means of contact was a letter.
"…"
Naturally, one thought came to mind.
'Could this be because of me?'
The reason why the 2nd Princess Hedera hurriedly descended into the
human world.
The culprit who made her descend to the human world without any
preparation, causing a secretary like Tether to suffer. That person was…
Himself.
"…"
…No doubt. The letter was the cause.
Meanwhile, Tether bowed her head as if ashamed.
"Anyway, I am only sorry to you, Auditor. I lied out of fear of
punishment… I will accept any punishment you give me."
"Well."
Jaekiel saw his past self in Tether.
The difference was that Jaekiel endured for years and eventually broke,
while Tether lied and bent because she couldn't endure.
Later, there would be punishment according to imperial law, but Jaekiel
didn't hate her for lying. If she hadn't done so, Tether would have broken,
too.
'Her name is Tether, right? She seems capable.'
The level of teleportation magic she showed when she first appeared was
enough to convince him. Tether was capable.
Seeing a capable person wear out was not pleasant.
"You said managing the holy relics of the vault is your responsibility."
"Yes, yes, but…"
"Let's first think about the treasure vault. I have a hunch about the
rampaging spirits inside."
It was the most practically helpful thing to discuss at the moment, and he
also intended to change the subject, but it seemed that Tether didn't hear it
that way.
"Ah, ah!"
Did she hear it as a question of how she could present the holy relics if the
vault was in such a state? Tether bowed with a pale face, looking grateful.
"Auditor, I am truly sorry!"
The Secretary's back bent at a ninety-degree angle.
"The spirit stones in the vault should actually be on the first floor. But they
were on the second floor because we didn't have the ability to move them."
Jaekiel quietly chewed on the Sun Grass as he listened.
"Spirits are very sensitive and delicate beings, aren't they? So we left them
alone, but this is the first time they've rampaged like this. We don't know
how to solve it…"
"Of course."
It would be the first time, naturally.
…Because Jaekiel hadn't visited until now.
"I want to take out the good holy relics right away, but there's nothing I can
do…!"
Tether was speaking busily when she suddenly stopped. A particular phrase
from Jaekiel's words struck her, and it was quite shocking.
"Huh?"
A look of doubt spread across Tether's face.
"Auditor, did you say you have a hunch about this rampage? Did I hear that
correctly?"
"Yes."
Jaekiel quietly nodded.
"How about we hurry? Maybe we can solve it before the higher-ups who
received the report arrive."
"…!"
Tether clenched her fists without realizing it.
But the hope that enveloped her didn't last long.
"But I am already a sinner. Asking for your help, Auditor, is beyond my
place…"
"Don't worry about trivial things."
…Because it doesn't seem like it's entirely your fault in the first place.
But Tether, not knowing the circumstances, thought differently.
'This Auditor is truly extraordinary.'
A situation where the spirits were rampaging unprecedentedly, and he could
call it a trivial matter?
He was broad.
His skills and magnanimity were immeasurably broad.
He was like an ocean of a person.
Tether immediately followed Jaekiel.
"Auditor! Then I will do anything for you. Whatever you want, I will
provide!"
"That's enough."
"No, really. I'm saying this voluntarily! What do you want? It may be
humble, but still─"
"No, really, it's fine."
Jaekiel found Tether's reaction burdensome.
"…"
It was only natural.
Tether's hardship and the rampaging spirits…
…Somehow, it felt like his own responsibility.
The VIP room inside the Imperial Palace.
The fragrant scent of tea filled the room.
Hedera was stroking the stone tablet placed in the corner of the VIP room.
This mysterious tablet would likely be the main topic of today's meeting.
With less than ten minutes left until the arrival of the dragonborns.
"Hm?"
Hedera suddenly sensed something.
The keen sense unique to those with dragon blood. It was unmistakable.
The source was the treasure vault located in the mountains behind the
palace.
The detected energy was truly sinister.
As if someone was rampaging.
…Wait, in the treasure vault?
"…"
Hedera narrowed her eyebrows.
It seemed she would have to check it out herself.