"This is Ramus, the center of Balak Land."

Up close, the castle was even larger and more magnificent than I had imagined.

The handsome young man beside me offered a half-hearted explanation, clearly used to the sight, but the meticulously designed castle, built with perfect symmetry, was truly grand.

"Follow me. I’ll show you inside."

He quickly pulled ahead and beckoned to me.

I wanted to firmly refuse this time, but he had already casually strolled up to the castle gates.

"Kiek. Kieek!"

"Hmm. It seems he hasn’t arrived yet. For now, don’t tell anyone I’m here."

"Kieeeek."

"What?! Didn’t I bribe you last time? Damn it, fine. I’ll do it."

Two goblins were guarding the gates.

The young man exchanged a few incomprehensible words with them, and soon the massive castle gates began to open.

A myriad of colorful flowers filled the sprawling garden.

As we stepped inside the castle grounds, a breathtaking landscape immediately caught my eye.

’Who is that?’

I spotted a green-haired woman tending to a flower bed.

She elegantly brushed back her long hair while watering the blooms.

She was so stunning that even I, a homunculus, was captivated.

"Perfect timing. Riel, this is the guest Taehyun brought."

"Ah, Larkan. It’s been a while. A guest, you say?"

"I don’t know her name either."

Of course he wouldn’t know, considering he had dragged me here blindly.

I suppressed a sigh at Larkan’s frustrating personality.

The woman called Riel seemed to share my sentiment. She glared at him and immediately pointed out his rudeness.

"You just dragged her here without even asking, didn’t you?"

"Ahem."

"How many times have I told you not to do that? Do you ever think? Your complete lack of consideration hasn’t changed a bit since the old days."

"Ugh!"

Larkan was overwhelmed in an instant.

For the first time, I understood the feeling of pure gratification.

Then, her expression softening completely, Riel turned to me.

"You’re the guest who came with Taehyun, right?"

"I am the homunculus Arin," I replied politely. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I’m Riel. I’ll guide you from here, so please follow me."

Unlike a certain someone, her attitude was incredibly warm.

I briefly wondered what kind of relationship Riel had with Taehyun, but quickly shook the thought away.

Such curiosity was not permitted for a homunculus like me.

Leaving a defeated Larkan behind, I followed her inside.

---

The castle’s interior was completely different from its exterior, from the ornaments lining the hallways to the unfamiliar sculptures placed in every corner.

If Riel hadn’t occasionally explained them to me, I wouldn’t have understood their purpose at all.

The modern world—a place where technology was extremely advanced.

It seemed Taehyun had lived in such a place.

"Taehyun is probably waiting for you on the top floor," Riel said.

"Understood."

"But..."

Had I made a mistake?

Riel suddenly looked me up and down.

She seemed displeased with something.

I worried that my attire might be the problem, but Larkan hadn’t mentioned it.

’Ah, he wouldn’t have cared in the first place.’

I had given him too much credit.

Meanwhile, Riel was carefully examining my waist and shoulders. Her occasional frown felt quite eerie.

"This size should roughly fit. Please come here for a moment, Arin."

"W-where are we going?"

"You’ll see when we get there."

Before I could even panic, I was dragged blindly into an unfamiliar room.

Filled with all sorts of clothing, the room seemed to have been designed specifically for women, right down to its cozy wallpaper.

Before I knew it, Riel was happily picking out clothes, a dimpled smile gracing her face.

"...Excuse me?"

"Ah, just wait a moment."

After examining the neatly organized garments one by one, Riel brought a dress over to me.

I had my doubts, but she seemed completely serious.

Not knowing how to react, I just stood there in silence.

"How about this? It’s a new arrival from the Balak Merchant Guild, and I think it’ll look great on you."

I fell silent.

It was a black dress made of delicate lace.

Suddenly, the elegant white dress Riel was wearing caught my eye.

Not only were they exact opposite colors, but for some reason, I couldn’t help but compare us.

It was an outfit entirely unsuited for a homunculus.

But I never had a choice to begin with.

"Phew, honestly, Taehyun. I was worried when he just grabbed random clothes for you, and I knew this would happen."

"I-I’m fine."

"Nonsense. You don’t need to feel burdened."

"I-I’d rather put it on myse—"

I don’t remember much after that.

When I came to my senses, I was already standing in front of a mirror.

’...Is this me?’

It was like looking at a completely different person.

It was a feeling I had never experienced back in Radik.

Though it felt awkward having my shoulders and arms completely exposed, I looked vastly different now.

"How is it? It looks good, right?" Riel asked.

"...I’m not sure."

"I’ll pack a few other seasonal outfits for you besides this one. The weather is nice right now, so just wear this for today."

My mind went blank as I was suddenly gifted dozens of outfits.

I felt like I should decline, but it was already too late.

"Shall we head to the top floor now?"

Riel was already walking away down the hall.

It seemed it was too late to return them anyway.

---

"Hah. I almost died."

As we arrived at the top floor via the magic circles installed on each level, I saw a familiar face.

Just as Riel had said, Taehyun was waiting for us.

However, he looked like a complete mess.

Riel sighed. "You provoked the residents again, didn’t you?"

"Hmm. No. There were no problems this time. I just appeared on the street normally and said hello."

"Either way, you still got beaten up. You really cause trouble every time you come back."

A bright light naturally formed in Riel’s hand as she touched his wounds. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The injuries slowly healed.

It seemed to be the energy known as Divine Power, which I had briefly seen adventurers use.

Taehyun touched his quickly healed cheek and then looked at me.

"Oh. You dressed Arin up?"

"Yes. You have so little fashion sense, Taehyun, that I picked it out and dressed her myself. How is it? Looks good, right?"

"It looks incredible. It really suits you, Arin."

For some reason, my face flushed hot.

When I was in the dungeon, I used to be indifferent to compliments, but now I found it hard to even meet his eyes.

As I rubbed my chilly shoulders with my head bowed, I noticed Taehyun and Riel conversing familiarly.

’I see. So you’re like a supporter, right?’

That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Perhaps the supporter he had mentioned back then was Riel.

Only then did the unfamiliar feeling fade, and I calmed down to my usual self.

No, actually, something about it still didn’t sit well with me.

Realizing this, I became greatly flustered and shook my head.

Meanwhile, Taehyun seemed to have finished talking with Riel and stood up from his seat.

"Alright, then let’s get going—"

"Tsk. I wondered who was here, and it’s you."

A middle-aged man appeared in the middle of the spacious room.

Appearing without a sound, he looked at Taehyun pathetically with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

I frowned at the thick smoke, and Riel also glared at the man with narrowed eyes.

"Hey. Gelix. Didn’t I tell you not to smoke inside the castle?" Taehyun asked.

"Hmph. I don’t even listen to Regia, so why would I listen to yo— Ugh!"

"Aren’t you going to put that out right now?" Riel snapped.

I got goosebumps.

Could a woman really be this terrifying?

The man called Gelix backed away, sweating profusely, completely unaware that his cigarette had fallen to the floor.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Riel might be the true master of this world.

"You should have put it out sooner," Taehyun muttered. "Anyway, I’m going to head to the Divine Realm with Arin. I’ll leave the rest to you, Riel."

"If you’re going, you’d better leave quickly. It’s about time Mederia comes looking for you, full of venom."

Both of their heads snapped toward the door simultaneously.

Who were they so afraid of?

Taehyun’s complexion suddenly turned pale, and he grabbed my hand.

"Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I would have put the entrance somewhere else. Come on, let’s go quickly. Give that to me."

The bulky bag of clothes vanished into thin air.

Caught off guard, I grabbed the hem of my skirt and started running, pulled along by Taehyun.

At that moment, a voice rang out from outside the door.

"Taehyuuuuuuun!"

"Crap. We have to run!"

"Where are you going agaaaaaain?!"

Through the crack of the door that clicked open, eight pairs of wings came into view.

A fairy-like woman flew in, her green hair fluttering. A five-colored powder spread through the room, bringing a cozy, warm feeling.

But before I could even bask in that feeling, Taehyun threw open the left window and hurled himself out.

"Ah?"

Of course, I was pulled out with him.

As the open sky instantly rushed up to meet my eyes, the wind blowing from the west pierced right through my body.

Could there be another view as clear and vast as this?

"Whoops. I forgot to escort you."

I was too stunned to speak.

While my gaze was stolen by the blue sky, I felt a familiar touch.

Before I knew it, I was passing through the clouds, safely held in Taehyun’s arms.

Very leisurely.

No, he was walking through the sky so comfortably that for a moment I mistook it for the ground, but this was definitely the sky.

As I quietly admired the scenery as if time had stopped, Taehyun smiled and looked down at me.

"Shall we go, milady?"

Our eyes met from a very close distance.

My heart slowly began to pound.

Among all the emotions I had felt so far, this was a very unfamiliar and ticklish feeling.

Without realizing it, I nodded.

"Alright. Let’s head straight to the Divine Realm in one go."

The wind gradually grew stronger.

Taehyun began to run across the sky with a truly bright expression.

And by the time the sky was dyed green, temples appeared straight ahead.

"Hey, you Dimension Traveler over there. State your identity."

An angel in white garments standing on the clouds shouted.

Her outward appearance was definitely that of a young girl, but her tone sounded like a gruff man.

"Seraphim, open the door. Or else, just like last time..."

"Gahhh! Q-quiet!"

"What did you say back then? You definitely said I was the most... in the world..."

"A-argh. Just pass through quickly. Go, go!"

The angel, her cheeks flushed bright red, hurriedly waved us through.

At that moment, the vast expanse of the sky instantly transformed into a different background.

Countless buildings were built upon the clouds.

Angels and various other races roamed the streets.

Just as I was blankly blinking my eyes, Taehyun spread his arms wide.

"Welcome to the Divine Realm Paonir, milady."