“What did I ever do to deserve this?”
Now she finally understood why the senior mages always cast soundproofing spells on their ears before entering the Tower Master’s office.
At this point, she felt like doing the same every time Cheion came looking for her. Just hearing his voice from afar was enough to make her tense up.
“Cheer up. That’s why I brought you here. The stew here is really good for restoring your energy. I come here sometimes on purpose.”
The man spoke in a comforting tone before ordering their stew. Not long after the friendly-looking server took their order and disappeared, someone could be seen bringing food over to their table.
“Hey, wake up. The food’s here.”
“Fooood...”
At the mention of food, Rina raised her head and groaned weakly. She, who had been caught by the Tower Master until just before arriving here, didn’t even manage to eat a proper breakfast.
Thud.
A pair of hands set two bowls of stew down on their table. She offered her thanks instinctively.
“Thank—”
When Rina looked up at the person in front of her, her mouth fell open. She rubbed her eyes repeatedly.
Excuse me? Why are you here? Have I been pushed around by the Tower Master so much that I’m seeing things now? Am I really losing my mind?
“E-excuse me!”
Rina hurriedly reached out toward the young woman who was turning away after setting the food down. The young woman turned back.
“Y-you’re the owner of the blue stone!”
At that shout, Ceres’s brow furrowed.
“...The blue stone?”
What is she talking about? Since when did I become the owner of something like that?
“You don’t remember me?”
“.....”
“The magic shop!”
The magic shop?
“Ah.”
Only then did Ceres recall where she had seen Rina before. It was the magic shop she had visited to sell the mana stone Kainel had given her.
So she was the woman who had helped her back then.
“The blue stone... no, wait! The mana stone! What happened to it? Did you sell it?”
At Rina’s sudden outburst, now filled with excitement as if she was never tired, Ceres narrowed her eyes.
Why was she suddenly so desperate about the mana stone?
“Why are you asking?”
“If you still have it, you should sell it to the Magic Tower!”
“.....”
“Our Tower Master really, really wants that mana stone! He will definitely offer you a good price!”
The Tower Master?
She took a recording back then. Did she show it to the Tower Master?
Having roughly grasped the situation, Ceres clicked her tongue softly.
“It’s gone.”
“...What?”
“I don’t have it anymore.”
“D-did you sell it? To who? Which shop did you sell it to?”
“I lost it.”
“Gasp! You lost it? That?”
The color drained from Rina’s face again.
“W-where?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Are you serious? You really lost it?”
No. The mana stone was still stored safely in her subspace. She just had no intention of taking it out.
Kai is in the capital right now.
If Kainel were to come across the stone by chance, he would lose his temper on the spot, trace its origin, and come looking for her without hesitation.
I’d rather not deal with that.
And if he found out that the stone had ended up in the hands of the Tower Master of all people, he would cause a bigger scene.
Just thinking about it is irritating.
He might even march straight to the Magic Tower and start trouble. The thought alone made the back of her neck feel stiff.
“Tell your Tower Master this. It’ll be difficult to find now. I don’t remember where I lost it either.”
“Waaah!”
Faced with Ceres’s firm tone, one that clearly left no room for further questions, Rina burst into tears.
Imagining Tower Master Cheion whining even more, Rina collapsed face-first onto the table.
“Should I just disappear like this?”
Ah... she really doesn’t want to go to the Magic Tower.
***
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
With Kainel’s permission, his aide Del carefully opened the door and stepped inside, a small cup held in his hand.
“Your Excellency, is there anything making you uncomfortable?”
The place they were currently staying was a mansion used by members of House Persia whenever they visited the capital. Ever since Kainel withdrew from public life, the estate had long remained unoccupied.
Even so, Del and the attendants who had served Kainel’s family for generations had continued to maintain it so that it could be used at any time. They did so in the hope that whenever he returned, he would be able to rest here in comfort.
“...Nothing has changed.”
Kainel slowly looked around the room. Despite how long it had been, everything remained exactly as it was. It was almost strange how not a single ornament had been moved.
“We did our best to preserve it.”
“......”
Was that why?
“Kai! Arti’s crying!”
“Waaah!”
“...I didn’t hit him that hard.”
“You did! It really hurt! Grace, punish him!”
Everywhere his gaze landed, memories surfaced one after another. It felt as though those children, no older than ten, might burst through the door at any moment.
“Here is your herbal tea.”
Del set the cup down in front of him, unable to hide the concern on his face.
“I brewed it stronger than last time.”
“I told you it wouldn’t help.”
“But...”
A long sigh slipped out of Del. What he had brought was a tea made from several herbs known for their sleep-inducing effects.
It was something he had obtained after asking around for Kainel, who had long been unable to sleep. In the more than twenty years Del remained by his side, he never once saw him fall into a deep sleep.
It was persistent insomnia. He tried all kinds of remedies, but while they seemed to work for a brief time at first, his body would soon grow used to them, rendering them useless.
“Would you consider receiving treatment from House Ellesia?”
It was where the most skilled healers in the Empire were gathered. Since they were already in the capital, Del wanted him to at least try a consultation. Perhaps the Ellesia family has something that could finally allow Kainel to rest.
“That’s enough. Leave.”
“...Yes. Please rest.”
At Kainel’s dismissive wave, like he found it bothersome, Del couldn’t press further and quietly left the room.
“......”
Left alone, Kainel looked around the room once more before gently closing his eyes.
“Kai.”
That was why he never once returned here all this time. Because she was everywhere. The memories of her only grew clearer.
In the end, they would become something he could not help but long for.
“Kai.”
However, that was precisely why he came back. Because he wanted to remember her, just a little more clearly.
***
Greeeeaaak!
“......”
“What do you think? There’s a second one too.”
Kiiiiiiiaaaak!
“For the record, I think the second one sounds better.”
“...Cheion.”
“Huh? Why? You like the first one more?”
“I don’t think that’s the issue here.”
Crown Prince Aseraian pressed at his temples, enduring a growing headache. He had rushed over after hearing that the Black Forest alarm device was complete, only to find this.
“There’s a third one!”
Uweeeaagh!
“......”
...And this was what he was doing.
“Why are all the alarm sounds like monster cries?”
“That way people get scared and run immediately.”
Watching Cheion stare back with bright, unbothered eyes as if nothing was wrong, Aseraian let out another long sigh.
“At this rate, people will freeze up in shock. Do you think they’ll manage to run?”
“At least it’ll wake them up.”
...That much was true. Anyone who heard that in the middle of the night would panic.
“Why didn’t you attend the last meeting?”
As Cheion fiddled with the palm-sized red alarm device, his eyes suddenly grew moist.
“Sniff... I can’t leave. I’m waiting for something.”
“You’re still going on about that mana stone?”
“The blue stone will definitely return to me!”
It was never yours to begin with...
Aseraian swallowed the words that nearly slipped out.
“Fine, fine. Do whatever you want, but make sure you attend tomorrow’s meeting.”
“.....”
His eyes darted around as he searched for a way out.
Then, as if struck by an idea, Chaion cautiously held out the alarm device.
“I’ll let you take this with you and think of it as me.”
“...You’re unbelievable.”