Morning arrived, and as Isis awoke in her Prelly City hotel room, she found no trace of Beacai.
Having previously complained about the castle’s chill, she had taken Beacai to stay at a hotel within the city. Yet, this morning, Beacai was nowhere to be found.
‘Where could she have gone?’
Pondering this mystery, Isis shed her nightclothes and donned a casual dress, suitable for venturing out. On the table, she discovered a note, penned in Beacai’s elegant handwriting.
[Mama, I have something to attend to at the temple for the next two days, so I won’t be able to accompany you. Don’t miss me too much while you’re alone in Prelly.]
“Who would miss you…”
She murmured softly, then set the note aside, opened her room door, and stepped out.
A cold breeze swept down the corridor, caressing her delicate form and sending a shiver through her. Her head felt strangely heavy, as if filled with lead, leaving her inexplicably groggy.
Beacai’s absence for the next few days should have been a pleasant surprise for her.
Without Beacai, her escape would be far simpler. Perhaps she could truly flee this city and break free from the evil god’s clutches.
Yet, what urgent matter could have called Beacai back to the temple so suddenly? To leave with only a note… such an abrupt departure seemed uncharacteristic.
Lost in thought, Isis realized she was actually worried about Beacai.
Such concern was utterly pointless.
Even if something truly happened to Beacai, how could a mere mortal like herself possibly help? And this inexplicable concern she felt… had her heart truly been claimed by Beacai?
Clutching her chest, feeling the faint flutter of her heartbeat, she found herself unable to harden her resolve whenever she recalled Beacai’s joyful smile over a paper windmill.
In that moment, Beacai had been like a little girl who had received a cherished toy, utterly innocent and carefree.
Her former self would never have imagined “innocent and carefree” could describe Beacai. Yet, after all they had endured, her perception of Beacai had indeed shifted.
At the very least, Beacai wasn’t a purely evil god.
Still, accompanying a ruler was like living with a tiger. Beacai’s unpredictable moods had left a deep impression. If Isis remained by her side, who knew what Beacai might do?
Moreover, Nona was waiting for her, and this was a golden opportunity to escape…
Her mind made up, she descended to the hotel lobby and approached the receptionist on duty.
“Hello, excuse me, how can I leave this city?”
She hadn’t forgotten that Prelly City lay within Beacai’s divine domain. As the Holy City of the Blood Church, its rules were surely different from ordinary cities. It was best to clarify things before acting.
The receptionist looked up, glanced at her, then offered a professional smile. “Is this your first time in Prelly, miss? Leaving the city is quite simple. While the city gates aren’t completely open for casual entry and exit, there aren’t many restrictions. You can leave without worry.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
Hearing that there were no significant restrictions on entering or leaving the city, Isis should have felt delighted. Yet, touching her chest, she found her emotions barely stirred.
Minimal restrictions meant she could leave at any time, escaping Beacai’s side. Why wasn’t she happy?
She couldn’t quite understand it.
Furthermore, she felt a distinct lack of interest in everything, even finding herself disinclined to eat breakfast.
The receptionist set aside her work and scrutinized Isis. Noticing the absence of magic on her person, she kindly offered a reminder:
“However, miss, while you can enter and exit the city gates freely, that doesn’t mean you can leave Prelly without care. This is my Lord’s divine domain, and there are many dangerous magical beasts outside the city. Without sufficient strength, you would be torn to shreds.”
“Is there no safe way to leave?”
“Of course there is. Some carriages within the city can take people out of Prelly, guaranteeing no attacks from magical beasts. You simply need to pay a certain fee.”
‘A fee?’
The receptionist’s answer plunged her into silence. What the woman didn’t know was that the very “fee” she spoke of was what Isis currently lacked most.
Beacai hadn’t left her any money before departing, which Isis could understand. In a deity’s perception, money was truly meaningless.
When she was Yggdrasil, a single one of her leaves was worth far more than any amount of gold.
But this left her in a predicament. If the hotel hadn’t provided free meals, she wouldn’t even be able to afford food.
“Excuse me, could you tell me how much the carriage fare usually is?” Isis felt a nascent desire to earn money. She wanted to gather enough for the fare before Beacai returned.
“The fare? Leaving Prelly isn’t cheap, miss. It costs twenty silver.”
“…Twenty silver?”
“Yes.”
When Isis lived in Anhel Town, her monthly income was only around forty silver coins. Even in Prelly, the Holy City of the Blood Church, a resident’s monthly income might only be one or two gold coins.
For the current Isis, this sum felt astronomical, especially since she needed to gather it within two or three days…
For some unknown reason, she also felt exceptionally weary. Even speaking left her breathless, often requiring her to pause and gasp for air.
Her brows furrowed slightly. The receptionist, noticing something amiss, asked, “Are you catching a cold, miss? You look a bit pale.”
‘A cold?’
Isis touched her forehead, realizing it felt warmer than usual. Coupled with the odd sensations she’d noticed since waking up this morning…
She was almost certain she had caught a cold.
As a deity, she had never experienced such an ailment. Only after becoming mortal did she frequently fall ill during seasonal changes.
While not severe, it was certainly tormenting. Those afflicted often felt weak and lacked energy.
This was precisely her current state.
“Yes, the temperature has dropped sharply recently, and many people have caught colds. You seem to be among them, miss.”
With that, the receptionist retrieved a couple of vials of medicine from a cabinet and placed them before Isis. “We have cold remedies here, miss. Would you like to purchase some?”
“No need, thank you…”
“Oh?”
Isis declined the receptionist’s offer, thanked her, and departed. The receptionist, assuming Isis already possessed cold medicine, wasn’t particularly surprised by her refusal.
Only Isis knew the truth: she refused because she had no money.
The former Yggdrasil now felt utterly helpless in this city, unable to take a single step.
With a bitter smile, she exited the hotel. The vibrant sunlight, though bright, felt exceptionally harsh on her. And despite its inherent warmth, it only made her shiver with cold.
Her cold had worsened steadily since she awoke, leaving her able to perceive only the biting chill.
Clutching her arms tightly, she leaned against the hotel’s entrance, her eyes reflecting the bustling crowd of passersby.
If Beacai were by her side at a time like this, Isis mused, her cold would likely be cured even before she opened her eyes in bed.
Afterward, Beacai would still gaze at her with concern, asking trivial questions until, assured of Isis’s well-being, she would finally reveal a relaxed smile.
Unconsciously, Isis thought of Beacai, her eyelids drooping slightly.
‘If only she were here…’