“Ah, what the heck is that woman?”

In his early twenties, Arabian became a candidate for the vice chancellor, partly due to his infinite sacred power, but there was a special reason unknown to the public.

He was an ability user who could penetrate into the soul.

Even if he tried to penetrate, it was only to the extent of vague forms and impressions, but at least he could discern how corrupted a person’s soul was.

When Arabian, at a very young age, saw a passerby and said, “That man’s soul is as red as blood!” he was treated as mentally ill by those around him. After that, due to assassins targeting him because of his ability, he lost his father.

Nobody believed in the ability to discern souls, and Arabian, blaming himself for losing his father unnecessarily due to useless remarks and his own self-reproach, almost hated his ability.

Then, after losing his mother due to famine and war during his childhood, Arabian, living a rough street life, finally came to appreciate the true value of his ability.

Because he could distinguish people as those to cling to, those to deceive, those absolutely not to touch, and those to avoid even brushing against.

Whether it was a twist of fate or a moment of life and death, if his sacred power hadn’t activated at the critical moment, preventing him from meeting with Vice Chancellor Noctavius, Arabian would have probably ended up being discovered in a dark alley, as a tragic corpse.

“Oh, goodness. It’s a complete darkness that no light can penetrate.”

“Is it just darkness?”

“It’s dark and evil… It’s sad.”

His impression upon seeing Ermeldine during his visit to the capital with Noctavius was like this.

Noctavius, the only person who believed in his ability, smiled bitterly upon hearing that. “I see, a dark and sad soul.”

Although Arabian had met various souls living on the streets, he distinctly remembered the feeling because he had never seen such a dark and deep soul like Ermeldine’s.

But what did he see today?

Certainly, the woman’s exterior matched, but her soul was too pure.

A white soul that couldn’t be found even by looking for evil.

The only resemblance to Ermeldine was that the pure white soul looked very sad.

“She’s a really strange woman. Why is she suddenly crying? Now I’m the only one who became weird!”

He had to find out who the soul inside the Empress was, but the woman burst into tears out of nowhere.

What’s so good about saying the soul is white, that she shed tears with a bright smile like a fool?

Thanks to that, he couldn’t ask the important question, received unnecessary misunderstandings from the just-entered Luni, and ended up being chased away.

Arabian couldn’t forget that smiling face full of tears.

How should he express it?

A smile full of joy looked so sad.

Arabian immediately sought out his master, Noctavius.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“About what?”

“It was suspicious from the beginning! I thought something was strange since I allowed that woman’s visit!”

“What are you talking about? How can I refuse a visit when Her Majesty the Queen is coming?”

“This damn inspiration! Speak the truth! You knew there’s another soul inside her body, right?”

“How could I know that? The gods didn’t grant me an ability as valuable as yours.”

“For someone who claims not to know, you’re surprisingly nonchalant! Where did you lie?”

“Tsk, tsk. For the disciple of a god to be so irritable. Sit down for a moment.”

Noctavius, with a nonchalant face, tapped Arabian on the side and called him.

“I don’t have the ability like yours to see souls. But I always lend an ear.”

“Lend an ear?”

“Yeah, I suppose you always miss prayer time, so you can’t hear, but I do.”

“Did the gods tell you they would put another soul into the Empress’s body?”

“No. The gods don’t say such things. I just listen carefully.”
Arabian’s patience was gradually wearing thin with Noctavius’s cryptic responses.

“So, what did you hear?”

“I heard about the Empress’s actions so far.”

“What?”

“From Louise in the Empress’s palace and from the people who groaned due to the epidemic.”

“So what? Anyone can act to that extent.”

“Look deeper.”

“What?”

“Look deeper. It’s not about focusing on one person. Look at what happened due to the Empress’s actions and what will happen in the future.”

“Ugh, this inspiration guy has started again. Babbling with words I can’t understand!”

Arabian, rolling his eyes in frustration, turned his head away from Noctavius, but the touch of his hand didn’t seem unwelcome, and Arabian sat by him for a while, receiving the gentle strokes.

“Did he say something annoying again?”

As Luni, who had kicked Arabian out almost by kicking him in tears over Ermeldine’s tears, wiped Ermeldine’s face with a clean towel, her own tears welled up.

“No, nothing like that. Just that priest…”

It was hard to explain. I couldn’t say that I wasn’t a person from here, and it was also difficult to say that the sharp-witted priest could see souls.

“He probably insulted the Empress again! I won’t leave him alone when I see him next time!”