Sigrid chuckled at Morris's response. Suddenly, Morris stopped, and Sigrid followed suit.
"Morris?"
"You're acting strange."
"Huh?"
"Just now too, normally you would have struck him, but you didn't move an inch. What's going on? It's not like you."
"Is that so......?"
"It is."
Morris said, crossing his arms. Sigrid fell into thought for a mont.
Morris was certainly right.
She knew it well herself. Whenever she was near Beramund, she couldn't maintain her composure. If he weren't around, she wouldn't be any different from before.
She would think and judge coldly, not be swayed by these futile emotions, and beco the rit-based knight she desired to be.
An excellent knight.
If she could just cut off her feelings for Beramund, she could easily return to that state. He was the only one making her unlike herself.
'But I don't want to.'
However, cutting it off was difficult. She didn't want to do it either.
Is it wrong to be swayed by emotions?
Does being in love an one can't be an excellent knight?
If she wants to appear pretty and lovable to him, does that an she's ruining herself?
Will she end up becoming just another woman who couldn't beco a knight?
Rubbing her face, Sigrid sighed.
To be constantly wavering in her heart, even though she had no intention of confessing to Beramund.
"I don't know myself well either."
Sigrid said with a bitter smile.
"If it were —"
Morris said quietly, making her look up.
"If it were , I wouldn't make you make that face."
"Morris?"
"If it were , I would never—"
He stopped mid-sentence. Smiling gently as usual, Morris poked her cheek and said:
"You're off duty today."
"Huh? But—"
"If you go to His Highness with those eyes, you'll be bombarded with questions. Say you're not feeling well and go rest. Get so eye drops from a healer or apply a warm compress. Understood?"
"Is it that bad?"
"It's terrible. You look like you have an eye infection."
At those words, Sigrid said "Oh my" and nodded.
"Alright. I'm sorry, Morris."
"Don't ntion it. I'll inform the Captain of the Imperial Guard, so go straight ho."
"Okay......."
Sigrid nodded.
'Is it really that bad?'
Sigrid turned away, pressing her eyes firmly.
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Arkana was surprised by the unexpected atmosphere.
He had thought the lair of the dropouts—the evil magicians—would surely be gloomy, but it wasn't at all. The interior of the wooden building, well-lit by sunlight, had a soft and warm ambiance.
'I thought it would be underground, in a slum, or in a cave.'
It was a proud residential building located in the capital. So much so that his intense nervousness felt foolish.
'But just because there's cream on top doesn't an there's no poison in the cake.'
Arkana thought this as he quickly scanned his surroundings.
Click.
The door opened, and Arkana ca face to face with the person who entered.
"Oh? You ca quickly?"
It was Bibi.
"Weren't you the one who asked
to co as soon as possible?"
"Well, that's true."
She smiled brightly. Being in her own territory, she seed much more confident and natural than yesterday.
"The atmosphere is more wholeso than I expected."
At Arkana's words, Bibi burst into laughter.
"What did you expect? Everyone sitting in the dark, wearing hoods, and cackling evilly?"
"I at least thought it wouldn't be in the middle of the bustling capital."
"Ah~ The darkest place is under the lamppost. And why should we hide?"
Bibi smiled softly.
"And do you know who our collaborator is?"
"Who?"
At Arkana's question, Bibi approached, stood on her tiptoes, and brought her face close to his. Her bright red lips whispered without making a sound.
"His Majesty the Emperor."
She stepped back and observed his reaction. Arkana uttered shortly:
"......Surprising."
"What? Are you speechless? I was like that at first too. But even the Emperor is just a human in the end. He's inferior to us magicians. He's soone we need to embrace and cherish."
She twirled on her toes, making a gesture as if cradling a baby. Watching this, Arkana thought:
'She's insane.'
But Bibi, unaware of his thoughts, smiled brightly and extended her arm to point at a door.
"This way. I'll introduce you to your colleagues."
In the center of the room was a large desk covered with docunts and scrolls. He quickly scanned them with his eyes before following Bibi out of the room.
He realized this was the second floor as he saw the zzanine structure upon exiting. Bibi leaned on the corridor railing, looking down, and called out:
"Arkana is here!"
However, contrary to Bibi's warm welco, the response was lackluster. Arkana stood beside her and looked down. Three people were sitting in the living room. They greeted Arkana lightly, and he returned the gesture with a nod. He asked Bibi:
"Is this all?"
"Hmm— Adolf is out right now."
"So five in total?"
"No, six including you."
At Bibi's words, Arkana nodded, saying "I see." He couldn't tell if the number was smaller or larger than expected.
It would depend on their magical abilities.
But it certainly wasn't a large number. Arkana gestured with his chin towards the people below and asked:
"Introductions?"
"Well, the bald one is Aldos, the small one is Jar, and the one sitting in the middle of the sofa is Liria."
"They don't seem to get along well."
At his words, Bibi turned to him abruptly. Her eyes, an eerie color—neither yellow nor green—stared at him intently.
"Magicians are individualists, but we only have each other. We're more than family."
"I won't take back what I said."
"I'll accept that. And now, Arkana, you're one of us too."
She smiled brightly.
"So? Do we just kill people as His Majesty wishes?"
At those words, Bibi leaned her elbows on the railing.
"Well, what do you think?"
"If it's about becoming the Emperor's personal assassination squad, I'd rather decline."
"Oh, no. We have a much grander plan."
"A grand plan?"
Arkana leaned back against the railing. Bibi giggled, covering her mouth with her hand and whispered:
"We're going to devour this empire."
"......."
Arkana looked at her and then grinned.
"I'd really like to hear what kind of plan that is."
"Not right away. Adolf isn't here."
"Is he the leader?"
"Hmm— Yes. He made the plan, and we follow it."
"When will he arrive?"
"He should be talking with the Emperor now, so maybe around evening?"
"Then I'll have to wait."
"That's right, but before that, there's sothing I want to show you."
Bibi grabbed his arm and pulled. Arkana allowed himself to be led. Bibi entered the room next to the one they had just left.
"Ah."
Arkana couldn't help but let out an exclamation. One entire wall of the room was covered in papers.
"May I look?"
At Arkana's words, Bibi nodded.
"Of course. That's why I brought you here."
Arkana approached and examined the formulas. He traced the papers with his fingertips.
'Collection, decomposition, reassembly....... extraction.......'
"Is this magic to extend life?"
"You understand?"
"Yes."
"But it's still incomplete."
"I know. The thod of fixation is unresolved."
"Right, we can extract it. But there's too much loss. Even if we extract sothing as intangible and incomprehensible as lifespan, it's still difficult to insert and fix it in another person."
Bibi sat on a high table and crossed her legs.
'So immortality is impossible after all?'
Though he didn't desire immortality, his magician's curiosity was piqued.
"Whose life are you trying to extend with this?"
At Arkana's question, Bibi smiled and said, "Who do you think?"
"The Emperor? Besides, according to this formula, it's really inefficient. Killing so many people for just this much life extension. Where do you get the people to kill?"
"There are many humans."
Bibi answered, her eyes wide.
"So, so many. Even if they die, it barely makes a difference."
Arkana once again confird that his initial thought was correct.
'Insane.'
"So we just need to finish this fixation thod?"
"Yes. We put our heads together and think about it."
Bibi giggled, swinging her crossed legs in an uncharacteristically childish manner.
"I'm glad to have a brother. We are so few—"
She looked at him with overly sparkling eyes. Arkana inwardly snorted.
'Brother? I have Seria and Sigrid, I don't need a crazy person like you.'
"I understand for now. I'll go back and return in the evening."
"Go back?"
"Ho."
Bibi got down from the desk. She opened her eyes wide and said:
"This is your ho now, isn't it?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"My little sister is waiting for ."
"Blood ties aren't important. Only we can understand each other anyway. All those formulas, the flowing magical power, the new world being reassembled, the shimring lights— they don't know about any of that."
"I suppose so. But my little sister is my responsibility."
At Arkana's words, Bibi pouted and shoved him hard.
"Do as you like."
"I'll co back in the evening."
Arkana said soothingly, but she crossed her arms and turned her head away sharply.
'Is she trying to roleplay as a sulking little sister and a comforting big brother?'
It made him feel sick, but Arkana smiled gently.
"Bibi, don't be like that~ Okay? Don't make things difficult for ."
"Well— if Arkana insists, I guess I have no choice."
She glanced at him with a drawn-out "hmm" and Arkana replied "Thank you" before leaving the place. He felt like he could breathe again when he saw the familiar garden.
'She doesn't seem capable of devising any intricate plans.'
That woman, Bibi, seed to have a screw loose sowhere.
'Which ans, that Adolf person must be the key.'
The magicians downstairs didn't seem like formidable opponents. At least not for him. He decided to look around the garden while he was there.
Thanks to thorough winter protection, the roses were now budding. So branches were already showing pale green leaf buds. It would be even more beautiful than last year.
As he was examining the shrubs with satisfaction, he saw soone lying on a long swing chair set up on one side. Even from a distance, he could tell who it was at a glance.
The flowing silver hair was unmistakable.
Arkana approached, bent down to lift the hair that had fallen to the ground, and said:
"Aren't you cold?"
"Not really."
Sigrid answered, opening her eyes. When Arkana frowned, she said "Ah" and covered her eyes.
"I was shocked when I looked in the mirror earlier. I thought I'd spilled red ink or sothing. It's better now."
"With your hair all down, what are you doing?"
"Just trying to clear my head a bit."
At Sigrid's words, Arkana sighed and said:
"Let
see."
At those words, Sigrid obediently lowered her hands. He covered her eyes with his hand and then removed it. Sigrid blinked and said:
"I feel like I shouldn't get too used to this."
"Magic isn't omnipotent. Be careful."
"Okay."
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