Chapter 96

"Leave it to me, Shia! What kind of difficult task is it that only I can do?"

Chirol seemed delighted to be told that only he could do it, and his eyes sparkled with a proud look.

(Uh, will it be okay...?)

Despite a slight unease, Ortenzia succinctly explained the situation.

"I can't move from here, so I want you, Chirol, to go to various rooms in this palace and secretly listen to everyone's conversations."

"Sure, I can do that, but I won't understand the complicated human talk."

"That's fine. Can you do the usual thing...?"

With a smile, Chirol nodded as if suddenly realizing something.

"Of course I can!"

"Hehe, thank you."

Ortenzia gently took Chirol's fluffy front paws and softly touched the squishy paw pads. Then, she closed her eyes and focused intently.

(---'Sensory Sharing')

This was one of the blessings granted by the goddess. By touching the other person and connecting hearts, it allows for the sharing of senses—such as sight and hearing—for a certain period of time.

(When you think about it, it's an incredible skill...)

To share senses, both parties need to consent, and it's not possible to forcibly take over someone's vision. However, if misused, it could be exploited to a great extent. Therefore, Ortenzia had never told anyone about this skill. So far, she had only practiced sensory sharing with Chirol.

(Please, succeed...!)

She had practiced this skill several times, but it was quite difficult to master. Currently, the only thing Ortenzia could manage was sharing her hearing with Chirol.

(The last time I tried to share the sense of smell, it was quite a challenge... Cats have a much better sense of smell than I thought...)

When she sent Chirol to walk around the mansion while sharing senses, he accidentally entered the kitchen where a spicy dish was being prepared. As a result, Ortenzia, experiencing a cat's sense of smell, was overwhelmed by the storm of intense aromas coming from all directions.

(I really thought my nose would bend then. Compared to that, a cat's hearing is about 2-3 times better than a human's, so it should be fine... I hope.)

Gently sharing her hearing with Chirol, various sounds she hadn't been aware of suddenly flooded in. The noise of the party, the rustling of leaves in the night wind, and the snorting of a horse waiting somewhere...

(...Probably, it won't last long. I need to gather information quickly.)

"Chirol, can you go to various places and secretly listen to conversations? Try to go where people are whispering!"

"Sure, leave it to me!"

Chirol puffed out his chest proudly and leaped off the balcony with a graceful movement. Soon, the sound of him stepping on the grass reached Ortenzia's ears.

(Chirol, do your best...!)

Eventually, Chirol seemed to find an open window and jumped down to the hard ground. From the distance, she could hear people talking, indicating he had entered the building.

(Good job...!)

Ortenzia vowed to give Chirol lots of pets when he returned. Chirol was touring the building, poking his head into empty rooms. The sounds of dishes being handled, servants complaining, and multiple people gambling, among other sounds, reached Ortenzia's ears.

(Ugh, my head hurts... But I have to keep trying...!)

Ortenzia strained to listen for any useful information. However, the sounds she heard were typical of a party held in a noble's mansion. Continuously sharing senses was taking a toll on her mind and body. She wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer.

(Just a little more, if there's anything, anything...!)

As she wished, the sound of Chirol entering a new room reached Ortenzia's ears. It seemed several participants had gathered to play cards. The quick shuffling of cards, the pleasant sound of ice in glasses, and... the voices of people engaged in gossip.

"Tch, I lost again..."

"Your face shows whether your hand is good or bad, my lord."

"You need to be more discreet, or you'll be taken advantage of."

(No luck here either...)

Dizziness began to set in. Just as she was considering stopping the sensory sharing—

"By the way, have you seen it? The young lady of the Verite Duke's family is here tonight."

(My talk...!)

Ortenzia was startled and quickly focused on their conversation.