How many days had passed since then?
The leave I had taken from the Holy Palace for the debutante ball was nearing its end.
Until then, I intended to make the most of my ti outside, and of course, that ant searching for Magi.
Dressed in a simple outfit for going out, I left the mansion. However, there was one place I needed to stop by first.
"Oraeboni (Brother)."
With a bright smile, I approached teor. He was leaning against the large golden chain tree in the garden, reading a newspaper.
teor, too, was enjoying a short vacation before returning to the Holy Palace.
The Pluto family had originally planned to host a ball to welco him ho, but he had firmly refused, and the plan was scrapped.
Had my arrival interrupted his peace?
A slight frown marred teor’s otherwise flawless brow.
"It feels so strange when soone calls that."
"You should get used to it! Honestly, it’s still a bit awkward for too."
"If it’s awkward for you too, wouldn’t it be better to just call by my na like before?"
teor returned his gaze to the newspaper. I shuffled closer and crouched down beside him.
Being so near to him, I noticed he had a faintly pleasant scent.
"What are you reading?"
"...I’m checking how many people have died and where. The Magi distribution map changes every day."
"I see."
I already knew what he was referring to.
The Holy Palace printed maps in newspapers that marked the locations where Magi had appeared. Two full pages of the newspaper were dedicated to a map of the empire.
Since the Magi began appearing six years ago, the map had been steadily filling up.
The northern regions, in particular, were so densely marked that there was barely any empty space.
As I stared at the map, a thought crossed my mind, and I spoke.
"...It really feels like a miracle that we’re alive and eting again after six years. I heard you got caught up in high-tier Magi eleven tis."
"Well, didn’t you say you’d been to the Demon Realm nine tis?"
Finally, teor raised his head to look at .
I smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, but thanks to that, I improved a lot! There were monts I thought I’d die, but there were plenty of small-fry demons too. How about you? I’ve always been curious."
Because his training had been classified, hardly anyone knew what teor had gone through.
We only heard about it when he returned from the Demon Realm. Any encounter with high-tier Magi required a report to the Holy Palace.
What kind of place had teor visited in the Demon Realm?
Had it been as harrowing as I imagined?
What sort of demons had he encountered? How had he survived?
Had he… perhaps t the Demon King?
These thoughts, a mix of curiosity and concern, swirled in my mind as I waited for teor’s answer.
"...All Demon Realms are pretty much the sa."
His response was surprisingly curt.
I widened my eyes, and he folded the newspaper.
How could all Demon Realms be the sa?
Every demon I’d t there was a maniac whose mind seed twisted beyond reason.
Was it that he didn’t want to talk about it or found it botherso? If so, I wouldn’t press further.
As teor stood, I rose as well.
He began walking, speaking as he went.
"I’m going back to my room. You should head inside too."
"Already?"
"Yeah. I need to rest."
"Wow! We haven’t seen each other in so long, and you’re already leaving? I have so many things I want to talk about!"
"I’ve never had a younger sister to hang out with before, so I doubt I’d be much fun."
His tone was indifferent.
Was I the only one happy to see him after six years?
I followed him, speaking up as I tried to keep pace.
"Actually, I ca to ask you sothing. I’m planning to go to the city. Want to co with ? A new weapons shop just opened, and we could search for Magi while we’re at it."
"..."
teor abruptly stopped in his tracks. I barely managed to stop a step behind him.
For a mont, I thought he might snap at to stop bothering him. But before I could worry too much—
teor turned and started walking again.
"Alright. If it’s for sothing like that, I’ll co along."
"..."
Of course, he’d agree. He’s addicted to training.
No way would teor pass up a chance to visit a weapons shop and hunt for Magi!
Feeling a bit happier, I caught up to him.
The weather was perfect, the sunlight warm without being harsh, and the air fresh and inviting.
Together, teor and I rode a carriage to the bustling city center. I unfolded the advertisent I had prepared in advance.
**[☆ Grand Opening of Ciel Weapons Shop ☆
Featuring innovative weapons invented by the dashing owner Cyrillote, integrating divine power synchronization!
Owner Cyrillote’s Background:
Studied abroad.
Devoted to weapon developnt.
Multiple invention awards across the empire.
Handso face.]**
"..."
The owner seed a bit odd.
When I first saw this flyer, I’d been taken aback.
The na "Cyrillote"?
Could it be the Cyrillote I knew from the orphanage?
Before returning to the Holy Palace, I felt compelled to visit this Ciel Weapons Shop at least once.
If this Cyrillote turned out to be the boy I’d known, I couldn’t just pretend not to notice.
"Isn’t it that one?"
While we wandered the busy streets searching, teor pointed toward a shop.
As I took a look, I doubted my eyes.
Could this really be a weapons shop?
The exterior was flamboyant, decorated with colorful garlands above the entrance and floral designs and balloons covering the walls.
It looked more like a toy shop than a place selling weapons.
Staring hard at the sign, I read it again.
[Ciel Weapons Shop.]
There was no doubt—it was a weapons shop.
"Hmm. This is a surprisingly cheerful place for a weapons shop. Let’s go in."
"Alright."
teor responded coolly.
As we pushed open the door, a wooden puppet mounted on the doorfra began dancing, accompanied by music.
Startled, I glanced back at the door.
"Wow. That’s amazing. Do they really have things like this?"
Was that another invention by the shop owner?
My curiosity about the shop grew. More than anything, I wanted to know if the owner was who I thought it was.
"I knew the custors would like it."
"!"
A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned away from the puppet.
Standing there was a boy with strikingly blue hair—bluer than the sky—and pitch-black eyes like polished obsidian.
He seed about fifteen or sixteen, close to my age.
The mont I saw his face, a na naturally ca to mind.
Cyrillote.
The boy’s features overlapped with the Cyrillote I had known in the orphanage, now grown up.
Cyrillote stared back at , his eyes widening in recognition.
"Crescent?"
"...Cyrill? You rember ?"
I thought he might have forgotten, given how young we had been.
Of course, I wasn’t limited by the mory of an eight-year-old, but he had truly been a child then.
Cyrillote broke into a wide grin, his mouth stretching from ear to ear.
"Of course. How could I forget the most beautiful girl from Eva Orphanage?"
"You’re just as sly as ever."
I replied curtly, though a faint smile tugged at my lips.
But calling beautiful? During the tutorial, maybe. But the last ti we’d t, I was eight.
Who calls an eight-year-old beautiful?
Then again, I’d been told I was pretty even as a child.
"How could I forget you, Crescent? You left for the Pluto family’s sponsorship, and later, we heard you even gained divine power. The orphanage was buzzing about it for days."
"Ah? I see."
Co to think of it, I hadn’t realized how much of a sensation I must have been.
Being the first girl in 150 years to possess divine power had made headlines across the empire.
It must have been even more shocking at Eva Orphanage.
Cyrillote spoke again.
"I always thought that if I ever ca to the north, I might see you again. But to think you rembered —it’s an honor."
"Why didn’t you write a letter, then?"
If I’d known he was in the north, I might have visited sooner.
But then, we had spent so many years apart without any contact.
As I mulled over this, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"You two know each other?"
teor cast a sharp glance at Cyrillote, his eyes narrowing slightly.
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