Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 286
TL: Elphie / PR: Marm
[So help me!]
The Hand of Appraisal crossed two fingers, mimicking the stance of someone folding their arms as it faced Chomp-chomp.
Help you how? When His Majesty isolated this world, he placed restrictions on everything. Nothing can interfere with the world’s settings.
The Hand of Appraisal, possessing a relatively high level of miasma, could perceive all the changes occurring in the world unlike the lesser beings.
Because of that, it had recognized the restraints placed upon this world.
This world existed for Her Majesty. As such, any action that could disrupt her happiness was strictly forbidden.
In other words, it was impossible to simply write everything that had happened so far on a piece of paper and hand it to her.
[Ugh, but there has to be a way! Youāre the smartest in the monster realm!]
At those words, the Hand of Appraisal slowly uncrossed its fingers.
Well, that is true.
The humans nearby treated it like a mere tool that automatically identified artifacts.
It wasnāt as if the Hand of Appraisal had anything better to do. It had stayed here to occasionally observe the fragments of the monster realm that drifted into this world, but that didnāt mean it enjoyed being treated this way.
I mean, do they think appraising is easy?! You have to know what these things are and where they come from to even begin!
Only someone like it, who knew everything about the monster realm, could manage such a task. Yet these foolish humans had no appreciation for its greatness.
[So there has to be some way to get around the restrictions His Majesty placed and explain at least a little to Her Majesty.]
Itās not entirely impossible. But if anything goes wrong, both you and I will be instantly erased, just like Her Majestyās memories.
At that explanation, Chomp-chomp trembled.
Erased.
The fear of ceasing to exist was far stronger in monsters than in humans. That was why Chomp-chomp both failed to understand and deeply respected the King, who had chosen to vanish.
How could His Majesty accept something so terrifying with a smile?
[Still… you’ll help, right? We have our pride as monsters. How can you just sit back and do nothing? Huh? Huh?]
Chomp-chomp deliberately formed large, teary eyes and let fat drops of moisture fall.
At the sight, the Hand of Appraisal trembled as if it had witnessed something unseemly.
I mean, something needs to be done, but honestly, thereās not much I can do. The best I can manage is identifying whatever Her Majesty brings to me. Iām not as mobile as you.
It barely made it here because it’s close. Leaving the Fortress entirely would be nearly impossible.
At that, Chomp-chomp stretched its body out.
[Thatās good enough! So if Her Majesty comes to you, youāll do your best to help, right? You promise?]
And whatās in it for me? Honestly, I donāt really care if the monster realm is reconnected to this world or notā¦
At the Handās indifferent response, Chomp-chomp slithered closer and whispered,
[If the monster realm reconnects and things go back to how they wereā¦ Iāll personally prostrate myself before Her Majesty and beg her to restore your body. How about that?]
ā¦ā¦!
At those words, the Hand of Appraisal trembled once more.
Its body was scattered somewhere across the countless rifts of the monster realm. Its original form was severed and discarded by that accursed Rubinao Izeriena Kailatis. Left with nothing but a lone hand, it had no way of reclaiming what was lost.
But if it could be restoredā¦
Chomp-chomp extended a tendril as if asking, Well? Are you in?
The Hand of Appraisal grasped the tip of Chomp-chompās tendril.
The contract was sealed.
Alright, so whatās the plan?
Now in the same boat, the Hand of Appraisal asked with the utmost seriousness.
[Restoring Her Majestyās memories inside the Fortress will be difficult, no matter what. Soā¦]
Chomp-chompās eyes gleamed.
[Weāll have to push her into a dungeon, straight toward the monster realm. If she gets even a little closer, sheās bound to remember something.]
It was a diabolical plan.
* * *
“Whoever did this, they’re dead when I catch them!”
Reyna was fuming since early morning.
In her hands was a flower pot that should have been full of blossoms. But now, every last flower had vanished. The ends of the stems were jagged, as if they had been roughly torn away.
“Calm down, Reyna.”
Felix tried to soothe her, but from the way she clutched the pot, she looked about ready to bludgeon the culprit with it.
“Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”
Instead of settling, Reyna’s anger flared hotter, her eyes burning with frustration.
“This! I grew this! To decorate your room!”
Her furious shout ended in a choked-up sob, as if even yelling wasnāt enough to vent her frustration.
“The scent was amazing, and the taste was even betterā¦ They say if two people share a blossom, theyāll live happily together foreverā¦ The seeds cost a fortuneā¦.”
Felix’s eyes darkened at her words.
“If we catch them, Iāll kill them for you, Reyna.”
“Felix!”
Cynthia shook her head as she watched the pair suddenly embrace, gazing into each otherās eyes with an intensity that made the air between them sizzle.
“Ah, youth.”
“Truly,” Irene murmured, shaking her head alongside Cynthia.
Still, she couldn’t help but think that if the same thing had happened to her, Michael wouldnāt just be standing around making threats. He would have already tracked down the culprit and hacked them into several pieces.
“But it’s strange. Lately, there have been more cases like this,” Cynthia continued. “The herb garden managed by the kitchen staff was ruined, and even that bitter-tasting bean plant from Riosaās hometown was targeted. Though apparently, it must have been too bitter, so whoever it was just tossed them all on the ground and left.”
Recently, plants across the Fortress had been disappearing or getting damaged.
The common pattern was that they were all edible plants.
Michael had been suspicious about it from the start. Lately, heād been patrolling different areas, investigating every corner of the Fortress. He even suspected it could be the work of a monster.
Irene hadnāt tried to stop him.
After all, he was doing it all out of concern for her.
And knowing that made her feel both grateful and safe.
“Let’s leave them be for now and talk amongst ourselves.”
Cynthia shook her head, then handed a piece of paper to Irene.
“What do you think about this for our next subjugation mission?”
On the paper, the words [Advanced Dungeon – 006] were written.
