Trinidad was a place wellknown to Rescal.

A city resembling a land of the dead, where the surviving shamans clung to their dwindling lifelines, and frauds and criminals posing as shamans hid.

“Why there?”

“The Viscount of Pielion visited there a month ago. It was an unprecedented event, so we were monitoring.”

At the mention of Viscount Pielion, Rescal’s face involuntarily crumpled.

It was strange. Even though he knew about their relationship before the marriage, it hadn’t bothered him; now, the mere mention of the name was grating.

“Was there a reason to monitor?”

“We couldn’t ascertain the exact purpose of the visit to Trinidad, but we found out that the Viscount issued a pass to someone on his way back to the Empire.”

“A pass?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We are currently speculating that he might have brought a shaman back to the Empire.”

“A shaman…”

Thunk.

Rescal put down the pen he had been holding.

The Viscount, who had been in an affair with the Empress before the marriage, had gone to a lawless place like Trinidad and brought someone back. The implications were clear.

“Is the Empress involved?”

“It seems likely. We traced the Viscount’s activities in Trinidad and found that he didn’t skimp on finding a legitimate shaman.”

Not skimping on money implied much. Though the Pielion family was wealthy, the adopted Viscount didn’t have the freedom to spend as he pleased.

The Duke of Pielion, known as an old fox, would willingly replace the Viscount if a better option arose.

So, it wasn’t just the Viscount searching for a shaman. The Pielion family was behind it.

“The Empress has a problem then.”

A problem that neither magic nor divine power could solve; shamaniclevel power was needed.

“It was a month ago? Has the Empress visited the Pielion family since?”

“Not officially, Your Majesty. But it’s possible she avoided notice. They’ve been extremely discreet about bringing in the shaman.”

“The Empress would have had numerous ways to contact the Viscount without going through the Pielion family. That means the shamanic act happened within the last month… Could the Empress’s memory loss be due to shamanism?”

“Ah… That’s a possibility. Shamanism has side effects. If the shaman is inexperienced or can’t handle the power, the subject could suffer adverse effects.”

A nauseating feeling began to rise.

Something was happening to the Empress without his knowledge.

It would have been a nonissue before, but now it twisted his gut just thinking about it.

Decan added quietly as he looked at Rescal’s increasingly stern face.

“I can’t be certain, but that shaman might still be somewhere in the Empire. The pass issued in the name of Pielion hasn’t been used since.”

“A shaman would know how to hide.”

“Yes, but… something doesn’t feel right about it all.”

Rescal glanced sharply at Decan.

“Is that as a shaman?”

“I’m afraid I’m not yet qualified to be called that.”

Decan was likely the only shaman in the Empire.

Originally aiming to be a cleric, his study of theology ironically led him to shamanism. Since most shamanism had disappeared and there were no suitable mentors, Decan’s shamanic abilities were selftaught.

In any case, shamans had a certain intuition, a knack for sensing odd energies. This sensitivity could sometimes even seem like foresight.

“If you feel that way, something must be up. You may investigate.”

“An honor, Your Majesty.”

And there was one more thing Decan had to address.

“Your Majesty.”

“Speak.”

“I hope I’m not out of line, but if you allow it, I’d like to see the Empress.”

Rescal scanned Decan from head to toe.

“Why?”

“I’d like to check for any traces of shamanic activity.”

“…Very well.”

He didn’t seem pleased.
“Keep it as brief as possible.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your permission.”

Decan bowed at the waist and silently disappeared.

“Today, it is I who stand in for His Majesty. I apologize, Empress Rasilia. Let’s sit wherever you’d like.”

Yvette jestingly extended her hand.

“There’s no need to apologize. You’re more than enough.”

Rasilia took Yvette’s hand and descended into the garden. The Emperor, with whom she had lunch, couldn’t make time for a walk. Being the emperor of the empire was quite a busy position.

“Still, he seemed genuinely sorry. He didn’t say it, but I could feel it.”

Yvette had no doubt that the Emperor and Empress were a fateful pair. In her eyes, the Emperor appeared as a loving husband more than anything in the world.

However, it was a bit regrettable that the Empress seemed unaware of these feelings.

But this was much better than the reverse. It would be heartbreaking if the Empress yearned for the Emperor, and he remained indifferent.

“……The weather is good today. It seems like more flowers have bloomed.”

Rasilia subtly changed the subject. Serben, who was maintaining a moderate distance behind them, was on her mind.

Everything he saw and heard would be reported to the Emperor. Rasilia wanted to avoid the Emperor knowing too much.