The Magical Holy Woman Seraphina - Chapter 17

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Magical Saint Seraphina
17
“I think someone who drinks and sprawls about like you do, senior, is more dog-like than I am.”
“Who says? Did I sprawl about drunk?”
“Disgusting. Go scrub yourself clean.”
“Now, now. A puppy shouldn’t talk back to people like that. Sit. Wait. Shake. Good boy.”
“Senior!”
Arden’s face flushed as he protested.
His golden hair, apparently not fully dried after his morning wash, looked a shade deeper than usual and stood on end in the winter wind, bristling in all directions.
That lustrous blonde hair and massive frame — he looked no different from the collie I’d seen at dawn.
“Treating me like a dog….”
I ignored his grumbling and took the handkerchief bundle from him, and sure enough, he handed over some coins in the process.
His money is always so clean. Does he have a butler who irons his currency?
“Seraphina, sister.”
Ellie, who’d been watching Arden with an amused giggle, handed me a newspaper folded twice.
On the front page, a large black-and-white photograph showed Arden in profile, captured in the corner of the Ingrid Mansion with its main gate wide open.
Though blurred to barely more than a silhouette, he was handsome enough to stand out dramatically.
“That’s you in this picture, Arden?”
I’d seen the scene firsthand yesterday, but I asked as if I didn’t know.
“Ah.”
Arden glanced at the photograph and replied.
“I happened to be in the area yesterday.”
“At that hour in the morning?”
“It’s possible. You were sprawling about at a tavern at dawn yourself, senior.”
“I wasn’t sprawling….”
At that time, I was working for justice.
I glanced at Arden carefully.
His face — as he awkwardly held out his hand, eager to wash away the touch of money — showed not the slightest hint of suspicion.
‘Right after hearing about Arden and Pepper yesterday, the whole thing blew up.’
I’d worried whether Arden might suspect me.
Apparently it was needless concern.
‘He can’t hide anything if he suspects something.’
Everything shows on his face immediately.
‘Ugh, disgusting!’ ‘Ugh! So filthy!’ ‘Ugh! Scrub yourself clean!’
With my mind somewhat eased, I asked.
“So, Arden — what was it like being at the Magical Saint’s crime scene by chance yesterday?”
The Magical Saint being an attention-seeker trying to gain prominence by exploiting incidents and all.
“What do you think of this attention-seeker exposing a major merchant’s crimes?”
“…….”
Arden pouted his lips but answered readily enough.
“I’ll admit it’s impressive.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. She certainly has skill. To dig up corruption that neither the Imperial Knight Order nor the Investigation Bureau investigators could uncover, all by herself….”
“Heh heh.”
I unfolded the newspaper, quite pleased to hear it.
Beneath a large photograph of the burning mansion on the front page, some journalist had unearthed an old diary from the library describing the Magical Saint from 950 years ago and excerpted it.
The conscientious reporter had even drawn an illustration of the clothing described in the diary and attached it.
A short-sleeved top clinging so tightly it looked like it had been sewn on while worn, a skirt as short as my combat uniform, long boots reaching to the knee, and heels—impossibly high heels.
“While it’s premature to judge her character definitively, I do hereby withdraw my earlier statement calling her an attention-seeker….”
Arden was mid-sentence when his gaze suddenly flicked to the illustration in the newspaper I’d opened.
“…….”
“…Is that….”
“Hmm?”
“Is that… the clothing worn by Magical Saints?”
“Huh? Oh. Yes, it is.”
“Do modern Magical Saints wear clothes like that as well?”
“Huh? Well… I suppose they might?”
“…….”
Arden’s expression turned serious.
“I withdraw my withdrawal.”
“Huh?”
“You’re going out dressed like that? Are you in your right mind?”
“No, wait—!”
This is a misunderstanding!
“And I suppose you were leaping across rooftops in that outfit yesterday too? That’s a serious crime—a violation of people’s right not to see such things!”
You must have been wandering through District 2 in that same getup!
“Ugh!”
That sound again!
“There must be some reason for this!”
“What reason? Do you have some disease where you’ll die if you don’t expose yourself?!”
That’s not it! This outfit has Face Recognition Obstruction Magic cast on it!
“You pervert! Exposing yourself like that!”
“Pervert? Everyone dressed like this 950 years ago!”
“Is this 950 years ago?!”
“Respect tradition!”
“That’s not tradition—it’s a harmful practice!”
Think of the corrupting influence on our young people!
“Just imagine—that child Pepper from yesterday could be inspired by the Magical Saint and start dressing that way too!”
“……!”
I had nothing to say. Arden looked down at my silence, trembling with fury.
“Attention-seeker. Exhibitionist. Shameless dresser. You deserve punishment.”
Each word struck like a hammer blow.
“That’s all.”
Arden, having thoroughly shredded me, left the Costume Room.
I was huffing indignantly, scanning the surroundings, when the Silver-haired Man ascending the stairs caught my eye.
“You there!”
The Silver-haired Man turned at my gruff call and smiled brightly.
“So it’s you. Did you enjoy your visit to the tavern yesterday?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“Good. I heard there was quite an incident at Temeren Lake yesterday. Nothing troublesome happened, I hope?”
“No, thanks to you again.”
Those boxes he was carrying—they’re meant for the Storage, aren’t they? I gestured toward them.
“Let me go with you. I’ll open the door.”
“That would be appreciated.”
He accepted without hesitation, smiling.
‘Looking at him, you’d think he’s left more than a few hearts broken.’
A man like this shouldn’t be running errands in a place like this.
I followed him up the stairs to the second floor. I gestured for him to go inside quickly as I opened the Storage door.
“Thank you.”
The man gave me a knowing smile and stepped into the Storage.
The moment he crossed the threshold with the three boxes balanced easily in his arms, I kicked him in the back.
Crash!
The boxes tumbled from his grip.
Just as he managed to avoid being buried under the scattering boxes and turned back around, I was already locking the Storage door.
Click.
I stood with my back against the door to prevent his escape.
I cracked my neck lightly and asked.
“Who are you really?”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. Why are you suddenly doing this?”
“You don’t know why I’m doing this?”
“I don’t.”
“Then you deserve a beating.”
But before that—
“Come out. Tofu.”
“Seraphina!”
At my call, Tofu poked his head out from between the buttons of the Winter Coat the man was wearing.
“Seraphina! I can explain everything!”
“Yeah? Go ahead.”
“But how did you know I was hiding here?”
“How did I know…”
How could you not notice the coat quivering the moment my voice reaches you?
“I’ve suspected for a while now that this man is connected to you.”
“How?”
“Because the room was too large.”
The room of Tofu at the Divine Temple—the one I’d visited when I made my contract as the Magical Saint.
Setting aside the sheer size of it, there was that desk Tofu could never open with his strength alone, and the writing instruments arranged so neatly upon it. Those were clearly meant for human hands.
“It doesn’t make sense for that to be your room.”
Even if you are a Divine Beast, knowledge of your existence would be restricted to only a handful of high-ranking people at the Divine Temple.
What temple would prepare a room that spacious for a dog?
“I suspected from the start that there was someone behind you. You couldn’t possibly handle the Divine Oracles and their execution alone. And besides.”
“Besides?”
“Yesterday, you wagged your tail at this man far too naturally.”
The way you had your head pet, your brow scratched—you two moved in sync like you’d been doing it for ten years.
“You weren’t really trying to hide it at all, were you?”
“…Didn’t I tell you not to hide it?”
Tofu, looking thoroughly deflated, spoke to the man. I glanced at the drooping Divine Beast once, then fixed my gaze back on the man’s face.
“So, who are you?”
“I’m….”
“No, wait. Don’t answer. I think I’ve got it.”
The owner of that large room tucked away inside the Divine Temple.
The Divine Beast’s companion.
“That’s it! The Magical Saint!”
…….
“So what—do you wear shorts too?”
…….
I ran my eyes over the man.
His face was like an angelic thug’s, his movements graceful and lean, but underneath you could tell he possessed a body more solid than anyone else’s.
His height, his forearms, his shoulders—these weren’t things you could hide even if you tried.
And in that frame…a Ribbon-decorated Top and short shorts?
In that instant, I understood Arden’s feelings.
I groaned aloud.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————