“…Eh? It’s really nothing! As expected of someone recognized by Lady Violet as a friend! You’re amazing, Lady Dawn!”

 

Mr. Ratfolk nervously waited for a long time before finally realizing that a certain fox lady’s earlier promise to “keep you safe” wasn’t just empty words.

 

He was so astonished that he couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, and even his way of addressing someone became more respectful.

 

“You’re making a big fuss over nothing… Alright, alright, the information you provided is very valuable. I’ll remember this contribution. Now that the item has been delivered, you can leave. When I see Violet later, I’ll hand this thing over to her… Also, just a word of advice: if I’m not around, it’s best not to casually mention the name of the God of Subversion and Paradox.”

 

“Uh! Y-Yes, of course, of course… In that case, I’ll… take my leave?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Without saying anything more, the white fox lady simply lifted the double-layered barrier in the room and waved her hand, signaling him to leave on his own. Seeing that she intended for him to go, Prakaka naturally didn’t dare to linger. After respectfully taking his leave, he quickly scampered out as if finally breathing a sigh of relief.

 

After Prakaka had disappeared and was out of sight, the figure of a blonde girl suddenly appeared next to Violet as if she had teleported.

 

“Master, that guy just now…”

 

Leisurely tearing open a packet of tea leaves, Violet began brewing her morning tea to soothe her throat. As she added sugar cubes from a nearby sealed box one by one into her hand, she spoke softly.

 

“It seems to be a god whose true form doesn’t exist in this world. That rat mentioned something about the God of Subversion and Paradox, called Exmont…”

 

After deliberately waiting for a while to confirm that nothing unusual happened, the priestess finally tossed the sugar cubes one by one into the glass filled with hot tea. The tea took on a gemstone-like light red hue, accompanied by playful splashes.

 

“If I’m not mistaken, Prakaka, being a high-ranking member of the Eternal Throne, must have formed some sort of… contract or bond with this God of Subversion and Paradox during the process of becoming a living corpse. That’s why he can’t easily speak that name.”

 

“Otherwise, if anyone could just call out the name and have the god show up, wouldn’t that deity be far too busy?”

 

Seemingly amused by the idea, Violet temporarily removed her mask, revealing a delicate face with a pleasant smile, and continued.

 

“You just faced off against that god, didn’t you, Xiao Guang? How powerful do you think that deity is?”

 

Taking the steaming cup of tea handed to her by the priestess, the dragon girl didn’t mind the heat and immediately took a small sip before pondering.

 

“It’s hard to say. The opponent doesn’t seem to specialize in direct confrontation. There’s something vaguely familiar about its laws, but we only exchanged one move before it ran off, so it’s difficult to gauge its true strength. Hmm… But it should be stronger than Lucas!”

 

“Comparing Lucas to that god is unfair to both sides… It does seem like it might be a deity from another realm. I wonder if it’s truly an outer god or just one that somehow… wandered over from here.”

 

Not dwelling too much on the matter, Violet continued.

 

“Xiao Guang, you mentioned that the deity’s laws felt vaguely familiar. What do you mean by that? Can you explain it more clearly?”

 

“Uh, familiar just means familiar…”

 

Seeming unsure how to articulate it, the dragon girl scratched her head and thought for a while before suddenly having a revelation.

 

“Oh, right! Master, do you remember the flesh ball in the mirror world at the center of that dead city? It kind of felt like that!”

 

“Dead city? Flesh…?”

 

After trying to recall for a moment, Violet finally realized that Xiao Guang was likely referring to the 【Cocoon of Blasphemy】 in the Forgotten Land of the Human United Kingdom, which was formed from Ulysses Fred, the last lord of the city.

 

Hmm… Now that you mention it, that thing did use a pseudo-law similar to 【Reversal】, though it was limited in its application due to only having the power of a false god.

 

【Reversal】… huh.

 

If we continue to explore this, it seems that the vampires of this world are also skilled in creating mirror images or techniques related to inverted worlds. Could it be that they actually have some connection to this God of Subversion and Paradox?

 

In any case, it’s worth noting this down for now—this clue might prove unexpectedly useful in the future.

 

After wrapping up the brief discussion, Violet prepared to leave.

 

“Master, are you sure you don’t need me to accompany you?”

 

As she escorted the girl, who had turned back into the white fox lady, to the hotel lobby, and after they had a quick breakfast in the restaurant, the dragon girl, seemingly concerned about Violet going out alone, tried to gently persuade her.

 

“I heard from Leila and the others that there was a serious murder in the city last night. The lockdown has tightened considerably today, and many Knights Templars are patrolling the city, apparently searching for something.”

 

“Hmm? A murder? What murder?”

 

Violet, surprised, looked up as she pushed the last piece of jam-covered bread under her mask.

 

However, it was obvious that the dragon girl was just using this rumor as an excuse to try and follow along.

 

“I don’t know the details either. They just said that some Knights Templars were attacked by an unknown creature, several of them died, and one… seems to be missing.”

 

“Hmm…? That sounds quite mysterious and interesting…”

 

Although her curiosity was piqued, Violet knew it was important to prioritize tasks. She couldn’t just chase after every intriguing lead. For now, keeping her appointment was more important.

 

Besides, no matter how secretive the information might be, it wouldn’t escape the notice of the city’s highest authority, Lady Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess. Since Violet would be meeting her soon, she could ask about it then.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. You have to understand that right now, I’m acting as 【Dawn】. We can’t always stick together like we used to, especially in crowded places. Hmm… how about this, Xiao Guang? I have a task for you…”

 

Leaning in close to the dragon girl’s ear, Violet quietly passed along some instructions to the clearly somewhat dejected girl.

 

“I see! Since it’s an order from you, Master, leave it all to me!”

 

Seeing the girl immediately become lively again, with her eyes sparkling and barely containing the excitement that made her hidden tail almost wag, the priestess couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated.

 

Goodness… she’s just like a little puppy afraid of being forgotten by her master. That deep-seated dependence of hers hasn’t changed at all…

 

After everything was arranged, Miss Dawn set out alone once more, heading toward the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, which she had visited the day before, as planned.

 

However, this time, a small problem arose along the way.

 

“Please wait a moment, miss. The Knights Templars are conducting an investigation into heretical individuals. Please remove your mask so we can carry out a check.”

 

Just ten minutes after leaving the Bright Light Hotel, on a bustling street, a group of more than ten heavily armed members of a standard demon-hunting squad—including priests, arbiters, and Holy Knights—stopped a certain fox lady who was utterly bewildered.

 

Confused, she immediately voiced her protest.

 

“Um… as far as I know, wearing a mask doesn’t violate the doctrines or laws of the Holy Empire, so why are you suddenly checking this?”

 

However, the young Holy Knight leading the group responded with a stern and uncompromising tone.

 

“Miss, there was a serious attack in the western part of the city last night. Three Knights Templars were killed, and one is missing. According to the survivors, the attacker was wearing a very peculiar mask. Therefore, we are conducting a large-scale investigation throughout the entire city, and we ask for your cooperation. If this matter involves privacy concerns, you may choose to accompany us to the Temple headquarters for a private investigation.”

 

The fully armed young man took out a gold sheet filled with text and stamped with a seal, displaying it in front of the fox lady.

 

“This is the highest holy order signed by Bright Light Saintess Yuna Summerfield herself. There are no exceptions for any suspicious individuals.”

 

“…Eh?!”