“Wow… Sermo Castle was also magnificent, but the walls of Rumor Castle are incredibly high, so it feels overwhelming.”

The white castle walls, sitting massively atop the red cliffs, were built from granite and reflected the evening sunlight with a faint golden hue.

The geometric structure, seemingly floating in the middle of the world, looked like a divine creation.

Just from looking at the buildings, one could tell that Rumor was a nation with a strong religious color.

“What is this green gate made of?”

“It’s brass. Rumor’s gates are all made with copper plates, as they are said to ward off evil forces.”

“Right, I’ve heard about that. Brass maintains its bacteria-eliminating function even when oxidized.”

“Bacteria…?”

“The things that religions consider sacred weren’t established without reason.”

That was true. Many things that ancient religions considered sacred or conversely prohibited were largely related to hygiene or health.

For example, if pork wasn’t cooked thoroughly before eating, it was easy to get infected, so religions that emerged in areas with poor cooking environments prohibited pork consumption as part of their doctrine.

“Since Rumor is a religious nation, were they trying to get rid of me to keep the divine dragon Orbis in check?”

“Religious reasons weren’t absent, but fundamentally, nations are interest groups. The reason of coveting Veriverbium’s land was likely bigger.”

People who lived in the highlands would have a hard time adapting to the all-flatland Veriverbium even if they acquired it. Human greed is truly incomprehensible even when you think you know it.

“Shall we go straight to the castle, Litania?”

“Hmm… Wait.”

Sermo was closest to Veriverbium, so there was a lot of information, but there wasn’t much exchange with Rumor. In fact, the visit to Rumor was a pretext to persuade the Sermo king.

‘It would be better to first examine the atmosphere here.’

Litania looked around. Narrow paths lit by small lamps were intricately intertwined.

“Orbis, can I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Changing your face.”

“I’m not changing my face, but casting an illusion to drastically lower cognitive abilities.”

“Anyway.”

As Litania tapped the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, Orbis let out a low sigh.

“Litania, I came with you to protect you. This seems like a personal favor.”

“Can’t friends ask each other for this much?”

“Wasn’t the visit to Rumor for a public reason?”

“It’s both public and private. We’re on a farewell trip after all.”

At the words “farewell trip,” the corners of Orbis’s eyes rose and his lips protruded.

“Have you considered that it’s inappropriate to ask your companion on a farewell trip to cast magic to make sightseeing more convenient?”

Litania bit the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at the reaction that looked just like a sulking child.

If she had known earlier that this man could make such a cute expression, so many things would have been different.

“Okay, then I’ll ask as a friend. In exchange, for a favor that Orbis asks… nothing serious, something light. Let’s say I’ll grant you a light favor too.”

“I can accomplish what I want on my own. There’s nothing I need to ask of Litania.”

“Finding that is also the joy of life… no, dragonhood, isn’t it? Consider it homework I’m giving you.”

“Asking for a favor while giving homework, you have no shame.”

Even while complaining like that, Orbis slightly bowed and rubbed Litania’s eye corners with his fingertips.

A faint yellow halo flashed and disappeared around her face with a whoosh.

He was making excuses even though he was going to do the favor anyway. As Litania smiled brightly at him, Orbis cast an illusion on his own face as if pretending to ignore her.

“Thank you. Now we can enjoy the trip comfortably.”

“Where did the idea of enjoying a farewell trip come from?”

“From my mind!”

Litania headed towards the street lined with sparkling lights with a light step.

“…Honestly.”

Orbis let out a heavy sigh and caught up to Litania with slightly quick steps.

The two walked the streets without a word. Walls made of multicolored mosaic bricks and elongated windows continued.

The alleys were narrow and the shops were crowded together, so the roofs made by connecting planks looked like a single living being.

Litania looked at them with a fascinated face.

‘From afar, they all look the same, but up close, they’re all shaped differently.’

As Orbis said, the door frames and doorknobs of all the shops were made of weathered brass mixed with gold and blue, but each had a completely different shape.

She raised her head to examine the roofs. Small sculptures made of crystal and jade hanging from the eaves reminded her of a temple scene.

As the wind passed by and rang the bell carved from jade, a clear tinkling sound rang out.

‘It’s interesting how the actions people take to pray for something are similar even in different worlds.’

Having a religion was a human characteristic not found in animals, and in that sense, this place felt somehow comfortable despite being foreign.

There was a signpost at the intersection of narrow passages. The paths were so maze-like and complicated that it seemed to have been made.

The signpost, full of marks left by dripping water, was densely written with crooked letters in various colors.

“Orbis, there’s a fortune-telling shop here.”

“If you want divine fortune-telling, it will be more accurate at the Rumor temple. Those who set up shop in streets like this are usually excommunicated monks from the temple.”

“No, I’m not trying to get such a serious fortune told.”

Even in reality, there were people who seriously believed in tarot cards or superstitions, but it was mostly just taken as a unique experience. She was that type too.

“Since you’re a divine dragon, you know everything, Orbis.”

“Not everything, but mostly, yes.”

“Aren’t you curious if a human can divine your fate?”

“…Sigh.”

Orbis let out an absurd sigh.

“I’m not curious. Not at all.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“But…”

“But?”

“I am curious about how you will react after hearing the results of that fortune.”

“Haha! Then let’s go.”

As Litania laughed and pulled his hand, Orbis reluctantly followed as if he had no choice.

If he had any intention of resisting, he could have stayed rooted to the spot, but that’s how it looked.

Tinkling. Opening the old green door revealed a moon-shaped lamp.

In the small room surrounded by purple curtains, there was a round table with several cups made of colored glass, each containing small beads.

In front of it sat a middle-aged woman with a white hood over her head. Her head seemed to be shaved, and she had a neat aura that made one feel she was really a former temple priestess.

“I sense a strong energy.”

“…”

With that pseudo-science-like greeting, Litania’s trust was slightly chipped away.

Was it just a thing she said, or did she actually feel something from Orbis beside her?

Litania sat across from her with an awkward smile.

“I’ve come from far away to do something important, and I wanted my fortune told to see if I can complete it safely.”

“I see.”

As Litania shrugged, thinking of the meeting with the Rumor king, the fortune-teller began stirring the beads in the glass cup without further questions.

The sound of the beads clinking against the cup was enchanting.

“There seems to be no difficulty in accomplishing what the young lady desires.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If you go with the gentleman beside you.”

“…”

“You’ve met a noble person. Good things will happen if you stay together.”

Was it just a thing she said, or did she really feel something?

Litania turned to look at Orbis. When their eyes met, she saw him avert his gaze slightly.

“Orb…um. You said good things will happen if I’m with you.”

“Then perhaps you should keep me closer.”

“Haha. Why are you sulking? Come here.”

“I’m not… sulking.”

“Hey, come sit here. Since we’re here, it’d be good for you to get your fortune told too.”

As Litania kept gesturing, Orbis sat down next to her as if he had no choice, averting only his gaze.

Because of his enormous size, the small chair looked pitiful. The fortune-teller also seemed a bit intimidated by the large shadow that covered the entire table.

“Well then… sir, what kind of…”

“What kind of fortune do people usually get when they come here?”

Orbis asked the fortune-teller instead. The middle-aged woman made a slightly puzzled expression, then soon answered with a smile.

“Business luck, health, romance, and such. Childless couples sometimes ask when they’ll have a child.”

“I see.”

Orbis nodded. His gaze was not on the fortune-teller but on the props laid out behind her.

Large and small treasure chests, nameplates, copper rings with strings… They were disjointed and distracting props, but one could tell they were all objects someone had cherished.

“Who left those behind?”

“They are things given by people who were grateful that things turned out as the divination said. I keep them preciously.”

“Even if the result matched the divination, if it was a negative outcome, they wouldn’t have come to deliver a gift of gratitude.”

Orbis’s gaze stopped on an ornament woven with red yarn. Its shape, like two ovals overlapping diagonally, looked just like his heart that he had seen before.

“I don’t do business and have no health problems, so shall I get my romance fortune told?”

“Pfft.”

Litania, who was sitting next to him, quickly covered her mouth. Orbis was staring at the fortune-teller as if unaware.

After observing the two for a moment, the fortune-teller said she would tell the fortune and lightly shook the glass cup.

Blue beads sank and white beads floated to the top.

“It’s not a very good relationship.”

Litania’s shoulders, which had been heaving as if holding back laughter, flinched to a stop.

Orbis’s expression remained calm.

“Trust is important in love, but you two have already betrayed each other once. As the seeds of distrust take root in affection, it’s difficult to maintain that form intact.”

“…”

“But looking at it differently, the moment love is tied after overcoming such adversity, it can also become strong.”

As the fortune-teller tilted the cup, the white beads went back inside.

“If you truly yearn for it, look into your own heart before demanding from the other. Wielding demands at the other to understand you when you don’t even know your own heart is violence. No one likes a person who frequently commits violence.”

Litania looked up at Orbis with a slightly stiff face. He was still listening to the fortune-teller’s words with an unperturbed face, then gave a small nod at the end.

“…I see.”

As Orbis lightly clenched and opened his fist, a red stone appeared on his palm. It looked a bit crude to be a jewel, but the surface smoothed by wind and rain had a glossy luster.

“A gift of gratitude.”