Castel, within the manor.
Beatrice sat at her desk, propping her chin on her left hand while stirring the ink in the bottle with the quill in her right.
A sheet of parchment lay before her. With the advent of new paper, parchment was now used almost exclusively by certain nobles and the Church. Though expensive, Beatrice truly loved its smooth texture.
After thinking for a while, she began to write.
"Uncle Jules, as you instructed, I have come to Castel."
"Just as you said, this is a peaceful, beautiful little island, with nothing dangerous about it."
"You could never imagine the interesting things I have encountered here—the island's lord, Lord Theus, is truly an interesting person. He is elegant and witty, and more importantly, he possesses many miraculous things."
"Oh, I know you must be worrying about me again, but I hope you can put your mind at ease. Castel is not one of those dangerous places. It is very safe here, so you can relax those taut nerves of yours."
"I have lived here for some time now. Lord Theus held a dinner banquet for me and was most hospitable. He showed me Castel's specialty, something called soap."
"It is a small block used to clean the body, with an especially pleasant fragrance. They say it is made from olive oil—I truly cannot imagine how those oils could become such little blocks."
"I examined it with my abilities, and there were absolutely no traces of Transcendence—so you may rest assured. I have found no traces of Transcendence on the island."
Hmm, except for that box of Silent Temple ointment.
Should I ask Uncle about the Silent Temple?
Beatrice felt somewhat troubled. She unconsciously tugged at her long hair, winding it around her fingers.
After discovering the ointment, she