The Magical Holy Woman Seraphina - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Magic Saint Seraphina
77
“So you’re telling me the Capital Guard showed up that night?”
“What else could I do? The landlady was threatening to throw Arden out of the boarding house.”
Fortunately, the Capital Guard happened to be conducting patrols in the area. I explained the situation.
“After that incident with the Ballet Boy last time, the Guard was apparently neglecting its duties and spending all its time at Baron Tram’s estate. When the Crown Prince heard about it, he summoned the Guard commander himself to demand an explanation.”
“Really? The Crown Prince himself?”
“Yes. Ever since then, even the senior officers of the Capital Guard have been mobilized for night patrols.”
The Crown Prince really is a good man.
“Thanks to that, Arden wasn’t thrown out of the boarding house and managed to make it to work safely the next morning.”
If he’d lost his lodging, he’d have been in serious trouble. The man has no money.
“My sincere thanks, Your Highness.”
Truly a wonderful person. Cassian’s mouth twisted into a wry smile at my praise.
“Indeed. A truly excellent man.
One who knows how to save himself.
”
“Now that I think about it, you’ve actually met him in person before, haven’t you? What’s he like?”
“What do you want to know?”
“What he looks like?”
Don’t call me materialistic.
Honestly, everyone’s curious about the Crown Prince’s appearance, hidden behind that veil. Aren’t they?
If I’m the only one who cares, I’ll go to Clock Square right now and do three forward rolls while clapping my hands.
“Is he handsome? Just tell me that much.”
“Well… I suppose he’s handsome.”
“Is he tall?”
“Well… he seems tall, I guess?”
“What about his personality?”
“Ah. That’s definitely not good.”
“Really?”
That was unexpected. I’d thought that since he showed such concern for the common people, he’d have a gentle and gracious character. I tilted my head curiously.
“In what way?”
“He doesn’t respect his elders.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. I once saw him ask an old man if he was still alive.”
“Yikes!”
I covered my mouth with my hand in shock.
“I didn’t expect that at all—it’s disappointing. Of course, my disappointment means nothing to His Highness whatsoever!”
“You might be surprised how much it matters.”
“Is that so?”
Perhaps the words of the young carry more weight than I thought. I looked up at the clock tower before us.
Deng… deng… deng.
The still-unrepaired heartbeat of Luaer.
Apparently it takes time to procure the parts—some component that a master craftsman in the Eastern Region had to make by hand.
The craftsman himself has to come too, but since he’s already in his nineties, it takes a while.
Every time I see it, my conscience pricks me. I hope the repairs finish soon.
I deliberately turned away from the clock and spoke.
“The way people who’ve eaten that gelato become consumed with rage—I’m convinced it must be magic.”
I have no idea how they managed it, though.
“That villain said something about using a magic tool to track my location, didn’t he?”
I looked past the brightly lit shop—Limpkins’ Gelato Shop, open even past midnight—as I spoke.
“It wouldn’t be strange if someone with access to a magic tool capable of wielding dark power had acquired another one.”
“If that’s really the case, do you have a countermeasure?”
Cassian asked.
“I do. That’s why I brought you along.”
I pointed at Cassian.
“Me?”
Cassian blinked in surprise. Two Bu, peeking out from inside Cassian’s coat, wore the same bewildered expression.
“You’re using me as a shield?”
“…I hadn’t planned for that, but now that you mention it, it’s not a bad idea.”
But that wasn’t what I had in mind.
Today, since I’d be going around with Cassian, I touched the crown of Dub’s head without putting on a mask. Watching white fur stick up messily, I suppressed a laugh and spoke.
“Once I step inside the shop, bring Arden here.”
“Arden?”
“Yeah. He lives in the room above mine, right? If you wake him and he comes right over, it’ll take about thirty minutes.”
Of course, after yesterday’s fuss, he’d be sleeping soundly today, and he’d be annoyed when woken.
But that wasn’t my problem.
Cassian would be the one waking him, after all.
“…Setting aside how to wake a sleeping person, why Arden specifically?”
“Don’t you remember? When Arden and I hug, my magic recharges.”
“And?”
“I’m going to use him as an emergency charger.”
“…I see.”
“Mm.”
“Can’t I just hold you instead?”
“Would a god get struck by lightning?”
What kind of High Priest lacks such basic prudence! I scolded him sharply.
Dub let out a wheezy laugh.
“Well, you should at least tell him the plan before sending him, Your Grace…”
“Release some cicadas in his room.”
“…”
“Just joking. Take this instead.”
I handed him a paper fold I’d prepared earlier. Cassian held up the small dog made from cherry-colored origami paper and asked.
“What is this?”
“A warning note.”
“A warning note?”
“Say it flew into the Grand Temple. Once he opens it, Arden will come running right away.”
“What did you write inside?”
–WARNING–
Since he kept whining about sending a warning note, I’m sending one just this once.
I’m at Limpkins’ Gelato Shop right now, so come whenever you want ☆
–Sena
“Is this really a warning? Or are you just teasing?”
“Just go.”
I tapped Cassian’s shoulder lightly.
“Seraphina, are you really sure I shouldn’t come along?”
“No. Go help Cassian. He’s not exactly trustworthy, you know.”
“That’s true enough!”
I’ll personally make sure to bring Lord Arden back! I watched Dub swing his front paw and Cassian depart, then headed toward the back door of the gelato shop.
So she really does make gelato at this hour. I glanced inside the shop, which smelled sweetly of sugar, then closed my eyes.
“Money, fame, health… plum flavor, black rice flavor, plain yogurt flavor, tiramisu flavor, black sesame flavor, passion fruit flavor, lemon sorbet flavor, but honestly I actually hate black sesame flavor…”
★★★★★
Anyone who toys with food deserves a scolding!
Magic Saint Seraphina!
Transformation!
★★★★★
Whoosh.
I swept the scattered petals across the ground carelessly, piled them in a corner, and slipped into the shop.
How did I get past the locked door, you ask?
I grabbed the handle and it just broke off.
“Something feels familiar about this. Have I broken a doorknob recently?”
Strange. Muttering to myself, I pulled open the curtain leading to the kitchen.
True to a gelato shop, the cool space was thick with the scents of sugar, milk, and vanilla.
A massive cauldron sat bubbling away. Someone stood with their back to me, stirring it with a large ladle.
‘…The owner?’
It had to be.
She supposedly ran the place alone after sending all her employees away.
‘I heard she was a woman, but she’s almost as tall as Arden and Cassian.’
But why wouldn’t she turn around when someone entered?
“Excuse me… excuse me? Owner?”
“…”
“Boss… are you not open right now…?”
The business hours had ended, the lights were off, yet here was someone who’d forced open the locked door and was now asking if the shop was closed.
It was a bit rude, but there was nothing to be done about it.
I approached, calling for the proprietor.
“Just one gelato—I’ll eat it quick and go…….”
The moment I rounded the kitchen counter without lowering my guard.
I saw two people lying unconscious with gelato smeared around their mouths. And a woman, bound tightly and shaking her head—presumably the real owner.
“What the—!”
I jumped back in shock.
Only then did the man stirring the gelato remove his hygiene cap.
Black hair!
“Animal Abuser?!”
Insane! I immediately swung the Bang Hammer.
The Animal Abuser dodged it with a quick bow, as if he’d expected this, and pulled a glass vial the size of a finger from his apron pocket.
He poured the dark contents inside into the pot.
Black specks dispersed throughout the pale yellow milk that was heating.
…Could those be the same black specks from the Love Gelato?
“What are you doing?!”
Food safety violation!
I was about to flip the pot over when—
“It’s already too late.”
The Animal Abuser, now backing away, smirked.
“Hundreds, thousands of gelatos have already been sold to the world.”
People lined up to buy that nauseating superstition about love. He sneered, stretching his lips wide.
“What did you do to the gelato?”
“Nothing much. Just made them express what they usually hide so carefully—their ugly inner thoughts, their anger toward others.”
“Their anger?”
“Exactly as it is. Nothing more.”
……
“Now people won’t bother considering others uselessly. They’ll say and do whatever they want. Isn’t that good?”
“What kind of insane—”
“For example, like this.”
The Abuser snapped his fingers sharply.
The two people who’d been unconscious suddenly opened their eyes wide.
They wiped the gelato from their mouths with the backs of their hands, then pushed themselves up and looked at me.
“What the… Magic Saint?”
“Magic Saint my foot—if you barge in after business hours, you’re just a nuisance….”
“The lights are all off and you just waltz in here making a scene….”
“Let’s beat her up!”
“Aaahhh!”
‘So they were employees who came looking for the owner out of concern!’
And then they’d fallen into the Animal Abuser’s hands…….
“I’m sorry!”
I’ll never enter a shop with the lights off again!
I fled behind the kitchen counter to escape the charging employees.
The Animal Abuser approached the ingredient storage unit and threw open the cabinet-like door wide.
In what should have held sugar, cocoa powder, and dried fruit, there stood instead a massive coffin that was simply horrifying to behold.
“Anger, irritation, inferiority—negative energy I’ve been collecting diligently for the past ten days.”
Before I could stop him, the Animal Abuser opened the lid.
Pitch-black smoke poured forth from the coffin, engulfing me.

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