“Hmmmm, well…”
This was a difficult question to answer.
After all, Ella was skilled at many things, ferocious and explosive demon Magic, powerful combat techniques using the White Bone Sword, rousing speeches that could stir hearts, and devising meticulous, intricate schemes.
But none of these were abilities she was supposed to have.
If you were a beautiful village girl captured by the Demon King for her looks, what would you know how to do?
“I can use some convenient household Magic. I can help clean up, quickly tidy clothes and belongings, and if needed, even the body… Well, maybe let’s not mention that.”
This ability was reasonable enough, but Celes frowned, clearly not satisfied.
Ella tried harder, tentatively adding, “I can also… um… warm up the bed ahead of time, so you’ll be more comfortable when you sleep.”
But even the ultimate bed-warming skill failed to change Celes’ attitude.
“I see. I’ll give it some thought,” she said, putting away her pen and notebook.
“But… hmm?”
Ella noticed Celes’ expression suddenly shift as she stared at her and asked, “Do you have some kind of fragrance on you?”
“Fra-fragrance?”
“Yes, a fragrance,” the girl said seriously.
“A very pleasant scent.”
“I suppose so.”
Ella smiled shyly.
“Other people have said the same.”
Damn it, is the information true after all?
Celes’ gaze stayed fixed on her face, the tip of her delicate nose twitching as if she were holding her breath.
Wasn’t it supposed to smell nice?
Then why…
“I understand. Let’s talk about this another time.”
With that, Celes left directly, leaving Ella standing there, blinking in confusion.
Wait, what just happened?
She didn’t really understand, but she could sense that she had aroused Celes’ suspicion and wariness.
“Ugh…”
Ella gritted her teeth.
“You again!”
Celes, her, again!
Back in the Forest, this woman had stood at the very front, guarding against her.
Now, after moving into the King’s City, she found a new way to keep her in check.
Am I really going to be single-handedly guarded against by her for my entire life?
Just imagining that scene made Ella’s vision go black.
No, she had to think of something.
***
On the other side, Celes took off her armor and undershirt, changed into her regular clothes for going out, and left the campfire encampment.
Beneath the great dome of the Cathedral of Light, within the Sanctuary of Hymns, the golden-haired Saintess radiated an aura of holiness and compassion.
“When we arrived at the Forest, it was already too late. The Demon King had cultivated darkness there for many years—every blade of grass was tainted by corruption and desecration. On that land, there were no living beings left who could receive the blessing of divine revelation.”
“Fortunately, my companions and I drove out the source of darkness together. I believe, in the days to come, they will gradually cast off the shadows and return to the embrace of Light.”
An attendant quickly recorded the Saintess’ account, while the Choir in the outer circle sang in harmony to the conductor’s baton, filling the Sanctuary with a sacred atmosphere.
Until someone quietly approached and whispered:
“Saintess, your companion has come to see you.”
Leah frowned slightly.
When she reached the reception room, she saw a figure cloaked in icy blue.
“Stop rushing me. I said I’d return this evening.”
“You misunderstand, Miss Leah,” Celes said calmly.
“I’d like to hear your thoughts on Ella’s request to join our team.”
Ella?
Who’s Ella?
Leah paused for a moment before recalling that Ella was the girl they had rescued from the Demon King’s Castle.
“First of all, I don’t mind that she comes from a rural village, nor do I care that she was captured by the Demon King for many years. However, our missions are dangerous, not everyone can join us. The gods would not wish to see needless sacrifice.”
Celes nodded.
“Understood.”
The reasoning might not be perfect, but the conclusion was reasonable, there was no need to say more.
Leaving the Cathedral of Light, Celes circled the perimeter of the Royal Palace, but after failing to find any news of Zero’s whereabouts, she returned to camp.
The clothes in the wooden basin were gone.
Looking up, Celes found her armor and shirt hanging up, already thoroughly cleaned.
There wasn’t a speck of blood left on the armor; it gleamed in the light.
The shirt was dry and fluffy, with a refreshing fragrance.
Exactly the same as the scent on Ella.
She hesitated for a moment, then let go, allowing them to continue airing on the line.
That night, Leah and Zero both came by, though Vina was absent, apparently detained by the Magic Court, and would be delayed for several days at least.
Celes felt a headache coming on.
The Magic Court was farther away, not as convenient as visiting the Cathedral.
She knocked on her teammate’s door:
“Zero, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk with you.”
“I’m free, coming.”
Zero had just taken off her gear and opened the door, reporting proactively: “The report’s already submitted, the process went smoothly. As for the Demon King’s eventual escape, our teacher spoke up for us, so no one else had much objection…”
“Thank you for your effort, but I’d like to discuss something else,” Celes lowered her voice.
“Have you ever noticed the fragrance on Ella?”
“Yeah,” Zero answered without hesitation.
“It smells really nice, doesn’t it?”
Celes’ expression turned serious. She closed the door behind her, sat down, and spoke:
“Zero, have you ever heard of the Sweet Osmanthus Incident ten years ago?”
This time, the assassin girl shook her head.
“No.”
“It was a notorious event from the past. It started with a dessert shop called Tulip in King’s City. One day, they launched a new type of dessert. As soon as it appeared, it became wildly popular. Within half a month, it swept through high society, royalty and nobility sent people to fight over it, even coming to blows.”
Celes paused briefly before continuing, “Later, Tulip was raided. Investigators found that their desserts were so addictive because they contained a certain drug. Afterward, many nobles went through withdrawal, and it took quite some time for them to recover.”
“I see, but…”
Zero looked confused.
“What does that have to do with Ella?”
“Her scent is so pleasant, it makes me want to do something intimate,” Celes said expressionlessly.
“But under normal circumstances, I would never have such thoughts.”
Why did she suspect Ella?
Because the Sword Saint knew herself well.
She was too calm!
“Ella is desperate to join our team, and she’s using this fragrance on herself to win our favor. So I have every reason to believe her intentions may be less than pure.”
Celes presented her judgment, logical, thorough, well-supported, and irrefutable.
Until Zero blinked and said:
“But she’s not wearing any fragrance.”
“…What?”
“We came back together, remember? For three whole days, I shared a carriage with her.”