After leaving the room where Anastasia was sleeping, Ria asked Ian:

“Dad, has there ever been a time before this when a divine beast directly carried a person to the base like this?”

Ian thought for a moment before answering.

“No, now that you mention it, this is the first time… Why do you ask?”

“It’s just a guess, but I think she might be the same as me.”

Ria fell into thought after saying that. Ian, not quite understanding, froze for a moment.

“You mean she’s someone the divine beasts don’t feel wary of?”

Ria nodded at the answer he finally managed to squeeze out.

“Judging by how Marron and Kohaku acted earlier, I think so.”

Then, she turned to Lil and asked:

“Kohaku, Marron, what do you think of Anastasia?”

“I thought she was a good person.”

“Yeah, I thought she was nice.”

When Lil interpreted their words, Ian was stunned. Divine beasts usually hide when meeting humans for the first time. Even with the Holy Knights at the base, many refuse to come closer than a certain distance—especially the weaker ones.

But Ria had been an exception from the very beginning. On her first day, Ian had seen divine beasts climb onto her lap on their own. He had assumed it was because she was Lil’s sister, but perhaps that wasn’t the case.

“I think we should look into this later.”

At Ria’s words, Ian vowed to do so once Anastasia woke up.

After parting ways with Ian and stepping outside, they found the divine beasts gathered together.

“Is that girl okay?”

“Is she feeling better?”

The divine beasts asked one after another. Lil reassured them that she was fine.

“Are they all worried about her?”

When Ria asked, Lil relayed that they seemed very concerned.

As usual, Ria picked up a nearby tanuki and headed toward the warm air spot. (Though it was spring and the heater wasn’t on, it had become something of a habit.)

“Ask everyone what they thought of Anastasia.”

Lil did as Ria asked, and they all replied that she was a good person.

“See? I think Anastasia is probably the same as us.”

Lil didn’t quite understand. Tilting her head in confusion, Ria explained in more detail.

“It’s like what the dragon said—humans with polished souls, sent to this world by the gods. At first, I thought divine beasts unconditionally trusted ‘Interpreters’ because you’re one, Lil. But that wasn’t it.”

Lil recalled the conversation she’d had with the dragon before. The gods summoned humans with refined souls to this world, granting them special abilities to overcome trials.

“Divine beasts instinctively trust those called by the gods. They must be able to sense it.”

So, because Lil and Ria had been summoned by the gods, the divine beasts naturally befriended them. That made sense to Lil.

“Can you ask the divine beasts how they know she’s a good person?”

When Lil asked, they replied that she felt like one of them.

“Hmm, so they see her as kin… Maybe because both carry the breath of the gods?”

Ria seemed lost in thought. Lil, on the other hand, was happy to be considered one of them.

If Anastasia could also get along with divine beasts, would she end up working with them? Lil innocently hoped they could all become friends.

Meanwhile, Justin, who had been listening to the conversation from behind, was deeply perplexed. Was this even something he was supposed to hear? What exactly was this about souls directly summoned by the gods? Had he been guarding far more extraordinary beings than he ever realized? Too stunned to interject, he could only stand there in silence.

Lil and Ria were so used to Justin’s presence that they often forgot he was there. And every time, their casually dropped, otherworldly remarks left him utterly bewildered. It was truly pitiable.

In his own way, Justin cared deeply for these cousins, but he also found them utterly inscrutable in every sense.

For now, the wisest course of action—befitting his royal blood—was to seal away the truth he’d accidentally stumbled upon, for their sake.

As Ria absentmindedly stroked the tanuki, lost in thought, and Lil innocently accepted her reasoning, Justin realized that Anastasia might soon join their circle. He could only pray that she was, at least, a quiet and ordinary woman.