Chapter 88

#088 The Ghost of Padtrua (3)

*Clang!*

"Why is a monster here? No, before that, this..."

"It's a magical tool that detects a monster's mana."

Prince Cedric whispered softly.

He reached out his hand toward the bell I was holding and lightly sprinkled red mana over it, even though he was wearing gloves.

Kristel and I watched the scene without even breathing.

Soon, the prince's power infused the magical tool.

The bell, which had been emitting a white light, suddenly became quiet as if nothing had happened.

It no longer made a sound or glowed. Surprised, I turned my eyes to the prince.

A laugh escaped me, inappropriate for the situation.

"Thank you."

"..."

"I didn't know you had something so good. I'll use it well."

I had been thinking that I should express my gratitude someday, but it turned out to be a much more precious item than I imagined.

For someone with zero mana sensitivity like me, it was a necessary magical tool.

"Did you receive it as a birthday gift?"

Kristel whispered earnestly from the darkness, her eyes sparkling.

I nodded and changed the subject. There was something more important to discuss right now.

"The Imperial Guard searched the theater but couldn't find any traces of a monster. It's still so quiet."

I subtly nodded my head. The curtain had already risen, and the stage of the opera house was brightly lit.

Panels with intricate backgrounds slid in from both sides like a rising tide.

The hall was peaceful, without any disturbance.

"I don't feel any suspicious mana."

"Neither do I. If there was a monster, we would have known by now."

The two of them answered in turn. I frowned slightly.

Just as the palace had a barrier to prevent monsters from entering, the outskirts of the capital were guarded by the Imperial Guard.

It was said that any ordinary monster would be killed before it could cross the boundary. So...

"Your Highness, where did you buy this? Could you have been scammed?"

Kristel whispered seriously.

She pointed at the bell in my hand and offered to go with me to get a refund if I wished.

The prince glared at her with a fiery gaze.

"My father made it."

"Really a scam. A magical tool with scam-like abilities."

She turned the conversation around without changing her expression. I looked back and forth between the two of them.

The bell, which had been ringing in response to the monster's mana, and the main characters who couldn't detect the monster's presence.

However, given that the magical tool was a masterpiece by the 'Great Mage of Trembling' Alexandre, it was hard to believe it was malfunctioning.

I felt the cold touch of the crystal and spoke.

"Is the monster too weak?"

"Huh?"

I carefully put the bell back in my pocket.

Since it was a memento from his father, I thought I should take better care of it from now on.

Even if he was a friend, I wondered if it was okay to accept such a thing.

"If the monster managed to enter the city without being noticed by the Imperial Guard and also didn't trigger your mana sensitivity, there's only one answer, right? It must be a creature with very little mana."

Three pairs of eyes quickly met.

The only recent commotion involving monsters in the capital was the rumor of a ghost appearing in the theater.

In other words, the monster wasn't strong enough to cause a major incident that threatened human lives.

I glanced behind me.

Benzamin, Ganel, and David were looking at us rather than the stage, curious about our whispered conversation.

"First, we should evacuate the audience,"

"Welcome! We sincerely welcome all the audience members who have come to the opening performance of 'The Ghost of Padtrua.'"

At that moment, a middle-aged man burst onto the stage. I stopped speaking and looked at him.

It was Andre Viscount, the owner of the opera house who had guided me to Box 5.

Unlike my serious expression, his was very bright.

"The Atal Opera Company is doing its best today to satisfy your noble eyes and ears. Half of the actors are still in the restroom due to the tension, and the other half are still unconscious. How difficult it is to wake them up!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The nobles laughed heartily, fanning themselves.

I wondered how much of his words were jokes. The viscount continued.

"Before meeting Daphne and Chloe, let's enjoy the splendid dance of our dancers. In Act 3... "

He flipped through the script he had brought and smiled widely.

His thin lips and the end of his voice seemed to tremble subtly. It was clearly a stalling tactic.

"It's a corps de ballet performance. It's all free!"

Thunderous applause filled the air as the orchestra began to play.

At the same time, dancers in ballet costumes ascended the stage, the prince stood up, and coincidentally, someone knocked on the box door.

David, who had noticed the unusual situation, quickly greeted the visitor.

The corridor light illuminated the box. At the door stood a middle-aged staff member with gray hair,

*Swish!*

"Your Highness."

I jumped up from my seat in shock.

The prince, who had drawn his sword, immediately pointed it at the stranger's neck!

"You will know the sin of mocking the royal family."

"Y-Your Highness. That, that..."

The man, his face pale, collapsed to the floor.

Kristel was already hugging a bag of potato chips and enthusiastically eating the sauce-covered parts.

She didn't seem to have any intention of stopping him. In the end, I had to step in.

"Your Highness, please calm down. We should at least hear the theater's side of the story. If a crime is revealed, it won't be too late to punish them."

I understood his anger.

If they knew about the monster and still proceeded with the performance, inviting the royal family, it would have been a serious offense.

But right now, we knew nothing, and this man wasn't the one in charge here.

"Elizabeth Knight is also outside. Let the guards do their job."

I said.

The prince glared at the staff member as if he would burn him on the spot, then slowly sheathed his sword.

I let out a small sigh. That's when it happened.

*Knock knock*

Another visitor, who had knocked on the open door, bowed and looked inside the box.

Our mint-colored eyes met.

"Knight Heinze?"

"Hello, Prince. Your Highness. I've come to bring Princess Kristel's bag."

His white hair fluttered. He smiled and shook a small handbag.

Kristel, who had just swallowed her chips, finally exclaimed, "Right!"

...Can we catch the monster with this team?

*

Of course. I thought so and nodded.

Knight Elizabeth, who had rushed to the theater upon receiving the message, had deployed most of the guards in the audience.

We didn't need protection anyway.

The audience, laughing and enjoying the dancers' performance, didn't notice anything unusual.

What a peaceful era under Emperor Frederick's reign. It must be nice to have no worries.

"It's all my fault, Your Highness."

In the back of the theater, in a spacious office, the theater owner knelt on one knee.

His butterfly-shaped white cravat trembled.

Instead of the prince, it was Knight Elizabeth, the head of the Royal Guard, who spoke.

"Viscount Judith Andre. Is it true that there is a monster in the theater?"

"That... We don't really know."

The middle-aged man straightened slightly as he answered.

The viscount, though sweating, was very composed.

His experience in running the theater and dealing with various incidents was evident.

Of course, this kind of terrifying situation must be new to her.

"The performance was delayed because the two lead actors lost consciousness. But whether it was due to the monster..."

Both of them? This is really suspicious.

"Wasn't there a rumor? About a ghost appearing and eating the actors' souls."

I asked. Viscount Andre swallowed hard as he looked at me.

"Your Highness's observation is valid. Indeed, some actors lost consciousness during rehearsals. But we thought it was just a failure to regulate their condition. Stress can do that. They all recovered without any injuries later."

The theater owner explained. Kristel chimed in.

"Then why did the ghost rumor spread? Was it just for promotion? I heard the performance sells out every year anyway."

"That's... "

The viscount pulled out a handkerchief from his black jacket pocket and wiped his forehead.

"Whenever the actors lost consciousness, there were no witnesses. That's why such rumors might have spread."

"Viscount. There was a child at the time,"

"Erik!"

The middle-aged man who had collapsed in front of the prince in the box earlier cautiously interjected but was scolded by the viscount.

I widened my eyes. There's something here.

"Erik, you said? Please explain what happened."

Knight Elizabeth said calmly.

In her 'Royal Guard mode,' her eyes were sharp, and her voice was a half-tone lower, exuding a very solemn atmosphere.

The man bowed before her.

"Yes, that... During rehearsals, there were three incidents where actors fainted. Two of them had no witnesses, and one... A new page boy claimed he saw a terrifying scene."

"Continue."

"While delivering costumes to the dressing room, he saw two people kissing. The atmosphere was too private, so he quickly closed the door... But through the crack, he saw the female actor collapse and the male actor transform."

"What do you mean by that?"

I interjected, puzzled. Erik hesitated.

"...I know it sounds unbelievable. The male actor who kissed the female actor transformed into her exact