Chapter 471

'No, it can't be...'

The princess tried to deny reality.

However, the signs were clear.

The incidents where Wardanaz had strangely offered her food whenever he saw her.

Originally, she had brushed it off, thinking, 'Wardanaz respects me like other people,' but now that she thought about it, that was also a bit...

Where on earth did this misunderstanding start?

Adenart frowned and became lost in thought.

Of course, she had unintentionally done some actions that could be misunderstood. And she had also eaten the breakfast, lunch, and dinner Wardanaz had prepared very deliciously.

But that was self-discipline as an imperial family member who valued ingredients and didn't waste them, not gluttony. It was truly unjust.

'Could it be because of Gainando?'

The princess, who had never blamed others in her life, blamed others for the first time today. That's how shocking it was.

When Adenart only frowned without saying a word, Yi-Han nodded as if he knew everything.

"I understand even if you don't say it. Don't worry, I'll pack some for you when you return. Your followers have no sense in this aspect."

Yi-Han was quite generous when it came to Adenart.

Since the princess's followers were quite widespread from top to bottom in the Empire, it wouldn't hurt to treat her well.

Later, when he got a job as an imperial bureaucrat, he'd want a reaction like 'Ah, you're the one the princess praised!' rather than 'Eek! The Wardanaz family's...! Why are you here?!'

And humanly speaking, the princess's followers had no sense.

When the princess was starving, they should have thought, 'Ah, I should bring her some food,' but instead, they just stared blankly and said, 'Your posture doesn't waver at all,' what was that...

'Honestly, when it comes to the princess, her followers become a bit like Gainando.'

"What should I focus on packing for you? The butter cookies and tarts I brought last time were quite good."

Adenart, who had been trying to firmly clarify the misunderstanding about herself and regain her dignity, hesitated.

As an imperial family member excelling in all fields, she couldn't resist her curiosity.

"What tarts..."

Ding-

Yi-Han let go of the princess's hand without hesitation and grabbed the next friend's hand.

Raphael Gral from the White Tiger Tower grabbed Yi-Han's hand and hesitated.

Then he stomped his feet.

Yi-Han was flustered, not understanding what bizarre act Raphael was doing.

"What are you doing? Do you want to step on my feet, so you're doing a preliminary step?"

"N, no. Over there, the princess... Isn't this how it's done?"

Raphael looked around again, checked the atmosphere, and stopped stomping his feet.

The princess next to him was stomping her feet as if she were angry, so he thought, 'What? Was there originally a step like this?' and followed along since it was the princess's action...

It seemed like that wasn't the case.

Yi-Han chuckled.

"You fell for it, Raphael. When dancing, you should do the moves you know, not look at others' moves. The princess did that to trick guys like you who try to imitate others' moves."

"Ugh...!"

Raphael, who had been hit where it hurt, gritted his teeth.

After all, those guys from high noble families of the Blue Dragon Tower had every single action connected to schemes and tricks, so he couldn't let his guard down.

"Wardanaz. Just wait and see. I may lack skills now, but I will soon break your dark magic and defeat you."

"Yeah. Work hard and defeat the principal too."

Nillia, who was dancing while holding the princess's hand, stopped and tilted her head.

"Without preparing countermeasures against summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, and healing magic?"

"Shut up!"

"What? You shut up. Do you want an arrow stuck in your back?"

Ding-

"Ah. Priestess Siana. Your dancing skills are not ordinary. I should complain to the Flameng Order."

"What? Why?"

"Didn't they take away one of the Empire's dancers?"

There were few friends as effective at flattery as Priestess Siana. Yi-Han also felt satisfied seeing his friend's face brighten up.

Of course, in the meantime, Priestess Siana did step on Yi-Han's feet a couple of times...

'If it were those White Tiger Tower bastards, I wouldn't have forgiven them, but since it's the Immortal Phoenix Tower.'

"Did you know a new warehouse was discovered on the 3rd floor of the main building?"

"Oh my! What kind of warehouse?"

"It seems like a potion warehouse, but it's not the principal's warehouse, but a warehouse used by the seniors. So I'm conflicted..."

"It's okay. It's okay. The seniors will all understand."

"Really?"

"I had a conversation with some seniors last time, and they all said that."

Yi-Han spoke without even wetting his lips.

Regardless of whether it was the seniors' warehouse or not, they had to survive from the 1st year, right?

"I hope you'll always tell me if there's anything happening among the priests in the future. Since I have deep faith, my heart aches when priests have problems."

Priestess Siana was the most sociable among the quiet and unsociable priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower.

Since she always reliably brought information, flattery was not wasted at all.

"But you still like the Flameng Order a bit more, right?"

"...Well..."

Ding-

"Priest Sharukal."

The shark mixed-blood priest, Sharukal, was the only one who liked the spirit flood.

Not only his own race, but the order that served Agltakwa, the god of the sea and storms, had no choice but to be advantageous in this situation.

"Mr. Wardanaz. Thanks to this flood, we gained five new believers!"

"Oh... I see."

"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Wardanaz."

"?"

Yi-Han was puzzled.

If people gained faith because of the spirit flood, why was it thanks to Yi-Han?

"What did I do? Do you think I caused the spirit flood..."

"What kind of idiot would think that?"

Priest Sharukal burst into laughter, revealing the teeth unique to shark mixed-bloods.

Yi-Han glanced at the White Tiger Tower bastards in the distance.

"Over there... No. Then why is it thanks to me?"

"Everyone was very interested in holy magic. Can they learn it, how long will it take, and so on. So I told them about your case, Mr. Wardanaz."

"..."

Isn't this a scam??

Ding-

"Priestess Tijiling. Are you eating well these days? What did you have for breakfast? What about dinner last night? You didn't fast or anything, saying you'll live ascetically, right? You know there's no mention of fasting in the doctrine even though I'm also a believer of the Presinga Order, right?"

"...I, I ate well. You don't have to worry."

Tijiling was flustered by Yi-Han's behavior, worrying like a mother.

Of course, even among the priests, Tijiling did tend to act more ascetically, but why...?

"Priest Mehrid was so worried last time. Actually, I don't want to worry either, but I heard you skipped dinner again last time and were absorbed in prayer."

"How do you know that? ...Priestess Siana!"

However, Priestess Siana, who was stepping on Anglago's feet with an innocent face far away, couldn't hear.

"I'm not usually someone who worries excessively or bothers others, Priestess Tijiling. I'm just saying we should pay attention to the basics."

"It was just once in a while..."

Tijiling tried to refute, which was rare, but Yi-Han ignored her and said what he wanted to say.

"It's not that difficult to say we should eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right? Actually, there's a story like this in old tales too. A priest who had been fasting and practicing austerities for a long time collapsed, while the priest next to him who had been eating three meals a day attained enlightenment..."

"..."

Priestess Tijiling gained two realizations.

One was to never skip meals again.

And the other was that when the boy from the Wardanaz family had made up his mind, there was no choice but to listen quietly without unnecessarily refuting.

Ding-

"Richmond."

"Wardanaz. Thank you again."

"The Richmond family won't forget the favor, right?"

"...Huh? Our family doesn't have such a family motto... Don't people usually not forget favors?"

"I'm not saying this to show off, but last time, I invested quite a bit to bring Niffirg. That curse wasn't ordinarily potent..."

"Th, thanks? Wardanaz, if I'm not misunderstanding, are you perhaps indirectly saying it in case I forget..."

Ding-

"Rowena. I'm asking this lightly, but have you ever missed a meal recently?"

"No. As a knight, it's also an ability to take care of the necessary food."

Rowena, who was from the White Tiger Tower and a follower of Adenart, spoke with confidence.

Yi-Han asked again patiently in a roundabout way.

"Have you ever had a meal with the princess?"

"No. Originally, it's not good for the imperial family to frequently have meals with other people as they can be exposed to danger."

"..."

Yi-Han considered stepping on Rowena's instep once but stopped.

'Well, taking care of the princess's meals isn't something followers have to do.'

Followers have their own lives too, right?

Of course, if they didn't even take care of her meals, it was incomprehensible why they were following her...

"Aha. I understand!"

Rowena shouted in a bright and cheerful voice as if she had realized something.

Yi-Han asked with a nonchalant expression.

"What do you understand?"

"You want to have a meal with the princess. Am I right? Hehe. Mr. Wardanaz, you were also amazed by the princess's talent. Since you're from the Wardanaz family... Ouch!"

"Sorry. It was a mistake."

Yi-Han stepped on Rowena's instep once.

Ding-

"Priest Nigisor. You don't look well."

"It's because the spirit flood is prolonged..."

Nigisor, who was always burning brightly, had been getting more and more gloomy these past few days.

'He's being affected because he's a spirit mixed-blood.'

Having spirit blood mixed in didn't simply end with having a unique appearance and becoming an asexual being.

Even if the spirit's characteristics were greatly diluted, due to the nature of spirits being sensitive to mana, they couldn't help but be affected by such external environmental influences.

"But thanks to you, Mr. Wardanaz, I got some comfort."

"Huh? What did I do?"

"Didn't you beat up the siren and start a fire underwater?"

Priest Nigisor didn't particularly like water-related beings.

But that was that, and Yi-Han had never beaten a siren.

"I didn't beat it?"

"Really? The White Tiger Tower students said so..."

"Hmm. I see. Do you remember who they were?"

Yi-Han remembered a few names to dunk upside down in the water.

"The spirit flood needs to end quickly... Ah. Do you have a plan by any chance?"

"?"

Yi-Han was slightly flustered by the all-too-natural question.

"What plan? Dinner plan?"

"No. I mean a plan to end the spirit flood."

"...How am I supposed to end that?"

Priest Nigisor looked at Yi-Han with eyes that said, 'You know, but you're pretending not to.'

"You said that, but you solved the snowstorm incident last time too."

"No, that was a coincidence..."

"I see. Another coincidence this time?"

"..."

Ding-

"Did someone make you angry? Why do you have that expression?"

"Yonaire... Priest Nigisor isn't a fire spirit mixed-blood for nothing."

His skill in igniting fire in people's hearts was also extraordinary.

Yonaire held Yi-Han's hand and spun around. Yi-Han was unconsciously surprised by her skillful manner.

"You dance well, huh?"

"...Of course I dance well. What did you take me for? Did you think I couldn't dance?"

Yonaire was dumbfounded.

Even though she was a descendant of the Maykin family?

"I thought you'd be like me, not attending balls and reading the business section of the imperial newspaper."

"...It's not completely wrong, but I did attend to some extent."

Yonaire, whose weak point was poked, lightly pinched the back of Yi-Han's hand.

"And it's important to participate in these events to receive investments or support, you know?"

"Well, you have a point. Hmm. Can't we just use Gainando's face?"

"I think it would be better for you to practice and come out."

Yonaire gave a firm answer to her friend's attempt at taking the easy way out.