After spending some time, Cyril finally found the correct room.
He silently put the card close to the door, and it opened with a hum.
He entered inside, walking a few steps forward while observing his surroundings.
“Not as good as our dorm in Ailanthus, but okay, I suppose.”
It was a small yet luxurious room with its own kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom.
Additionally, everything here appeared to use the latest magical technology he wasn’t so familiar with.
For example, the fridge alone had a panel with close to twenty buttons, their purpose unknown but probably unnecessary.
The butterfly flew off his shoulder, making a brief circle around to familiarize herself with the place.
Cyril stood still, looking behind at the door in thought.
Another person walked in at this moment.
Myra casually strolled in without a shred of shame on her face and closed the door marked ‘666’ behind her.
“Nice place.
The Tower doesn’t spare any expenses,” she whispered as she passed him.
She walked in the kitchen and approached the fridge.
With an innocent expression, she opened it, seeing what’s inside.
“They actually stocked it up!
Nice.”
Cyril observed as Myra grabbed a bottle of some liquid from inside and landed on a chair nearby, her whole body relaxing.
In the end, he agreed to let her stay here, much to someone’s annoyance.
“She is probably planning something nefarious!”
Then let’s see what that plan is.
I am not afraid of schemes, but I would rather they don’t take too long.
For now, he decided to believe Myra wasn’t actually foolish enough to not realize her room was on an entirely different floor.
Perhaps this was her intention from the beginning.
In that case, there’s something she hopes to accomplish tonight.
“Indeed.
She might finally show her cards tonight.
The Tower is the most important place in the Empire.
Were anything to happen here, it would quickly reach the ears of all humans!”
Filled with thoughts like that, Cyril joined Myra in the kitchen, taking a seat on a chair opposite her.
“There’s plenty in the fridge.” Myra shook the bottle in her hand.
“There are also milkshakes.”
“I’ll pass.” Cyril shook his head.
Myra shrugged, then took a few big gulps from the bottle, drinking everything in mere moments.
“Haa~”
Placing an empty bottle on the table, she melted in the chair, staring at the ceiling with tired eyes.
“This whole trip is so bothersome…”
“Then why did you go?”
They weren’t forced to go here.
If she wanted to waste an opportunity of a lifetime, she could do that.
Myra weakly glanced at him, staying silent for a moment.
“…Say, what will you choose to learn tomorrow?” she asked, ignoring his question completely.
He could only rub his temples with helplessness.
On the way here, Cyril read through his folder, finding a lot of potential paths he could take.
He saw a study on powerful elemental spells used in battle, in-depth analyses of enchantments, advanced courses on demonology, and many others.
It would’ve been foolish to decide too quickly.
However, there was indeed an area Cyril was already interested in.
The moment he saw it among the choices, he got an urge to explore it more than the others.
Cyril contemplated only for a moment before replying to her.
“I’ll most likely choose an advanced course on demonology.”
It was written they could visit the underground levels of the Tower, where a few demons were held for experimentation.
An opportunity like that was truly unique.
He never saw demons in person before.
Myra nodded in understanding, briefly frowning at the mention of ‘demons.’
“Are you going to choose demonology now too?” Cyril asked next.
Myra flinched in her chair.
“Can’t I?
Not like I am interested in any of these…
When it comes to magic and stuff, I’ll just follow you,” she said, her face devoid of any shame.
Cyril opened his mouth yet found no words to reply with.
Her bold answer left him speechless.
It is certainly a strategy.
At this moment, the butterfly on his shoulder slowly stretched her wings, her antennae twitching a few times.
A feeling of exhaustion radiated from Morpho, taking Cyril’s attention.
“Morpho…
Go to sleep.
We’ll handle the rest.
I’ll let you know if something happens.” Rhamn materialized, staring at his shoulder with a loving smile.
It was a long day of travel, and the atmosphere of the Tower was rather oppressive as she came to learn.
Now that Morpho could relax, exhaustion hit her in full.
In Myra’s perspective, the red butterfly nodded to nothing in particular, then flew up.
She fluttered towards the bedroom through the open door, crashing into the pillow.
“Good night, Morpho,” Cyril said towards the butterfly in the next room, who quickly drifted off into sleep.
With that, he turned towards Myra, his expression as flat as usual.
“For how long are you going to keep following me?
What will happen after you graduate?” he asked.
Myra looked away from him, staring at the ceiling instead.
She muttered something incomprehensible under her breath, clearly ignoring the question.
“…”
Cyril thoughtfully stared at her face, feeling helpless and a little bit annoyed.
“When will this farce end already…”
“Why don’t you just interrogate her for the truth?
You are all alone in this secluded room.
It’s the perfect opportunity.”
Cyril tiredly glanced at her.
Rhamn sat on another chair nearby, glaring at Myra with her arms crossed.
I will not be doing that.
But I should do something…
He would try asking her now.
Perhaps, if Myra’s agenda weren’t contrary to his goal, he wouldn’t mind helping her, at least a little bit.
Human relationships were built on transactions, and he received plenty from their duels so far.
Paying back was only natural.
With such thoughts, he turned back towards Myra, about to open his mouth.
However, the sight in front of him caused him to freeze.
Myra practically lay on the chair with only her head staying on the backrest.
Her chest rhythmically rose up and down as her eyes were glued shut.
She had swiftly fallen asleep, a bit of drool already going down her mouth.
This is ridiculous.
Cyril felt the corner of his eye twitch.
Was she actually just here to spend the night and nothing else?
“That can’t be!”
But Myra didn’t seem to be faking it.
Her ability to fall asleep in uncomfortable positions was truly formidable.
How could anyone sleep in a form that could only be described as that of a shrimp?
…She’ll hurt her back this way.
…
As it happened, Cyril’s room had a window with a view outside.
He didn’t find it at first, as it was hidden behind a ridiculous sliding panel.
It was no doubt a lucky little delight.
While he wasn’t particularly high in the Tower currently, the view still proved itself insightful.
An endless sea of stone and metal buildings, the morning light coloring it in subtle hues.
Cyril experienced a strange thing as he observed this view.
He found it ugly.
The prevalence of the color gray, the lack of greenery, the sheer noisiness of it all, everything stuck out to him as annoying and unnatural.
However, this was his home.
Just a bit over a month ago, he felt vastly different.
A month isn’t that long…
For some reason, this familiar area became significantly less so.
He got a hint of that on the manarail, but now, with a much better view, he saw it more clearly.
Cyril hasn’t gone to sleep tonight, on account of his bed being taken.
It was only a two-person bed after all.
“That selfish wretch made you stay up all night!
How is that acceptable?!” Rhamn fumed by his side.
She ‘sat’ on another chair he put in front of the window, and together they enjoyed this perplexing view.
Why do I need sleep when I have you?
“That’s true~”
“But still, it leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth.”
You don’t have a mouth.
“…Perhaps I should make one, then?”
“…”
He decided to ignore her presence.
As Cyril sat there, silently staring at the city skyline, a stray thought entered his mind.
I wonder how the view is outside the city.
Is it better?
Myra’s stories of exploring the wilds still remained fresh in his mind.
According to her, it was quite the sight.
Morpho would probably enjoy it more too.
“We can do that.
Being an explorer sounds more exciting than being a glorified guard anyway.”
“…”
Cyril was still ignoring her.
“Really?”
He simply wondered to himself, not to anyone else.
I will not budge on this goal.
Since long ago, I knew with certainty that becoming a Knight was what fit me most.
It’s my destiny, if you will.
His lineage, his natural strength, his talent in martial arts.
He felt it was the world confirming his ambition.
What other path could there possibly be for him?
Fighting against such a destiny over a momentary curiosity is foolish.
Besides, he knew that sometimes Knights get sent on exploration missions.
Cyril glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and got up.
It’s about time to wake up.
He put his hand on top of a small crystal inlaid in the wall.
From above, a panel began closing the panoramic window.
With not a single sign of a sleepless night on his face, Cyril walked towards the bedroom, where two beings blissfully rested.
Upon opening the bedroom door, Cyril was greeted with a peculiar sight.
Myra lay diagonally on the bed, her limbs outstretched in a peculiar manner.
It seemed she was determined to make her sleeping posture as chaotic as possible.
Also, it turned out the sound isolation in the Tower was top-notch.
Myra was snoring, the sound echoing through the whole room.
He couldn’t hear it before.
Each breath she took hit the wings of a red butterfly that lay on her forehead, gently swaying them back and forth.
“…”
This wasn’t how he left them last night.
When Myra fell asleep, he placed her on the bed in the position of a normal human being.
Morpho lay on top of another pillow back then, gently sleeping.
How did it turn into this?
Cyril helplessly stared at the auburn-haired girl and the red butterfly lying together.
…They are a bit similar to each other.
“Don’t say that!” Rhamn waved her hands in a panic.
“Don’t compare our beautiful Morpho to this snoring pig!”
Ignoring her outburst, Cyril walked closer to the bed and leaned over it.
“Wake up,” he calmly said.
The butterfly’s wings shook, and she slowly got up on her insect legs.
Morpho stretched her wings, her antennae twitching like a human yawning.
Noticing him, she joyfully flew up and landed on his shoulder.
“Good morning.” Cyril nodded to her before glancing back at Myra.
Neither his call nor the butterfly’s movements even budged the snoring girl.
“Just slap her as hard as you can.”
I will not.
Instead, Cyril cleared his throat and uttered one word, louder than usual.
“Myra.”
The girl on the bed finally flinched.
In one smooth movement, she jumped to her feet.
Standing on top of the bed, she warily looked around, eyes widened.
“I am up!”
As she noticed Cyril staring at her with a flat face, her alarmed expression froze, then slowly fizzled out.
“It’s morning already?
I didn’t even notice how I fell asleep…”
There was no bashfulness or apprehension on her face.
She didn’t ask how she ended up on the bed.
Myra just stared at him with a friendly smile, not one bit of doubt in her eyes.
“What an easy woman, hmph!”
Cyril turned around, walking out of the bedroom.
“You must’ve been tired.”
Although the butterfly on his shoulder continued staring at Myra, her antennae twitching with joy.
…
The fridge also happened to have a few ready-to-eat meals packaged neatly into special boxes.
All one had to do before eating was inject mana into a small crystal on the box, and the meal would heat up in no time.
This wasn’t something you can get outside of the Tower, but the usage was rather intuitive.
So, the two of them, or four, depending on how you look at it, sat once again by the kitchen table, partaking in a breakfast-like activity.
Myra blankly observed as a red butterfly on the table slowly munched on a piece of bacon.
“…Can she eat that?
What kind of monster is she?” she asked with concern after a moment.
“I usually cook her more healthy meals.
Eating bacon once in a while is fine,” Cyril replied.
Bacon was high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, so consuming it frequently could lead to a higher risk of heart disease.
He wasn’t sure if Morpho’s unusual insect body cared for that, but he still tried to cook an optimal meal for her.
“It doesn’t matter.”
At least she enjoyed the sentiment.
Myra awkwardly smiled and scratched at her cheek.
“That’s not what I meant…”
“I see.”
Cyril knew that, of course.
He just didn’t want to delve too deep into that topic.
So he didn’t say anything else.
Myra waited for a few seconds more, but as the silence continued, she sighed and changed the topic.
“By the way, did you get any sleep at all?
Sorry for being a hindrance.”
She slowly lowered her upper body in apology.
After that, she smiled, pointing at herself with a thumb.
“Next time, just let me sleep wherever.
Don’t worry, I am used to it!”
Cyril’s hand holding the fork froze as he slowly turned to look at her optimistic smile.
Next time?
Was she already planning to spend another night in the same place with him?
But why?
“This bi-!”
Before Cyril could say anything in response, a jingle from the door took away his attention.
Someone outside was ringing his doorbell.
Cyril put away the cutlery, wiped his mouth with a cloth, and got up to approach the door.
He opened it halfway when he noticed the people on the other side.
There were multiple people there, all wearing faces he knew, sort of.
They were his fellow students from Ailanthus, the male portion of the group led by Cedric.
The students stood clustered behind him, as if hiding behind their mother.
“Good morning, Cyril.” Cedric waved to him with a friendly smile.
With the door only opened halfway, which prevented anyone from seeing inside of his room, Cyril flatly stared at the group.
Cedric’s smile remained undiminished as he continued speaking.
“Sorry, I noticed your room was this one when we got our keys.”
“So, we were about to head out, but this place is such a maze.
We barely found our way here last night, haha.
You seemed to navigate it better.
Could you maybe help us find our way into the lecture hall?
We don’t want to be late…”
Cyril didn’t react for a moment.
His head was occupied by a sudden and silly thought, something he didn’t even think he would care about.
From here, there was a direct view into the kitchen.
What would happen if this group of energetic young students found out that Myra was in his room?
“Ah!
Could this have been Myra’s plan from the beginning?!
She wants to start rumors that she is your woman so as to borrow your reputation!
That must be it!”
“Quick, do something.
Hide!” Rhamn waved her arms around, her red eyes panicked.
Why should I do anything?
Their opinion is irrelevant.
Cyril frowned at this moment.
Was he supposed to cower in fear from something as small as this?
The thought appeared frustrating.
So, on something close to an impulse, he swung open the door fully.
Perhaps he used too much force, as the students behind Cedric flinched a step back.
Cedric cleared his throat, and a smile returned to his face.
He leaned to take a look at the room.
Taking a look inside, he faced Cyril again, and his smile widened.
“Huh, your room also looks different.
I think they assigned us all to unique-looking rooms.
That’s pretty interesting.”
Cyril half turned to look into the room as well, a little confused over the lack of a reaction.
There was no one sitting in his kitchen.
Rather, only a red butterfly stood on the table, twitching her antennae with a certain meaning.
“…Myra hid under the table.”
I…
see.
Cyril, on his face not a single emotion, looked back at Cedric.
“So, how about it?
Let’s go together?” Cedric asked with innocent eyes.
“No.”
Cyril shook his head, then slammed the door shut.
With a loud thud, the poor students were no longer in his view.
Staring at a closed door, Cyril quietly sighed and walked back towards the kitchen.
Myra raised her body from under the table.
She wiped her forehead of the non-existent sweat, looking at him with a smile.
“That could’ve started some rumors.
Being a student is so annoying sometimes.”
“Yeah.”
Cyril massaged his temples, feeling strangely perplexed.
Finally, he decided to pretend this situation never happened in the first place.
“Luckily, we are safely through…”
…
After wasting some time just in case, they exited their room, fully ready for the start of their learning journey in the Tower.
Cyril, with Morpho on his shoulder and Myra following shortly behind, walked out the door of the room ‘666.’
But, as it happened, immediately from the left, he heard a bunch of familiar voices.
“I think we’ve been in this place before…”
“Didn’t we just follow the signs?
How did this happen?”
“…Should we go back and ask Cyril again?”
The sound isolation in this place was perhaps magical in some way.
Cyril, with his enhanced hearing, only picked up on these voices once they were emerging from behind a corner.
The two groups met each other once again.
“…”
Cyril stared at Cedric and the students behind him.
They stared back, more precisely at the auburn-haired girl by his side.
Myra was just in the process of closing the door into Cyril’s room.
She stood straight, her face blank for a few seconds.
Finally, she awkwardly smiled.
“Why does fate have such a cruel sense of humor?
Are we truly incapable of escaping its mischievous design?”
Don’t be so dramatic.
It’s not a big deal.