~Chapter 6~
Golden hair and eyes that looked like flowing honey. Accompanied by knights of the Holy Order, the one who appeared was none other than Kinyaxis, the youngest lord of the Rihwiella family.
“Kinyaxis-nim!”
The interviewers all straightened up and bowed respectfully.
“Ki, Kinya-nim?!”
Rinne also stood up quickly, watching Kinya running around in front of her.
“I’m fine now! My tummy was rumbling, but after taking the medicine you gave me, it doesn’t hurt at all! Rinne saved me!”
Knowing who saved him, Kinya approached Rinne and hugged her around the waist, smiling brightly.
“Thank you, Rinne!”
“…No, thank you. I’m more grateful, Kinya…”
Rinne patted Kinya’s back kindly and hugged him warmly. Amid this warm moment, the only one not smiling was Petu, the head of the Finance Department.
He anxiously bit his nails while glancing at the happy pair.
‘Damn! Why does Kinyaxis have to show up now?!’
Kinyaxis said Rinne ‘saved’ him. That meant the lowly noblewoman truly saved the precious youngest divine beast, an undeniable fact.
Could Petu alone oppose Rinnegrim’s passing when Nilson and Ruel already approved? No, that was impossible. It could cause the wrath of the divine beast families beyond a mere power dispute.
‘Ugh… but if I don’t pass Feahil, my sister will kill me…!’
While Petu agonized over his niece memorizing answers, Kinyaxis’s decisive words rang out:
“Kinya wants Rinne to live in the palace!”
At that moment, Petu decided:
‘I’ll just take whatever beating my sister gives me.’
“Rinnegrim Feahil, applicant! You passed!”
“Thank you!!”
“Wow!! Rinne passed!! But what does passing mean?”
“It means you can live in the palace together, Kinyaxis-nim! Haha!”
Maybe it was just my feeling, but Nilson seemed even happier than Kinya. Rinne smiled and received congratulations from Ruel.
“Congratulations, Rinnegrim!”
“Th-thank you…”
Rinne was stunned. Passing so easily?
“Tsk! We’ll see if you keep up the work!”
Petu snapped at Rinne before leaving the room. Rinne tilted her head at the slightly choked voice.
“Why does it sound like crying…?”
No answer came, so she didn’t know. With hearty laughter, Nilson gave Rinne a strong pat on the shoulder.
“Good job, Rinnegrim! I was worried, but you did better than expected! You even impressed Petu enough to stop opposing!”
Rinne asked confusedly,
“Did I do that well?”
“Want to observe the next interview? The special recruitment is over, and now comes the public interview for academy graduates.”
At Ruel’s offer, Rinne nodded. She wanted to see the level of the academy prodigies herself.
‘They’re called prodigies, so they should know some basic veterinary knowledge, right?’
Rinne’s hope was soon shattered.
At the next interview, Nilson asked the same canine measles question he had asked Rinne.
But the answers from candidates were wildly strange.
“Pray with the energy of the whole universe, and recovery will come!!”
“Next.”
“Five is a lucky number in history! So pray for five days and you’ll be healed!!”
“Be quiet before you get five hits. Next.”
“I don’t know! I’ll just pray until healed!”
“You have no will. Goodbye.”
I covered my mouth in disbelief outside the window. Was this the level of prodigies?
Just as everyone was about to leave with no results, a brave candidate raised their hand.
“Is there any method besides prayer?”
“Of course.”
“Please teach us that method! I want to learn regardless of pass or fail!”
“I don’t know.”
“…What?”
The candidate looked shocked. Nilson just shrugged.
“Every year, dozens of prodigies come, but answers are always the same. No growth. To develop Management, we need talents who can overturn old thinking. For example, using medicine on animals!”
“So you picked Rinnegrim? Even forcing Sir Croyt for a recommendation?”
“Exactly!!”
Nilson nodded strongly at Ruel’s question. Why was shame always mine? I buried my face in my hands from shame.
“Rinne, Rinne. I want to see inside too.”
“…Don’t look at that.”
Kinya whined out of boredom, while the other interviews continued, becoming even more absurd.
They couldn’t even think of emergency care for a choking puppy.
Only endless folk remedies appeared. They left open every possibility except chest compressions. When someone even suggested fetching water to pray, I muttered bitterly:
“Try praying by water for a hundred days and see if it works…”
“Then can you solve it?”
“Of course! Chest compressions are basic! Don’t you know? …Eh, who are you?”
I was startled by a strange voice and turned around. Kinya was playing with the stranger’s hand.
“Kinya! Don’t do that! It’s rude! Come here now!”
“It’s fine, let him be. By the way, what are you doing here?”
The man who appeared suddenly had shining blonde hair and icy blue eyes—a handsome man. After the knight captain, now this man. I felt spoiled.
“I was observing the interview.”
“Observing through the window like that?”
“They told me to come inside, but I was embarrassed and refused.”
“Are you part of one of the three departments? Which one?”
“No. But why are you asking? Feels like an interrogation!”
Why was I answering so willingly?
Unlike yesterday, now I was a guest with verified identity—a savior of the youngest divine beast in danger!
“Your suspicious gaze at the interview couldn’t be ignored.”
I looked him over. His clothes didn’t look like the guard’s.
I wanted to refuse but couldn’t. His cold eyes and firm lips gave an unexplainable authority.
‘Why do I feel like I must tell the truth?’
And since he was probably a noble, I felt I should answer.
Well, I’m a noble too.
I kept my pride but soon confessed.
“I took a special recruitment interview and passed Management. I told them I was curious about other candidates, so they allowed me to observe. You can ask Nilson Robet, head of Management. My name is Rinnegrim Feahil.”
“Rinnegrim…?”
The man looked surprised, eyes wide.
“So this is the one who treated animals with her own medicine.”
I wondered when the palace learned the rumor, but the yesterday’s commotion explained it.
“Right.”
“…The three departments only admit academy prodigies. But even they miss one thing. Do you know what?”
I hadn’t even started work. How would I know?
I shook my head.
“Divine beasts and spirits are living animals.”
He said what seemed obvious, and I nodded, surprised.
“Isn’t that obvious…?”
“This contradicts what they were taught. They think divine beasts are god-like. They use divine power to bless humans, so naturally they look like gods. But that causes them to overlook something—the divine beasts’ bodies get sick and age like any god’s creation.”
“So…?”
“What if the people found out the empire’s symbol, the divine beasts, can get sick?”
“Hmm. It could cause chaos.”
“That’s why the academy curriculum doesn’t cover diseases or death of divine beasts.”
“Ah! That explains the foolishness—Ugh!”
He covered his mouth late but seemed to have heard me and smiled.
“You’re not from the academy, are you?”
“No.”
I never got to see the academy.
“That explains your limitless learning.”
Mostly from my past life studying hard, but no need to say that.
“…Thanks for telling me.”
I thanked him but kept a doubtful eye. Who was this man suddenly answering my questions? I was grateful, but…
“Kind of annoying… but really, who are you?”
“I’m Harry hyung!”
Harry?
Kinya’s bright answer made me even more confused.
Who was Harry hyung?
Though he said ‘hyung’ (older brother), Kinya’s real older brother had a different name and appearance.
Besides, his eyes were blue, not golden like Rihwiella’s.
So he was not a real brother.
“Don’t worry about who I am.”
“I do care! You said I’m suspicious, but you’re no less suspicious yourself!”
“…Me?”
He seemed to hear that for the first time and looked blank. Well, whatever. We’re both nobles, so no crime there.
“Watching me was suspicious too! And accusing someone of being suspicious without reason is rude! Kinya! Come here! Don’t go to such a person!”
“Eeng.”
“Come quickly!”
I reached out, urging, and Kinya reluctantly let go of the man’s hand and ran to me.
“Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, I’ll be going!”
Holding Kinya’s hand, I walked away quickly. Kinya’s heavy breathing slowed only when the man was out of sight.
Helion watched Rinne’s back with a bitter smile.
He was the first to call the empire’s crown prince suspicious.
No need to confirm with Nilson that Rinne passed Management.
Wasn’t it clear on her face?
He just wanted to know who saved Kinyaxis.
“More interesting than expected.”
Rinnegrim Feahil was cheerful and honest, clumsy at hiding emotions—a type unseen in the palace.
“No boredom watching her nearby.”
Helion turned his back on Rinne’s disappearing figure, and faint laughter followed behind him.
