Chapter 44
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Chapter 44
Records of fairy experiments conducted in the Holy Empire Hilderd centuries ago.
They were likely classified materials handled with utmost secrecy by the Holy Empire.
I had no idea how Kieran managed to smuggle these documents out of the Holy Empire, but if discovered, it would undoubtedly plunge the continent into chaos.
Thus, he must have hidden them in the Black Forest to keep them from anyone's eyes.
He even carved them into trees with magic, concealing them doubly.
It was unbelievable.
Though the Holy Empire Hilderd often acted hypocritically, they were ultimately those who strived toward light and justice, order and goodness.
If they had exterminated fairies as heretics, they would have exterminated them—they would never capture them for experimentation.
Just look at how they sent out the "Fairy Queen's Crown," a sacred relic, beyond the Holy Empire's borders.
If they were the type to experiment on fairies, they would have already dismantled that crown piece by piece for experimentation.
They would have ordered the fairy woman captured alive instead of commanding her death.
Yet the Heresy Inquisitor, the Holy Knights, and the Holy priests had always been desperate to kill Chesa.
'So this must be a secret unknown even within the Holy Empire itself.'
There was someone who strongly supported Chesa's deduction.
It was Hailon.
He had a fastidious nature.
He didn't necessarily pursue absolute good, but he refused to soil his own hands with unnecessary evil.
The only evil that had ever stained his hands was the fairy woman Lichesia.
He was not one to quietly watch the Holy Empire conduct cruel experiments on fairies.
Hailon possessed the strength, power, and position to achieve what he believed was right.
'Yet even Hailon doesn't know about this.'
If the experiments from centuries ago were still continuing now....
At minimum, a Cardinal or the Holy King.
Someone of that caliber must be secretly directing the experiments.
In such circumstances, it made sense why I had found it so dreadfully difficult to uncover information related to fairy experimentation.
'The Holy Empire never even suspected in the first place.'
Suddenly, I felt revulsion.
All fairies possessed unwavering mental fortitude.
All their power was connected to their spirit.
The Illusion Realm was also an illusion created based on a fairy's spirit.
Thus, it rarely happened that one would "go mad" from ordinary circumstances.
But the fairy who gave birth to me had gone mad.
She likely endured experiments similar to those documented here.
By those who claimed to believe in God.
Unable to touch even a single leaf or flower freely, trapped in a rigid space.
Drained of blood like a beast, subjected to all manner of agony....
"...."
I clenched my teeth tightly.
The butterflies that had been leisurely drifting through the Black Forest responded to my emotions and gathered all at once.
Swarms of butterflies whirled across the trembling Flower Field in rapid, tornado-like spirals—a sight that was decidedly threatening.
"Lichesia!"
Hata hurried across the Flower Field toward me.
The small creature gazed at Chesa with trembling eyes.
Without speaking, we both understood what the other was thinking.
Chesa offered the words she knew I most wanted to hear.
"I'm fine."
"But..."
"Really. Just startled a little."
Concerned the butterflies might damage the flowers, I gathered them back in.
"...Sigh."
Everything had circled back to the beginning.
The rumor that had first driven Chesa into the Basilian Count Family—that one of the Empire's three great noble houses had conducted cruel experiments on fairies.
It seemed this rumor had spread incorrectly as Kieran gathered information related to the fairy experiments.
'Kieran is actually similar to me.'
For reasons I couldn't fathom, he seemed to be in a position similar to Chesa's—investigating the fairy experiments.
Perhaps it was connected to the Fairy Queen's Crown that he sought, but I couldn't be certain.
This was a question I could never answer until I asked Kieran directly.
"Then should we investigate the Holy Empire next?"
Hata asked Chesa worriedly, lost in thought.
Of course, wherever Chesa wished to go—even into the depths of hellfire—Hata would gladly follow.
Yet she worried that Chesa might be hurt in that inferno.
Chesa murmured slowly.
"It seems so."
The path ahead had become murky.
When I heard about the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony, I had protested being dragged into the Holy Empire.
Now it seemed I would enter the Holy Empire of my own volition to investigate.
How could I, a demon, slip inside the Holy Empire, evade its strict security, and obtain the information I needed?
Nothing about this was simple.
'But to participate in the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony...'
Before that, Kieran might discover I was a demon and have my head.
Deep in thought, Chesa finally spoke.
"Let's leave for now."
The situation was complicated, but one thing had become clear.
There was nothing left to gain from the Basilian Count Estate.
It was truly time to depart.
***
That night.
I sought out Belzeon, cradling Hata in my arms.
Of course, it was quite difficult to walk all the way to Belzeon's study on my own small legs.
So I asked a servant to carry me to where Belzeon was.
The servant who received my request said something peculiar.
Something about not washing her hands all day, and how it felt like a dream to be holding Miss Chesa in her arms.
'The servants here always say strange things whenever I ask to be held.'
But as long as my purpose was achieved, it didn't matter.
I let him ramble on as he pleased.
"Miss Chesa has come to see you."
After knocking on the study door and announcing my arrival, permission to enter came after a brief silence.
I asked the servant to put me down and toddled forward eagerly.
Running on my short legs with determination, Belzeon looked up from the documents at his desk in surprise.
"Hello."
I grasped his trousers and spoke seriously.
"I have something to tell you."
And I held up two fingers to emphasize the point.
"Just the two of us."
"Just the two of us?"
Belzeon seemed flustered, but he complied with what I wanted.
He sent out the secretary who assisted me in the study and made sure no servants passed nearby.
"What is it."
Belzeon asked coldly.
I knew he wasn't doing this because he had real feelings for me, but rather to distance himself emotionally, so I wasn't particularly offended.
After all, I would be leaving soon anyway.
I simply stated my business.
"When do I have to leave?"
Perhaps he hadn't expected me to bring this up first.
Belzeon's eyes widened slightly.
He fell silent, then slowly averted his gaze.
He spoke without meeting my eyes.
"...You must leave at dawn in two days."
Belzeon's voice was slightly lower than usual as he answered that I had to leave before the banquet.
It seemed he had already made all the plans and intended to send me away suddenly at dawn without telling me anything beforehand.
Well, what good would it do to tell a small child in advance anyway.
It was a rational decision—I wouldn't be persuaded, and if I said I didn't want to go, it would only become troublesome.
"You're welcome to take anything you want with you."
Belzeon offered money and jewels.
But there was only one thing I wanted.
I showed Hata to him and spoke.
"I want to take the puppy with me."
"...Is that all?"
"Yes!"
Belzeon stared at the puppy and Chesa with a rigid expression.
His gaze flickered with barely contained emotion.
Soon after, Belzeon bit his lower lip.
He appeared to be suppressing something forcefully within himself.
"You may demand far more than that."
He spoke while fixing Chesa with an intense stare.
"You could even greedily ask the Basilian Count Estate to surrender a fortune, and it would be justified."
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