A few days had passed since the 'black letter' from the emperor was sent to Sophia. The letter's content was straightforward: an invitation to clarify the matter of her tamed beast and his status as a nine-stroke. Although Sophia was not a stranger to the Imperial Family, and the emperor often treated her as if she were his own daughter, receiving a formal letter bearing the Imperial insignia was a rare experience for her.
"Sir Seraphix, how do I look?"
Standing before a full-length mirror, Sophia wore formal attire: a modest dark red gown that covered her entire body, even her neck. Her shoulder-length dark purple hair cascaded down, held in place with a hairpin. Her face was lightly made up, a touch of purple eyeshadow complementing her sharp, dark-purple eyes.
"Where did you learn to apply makeup?" Seraphix asked instead.
"I learned from the best; she's a friend from the Academy," Sophia replied proudly.
Today was the day of the meeting, and Sophia was preparing herself. Beside her, Seraphix stood dignified and formal, yet somehow more adorable with a dark purple tie neatly circling his neck. A few days earlier, Sophia had tried to make a uniform for him from leftover fabric, but none of the designs seemed to suit him. After some thought and with Seraphix's approval, they decided that a simple tie was enough.
"Feeling nervous?" Seraphix asked suddenly.
"Yes," Sophia admitted softly.
The imperial family should not have had any information regarding Seraphix, and the only people who could have informed them were her own parents.
'Why did they inform the imperial family despite not believing Seraphix?'
A gentle knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Even before opening it, she knew who it was: the same person who would accompany her to the meeting with the emperor. Cradling Seraphix, Sophia turned, walked over, and opened the door. Standing there was a beautiful woman dressed formally in a modest light purple gown with a hint of red. Her face bore no makeup, and her light purple hair was tied in a bun. It was none other than her mother, Valeslina Kovalevska, ready to accompany her for the occasion.
"My," Valeslina said, covering her mouth. "You've already prepared yourself? But I don't see any maid around."
"Ah, yes. I... I like to do it on my own."
Valeslina smiled warmly, brushing a stray strand of hair from Sophia's face.
"You've grown so independent. That's wonderful, Sophia. But still, you're 'now' a high-ranking noble; it's improper to take on a maid's duties. Please keep that in mind for the future."
"I will..." Sophia nodded gently.
"Anyway, if you're finished preparing, let's get going."
***
On a lively morning, a vehicle passed through the Kovalevska Family Estate. Inside the vehicle, Valeslina and Sophia sat at the back, on their way to the Imperial Palace, located slightly away from their estate.
Valeslina now gazed out the window, watching the scenery pass by. At least, that was her intention.
'A tie?'
Every so often, her gaze shifted to her left, drawn to the small cat nestled in Sophia's lap, sleeping peacefully. Ever since the incident during breakfast, Valeslina had been on edge, thinking about Sophia's tamed beast, more specifically its 'identity.'
'Was he really sent by them?'
But then, as her gaze kept locking on the cat, another thought surfaced.
'A tie with a face like that, what a dangerously adorable combination.'
As she kept watching, a strong emotion arose, born from her primal instinct.
'I want to pet it.'
As her emotions grew more uncontrollable, she decided to seek a distraction.
"So, Sophia, what's the name of your... tamed beast again? I think I forgot."
"His name is Seraphix."
"Seraphix? That's an unusual name. What does it mean?"
"Eh?" Unprepared for the question, Sophia began to think, her expression tinged with confusion. "Uh... I think... I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No, Mom. I-I know, I just..." Sophia waved her hand, feeling embarrassed.
"So which is it? You know or don't know?"
"Mom, I know, I promise. I-I just don't know how to explain it. I swear!" Sophia raised her voice slightly, trying hard not to embarrass herself in front of her mother.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Valeslina said with a light chuckle.
Instinctively, her hand moved to brush her daughter's head.
'Aren't you quite adorable yourself?'
***
After waking from my light nap, we were already at our destination. Snuggled inside the Cat Backpack v0.1 with my head poking out the top, we made our way through the halls of the Imperial Palace. From my elevated vantage point, I could see the walls adorned with intricate stone patterns, and the floor gleamed with a polished finish. All around us, servants moved with urgent yet measured steps, filling the corridors with a lively energy that contrasted with the quiet stillness of the Kovalevska Mansion.
My gaze then shifted to the edges of the hall.
'The trails...'
On the floor, faint markings caught my eye, traces left by countless footsteps near the walls. The middle of the floor, however, remained smooth and untouched. From this, a clear distinction emerged: the center path was reserved for people of importance, while the sides were meant for servants.
When I looked back at the center, something unusual immediately caught my attention.
'Cat ears... slit eyes... horns...'
Most of the people walking along the center path bore distinct animal-like traits, which instantly set them apart from the servants. Additionally, their interactions revealed another layer of distinction.
"May you stay on your path, Lady Kovalevska," greeted a man with antlers, wearing a formal uniform, as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"May you stay on your path too, Sir Smirnova," Valeslina replied, taking his hand.
Occasionally, Valeslina would stop to greet some of these animal-like individuals. At another moment, a person bowed slightly as he crossed paths with her.
"Glory to the Ancestor," said a woman in a matching formal uniform.
Valeslina walked on without returning the greeting. Behind her, however, Sophia, looking quite nervous, always responded to anyone who greeted them. From these interactions alone, I could tell that those who greeted Valeslina were likely nobles, and those to whom she returned a greeting were of the same or higher rank.
As we walked, I also kept an eye on the status window of everyone passing by: servants, low nobles, and high nobles alike. Soon after, a thought surfaced in my mind.
'Are the guards more like cannon fodder in this world?'
Although I had already witnessed this inside the Kovalevska Mansion, seeing it here at the center of the empire, I had hoped the guards, those who actually wielded weapons, would be at a somewhat higher level. But unfortunately, even here, the guards' levels were quite low compared to the nobles. And this gap wasn't just 1 or 5 levels; it was a whopping 50 to 100 levels of difference.
For me, this was somewhat surprising, since in my old world, the military was the one that held power, which in turn gave physically weak politicians their sense of authority.
'But well,' My eyes landed on Valeslina.
'I guess she's an outlier.'
Guided by Valeslina, we continued our journey through the palace halls, winding through many turns, as the number of passersby gradually dwindled until it was just us.
'That's strange.'
Since Sophia had explained to me that we would be meeting the emperor, I had hoped we would be greeted in a celebratory manner, but instead, it felt more like a secluded, secret meeting.
***
Valeslina walked for some time until, in front of an empty hall, she stopped abruptly. Sophia followed, surprised by the suddenness. Looking at the wall, Valeslina raised her finger and tapped it multiple times in a certain pattern. Immediately, a glowing symbol began to emerge from the point where she touched, spreading outward until it formed a square shape resembling a double door. Valeslina then glanced to her left, toward Sophia.
"Let's get in."
"Eh?"
Sophia was confused. Even with the glowing pattern resembling a door, it was still a wall. Smiling mischievously, Valeslina grabbed Sophia's hand and pulled her toward it.
"W-wait, Mom—"
Sophia shut her eyes, bracing for the impact, but instead she was drawn into the wall alongside Valeslina. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, glancing around at her new surroundings.
'A room?'
It was about the size of her own bedroom. In the middle stood a medium-sized table with four chairs, one of which was already occupied by a hooded woman, her gaze lowered. At the center of the table, a simple crystal emitted a gentle light, enough to illuminate the middle part of the room without being excessive. A short distance from the table, a few people in robes stood with weapons strapped to their backs and waists.
Sophia immediately sensed the tension.
*Gulp*
In front of her, Valeslina, still holding her hand, walked further inside, and she followed closely behind. As they reached the table, Valeslina guided her to a seat, which she took. She then took her own seat afterward. With three seats now occupied, Valeslina on Sophia's right and an unknown woman on her left, only one remained empty, the one directly facing Sophia.
'That must be the seat for Mr. Grigori.'
Sophia then gently placed Seraphix on the table before lowering her gaze, something Valeslina also did after taking her seat. This was a formal custom when meeting with an emperor. No one was allowed to begin 'anything' before the emperor presented himself.
***
Shira sat quietly in the meeting room, eyes closed, and head lowered, waiting for the emperor's arrival. Behind her stood her eight-stroke beast, Mathilda, disguised as a guard with a disguise amulet in the form of a white mask, covering her face. As an eight-stroke beast, Mathilda was astonishingly powerful, far exceeding even the renowned apex seven-stroke beasts. A single careless gesture from her could obliterate the entire imperial palace. Bringing Mathilda here was dangerous but necessary, as the only way to confirm a nine-stroke beast's authenticity was to confront it with an eight-stroke.
Time passed in silence until the guests finally entered. Without opening her eyes, Shira immediately recognized them: Naphael's wife and daughter, and most importantly, the supposed nine-stroke beast.
"Thilda, is it a nine-stroke?" she asked telepathically, calling her beast by its nickname.
With the beast present, Shira expected to hear the answer from Mathilda, but instead, she received no immediate response.
"Thilda?"
"..."
Still no response. A few minutes passed, and both Valeslina and her daughter had already taken their seats. Then, unexpectedly, Shira finally received a response from Mathilda.
"It's him... It's him... It's him..."
It was a trembling, desperate telepathic voice, filled with fear and terror. The message from her beast offered neither confirmation nor denial, but something utterly incomprehensible.
"What are you trying to say?" Shira asked in confusion.
"..."
No answer. For Shira, however, the previous response was enough.
'I never see her cower like that.'
In the realm of beasts, a clear hierarchy exists, instinctively understood by all. When a lower stroke encounters a higher stroke, the outcome is immediate: the lower stroke acknowledges the superior and does not dare to challenge it. Now, seeing Mathilda practically rendered powerless in its presence was enough to confirm the beast's identity.
'A nine-stroke beast.'
A powerful wave of emotion surged through Shira.
'I need to know more.'
What is his 'race'? Which 'realm' does it originate from? What 'gifts' does he possess? What 'corruption' does it bring in exchange for its 'gifts'? Why does he willingly serve someone else?
Although the beast's stroke had already been confirmed, Shira still felt unsatisfied. There was so much she wanted to learn about the beast. Then, like adding salt to a wound, Mathilda spoke to her again, confirming what she already suspected.
"...a nine-stroke beast."