Stigma Effect

awn.

It was said that the power that moved the Clock Tower was also the core of the monster.

Yuriel hurried into the building, rubbing her arms with goosebumps as if she felt danger.

＊＊＊

With less than a week left before the festival, the temple began to become noticeably busier.
Yuriel, too, was excited at the elevated atmosphere.

Yuriel, who followed Shudmuel from the knight building in Albraka to the new building where the priests live, looked around with a curious face and said,

“I see a lot of faces for the first time.
I see a lot of unfamiliar faces in the Order these days, but I guess they all came to help with the festival preparations.”

“Right.
We couldn’t hire servants of the knights to prepare for the festival, so we brought in workers from outside.”

“I think it would be fun to prepare for the festival, but it’s a bit disappointing.”

She wondered what the festival of the Imperial Capital was going to be like.

The meaning of the festival, what food the people prepared for the festival, who visits the Temple, how the streets outside the Temple would be decorated, Yuriel, who came up from the Mogris Estate, was full of questions.

“We’re not going down that hallway, it’s this way, Yuriel.”

It was the first time that she had entered the building where the priests lived, so Yuriel, who was looking around eagerly, turned her head in all directions.
Shudmuel, who was ahead, raised his hand to Yuriel.

She was far away from Shudmuel while she opened her eyes.
Shudmuel stopped and waited for Yuriel before she turned the corner.

Yuriel hurriedly ran and stuck to his side.

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Embarrassed that she had her eyes somewhere else, she humbly smiled.
Shudmuel moved on to make sure Yuriel was following him.

His steps were slow.
Yuriel quickly noticed that Shudmuel had slowed down as she looked around.

He never showed a smile and had a cold tone of voice, but he was a kind person.

At the time of his first meeting, the appearance of the medical officer who was afraid to see Shudmuel had long since disappeared from Yuriel’s memory.

It was thanks to Shudmuel’s brainwashing that it worked, but Yuriel was unaware of that fact.

She just felt that he was a trustworthy person and that he had a human likeness.

It couldn’t compare to being with Raphlet, but she also felt very comfortable with Shudmuel.

Yuriel spoke to him, revealing her fondness for him.

“Why are we here? This is the building where the priests live.”

“I have something I need to keep before the festival.
I’m on my way to get it from the high priest.”

Yuriel, who had asked a minor question, blinked in bewilderment at the answer.

She did not know why she was accompanying him, who was on his way to see the High Priest.

Several questions ran through her head.
Yuriel, who was contemplating which question to ask first, asked the most curious question first.

“What do you have to keep before the festival?”

“The core of the monster.”

“Ugh.
Why… .”

Yuriel frowned unknowingly.
The negative perception she has towards the monster core was almost exposed.

Paladins, alchemists, and the people of the imperial palace to the princess.
They all viewed monster cores positively.

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The knights were proud that the entire city was moving with the monster cores obtained from subjugations.

Yuriel could not erase the idea that the Imperial Capital was like a city of monsters, but she did not make the mistake of divulging such thoughts to anyone except Baraha.

Thinking that Commander Shudmuel also didn’t have bad feelings for monster cores, Yuriel restrained her disgusted expression.
She thought they got pretty close over the winter, but it wasn’t enough to openly confide this.

There was only one group in this city that hated the monster cores.

A gang that commits terrorism that targets monster cores.

She hates being treated like a terrorist.

Yuriel looked at Shudmuel’s face and thought.
The gray eyes under the glasses were staring coldly.

 

She was worried he had seen the disgusted expression she had put on, but fortunately he was looking into the hallway, not her.

Shudmuel explained in an indifferent tone.

“During the festival, there is an order in which a monster core is awarded to a selected person.
It’s an event that the Albraka’s leaders take turns doing every year, and this year it’s my turn.
It’s a core that has enough power to move the drawbridge.
Everyone will roll their eyes and run to get it.”

The explanation that followed indifferently ended in a bittersweet way.

Yuriel looked at his face, which showed an expression of disgust.

From what he just said, Shudmuel seems to have a negative view of monster cores… ?

As Yuriel frowned as she pondered how best to answer, he added more poignantly.

“It’s like they don’t even know how dangerous the monster core is….
It is no different from a fire moth flying into a fire.”

Yuriel had to put up with the desire to nod her head vigorously.

His voice was so loud that the priests walking around were glaring at Shudmuel.