CH 271

After attending the service, Kahelone made her way to Sister Reese’s room.

A few days had passed since Sister Reese regained her consciousness. Her body became stiff while she was unconscious, but her rehabilitation was progressing smoothly. At this point, she could get out of bed and walk around.

“Actor Kahelone! Welcome!”

Said Reese, as she happily ran towards Kahelone. But just before she could reach her, she tripped, and Kahelone caught her before she fell.

“Sister Reese. You are still recovering, so don’t overexert yourself.”

“I’m sorry, Actor Kahelone. How was the funeral service?”

“Good grief. Yes, the funeral service went well. The bishop held a dignified ceremony as always.”

“And the political situation?”

Reese inquired about the political situation in the kingdom.

The church of Araysla served god, but unfortunately, politics had a lot of influence in how they maintained these activities.

They usually gathered intelligence related to politics out of necessity, and this occupied an important place in the education of actors.

“The first princess attended the funeral service. As an open secret, of course.”

Floren, the first princess, pretended to be an obvious double and attended the funeral service.

Kahelone remembered her, as she wondered how much she should tell Reese, since she was no longer an actor.

“Oh, even the shut-in princess!?”

“Reese, don’t be rude.”

“…I’m sorry, Actor Kahelone.”

Reese smiled with her tongue out as she apologized to Kahelone, who urged her to correct her language. Reese became an actor at a young age, so this sort of thing would happen occasionally.

Some people nicknamed the first princess ‘shut-in princess’, since she was the second in line for the throne, and rarely made public appearances.

But in actuality, she held the reins to the kingdom’s intelligence gathering agencies, and the darker facet of the kingdom that performed more radical activities.

Those in the know knew about it, and it was also an open secret of sorts, making her a feared figure.

“Well, she does seem to be a little more reclusive since that business with the mushrooms…”

“What are you saying, Actor Kahelone?”

“…No, nothing.”

“Something shady must have happened, if Princess Floren attended the service in person.”

Asked Reese once again.

Kahelone was unable to flatly ignore a question from someone she saw as a little sister, and answered.

“The death of vice-president Gahn is in itself shrouded in mystery, but as the cause of death was being investigated, things that connect him to the incident with the mushrooms were found in his home.”

“Oh! That does seem like something Princess Floren would want to sink her teeth into. He might as well have slung mud in her face.”

“Sister Reese…”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Kahelone sighed. She then changed the subject, not telling Reese that there was a great uproar behind closed doors because not only was the arms association implicated, but a noble connected to them was also involved.

“Oh, and a lot of people are talking about Master Rust.”

“Yes, that cool guy.”

Reese very clearly took the bait. Rust was indirectly responsible for Reese losing her oracle power, but she understood that there was no other way, and she knew very well that it was a lot better than staying the way she was. Reese seemed to harbor no ill feelings.

“…Cool… Well, he is strong…”

Kahelone stuttered.

“Oh!? Does that mean that even you unconsciously followed him with your gaze, Actor Kahelone!?”

Reese seemed happy that Kahelone seemed to agree, and spoke with more than just the typical unabashed attitude of a child.

“Reese, we are devout followers of god. It is not like that.”

“Eh…!? But I think it’s nice. It’s natural to have your eyes on someone wonderful. Even a sister, or an actor!”

Kahelone pressed forward without responding.

“So, about Master Rust. It seems when Taula was taken away, they defeated not only a demon, but one of the primordial eight. This part was a little muddy when he visited, but there was an official announcement from the royal castle.”

“Oh, so he slayed two demons. Isn’t that an unprecedented feat? But he’s so modest. Isn’t that something that one would brag about more openly? That’s going to increase competition even more, isn’t it?”

“…It has nothing to do with me.”

Kahelone denies it with an awkward expression, but Reese continues, sounding amused.

“And he seemed to be close with that pretty Miss Taula. And that lady with the spear that was with him was cute too.”

“You have regained consciousness so recently and you are already thinking of such things, Sister Reese?”

“But Actor Kahelone, I believe it is my job to keep a watchful eye around the person you are interested in.”

“No.”

And then, both looked at each other and laughed, like two friendly sisters.