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“!”

Servian had identified the flute exactly.

“And there’s a peculiar scent… Undine says it seems to be Komonil.”

Undine was the water spirit that Servian commanded. The senses of spirits were far more acute than those of humans, which is why they could detect even the trace amount of Komonil—just 1%—in the flute.

Ugh, it was such a waste!

The 50 million coins I spent on that magnifying glass flashed before my eyes, a reminder of my regret. But Servian, unaware of my internal lament, handed the flute back to me, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“I’ve done the appraisal you needed, so now tell me your story.”

“My story?”

“Yes! The reincarnation subscription! So, that ancient document wasn’t a fake, right? From the moment I first discovered it, I suspected it was no ordinary document. The age of the paper confirmed it as an ancient artifact. The content seemed absurd, but it was so absurd that it felt like it couldn’t have been made up. But a reincarnation subscription—how does that even work…?”

Though he asked for my story, Servian quickly launched into a lengthy monologue, leaving me standing there in front of him. 

‘Leonid definitely takes after his father when it comes to talking.’

Having dealt with this countless times in my past life, both Axel and I were quite familiar with Servian’s tendency to go off on tangents. We exchanged glances and slowly began to edge away, retreating quietly. Even though this was Axel’s room, he seemed ready to abandon it, given Servian’s relentless chatter.

“In ancient times, there were records of more open communication between gods and humans. If this document was made in that era, then perhaps…”

Servian continued his monologue, stroking his chin thoughtfully, completely unaware that Axel and I were stealthily slipping away. 

‘He’ll probably keep talking like that for hours.’

I shivered slightly at the thought, already feeling overwhelmed. Axel, Bael, and now Servian too—seriously, these guys…

People don’t need to be so consistent about everything!

* * *

White Mage Axel Elpinard.

Priest Bael.

Spirit Sorcerer Servian.

And me, a former dark mage and current Saintess.

With the exception of Kirke, who had become the Emperor, the former Mad Dragon Expedition had gathered in one place. We were meeting to prepare for the prophecy predicting the resurrection of the Mad Dragon.

The meeting place was a small, hidden room in a remote wing of the Elpinard estate. As a child, it wasn’t easy for me to travel freely, so there wasn’t much choice.

We sat around a large round table. The three of them sat with a serious demeanor, while I, seated in an adult-sized chair, barely managed to peek my face over the edge of the table. The chair was too big for me, making me look almost comical in comparison.

Even though I’d piled several thick cushions on the seat, this was the best view I could manage.

“Ahem!”

“Pfft.”

“Mmhm.”

Bael, Axel, and Servian were each trying to stifle their laughter as they watched me, with just my face barely peeking over the table. I definitely didn’t think, ‘If you’re going to laugh, just do it openly!’ because if I did, they would undoubtedly start rolling on the floor, holding their sides with laughter.

“Don’t… laugh…” I gritted my teeth and tapped the table with my tiny fist, trying to warn them. Of course, my soft, pudding-like little fist only made a cute ‘thunk’ sound, not much of a threat.

“Hahaha!”

That seemed to have the opposite effect, as Servian finally burst out laughing. Bael, who had been trying to hold back his laughter while watching me, smiled gently and tapped the table to get everyone’s attention. Unlike my feeble attempt, his knock on the table produced a sharp, commanding sound.

“Alright. I think we’ve gathered enough information now.”

Axel nodded in agreement with Bael’s words.

“We know the expected timing of the Mad Dragon’s resurrection, and we know who appears to be aiding it. Everything is clear.”

The Mad Dragon’s resurrection was expected in about 10 years. The one aiding it was none other than Duke Kreutz. This conclusion came from piecing together all the information we had gathered. Even Servian, who had been the last to start gathering information due to his time in the Red Desert, raised his hand to add his thoughts.

“I don’t think Duke Kreutz could be acting alone. There might be a group supporting the Mad Dragon.”

“Exactly. There were suspicious priests in the temple aiding in strange rituals, remember?”

At my comment, Bael smiled reassuringly.

“The temple has already been cleaned up. Those involved have been imprisoned in the underground cells of Kydsha. There may still be hidden supporters, but we’ve shaken their foundations.”

I’d heard that some of the cardinals who held seats in the Senate had fallen from grace because of this. Though Bael spoke calmly, it was clear that Kydsha had seen some rare turmoil recently.

“Ugh, there are problems everywhere,” Servian sighed deeply, shaking his head.

“So, what do we need to prepare for next?”

Servian, as usual, lightly steered the conversation toward our next steps. I looked at him and started counting on my fingers as I listed our tasks.

“First, we need to figure out the exact purpose of those strange rituals.”

“And?”

“We need to prevent any hidden supporters in the temple from aiding those rituals.”

“What else?”

“We need to keep an eye on Duke Kreutz and any remaining followers of the Mad Dragon.”

I made an effort to speak as clearly as possible while outlining what we needed to do before the prophesied day arrived.

“And most importantly… everyone needs to take care of their health. In ten years, we’ll all be over thirty, after all.”

Well, not me!

As I narrowed my eyes and lifted my chin, the oldest among us, Servian, visibly grimaced. I stuck my tongue out at him. He, who had mocked my childish appearance the most, should have expected this kind of retaliation!

Seeing me grin smugly, Servian narrowed his eyes this time and said, “Are you sure you should be talking to me like that? You might end up being my daughter-in-law.”

“Huh? Me? Wh-what do you mean?”

“My. Daughter. In. Law.” Servian broke down the words slowly, despite knowing full well that I understood what he meant the first time.

“The Pope has apparently arranged an engagement. How about you and my son, Leonid, getting engaged?”

“What?”

That last voice didn’t come from me. Axel slammed the table and stood up abruptly.

“Her and Leonid? Are you serious? There’s such a huge age gap!”

“Well… they’re practically the same age now, aren’t they?” Servian shrugged, as if he didn’t see the problem.

“Leonid might be a young old man, so his mental age probably matches Reshia’s. I didn’t think it was a bad idea. We could also solidify ties with the Elpinard family.”

“Hah.” Axel let out a dry laugh, realizing that Servian was quite serious about this. 

Bael, deciding not to get involved in their argument, stood up and picked me up in his arms.

“Reshi, don’t get too close to these political schemers. Remember, Kydsha will always be a safe haven for you if you ever need it.”

Though he whispered softly, there was no way the elite members of the expedition, who had slain the Mad Dragon, wouldn’t hear him.

“She’s ‘Reshia Elpinard’ right now, okay? This is her home,” Axel quickly retorted, and Servian added his own comment.

“If she wishes, she could always become ‘Reshia Kol.'”

I stared at the three of them in disbelief.

‘Why are they competing over something so ridiculous?’

“Enough. We need to decide who’s handling what. Aren’t we supposed to be taking down the Mad Dragon?”

“We are,” Bael said with a gentle smile.

“I’ll naturally take charge of the temple. Axel, it would be great if you could handle Kreutz and his hidden followers.”

Servian, who hadn’t been mentioned, tilted his head in thought before speaking up.

“Then, should I dig through ancient records and figure out the nature of the ritual Kreutz is attempting?”

“I’d appreciate that.”