Good Intentions Don’t Always Bring Good Results (5)

The Imperial Palace.

Silence had lingered for a long time in the reception room where all members of the imperial family were gathered.

Including Emperor Aporza and his children—over thirty offspring in total—along with all the serving attendants, the reception room felt packed with people despite being quite spacious.

“Still no word—?”

Amira quietly whispered to one of the maids behind her.

Not an Azrami tribe member, but an imperial servant working in the palace, the fox beastkin twitched her elongated ears a few times before shaking her head.

“There’s been no communication, Princess.”

“I see— …What could have happened…”

Alevian looked over these Azrami tribe members.

Her mind was also racing quickly.

As Yona had said, there were wounds on the bodies of those two Lizardmen.

There were scars, and the bleeding that started from there had undoubtedly driven them to death.

The Azrami tribe, and the Meadow Gill tribe.

While Yona had said there must have been intervention from someone else besides these two, Alevian thought differently.

This must undoubtedly be Ceres’ doing.

The dagger that Alevian had brought without Yona knowing was the proof.

If this dagger had wounded Yona—

‘…It would have been irreversible.’

Alevian thought, shuddering.

Ceres’ goal and Alevian’s goal were different.

If Ceres wanted to make Yona the Sky God itself,

Alevian believed that Yona should only accumulate power but the Sky God needed to be resurrected.

This difference in their positions was never reconciled,

And in the end, it was Alevian who declared they should part ways and walk their own paths.

Then what could Ceres be thinking?

Alevian couldn’t judge that.

Power hadn’t fully gathered to Yona yet.

In her current state, Ceres couldn’t achieve her goal of making Yona the Sky God, and rather, it would result in the opportunity being wasted in vain.

‘…This can’t go on. Maybe I should… tell Yona everything.’

That shouldn’t happen.

It might even result in losing her power as an Observer.

But now, when there seemed to be no other way besides that.

It was at that moment when Alevian was sinking deeper into her worries.

“Why is everyone’s mood like this? Shouldn’t it be more lively?”

A cheerful voice rang out.

The reception room was spacious, but it was filled with just as many people, and it was never quiet with everyone’s murmuring voices.

But as soon as that voice was heard, silence fell over the reception room.

In the heavy silence, the sound of shoes clicking and something heavy being dragged could be heard.

“Th-that…”

“Arami…?”

“Arami, Arami—!”

“Saintess! What is this—!”

As soon as the figure appeared beyond the door, various commotions arose from the audience.

Yona appeared in a shabby nun’s habit, and Arami, held in her hand, was being dragged into the reception room.

And following behind them, the black-haired giant, Alec.

Amira tried to rush to Yona immediately upon seeing Arami in that state.

But at that moment, at her feet—or more precisely, from the shadow cast in front of her by the lighting, a snake rose up.

A snake.

The guardian deity of the Azrami tribe, a snake.

But the snake that rose up in front of Amira opened its mouth wide and roared at her, and with a body as thick as her waist, it flashed its fangs as if threatening Amira.

“S-Saintess…?”

“Ah, Amira. Yes, that’s far enough. The rest of you too, all of you. Don’t move. Stay right there.”

Shadows cast by the reception room’s lighting.

From each of their shadows, snakes rose up as if they had been waiting.

Even if they didn’t pounce immediately, the sight of snakes rising straight up in front of them and hissing threateningly was quite frightening.

“…Saintess, could you please explain? We really don’t understand what’s going on. And why Arami, whom you took away…”

“Ah, explanation. Yes, an explanation.”

Yona chuckled softly.

“Yes, explanation. Very good. We do need an explanation and a conversation, don’t we? Right? You see, conversation can also play a role in clearing up big misunderstandings. That’s why I prefer to resolve things through conversation when possible.”

Yona said this as she stepped further into the reception room.

Along with her footsteps, Arami was also being dragged in, held in Yona’s hand, only letting out groaning sounds.

Yona walked like a ghost.

At least, that’s how it looked to the imperial family members.

The sight of her casually walking into the reception room while dragging a snake beastkin with one hand really seemed ghostly.

The feeling of a ghost approaching.

Yona, approaching from a distance, looked even more frightening than the black snakes poised in front of them, constantly flicking their tongues.

“But, when you try to resolve things through words, there are always these pathetic backstabbers. That’s always the problem. Like this one.”

Yona swung her arm.

With that movement, Arami was thrown and tumbled in front of them.

“Ah, Arami—!”

Amira let out a pitiful scream.

Even so, she couldn’t rush to Arami, who was writhing on the reception room floor, because of the snake poised threateningly in front of her, making threatening sounds.

“Who wants to speak? Who wants to tell the truth? Who dared to use me and try to get away with it, tell the truth.”

“S-Saintess. We don’t understand a word you’re saying…! If you could explain so we can understand…”

“That’s right! Saintess, if you do this so suddenly, we can’t understand…”

“Ah, really. So noisy. Alevian, hand over that dagger.”

So she knew.

Alevian sighed inwardly.

Well, Yona was quite perceptive in such matters.

Although she had hidden it out of sight, Yona had somehow managed to see it.

“…Here.”

Alevian approached and handed the dagger to Yona.

Taking the dagger, Yona held it up to the light, carefully examining the patterns and blade.

“Amira.”

“Yes, yes! Yes, Saintess!”

“Your maid tried to stab me from behind.”

“…What?!”

Amira’s large eyes widened even further.

Arami was a maid and nanny who had been with her since childhood.

It was hard to believe the shocking story that such an Arami had tried to stab Yona, the Saintess.

“What’s the use of such a lie. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true. Moreover, it was premeditated. She came prepared with this dagger.”

“B-but Saintess. None of us have ever given such orders to Arami…”

“No?”

Emperor Aporza Al Azrami tried to step forward but immediately straightened up, watching the snake warily.

Even so, his gaze was directed at Yona, and his mouth moved without hesitation, emphasizing their innocence.

“If you didn’t give orders, then you’re saying this maid independently tried to kill me. Like those two from the Meadow Gill tribe.”

“Ah, you mean it was an assassination?”

“Well. There were wounds on their necks. Wounds severe enough to roughly guess they died from them. And isn’t it quite a coincidence? The dagger this maid brought was just right for concealing. Don’t you think?”

Yona’s face was smiling consistently.

She didn’t even bother to get angry.

Moreover, she now felt no reluctance at all to speak informally.

“Tell me. What are your real intentions?”

Yona stepped further into the reception room, her footsteps clicking.

As she approached, those already in the reception room retreated in a group, trying to distance themselves from Yona as much as possible.

“Actually, I’ve thought about it. When you and the lizards fight, who benefits most when I intervene? There weren’t many options, you know? And in that situation, if I die or get hurt, who would be troubled? Who would be given justification?”

It could be called speculation, to be fair.

Without someone who could predict Yona’s movements, each of Yona’s actions, it should have been considered practically impossible to design things so meticulously and move people like this.

But there was.

Yona’s actions, Yona’s thoughts, Yona’s judgments.

A person who predicts each of these and designs them delicately.

There was exactly one such person.

‘It must be Ceres. That damn woman, I thought she’d been quiet for a while, but again.’

“…Catsy, come here.”

[I’ve come, meow.]

Although much smaller than before, a pitch-black cat, still too large to be considered a normal cat, appeared in the reception room.

As soon as Catsy appeared and bowed her head in front of Yona, Yona, with a smile, gently stroked Catsy’s nose bridge.

“The time has finally come to use your power.”

[Is that so, meow. I’ll help, meow.]

“Yes, yes… good girl.”

Yona looked around at the audience while maintaining that bright and gentle smile.

The Azrami tribe members, unable to meet Yona’s eyes readily, each turned their heads to avoid her gaze.

“I believe there’s no one stronger than you among them.”

[Probably not, meow.]

“I suppose so. Then, actually, I didn’t really intend to take confessions. Because there’s a simple solution.”

Yona whispered while stroking Catsy’s nose bridge.

“Put them all to sleep. And then show them the illusion I instruct.”

[Then, I’ll put them to sleep first, meow.]

A whitish fog began to spread from Catsy.

As the fog that filled the reception room in an instant slowly cleared, the sight of about fifty people sprawled in their places was quite a spectacle.

[I’ve put them all to sleep, meow. Awaiting instructions, meow.]

“…It’s a silver-haired, tall fairy. A woman, and that Alevian there…”

[You mean the Chief Priest, Ceres, meow?]

“Ah, yes. You would know. Then it’s easier. Send Ceres into the illusion and check if there’s anyone who reacts. If there’s anyone who reacts, let me know.”

[Understood, meow.]

There was no need to take confessions.

It was enough to just forcibly look inside.

Watching Yona act without hesitation like this from behind, Alec became troubled.