Chapter 17

Following Senior Investigator Simona, I stepped into the observation station’s rear yard.

A magical beast was thrashing wildly about.

“Easy! Easy!”

“Ugh, why is it so strong?!”

Several researchers struggled to calm the beast, which was as large as a carriage.

Another magical beast was tied up a short distance away.

Despite the unusually large deer-type magical beasts standing right in front of them, everyone’s attention was fixed elsewhere.

“The Tower Lord?”

“Why is he here…?”

“Does the Tower Lord personally handle things like this?”

“He’s never done that before…”

Aster and Administrative Officer Yukel muttered in disbelief.

I felt no different.

Beside a completely wrecked carriage stood Kade, whistling casually with an indifferent expression.

Our eyes met while he lazily surveyed the surroundings, and I quickly looked away.

I’m uncomfortable enough seeing his face. Why is he here? Surely he didn’t come just to confirm again that I’m really a nepotism hire?

This was different from when Aster had called me a “parachute hire” in front of Kade.

Being treated that way by an entire group was far more humiliating.

Unsure what to do, I darted my eyes around until I accidentally met Senior Investigator Simona’s gaze and gave her an awkward smile.

“Th-The Tower Lord is here?”

“Exactly. This is the first time that delinquent Tower Lord has personally delivered magical beasts.”

“Delivered magical beasts?”

“Looks like the oceanic mana detector found a smuggling vessel. The Magic Tower hands the smugglers over to the Coast Guard and transfers the magical beasts to the Marine Observation Station.”

Senior Investigator Simona added that it was the research team’s responsibility to determine which beasts should be sent to sanctuaries and which could be released back into the wild.

There was nothing strange about Kade, a mage, appearing here, but judging by Simona’s reaction, it really was unusual for the Tower Lord himself to get involved.

He had even come without his aide, Ben. No other mages were anywhere in sight.

“Maybe he’s finally decided to get along with civil servants?”

Officer Yukel sounded unconvinced, but Aster brightened immediately.

“Well, Vivian and I both came back from the Magic Tower completely unharmed. And I heard he even attended Her Highness the Third Princess’s banquet.”

I couldn’t agree with that optimistic interpretation.

Considering what happened at the banquet, I doubt it…

Simona, who had witnessed that incident herself, seemed to share my skepticism and tilted her head at Aster.

Ignoring all the stares directed at him, Kade casually restored the shattered carriage with magic.

So he can fix a completely destroyed carriage, but he can’t help move the magical beasts.

Transporting an agitated magical beast with magic could cause its heart to burst.

Back when I worked at the Imperial Palace, I often helped move rescued magical beasts into cages myself.

The research team apparently couldn’t wait any longer for the administrative staff, who were too busy staring at the Tower Lord.

“What are you all doing?! Aren’t you going to work? I heard there are two empaths here!”

I immediately realized they meant us, but hesitated.

Was it really my place to step in?

Senior Investigator Simona nudged my back and grinned.

“What’s wrong? Not confident? Compared to a crystal whale, it’s not even that big.”

The challenge immediately stirred my competitive spirit.

A few days ago, I had briefly been overwhelmed by the emotions of the bat-type magical beasts because I’d let my guard down.

Normally, I handled much larger creatures with ease.

I took a few steps forward and extended my hand toward the beast.

“Ah!”

Warm blood suddenly streamed from my nose.

It was probably the result of accumulated exhaustion.

I hurriedly pressed my jacket sleeve against my nose when a handkerchief appeared before me.

“Ah, thank yo—”

I accepted the handkerchief and looked up.

Kade was standing there with an irritated expression.

When did he get here? Did he seriously teleport over? What if people think we know each other?

Trying to hide my anxiety, I glanced around.

Everyone was staring at Kade and me with wide eyes.

But my relief lasted only a moment.

Kade spoke in a disapproving tone.

“They called you here to calm an agitated magical beast. Are you trying to make it worse?”

The scent of blood could sometimes make frightened magical beasts even more violent.

“Ah, sorr—”

The apology escaped automatically, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish saying I’m sorry to Kade.

How exactly am I supposed to control a nosebleed?

I shot him a resentful glare.

Meanwhile, the others reacted with expressions that clearly said, There he is again.

I was glad nobody suspected our connection, but I didn’t feel particularly good about it.

I was the one who wanted to keep our acquaintance secret, but did he really have to embarrass me like that? Does he think I’m pathetic?

The thought that I’d shown him one embarrassing side after another ever since he found out I was supposedly a nepotism hire made my face burn.

Still, if I could successfully calm the beast here, maybe I could recover a little dignity.

While I was trying to stay positive, Aster patted my shoulder with concern.

“Vivian. I told you not to push yourself. If you keep trying to communicate with magical beasts stronger than your ability can handle, bleeding can occur.”

What nonsense was he talking about now?

I stared at him in disbelief, but Officer Yukel sighed beside him.

“It seems the magical beast is too powerful for Investigator Vivian to communicate with.”

“What? No, this has nothing to do with my empathic ability—”

“Don’t worry. There’s a land-beast empath here.”

Aster stepped forward before I could even finish.

“No, that’s not—!”

“Vivian. It’s dangerous. Don’t get any closer. Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged you.”

“I’m a crystal whale investigator.”

“I know, I know.”

Even Senior Investigator Simona looked worried and tried to stop me.

That only made me feel more wronged.

It’s because I’ve been working overtime for days and barely sleeping!

I felt a surge of irritation toward Aster for treating me like I was incompetent, but making excuses here would only make me look worse.

As Aster strode toward the magical beast, the researchers quickly backed away.

“There. Everything’s fine now, so calm down.”

Skillfully using his empathic ability, Aster began soothing the beast.

At some point, Kade had joined the others in watching him work.

For some reason, it irritated me.

He saw me calm an entire swarm of bat-type magical beasts at once. A beast that size is something I could handle too.

Embarrassed by my own childish thoughts, I looked away from Aster.

That was when I noticed a researcher holding a piece of black cloth.

Some magical beasts became calmer when their vision was blocked.

Apparently they had repeatedly tried and failed to cover the beast’s eyes.

One of the creature’s thorn-like antlers was broken.

A rusted chain was wrapped tightly around its neck.

The wounds left by the chain looked deep, as though it had been tied up somewhere for a very long time before ending up on the smuggling vessel.

Magical beasts possessed mutated appearances derived from ordinary animals along with normal animal aggression.

In addition, they contained mana and each possessed a unique ability.

Naturally, they were subjects of endless magical research and observation.

The northern continent, where the Gaia Empire was located, had more magical beasts than any other continent.

As a result, smugglers constantly sought to export them as rare curiosities or experimental specimens.

That deer-type magical beast must be one of those cases too.

Just as I confirmed that my nosebleed had finally stopped, Aster waved toward Senior Investigator Simona.

“It’s finished. You can move it into a new cage now.”

The magical beast Aster had communicated with was quietly chewing its cud.

But something felt wrong.

Its behavior has definitely calmed down, but…

The emotions of a terrified magical beast were still flowing through the air.

Something’s wrong.

Feeling those fearful emotions becoming increasingly sharp, I turned toward their source.

The magical beast that had been quietly tied to a tree suddenly roared in terror.

A researcher who had been trying to cover its eyes with the black cloth stumbled backward.

“Senior! That’s dangerous!”

“Q-Quiet…!”

The other researchers, pale-faced, tried to cover the junior researcher’s mouth.

But the loud warning had already further agitated the beast.

Startled out of its mind, the magical beast’s fur stood on end.

It snapped the rope restraining it and began rampaging.

Its front legs rose high into the air.

The stumbling researcher fell backward onto the ground.

The beast flailed its forelegs, looking ready to crush him at any moment.

“A-Aaaah!”

The researcher squeezed his eyes shut and screamed.

By then, I was already standing in front of him.

Gasps of shock erupted from every direction.