Ian’s face was shaded in darkness.
Sera noticed that Ian’s face was more serious than her own, and she couldn’t continue explaining anymore. Instead, her shoulders slouched down.
‘As I thought, we should have brought more servants as escorts…’
Sera tried to make excuses in her mind, but still she started to blame herself and critiqued her qualification as a maid.
Of the three from the House of Iphelleta, Iris was the only one that at least kept her composure. She asked Priesia,
“Ms. Priesia, what would you do? Would you like to wait here?”
“Hmm…”
Priesia touched her lips.
At the same time, both Sera and Ian’s eyes were rolling all over the place.
As for Ian, he was turning the light on his eyes in order to find Riley’s energy immediately even at the expense of spending mana.
“…”
“Ms. Priesia?”
While Ian and Sera were on the edge, Priesia didn’t answer Iris’s question, and instead, she walked toward where Riley was sitting.
“…Hm?”
Hide-and-Seek. Score: 9 losses out of 9 rounds.
So far, Ian lost every time, but he was thinking he would definitely find him this time.
Determined, Ian’s eyes were burning.
He looked at Priesia and thought,
‘What is she trying to do?’
Priesia walked to where Riley was sitting and carefully picked up the cup containing the brown-sugar beer, which was about half full.
‘Is she going to use her holy power?’
‘A priestess, a being blessed by the goddess Irenetsa… Is she trying to use her holy power to find Riley?’
Ian watched Priesia with high expectations.
“Hm.”
With her thumb, she brushed the bear cup that she picked up, and she sharpened her eyes.
It looked like she was not liking something.
‘No, did I get the wrong idea?’
‘By the way, why did she pick up the brown-sugar beer cup of all things?’
‘Was she thirsty?’
‘Is she going to quench her thirst with that?’
Ian was about to shake his head.
“…Ugh!”
Crash!
By the sudden forceful grip of her hand, the beer cup in her hand was completely crushed.
“…?!”
Because of the violent sound, Iris, Ian, Sera, and even the priests from Solia Temple flinched their shoulders.
“Pr-Priestess?”
“Ah…”
As if she finally regained her consciousness, Priesia gave a blank stare and said,
“I am sorry. What did you just say?”
And then, she turned her head toward Iris and gave her a refreshing smile.
“…”
However, from her right hand, which crushed the cup, the brown-sugar beer’s black liquid was dripping and wetting the floor.
For those that could see how she looked, the atmosphere felt like it was demanding silence.
‘As… As I thought. It was because of what happened the day before yesterday!’
Ian gulped.
The violently sharp atmosphere that the priestess displayed for a moment made Ian remember the time when Riley badmouthed the priestess at Solia Temple the day before yesterday.
‘She is definitely still angry! It looks like…it would probably be best if the young master stayed hidden from her until the priestess goes back to the temple…’
In the restroom’s corridor, Riley was able to toy with the first-born son of Erengium House as if he was just a rag-doll.
Ian wasn’t hoping to feel relieved about Riley this way, but regardless, no matter where Riley may be, Ian figured that Riley wouldn’t be in a pinch that was more serious than this one.