I am now sitting upright, waiting for the emperor like everyone else. While waiting, I take the opportunity to inspect the people surrounding me.
If this meeting involves the emperor, then it is safe to assume that those present are the pinnacle of power in the Maurya Empire.
Although I haven’t inspected everyone wearing the white robes, I’ve already gleaned some understanding of the current power dynamics.
Aside from the anomaly, the average stats for military personnel range from 90 to 300, with mana capacities between 30,000 and 50,000. Their levels typically fall between 50 and 300, which is comparable to those in the Kovalevska Household, though generally slightly higher.
‘I guess only the best of the best are chosen.’
Shifting my gaze, I focus on the woman seated to Sophia's right and check her status window.
---
Shira
Level: 53 Mana Capacity: 301,091 Occupation: Grand Tamer, Member of Celestial Order
Strength: 23 Intelligence: 156Agility: 18 Dexterity: 15 Vitality: 15
---
Her mana capacity is significantly higher than anyone else I've seen in the room, but what truly catches my attention is her Occupation.
‘Tamer.’
Realizing her occupation, I grow curious about the kind of beast she might have tamed. Yet as I gnce around, I see no animal near her.
Suddenly, it dawns on me.
‘Could it be…?’
I shift my attention to the figure standing behind her, a person who stands out with a mask covering her face. As my gaze falls on her, she immediately flinches and lowers her head.
‘Ah, she’s been watching me as well. Embarrassed about being caught, perhaps?’
Curious, I check her status window.
---
Mathilda
Level: 2,514Mana Capacity: 403,276 Occupation: Beast (Cernunnos) tamed by Shira
Strength: 2,514Intelligence: 518 Agility: 6,926Dexterity: 1,103 Vitality: 1,507
Skills: Mediator
---
‘Oh...’
Though this isn’t my first time encountering something like this, the sheer absurdity of their stats always takes me by surprise.
For now, I treat such beings as anomaly—too exceptional to be factored into my standard assessments.
‘Still…’
Even as a fellow tamed beast myself, I can feel the vast disparity in power between us.
I also noticed the bracket after the keyword 'Beast' in her status window.
'Cernunnos...'
I frowned.
'Another one with the bel of a mythical creature from my previous world.'
As I continued observing her, the doors behind me swung open. Turning, I saw a man step into the room. His hair and eyes were a striking shade of pale yellow.
From his intricately designed attire, it’s clear: ‘This must be the emperor.’
The man settles into the ornate chair at the head of the table, his eyes sweeping the room—but lingering on me?—with a composed, penetrating gaze.
After a moment, he rests his hand on the table and speaks.
"Everyone, let us begin today's meeting."
***
Grigori Kashnikov, the current emperor of the Maurya Empire, sat on his ornate chair, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. His attention was drawn to a seemingly ordinary cat perched atop the round table before him.
'This is...'
From the moment he entered the meeting room, he sensed something unusual about the cat.
Grigori possessed a bloodline ability known as the 'Eye of Discerning,' which allowed him to perceive the 'truth' behind anything.
This ability revealed hidden elements such as intentions, emotions, and other concealed details, granting him an almost complete understanding of his surroundings.
Although his ability was not yet perfected enough to uncover every secret, it was more than capable of detecting anomalies—like Shira's eight-stroke beast, which had been cloaked by an illusion spell to masquerade as one of the imperial guards.
Activating his ability, he tried to uncover the cat’s 'truth'.
Yet behind it, he found... empty.
It was an incomprehensible emptiness, unlike anything he had ever encountered. Even a fly carried its own 'truth.'
'So... this is the potential nine-stroke beast.'
Steeling himself, Grigori shifted his attention back to the attendees at the round table and began the meeting.
"Thank you all for coming. I appreciate your presence, especially that of the Kovalevska House."
"It’s an honor, Your Majesty," Valeslina replied.
Grigori then turned to Sophia. "Sophia Kovalevska, thank you for your time."
"It’s an honor, Your Majesty," Sophia responded, her voice slightly trembling.
Noting her nervousness, Grigori offered a smile.
"It has been some time since I st saw you. You’ve grown into a splendid young woman."
"Your words are too kind, Your Majesty," Sophia replied, her voice faltering as her nerves took hold.
"There’s no need to be so nervous, Sophia," Grigori reassured her. "I’ve always considered you a close acquaintance. Thank you for always keeping Calyxianov company."
"No, it’s Cal who keeps me—ah, I mean, Calyz—Caliv—no, I mean—"
Grigori raised a hand with a chuckle, gesturing gently to calm her.
"It’s all right. It’s reassuring to know you two are close."
***
Sophia's face flushed with mortification as she realized she had accidentally used the nickname she had created for Calyxianov, the current imperial prince.
It was a childhood habit—born of her constant struggle to pronounce his full name—and now, of all moments, it had slipped out in the emperor's presence.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Grigori’s tone turned serious.
"Sophia, I’ve heard the news. Is the 'cat' on the table truly the nine-stroke beast you tamed?"
At the mention of the 'cat,' the atmosphere in the room grew heavy with tension. The imperial guards stiffened, their expressions unreadable behind their hoods.
Sophia felt her chest tighten, recalling the breakfast incident. But then her eyes fell on Seraphix, sitting calmly and surveying the room as if it were just another ordinary gathering.
The sight steadied her.
Summoning her courage, she answered with certainty.
"Yes."
Her words drew the full attention of everyone present. All eyes shifted between her and Seraphix.
Grigori broke the silence.
"I see. May I see the contract pattern?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Sophia replied.
She removed her gloves, revealing a symbol etched into her right hand: a pattern of moons and stars.
Grigori studied the mark for a moment before speaking.
"This is unmistakably a nine-stroke pattern."
He paused, his expression thoughtful.
"Normally, this would be a cause for celebration—a banquet, even. However, Sophia, beings like the nine-stroke beast are regarded as myths, even by our oldest records. To ensure its authenticity, we must conduct an official inspection. Do you understand?"
Sophia’s hands clenched with resolve.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good. You’ve read the letter I sent. This is Shira, the Grand Tamer. She will oversee the verification process."
Grigori gestured to Shira, who stood and bowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Shira said before turning to Sophia. "May I?"
Sophia extended her hand, allowing Shira to examine the contract pattern.
Shira gently touched the mark, and it glowed faintly before fading away.
"Thank you. It is done," Shira said with a reassuring smile.
'That’s it?' Sophia thought, surprised by how brief it was.
Shira returned to her seat and addressed the emperor.
"The contract pattern is authentic. Sophia Kovalevska has successfully tamed a nine-stroke beast."
The decration stunned everyone, including Sophia.
Despite her belief in Seraphix’s immense power, doubts had crept in after her father’s disbelief. But now, with the Grand Tamer herself confirming its authenticity, relief flooded her.
She couldn't help but smile as her eyes grew hot with emotion, but she willed herself not to cry.
***
After the decration, Grigori sat in thoughtful silence.
He had anticipated that Sophia might have tamed a formidable beast, but an actual nine-stroke beast was beyond his expectations.
'Such creatures should be untamable by nature.'
The act of forming a beast contract alone was perilous—capable of inflicting immense physical and mental strain.
Even Shira, despite her exceptional talent in beast taming, had paid a heavy price, shortening her lifespan to tamed an eight-stroke beast.
His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed the cat's gaze. Now fully aware of its true nature, an unsettling feeling took root within him as he met its watchful stare.
Then, the cat raised a paw and pointed toward one of the masked imperial guards.
Suddenly, a strange sensation invaded Grigori’s mind, as if an understanding was being forcibly impnted within him.
"A spy."
***
As I scanned the room, my gaze settled on one person in particur. Not their stats, but their occupation—'A spy (United Republic of Aur)'.
I frowned.
'This is... awkward.'
I had no idea my status window could reveal such information. Yet, this discovery presented an immediate problem.
'How am I supposed to report this?'
I shifted my focus to the person in charge—the emperor—and began weighing my options.
On one hand, I could report it immediately. The incident with Naphael had given me confidence in my ability to communicate with others, even though I still struggled to understand when they were the ones speaking.
However, as I considered this option, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how absurd the whole scenario seemed.
'A talking cat accusing one of his trusted knights of being a spy? Yeah, I’d end up in the dumpster.'
'Then again, I did have an ally—Valeslina. Ever since we first met, she’d been watching me with thirsty eyes. Surely, she wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me, right?'
At that moment, I noticed the emperor’s gaze shift toward me.
'Alright. Let’s do this.'
***
Sophia sat with bright, joyful smile.
After receiving recognition from the Grand Tamer, she finally felt confident her father would believe in her.
'That's right. This time, Father will.'
She even began to imagine her father fully acknowledging her, his eyes filled with the warm gaze he used to give her during her childhood.
The emperor continued his speech.
"Sophia, your tamed beast contract has been confirmed. Congratutions on becoming a Nine-Stroke Beast Tamer!"
At his signal, the room erupted into appuse. Eyes shifted toward the cat seated comfortably on the table. But the gazes varied—some filled with confusion, others with disbelief, and a few with fear.
Amidst all these reactions, Sophia's was the brightest. Her heart soared with joy at this moment of recognition.
The emperor resumed speaking.
"However, due to the tight schedule, this achievement will remain confidential until next year's Harvest Banquet. Sophia, you will receive formal recognition in the form of a certificate bearing the insignias of all the main noble families of the Maurya Empire, as well as the insignia of the current Grand Title holders serving the empire."
Sophia’s thoughts slipped out as she mumbled, "Eh? Grand Titles...?"
"Yes," the emperor confirmed. "The Grand Tamer, the Grand Psychologist, the Grand Messenger, and finally, the Grand Magus."
The mention of the Grand Magus caused Sophia's eyes to widen in surprise.
'Father...'
Sophia pressed a hand tightly to her chest.
"That concludes today's meeting. However..."
The emperor suddenly stood, and a rge magic circle materialized on the floor. In an instant, the room was engulfed by a barrier, locking everyone inside.
Sophia’s eyes widened in shock.
"Eh?"
She scanned her surroundings. Most of the figures cd in white robes had drawn mana gun aimed on a single target.
"What’s going on?"
She followed their line of sight and froze in horror. At the edge of the room, a masked man in white stood behind her mother, holding an intricately designed knife to her throat.
"Why is Mother there? She was just beside me moments ago. What happened?"
The emperor's voice cut through the air, sharp and brimming with anger. "So, it’s true."
***
The spy stood at the edge of the room, holding Valeslina hostage, his hand gripping the knife tightly.
'How? How!?'
His disguise had been fwless.
'How did he figure it out? There should be no evidence.'
His eyes darted to the cat, lounging comfortably as if watching the chaos unfold like a theatrical performance.
He had worked tirelessly to reach this point—to earn the emperor’s trust as one of his most loyal guard.
And yet, it had all been undone effortlessly, as if all his meticulous pnning amounted to nothing.
When the cat locked eyes with him earlier, he had felt an unease he couldn’t shake. But when it pointed at him with a deliberate flick of its paw while looking at the emperor, his instincts screamed that his cover was blown.
There was no time to hesitate.
He tried to activate his teleportation artifact but the emperor was quicker. The room’s barrier fred to life, sealing him inside.
Quickly pivoting, he teleported the nearest person, Valeslina, to the edge of the room with him. Without hesitation, he seized her and pressed a knife—another artifact at his disposal—against her throat.
"No one move!" he bellowed, his voice raw with desperation. "If I sense even a trace of mana, this knife will cut through her neck!"
His eyes swept the room, scrutinizing each person with intense focus. Any slight movement could signal an attempt to subdue him.
Finally, his gaze settled on the emperor.
"You have three seconds to remove the barrier, or else!" he threatened, pressing the bde closer to Valeslina's skin until a bead of blood began to form.
***
For Sophia, everything was happening too fast. She couldn’t keep up.
Her mind went bnk, overwhelmed by a rush of confusion and fear.
But the moment she saw the knife pressed against her mother’s neck, crity struck.
Her mother was in danger.
Her gaze instinctively shifted to Seraphix—a habit she had formed in moments of distress.
A realization took shape.
'Right, I have Seraphix!'
Trembling, she found her voice.
“S-Seraphix, p-please help Mother. I’m begging you, Sir Seraphix! I’ll give you so many treats ter—just please!”
At her plea, the room froze. All eyes turned to Sophia.
Though her voice trembled, its meaning was unmistakable.
Everyone present understood the weight of her words. For a beast tamer, there was no such thing as a request. When they spoke to their beast, it was always a command.
And this command was directed at a nine-stroke beast.
A palpable tension filled the air. Even the spy faltered.
Few in the room had ever witnessed an eight-stroke beast in battle. Rumors were all they had heard.
And now, they were about to witness something even more fearsome.
All eyes shifted to the creature in question: a cat, sitting calmly, its gaze locked on Sophia. Then it turned its attention to the spy.
The atmosphere changed in an instant. A suffocating silence fell over the room.
It was absolute.
No one could hear a single sound—not even their own breathing.
The spy froze. His grip sckened, and the knife slipped from his hand, hitting the floor without a sound.
“Mother!” Sophia’s voice shattered the silence, the only sound piercing the oppressive aura.
Seizing the moment, Sophia dashed forward, dragging her mother back and shielding her with her own body.
Then the spy moved. His mouth opened wide, as though to scream, but no sound came out. He began cwing at his head with growing desperation, then violently smmed it against the floor.
Tears streamed down his face.
But no sound could be heard. It was as if the world itself had been muted.
The spy’s movements grew more erratic. Unable to bear whatever unseen force was tormenting him, he grabbed the fallen knife and plunged it into his own head repeatedly.
Blood sprayed across the floor, pooling beneath him. His eyes turned crimson as tears of blood repced the ordinary ones.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the oppressive silence lifted.
The spy’s convulsions stopped. With a twisted smile, he colpsed onto the floor with a dull thud, lifeless and soaked in his own blood.
