Inside the Kovalevska Family Estate, Sophia was lying face down on her bed, her arms loosely wrapped around a pillow. Seraphix lay asleep on top of her head, his body rising and falling gently with her breathing.
She had just returned from the imperial palace and was savoring the comfort of her own room.
After some time, she lazily turned her head to the side, one cheek pressed into the mattress, and glanced at the clock on the wall.
"There's still an hour."
Last night, Cal had explained that they would have to reschedule their flight to the academy. So, they had planned to go out today to buy the flight ticket together.
They would meet up in the Central District, near the fountain area, a famous tourist spot.
'It will take some time to go there… I guess it's better for me to go early.'
Sophia decided to leave ahead of time, partly because of the distance, but also because something else crossed her mind.
'I hope I can find a new snack there.'
She pushed herself up from the bed. The sudden movement caused Seraphix to slide off her head and fall onto the floor with a dull thud.
She walked toward her drawer and began preparing her clothes. After changing, she stood in front of the mirror, tidying her hair and straightening her outfit.
As she stared at her reflection, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
'I'll be going out with Cal… just the two of us… is this a date?'
Her face grew warm almost instantly. She turned away from the mirror, hurried to her drawer, and pulled out her makeup set.
'It will not hurt to be a little bit more prepared, right?'
She sat down and carefully began applying makeup.
***
I opened my eyes on the floor beside Sophia's bed.
'Did I fall from the bed?'
I stood up and stretched, my limbs extending with a small shake. From where I was, I could see Sophia sitting at her drawer, facing the mirror.
I walked over, then noticed something inside the trash can near her drawer.
'Was that supposed to be there?'
"Sup."
"Sir Seraphix, you're awake already?" Sophia asked, glancing at me.
"Yeah. I think I fell to the floor while sleeping."
"You fell…" Her voice trailed off, and she suddenly looked a little tense.
Ignoring the odd reaction, I pointed my paw toward the trash can.
"By the way, about the trash over there. Was it really okay to throw that away?"
Inside the trash can was a torn and crumpled pitch-black paper, bearing the insignia of the Grand Tamer.
Sophia followed my gaze and stared at it in silence for a moment.
"It's alright," she said casually. "The Emperor said my identity as your master was meant to be a secret, so I don't really need that junk, right?"
"I guess you have a point."
I looked back at her and noticed she was applying makeup.
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Ah, I forgot to tell you," Sophia said, her tone brightening. "I'll be going on a date with Cal today."
'Date? She was dating Cal?'
Even though I hadn't met this 'Cal', I'd been hearing plenty about him—perhaps a little bit too much—from Sophia. Every time she mentioned him, it sounded like she was talking about her favorite K-pop boyband member, the very definition of perfection.
Honestly, it had been starting to annoy me.
"Can I go with you on that date?"
"Sure," Sophia replied without hesitation. "I was actually planning to properly introduce you to Cal, too."
'Good, let's see if he's the real deal.'
***
On the bright winter day, I was perched on top of Sophia's head, tucked snugly inside her winter hood. The soft fur lining brushed against my sides as she walked, swaying gently with each step.
Sophia was dressed in grayish winter clothes trimmed with fur, her breath faintly visible in the cold air. On her back was the Cat Backpack v0.1, just in case I decided to take a light nap. On her ear was her disguise amulet, its effect changing her appearance to somewhat dull while still carrying some of her previous looks.
We were walking through the Central District of Zlatogorye, which Sophia had explained was where the common people resided. The streets were already busy, filled with overlapping footsteps, muted chatter, and the occasional call of small merchants.
Since all the previous status windows I observed were centered on the noble district, I decided to pay careful attention to the status window here. Almost immediately, I made a new discovery.
'I guess I was wrong about the level scale in this world.'
By observing what were supposed to be the common people, I could finally gauge the general level of this world.
Before, I had assumed that normal people could reach a level around 80, but it turned out most common adults didn't even reach Level 30.
Considering the lowest level I saw in the noble district was around 50, I guess the difference between the nobles and the common people also includes their individual power.
As we walked, I also noticed changes in the city's infrastructure. I tilted my head slightly, peering out from Sophia's hood.
'So this place has less mana grid, huh?'
Unlike the Noble District, where I could see a mana grid every few steps of the city, the Central District seems to have fewer mana grids, with only one every few kilometers.
Not only that, there were no street lights lining the roads.
'Did the common people not get much share of the energy in Zlategorye?'
Overall, the difference between the noble district and the central district was like the difference between a modern urban city and a semi-rural town.
Although–
'Even in the common district, the buildings are still amazing.'
Compared to the rural areas of my old world, this city was remarkably well-designed. The roads were carefully paved, irrigation channels ran neatly along the sides, and the placement of buildings clearly accounted for long-term use rather than short-term convenience.
Even more impressive—
'I wonder how they implement those plantations on their walls.'
Lush greenery covered the district. Ivy cascaded down stone walls, planter boxes were built directly into buildings, and trees stood at nearly every corner, their branches offering shade despite the winter sun. The city felt like a seamless blend of stone and forest.
'I definitely prefer this place over the noble district.'
***
On the edge of the Central District, Cal walked casually with his disguise amulet activated, altering his appearance to something much plainer. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets as he moved through the narrow streets, boots crunching lightly against frost-dusted stone. After taking a few turns and passing rows of tightly packed buildings, he finally reached his destination: a small café wedged between two tall structures, its windows fogged from the warmth inside.
As he pushed the door open, the bell above rang softly, announcing his arrival. Warm air mixed with the scent of roasted beans washed over him. Cal stepped inside, pretending to glance around briefly, and took a seat at a two-chair table near the corner. Across from him sat a ragged-looking man, his coat worn and frayed, a small piece of luggage resting beside his chair. The man was calmly sipping his drink, eyes lowered, as if Cal's arrival meant nothing to him.
As Cal settled into his seat, he lifted one finger slightly beneath the table. A transparent barrier spread outward in silence, sealing the space and blocking all sound from escaping. The moment the barrier formed, the man set his cup down with a soft clink.
"Cal, how was it?" the man—Naphael in disguise—asked quietly.
"Agafon Kitin is dead," Cal replied, his voice steady. "He… killed himself."
Naphael closed his eyes for several seconds, his shoulders subtly sinking as he mourned an old friend.
"I see," he said at last. "May he find peace at the end of his path."
Cal leaned back slightly, studying Naphael's face before speaking again.
"Sir Naphael, what is actually happening?"
Just yesterday, Naphael had contacted him through a 'messenger' with a specific request: Cal was to infiltrate Agafon Kitin's residence in the slums. To Cal, Agafon was a familiar subject; he had studied the man in detail, given his status as a high-ranking member of the Psychologist Guild. While the task itself posed no challenge, the sudden urgency regarding such a prominent figure raised questions he couldn't ignore.
Naphael looked at Cal in silence, fingers resting against the rim of his cup. After a moment, he exhaled slowly.
"It involves Sophia," he said. "So I suppose you have the right to know."
"Sophia?" Cal frowned slightly, confusion clear in his eyes.
"To be specific," Naphael continued, "it's her beast."
At those words, Cal's eyes narrowed.
"I've incurred his wrath," Naphael said calmly, "and my unconscious realm still suffers from the lingering effect of his aura."
Cal's eyes widened.
'Sir Naphael suffered from an aura?'
Aura, being a 'spell' that originates within the unconscious realm, is designed to influence other unconscious realms due to their shared nature. However, as far as Cal knew, Naphael's 'innate barrier' as a Grand Magus should have rendered him completely untouchable.
Naphael continued, his voice even. "I went to Agafon for mental treatment. After the session, I sensed something unusual in his mana. I knew something wasn't right with him. I tried to contact him afterward, but he never responded."
He paused, lifting his cup and taking a slow sip before continuing.
"I planned to visit him yesterday, but something else came up. That's why I asked you to infiltrate his place instead."
Naphael then locked eyes with Cal.
"Did you manage to get it?"
"Yes," Cal replied, reaching into his pocket. "I read it too, but the content is a bit…" His voice trailed off.
"It's fine. Let me see it."
Cal placed a notebook on the table. It was plain white, with the word 'Record' written simply on the cover. It was a standard item for psychologists, used to document their ventures into a patient's unconscious realm.
Naphael picked it up and began flipping through the pages. Inside were drawings of objects, animals, people, and scenes. Some were finely detailed, others rough and incomplete. There were elegant images of a woman in a fine dress, and grotesque ones, like animals with human heads or bodies warped out of proportion. Some pages showed fantastical landscapes, lush gardens, and impossible structures, while others depicted nonsensical imagery, such as waterfalls flowing upward. Each drawing was carefully dated, named, and annotated.
Naphael continued turning pages until he reached the record of his own treatment.
—
Date: Mirth, 12th Pupa 16AH
Time: 03:42 AM
Naphael Kovalevska
—
His fingers froze.
'This is… just pure black.'
The entire page was covered in black ink, layered so thickly that not a trace of white paper remained, as if someone had deliberately erased the drawing through excess.
And the notes beneath were even more unsettling.
—
NAPHAEL, KILL YOURSELF.
—