Chapter 27
“No, it’s not that expensive. But where did the one you had around your neck when we first met go?”
“Peep.” (It got torn.)
Asil’s tail drooped dejectedly.
“Peep peep.” (A bad human tore it. Can’t wear it anymore.)
“I see.”
He replied lowly and examined Asil closely.
Seeing her more heartbroken than when she couldn’t eat strawberries, it seemed like it was an extremely precious item.
‘Come to think of it, she was hugging a piece of white cloth and crying back then.’
That must have been the torn scarf.
‘This is more urgent than jewels.’
As if sharing the same thought, Elcai, who had been quietly watching, spoke up.
“I’ll buy you one. Get down.”
And without giving time to stop him, he halted the carriage and got off in front of the accessory shop, holding Asili in his arms.
* * *
The accessory shop, flashy even from the outside, was filled with jewels that could make one’s eyes widen in astonishment.
The jewels reflecting the indoor lighting shone dazzlingly.
Though they came to look at scarves, Asil stuck flat to the glass of the display case full of jewels.
“Peep-ha……”
“His Grace the Duke’s sacred beast seems to have an eye for fine jewels. Speaking of these jewels-”
The shop owner quickly started talking, recognizing the Munlepe ducal family from the carriage’s emblem.
It seemed he didn’t even slightly think that little lizard was Monrephe’s divine beast.
The owner took out the accessories in their cases so Asili could see them well.
And he handed over a few rings, saying try them on-
This can’t be.
When Asili put one on, it became a loose bracelet and slid down.
In this situation, bracelets or necklaces were out of the question.
Asili, wearing an emerald ring with a large gem on both arms, a ruby ring, and a sapphire ring on her tail, turned around giggling.
“Peep-ya!” (Asili is pretty!)
“Hmm……”
“It’s just the right size to lose.”
“Isn’t there anything smaller than those?”
They were Edenber, Elcai, and Selena respectively.
The shop owner, mistaking Selena not in her priestess robes for a noble lady, bowed deferentially.
“We don’t have any now, but we can make them.”
“Peep-ya.” (Asil likes this one.)
It was big and loose, making her feel rich. She could wear it around after humanizing later.
Asil hugged herself tightly, wrapped all over in jewels. She loved the cold texture so much.
At that sight, Elcai nodded and opened his mouth.
“If you lose it, we can buy another. If there’s more you want, just say so.”
“No, Lord Elcai. I’ll pay for it.”
“It’s fine. Since she saved my life, I have to do at least this much. Shall I buy the whole shop?”
“Peep?!!”
Startled by the enormous scale, Asil straightened her tail. Then all the things here would be Asil’s?
Ting-a-ling, the bell on the door rang at that moment.
“Hahaha, so please convey my loyalty well to the Starrafit Duke…… Hm?”
The man entering with the noblewoman stopped short. It was someone Asil knew well.
“I heard a familiar knight was standing outside, and it turns out it’s the Munlepe Duke. Long time no see, Selena.”
It was Theodor, the priest she met in the Munlepe territory.
He had just moved to the capital after offering a bribe, thinking he couldn’t touch big money there.
He, full of greed for money, wore a sneering smile.
“Hahaha, Duke. You don’t have the money to make our Selena happy, but you do have money to spend on the sacred beast, I see.”
Edenber’s face, which had been tense since the noblewoman entered, grew chilling.
She didn’t know what was going on, but she could tell it was blatant sarcasm.
Judging by the emblem on his collar, he seemed like a low-rank priest who couldn’t use divine power, so where on earth did he keep his gall to spout such nonsense.
But before he could step in, the sharp-featured noblewoman beside him intervened faster.
“What do you mean by that, Priest Theodor.”
“Ah, didn’t I hint at it before? There’s a family that took the child away without showing even the minimum sincerity.”
“You mean the Munlepe ducal family?”
She looked at Edenber with eyes full of suspicion.
Then, seeing Elcai’s eyes flash as he placed his hand on his sword hilt, she flinched and stepped back.
Edenber, blocking Elcai’s front, said to the noblewoman.
“Could you explain in detail what this is about, Duchess Starrafit.”
“Please speak, Priest Theodor.”
The Starrafit Duchess, unable to tear her eyes from the murderous Elcai, passed the conversation to him.
Theodor, relying only on her and acting up, puffed out his chest.
“That knight standing outside demanded Selena the apprentice priest here, saying he needed someone to care for the Duke’s pet.”
Recalling that day made his anger surge. Theodor, his face starting to redden with rage, continued without hesitation.
“As you know, madam, the temple thoroughly inspects the other party’s capacity when sending a child. Even though the Duke requested it, we can’t ignore temple procedures, so we asked to see his wealth, but-”
His face fully red, he pointed accusingly at Dillon outside with an agitated voice.
“That knight mocked me with junk trash!”
“Peep peep.” (That was Asil’s treasure.)
“Wh-what, this!”
Startled by the sudden peep from below, Theodor jumped back.
The Starrafit Duchess also looked down at Asili with wide surprised eyes.
“……Translation magic?”
Translation magic was the imperial family’s exclusive. No matter how much money, it couldn’t be cast on a sacred beast.
In this world, there was only one animal that could converse with humans.
The divine beast.
“Peep-ya. Peep peep.” (Not junk trash. It’s Asil’s treasure.)
Asil, with a hardened expression, spoke clearly word by word.
It was natural she’d be angry, since the things she had carefully saved, one coin at a time from praise by teachers at beastkin kindergarten, were evaluated as junk trash.
Clang!
Elcai drew his sword, and Edenber said chillingly.
“So that’s what it is.”
“……”
“Are you expressing the treasure given by Monlephe’s divine beast as junk trash?”
The divine beast was a being bestowed by god and the earthly agent.
Even if the divine beast picked up trash from the street, a priest should cherish and revere it as treasure.
Yet to express the divine beast’s treasure as junk trash.
“……Th-that’s.”
The situation reversed in an instant.
Theodor, cornered, broke out in cold sweat.
He glanced at the Starrafit Duchess for help, but she turned her head pretending not to know.
Left with no choice, Theodor could only mumble excuses.
“That…… At that time, I only thought it was the Duke’s pet, not the divine beast.”
“Then you thought something given by my pet was junk trash.”
“No, that’s not it!”
“Or are you dismissing my divine beast for not inheriting the previous divine beast’s bloodline.”
“How could that be. I just merely……”
“Peep peep peep-ya.” (If you’re not going to use it, give it back to Asil.)
While he was at a loss for words and stammering, Asil stepped forward and held out both front paws.
At that, Theodor, genuinely flustered, stuttered.
“I threw it away……”
“Peep!!”
To throw it all away without even giving change! Shocked, Asili froze on the spot.
Selena quickly advised.
“How about sending him to the side of god?”
“Good idea. We’ll send him to the side of god just like this.”
“W-w-w-w-wait a moment!”
Theodor, pale as a sheet, knelt down.
“I-I’ll make that pouch from back then exactly and offer it!”
“What was in it?”
“Toy gold coins, broken chess pieces, crumbled powder, and weird pebbles-”
“Peep. Peep peep-ya.” (It’s fine. A newly made one isn’t Asil’s treasure.)
Deeply disheartened, Asil dropped her head and muttered.
Even if it looked exactly the same, the memories inside would be different. Such a thing couldn’t be Asil’s treasure.
As Asili became dejected, Elcai’s momentum grew even fiercer. Selena, closing her eyes tightly, drew the holy sign.
“Lord, one is coming soon.”
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By Anna 💓
