Chapter 1: The Graduation Exam Nears

It hurts, he thought.

He wasn’t freezing, but it hurt. And no wonder. The liquid being poured heavily over his head was ice water.

It hurt so much, like his body was about to tear in two. Perhaps it would, Yuri thought as he sat there, unable to do anything but shiver.

“I think that’s going a bit far, don’t you?”

A voice, from above.

Rubbing his upper arms, Yuri lifted his head. Standing there was Lester, looking at Clyde beside him.

Lester was the second oldest brother, and Clyde was the third oldest. Lester wore glasses and had a tidy, fastidious look about him, while Clyde was holding the empty bucket and grinning. They didn’t look much like brothers, but being close in age, they were thick as thieves.

“A bit far? Compared to what this little wart is doing to our brother, I’d say we’re going easy on him.”

“Now, now.”

Lester chided his brother gently, but it was obvious he wasn’t concerned for Yuri, only with keeping up appearances as the second son.

As if to prove it, Lester went on to say, “Just be careful the duchess doesn’t find out about this.”

“All right, all right.”

Lester didn’t even glance at Yuri, who was cowering on the ground, as he quickly left the dingy shed.

Clyde’s smile disappeared as he sneered down at Yuri.

“This is your punishment. You just lie there on the ground for a while.”

With that, Clyde turned away, and the door to the small hut creaked shut. Perhaps it was mercy that prevented him from locking the door. Clyde was probably opposed to committing the crime of murdering a family member on the grounds of the mansion.

Finally alone, Yuri exhaled a plume of steamy breath.

“…Ugh.”

The bucket Clyde had used to hold the ice water was battered and crude, probably something the stable boys used. A strong animal smell rose from it, making Yuri’s nose twitch.

“And it’s freezing, too.”

The cabin was filled with early winter air, and Yuri was soaked with water. He was rapidly losing body heat.

He tried rubbing his shoulders and upper arms over his wet clothes, but that didn’t stop the loud chattering of his teeth.

Just then, the space to Yuri’s right suddenly became distorted and twisted. A rift appeared in the air, and Yuri’s contracted spirits came spilling out.

“Master!”

The ice wolf let out a howl and threw himself at Yuri.

“Whoa!”

Yuri fell back under the fenrir’s weight, nearly hitting his head, but his undine companion created a swift water ball that engulfed both Yuri and the fenrir just in time.

It was an odd sort of water ball that jiggled when touched. As Yuri stared at it, the undine let out a melancholy sigh.

“What filthy water. I cannot stand to see my master covered in it.”

The undine’s inhumanly lovely features contorted.

She adored clear, pure water. The dirty, icy water Clyde had brought in his bucket was probably like poison to her.

Yuri felt awful and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Undine. On top of everything else, now your sensibilities have been offended, too.”

“Not at all. I am not blaming you, of course, Master.”

The undine shook her head, then touched her cheek, as if unsure how to continue.

Humans and spirits were completely different creatures. Humans lived short, mortal lives in fragile bodies, while spirits were strong and lived almost forever. Thus, they experienced and viewed the world quite differently. The undine didn’t have the vocabulary to express the complex feeling she had toward Yuri.

“…At any rate, you had better get changed quickly. After first cleansing yourself in the bath and getting warm, of course. Humans weaken so easily.”

As the undine regained her composure, the fenrir growled.

“I’ll bite the villains first. No, I’ll kill them.”

“Or if you’d like, Master, I could string them up by their necks?”

“Can we, Master?! Oh, go on, say we can, just this once!”

Unsure what to say, Yuri settled for stroking the fenrir, whose fur was standing on end. But with every movement, water dripped heavily from his clothing.

“Fenrir, Undine, calm down. I’m fine.”

“But, Master! I don’t like it!”

Shaking his head in refusal, the fenrir nuzzled hard into Yuri’s chest, almost knocking over his frail-bodied master.

“How can you tolerate such treatment?!” he howled. “Doesn’t it upset you?! I don’t get it!”

Yuri responded in a subdued voice. “Because this…is a punishment of sorts.”

“Master…?”

The fenrir did not understand. Yuri gazed into the worried, beseeching eyes of his faithful spirit, his own eyes swimming with tears.

Just then, a merciless wind blew in through the gaps in the wall.

The wind was bitter and biting. Yuri felt like his brain was about to freeze from it. He clung tightly the fenrir’s neck as the spirit panted with emotion.

“Anyway…your warm fur will help me be all right.”

I’m all right, I’m all right, Yuri muttered, almost as if he was trying to convince himself.

The fenrir continued growling and muttering, even as he nuzzled his small and trembling master… Then eventually he quieted and pressed his wet nose lovingly against Yuri’s cheek.

It was the start of December.

Winter was near. A number of horse-drawn carriages made slow progress along the road, which was dusted with a thin layer of the previous day’s snowfall.

The omnibus stop in front of the main gates seemed busier than usual; the passengers were taking more time than usual to get on and off.

“Sister, give me your hand.”

Brigitte Meidell, the daughter of Count Meidell, emerged from the carriage.

She had fiery red hair and emerald eyes that were bold and willful.

She was an exceptionally beautiful girl, with smooth, blemish-free skin and pale-pink lips. Graciously, she accepted the proffered hand.

“Please be careful not to slip.”

“Thank you, Roze.”

Brigitte smiled back at her brother-in-law, warmed by his concern for her, but as soon as she alighted from the carriage, she began to shake.

“Goodness… It’s so cold. This might be the coldest day we’ve had yet this year.”

Though she wore a coat over her winter uniform and carried a fire stone in her pocket, the cold breeze against her ears made her flinch.

“Are you all right, Sister? Perhaps you should stay at the mansion today and rest. What if you catch a cold?”

Roze looked so concerned for her, Brigitte shook her head and waved her hand in alarm.

“There’s no need to be so concerned, Roze. I can’t stay at home all day simply because it’s cold out. Especially not today.”

“Cheep…”

Peep, Brigitte’s contracted spirit, poked its tiny head out from under Brigitte’s hair. Being a tiny chick, Peep was prone to shivering anyway, but in this cold weather, the little bird’s tail feathers were vibrating violently.

“It’s cold, Peep. Perhaps you should keep your tail tucked away.”

“Peep?”

Roze smiled as he watched the two, his gray eyes warm and soft. Then he put his head to one side, his light-pink hair brushing his cheek.

“Sister… If you’re cold, I could put my arm around you? People often tell me I run warm.”

This unexpected offer made Brigitte smile.

Roze is so kind!

If her classmates saw her strolling arm in arm with her brother-in-law at school, they’d tease her for sure. Still, the offer warmed Brigitte’s heart.

“No, it’s all right. Anyway, let’s hurry and head into school…”

“Brigitte.”

“…Nng!”

Brigitte only just managed to muffle a yelp.

Whirling around, she spotted a luxurious carriage with silver detailing that clearly belonged to an aristocrat, as well as the person who had just emerged from it.

Yuri Aurealis.

Flowing blue hair and shining citrine eyes.

This young man, with features so perfect they made him appear almost entirely unapproachable, shifted his gaze back and forth between Brigitte and Roze. Brigitte lowered her head in a graceful bow.

“Good morning, Yuri.”

“…Morning.”

After this brief exchange, Yuri’s gaze drifted away, as if he was displeased.

“With Roze this morning, I see.”

Brigitte shrugged a little. “Yes… He’s my brother. There’s nothing unusual in our going to school together, is there?”

“Quite right, Sister!”

Yuri’s gaze was frostier than the howling wind, but Brigitte was used to that, and Roze wasn’t one to be intimidated. Neither was particularly fazed.

But they couldn’t stand here all morning sniping back and forth in front of the omnibus stop.

Even if I weren’t here, Yuri and Roze would be turning heads.

As always, the two of them were drawing attention from the nearby students. But that was only natural, since both of them had the trifecta of good lineage, great looks, and academic smarts.

“Roze, let’s just hurry inside… You too, Yuri…”

Brigitte was trying to shepherd them both when something struck her as odd, and she glanced over at Yuri.

“Yuri…where’s your scarf?”

The familiar yellow scarf—that Brigitte had knit herself—was no longer around Yuri’s neck.

Brigitte had been chilled to the bone from the moment she got up that morning. Her maid, Sienna, had opened a window, and when Brigitte had poked her head out, she realized the weather was exactly what she’d expected. But perhaps Yuri didn’t feel the cold in the same way and simply forgot it?

But if he had, his servant Clifford would have said something. And Yuri had been wearing the scarf even on sunny days recently. It was very odd indeed that he wasn’t wearing it today.

Kira had said that a present given on National Founding Day was expected to be worn daily and taken as an invitation to spend the upcoming winter season together.

The cold weather was about to really kick in, so Brigitte had been hoping the scarf she’d made Yuri would be a source of warmth and comfort.

But wait… This makes me sound a bit possessive, doesn’t it?

When Brigitte realized this, her cheeks flushed bright red.

It was silly, wasn’t it, giving Yuri grief for one day of neglecting to wear his scarf? It wasn’t as if they were a couple.

Right… They weren’t.

Brigitte was undeniably in love with Yuri, but she wasn’t arrogant enough to simply assume he felt the same. And he’d never exactly said as much in words.

We haven’t even kissed yet… Although that one time, it seemed that Yuri wanted to…

A boy and a girl in an ambiguous holding pattern like this couldn’t accurately be described as dating.

So Brigitte would have to maintain a sensible distance from Yuri and behave in a rational manner.

Still… Still, Yuri’s the one in the wrong here!

Yuri had worn the scarf proudly up until now, saying he wanted everyone to see it… And how Brigitte had loved to see that! But now its mere absence had her all out of sorts.

Brigitte could not hide her inner turmoil, and Roze gave her a look of concern.

“Sis? Are you not feeling well after all?”

“N-no, Roze. It’s nothing.”

Shaking her head, Brigitte tried to calm herself down.

Then, from just above her eyeline, she heard an absent sort of mumble.

“…Sorry. Did you just say something?”

What?

Brigitte blinked.

Lifting her head, she saw Yuri, frowning slightly. Apparently, he hadn’t even heard her questioning him about the scarf…?

It was unusual to see Yuri so distant. Confused, Brigitte shook her head.

“N-no, it’s nothing, really.”

It wasn’t worth repeating anyhow.

Maybe Yuri just didn’t feel like wearing a scarf of any kind today.

If she made a big fuss about him wearing it, Yuri would get annoyed. Brigitte hadn’t knit the scarf to tie him down or anything. He should be able to wear it—or not wear it—whenever he felt like.

“More importantly, Yuri…are you, um, tired or something?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

She wasn’t imagining it. Yuri was definitely reacting more slowly than normal today. Brigitte had spent quite a bit of time with him over the past six months, so she picked up on that right away.

“It’s really cold today, though, isn’t it?”

“I’m used to the cold, so it’s fine.”

Shrugging and blowing air through his nose, Yuri turned away from her.

His attitude was definitely odd and sort of brusque. Brigitte narrowed her eyes. He must not be feeling well today. But no point in haranguing him on the subject.

“Let’s have one last competition, Brigitte. And, if I win…”

She thought back to two weeks ago.

They’d sat side by side in the gazebo, discussing the idea of making the graduation exam their final showdown… Since then, Brigitte had often wondered what Yuri meant by this.

“Let’s have one last competition, Brigitte. And, if I win, I get to give you one command.”

Hearing this, Brigitte was taken aback. She wondered why he would say something so obvious.

Maybe I’m the fool for saying I wanted to hear the end of that sentence.

In all of their battles so far, there had been one absolute condition: The loser must obey one command from the winner.

But in that moment…I think Yuri was actually trying to say something else.

He hadn’t blinked once as he stared at Brigitte; that was why she felt like that.

“If I win…” Yuri’s thin lips had trembled. His brow was furrowed as if pained, his gaze downcast as he laughed a little and said the rest. “…I get to give you one command.”

Though she didn’t realize it at the time, she’d come to believe that Yuri had swallowed some true sentiment at the last moment.

Come to think of it, something similar had happened before. Back in the summer, in the gazebo, Yuri had stopped himself as he was saying something like, “You know, I…”

When it came down to it, Yuri’s true emotions always seemed just out of Brigitte’s reach. Like the night of the National Founding Day. Yuri had called Brigitte cute more than once! He had even pressed his lips to her cheek. But he still didn’t seem able to open up to her. He was still holding something back.

He’s like water, Brigitte thought. You try to catch it in your hands, but it seeps away. She wanted to know more about Yuri, but she couldn’t get a firm grasp on him.

Well, anyway…if I win, I guess I’ll be able to find out.

Brigitte shook her head to clear her confused thoughts.

Right. She planned to win. No matter what Yuri was originally going to say, his assumption that he’d be able to win so easily was actually rather offensive.

And this would be their last-ever battle. Brigitte wanted another win, to go with the previous four or five. She wanted to end on a high note.

The last one… Brigitte strengthened her resolve, trying not to think about the sadness inherent in those words.

Yes, I will win. But to do that…I have to pull myself together and focus for this afternoon!

Today, just two weeks before the graduation exam, they were going to receive vital information about the exam itself. This was the biggest reason why Brigitte couldn’t afford to skip school.

As Brigitte’s desire to win rose up inside her, Roze rubbed his chin. “Aurealis seemed a bit strange just now, didn’t he?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Usually he’s much ruder to me…”

Roze seemed to have noticed something odd as well, though his perspective was different from Brigitte’s.

They looked at each other, but neither had anything further to say. Eventually, Brigitte tried to shake off the uncomfortable thoughts with some forced cheer.

“Well, Roze, shall we go?”

“Of course, Sis.”

And the two siblings walked off together.

After lunch that day, Brigitte headed to the auditorium along with her classmates.

“It’s… It’s finally almost time, huh?”

Kira had her hands clasped together, and her jaw was grimly set. After the National Founding Day ceremony, the whole class was talking about nothing but the graduation exams. Kira wasn’t the only one who was apprehensive.

Nival shook his head. “Kira, are you getting nervous already? It’s too soon for that.”

“You’re one to talk, Class Prez! You’re downright panicking!”

“I’m not panicking! I’m just mildly terrified, is all!”

“How about you, Brigitte?”

Brigitte rubbed her slender chin, a little worried. “Hmm. I’m nervous, too, of course… But mostly I’m keen to know more about the exams themselves.”

“Oh yeah,” Nival and Kira both said, nodding.

“We still didn’t manage to find out much, even after asking the older graduates or our parents and the teachers.”

“One of my sisters graduated from here. I asked her over and over, but she just told me to do my best. I think something is keeping them from saying anything.”

All three of them sighed at the same time.

When they arrived at the spacious auditorium that was mainly only used for ceremonies, they found it already bustling with students. It was all of the second-year students, from Classes 1 through 5.

Though there was no official rule, the students always tended to seat themselves in class groups from left to right (as seen from the entrance).

Brigitte and the others in Class 2 headed over to a likely space.

Ah…!

But halfway there, Brigitte stopped in her tracks. Yuri, a member of Class 1, was sitting in the back row of the neatly arranged leather chairs.

That in itself wasn’t anything unusual, but the seat to Yuri’s right was empty. Incidentally, there was also one seat to the left of him, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. People did tend to avoid him.

Whatever the reason, the important thing was that there was an open seat next to Yuri.

“…Oh, I can see Lisa sitting in the middle. I’m going to go join her, okay, Brigitte?”

“Uh, sure. Okay.”

Brigitte nodded, a bit taken aback by Kira’s loud, obvious tone of voice.

“You come with me, too, Class Prez.”

“I… What? Whoa!”

Kira tugged Nival by the arm, and Nival followed her with wide eyes. After the rest of her classmates were gone, Brigitte cleared her throat with a cough.

“Then I guess I’ll sit in the back. Why not? It’s as good a spot as any…”

Muttering thinly veiled excuses, Brigitte walked up behind Yuri.

Her footsteps were almost entirely absorbed by the thick carpet, but Yuri’s intuition was sharp. He turned around.

“This space is open. Next to me.”

“…Y-yes, I can see that…,” Brigitte mumbled, her cheeks red.

She walked across the aisle and sat down to Yuri’s right. She wanted to shake herself.

What am I doing? I’ve been so awkward around Yuri all morning. I need to pull myself together!

She never usually got a chance to sit with Yuri at school, since they were in different classes. This rare opportunity had gotten her all flustered and excited.

Brigitte sat stiffly, moving just her eyes to peek at Yuri beside her. He didn’t look awkward, or particularly pleased, or anything, really. In fact, he seemed to be suppressing a series of yawns.

Maybe he’s just tired…?

She would have liked to let him sleep, but they were about to get vital information about the graduation exam. Yuri might be a brilliant student, but missing out on this would put him at a serious disadvantage.

Brigitte decided she’d better engage him in conversation to help him stay awake.

“This lecture hall is quite chilly, isn’t it? Probably because it’s so big. I can see that fire stones have been placed around the walls and on the floor, but even so…”

“Yeah.”

Yuri nodded along to her prattling, but his eyes seemed oddly clouded. Brigitte spotted dark circles under them, and she frowned in concern.

“Yuri, I think you must…”

…not be feeling well after all, Brigitte was going to say, but just then, they all heard footsteps ascending the stairs.

Brigitte snapped her mouth shut as an elegant middle-aged woman stepped out onto the stage in front of the hubbub. It was Marjory, the spiritual studies teacher. The other teachers were all standing on one side of the stage.

“All right, students, settle down, please… Oh, you most certainly have. Goodness, it’s quiet. One could hear a fairy’s footstep.”

She looked around the auditorium and smiled. Even though she wasn’t raising her voice, it reverberated throughout the hall. She had a contract with a low-level earth spirit called a “korpukkur,” so the other teachers’ contracted spirits were probably using their magic to amplify her voice for her.

Though Marjory was as serene as she always was, the air around the students was tense. She seemed to sense this and dispensed with any lengthy preamble.

“Now, what you’ve been waiting for. I will now announce what you will be tested on for the graduation exam.”

Brigitte swallowed hard and concentrated on the movement of Marjory’s lips so that she wouldn’t miss any of it.

With more than a hundred students hanging on her every word, Marjory spoke.

“The test will be quite simple. You will all head to the Crack between the human world and the spirit world, where the evil fairies of the Unseelie Court await.”

For a moment, a painful silence filled the auditorium.

However, after a few seconds, the students began to whisper and murmur. A few even screamed quietly.

“Does she mean the Crack…?!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

“This is a bit too much, even for a graduation exam…!”

Marjory, still smiling serenely, surveyed the agitated students and continued in a nonchalant way.

“For safety reasons, we will only release Unseelie spirits with contracts into the Crack. They will not be rogue or wild. You can use any means necessary against them, as long as you survive. That is the sole objective of the graduation exam.”

It’s harder than I expected…!

Brigitte had been stunned into silence by this revelation.

Evil fairies was the general term for spirits who held great animosity toward humans. Of course, the good fairies of the Seelie Court could also do bad things, but mostly the Unseelie were obsessed with tricking and hurting people.

It’d be different if we were facing these in the human world…

It was said that no spirit could wield even half of its power in the human realm. But in the Crack between the two worlds, they were far stronger.

The Crack was a sort of fault line that existed in various places between the human and spirit worlds.

It could be found, for example, at the bottom of a clear-running river. Or within a broken rain gutter. Underneath the cracks in the cobblestones. Or deep inside a crystal ball. Maybe even up in the attic of an abandoned house. In these places, where the unknown lurked, one could find an invisible door to another place.

Beyond that door lay the Crack: the halfway point between the human world and the mysterious world of the spirits.

Getting lost there was bad, but it was still possible to find one’s way back. However, if a person stepped one toe inadvertently into the spirit world, they could never again return… Not as a human anyway.

Brigitte’s hand shot up.

Marjory spotted the slim hand waving from the back row.

“Professor Marjory, I wanted to ask a few…”

“I’m sorry, Brigitte, but I cannot take any questions.”

Brigitte was briskly rebuffed.

“However, this exam does pose a certain degree of danger. I don’t mean to frighten you, but I do want you to know what you’ll be facing. We’ve conducted similar exams in the past, and to date, we have lost three students…in the sense that they remain missing to this day. Among the injuries inflicted, seven students suffered injuries that were life-altering. But perhaps the worst of it was the psychological scarring.”

Someone shrieked, and a low hubbub spread through the students.

Brigitte’s clenched fists trembled a little on her lap, but she kept her eyes glued to Marjory on the stage.

“Avoiding danger is part of what it takes to be a spirit wielder. We will not force any of you to participate. Each student will be required to consent in advance of the exam.”

The students grew quiet again, as if trying to figure out what those words meant.

“Following this assembly, you will return to your classrooms, whereupon my korpukkurs will distribute a Magical Pledge to each student.”

“Magical…Pledge…?”

Brigitte blinked. She had never expected to hear those words here.

While a Magical Pledge appeared to be nothing but an ordinary document, it was, in fact, extremely powerful and significant.

In paper made by carefully peeling the bark of old trees, a dryad could be found. A dryad’s fate was forever linked to the tree it chose for its dwelling. It bound the words of the document made out of its paper and ensured that the person involved would not break their promise.

They say if you break your Pledge, the curse of the dryad will come down upon you!

There were various curses. Some were mild, like stumbling over tree roots or being showered with leaves. But there were also stories of people hit by huge falling trees, or returning home to find all the wood of their house completely rotted through.

For the most important contracts, like those drawn up between kings and archbishops, or a secret agreement between a powerful noble and his knights or subjects, a Magical Pledge would set the arrangement in stone.

I see. That’s why nobody’s willing to talk about the exam. It’s because of the Magical Pledge…

“So that explains it.”

Yuri snorted softly.

Brigitte looked over, and Yuri, perhaps taking her gaze for a questioning one, leaned toward her and whispered, “Clifford graduated from Otoleanna. I’ve asked him a few times about the graduation exam, but I could get nothing out of him.”

He’s…so close!

Brigitte was barely able to focus on what Yuri was saying.

“The Pledge probably stipulates that you can’t discuss the exam with anyone. Even after you’ve taken it… You won’t be able to tell anyone else what it entails, for fear of suffering the dryad’s curse…”

H-his breath! His breath on my ear!

Yuri wasn’t trying to tease Brigitte by blowing softly into her ear. He was just whispering so as not to bother the people around them.

“…Nng!”

Brigitte knew it wasn’t intentional. Yet her slim shoulders went tense, and she pressed her lips hard together.

“Brigitte? What’s wrong? Are you cold? Your ears have gone red.”

The small white ears peeking out from under her long hair were slightly flushed, which Yuri had apparently misinterpreted.

Put on the spot, Brigitte turned quickly away before Yuri noticed that her cheeks were even redder than her ears were.

“N-no, I’m not cold… It’s just…I’m excited…about the graduation exam, I mean! Er… Ha-ha-ha!”

Brigitte’s whispered response was far from suave, but Yuri nodded agreeably, without any suspicion.

“Oh, right,” he murmured, before returning to his prior seated position. Now that there was a little bit more distance between them, Brigitte was finally able to exhale.

Oh dear, she thought, trying to compose herself. She ran her fingertips over her earlobe, which still felt hot.

Apparently, the cost for drawing up a single Magical Pledge contract was six months of a commoner’s salary. There also weren’t too many craftsmen around who were capable of infusing a dryad into an object. No wonder it was so expensive…

Making Magical Pledges a prerequisite to the exam is a reminder to everyone of how dedicated they need to be to embark on this path…

The use of Magical Pledges wasn’t primarily to ensure confidentiality about the exam; it was probably more intended to dissuade people from participating without the proper level of dedication.

“Please fill out your Magical Pledge forms by the end of next week, saying whether you will be participating or not. We cannot cover misplaced forms, so please keep that in mind… Oh, and in case it needs to be said, any disruptive behavior, such as tearing up or stealing other students’ forms, is strictly forbidden. Unless you want to be cursed by the dryad.”

Marjory laughed heartily, amused by the students’ stunned reactions.

“There’s no need to look so intimidated! Any student who declines to participate this time will have another chance to take an easier version of the exam later this year, together with any students who fail this round. If you pass the reexamination, you’ll still be able to graduate.”

There was no need to worry too much about the exam this time, in other words. But nobody here would be happy to skip or fail it, either.

“However,” Marjory continued, “the badges we will distribute to successful examinees won’t be available to those who only pass the reexamination. Please bear that in mind.”

Brigitte stiffened, and she sensed the rest of the student body reacting to that, too.

The Otoleanna Academy of Magic’s graduation exam was notoriously difficult. Every student who enrolled at Otoleanna wanted that graduation badge, which could only be obtained by passing this exam.

Brigitte remembered gazing at the shining silver badge on the chest of her father, Deag, when she was a child. The badge was round, engraved with the Otoleanna school crest depicting a winged fairy. Its beauty had left her transfixed.

That badge identified the wearer as a spirit wielder. In high society, it could make one the star of a party or invite extra-special treatment.

It could protect you from the haughty gazes of unscrupulous nobles. It could help you find a better marriage partner. It could help you ascend in society with just the name and background you were born with. There was no other single item that carried such social power.

But for Brigitte, who had little interest in high society, it meant so much more. She’d heard that there were certain facilities and certain councils that only granted access to those with the badge. Many of these involved the spirits.

Those were just rumors, perhaps, but Brigitte was willing to believe them.

If I want to become a spiritologist, then having that badge certainly can’t hurt.

Marjory beamed at the students, who were sitting in a fog of intimidation and desire, and clapped her hands cheerfully.

“Well then, that’s all for today!”

Once school was over for the day, Brigitte, Yuri, Nival, and Kira sat down together at a table.

They were in the reception room of Brigitte’s villa, which was kept at a comfortable temperature by the fire crackling away in the fireplace.

They could have used the small salon in the school cafeteria, or the usual gazebo, but the salon was mostly full, and the gazebo was too exposed for a long conversation at this time of year. So Brigitte took the initiative to offer her own home for them to meet in.

I want to be able to talk with everyone in a calm and rational way.

Everyone in the group was clearly anxious. Sienna had left politely, right after serving tea, and Roze, who lived at the main house, stayed away. Roze was a first-year, but he clearly understood the importance of the graduation exam. No doubt he’d declined to join them out of concern that Brigitte and the others wouldn’t be able to talk freely if he was there.

The only one who seemed relaxed was Peep, who was hopping around on the carpet. Once everyone was situated, Brigitte began the conversation.

“We’ve been having a lot of lectures on the Unseelie lately, and I noticed they kept cropping up in the written exam. Now I’m thinking that was all in preparation for the practical graduation exam.”

Brigitte rubbed her chin as she spoke, and Nival, diagonally opposite her, nodded vigorously.

“But still, I wasn’t expecting evil fairies to be involved in this form. I mean, I don’t even know anyone who’s contracted with one.”

“Right. I mean, I don’t, either.”

“Nor me… The only contact I’ve had with evil fairies was the time with a leshy when I was digging for magic stones. But the academy must have all kinds of connections. I’m sure they could get people with Unseelie contracts to help with the exam.”

In actual fact, in the Kingdom of Field, quite a few people had contracts with evil fairies.

Evil fairies were spirits that harbored ill will toward humans, and many of them were very dangerous indeed. For this reason, most people feared and loathed them…but once they were contracted to a human, they mostly obeyed the orders of their contractor.

Contract ceremonies could only be held at local shrines, and each contract was registered at that shrine. The academy must have reached out to evil fairy contractors for help with the exam through these local shrines.

Some suggested that only academy graduates were approached for cooperation, but there was no way to know the details of the individual arrangements that had been made. A lot of people contracted with Unseelie fairies would lie or otherwise obfuscate the true identities of their spirits from everyone except close relatives.

They’ve faced discrimination, although not to the extent faced by those with nameless tiny spirits.

It was as Liam, the high priest of the Central Shrine, had said: In this country, people tended to mock those contracted with tiny spirits. It was the same for evil fairies. Spirits that deceived and frightened people were just considered bad.

There had also been cases of evil fairies kidnapping children and eating livestock, so perhaps the stigma was unavoidable.

“I’m not sure I understand, but it sounds like you’ve all got your hands full.”

“Oh, Carson. Thank you.”

Suddenly, Carson, the villa’s kitchen attendant and pastry chef, appeared in the reception room. The lively red-haired boy had prepared some sweet treats for them, since it was still too soon for dinner.

“Today’s dish is tarte tatin. I’m pretty proud of it, you should know!”

“Wow, how lovely. It smells like apples.”

Kira had been about to burst into tears just moments ago, but now she had brightened up considerably. Clearly the sight of a delicious tarte tatin had raised her spirits.

“Well, let’s put the Pledge forms aside for a minute…”

Brigitte reached out to pick up the Magical Pledge forms that were lying on the table.

And as she did…

“I feel bad for you kids.”

“…Huh?”

An old man’s raspy voice suddenly reverberated through the room, causing Carson to pause and look around in surprise.

“You won’t be able to eat delicious food like this once you go off to the Crack. And you’re all still so young… Ah, poor things…”

“H-hold on… Could you please…? Yeek?!”

Brigitte scrabbled for the Pledge forms, trying in a panic to fold them up.

Her fingertips were wet with…some sort of liquid. The creases in the Pledge contorted to form the shape of an old man’s face, screwed up with emotion, as large tears rolled from his eyes.

“What happened to your form, Brigitte? The ink’s all faded. And it looks like a face… Ugh!”

Carson pulled himself together and resumed trying to serve the tarts, but the others had broken out of their silent wallowing and were now excitedly exclaiming over Brigitte’s Pledge.

“You should reconsider this, you know! You mustn’t go needlessly into danger. You’ll throw away your young lives! I, for one, am against it!”

The voice of a middle-aged woman was coming out of Kira’s Pledge.

“You have no talent. You probably won’t survive. If you don’t want to die, hee-hee-hee, then you should just quit now.”

A middle-aged man’s voice floated up from Nival’s Pledge.

“Dying in the Crack is a terrible thing… Especially when you know it was always a futile endeavor…”

The tearful voice of a young boy was coming from Yuri’s Pledge.

Poor things… No hope for you… Doom and danger and despair… The Pledges were all chattering horrible things in a sudden cacophony.

“I… I’ll see myself out, then…”

Sensing trouble, Carson quickly finished serving the tarts and then bustled out of the room.

Brigitte groaned, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

“D-dryads…! You’re being much too loud!”

Indeed. All the noise was coming from the dryads residing within the Pledges.

Being one with the paper, they casually struck up a conversation with the students. Not that it was a pleasant conversation, since it consisted mostly of inevitable failure and doom.

Rolling the paper up like a scroll would shut them up, but then the students wouldn’t be able to read or sign the Pledges.

This was one of the reasons why Brigitte and company had decided to come here instead of remaining in the classroom among the dryads’ shrieks and shouts. Rational conversation was next to impossible in that din.

“I guess this means that…the exam’s already started, huh?” Yuri finally spoke for the first time.

Brigitte felt an odd sense of relief and nodded. “Some of the students will crack from this and decide to withdraw from the exam.”

“A temptation sweeter than tarte tatin…” Kira sounded chipper as she spoke around a mouthful of apples and pastry. “Um, Class Prez… If you don’t want your piece, can I have it?”

“You’re… You’re already helping yourself to it, though.”

“It’s so delicious, I can’t stop myself.”

Brigitte chuckled. The two of them were so cute together. As she picked up her own plate, she turned to Yuri.

“Yuri, would you like some?”

Kira loved to eat, but Yuri was the real foodie, especially when it came to sweets. He always had cake or flan after his main meal, and he spoke highly of Carson’s skills as a pastry chef. Brigitte had expected Yuri to go straight for the tarte tatin today, but so far, he’d barely even glanced at it.

Yuri blinked at the plate and fork Brigitte was holding, but he remained sitting with his arms crossed.

“I’m fine.”

“…You don’t like tarte tatin?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Brigitte worried that he really might be feeling unwell after all. But she decided not to hound him. It had been his choice to come over today.

After finishing up the sweet, tart dessert, Brigitte addressed the Pledge she was holding in her hand.

“Hey! Dryads! You keep harping on about death and doom, but do you actually know anything about what the exam is going to entail?”

The dryads fell silent, as if all their chattering earlier had never even happened at all. Their obvious reticence made Brigitte sigh.

I’d say they were just trying to put us off with random warnings…

It was unlikely that the teachers would have shared details about the exam with the dryads. No doubt they were just bored and had decided to mess with the students for their own amusement.

“Undine.”

Suddenly, Yuri spoke the name of his spirit.

“You called, Master?”

Thin air warped, and a beautiful, alluring woman with a body made out of water appeared. Arms folded, Yuri looked up at her and posed a question.

“I’d like to confirm something. You and Blue and the other spirits… Can you find the way between the Crack and the human realm?”

“Of course. Different spirits have different strengths and weaknesses, of course, but finding the way isn’t that difficult. Even I sometimes inhale fairy dust and stumble into the Crack.”

The undine giggled.

According to their textbooks, spirits could skip the Crack entirely and move directly between the spirit world and the human world. That was how the undine had managed to instantly appear when Yuri summoned her just now.

But certain mishaps could lead to them ending up in the Crack through unintended means. Fascinating. Brigitte wanted to hear more, but Nival shook his head.

“So then the graduation exam isn’t actually that difficult after all…?”

After all, if one was contracted with a spirit, one only needed to call on that spirit’s help to get home from the Crack.

But Yuri instantly dismissed that naive hope.

“Otoleanna’s graduation exam won’t be that easy. We’ll be attacked by evil fairies before we even have a chance to be led out by our spirits. Or we might be separated from our spirits somehow during the exam itself.”

“Hmm, I suppose. You’re right, the exam can’t be that easy.”

Nival grumbled to himself as the undine once again vanished to the spirit world.

Curious, Brigitte called over to Peep, who was hopping and cheeping on the carpet.

“Peep, can you also find the way between the Crack and the human world?”

“Cheep?”

Peep tilted its head as if to say, What are you talking about? Unfortunately, though, the little chick tilted its head too far and rolled onto its side on the carpet.

“Cheep!”

Hmm… I suppose Peep doesn’t really understand what I’m asking.

Exhausted, Peep closed its tiny eyes and appeared to go to sleep. Judging from its behavior, Brigitte decided she’d better not expect too much of the little bird.

It doesn’t matter. I’m aware of the risks…and my decision remains unchanged.

Sighing deeply and steeling her resolve, Brigitte let the Pledge drop from her hand. But instead of falling to the floor, it hung in the air, sparkling faintly.

Yuri followed suit. Kira gasped as she realized what they were both doing.

“Are you two going to…?”

“I never had any reason to hesitate.”

“Right. The same goes for me.”

At almost the exact moment, the two of them cast magical glowing light from their index fingertips.

Yuri’s was blue, and Brigitte’s was red, the lights representing their respective magical attributes.

The dryads residing in their Pledges clearly guessed the choice the two had made. They started panicking and lamenting in an exaggerated manner.

“No, no, you’d better not! It’ll be scary, you know!”

“Right. Don’t throw away your lives. You’re both still young…”

But Brigitte merely laughed at this.

“You can say what you like, but I won’t be dissuaded. I’m going to take the graduation exam—and I’m going to pass!”

Brigitte knew from the start that it would be difficult, but giving up without even trying it? Couldn’t be her.

My final battle against Yuri. And the best test for me in my goal of becoming a spiritologist!

Brigitte stared intently at the Pledge, which was now floating at her eye level.

I’m still not good at fine-tuned magical casting, though…!

Brigitte focused intently on her fingertips.

Then, in slightly distorted letters, Brigitte Meidell’s name appeared inscribed in fiery red on the page, along with a signed statement to the effect that she would indeed be taking the graduation exam.

The Pledge shone more brightly for a moment. Then the whole thing began to fade, as if dissolving into thin air.

Brigitte watched the odd sight in silence as the old man’s voice reached her ears.

“…Very well. If that is indeed your answer…then I wish you the best of luck.”

With those final words, the Pledge vanished.

No doubt it had already reached Marjory and the other faculty members. Brigitte’s response had been received.

“…Thank you, dryads,” Brigitte murmured softly.

Brigitte’s guess was that the dryads were just joking around, teasing the frightened humans, but perhaps they actually knew enough about the Crack, about its dangers, to have genuine concern for the young students.

While Brigitte was mulling over this, Yuri stood from his chair.

“I’ve submitted my Pledge, so I’ll be heading home now.”

Brigitte felt a pang of disappointment, but then again, this was normal for Yuri. He wasn’t the type to sit around chatting about preparing for the exam with the other students.

Nival glanced over at Yuri, who was packing his bag, and shook his head.

“Hey, Yuri. I’ve been wondering—what happened to the scarf Brigitte knit for you?”

Ack!

Brigitte almost yelped aloud.

Nival had noticed it, too? Well, that made sense. Until recently, Yuri had worn that scarf daily. The sudden absence of it was certainly conspicuous.

Standing next to Yuri, Kira seemed shocked that someone had actually mentioned it aloud. As for Yuri, he was still bent over his bag and had gone motionless.

“You always show it off, but today…”

“It’s none of your business.”

The sudden coldness of Yuri’s tone surprised them all.

Yuri turned briskly, apparently not willing to be questioned any further. Nival watched him leave, looking confused rather than angry.

“What’s wrong with Yuri…?”

There was an awkward silence.

Brigitte got to her feet, feeling like she should really go after Yuri.

“Sorry, I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?”

And she left the sitting room.

Brigitte trotted down the corridor, spotting Yuri shrugging into his coat in the entry hall, apparently just about to leave.

“Yuri!”

She called out to him, but then she realized she had no idea what to say.

Yuri turned and stared at Brigitte uncertainly, then muttered something.

“I lost it.”

“…What?”

Brigitte didn’t understand what he meant at first.

She blinked at him in confusion as Yuri bowed his head.

“I lost the scarf. This morning, I was trying to dodge the subject… I’m sorry.”

Brigitte was stunned for a moment, then slowly shook her head.

“You don’t have to apologize…”

Yuri quickly raised his head, his eyes filled with self-recrimination.

“Of course I have to apologize. How could I have lost the present you gave me…?”

Well, it did take a lot of work to knit it, but…

Brigitte was so ham-fisted, even Sienna was flustered. The scarf she gave to Yuri was the result of numerous knotted failures and considerable effort.

“But don’t worry. I promise I’ll find it.”

“You’ll… You’ll find it…?”

Brigitte blinked at Yuri, at the worried determination on his face.

Was Yuri planning to waste precious exam prep time looking for the scarf?

Brigitte suddenly felt worried. Yuri was the most talented student at the academy, but the exam wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“This isn’t the time, Yuri. The graduation exam is next week…just around the corner, you know? We don’t know what kind of evil fairies might show up, so we need to make good use of the prep time we have.”

“That’s… That’s true, but…”

Brigitte couldn’t make out Yuri’s response… After a moment of hesitation, she clapped her hands together and made a suggestion.

“I know… I’ll just knit another scarf. If I start right after the graduation exam is over… Then it might take until next year for me to give it to you, but…”

Yes, that’s a great idea. I might be better at knitting, now that I’ve gained experience!

If she saw it as an opportunity to give Yuri a better scarf, it wouldn’t be so bad. Brigitte’s emerald-green eyes sparkled.

But Yuri didn’t smile in response to her suggestion.

“I…”

Then he shook his head slowly, and still without smiling said, “All right. Thank you.”

And with those words, he left the villa. Brigitte remained standing there, frowning.

“Was Yuri…about to say something different?”

However, judging from his attitude, even if she chased after him and questioned him, he probably wouldn’t tell her. Giving up and returning to the drawing room, Brigitte began to think.

She saw Yuri as a very reliable sort of person. Though his high level of ability sometimes made him a little high-and-mighty, he was, at heart, a careful sort. The kind who took care of his belongings, library books, and other things.

Would someone like Yuri really lose a scarf?

And he seemed to treasure it, too…

Thinking about it carefully, it was all very strange. It sounded like Yuri had already searched his usual routes for the scarf many times. His servant Clifford and the other members of the staff must have helped him as well. But if he still couldn’t find the scarf, then…

“Ah, Brigitte. Welcome back.”

“We’ve been waiting for you, Brigitte!”

Brigitte reentered the drawing room, still lost in her thoughts. Snapping out of it, she lifted her chin and smiled.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kira, Nival.”

Neither of them asked about Yuri or the scarf. No doubt they were curious, but they were being considerate of Brigitte.

I should focus on the upcoming exam, too.

Especially after she’d lectured Yuri about it. Brigitte sat back in her chair, glancing back and forth between Kira and Nival.

“Have you two done your Magical Pledges yet?”

“Um, not yet…”

Kira seemed to be panicking as she clutched her Pledge. Apparently, both of them were still deciding whether or not to actually take the exam.

In that case…

Brigitte hadn’t had the chance to tell them this before, but perhaps now would be a good time to share it.

“Actually, last month…I had a bit of an altercation with an evil fairy. An alp.”

“Huh?”

“Wh-what happened? Were you all right?”

Kira and Nival were both taken aback, concerned about Brigitte.

“Yes. As you can see, I’m fine. I can tell you about it if you want. I don’t know if it’ll be helpful for the exam, but…”

“Please tell us, Brigitte! I’m certain it will be helpful.”

“I’d love to know, too!”

So Brigitte told them in detail about her encounter with the alp, leaving out the bits about her mother, Asha.

The two of them listened seriously and mostly silent. Once Brigitte had finished her story, Kira leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.

“Draining a person’s vitality… It’s frightening just to imagine it. And an alp’s powers would have been weakened in the human world as well.”

“It’s scary to think of the same thing happening to a family member or loved one, isn’t it? I’m starting to understand what Marjory meant about psychological scarring…”

Their responses made Brigitte’s heart sink a little. She’d wanted to share what she knew, but she hated to think that she might have put them off participating in the exam.

But as their friend, she couldn’t pretend that evil fairies were nothing, either. Alps possessed terrifying powers. The alp in question had tormented Brigitte’s mother Asha for years.

The evil fairies that would show up during the exam would no doubt use all their nefarious skills to impede the students, both physically and psychologically.

“Maybe think it over later, once you’re back at the dorms. The test is going to be risky… I think you’d better discuss it with your families.”

Brigitte wanted to point out that there was no need to decide right now. They still had until the next weekend to sign their Pledges.

Luckily for Kira and Nival, they were both close to their families. Getting advice and then thinking it over carefully in the quiet of their dorms was the best way to come to a decision they could happily live with, in Brigitte’s opinion.

But Kira shook her head. Brigitte looked at her in surprise, and Kira cleared her throat.

“I’ve always been afraid of things. And I’ve always hated having to do things when I’d rather not. Also, I hate apologizing, even when I’m in the wrong. I’ve been like that since before I entered the academy.”

Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. They were shaking slightly, but Kira was smiling as she lifted them to her chest.

Her beautiful eyes, reminiscent of the night sky, were fixed on Brigitte.

“But since I became friends with you, Brigitte…I’ve started to like myself a little more. I’m not the smartest, and my magical powers aren’t very strong, but I still want to challenge myself. I don’t want to just run away. That’s how I feel.”

“Oh, Kira…”

The air to the left of Kira suddenly distorted, and Kira’s contracted spirit emerged, a third-class earth spirit known as a brownie.

“Pyo! Pyoro!”

Generally, spirits rarely appeared in the human world without their master’s consent, as prolonged summoning would drain the contractor’s magical power.

But now the brownie must have felt the need to respond to Kira’s feelings. That was why it had appeared without being summoned.

“You’ll help me, won’t you, Brownie?”

“Pyorooo!”

The brownie raised both of its short arms above its head, then hopped around energetically in place, and Kira beamed.

“I agree! Let’s do our best together!”

“…I’ve decided, too.”

Sitting beside Kira, Nival lifted his head.

“It’s thanks to you, Brigitte, that I’m where I am now. When I was about to go astray, you helped me find my way again.”

Brigitte started to speak, to say that Nival was making too much of it, but Nival got to his feet before she could.

“Brigitte. I don’t know what the exam will entail, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to help you… But if we can be of any use, then please rely on me and my ariel.”

“What…?”

“Do you remember when I told you I wanted to be of service to you? …Because now might be the time.”

Nival’s expression was completely serious.

Initially, Brigitte’s relationship with Nival was a disaster, given that he was going to be Joseph’s squire.

That all changed when Nival set his ariel running amok.

Nival has always been an earnest sort of person, though.

Ever since that incident, Nival had always been an ally of Brigitte’s, and his influence on their classmates and on the other students couldn’t be overstated.

It was clear Nival was expressing his deep loyalty to her, and Brigitte didn’t want to make light of it. But she was unable to accept it, either.

Yuri said he’d protect me. That’s why.

Yuri probably still had no idea how much those words had meant to Brigitte.

And in turn, I want to protect you, Yuri.

Though she hadn’t told him yet…this was Brigitte’s newest dream.

She didn’t want to remain weak and in need of protection. She wanted to be a strong support for Yuri despite his solitude. She wanted to be the one person who was always by his side.

So Brigitte just smiled back at Nival.

“In that case, I think you should really help Kira, not me.”

“…Huh? Help Kira…?”

Nival tilted his head to one side, as though he was caught off guard by this.

“…What? Why should the class president help me?” Kira was also clearly flummoxed.

Seeing their reactions, Brigitte smiled wryly.

They couldn’t be more oblivious. What’s to become of them?

But perhaps Brigitte was the oblivious one.

“…So! It’s clear our warnings fell on deaf ears. See you in the next life, then. Farewell!”

“It was fun getting to know you. Such a shame we have to say good-bye…forever.”

“Argh! I can’t help it! I really am scared!” Nival cried.

“Dryads! Would you please stop with all the ominous talk?!”

“Pyoro?”

The dryads continued chattering away with their…threats? Well-meaning concern? Either way, they carried on for a while, but eventually, both Kira and Nival signed their Pledges as well.

And so Brigitte and her friends had officially made up their minds to participate in the graduation exam.

Chapter 2: Unseeable Intentions

It was the last weekend before the graduation exam.

Brigitte had come to town with Sienna for the first time in a while.

They browsed around the clothes shops, the magic-stone shops, the general goods shops, with no particular goal in mind. It was fun, but while they were perusing the yarn in a shop they often frequented, Sienna suddenly mumbled, “I wanted to go with you for the exam, my lady…”

“Aw, Sienna. I appreciate your concern.”

Yes, Brigitte was grateful, but she would have to rely on her own skills, as well as on the aid of her contracted spirit, to get through the exam. Sienna had to understand this, but it did nothing to lift the cloud around her.

On National Founding Day, when Brigitte had been wounded by her father, Sienna had gone so pale Brigitte had worried she would faint.

But there was no reason for Sienna to feel such a sense of responsibility. Brigitte was the one who’d given all the servants at the villa a half day off. She’d wanted them to forget about work and enjoy the celebrations. After all, National Founding Day only came once a year.

Hoping to dispel the gloomy atmosphere, Brigitte tried her best to speak in a cheerful voice.

“By the way, didn’t you meet up with Clifford on National Founding Day?”

“…!”

Though it was hard to tell, Sienna seemed shaken.

“My lady…why would you say that?”

“Oh, someone told me in secret.”

The person in question was Carson, who’d been going around the Founding Festival with his sister.

“So Carson’s the one with the big mouth, hmm? That pastry chef won’t get away with his crimes once I get back to the villa…”

Brigitte had only been joking around, but now it seemed that Carson’s life was in danger.

Brigitte smiled airily, trying to smooth things over, waving a hand in the air.

“N-never mind… But you know, Sienna…if you’re dating a man, I rather wish you’d tell me.”

In truth, Brigitte was a little hurt. Seeing her mistress pouting, Sienna seemed to panic just a little.

“It wasn’t a date. That day, Clifford and I settled on a time and meeting place and just so happened to encounter one another there… And then…”

“Er, is that not a date…?”

“Not at all. Anyway, he only invited me to say thank you for the gift…”

“What?! Sienna, did you give a present to Clifford?”

Sienna clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Her denials suddenly lost their conviction. “…No, I didn’t…”

“…Oh, Sienna!”

Sienna was adorable with her flushed cheeks. Smiling, Brigitte took her arm.

“Tell me, what did you give him?”

“…A hand-knit magic stone holder. I thought it might be good for beating the cold weather.”

“Oh! Well, how perfectly lovely. That’s something you can always wear on your person, isn’t it? A magic stone holder?”

“My lady… I think we’d better be…”

Please, can we talk about something else? Sienna’s eyes were silently screaming.

She was so cute when she was embarrassed. But Brigitte was usually the one being teased. So it was quite tempting to grin at her and say, “Tell me more!”

Well… I see their relationship has been progressing right under my nose.

Clifford Yuize was a good-looking man with a calm aura and a warm smile. He got along well with Yuri, and Brigitte had no arguments. She knew he was a good person.

I think I can entrust my Sienna to Clifford.

Now Brigitte was feeling warm inside.

“No, no, you’re the only one I like, I swear.”

Brigitte stopped dead in her tracks.

I must be mistaken… But no… That was definitely Yuri’s voice…?

And what he was saying…? Had he ever sounded like such a…cad?

Brigitte couldn’t believe her ears and looked around frantically, but the person passing in front of the yarn shop wasn’t Yuri.

Oh, it’s Clyde.

She’d encountered him once, when she’d been invited to the Aurealis’s house. The Water Clan Aurealis…

His long, glossy hair was pulled back, and he had a mole just below his left eye.

Even as he passed by, Brigitte could sense an aura about him. She wasn’t the only one, given the stares of the other women nearby.

His voice was very similar to that of his younger brother, Yuri, but the similarities ended there. For example, Clyde came off as a philanderer, the type who was always surrounded by women.

Clyde was strolling down the street with his arm around the shoulder of an older woman. Then he pulled her close and gazed into her eyes…

…Whoa!

Brigitte’s own eyes were the size of dinner plates.

It was hard to comprehend what she was seeing. What was Clyde doing?

R-r-right in the center of town, too!

As Brigitte blushed, Sienna quickly covered her mistress’s eyes with her hands.

“Um, Sienna? I can’t see anything.”

“It is poison to the eyes. You must not look at such things, my lady.”

Sienna tried to steer Brigitte to the back of the shop, but it was a bit too late.

“Ah, Brigitte. It’s been a while. Your red hair is hard to miss.”

As Clyde walked into the shop, grinning, Sienna watched him cautiously.

Her eyes finally uncovered, Brigitte greeted Yuri’s sneering brother.

“H-hello, Clyde.”

She glanced casually over his shoulder, but she couldn’t see anyone with him.

Was I imagining that woman just now? Brigitte wondered as Clyde still grinned.

“You were looking at me just now, weren’t you? You like to take the initiative, don’t you?”

“Filth! Don’t listen to the horrible words of this young cad, my lady.”

Sienna clamped her hands down over Brigitte’s ears this time to keep her from hearing Clyde’s response.

Clyde just waited for Sienna to release her mistress before speaking again.

“How about having a coffee together? I’ll treat you two to some delicious dessert.”

Brigitte immediately shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I must decline.”

“Oh, you’re busy now, are you?”

“Yes. I must return home. I have important business to attend to at the villa.”

Although returning home itself was the only important business she had at the moment.

“At the villa, eh?” Clyde muttered, raising a knowing eyebrow. “Yes, I’ve heard about all the trouble going on in the Meidell household. Must be tough for you, eh, Brigitte, after everything that’s happened with your parents.”

Sienna looked mad enough to spit, which was incredibly rare for her. Brigitte feared what she might do if she was let off her leash. She might even attack this man, whether or not he was the third son of a duke.

And yet it warmed Brigitte’s heart to think she had someone willing to fight on her behalf.

And Roze must deal with this all the time…

Brigitte felt a renewed sense of pride in her brother-in-law and his strength.

In the Kingdom of Field, there were four great noble families, each excelling in one of the four elements of magic: fire, wind, water, and earth. Each family had a long and distinguished history, and each strove to maintain the peace of the kingdom in the name of the king.

One of these, the Meidell family, also known as the Fire Clan, had produced many eminent spirit wielders who commanded powerful fire spirits, contributing greatly to the country’s development.

But then, and thanks to Yuri’s cleverness, Brigitte and company had used a method of broadcasting information known as “Wind Whispering” on National Founding Day. Through this, it had been revealed that Deag had used his ifrit’s power to wound Brigitte, and he was taken away by the Magic Guard on the orders of the king himself.

It turned out that Nival’s contracted ariel was somewhat limited in her abilities, and fewer people than expected had heard the broadcast in its entirety. But there was no doubt that the incident had made waves across the land.

The news that Brigitte, the eldest child of the Meidell family, had been banished to a nearby villa after contracting with a tiny spirit didn’t reflect well on the Meidell family at all. Their reputation had plummeted. To make matters worse, her engagement to Joseph, the third prince in line to the throne, had been called off as well. All of this, of course, had become gossip in high society.

Still, the whole incident had ended in a surprisingly peaceful way. Deag was banished from the capital, but everything was dealt with swiftly. And the other great noble families had worked behind the scenes to help put out the fire.

Brigitte’s view was that the king and the nobles didn’t want the Fire Clan being exposed to scandal. Their actions were self-serving rather than driven by concern for the Fire Clan.

They don’t want too much fuss, lest other skeletons begin spilling from closets.

Joseph’s many crimes had already been unveiled, including conspiring with the former head priest of the Central Shrine to steal the magic crystal and the magic breaker from the shrine, locking Brigitte in a storage shed, and nearly killing her. According to rumors, he was still spending all his time shut up in his room at the royal palace.

Too much fuss about the discord between Joseph’s ex-fiancée Brigitte and her father Deag might stir up the public’s interest in Joseph and his dealings again. That was why the king had punished Deag swiftly. To put an end to the trouble with as little fuss as possible.

With Roze, the successor to the family line, still being underage, the Meidell family was temporarily without a head. Most of its lands were under the jurisdiction of the royal family for now.

Roze wasn’t invited to attend the regular conferences of the four great noble families. But he still seemed to be active in joining whatever functions he could fit in around his student life.

It was all to remind people that the Meidell family was carrying on and doing just fine. Roze never said anything to Brigitte, but she could imagine the kind of whispers he had to endure.

Roze is not the only one I’m indebted to. There’s my phoenix…my little Peep, too.

She’d just heard from Liam the other day. As per Brigitte’s wishes, Liam had used the influence of the archbishop to delay the registration of her phoenix in the Book of Spirits at the shrine. He was waiting to register it until Brigitte graduated from the academy—until she was able to stand on her own.

And even though her phoenix was right there when the ariel was using its Wind Whispering power, Peep’s name was absent from all the gossip. Brigitte had used her spirit’s power to cast a powerful spell, yes. But the people watching the parade had no way of knowing what her spirit was, exactly. As a result, Peep was still a mystery to most.

Still, a lot of the students at the academy knew about Peep. Some had even seen the phoenix soaring through the air, streaming flames. It was an open secret, if anything…

Even today, as Brigitte and Sienna strolled through the city center, they barely attracted any curious looks. The public’s ill will had only increased as far as Deag was concerned. Brigitte had become an even more sympathetic figure.

So why would she let a little dig from the likes of Clyde rattle her? Brigitte merely smiled back at him.

“Thank you for your concern, but my family is fine. Roze, the next head of the Meidell family, will lead us confidently into the future.”

“…Hmm, is that so?”

Clyde shrugged with disappointment. Brigitte stared back at him, a bit puzzled.

I’ve been thinking this for a while, but now I’m convinced. Clyde really is kind of an odd person.

The things Clyde said and did certainly hinted at animosity. But unlike Joseph, he didn’t seem to have any specific desire to destroy Brigitte.

If I remember correctly, when we first met at the mansion…

Clyde had said they were on their way back from a family visit to their mother’s grave. Brigitte had been surprised that Yuri apparently wasn’t included. And Clyde had mocked her, calling her “Red Fairy.”

Brigitte was used to teasing. But the fact that Clyde’s snide voice had sounded so much like Yuri’s—that had upset her.

And as I was trying not to cry, Clyde seemed almost like he was reaching his hand out toward me for some reason…

But just then, Yuri had run over, put his arm around Brigitte’s shoulders, and steered her away from Clyde.

Brigitte hadn’t thought much more about it. But Clyde’s actions back then… Had they meant more than she thought?

“Here’s a juicy tidbit for you.”

“Hmm?”

Apparently, Clyde was still keen on conversing.

Clyde’s low, sensual voice resonated in Brigitte’s eardrums as she stood there frowning.

“I’m involved, actually. In your graduation exam.”

“What?” Brigitte frowned as his words sank in. “…You can’t mean that you…?”

Clyde, pleased with her reaction, put both hands behind his head and chuckled.

“The academy asked me for help. Given my position, it was difficult to refuse.”

Clyde’s contracted spirit is an evil fairy… Yes! An Unseelie Court…!

Clyde was one of the people helping with the graduation exam!

“If you come with me, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about my spirit. What do you think? Pretty sweet deal, huh?”

“No, thank you.”

Brigitte dug in her heels.

Clyde looked puzzled for a moment, then brushed his hair back, as if he had accepted her response. Some of the women in the shop were still gazing at him. Well, he did have a very sensual manner about him.

“Hmm, I see. So you must have heard about my spirit from him, eh?”

Brigitte shook her head.

“No. I’ve heard nothing from Yuri.”

Yuri wouldn’t spread the fact that his brother had made a contract with an evil fairy. It was a deeply private matter. Of course he wouldn’t.

But Clyde’s reaction was a dramatic one. He frowned deeply but said nothing, and one singular emotion flashed across his features.

Huh…?

Rage.

But even as Brigitte stared at him in shock, Clyde instantly regained his composure, as if nothing had happened.

A chill ran down Brigitte’s spine.

I… I wasn’t imagining that look on his face just now, was I?

But, judging from her expression, Sienna hadn’t noticed. So Brigitte pretended nothing was wrong either, and held up a finger.

“But you’re Yuri’s older brother, aren’t you?” she said, continuing the conversation as casually as possible.

“Hmm, I suppose I am.”

“A student shouldn’t have any relatives participating, if it would make the exam unfair. But you, Clyde… You’re participating. Ipso facto, having prior knowledge of the spirits will not affect the outcome of the exam at all.”

Besides, any information gleaned from Clyde was not fully reliable. He wouldn’t balk at telling lies to throw Brigitte off track.

Many students seemed to be preparing for the exam in their own way by searching for hints and so on. As for Brigitte, though, she had a hunch her time would be better spent having fun with Sienna, eating Carson’s delicious sweets, and preparing for the practical exam in her own way.

“Also, Clyde, surely the academy would have told you not to share your involvement in the exam…?”

Clyde frowned at her for a moment, perplexed. Then…

“…Ha-ha-ha! It just goes to show you can’t trust rumors after all.”

Brigitte watched him warily as he burst out laughing.

You passed, his reaction seemed to be saying. Right, it was all a test. If she’d agreed eagerly to his offer of help, he’d have mocked her to no end.

Clyde wiped away tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes.

“You’re quick. And more importantly, you seem much more confident around me than you were before. If you keep gazing at me with those wide eyes, I might start falling for you.”

“Perhaps in your dreams. Sir.”

For some reason, it was Sienna who’d interjected and answered for Brigitte. Clyde continued, more amused than ever now.

“Well, I’ll tell you one last thing.”

“…And what, pray tell, is that?”

Clyde brought his handsome face closer, even as Sienna continued to glare at him.

Brigitte waited, on edge, wondering what he could possibly have to say now.

“The one who stole that scarf…was me.”

“…What?”

As Brigitte’s eyes went wide, Clyde snorted with laughter. His warm breath tickled her ear, making her skin crawl. She flinched back.

“Or, to be more accurate, it was my spirit that did it. I just knew it was you who gave him that. A hand-knitted scarf, how sweet.”

With that cocky, knowing gaze, he seemed to find teasing Brigitte to be a deeply fulfilling activity.

“…Give it back.”

“Ah, but I cannot. My spirit won’t listen to a single thing I tell it.”

“Please give it back at once. Don’t you know how desperately Yuri’s been searching for that scarf…?”

Even after the details about the exam were announced, Yuri had been totally preoccupied.

“Yes, yes, the exam is very soon, isn’t it? This is a critical time, indeed.”

“Right. So if you understand that, then—”

But then Clyde’s expression suddenly went ice-cold, and he scowled at her.

“No, this is perfect for me. Nothing would make me happier than that crybaby weakling embarrassing himself during the graduation exam.”

“…”

Brigitte was unable to believe her ears.

Aren’t you…? Aren’t you Yuri’s older brother…?

Brigitte bit her lip, fighting a rising wave of indignation.

But she of all people knew that sometimes family could harbor more hatred than any stranger. In fact, Brigitte probably understood this better than anyone.

But to hear Yuri being derided as a “crybaby weakling” by his own half-brother—that Yuri was the object of such hatred—set Brigitte’s mind reeling.

She saw Yuri’s face in her mind as she’d seen it so many times before. She thought of the Water Clan’s splendid mansion. It was so grand, it could easily be mistaken for an actual castle.

What had Yuri’s life been like all this time, living in such an environment?

As Brigitte stood there fighting to breathe, Clyde turned his back on her.

“Well, best of luck on the graduation exam and everything. See you, Brigitte.”

As he began to saunter away, Brigitte shouted after him.

“You don’t know the first thing about Yuri!”

Clyde’s long legs froze. Then he turned, a cold sneer contorting his face.

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Yuri is no weakling. Just you watch. He’s going to pass the graduation exam with ease.”

Clyde merely shrugged, no doubt taking this as a pathetic bluff on Brigitte’s part.

It didn’t matter what Brigitte said. Clyde clearly never intended to take her seriously from the beginning. He waved a hand dismissively and disappeared into the crowd.

“…Are you serious?”

“My…lady?”

Sienna peered at Brigitte with timid concern, but Brigitte gazed right past her.

“Who does he think he is?!”

Brigitte was furious.

She was thinking of the night she’d given Yuri the scarf. His expression as he said he’d treasure it until he died. His happy smile.

Clyde and his contracted spirit had just smeared mud all over that beautiful memory that belonged to Yuri and Brigitte.

And to add insult to injury, Clyde had called Yuri a crybaby and a weakling, and had expressed the desire to see him fail.

Brigitte was furious.

“He’s absolutely unbelievable! Ooh! I am so angry!”

“Peeeep!!!”

Peep jumped out of Brigitte’s pocket, perhaps disturbed by her outburst of emotion. His wings flapping rapidly, Peep’s tiny black eyes flashed with anger.

“Please, my lady… Master Peep… Please, calm down…”

“I am calm, Sienna!”

Sienna quickly tugged her mistress, who was decidedly not calm, out of the yarn shop and back to the carriage waiting for them out on the main street.

By the time they reached it, the exposure to the cold outside had cooled Brigitte and Peep somewhat.

“…I’m sorry, Sienna.”

“Peep…”

“It’s fine. I quite understand your anger.”

With Peep on her lap, Brigitte thunked her forehead against the carriage window and breathed a huge sigh.

The driver cracked the whip, and the carriage rolled off.

Now that Brigitte was calm, she spoke to Sienna, who was sitting opposite her.

“I’m going to write Yuri about this. Could you please send it via spirit mail so that it arrives today?”

“I’ll arrange it immediately.”

With the exam only two days away, Brigitte decided this would be best.

Spirit mail was a service run mostly by wind spirits and their contractors. It was more expensive than regular mail, but one could deliver items quickly even to far-off places, so it was rather amazing. The only drawback was that spirits could be capricious, and letters and packages often went missing or arrived damaged. Using spirit mail came with a tacit understanding that one would not complain.

Brigitte had to tell Yuri about what Clyde said. She might have finally managed to convince Yuri to stop looking for the scarf himself, but he still had people out searching on his behalf.

But if he knew that Clyde’s contracted spirit stole his scarf…he’d be shocked.

It was clear that the brothers didn’t get along. She’d sensed the hostility between them when she’d actually seen them interact that one time.

But surely Yuri hadn’t imagined that his brother would try to sabotage him in the exam.

Let’s put my next win on ice for now.

Once she was back at the villa, Brigitte wrote a letter that summarized what Clyde had said and told Yuri that she wanted to pause their wager so that they could work together instead. Then she gave it to Sienna and asked to have it sent by spirit mail.

“Maybe I should have sent ten letters, in case this one gets lost…”

About ten minutes later, as Brigitte was standing by her window muttering to herself, there was a knock on the glass.

“Oh, here it is!”

Brigitte rushed over to the window without even calling for Sienna and spotted glittery dust falling gently outside the window. Probably left by the silky who’d delivered Yuri’s response.

“Thank you for the delivery!”

After calling out a brief thanks, Brigitte snatched up the letter lying on her windowsill.

Slicing open the envelope with a letter opener, she found a surprisingly brief reply.

I can handle this by myself. Don’t worry. Our wager will proceed as planned.

Taken aback, Brigitte let the letter fall from her hands.

“What…?”

Sienna scooped up the fallen letter, and after a nod from Brigitte, she scanned its contents. Brigitte was hoping her maid would share her shock, but instead, Sienna just nodded.

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

“What? How so?”

“If Master Aurealis is so confident, then that must mean he is more than a match for his older brother. After all, Master Aurealis is contracted to two very powerful, first-class spirits, the undine and the fenrir…”

That’s true, Brigitte thought.

Brigitte might have beaten Yuri five times, but she of all people knew that those victories had been won by the narrowest of margins.

Whether it was inborn talent or a result of his tireless efforts, Yuri Aurealis was one of the best. Brigitte didn’t know anyone finer.

In other words, Yuri had turned down Brigitte’s offer because he thought he could defeat Clyde.

Normally, Brigitte would have ended up at that conclusion as well. Believing in Yuri’s strength, she might have pushed Clyde’s provocative remarks to the back of her mind and put her whole heart and soul into her own battle with Yuri.

But there was something troubling her.

Yuri has been acting so odd lately. Is he going to be all right handling this by himself…?

But if she voiced her fears aloud, they might come true. So Brigitte said nothing. Sienna gazed out the window and let out a little yelp.

“The weather’s turning. I’ll just go and close the windows in the corridor.”

Sienna left the room, and Brigitte looked out nervously at the oppressive dark clouds gathering ominously in the sky outside.

Running a hand through her sweat-dampened hair, Brigitte muttered to herself, “…I certainly hope I’m worrying over nothing.”

But the coming bad weather was a very bad omen indeed.

Chapter 3: The World of the Crack

The morning of the graduation exam had arrived.

Brigitte woke up at her usual time and had breakfast.

After Brigitte changed into her uniform, Sienna carefully brushed Brigitte’s long hair out and tied it back in a high ponytail. Magic items were forbidden, so she chose a plain hair accessory, not the one Yuri gave her. As she gazed into the mirror, her expression was the picture of calm.

Two weeks wasn’t long at all. There was only so much that she could do while still attending regular classes. Brigitte was worried at first, but as the exam grew closer, she’d grown increasingly calm.

This graduation exam is the pinnacle of my school days. It’s going to test everything we should have learned through our classes.

In the run-up to the exam, Brigitte went over her class notes and read as many books and papers about the Unseelie Court as she could find in the library. The nerves were still there, but she felt she’d made good use of the time available, rather than wasting it feeling anxious all day.

Finally, Sienna gave her a light application of makeup and smiled at Brigitte’s reflection in the mirror.

“You look beautiful today, Miss Brigitte.”

“Hee-hee. Thank you, Sienna.”

Brigitte smiled softly back at her. Sienna was very sweet; it was typical of her to act like it was just another day.

Brigitte shrugged into a thick coat over her uniform and headed to the villa’s entrance hall. On the threshold, she stopped.

“Huh…?”

There was a reason why Brigitte had suddenly come to a halt.

The servants were standing along the path to the main gate of the main house—all of them, from both properties.

“What…?”

Roze appeared in front of Brigitte, who stood wide-eyed as the scene began to sink in. Although today was a day off for the first-year students, Roze was neatly dressed in his school uniform.

“Morning, Sis. How about an escort to the carriage? It’s right there, though.”

“Oh, good morning, Roze. Yes, thank you…”

Roze grinned and leaned in to explain to Brigitte, who was still staring at all the servants. “Everyone wanted to see you off today. Quite the turnout, huh?”

“Young miss, take care! I know you’ll be just fine!”

“Good luck, my lady!”

Carson held up a fist. Nathan and Hans, also close friends, called out to her in turn.

“My lady, we are all rooting for you! May you show off your abilities and leave with no regrets!”

“May the spirits bless you…!”

The servants at the main house were also cheering Brigitte on with hushed voices.

Oh, you all…

Brigitte gazed around with tears in her eyes. Six months ago, this scene would have been unthinkable.

After Deag and Asha had departed to a territory far from the capital, Roze told Brigitte he wanted her to return to the main mansion. But Brigitte refused, as she thought it would break the peace if she and her servants suddenly moved in.

And, although she didn’t say this to Roze, Brigitte knew that there were still plenty of servants in the main house who looked down their noses at Brigitte and her staff. Of course she didn’t want to go back there.

But apparently Roze ousted those individuals from the mansion one by one without even giving them a letter of recommendation.

Since Roze was in line to inherit the whole property, no one had any right to complain.

Thanks to him, I can actually say that both residences are officially my homes.

When Deag had banished Brigitte to the villa, he’d referred to it as a shed.

Brigitte had felt awful about the villa when she was first pushed out of the main house. But not anymore. Now she enjoyed living there, as well as having tea and dinners at the main house with Roze. She felt peaceful and happy.

And the servants in the two separate households, who’d worked apart until now, were here to wholeheartedly cheer Brigitte on for the exam.

“Sorry, Sis. I think they’re more nervous than you are.”

“…I can see that.”

Brigitte giggled as Roze shrugged. The Otoleanna Academy’s graduation exam was known through the land for its difficulty. No wonder everyone was making such a fuss.

“Everyone…seems very nervous…”

As Roze and Brigitte chuckled together, she felt the tension drain from her shoulders.

“Off you go, my lady,” Sienna and the others said, bowing as Brigitte climbed into the carriage.

Just before the carriage door closed, Roze grinned at Brigitte.

“Sis, we await your safe return.”

Brigitte grinned back.

“Right! Here I go!”

Brigitte waved hard out of the carriage window until they all faded from sight.

After changing into the athletic outfits they always wore for practical magic, the students of Class 2 made their way through the forest located on the academy grounds, guided by Marjory and a gaggle of korpukkurs.

They’d been to the forest for other school tests, too—digging for magic stones and other such things. The forest was home to many spirits and fairies, so it was usually quite lively. But today, walking in the middle of the procession, Brigitte lifted her head in surprise.

Right now, I don’t sense anything.

The forest was dead silent today. Even the sound of snow falling softly from tree branches and the babbling of the brook seemed to have faded into nothingness.

In this desolate forest, where most of the trees stood bare of leaves, the only sounds to be heard were the footsteps of the students and their hushed conversations. Beside Brigitte walked Kira, clutching the closure of her robes as she looked anxiously around her.

There was a sense of tension among the students. It felt unusual, perhaps, for there to be so few of them.

As soon as Brigitte entered the classroom this morning, she noticed that there were noticeably fewer students than last week.

According to Marjory, eighty students in total would be taking the graduation exam. There had been one hundred second-year students at the start of the year, which had dropped to ninety-seven, following some expulsions and dropouts. Which meant that seventeen students had declined to take the exam. Was that a lot? Or surprisingly few? It would depend on who you asked.

Three students from Brigitte’s class had opted to withdraw. One of them was a girl Brigitte often chatted with. The girl had wavered in her decision for some time, but eventually, she decided not to take the exam.

Brigitte was hesitant to view her as weak. The Crack was a liminal space close to the spirit world; it was normal to fear going there.

“B-Brigitte. It’s a bit scary in here, isn’t it…?” said Kira, drawing Brigitte out of her thoughts.

“The presence of the evil fairies is growing stronger…I think. Maybe the other spirits are hiding in their nests or what have you, trying to keep out of the way.”

Kira nodded a little. “About the exam…Lisa said she decided to opt out, too.”

“Yes… I know…”

Lisa was one of the seventeen who’d opted out. But Kira had refused to give in to fear.

“I’m going to work twice as hard for Lisa. I’ll pass the exam and make Lisa eat her heart out!”

Kira had suffered from Lisa’s scheming, alongside Brigitte. Wanting Joseph to love her, Lisa had pushed away Kira, her childhood friend, and used her.

The past couldn’t be changed. But there was no ill will toward Lisa in Kira’s shining, determined eyes. Just as Kira had said, her goal was to surprise her friend and make her green with envy. Brigitte was impressed.

So she nodded back at Kira and grinned.

“That’s right. Let’s make Lisa regret it!”

“Yeah!”

“Yawwwn…”

Behind the enthusiastic pair walked Nival, who was yawning widely. He then gave a colossal wet sneeze.

Kira looked back over her shoulder at him as he ambled along, apparently unconcerned. Her expression was one of envy…or maybe of wry frustration.

“You sure seem relaxed about all this, Class Prez.”

“No, I’m not. I was so nervous, I barely slept a wink. I’m exhausted… No, no, it’s all right, Brigitte! I got a solid three hours in the end!”

Nival immediately walked back his complaints as he seemed to sense Brigitte’s irritated gaze.

Three hours wasn’t long enough. But there was no point in worrying about that now. The exam was about to start.

“Man, we’re still walking, aren’t we?”

“Yes… We’ve already come such a long way into the forest as well…”

The korpukkurs were guiding the students so they wouldn’t get lost. They were just hopping happily along and refused to answer any questions the students might have.

Marjory, walking in front, was also spared from any chatter from the students. One of the rules during the graduation exam was that no questions were allowed, with no exceptions.

They weren’t carrying much, which made the long walk through the forest pretty easy. They were only allowed the amount of food and water they could carry in their pockets. Also, they were only allowed to use their jackets and cold-weather gear once the actual exam began.

Unlike the magic-stone hunt, which took place over two days, Brigitte expected the graduation exam to last a shorter period of time. If it took longer, there would be a higher risk that some of the students would stray into the spirit world. It was believed that this was the reason why three students had gone missing in the past.

After about twenty minutes or so, Marjory came to a halt at the top of a small hill in an area of the forest where few trees grew.

Looking back at the students, Marjory wiped several beads of sweat off her forehead with her hankie.

“Well, everyone, good effort getting here. We’ve finally arrived at Fairy Hill Sea, the starting point of the graduation exam.”

This announcement from Marjory set everyone aflutter with excitement.

So there’s a fairy hill in the forest.

A “fairy hill” was the general term for anywhere magical power tended to accumulate and wasn’t just limited to actual hills but included caves and mounds as well. Marjory had said that this was the starting point… This hill most likely contained many hidden access points, or doors, which connected it to various layers of the Crack.

Fairies and spirits tended to make homes of places deep in nature, where humans rarely came. Approaching such places without due care could lead one to the spirit world, and few ever returned. Children heard this warning from their parents over and over again throughout childhood.

The terrain seemed hilly in general, with several mounds all in a row. A magical barrier was usually cast around it to keep students from going astray there. Otherwise, someone would have found it by now.

“Now each of you will take turns going down the fairy hill toward the center. The students from the other classes will start from nearby hills at the same time. Don’t worry, the difficulty of the test will not change drastically depending on where you start.”

Marjory gave them some other exam pointers and warnings.

Once she was done explaining, one boy raised his hand with worry on his face. His contracted spirit was a Jack Frost.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Um… If I feel my life is in danger in the Crack, what should I do? I’m not really worried about myself, but my Jack Frost…”

The boy started crying, and the nearby students gave him reassuring pats on the shoulders. Marjory smiled kindly. Perhaps the boy’s words of concern for his spirit had moved her.

“I was just about to explain. Given the nature of today’s exam, I hardly need to mention that the evil fairies’ contractors will be on hand to communicate with their spirits at any given moment. They won’t be going into the Crack themselves, so you won’t see them, but…if the evil fairies do anything truly untoward, the contractors are under instructions to rein them in at once.”

Brigitte thought of Clyde.

She wondered if his contracted spirit was eagerly waiting for the students to arrive and begin the exam.

I wonder what Yuri’s plan is…? I don’t see him getting that scarf back so easily…

Though the official numbers hadn’t been made public, based on the scope of the test, it was easy to assume there were multiple collaborators just like Clyde. How hard would it be to locate Clyde’s contracted spirit among the rest?

No doubt Yuri was pondering it, too, as he listened to his teacher’s explanation. With each class starting from a different point, Brigitte felt even more ill at ease.

“Also, my korpukkurs and the others teachers’ spirits will be constantly patrolling the Crack. If you decide to withdraw from the exam, please stay exactly where you are and wait for the patrol to come and collect you.”

The tension among the students dissipated considerably when Marjory said that. Some of them even seemed to think this was no different from any other practical field lesson or activity.

But then Marjory’s expression and her tone of voice grew stern.

“Even so, remain highly vigilant. It’s hard for anyone to stop an evil fairy when it is truly riled, even its own contractor. Sometimes there’s simply nothing to be done… In the past, people have been seriously injured, and some have even gone missing entirely…”

Marjory looked around at the students, then suddenly relaxed.

“Ah, but giving dire warnings just gets even more tempting as we age. The truth is, for the past two years, as a teacher of spiritology, I hope I’ve managed to express the strength and kindness of spirits, as well as their terrifying nature.” She smiled softly. “Well, then. I’ll be waiting right here, looking forward to seeing you all once again after you safely pass the exam.”

Of her friends, Brigitte’s name was the first to be called.

“Good luck, Brigitte!”

“Brigitte, be careful…!”

“I will! You too, Kira, and you too, Class Prez!”

Brigitte stepped forward after flashing a quick smile at her friends.

The student right in front of her was already making their way down the hill. The slope was gentle, so there was no need to worry about falling.

It was odd, though. After a few seconds, she could no longer see anyone ahead of her. She’d been staring right at their backs, but then…they were gone without a trace. It was as if the world around Brigitte had been flipped upside down in the blink of an eye…

There’s no fog or haze, either…

What was even stranger was that Marjory had been summoning the students to depart one by one. At this pace, some of them should have encountered one another at the bottom of the hill. But there was no sound of conversation coming from the foothill, and no one had returned so far.

Still, there was no time to ruminate. Marjory suddenly tapped Brigitte on the shoulder.

“Good luck, Brigitte.”

“Thank you, Professor Marjory.”

Now it was Brigitte’s turn.

She swallowed hard and set off down the fairy hill.

So I just need to walk to the bottom of the slope here, right?

The serene, pure air brushed her cheeks. Her muscles were wound tight. She was picking up on something, she thought, something unlike that in the world where humans dwelled.

Despite her best efforts to remain calm, Brigitte began to feel a sinking sense of dread. She started to wonder if she’d made a mistake in her decision to participate in the exam.

No, no, I can’t go panicking now. I’ve made up my mind. I’m doing this.

Brigitte stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. After another similar breath, she called out to her contracted spirit, slumbering away in her hair.

“Peep. Let’s both—”

Before she could finish saying, “—do our best,” Brigitte’s foot slipped.

“Yeeek?!!!”

An unexpected tumble.

There was nothing to grab on to on the gentle hill, and Brigitte fell headfirst to the ground. She put both arms out to try to catch herself, but…

The view in front of Brigitte became distorted and twisted. The ground that had been rushing up to meet her suddenly disappeared, and she was enveloped in an endless darkness.

Wh-what?! What’s going on?

As she tumbled through nothingness, her screams were muted, as if she were underwater. Brigitte dragged her eyes open, still tumbling…

And she stared in amazement as the world around her became a sudden kaleidoscope of color.

Red, dark blue, green, brown, pink, yellow, light blue, gold, black… She was tossed about on a prismatic storm that left her both dizzy and sick. It was only after a few seconds that she realized that those colors represented the nine schools of magic. Although Brigitte couldn’t have said for sure that it was only a few seconds. At least, it felt that way.

But there was one thing she did know.

I’m getting closer to the space between the human world and the spirit world… The Crack!

She clenched her teeth tight. Ahead awaited a world divorced from the usual laws of common sense.

And so, after what could have been a few seconds or an eternity, Brigitte’s senses were returned to her with a large thud.

“Ouch, that hurts…”

Rubbing her bruised backside, Brigitte managed to sit up.

My head’s still spinning…

Brigitte had never been on a boat before, but she wondered if this was what being seasick felt like. She looked around, rubbing her aching head.

“Am I still in the forest? …No. This is no mere forest. This is a sea of trees.”

It was immediately clear that this place was not the forest that surrounded the academy. Flowers in odd shapes she’d never seen before, plants that had grown in strange ways, trees covered in glowing moss… Brigitte’s heart thudded as she looked around the seemingly endless space.

Though the sky was hidden by the canopy of trees, she could see dark blue between the gaps in the branches. It was night for sure.

“Not only is the place and season different from before…but the time of day is different, too.”

The flow of time was not the same in the human and spirit worlds. In the spirit world, fall follows spring, then summer comes again. Sometimes dawn breaks around noon, or nights go on for a while without the sun rising.

The visibility wasn’t perfect, but Brigitte could see well enough by the light of the glowing moss. And more light came from the tiny spirits that seemed to be flying around everywhere. Their faint glow illuminated an unending sea of trees—a truly fantastical forest.

As an experiment, Brigitte extended an index finger, and a tiny spirit landed on it for just a second. Then it flitted away before her eyes.

In the human world, where magical power is weak, it was rare to be able to see the forms of tiny spirits so clearly.

“So this is the Crack…”

Brigitte swallowed. She’d sort of stumbled into it, but there was no denying that she’d made it to the boundary between the human world and the spirit world.

She slowly clambered to her feet. She felt pretty woozy still. Maybe it was lingering vertigo, or maybe it was because the level of magic here was orders of magnitude greater than it was in the human world…?

The wind caressing her cheeks wasn’t the frigid kiss of winter but a mild and pleasant breeze. Well, at least she wouldn’t freeze to death. But was she supposed to just aimlessly wander this sea of trees?

And the evil fairies could attack me at any moment.

Maybe they already had Brigitte in their grasp.

As she tried to make sense of her surroundings, Brigitte remembered something important.

“Peep? Where are you?”

Usually, Brigitte’s contracted spirit would respond at once with a cheerful chirp.

“Peep… If you can hear me, please answer…”

She called out several times, but Peep didn’t answer. Brigitte anxiously went through her pockets and combed out her hair, but her fingers brushed against no soft bird feathers.

Maybe Peep had been sent somewhere else by accident? Or maybe this was the separation from their contracted spirits that Yuri had been worried about?

The thought made Brigitte uneasy. But Peep was a full-fledged spirit, despite its form. Peep was no doubt much safer here than Brigitte was.

Also, Peep is easily frightened.

When they encountered the alp, Peep had been quivering the whole time. Maybe the presence of an evil fairy had spooked the bird, and it had flown the coop?

Setting aside those questions for now, Brigitte decided to focus on her immediate surroundings first.

“Brigitte!”

Brigitte turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, and her eyes widened.

“Huh…?”

It was Yuri, who’d departed from a different fairy hill.

Yuri came running toward her through the underbrush, smiling. Taken aback, Brigitte studied him intensely.

“I see we were sent to the same place. Good,” he said.

“…How long have you been here?”

“Just a few minutes. I looked around, but I didn’t see anything of interest.”

So Yuri had already finished exploring, at least nearby.

“By the way, Peep doesn’t seem to be here. What about Undine and Blue…?”

“Not here, either. I keep calling them, but they haven’t come.”

Brigitte knew it. Something odd had happened.

“Brigitte. Why don’t we rest over there for now?”

In the direction Yuri was pointing, there was a wooden hut. It was old and shabby and stood alone, as if it was watching over the endless sea of trees.

I didn’t even see that… I had no idea it was there…

Brigitte blinked and nodded. Standing here wouldn’t change the situation, and if they could use the hut as a base to regroup, that would be great.

Yuri was the first to open the poorly hanging door and go in. Brigitte followed, tentatively looking around the dimly lit room.

It was a nondescript one-room hut. It could have been built by human hands as a base to monitor the Crack. Or it could have been made by spirits mimicking human construction techniques.

The dusty shelves were empty, and there was no sign of life in the place. There were no footprints on the wooden boards and no sign of recent use.

Brigitte was a little disappointed. Then she noticed a candle standing in a puddle of hardened wax on a random table.

“Can we have some light?”

Yuri followed Brigitte’s gaze.

“That should be fine. I mean, if something appears, we’ll just have to deal with it.”

Yuri was as full of quiet confidence as ever, even now, during the daunting graduation exam.

Brigitte placed her hands over the candle and recited a short incantation.

“Fire.”

Ignition magic was the most basic of everyday spells. A flame flickered to life on the wick, filling the room with mellow light.

Yuri opened the window and turned around, smiling.

“You’ve improved.”

“Well, thanks.”

Recently she’d finally learned to fine-tune the strength of her magic, though she could still only do it with simple spells.

I don’t have Peep here to consume the magic, so if I conjure a fireball that’s too big, it might cause a serious incident.

If things got out of control, Yuri could probably douse her with water. But Brigitte would rather avoid that.

Yuri sat down and leaned back against the only sofa in the room, staring at her in silence. Still standing, Brigitte awkwardly cleared her throat.

“I wonder who built this hut…?”

“Spirits, I’d guess?”

“But the hut is built to human scale.”

And the hut doesn’t seem to have any obscure elements to it…

Brigitte was pondering the issue when a hand suddenly grabbed hers. Lifting her head in surprise, she found herself looking right into Yuri’s impassioned eyes.

“Brigitte…”

“What’s…wrong…?”

Brigitte tried to draw her hand back, but Yuri wouldn’t let go. His beautifully shaped eyebrows were drawn together sadly, and his gaze was fixed to the back of Brigitte’s hand.

“Brigitte. There’s something I want to talk to you about, involving Clyde…”

Brigitte had no idea what he was going to say next, but gazing at his face, she took a deep breath.

Brigitte tried to calm her racing heart. She needed to stay as composed as possible.

“In that case, I’d like to say something first.”

Although her demeanor was calm, Yuri must have sensed the anger in her voice, as he flinched a little.

“Like what?”

With a defiant stare, Brigitte spoke.

“…You aren’t Yuri, are you?”

“…What?” Yuri’s jaw went slack—and then he smiled awkwardly. “What are you talking about, Brigitte?”

“I’m talking about that.”

Brigitte’s finger jabbed forward, coming to a stop just in front of Yuri’s face.

“The thing is, Yuri’s smile is amazingly, awe-inspiringly adorable. People call him the ‘Frozen Blade,’ you know. He’s not the type of person who smiles so easily.”

Yuri’s shoulders stiffened.

In truth, Brigitte had sensed something was wrong the moment they’d met again.

Yuri located Brigitte in the sea of trees and ran over to her with a big smile of relief. But there was no way the real Yuri would show such weakness in front of Brigitte.

After all, the graduation exam was underway.

The real Yuri, being as shrewd and sharp as he was, would have been on alert, wanting to make sure first of all that Brigitte was who she appeared to be.

“Also! The real Yuri would never try to discuss personal matters in the middle of an active examination…”

“Hold on. I’m only human. Sometimes I’m going to act a bit out of character.”

Even though she was hastily interrupted, Brigitte crossed her arms indignantly and didn’t change her attitude one bit.

“The more you talk, the less Yuri-like you become… If you’ll notice, I haven’t once referred to you as Yuri, since you aren’t him!”

“…”

“You’ve got some nerve pretending to be Yuri in front of me. I know him better than anyone! I know what you are! You’re an evil fairy! You’re…a puck!”

Brigitte was a little embarrassed to admit aloud that she knew Yuri so well, but she was full of energy. Maybe it was all the exam excitement.

The puck who’d been disguising itself as Yuri sucked its teeth in, then slithered off through the hut’s open window. Brigitte hurried after it, determined not to let it get away.

Planting her foot on the windowsill, she bellowed out.

“Hey, get back here! I’m not done with you yet!”

“Brigitte!”

Someone grabbed Brigitte’s shoulders from behind.

Startled, Brigitte almost fell flat onto the floor of the hut. It was that voice, the same one from before…

“I…I won’t fall for that again! Look, there you are, still pretending to be Yuri!”

Brigitte’s cheeks heated with anger at the sight of the impudent puck, back again in its guise.

“You wicked creature! How dare you take me for a fool? I’ll sniff you out a hundred times, you… You…”

“Stop fighting me, you idiot!”

“Who are you calling an idiot?! Stop trying to sound like the real Yuri!”

“Will you listen?!”

As Brigitte scrambled to sit upright, the puck grabbed her by the shoulders.

Brigitte gasped for breath as he held on to her from behind.

“Stop… Stop it…”

She struggled, but “Yuri” held on to her with such strength, she couldn’t pull away.

Perhaps he had come running; he was breathing heavily against her shoulder, and his body temperature was hot. The more Brigitte felt that familiar sensation, the weaker her resistance became.

But no. It can’t be. It isn’t really Yuri…

Immobilized, Brigitte could only crouch there as Yuri rested his forehead on her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her hair.

“Please, stop fighting. Someone could get hurt…”

Hearing his hushed, earnest whisper made Brigitte go weak.

She could almost believe it was really him. The puck knew just how to exploit her greatest weakness.

“Sh-shut up, you.”

Listening to the thump, thump, thump of her heart, Brigitte managed to croak out a retort.

She couldn’t let her guard down. Evil fairies used their cunning to exploit whatever weaknesses existed in people’s hearts. She had learned this in multiple classes, in more than one of her textbooks, and firsthand from her encounter with the alp.

She couldn’t give in and sink into that soft embrace.

“D-don’t go thinking you can get me to do whatever you want just because you’re pretending to be Yuri!”

“Excuse me? What’s wrong with you?”

The reply came in a somewhat exasperated tone.

It sounded so normal, Brigitte was compelled to turn around. When her eyes met Yuri’s—when she saw the quiet frustration in his features—she knew. She knew completely.

She reached out a timid hand and touched the smooth cheek. The skin was firm and youthful. The sensation was familiar.

Yuri narrowed his eyes and sighed, continuing to stare at Brigitte.

“Are you…are you really the real Yuri?”

“What else would I be?”

She knew that sarcasm, too.

Brigitte felt the tension drain from her shoulders, but Yuri continued to scowl.

“Now that you’ve calmed down, listen carefully. I want you to stand up and take ten steps forward.”

“Er, what?”

“I’ll lead you by the hand. Don’t worry.”

Yuri got up, offering his hand to Brigitte.

For a moment, she hesitated. What if this was another trick of the shape-shifting puck?

…No. I believe in you, Yuri.

The Yuri from earlier was a perfect replica, but only on the outside. This one was different. She was certain that the person in front of her was the real Yuri. Either way, she had no choice but to trust her instincts.

Brigitte slowly stood and gently took Yuri’s hand. Leading Brigitte backward, Yuri deftly opened the door to the hut with his free hand.

“All right. You should be safe now.”

Just ten steps later, Yuri spoke with a sigh of relief.

Brigitte let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

Without letting go of her hand, Yuri looked behind Brigitte with a severe frown on his face, and Brigitte followed suit, slowly turning her head to look back over her shoulder.

There was…nothing there.

“Huh? The hut…it’s…”

Brigitte was stunned. But who could blame her? There was no trace of the hut she’d been inside just moments before.

Moreover, the area where the hut had been was now a steep cliff, and a cold wind was buffeting the cliff so noisily that Brigitte was afraid to look down.

“Probably duergar magic.”

“Duergars… The evil fairies?”

“Yes. Their powers are simple, but that’s what makes them so powerful. Duergars show illusions to travelers, luring them into huts and dwellings. But in reality…”

Yuri didn’t continue, but the implications were clear. And Brigitte had fallen for one of the duergar’s favorite tricks.

“I… I was hallucinating all of that…”

Brigitte felt her knees buckle, but Yuri held her by the shoulders.

“I was just circling the sea of trees, marking my path, hoping to get a sense of the width of the Crack. But I never saw a hut… Then I heard you shrieking.”

That explained why he’d come running. She could have done without him describing her as “shrieking,” though.

Brigitte shuddered. If Yuri hadn’t happened to be passing by and heard her, she would have jumped headfirst through what she thought was a hut window. In actuality, she would have fallen over this massive cliff.

According to Marjory, the teachers’ contracted spirits were patrolling the area, and the evil fairies’ human contractors were probably watching over the exam from the human world. But there was a chance that they wouldn’t have been able to help her in time.

“Thank you, Yuri. I see you saved me again…”

Yuri looked down at Brigitte with concern as she gave him a wan smile.

How pathetic of me to get so riled up over an illusion…

No, it was her naive eagerness that got her swept away, Brigitte reflected. She had been so pleased with herself for seeing through the puck’s trick that she’d let herself be an easy target for the duergars.

As Yuri once again demonstrated his usual powers of observation and judgment, Brigitte felt like pond scum.

Still…I can’t go getting all depressed about it.

This was far from the end of the test. In fact, it was only just the beginning. She would have to use this early failure as a lesson and move forward.

“You mentioned a puck earlier. I didn’t see one; was one there as well?”

Yuri seemed to have noticed Brigitte’s dejection, too. His question made her pull herself together and respond.

“Yes. It wasn’t just one trap… It was a double trap set by a puck and a duergar.”

In other words, two evil fairies had joined together to take her down here in the Crack…

“…In fact…it might even have been more than two.” Yuri was frowning, deep in thought.

“What…do you mean?”

Brigitte really didn’t want to know, but she felt she’d better ask.

“Just before, I saw Nival and Kira walking up with big smiles on their faces.”

Brigitte swallowed hard.

“…Seriously? There was more than one? Three pucks working with the duergar…?”

Maybe it was just her imagination…or maybe she really had heard a chilling laugh, coming from somewhere deep in the sea of trees…

Chapter 4: The Unseelie Trap

“There’s no point in standing here staring.”

Yuri broke the silence as he stood there, arms crossed.

His eyes, fixed on the sea of trees, were cool and calm.

“Our objective remains unchanged. We have to get out of the Crack without succumbing to the influence of the evil fairies of the Unseelie Court. Right?”

“Right… I guess you’re right.”

Brigitte looked up at Yuri’s imposing figure.

Yuri really is amazing…

With Clyde and the scarf incident, Brigitte had been really worried about Yuri in the run-up to the exam… But it turned out she was just worrying for nothing. Right now, Yuri didn’t seem bothered about either of those things.

Come to think of it, pucks and duergars are neither water nor ice spirits.

Just because Clyde was a member of the Water Clan, that didn’t necessarily mean he was contracted to a water spirit. But that was the natural conclusion to come to.

As of yet, Brigitte and company hadn’t encountered Clyde’s contracted spirit.

I mean, Clyde and Yuri are brothers. If I was a proctor in charge of this exam, I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to let the two of them interact during such a vital test.

The exam was being held under conditions of great secrecy and seclusion. If people found out later that he had a family member involved, Yuri might be accused of cheating. Marjory and the other teachers would never set up any student to fail like that, and that included Yuri.

In other words, I don’t need to worry about Clyde or his spirit right now. As for the scarf…we can get it back once this exam is over.

Brigitte sighed with relief. She’d really let Clyde get inside her head and mess with her, hadn’t she?

He couldn’t lay a finger on Yuri during the exams. That thought made Brigitte feel a little better.

“Right. And to confirm…as to our wager, the first one to exit the Crack wins…right?”

“Yes. That’s fine.”

Feeling well enough to bring up their wager, Brigitte observed Yuri as he nodded slightly.

Brigitte put her hands on her hips and tried to look as confident as possible, grinning broadly at him.

“In that case, from now on, even if we encounter a situation like the one earlier… Please, leave me to handle it alone. This is our final battle, after all.”

Right. I can’t just lean on Yuri all the time.

Over the past two years at the magic academy, Brigitte had learned much. Having reached this point, she’d never win just relying on Yuri’s intelligence and magical skill.

Besides, my goal is to become a spiritologist.

A spiritologist’s role was to facilitate relationships between humans and spirits. To bridge the gap between the two.

That went for evil fairies as well. Tonari had once told Brigitte that many of the work requests spiritologists received had to do with evil fairies.

So Brigitte needed to face the graduation exam on her own. If she didn’t, her dream would never come true.

“…Well…”

Yuri, brow furrowed, was about to say something, when…

At that moment, a loud rustling sound came from the bushes behind them. Brigitte’s shoulders trembled with fear, and she turned around, following Yuri’s eyeline.

Then emerging from the bushes was…

“Ah! Yuri! I finally found you! …And, oh! Brigitte?”

“Huh? Brigitte’s here?”

“Class Prez… And Kira…?”

Brigitte’s expression stiffened. The last time she’d seen her two friends was before she headed down the fairy hill to the sea of trees.

After her horrible encounter with the puck pretending to be Yuri, Brigitte couldn’t summon the energy to greet her friends enthusiastically.

Yuri apparently felt the same, and he was immediately wary of Nival and Kira.

“More fakery. Don’t come any closer.”

Nival and Kira stopped and looked at each other.

Nival let out a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head.

“What’s the matter, Yuri? You ran off saying something about fakes and so on earlier.”

Huh…?

Brigitte tilted her head to the side. Nival’s annoyance seemed perfectly at home on his face. It was the kind of expression he always wore.

“It’s suspicious, that’s what. There’s no way you’d come running up to me with a smile on your face.”

“In this creepy place, seeing someone you know will bring a smile to anyone’s face!” Nival practically barked.

H-he’s got a point!

A beat after Brigitte had this thought, Yuri’s shoulders shifted slightly. It seemed he agreed.

But, I mean…

“Let’s stop fighting among ourselves. First of all, we need to think about what we’re going to do from now on.”

Kira was always the peacemaker.

“Brigitte, do you have any ideas?”

“Well…”

Brigitte trailed off, then spoke again.

“Kira, may I have a moment?”

“What is it?”

“I can’t find Peep. Have you seen him anywhere…?”

The three of them all turned their attention to Kira.

“Peep, you say? No, I can’t say I—”

Kira put her head to one side, as if to say Not a clue.

That mannerism, her way of speaking—it was all so modest, just like Kira. But the moment Brigitte recognized it, her eyes went wide.

“This Kira’s a fake! I’ll bet you anything that’s really a puck!”

“Whaaat?!”

Nival immediately flew into a panic, but Kira just clucked her tongue in annoyance and quickly ran off into the sea of trees.

“How did you know, Brigitte?”

“The real Kira wouldn’t be so calm. If the meat she was after— Er, I mean, if Peep disappeared, she’d be eager to start searching right away!”

“Well done, Brigitte! You saw right through that facade, down to considering Kira’s usual appetites and everything!”

“What a weird way to identify a fake.”

Yuri shook his head, while Nival nodded and looked impressed. But Brigitte, in turn, gave Nival a grave look.

“Hmm? What is it?”

There was no point in hiding it. It was very difficult to say, but Brigitte decided to come clean.

“Well… The thing is, I’m still on the fence about whether or not you’re really you, Class Prez.”

Nival looked shocked, but then he pointed confidently at Yuri.

“In that case, Brigitte… What if Yuri here is a fake, too? What if you are?”

“Trying to throw us off the scent with what-ifs, are you? We won’t fall for that.”

“I’m not a fake!” Yuri insisted.

“Is there any way to prove it?”

Now Yuri and Nival were arguing, making the tension even worse.

…This is a more frightening exam than I thought.

Is the person in front of you real or fake?

The spirits’ transformation skills were impressive, and they could mimic humans in both their outward appearance and voice. With the exam in full swing, it was hard to know what was the right call.

It might be a good idea to come up with passwords…but it was already too late to be sure those passwords weren’t being exchanged with a fake.

Plus, the evil fairies might be hiding in the forest and listening to our conversation.

“Hmm? What’s…? What’s that?”

Brigitte raised her head as she heard Nival mutter something cryptic.

He was staring upward, and Brigitte followed his eyeline to see…

“Whoa…”

Dozens of fairies were flying around just beneath the canopy of lush trees, flapping their beautiful wings busily and laughing loudly.

In each hand they were holding matching white bags. The bags swelled in the wind, causing whatever was inside to come dripping out. Looking closely at where the drops fell, Brigitte could see…

“Glowing…flowers…?”

“Watch out, Brigitte,” Yuri warned, but Brigitte’s curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Brigitte held out her open palms, and a six-petaled flower gently landed there. As soon as it touched her hand, the flower exploded into soundless nothingness, and words flashed before her eyes.

Gather at the lake that reflects the sky.

Invert the starry night with only that which is real.

That…was…

The magically written message dissipated into nothingness as well.

Before Brigitte could ponder the meaning of this beautiful sight, Yuri was already moving.

“Let’s shoot down a few of them and make them explain.”

Yuri muttered to himself and raised one hand toward the fairies flying freely and without care above his head.

Realizing that he was planning to use magic, Brigitte frantically grabbed his arm and pulled it down.

“No, Yuri, don’t! Those fairies are just doing what they’re told and participating in our exam without really knowing why, I think.”

“…All right. It seemed like a good idea to me, that’s all.”

For now, it seemed Yuri had decided not to attack. Brigitte was relieved… Then she realized she was still hanging on to his arm, and she quickly let go.

“What does the message mean? All the messages seem to say the same thing…”

Meanwhile, Nival was busy catching flowers in his hands and causing more glowing messages to appear. He was right; they all seemed to say the same thing.

“A lake that reflects the sky… Well, it’s not around here, is it?”

Brigitte looked up at the sky where the fairies had vanished. Small patches of sky were visible through the gaps in the canopy of tangled trees…but even if there was a lake nearby, it would be impossible for the sky to be reflected on its surface like this.

“I only walked a little way, but I saw some things that looked like caves or holes. Maybe there’s someplace with a ceiling that has a hole in it and a lake inside it… That would fulfill the criteria.”

“I see,” Brigitte agreed. But that would cause a big problem.

“…In that case, we’re out of luck, then, aren’t we?”

It would take an untold amount of time to enter each cave and hole and investigate whether there was a suitable site. It would be impossible to tell from outside.

Brigitte felt hopeless. If only they could join up with some of their other classmates and divide the manpower…

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Huh? Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’?”

Yuri and Nival looked at each other.

“…Ah, I see. So you don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

Now Brigitte was annoyed; were they making fun of her?

But that didn’t seem to be Yuri’s intention. He began explaining calmly.

“In order for a contracted spirit to move around in the human world, the contractor needs to provide it with magical power. Right?”

“Right.”

That’s what the textbooks said, Brigitte thought, nodding.

“In other words, the magical pathways between the contractor and the contracted spirit are open to each other and are constantly connected. This is especially evident when the spirit is consuming a large amount of magical power. Even if you’re not casting the magic yourself, something else is using your power, which causes a unique feeling of fatigue.”

Yuri turned around and looked up.

“My magical power has hardly decreased at all since I fell into the Crack. But since I can’t talk to them in my head, the undine and Blue must be being physically manifested…somewhere. To explain it better, it’s like they’re in a state of forced summoning. My magical power hasn’t decreased because this is the Crack, a place brimming with magical energy.”

“What about you?” Yuri asked Nival, who nodded.

“I can feel the ariel’s presence. It feels like they’re close, but also far away… It’s really strange. I’ve tried talking to them a few times but haven’t had any success. Maybe this odd feeling is why.”

“Yeah. It feels strange, like I’m being blocked by some kind of…membrane.”

“Yes. That’s exactly right!”

Nival chuckled, as if to say that Yuri had hit the nail on the head. Then his eyes opened wide.

“Ugh, here I am, agreeing with Yuri… Tch.”

“So what? I feel the same thing—that they’re not far, and yet they are.”

“R-really? So you feel tired after spending magical energy, too, Yuri? That surprises me.”

“Of course I do. I am human, you know.”

“You always summon first-class spirits, and it barely affects you… I thought maybe you were some kind of magical aberration…”

“What’s a magical aberration?”

“You are.”

Brigitte felt left out as the two of them sniped merrily back and forth.

But what Yuri said was resonating with her. As she stood there watching, he gave her a sharp look.

“You thought the Crack wouldn’t be so hard as long as you had a contracted spirit to summon and help you, but as a spirit user, you’re in a fairly special category. As one who keeps your spirit summoned on a regular basis, perhaps you’ve never really thought too deeply about the pathways of magical power?”

Brigitte lowered her head and nodded.

At this point, Brigitte barely even realized when she was summoning Peep. Having her spirit around had become the norm.

Perhaps this was to be expected after she was unable to see spirits until recently. She was lacking the usual senses of a spirit user. Like being able to converse with spirits in one’s mind, feeling a deep connection to them. That was why, unless she could actually see Peep with her own eyes, Brigitte had no idea where the chick could be.

Yuri continued with a straight face and no hint of criticism toward Brigitte, who was gazing despondently at the ground.

“Brigitte. I gave you a brief lecture before about the magical power that flows through your body, right?”

“Y-yes.”

How could she forget? When she was invited to the villa owned by Nival’s family, Yuri had taken Brigitte’s hand and shown her how to use magic. To help her see the difference between the magical power flowing in her and the power in Yuri.

“Just do what we did then. Sense the magical power coursing through you. Follow the threads of that sensation. It will lead you to Peep, no mistake about it.”

“Follow the threads…to Peep…”

Brigitte repeated this, as though she was trying to make sense of the words…then swallowed hard.

“If it’s too difficult, I’ll lend you a hand again.”

In this case, lending a hand meant physically holding Yuri’s hand. Brigitte shook her head.

“No, it’s fine.”

When I hold hands with Yuri, I get too distracted by him.

Brigitte wanted to keep a lid on her true feelings, at least for now.

Instead, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

First, I try to sense my own magical power.

She placed her right hand on her chest. It took a moment, but unlike before, she could definitely feel the flow of magical power and heat circulating within her body.

From there, she dived deep into the world of her senses.

Next, I follow the thread of magical power that is connected to me.

Magical power circulates within an individual without any end to the loop until magic is eventually cast. However, in reality, there’s only one magical pathway that leads to the contracted spirit.

Back in the human world, Brigitte could trace the magical power she was sending to Peep to learn where her spirit was.

…Is this all?

But the sensation was weak, nothing she could rely on. Her senses weren’t honed enough yet, perhaps.

But there was something invisible that felt like a thin thread, flickering behind her eyelids. A portion of the magical power coursing through Brigitte’s body was flowing along it.

Peep, where are you? Peep…

She followed the thread to the end, speaking not with her mouth but with a silent inner voice.

That mental voice should be able to reach Peep through her magic. Now and again, she almost lost sight of the gossamer-thin thread, but she hung on, calling out to her phoenix with determination.

And then finally…finally, she found what she was looking for.

“…Peep’s there.”

Brigitte muttered under her breath. She opened her eyes and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Peep’s there. Far off, but definitely there.”

It was a membrane, like Yuri and Nival had said, but to Brigitte, it felt more like a wall. On the other side of the thick wall was Peep. Or so she thought.

“But I still can’t hear anything.”

“That can’t be helped. Peep doesn’t talk.”

Yuri shrugged, but Brigitte frowned and turned to Nival.

“Nival… Your ariel doesn’t speak, either, does she?”

“Yes. Like I said, I don’t generally get a response from her that’s concrete. It’s more like a sense of, ‘I understand,’ or, ‘I don’t like that.’ But for some reason, right now, I’m not getting even that.”

“So eventually I’ll be able to sense Peep saying things like, ‘of course, cheep’ or ‘no way, cheep’…?

Brigitte was dead serious as she spoke, which made Yuri snort with laughter.

“Hopefully, you will. Someday.”

“Are you making fun of me?! You are, aren’t you?!”

“More importantly, shouldn’t we think about the second half of the message?”

Yuri was trying his best to change the subject. Brigitte clenched her fists and trembled with anger, but she couldn’t argue, because he was right. And she was the one who’d gotten them off track in the first place.

“So, um, regarding the second half of the message…”

Invert the starry night with only that which is real.

“‘Only that which is real’ means real humans, not shape-shifters like pucks, right?”

“That seems reasonable to think so. By the way, Nival…”

“Hmm?” Nival tilted his head.

“Until now, you were traveling with a puck that was pretending to be Kira. Didn’t you notice anything amiss?”

There was no doubt the Nival in front of them was the real one. The way he carried himself, the way he talked both seemed too natural to be anything else. The evil fairies would try to impede them on their search for their contracted spirits again soon, so anything they could learn from Nival would help. That seemed to be Yuri’s thinking.

Nival scratched his head and let out a big sigh.

“It’s embarrassing to admit it, but…to be honest, I couldn’t tell the difference between that puck and the real Kira. I met her as soon as I fell into the Crack. We actually left fairy hill at almost the same time, so it didn’t seem odd to find her so quickly.”

Brigitte secretly sympathized with him. The puck going after him had gotten lucky with the timing.

Yuri nodded and then turned his attention to Brigitte.

“And Brigitte, how did you know it was a puck and not me that you were dealing with?”

“Huh?”

Brigitte became flustered by the question.

As she thought back, Yuri had rushed to her side after the puck had fled. Brigitte had presented her theory to the spirit itself, but Yuri hadn’t heard it.

She’d been able to confidently explain her thinking to a spirit, but explaining to Yuri himself was too overwhelmingly embarrassing. So Brigitte decided to just give him the short version.

“Well, uh… For the same reason you suspected Nival and Kira. When ‘you’ approached me with a big smile, I just knew it wasn’t really you!”

“Ah, yeah, I know what you mean!”

Nival nodded in approval. Yuri twisted his lips into an unreadable expression…

“So neither of you noticed anything odd about the speech or the general aspect of the puck?”

Brigitte and Nival nodded almost simultaneously.

“So the Encyclopedia of Spirits must be correct. The puck can read sections of people’s memories. If the one pretending to be Kira read Nival’s memories of her, then that means the real Kira might not actually be here in the Crack at all. That puck might not even have ever encountered her to learn her behavior.”

“I see. So that’s what happened…”

Nival nodded grimly, recalling his conversations with the puck.

Oh yeah… The puck pretending to be Yuri mentioned Clyde, didn’t it…?

It must have read Brigitte’s memory and extracted that information about Clyde.

The three of them looked at one another, realizing all over again how truly formidable these evil fairies were.

“…Well, for now, I think we should try to find our contracted spirits. Is that okay with everyone?”

“Sounds good to me, Brigitte.”

“Fine.”

After confirming their plan, the three of them set off.

Splitting up to find their contracted spirits would be a more efficient use of their resources. Brigitte was sure that Peep hadn’t moved far from where she’d sensed the chick to be. There must be some reason why he was contained.

Another reason for splitting up was to make it easier to identify people they encountered and know if they were real or not. But after being hoodwinked by a duergar so early into the exam, Brigitte was worried. And she had other reasons for wanting to split up and be apart…

Tiny spirits flitted through the air, illuminating the ground where the three of them walked. Brigitte picked her way carefully through tree roots snaking under the sea of trees.

Brigitte followed the thread of her magical power. Though she wasn’t as smooth and confident as Nival and Yuri, she was making progress, and she knew the vague direction she wanted to go. If she dropped the thread here and there, she would still be all right.

After walking for a while, Brigitte suddenly tilted her head.

“…It seems we’re heading in almost the same direction, doesn’t it?”

Yuri and Nival, who’d been walking ahead of her, both stopped. As Brigitte had said, they did indeed seem to be walking in the same general direction.

Which could lead to only one conclusion.

“The spirits must be gathered together in one place.”

“In that case, it seems prudent for us to stay together.”

“Good thing!”

Nival charged forward enthusiastically. Brigitte hurried to keep pace with him, until Yuri called out to her.

“Brigitte.”

“Yes?” She stopped and looked at Yuri.

“Given the message from the glowing flowers and the fact that the spirits seem to be in the same place, I think we can safely say that cooperation between students seems to be a vital facet of the graduation exam.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Apparently, Yuri had noticed the same thing.

Yuri, Class President Nival, and maybe Kira, too.

So far, the only people Brigitte had encountered in the Crack were the ones she’d interacted with and developed relationships with over the past two years—really only the past year.

It was too obvious to be disregarded as mere coincidence.

It would make sense if the academy set things up this way.

The graduation exam was a chance to put to use everything they’d learned—not only magic and general studies, but also the relationships they’d cultivated.

In other words, this wasn’t a solo battle, and it never had been. The key to passing the exam was gaining allies and getting through the Crack’s obstacles together.

If Brigitte insisted on seeing the exam as her battle alone, she’d probably spend the whole time wandering the Crack and getting into trouble.

While Brigitte was mulling this over, she felt sharp eyes on her. Clearing her throat, Brigitte looked at Yuri.

“So then…?”

“What I want to say is…with the exam being what it is, we have no choice but to cooperate.”

“Huh? Yeah… I mean, yeah…?”

Brigitte continued to stare at him in confusion. Yuri rubbed the back of his neck.

“So…if you get into trouble again…I’ll have your back. Is that all right?”

Oh…

After hearing that, Brigitte finally understood what Yuri was trying to say.

Yuri was thinking about earlier, when Brigitte had told him not to assist her anymore. He’d seemed a bit reluctant at the time, too. Clearly, he hadn’t been in full agreement with her plan.

Yuri always…

…He always put Brigitte’s well-being first.

After her early failure in the exam, Brigitte had gotten nervous and started being mulish without even realizing it. But one statement from Yuri eased all that tension.

Brigitte pushed back a few loose strands of hair and smiled.

“All right. I’m still going to do my best on my own, though. And just so you know, I have no intention of letting you defeat me!”

“Yeah. I know.”

Yuri nodded, his gaze soft. Brigitte was nervous with his unblinking eyes on her, and she started to mumble.

“I mean, me too.”

“What?”

“N-nothing…”

“Hee-hee-hee,” Brigitte giggled, putting her hand over her mouth, hoping to deflect from the awkwardness.

The truth is…I wanted to say that I’ll have your back, too, Yuri!

But saying it aloud would be excruciating. Brigitte just couldn’t.

“Anyway, right now, the most important thing is to find Peep and the others.”

Suddenly, something tugged at her hair, and Brigitte let out a small shriek.

“Brigitte?”

“…Brigitte?”

“Hold on a moment, please. Let’s see, um…”

Her hair must have gotten caught on a branch, and as Brigitte tried to untangle it, something shoved her aside.

“Whoa!”

Brigitte staggered to her feet and looked behind her in confusion…and she saw someone standing there.

…Whaaa?

Brigitte stiffened. There stood a girl, illuminated by the lights of the tiny spirits, with familiar long, flowing hair…

“Yuri! Nival!”

Even the voice calling out to her companions sounded familiar. Her lips trembling, Brigitte raised a shaky finger and pointed at the girl’s face.

“Muh-muh-me…?”

“Two Brigittes?!”

Nival was also flustered, glancing back and forth between the two Brigittes.

Standing before Brigitte was a girl who was her mirror-image.

That was her distinctive red hair, tied back, and the same slender body clad in the academy’s physical activities uniform. The same unusual emerald-green eyes and that familiar fiery expression on her face.

The girl who looked exactly like Brigitte—a puck—pointed right at Brigitte’s chest with her own finger.

“Don’t try to fool us! You’re the puck!”

“Hm? What?”

Brigitte was stunned by the accusation.

But this was no time to lose her head; it was obvious what the puck was planning. It had pulled Brigitte’s hair and knocked her to the ground. Its aim was to make the others think she was the fake!

…She had to say something!

“H-hold on! Yuri, Class Prez, I’m the real Brigitte…!”

“Oh, stop this nonsense! I’m the real Brigitte Meidell!”

The doppelgänger brushed back its hair and thrust its nose into the air… Its mannerisms were exactly like Brigitte’s.

It’s… It’s uncanny! But no…!

“N-no, don’t listen to it! I’m the real one!”

“Stop your lies! I’m the real Brigitte!”

““I’m the real Brigitte!””

With flushed cheeks, the two Brigittes glared at each other.

“Amazing. It’s like she’s been copied exactly,” said Nival, fascinated by the argument, while Yuri simply seemed amused.

“Yes, it’s really very impressive.”

This isn’t working, Brigitte thought, ready to tear her hair out with frustration.

“Come on! It’s me! I’m the real one!”

“I know.” Yuri shrugged calmly.

Brigitte frowned at him in confusion as Yuri pointed his finger at the puck.

“That’s the fake,” he said. “Nival, can you capture it?”

“What?! Um…”

Nival hesitated.

The puck took that moment to escape, dashing off through the forest with the familiarity of one who knew the way.

“It escaped. We’ll have to try to capture the next one.”

“…Um, Yuri? How did you know it was really me?”

Yuri glanced down at Brigitte’s feet.

…Aha.

Following his gaze, Brigitte finally noticed a tiny pink petal tucked between the laces of her right shoe. Not even a puck could get such a tiny subtle detail.

Goodness, Yuri. When did you manage to notice that?

Brigitte was shocked. Only Yuri had been coolheaded enough to notice the finer details in such a chaotic situation.

“That same method won’t always work, though, I bet.”

“…But if you knew it was the fake, then why didn’t you grab the puck from behind and hold it down?”

Yuri could have captured the puck himself or used magic on it. There was no need to suggest that Nival do it.

But Yuri frowned. “You really think I could do that?”

“What?”

“I could never do that to something that looks like you.”

“Wh-what?” Brigitte squawked with embarrassment.

Her cheeks grew warm. Was Yuri insane? Why would he say such a thing at a time like this?

“We’re in the middle of an important graduation exam. This is hardly the time!”

“I was simply stating a fact.”

“A f-f-fact!!!”

Yuri tilted his head. “Wait, Brigitte.”

“What now?!”

But before Brigitte could complain anymore, Yuri anxiously said, “Nival… He’s gone.”

Nival watched the two argue from the sidelines.

Brigitte really does love Yuri…

He was letting his mind wander.

Nival had been aware of Brigitte’s feelings for Yuri for a long time now. But Nival had been uneasy. Yuri was hard to read and difficult to pin down.

However, after the National Founding Day, Yuri began to change.

Something must have happened between him and Brigitte that day. It was clear to everyone around them that their relationship was deepening.

But then Yuri suddenly stopped wearing his scarf…

At that moment, something moved at the edge of his vision.

Surprised, he turned to see Kira hiding in the bushes. When her eyes met Nival’s, she turned her face away.

Maybe she was afraid of being thought of as a fake, so she didn’t want to come out.

Nival hesitated for a minute. Then he realized he couldn’t really leave Kira by herself.

If it were another puck, it would come out confidently, like the one that had been pretending to be Brigitte earlier. Or maybe Nival was just making excuses to get some distance from Brigitte and Nival.

He got to his feet and picked his way through the bushes slowly, calling out to Kira from behind.

“Hey, you’re really Kira…aren’t you?”

But Kira got to her feet and ran off without even responding.

“H-hey!”

Was she a decoy after all…?

He was beginning to regret his decision, but there was no turning back. Nival chased after Kira, making sure not to lose sight of her.

After running for several minutes through the almost unchanging scenery, Kira came to a halt, out of breath, and Nival stopped behind her.

When Kira turned around, her eyes were filled with tears, and Nival’s breath caught in his throat.

“Wh-what’s wrong…?”

“Class Prez… You still haven’t given up on Brigitte…?”

“Huh?”

Nival blushed at being asked such a direct question.

“G-give up…? I mean, I never… I never had a crush on Brigitte or anything to begin with…”

All Nival wanted was for his beloved Brigitte to be happy.

Without her help, Nival might have let his ariel go out of control and gotten himself expelled from the magic academy. Joseph would have treated him as a disposable pawn. Nival would have thrown away his life, his future.

But Brigitte had saved him. Of course he respected her now.

“So then…what about me?”

“Kira? What do you mean…?”

“What do you think of me?”

“What do I think…?”

Kira was bright red. Perhaps she was embarrassed by her own words.

In this moment, the outspoken Kira seemed suddenly vulnerable… Nival pressed his palm to his chest, where his heart was pounding through his shirt.

Maybe…I…like Kira?

He thought back over his memories of her.

They hadn’t spoken much before. Nival had always thought of her as his plain classmate, a mousy girl always looking at the ground and hiding behind her long bangs. He hadn’t even remembered her name.

But meeting Brigitte had changed her, too. Now Kira seemed more confident, expressing her opinions and chatting to Nival. She laughed all the time now, too.

And she’d even invited Nival to the National Founding Day Ball.

“What do you think, Class Prez? My dress is the same color as Brigitte’s hair.”

Kira had looked very beautiful as she spun around laughing.

“Does it look strange? Perhaps this color doesn’t suit me.”

When Nival said nothing, Kira had smiled awkwardly. Then Nival had grabbed her by her slender shoulders.

“You… You’re very pretty. I guarantee it.”

It was a simple, clumsy sort of compliment, but it made Kira blush…

“What are you doing, Class Prez?!”

Nival suddenly jumped as he was pulled out of the sweet memory.

He turned in surprise to see another Kira standing on his opposite side, close by.

Two Kiras…!

Again? It was just like with Brigitte earlier.

One of them must have been a puck, but Nival couldn’t identify the real Kira as easily as Yuri identified the real Brigitte.

Damn…

He gritted his teeth in frustration, but the new Kira clapped her hands lightly.

“But maybe I’m wasting my breath! There’s every chance you’re not even the real Class Prez anyway… All right, then. This place may be frightening, but I’d better go it alone from now on! Bye!”

That breezy way of talking…!

Nival wasted no time running over and holding out his hand.

“Th-this way.”

““Huh?””

“You’re the real Kira!”

When he grabbed her hand, Kira blinked. The other Kira ran away, scowling, but Nival paid her no attention.

There was silence between the two of them.

Realizing that Kira was staring at his hand in hers and blushing, Nival let go.

“…Wow. You of all people knew it was me, Class Prez.”

“What do you mean, ‘of all people’?”

After grumbling, Nival went on to explain.

He told her that the real Brigitte and Yuri were together, about the message conveyed by the glowing flower, about how the contracted spirits seemed to be gathered in one place, about the traps set by the pucks and the duergars. He explained everything he could, wanting to express the true danger of the situation, but by the time he was done, Kira was beaming.

“You mean, I get to work together with Brigitte for the exam? Oh, that’s amazing! I love it.”

“Seriously?” Nival laughed to see the earnest joy on her face. “But I agree. It’ll be great to work together with her.”

“Right?!”

“Also…” Nival gazed at Kira, who blinked back curiously.

“Also…what?”

“…No, it’s nothing.” Nival scratched his cheek, kicked the ground with the toe of his shoe, then started walking. “Let’s go find Ariel and Brownie. It’ll be faster doing that than looking for Brigitte and Yuri.”

“All right.”

Kira seemed willing to join him. But then she paused and put her head to one side again.

“By the way, what exactly were you discussing with that puck anyway…?”

Um…you.

But Nival couldn’t have told her the truth if his life depended on it.

Chapter 5: Because You Were Here

Brigitte and Yuri were walking along a trail too narrow to be called a road.

“I wonder if the class president is all right…”

Brigitte let out a heavy sigh.

While Brigitte and Yuri were arguing, Nival had disappeared. Rather than searching aimlessly through the sea of trees that all looked the same, they decided to head to where the contracted spirits were gathered, hoping to increase their chances of reuniting. Still, Brigitte was quite worried.

But Yuri showed no hesitation as he strode off ahead of her.

“He’s not the type to be taken down so easily.”

“Yes…that’s true.”

Nival was an excellent student—the class representative! Though his speech and behavior were often unrefined, he was a sincere young man.

It was natural to be worried about a friend, but it was also important to have faith that he would be okay.

Even though Yuri tends to snipe at him.

Yuri recognized Nival’s abilities to some extent and seemed to have considerable faith in him—although he’d never admit to that if he were asked directly.

“…Here, huh?”

Eventually, Yuri came to a halt in front of a huge cave.

The gaping mouth of the cave was both high and wide, as if it was just dying to swallow up helpless humans. Brigitte could hear the air rushing inside. Gazing into the darkness, she closed her eyes.

“Brigitte, can you feel it, too?”

“…Yeah.”

Opening her eyes, Brigitte nodded. She could still feel that membrane in the way, but the distance between her and Peep was definitely closing.

It would be dangerous to stride into the cave without caution, so first, Brigitte used her fire magic to light the torches they’d brought with them. For safety, they took a torch each and headed into the cave.

“It feels oppressive in here…”

The air seemed to hang heavy. They continued carefully through the cave, wondering when something might jump out from behind a rock.

The cave branched several times, and sometimes they found themselves down a dead end. Though Brigitte knew the general direction of her contracted spirit, there was no guarantee that the way wouldn’t be blocked. They often had to turn back, but eventually they made their way deeper and deeper.

“Ah.”

Brigitte found her knees weakening. Alarmed, she tried to brace her legs and walk tall.

It wasn’t surprising. In the limbo world of the Crack, night hadn’t fallen yet. But time passed differently here. They’d been walking now for several hours.

Little by little, they were getting tired, both physically and mentally.

“Ugh…”

Brigitte groaned softly and pressed a hand to her head.

She had a strange headache, maybe from the exhaustion. But it was getting worse and worse.

What is this strange pain…?

Pressing her throbbing temples, Brigitte walked with her head bowed. She was too exhausted to evade a puddle in her path and stepped right into it.

“Huh?”

Brigitte startled. She’d just felt something poke deep into her ear…

She reached for her ear quickly, but there was nothing stuck there, and no blood. But then she started to hear a melody.

Is that…someone singing?

No, it wasn’t… It was a voice she’d been hearing for a while now.

The sound echoed through every corner of the cave. Brigitte had mistaken it for the sound of passing air, but as she went deeper, it began to reveal itself more clearly.

It was a lustrous female voice. Brigitte started listening to it with intention. As she did, her head started to feel heavy.

The mellow, unfamiliar melody sparked a horrible sense of uneasiness in her. The voice was beautiful, but it upset her greatly. Fear was bubbling up inside her chest.

Brigitte came to a stop, but though she covered her ears with her hands, the singing did not cease.

“Yuri…”

“Brigitte. Turn back now.”

“…Huh?”

Yuri stopped dead in his tracks and kept speaking without turning.

“I know what that sound is. It’s not just our contracted spirits waiting for us up ahead. Clyde’s spirit is there, too.”

“Huh…?”

Yuri spoke with confidence, even though he hadn’t actually seen it with his own eyes. Brigitte frowned.

“But how do you know…?”

“I’ve been attacked by his spirit’s magic many times.”

It took Brigitte a few moments to fully comprehend what he meant.

…No.

It was just like what Brigitte’s father Deag had done.

Clyde had used spirit magic on Yuri.

And hadn’t Yuri said “many times”…? So it wasn’t just once or twice. For Yuri, it had happened so many times that he couldn’t list them all.

“That voice won’t do much significant harm to a woman. At most, it might give them a headache—although it might be quite painful. If you turn back now, it should be a little easier on you, at least.”

“But, Yuri…”

Brigitte’s face tensed, and she swallowed hard.

Yuri finally looked toward Brigitte and smiled reassuringly, while she was fighting back tears.

“I told you in my letter, didn’t I? It’s okay. From here on, I’ll be going alone. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“…!”

“Once I deal with Clyde’s spirit, we can resume our little challenge… See you later, then.”

“Wait, Yuri…!”

But though she called out to him, Yuri didn’t turn around.

Brigitte reached for him, but he was gone. She was stunned, but she had no intention of turning back.

“I’m not going to run now!”

She slapped her traitorous leg at the thigh and scolded herself.

Don’t worry about anything? That was impossible for Brigitte.

“I want to protect you, too, Yuri.”

With a determined look on her sweat-covered face, Brigitte strode forward.

She wanted to catch up with Yuri right away. But the farther she went, the louder the singing got, and her head hurt so much it felt like it was going to split open.

“Ugh…”

Fighting nausea, Brigitte trembled and bit her lip. She’d dropped the torch, but she forced her feet to move anyway, using her hands to grope along the damp wall. She knew that if she stopped, even once, she would never be able to take another step.

She still didn’t know exactly what Clyde’s contracted spirit was. It didn’t seem to be a puck or a duergar. The singing voice was odd, but it didn’t seem like something either of those would do.

Fideal, kelpie, grindylow, redcap, water reaper, gusion…

Head spinning, she tried to recall as many names as she could of Unseelie Court fairies. Specifically, those related to water.

Mermaids, sirens, nymphs…

There were many species that bewitched people with their singing voices, and countless names for them.

But this…

Before Brigitte could think of the answer, she saw something new in front of her.

She slowly opened her eyes, which she’d been scrunching half-closed, and took in the beautiful sight before her.

…A sparkling lake, reflecting the starry sky.

The roof of the cave had completely collapsed. Perhaps they’d moved beyond the sea of trees, or this was part of a cliff. Either way, the starlight was pouring down upon the lake, unobstructed by the tangled tree branches.

I see…so the contracted spirits were near this lake from the beginning.

The lake specified in the message was the very place where their contracted spirits were waiting.

But there was no time to take in the stunning sight or search for Peep and the others. A half-fish spirit was sitting on a rock in the center of the lake.

As soon as the blue-green-skinned spirit saw Yuri standing in front of the lake, her beautiful face grinned.

Though Brigitte had not yet made eye contact with her, she felt a chill go down her spine.

“…A rusalka…”

A rusalka was an evil fairy who took the form of a half-fish creature.

Although she resembled a mermaid in appearance, her powers were truly terrifying. The rusalka used her singing voice to create hallucinations in human males, then dragged them into the water while they were stunned.

Clyde’s contracted spirit is a rusalka!

Breathing heavily, Brigitte headed toward Yuri.

Meanwhile, Yuri was speaking angrily to the singing spirit.

“Rusalka. Give me back that scarf.”

Brigitte’s eyes widened.

On closer inspection, she realized that the yellow scarf wrapped around the rusalka’s slender neck looked familiar… In fact, it was obviously the one she’d knit for Yuri.

“Hmm?”

With a cruel smile, the rusalka shook her head.

And yet she obediently unwound the scarf with her webbed hands, surprising Brigitte for a second.

That’s odd… Is she going to give it back…?

But the rusalka was more malicious than Brigitte expected.

As Yuri moved toward the lake, the rusalka laughed and slid one webbed finger between the stitches of the scarf.

“No!”

Brigitte covered her mouth in horror.

Before she could be stopped, the rusalka ripped the fabric apart. The scarf Brigitte had made to complement Yuri’s eyes was tattered within moments, and the tangled yarn fell into the water.

“…”

Brigitte couldn’t see Yuri’s face as it was happening. She rushed up to him.

“…Yuri?” she asked timidly.

No response.

As Brigitte stood there in turmoil, Yuri’s knees appeared to give way. Brigitte ran over and grabbed him by the shoulders as he sank to the ground.

“Yuri…!”

Brigitte stood in front of him, calling his name…and then she began to sincerely panic.

Yuri’s whole body was slack, and his eyes were strangely glazed over. They were open but unfocused, and he didn’t seem to see Brigitte in front of him.

“Oh no…!”

The rusalka had interfered with Yuri’s mind, driving away his consciousness. Now he was lost in the illusion the rusalka had shown him.

“Rusalka!”

Still supporting Yuri, Brigitte glared sharply at the spirit.

“Ha-ha-ha!”

But the rusalka seemed to be enjoying herself. She clapped her webbed hands and cackled, unconcerned about Brigitte’s plight.

The rusalka’s target from the very beginning was…Yuri!

Clyde must have ordered his spirit to do this, just because he hated his brother. How else would the rusalka have been ready with the scarf?

“Not yet…there’s still time.”

Brigitte gazed intensely at Yuri.

Then she realized something white was leaking through his slightly parted lips.

Just as the alp had sucked the life force out of Asha, the rusalka was sucking the soul out of Yuri!

I don’t think I can negotiate with a rusalka the way I did with the alp…

After all, this being had not uttered one human word.

Brigitte knelt down and took Yuri’s cheeks in her hands.

His skin was so cold it sent shivers down her spine. Brigitte knew she didn’t have much time to waste.

There was only one way she could think of, other than negotiation. The rusalka’s magic only worked on men. She was immune. But if she could somehow break through to Yuri’s consciousness…

Yuri’s going to be furious when he finds out about this later.

On the night of the National Founding Day, Yuri had brought his face close to hers, only for her to tell him to stop.

But could she touch him now, without asking his permission?

“Yuri…I’m so sorry about this.”

And Brigitte placed her mouth against his dry lips.

I’ve never told you… Not even once…

When he first met her, she was so adorable that he thought she was a fairy that had come down from heaven.

“How beautiful! Just like dandelions blooming under the blue sky!”

It was the first time anyone had said something like that to him.

Yuri was surprised, but he gazed back at the child’s face as he stood on the cobblestone front porch.

She had fluffy bright-red hair that reached her shoulders and emerald eyes that shone brightly with an explosive curiosity.

The girl peered into Yuri’s face with a smile as bright as a blooming flower.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you? It’s just because your eyes are the exact color of dandelions!”

She explained herself in a loud voice, one hand covering her mouth, as if she were telling him a secret. Her innocent expression was so cute that Yuri blushed and looked down.

“…It’s been raining since this morning, though.”

It was a chilly morning, unlike early summer. With all the rain clouds, one could hardly describe today’s sky as blue.

In response to his awkward reply, the girl seemed surprised and pointed toward the sky.

As soon as she stepped out from under the roof, her red hair and dress quickly became soaked with raindrops. But she didn’t seem to care. She continued speaking in a cheerful voice.

“Hmm? Look closely, though. The sky is clear in this area.”

“Huh…?”

As he timidly peeked his head out from under the roof, Yuri was surprised to see that it was true.

Yuri wasn’t in the habit of looking at the sky, so he hadn’t noticed the clouds break. But this girl must have looked at the sky every morning when she woke up. She didn’t hunch her back and stare at the ground like Yuri did.

“You know, I always thought that when it rains while the sun’s out, the water spirits were playing tricks on us! What do you think, Dandelion?”

She clearly hadn’t learned Yuri’s name from her parents yet. Yuri blushed at the nickname.

Dandelion…

He had inherited his eye color from his mother.

But all three of his half-brothers had blue or light-blue eyes, and Yuri always felt intimidated when he was in the same space as them. He’d never thought a day would come when someone would tell him his yellow eyes were beautiful.

“Brigitte, it’s time to go.”

“Yes, Dad!”

“Brigitte, are you cold? Should I bring a jacket?”

“It’s okay, Mom.”

The child, or Brigitte, as her parents called her, hurriedly made her way to the carriage.

Before he knew it, Yuri was chasing after her.

“Um, excuse me!”

“Yes?”

Brigitte turned around. Yuri hesitated for a long time before he finally managed to speak.

“H…happy birthday.”

In return, she gave him a smile like a blooming flower.

“Thank you, Dandelion!” she replied in a lively voice, and then, as if remembering her manners, she bowed. “Well then, good day.” It was an adorable gesture; she was trying her best to imitate the adults.

Watching her cheerful side profile as she got into the carriage, Yuri hesitated to say anything more. Today was Brigitte’s birthday, and she was about to head to the shrine to take part in the contracting ceremony.

“I apologize for coming by so early, Count Meidell.”

“Please don’t be concerned, Duchess Aurealis. I would have liked to have had someone give you a tour around the gardens, but the weather is so terrible…”

“Oh, I quite understand. Well, thank you very much.”

It seemed that some agreement had been reached between Brigitte’s father and Yuri’s mother.

After a while, Yuri heard the carriage horses whinny, and Brigitte and her parents were gone.

Yuri’s mother patted him on the back.

“Yuri. Miss Brigitte is a very lovely girl, isn’t she?”

His mother smiled down at him, but Yuri was too embarrassed to reply.

Instead, he sneezed a little.

“There’s a fire going in the reception room,” said the Meidell family butler. “Please, warm yourselves there.”

“Thank you. Come along, Yuri.”

When his mother called to him, Yuri nodded.

Brigitte Meidell was the girl who would one day become Yuri’s fiancée.

Brigitte had shown considerable promise already. People called her a prodigy. Everyone was expecting her to make a contract with a noted first-class spirit, or even one of the most powerful spirits.

It was customary to proceed with engagement talks once a contracted spirit had been decided, but Yuri’s mother was worried about Yuri’s precarious position and had decided to take action quickly.

The eldest son of the Aurealis family—Noel, who was eight years older than Yuri—had made a contract with a first-class spirit.

Noel had pale-blue eyes, handsome features, and hair the color of a calm summer sea. He carried himself with a confidence that was hard to imagine for someone his age, and Yuri had been quietly in awe of him ever since they first met.

Just as people say there are many harsh people in the Fire Clan, it was generally believed that people born into the Water Clan were divided into two personalities: pure like water, or cold and hard as ice. Noel, kindhearted and intelligent, possessed the characteristics of the former.

But Noel was born with the same disease that had taken his mother’s life. His poor health made it difficult for him to attend family meetings, and he rarely showed up in high society. His status was far from solid.

The second son, Lester, had made a contract with a mid-level spirit, and the third son, Clyde, had made a contract with an upper-level spirit. The family would have had high hopes for Clyde, but because he’d contracted with an evil fairy, he, too, was deemed unfit to be the successor.

Then came Yuri, making waves again.

I made a contract with two first-class spirits.

Yuri was praised as an unprecedented miracle never before seen in the Kingdom of Field.

The king awarded him an order of merit, land, and even a title.

Certain relatives and acquaintances claimed that Yuri was the best possible choice to succeed the Aurealis name. But they probably had their own reasons. Yuri, the son of the second wife, would be easiest to control.

Between the eldest son, Noel, and the fourth son, Yuri, who should inherit the Aurealis family business? Opinion in the family was split down the middle, and a huge rift formed in the already fraught relationship between the brothers.

Clyde began to bully Yuri out of spite when his mother wasn’t looking. Because of the family’s educational policy, Yuri saw his tutor more than he saw his mother, so this wasn’t difficult. Lester didn’t actively participate in the bullying, but he didn’t stop Clyde, either.

The brothers agreed that Noel was the most worthy successor to the name of Aurealis, while Yuri was seen as a usurper. Yuri had never once thought about snatching the position out from under Noel, but that mattered little.

For nobles, especially those belonging to the upper classes like the four great noble families, this was not particularly uncommon.

The fate of those born into noble families rested in the hands of their contracted spirits. Great happiness or great unhappiness could result from these contracts. That was just the way it was.

That’s why Mother wants me out of that household as soon as possible.

It would be difficult for Yuri to live peacefully in that mansion. Even as a child, Yuri understood that this was a decision his mother was making out of love. His father didn’t seem to object. No doubt he’d rather not deal with the strife.

Yuri would marry Brigitte and one day become a member of the Fire Clan. A child born to Yuri and Brigitte would one day inherit the title of Earl of Meidell.

It seemed Brigitte hadn’t been informed of any of those plans just yet, but just thinking of her bright smile made Yuri feel at ease.

Yuri was only five years old, and talk of things like engagements and marriage was daunting.

When she returns from the shrine, I’ll try to talk to her more.

He’d heard that she loved spirits, so Yuri had plenty to talk to her about.

Yuri never could have imagined that such an opportunity would never come.

“!!!”

With a throat-tearing scream, Yuri regained consciousness.

Sticky sweat trickled down his forehead and cheeks. Unable to control his feverish, wasted body, Yuri opened his eyes and looked around.

He was lying in his own bed in his room.

But he hadn’t been in bed before. He’d heard a woman’s voice singing from the lakeside. He’d left his room and followed the voice to the lake on the mansion grounds.

Just then came a knock on the door. Startled, Yuri closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Two sets of footsteps entered the room and stopped in front of the bed.

There were a few seconds of silence, as if the visitors were watching Yuri, and then he heard hushed voices from above.

“Clyde. Don’t you ever do anything so stupid to Yuri again.”

“But, No-eeel…”

“But nothing. Using the power of an evil fairy to hurt your younger brother… It’s not right.”

Judging from the voices, it sounded like Noel and Clyde.

Noel’s back…

Noel’s voice sounded stronger than when Yuri had last heard it, which came as a relief. Meanwhile, the two brothers continued their conversation.

“…What happened yesterday… Rusalka did that on her own. It’s just what she does.”

“Don’t act so arrogant when you can’t even control your contracted spirit properly.”

In the face of this harsh scolding, Clyde fell silent.

From the conversation, Yuri could guess what was going on. Noel must have been the one who had rescued Yuri from the lake.

The most frightening thing about the rusalka was that she could show visions of the past to her opponents through her singing voice. Lately, this effect had been stronger than before. Yuri knew the reason why.

Whenever he heard the rusalka’s voice, Brigitte’s face always came to mind.

First, her smile. Then her laughter as she said that Yuri’s eyes looked like dandelions.

Next, she was crying in pain, her left arm thrust into the fireplace as she begged her father for forgiveness. The memory of being able to do nothing but watch helplessly, hanging on to her other arm… It came back to him every time with as much clarity as true reality.

Again and again and again. Again and again and again and again. That same scene, playing over and over.

Yuri realized he’d been clenching his left hand so hard under the blanket that it was shaking.

“Come on. Aren’t you angry, too? It’s his fault you’ve been driven out into a mansion on the city outskirts!”

“…Clyde.”

“…!”

Even with his eyes closed, Yuri could feel Clyde recoiling in alarm.

The anger of a gentle person could be frightening. This was especially true of Noel, who was usually the kindest person in the world.

“Who told you that?”

Noel listed a few different family members, until Clyde gasped weakly, which gave away the one involved.

Noel exhaled heavily.

“I don’t know what they said to you, but…I left of my own volition to recuperate. Speaking ill of Yuri is unacceptable.”

“But…”

“I’ll have you know that I care greatly for him. Of course, I care for you, too, Clyde—and Lester. Please. Stop hating your brother and being so petty and miserable over things that other people have said.”

Noel was not mincing words, and it was clear he meant every one.

They were only half brothers, but Noel was the only one who was kind to Yuri. He treated Yuri as no better or worse than his other brothers. Yuri used to wonder about this kindness of Noel’s, but now he thought he understood.

Noel was both water and ice, two forms of the same element. He could be a spring breeze one moment and a glacier the next. He possessed both attributes.

People are kind when they have true strength.

Thanks to a firm sense of self, they have a natural inclination to respect others.

Noel’s words left Clyde speechless. It was impossible to tell what Clyde might be thinking. After one set of footsteps moved across the room and then faded away, Yuri felt a hand lightly fall onto the top of his head.

“Yuri. If you ever need anything, tell me or Father immediately.”

Apparently, Noel had known all along that Yuri was only feigning sleep.

Still, Yuri didn’t reply.

Noel clucked his tongue and chuckled, then left the room. Yuri opened his eyes and sat up in bed.

“…I’m sorry, Noel.”

Yuri knew he was worrying his brother. But no matter what happened to him, Yuri would never tell on anyone.

When he finally opened his left hand, he found his nails had dug into the palm, which was bleeding. Staring at the red stains on his white sheets, Yuri heard his own voice in his mind.

A blaming, contemptuous voice.

This is your punishment for failing to save Brigitte.

No matter what Clyde did to him, no matter how much the rusalka’s voice twisted his mind, Yuri’s pain would never amount to even a tenth of Brigitte’s.

Yuri was in complete agreement with the voice inside his head that told him the sorrow he was experiencing was entirely his own fault.

It’s because I was weak.

Even though he was right there, he couldn’t help Brigitte.

Deag was strong. He was the head of the Fire Clan and had a contract with an ifrit, one of the strongest spirits there was. Inexperienced Yuri was no match for him.

Besides, Yuri found Brigitte’s cold-hearted father absolutely terrifying.

It was so sudden, what happened that day. Or so it seemed to Yuri.

Just a few hours before, Deag had cheerfully said Brigitte’s name and climbed into the carriage with her, but when he’d returned, he’d apparently forgotten that Yuri and his mother were waiting in the reception room. And he had proceeded to thrust his own daughter’s arm into the blazing fireplace.

Yuri couldn’t keep up with what was going on. But the moment he saw the rage on that man’s face, he couldn’t breathe. Tears sprang to his eyes; his heart froze; his body stopped moving. He had never felt such intense fear in his life…and then his mother embraced him, trying to protect him from the falling sparks.

But Yuri kept wondering, What if?

What if Yuri had been able to overcome the fear that paralyzed him? What if he’d put aside his own life and stopped Deag? If only he’d shaken off his mother’s hand sooner…Brigitte might not have suffered such terrible injuries.

Maybe now she could be smiling brightly, living free in the sunshine, a happy girl?

Why am I so weak?

“I feel hatred!”

A loud barking shout came from close by, and Yuri’s shoulders shook in surprise.

“F-Fenrir…?”

He called out the name timidly.

Standing next to the bed was a boy who looked exactly like Yuri.

Yuri’s contracted spirit, a fenrir, had been imitating Yuri’s human form lately. His eyes were blue, but apart from that, he appeared to be an exact copy of Yuri.

“What’s…wrong?”

Yuri looked in confusion at the anger burning in this mirror image of his own face. Yuri, weakhearted Yuri, never wore such an expression.

“Hatred, I said!”

“Oh, Fenrir. Clyde isn’t really so terrible…”

Nervously, Yuri smiled at the fenrir.

He wasn’t trying to cover for Clyde. He really meant it, or he thought he did. But the fenrir cried out again, his eyes filling with tears.

“No. I hate you, Master!”

“…What?”

Hearing the wretchedness in his spirit’s voice, Yuri felt his heart beat so hard, his chest hurt.

Ever since they first met, the fenrir had been very fond of Yuri and obeyed all his orders.

His contracted spirit was one of Yuri’s few allies. And yet now he was saying he hated Yuri.

Yuri’s long lashes trembled as his chest ached with sadness.

“Why…why do you hate me, Fenrir?”

The fenrir burst into tears. “I care about you, but you don’t care about me!”

“…!”

“And so I hate you, Master!”

What did Yuri say then, to his howling and sobbing fenrir?

Yuri couldn’t really remember. But he did remember that things between them were tense for a while after that.

The undine had been unimpressed and left her master and co-spirit to their own devices. Clifford hadn’t been there at the time, and Yuri was having a hard time building relationships with his spirits on his own. What’s more…

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, Yuri blinked.

His fenrir had disappeared. Instead, a girl stood there.

She looked to be around sixteen years old. Her long red hair was tied back.

Yuri didn’t question her presence. He just gazed at her, his eyes wide.

“…Brigitte. Are you crying again?”

Brigitte was staring at Yuri.

The young Yuri looked back at Brigitte with his large, unblinking citrine eyes.

His translucent white cheeks were distorted. His voice was weak and high in the way a young boy’s was.

“Are you crying again? Has your father done something else terrible to you?”

“…No, that’s not it, Yuri.”

Wiping away the tears streaming down her cheeks, Brigitte shook her head.

By absorbing Yuri’s vitality, Brigitte had been able to enter the vision he was trapped in. There, she saw Yuri’s memories.

Yuri’s unstable position in the Aurealis family. The feud with his siblings. His past with Brigitte… There was too much pain for a young child to bear.

But Yuri had never cried as a boy. He had not allowed himself that weakness.

So…I mustn’t cry. I can’t be the only one who gets to cry.

Brigitte wiped away her tears, forced a smile, and spoke. “Do you have any dreams, Yuri?”

“…Dreams?”

“Mine is to become a spiritologist.”

Yuri had reverted to his childhood form and gotten stuck in his past. If Brigitte didn’t do something, there would be no way to get him out of this world of illusion.

I have to figure something out fast.

She needed to speak words that would bring him back to the present… Something connected to the future. Yuri was presently a student at the magic academy, taking his graduation exam. She had to remind him that, just like Brigitte, he was becoming an adult.

But there was a part of Brigitte that wanted to deeply know what Yuri was feeling. She wanted to know what he would never usually reveal to her. She wanted him to show her just a little glimpse of the burdens he carried.

But Yuri didn’t give her what she wanted.

“I have no dreams,” he muttered.

Brigitte could hardly believe that a young boy could say such a thing.

“I have no dreams, no future, nothing.”

Yuri spoke calmly, in a matter-of-fact manner.

“…But why…?”

Why would you say something so sad?

As Brigitte’s lip trembled, the young boy winced and shook his head. “Because everyone thinks it would be better if I was gone. And I think the same. So what does it matter?” He turned his face away.

He was done with the conversation, but Brigitte wasn’t prepared to let it go.

“Who is everyone?”

“…What?”

“Who are you talking about, Yuri? Please tell me their names.”

Yuri was taken aback by this…but when he saw that Brigitte wasn’t leaving without an answer, he began to speak hesitantly.

“There’s…Clyde…and others. Some of my relatives are like that, too…”

“Who else?”

“Servants and other staff. They all say those things.”

“But it’s just words, right?”

She knew it was a silly thing to claim. A single scornful remark could make a person’s heart falter. It could make one too afraid to live. Brigitte knew that well.

Obviously, the expression on Yuri’s face didn’t shift. He just shrank in on himself, as if he was wounded by her words.

How can I get through to him?

Brigitte ground her teeth. What could she say to Yuri? He’d been so beaten down and so hurt as a small boy.

Brigitte almost drowned in the flood of words welling up in her throat. Then, in a flash of light, she got a mental image of Yuri and his contracted spirits.

…Blue…and Undine…

“I hate you!” Blue cried. The undine looked down at Yuri, who was drenched in icy water.

Brigitte was as stunned as the spirits appeared to be. Confused and unsure what to say, but still sticking by Yuri’s side.

Blue… I’ll borrow your words for now…

Brigitte took a deep breath.

“It’s no surprise that your fenrir…that Blue said he hates you.”

“What…?”

Yuri was dumbfounded for a moment, and then his expression suddenly distorted.

“Why? Why would you say that…?”

His words trailed off, and Brigitte felt a pang of guilt in her chest. But she kept going.

Sweet, comfortable words or gentle encouragement wouldn’t reach Yuri’s closed-off heart.

“Yuri, you could easily beat Clyde. He’s barely even worth fighting. You don’t have to take his bullying.”

“It was…a punishment, I thought. A punishment for not being able to save you, Brigitte.”

“But Clyde is bullying you for his own personal reasons. That has nothing to do with what happened to me.”

“…But…”

“Stop saying but!” Brigitte’s voice rose. “Why do you take all the blame on yourself? I never wanted you to suffer!”

Now Brigitte was hitting Yuri with more than just anger. These were her true feelings.

Yuri gasped. Then Brigitte walked briskly over to him and knelt down beside his bed.

She placed both her hands on his slender shoulders and hugged him tightly.

“…Brigitte…?”

Yuri seemed flustered by the sudden embrace, but Brigitte held on to his slender body.

I wish I’d done this sooner…

I’m the one who made him wait in that lonely place for eleven years.

Tears welled up in Brigitte’s eyes. Yuri had been struggling alone in that little body of his. He’d endured so much pain.

…Like someone sensitive to cold still insisting they don’t feel a thing.

“Yuri, you’ve done nothing wrong. You don’t need to be punished.”

“…!”

“Besides, Yuri, you should realize…there are so many people who love you!”

“…Who…? Who loves me?”

The surprise in his voice made Brigitte’s heart ache.

Yuri was so oblivious to the affections of others… Of course what Brigitte said had felt strange.

Brigitte held him so tightly, she wrinkled his nightshirt.

“You don’t understand, Yuri. You don’t understand anything. You don’t understand how much the people and spirits around you care about you… That’s why you go on about things like punishment.”

Not everyone loved Yuri, of course. Clyde was hostile toward him. And plenty of people were jealous of his outstanding ability.

But so what? Brigitte thought. What do those people matter?

“Yuri… I know it might be hard right now… But you need to have more faith in yourself. Forgive yourself. Thanks to you… Thanks to you, I was able to love myself. I want the same for you.”

“…”

She’d found herself doing whatever Joseph told her to do, just because she wanted him to like her.

She’d found herself wearing pink clothes that didn’t suit her, putting on heavy makeup, and turning in her exam answer sheets without answering any of the questions.

When Yuri had heard about Brigitte’s ridiculous behavior, he’d been cold and dismissive, but he’d never once mocked her efforts.

That was why she didn’t want Yuri to hate himself.

Maybe it was a self-serving wish, but she felt it deeply.

“Why didn’t you hate me?” he mumbled, and Brigitte slowly let go of him.

She blinked once, and the young Yuri was no longer there, nor was the bed in his room. The boy kneeling limply on the white floor was the Yuri that Brigitte knew so well.

His voice trembled with intense remorse.

“I abandoned you, my fiancée… I abandoned you when your father hurt you and threw you out of your home… I…”

“That wasn’t your fault, Yuri! And it wasn’t your mother’s, either.”

Brigitte was emphatic.

Yuri’s mother had only ever done what was best for Yuri. But when she went to greet Brigitte’s family, for their engagement, she’d witnessed Deag attacking his own daughter…

No wonder she’d called off the engagement plans before they could be officially settled. Only a few people had even known about them to begin with…including Deag, Yuri, and Joseph, too, after Deag had casually let it slip.

There was wood burning in the drawing room fireplace because there were guests at the Meidell house that rainy day… But I had forgotten about that…

They were both just five years old. Brigitte didn’t recall much about her birthday; her memories of that day were still clouded over with fear and pain.

But she had a vague sensory memory of someone clutching her limp right hand. Somewhere in that nightmare was the touch of that hand.

Now she understood. When she had started talking to Yuri, it had started to bring back those memories. When they held hands.

When she was trying to escape from Nival in the library, Yuri had grabbed her by the hand.

Then, when she visited Yuri’s mansion, he’d taken her hand to escort her.

And with each touch of his long, slender fingers…Brigitte’s lost memories were stirred up again.

…No, that’s not it, though. The first trigger was…

Recalling that day, Brigitte slowly began to speak.

“Six months ago, right after my engagement to Joseph was broken off. We were both trying to pick up the same book in the library…and our hands touched. That can’t be a coincidence, right?”

“…”

Yuri remained silent. That alone was answer enough.

“It’s always been odd to me. The original version of The Wind Laughs is very expensive… We couldn’t buy it with the budget we had for the villa, but I’m sure the Aurealis family would have had it in their own collection.”

“…No, you’re wrong, I…” Yuri gasped. “Really, that’s not it… I saw you trying so hard to find a book, stretching to reach it, and it just got me curious.”

“So you were just trying to help me find it?”

Yuri remained silent, but Brigitte continued pressing.

“You’ve always taken an interest in me, even at the academy.”

“I just couldn’t…talk to you. I didn’t know if you remembered me or not. Once we started talking, I realized you’d forgotten me…but that was fine. If you remembered me, it would only hurt more.”

“…”

“I said all those horrible things to you. You should have hated me. If only you had hated me…and kept me at arm’s length…”

“How could I have hated you?” Brigitte interrupted him softly.

Yuri looked down, and Brigitte placed both hands on his cheeks. Yuri looked away, guilt in his eyes, but Brigitte didn’t care. She soldiered on.

“Please explain to me, Yuri. How could I have hated you? The boy who was kinder than anyone else, who bore such hardships, who stayed by my side even though he was suffering… How could I have hated you?”

“…”

“You know…I’ve peeked into several of your memories. That’s why I know. I know you worked hard at your magic and studies every day without a break, that you worked yourself half to death, that you kept tormenting yourself. That you kept fighting without ever complaining. That you were desperate to become stronger than anyone else.”

“…I…”

“Yuri. I’m so sorry I forgot you.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Brigitte blinked, and clear drops spilled from her eyes.

Soon, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and they wouldn’t stop. It was as if she was crying Yuri’s share of tears, the ones he had refused to shed.

Still, Brigitte tried her best to suppress her trembling and speak her thoughts, hoping to ease Yuri’s pain even a little.

“I wanted to tell you sooner…when you were suffering. I wanted to say I was sorry. And I wanted to say…thank you.”

Then…

…Yuri cupped the back of Brigitte’s head in his hand and pulled her into an embrace.

“No. I’m the one who owes you thanks…”

He held on tight, like he was praying. Like he needed her.

Brigitte rested her face against Yuri’s chest and closed her eyes. Feeling the tears welling up again behind her closed eyelids, she listened to Yuri’s trembling voice.

“I didn’t suffer. I made it through because…because you were there.”

Brigitte sniffled through her tears and repeated her earlier question.

“Do you have any dreams, Yuri?”

If his answer remained unchanged, then there was no way of escaping the rusalka’s spell. Yuri would be trapped in a stark white room with no way out.

But Brigitte was sure that wouldn’t be the case.

She would just keep asking. Over and over and over, until Yuri realized he knew the answer.

“I never thought about it before. When I was younger, I couldn’t imagine the future. But now…yes, there is something.”

“Yes?”

Yuri held Brigitte tightly enough to hurt and whispered, with reverence in his voice, “My dream is to be with you, Brigitte.”

Oh, that’s…

Her lips were trembling, and Brigitte couldn’t express herself well.

But as she felt Yuri’s warm breath on her neck, Brigitte realized that her silent cry had indeed been heard.

…Because she shared Yuri’s dream, too.

The next time Brigitte opened her eyes, the stark white room was gone.

The two of them were embracing each other under a night sky by the shore of a great lake. It seemed the dream Yuri had said aloud was the trigger that brought them back to reality.

After they pulled away a little, the two of them continued to stare at each other closely. While Brigitte gazed at him with tearful eyes, Yuri gently let his forehead fall against hers.

The softness of his bangs and the warmth of his forehead made her feel at ease. Then Yuri looked her straight in the eye and gave her a slight smile.

“You cry a lot.”

Hearing the fondness in his voice, Brigitte sniffed. Then Yuri brushed away her final tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Brigitte pursed her lips and replied with both embarrassment and relief.

“…I’m crying for both of us. Of course it’s a lot.”

“Please don’t. I can’t bear it when you cry.”

With those words, Yuri reluctantly let go and was the first to stand up.

With his help, Brigitte stood, too. Yuri looked around them, sighing.

“I got back safe…thanks to you. This time, you saved me.”

“But…”

“Yeah. It’s not over yet.”

Yuri’s gaze was fixed sternly on the direction of the lake.

“Ulp…”

As Brigitte and Yuri started to move forward, the rusalka looked alarmed.

She panicked and jumped off the rock, but there was nowhere in the lake to escape to.

“…Bubbles.”

Yuri unleashed an intermediate spell, and a swarm of large bubbles spread out like a net over the surrounding area.

Walled in by the mass of bubbles, the rusalka splashed helplessly, and Yuri rained down a barrage of Splash spells.

“Yeek!”

The rusalka shrieked like an old hag under the powerful torrent of water, until she was stranded on the shore of the lake. She struggled to get up.

Until now, Yuri had never fought back against Clyde or his rusalka. He’d just stood there and taken it. The rusalka had no idea what Yuri was capable of. Clearly, she had underestimated him.

Right. Yuri’s always been this strong, you know!

The rusalka was a powerful spirit, and this was the Crack, the space between worlds where a spirit’s powers would be amplified.

But in this magical place, Yuri’s own power was also greater. The rusalka used her singing voice to bewitch her foes. But Yuri, who’d contracted with a fenrir and an undine, was skilled with attack magic. Maybe he couldn’t damage the rusalka that much, but he wasn’t going to lose.

“Graagh!”

Still, the rusalka did not retreat. Her beautiful face twisted with rage, and she leaped at Yuri.

But her sharp fangs and blue claws did not tear into him.

“Rusalka. Never pick a fight with me again.”

“Guh…?”

The spirit collapsed at Yuri’s feet, unable to reach him.

Her body was covered with frost; the rusalka was turning to ice, from her tail fin to her nose. Her white exhalations froze in the air.

“This is your ultimatum. If you ever lay hands on me or anything that belongs to me again…I will eliminate you by any means necessary.”

The rusalka could not respond to this declaration. By the time Yuri was done speaking, her entire body had frozen.

As he glowered down at the rusalka with an ice-cold gaze, Yuri appeared every inch the evil villain.

“…Hee-hee… Ha-ha-ha!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Brigitte burst out laughing.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“Why? It’s just… It’s just that you’d make such a good villain, ha-ha!”

“Oh, come off it.”

But Yuri chuckled, too, deflating slightly. Once they were finished laughing, Brigitte looked down at the rusalka.

“Wow, she’s completely frozen…”

“She’ll be fine once it melts. I just bought us some time.”

Brigitte was relieved. The general belief was that spirits couldn’t be killed by humans. But Brigitte wouldn’t be surprised if Yuri could do it. He was powerful enough.

Then Brigitte remembered something important.

“Oh, right, Yuri. I think Peep’s nearby!”

“What?”

“When I had that terrible headache, I felt something sharp in my ear. That’s when I realized it was the rusalka singing. I think it must have been Peep, helping me.”

She’d recognized the sensation as Peep’s pink little beak.

“Now that I think about it, when I was heading to the lake, I felt something tug at my sleeve.”

As he looked closely, Yuri saw that his sleeve had small tears, like those caused by an animal’s teeth.

“Oh my! Blue must have done that!”

Brigitte couldn’t exactly imagine the graceful undine gnawing on Yuri’s sleeve.

“But why haven’t Peep or Blue shown themselves?”

Hmm. Brigitte thought it over hard.

Meanwhile, Yuri, who had been exploring the area, beckoned to Brigitte.

“Brigitte, come here.”

Yuri knelt on one knee and looked out at the lake. The water’s surface shone as it reflected the starlight, and the wind created occasional ripples in the water.

“Ah!” Brigitte exclaimed, coming up behind Yuri.

“Was that Undine just now?”

“That’s what it seemed to me.”

Swimming gracefully in the lake was a spirit with a feminine, supple body.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, the undine spun around and looked at them. Then the voluptuous water spirit smiled and gestured behind her.

There was Blue, peering up at them, with a tiny chick sitting on his head.

“Peep!”

Oh, phew! Peep can breathe, right?

There didn’t seem to be any danger of drowning. Come to think of it, Brigitte had never heard of any spirit drowning before.

She could also see Nival’s ariel and Kira’s brownie. When she called to them, they merely frowned. Perhaps they couldn’t hear her.

“…Brigitte, do you remember the message from the glowing flowers?”

“Yes, of course.”

Brigitte recited it briefly from memory:

Gather at the lake that reflects the sky.

Invert the starry night with only that which is real.

“Now it’s clear. Only that which is real…that probably includes both us and our contracted spirits.”

“Now that we’ve reunited, we need to think of a way to ‘invert’ the night…”

Brigitte frowned, trying to figure out how they could get to the spirits.

“Huh?”

“Brigitte?”

“I can’t touch the lake. This is…”

She was reaching out her hand, but she couldn’t seem to make contact with the water. The surface rippled with the breeze, which wasn’t unusual there, but her fingers couldn’t break past it.

“It’s no good. I can’t reach the other side. It’s like there’s something hard and flat in the way, except it’s not solid.”

“Like it’s being protected by some sort of impenetrable mist.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it seems like. But if that’s the case, then how could Peep and Blue manage to touch us when—? Uh, Yuri…?”

All of a sudden, Brigitte realized Yuri was standing on the surface of the lake with both feet.

“Yuri! Stop! You’ll drown!”

“No, it’s okay. Look. My feet aren’t even wet.”

Yuri wasn’t sinking into the lake at all. His stance was firm, as if he was standing on thick ice. Water rippled around his feet on the surface.

The lake was not what it seemed to be. Yuri smiled a little and held out a hand to Brigitte, who was sighing a little with relief.

“Come on. If you’re afraid, I’ll hold your hand.”

“…I’m not afraid, exactly…”

She wasn’t…and she couldn’t exactly refuse Yuri’s hand. She reached for him, trying to reassure herself that he was just being polite…

“Hup…”

Yuri narrowed his eyes as he watched Brigitte step up onto the surface of the water.

“W-wow, I’m not sinking at all… This is so odd…”

Confused, Brigitte and Yuri explored all over the lake, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere they could penetrate the surface of the water.

Just then, a girl came running and screaming toward them.

“Oh! Brigitte! Mr. Aurealis!”

“Kira?!!!”

Kira, who seemed to have come by a different route, was waving her hands in the air and shouting in a tearful voice.

“Please help me! When we were walking through the cave, we came to a fork in the road, and the class president—! Anyway, there are three of them now!”

“Three class presidents…?!”

Sure enough, three Nivals soon arrived, chasing after Kira. Two of them were pucks, of course, but it was still a frightening thing to see.

“Hey, Kira! Don’t be fooled, now! I’m the real one!”

“That’s nonsense! I’m the real Nival, Kira!”

“There isn’t even a resemblance! I’m Nival Weir!”

Brigitte could only stare.

I can’t tell the difference at all!

The three Nivals came after Kira, yelling, “““Me! Me! Me!”””

“They’re so noisy, it would be quicker to just cut them all down.”

Yuri! Please!

At that moment, a vortex of magical power suddenly bubbled up from the tears that Kira had shed.

“Whoa!”

Brigitte’s eyes widened, as out of the vortex popped a translucent figure…Kira’s brownie!

“Pew! Pew!”

The brownie stood in front of Kira to protect her and swept the ground with his beloved broom at lightning speed. A violent cloud of dust rose up, and it headed toward the Nivals like a storm with a will of its own.

“““Ouch! My eyes!”””

The three Nivals rolled around on the ground in agony, their hands over their faces.

Brigitte’s own eyes widened as she watched this, and she clapped her hands.

“…It’s water!”

“Huh?”

“Just now, when I stepped on a small puddle in the cave, Peep pecked my ear. Then your brownie appeared from the tears Kira shed on the ground! Our contracted spirits are trapped in the lake, but if we use water as a medium, maybe we can make contact with them, even temporarily!”

“I see. Yes, that makes sense.” Yuri nodded, seemingly convinced by Brigitte’s hypothesis. “But Blue and Undine didn’t appear when I used my magic…”

“Water created with magical power might not work as a medium.”

As Brigitte and Yuri pondered this complex issue, Nival’s ariel appeared in a translucent form from the tears spilling out of her contractor’s red eyes.

The silent but kind ariel conjured a strong wind and blew away the other two Nivals. Brigitte was impressed. She didn’t even hesitate when it came to identifying the real one.

“Amazing. Ariel knew who the real Nival was after just a glance…!”

That was the bond between the contractor and the contracted spirit.

But then one of the Nivals who had been blasted to the far side of the lake groaned something.

“…Ariel… It’s me… I’m the real one…”

And then Nival collapsed in a dead faint.

Brigitte realized that in all the confusion, the other two Nivals had fled. Brigitte returned her attention to the surface of the lake, where the ariel had returned. The spirit had its back turned awkwardly.

A while later…

Brigitte and Kira managed to bring Nival back to consciousness.

“Ariel… How could you do that to me…?”

Nival sat hugging his own knees and gazing out at the lake, while Yuri, Brigitte, and Kira had a quick discussion.

“We tried all kinds of magic, but nothing worked.”

“That’s right. We can’t penetrate from this side.”

They’d tried everything they could think of. They’d shot fireballs and water balls at the surface of the water, but they just disappeared into nothingness. It seemed the lake was designed to absorb any and all forms of offensive magic.

For now, Peep and the other spirits could only use their powers through the medium of things like puddles of water and tears. At this rate, linking up with their spirits seemed impossible, but they needed their spirits to guide them back to the human world.

“Let’s take a break,” Yuri suggested, and Brigitte and Kira nodded.

There were no benches nearby, of course, so they chose some suitably sized rocks and sat down. But sitting down only made them feel how exhausted they truly were.

“Ugh. I’m hungry… I’ve already eaten all the snacks I brought with me.”

Kira sighed and gazed sadly at the lake. Peep, perhaps sensing her gaze, chirped with alarm and quickly scuttled away.

“I did spot some fruit that might be edible, but…”

Sitting down beside the lakeshore, Nival shook his head.

“They say that if you eat food from the spirit world, you’ll never be able to return to the human world, so…we’d better not.”

“Yes, that’s right…”

Strictly speaking, this was the Crack, only a boundary between the human and spirit world. But even so, it wouldn’t do to go around eating things here, since they had no idea what might happen.

Meanwhile, Kira’s stomach continued to growl quietly.

What a shame. I dropped all the cheese and nuts I brought.

In all the commotion of chasing the puck who had transformed into Yuri, and then…the hug from Yuri…Brigitte had lost all her belongings, and unfortunately, there was nothing left to eat that Kira would want.

Next to Brigitte, Yuri was rummaging through his pockets.

“Kira.”

“Huh? Wh-whoa!”

Kira just managed to catch the item Yuri threw her.

“Is this…candy?”

Kira’s eyes sparkled as she held up the sweets wrapped in red paper. Yuri loved sweets, so he must have brought some along just in case.

“Yuri! This favor will be repaid in full someday! I swear it!”

Almost in tears, Kira quickly popped the candy in her mouth.

“Wow, it’s so good! It’s strawberry flavored!”

Kira seemed to perk up. Brigitte smiled, observing how Kira’s cheeks were bulging adorably, just like a hamster’s.

“You too, Brigitte.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Yuri even had enough for Brigitte, too.

This one was in a blue wrapper, bearing the mark of a Western-style pastry shop that was well-known in the royal capital.

Wow, these are fancy candies. Of course Yuri would enjoy these.

Brigitte rolled the candy on her tongue, and a sweet taste spread through her mouth. Green apple, she thought.

The tiredness hanging on her like a heavy shroud seemed to melt away. Brigitte and Kira ate the candy with gusto.

As the two of them happily chewed, Yuri kept on rummaging through his pockets.

“This is the last one,” he said, and he tossed a candy at Nival. Nival accepted it, but he seemed surprised.

“If it’s the last one, then you should have it.”

“I’m not that fond of sweets,” Yuri replied.

The three of them exchanged looks and pressed their lips tight.

What a lie!

But Yuri seemed determined to give the last one to Nival.

“Yuri, have you done something to this?”

“No. Just eat it.”

“I’d rather not! There must be something wrong with it!”

Yuri sighed as Nival became increasingly suspicious.

“You’re tired; let your brain rest. We’re all going to leave here together, okay?”

Nival and Kira both blinked.

“Wow, Yuri… It’s like you’ve become a nice person, almost…”

Nival seemed to have revised his opinion of Yuri. But that wasn’t the end of the conversation.

“No, I can’t accept this at all. You eat it, Yuri!”

“Why are you being so troublesome?”

“Come on, just eat it…”

As Yuri and Nival fought over the candy, it fell out of Nival’s hand.

Yuri and Nival both stared in surprise as it hit the lake with a loud plop. Kira blanched and ran over to the lake without even pausing.

“Ohhh!!!”

Even though she could see the candy and reach for it, Kira couldn’t grab it. Trembling, she turned around slowly.

“Terrible! Just awful behavior! If I’d known that was going to happen, I could have eaten it myself! Bad boys who waste food will get punished, you know!”

The two of them looked away guiltily. Kira pointed a finger at them, shaking with fury.

“Right now, this lake’s harder to get to than the other side of the damn world!”

Brigitte walked over to Kira and tried to calm her friend.

“K-Kira… Don’t shout so much. You’ll work your appetite back up.”

“But…Brigitte! The candy! That was food!”

…Hold on.

Brigitte stared out at the lake, realizing something was wrong.

“How did the candy fall into the lake?”

“Because Yuri and Class Prez were having a silly tug-of-war, and…”

“But we can’t get through the water… Can we?”

Kira, who had been sniffling, suddenly stopped crying.

“Huh? That’s right… Yeah, that’s why we can’t join up with Brownie and the others…”

“It’s strange that we can still see the candy as well…”

If it had fallen to the bottom of the water, it should have disappeared from sight in an instant. Why was the candy still visible to Brigitte and the others?

Could it be…?

“…We are in the Crack, right? The space between the human and spirit world?”

“Yes. The teachers were very clear about where the exam would be held.”

Yuri shrugged.

Brigitte knelt down and peered into the lake, ignoring the fact that her knees were getting dirty.

If she peered closely at the water…she could see their contracted spirits down there relaxing. The reason for that had to be…

“What if the other side of the lake isn’t another part of the Crack but the actual spirit world itself?”

“Huh?” Kira said.

But now that she’d said it aloud, Brigitte was certain sure she was right.

The spirit world was a dangerous place. Since the exam was being held under the jurisdiction of the magic academy, they would no doubt take every possible measure to ensure the safety of the students.

So…the path to the spirit world must have been sealed off temporarily, for safety reasons. Neither the spirits nor Brigitte and her friends could pass through. But insignificant dropped candies could.

“I see. So that’s why,” Nival muttered with wonder. Then, as the other three watched, he used his magic to carve a pattern into the ground.

He drew a person standing on a straight horizontal line, and on the other side, he drew an upside-down creature that looked like Peep.

“Class Prez, what’s that…?”

“I think maybe this side of the lake and the other side are mirror images, like this. Also, I don’t see any of our spirits swimming, so maybe it’s shallow water or something on their side. It’s confusing, though, since it looks like the ariel and undine, at least, are floating in the air.”

While complaining about the ariel’s error, Nival had clearly been carefully observing the lake. And he’d sensed what the issue might be.

Hmm, hmm, Kira murmured, nodding.

“So that’s why the candy is still visible from here. From the spirit world’s point of view, it’s like it’s fallen to the bottom of a shallow body of water.”

Gradually, they were forming a mental picture of the terrain on the other side.

Now that I think about it…when Yuri cornered the rusalka, she tried to escape via the lake.

The conditions probably didn’t apply to the rusalka, who was, in essence, “helping” with the test. She was able to travel between the two worlds without any problems.

“In other words, the other side of the lake is the spirit world…”

The four of them lined up and gazed into the water, where the light was refracted.

But having figured this out didn’t mean they were any closer to a solution. How were they to join their spirits, who were presently in the spirit world?

But there must be some way to do it.

Brigitte frantically racked her brain.

She remembered the great Illustrated Encyclopedia of Spirits that she’d pored over in the library after Joseph had broken off their engagement. Inside, there were pages and pages of information about the spirit world.

Brigitte had loved to stare at the pictures in that book when she was a child, too. And Brigitte wasn’t the only one. Anyone born in the Kingdom of Field and raised alongside spirits had to have read it at least once.

“Not a waterfall with a rainbow over it, but a waterfall that’s filled with rainbow-colored water…”

As she walked around the lake, Brigitte recited the texts that had accompanied the book’s many illustrations, hoping one of them might provide a hint on how to get out of their current deadlocked situation.

“If one becomes so mesmerized by the beauty that they accidentally drink the water, they will most likely end up feeling sick, so caution is advised…”

Nival and Kira looked at each other in confusion, but Yuri rubbed his chin, like he was thinking deeply about Brigitte’s excerpts.

“If one strikes the rough rubbled rocks, the tiny spirits that have been sleeping peacefully within will come tumbling out. With a sneeze, the sky and the earth will be reversed…”

Sky and earth reversed?

Brigitte stopped and thought harder than ever.

Since no human had ever actually been to the spirit world and returned, the things written in the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Spirits were probably compiled from stories their ancestors had heard from the spirits.

But even in the spirit world, it seemed unrealistic that someone sneezing could reverse the sky and earth. What if that was some kind of metaphor?

Come to think of it, didn’t Undine say, “Even I sometimes inhale fairy dust and stumble into the Crack…”?

Invert the starry night with only that which is real.

And Brigitte and Yuri came to a conclusion in unison.

“…A sneeze!”

“It is a sneeze!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Brigitte quickly explained as Kira stared at her.

“In the spirit world, when someone sneezes, the sky and the earth are reversed. The one sneezing must be a spirit, and the sneeze must knock them inadvertently out of the spirit world. So if we can get the spirits to sneeze, they should be able to travel here…to the Crack, the space in between worlds!”

“Since the Crack is a mirror image of the spirit world, falling out of the spirit world must land them in the Crack. Once we reunite here, we can have the spirits lead us back to the human world. That must be what the glowing flower’s message meant, right?”

Brigitte nodded emphatically at Yuri, then turned to Nival and Kira.

“Let’s get Peep and the others to sneeze! I’m not certain, but I think this might just be the answer!”

Brigitte tightened her lips and waited for their reactions.

“Let’s try it, Brigitte!” Nival responded instantly and with enthusiasm.

Beside him, Kira nodded and smiled. “I trust you, Brigitte! And even if it doesn’t work, we have nothing to lose… We can just try the next thing.”

“Kira, let’s try it first before we start planning for failure…”

“It was just a for instance!”

Brigitte chuckled, tickled by their usual banter. Then she was all business and raised her voice. “…Well then, let’s give it a try!”

The four of them stood in the exact center of the lake.

Looking up, they could see a sky full of stars watching over them. Or maybe it was laughing at their misguided efforts.

Brigitte cleared her throat.

“Um… So I suppose I’ll ask first… How do we express to the spirits what we want them to do?”

They had instantly encountered a problem. It would be hard to instruct their spirits to sneeze when they couldn’t hear them.

But Kira’s hand shot up.

“Leave it to me, Brigitte. My brownie can read!”

“…Huh? What, really?”

“Yes. I used to be lonely because I didn’t have any friends, so I would write letters to, uh, imaginary friends. Then Brownie seemed to feel sorry for me and started writing me back!”

Oh dear. I’m not sure what to do with that information…

But as a result of what Kira had just shared, they seemed to have found a way forward.

They used magic to write letters in the air for the brownie to read. Writing backward seemed difficult at first, but Yuri didn’t seem to have too much trouble with it.

The brownie nodded several times, seemingly understanding what they wanted to say. Then, from somewhere about its small person, it pulled out a large bag.

“What’s that?”

“Brownie loves cleaning, you know? That’s its handy garbage bag. It must be in there…”

As if responding to Kira’s comment, the brownie upended the bag and spilled the contents.

The yellowish dust billowed out—it looked like fairy dust. The nearby spirits looked confused at first, but then their expressions began to change.

Blue’s brow furrowed. Peep trembled. The ariel’s nose twitched. And then…the fateful moment arrived.

“…CHOO!”

Though she couldn’t hear anything, the way the spirits all doubled over, eyes closing, was as easy to understand as any audio cue could have been. Brigitte’s heart began pounding faster.

So cute!

Actually, the sight of a bunch of spirits all sneezing together was a rather memorable one. A new page in history was being written right before her eyes…

While Brigitte was savoring the moment…

“Cheep!”

“Oh, Peep!”

Peep came falling from above, landing on Brigitte’s head.

“Cheep!”

The little bird pecked at her hair, joyful over their reunion, and Brigitte grinned at the familiar sensation.

“Woof, Master! Finally, we meet again!”

“Get down, Blue. Undine, stop poking my cheek, would you?”

“You’re a terrible master, making a lady sneeze. You’ll pay a high price for this, you know?”

“Thanks, Brownie!”

“Pyororo!”

Their contracted spirits expressed their joy wholeheartedly. However, there was no time for carefree rejoicing just then.

“Oh! Look, another puck!” Nival yelped in horror.

A smiling Brigitte and Kira were running over to them. Meanwhile, the frozen rusalka was still struggling to her feet.

But if evil fairies try to get in our way again…

There was no guarantee they’d be able to give them the slip like they’d done before. And if they got separated, there was no guarantee the four of them would be able to gather like this again.

Yuri, realizing the situation, quickly gave instructions to his undine.

“Undine, please guide us to the human world.”

“Don’t worry, Master. There’s a door nearby. We’ll have to run a little, but we should be able to get there.”

Kira grabbed Nival’s arm.

“K-Kira? What’s this about?” Nival looked flustered, while Kira stuck out her chin.

“I don’t want to get tricked again. If I hold on to you, it’ll be okay, right?”

“Oh… Oh, right…”

Nival looked torn between disappointment and relief.

While Brigitte gazed enviously at the two of them, she felt a touch on her hand. Yuri was standing beside her, seeming nervous.

“You said before that you’d love to go to the spirit world someday, didn’t you?”

Brigitte gulped.

Brigitte had casually mentioned that when she’d revealed her dream of being a spiritologist, and Yuri remembered.

At the time, Brigitte had been feeling hopeless. She knew that if she, a human, ever reached the spirit world, she’d never be able to return. And yet her father had called her a changeling. She had no place in the human world, either.

If they stayed here in the Crack…she might find her way to the spirit world, eventually. That must have been what Yuri was thinking.

“Have your feelings about that changed?”

“…No, and they won’t change.”

Yuri frowned, and Brigitte continued, “But…”

“…They say that a person who lives out their natural lifespan becomes a gust of wind that blows through the spirit world, right? So I think I…would like to become like that someday.”

“…!”

A strong wind blew, almost as if in response. Brigitte laughed, letting her long hair flow behind her.

“Yuri. My place is right here.”

Not in the spirit world. Certainly not in the Crack.

Her place was with Yuri.

It’s not like how it was back then anymore.

She squeezed his hand, hoping that would be enough to tell him her feelings.

“Let’s go home together, Brigitte.”

“…Yes, Yuri.”

Yuri nodded, then shouted to the others.

“Everyone, run!”

Following the undine’s lead, Brigitte and the others took off running.

The evil fairies followed after them. The undine led them to a dead end with no way to escape, but without looking back, she yelled:

“Here it is! Don’t hesitate, just jump!”

Getting closer, Brigitte could see it with her own eyes. It was a gaping hole, like a rift in space. The kind of void that appeared whenever a spirit emerged.

Without slowing down, Brigitte and Yuri dived into it, and suddenly the starry night faded away into silence.

It was just like when she’d fallen into the Crack. Brigitte stared at the whirling, distorted colors.

It’s…it’s really quite beautiful.

Perhaps she could appreciate its beauty better on the way back because of the hand holding hers.

After making it through the distorted space, Brigitte and the other three found themselves standing on the slope of a small, familiar hill.

A gaggle of korpukkurs came running down to them from the top of the hill, noisily cheering. Those were Marjory’s contracted spirits.

Brigitte exchanged a glance with Yuri, and they both nodded at the same time.

“Yuri…”

“…Yeah.”

The long, grueling graduation exam…was finally over.

Chapter 6: Distorted Emotions

It was two days after the exam.

The students had been given the previous day off to recover from their fatigue, but today, the results of the graduation exam were to be announced in the auditorium.

When Marjory officially announced that only six students had passed the graduation exam—Brigitte, Yuri, Nival, and Kira, plus two students from another class—the auditorium erupted in cheers and cries of amazement.

Most of the students had expected Yuri to pass, given his reputation as the most talented student at the academy. But many more had had serious doubts about Brigitte’s, Nival’s, and Kira’s chances.

There were looks of envy, jealousy, and suspicion coming their way. “Seriously? The Red Fairy…?” Brigitte turned and looked over her shoulder at the whispers, and several female students she didn’t know guiltily avoided her gaze.

Brigitte sighed, feeling so many eyes on her.

I’m sure many of them will think little of my success and assume I just rode Yuri’s coattails.

Quite a few of the students believed that Brigitte and her friends had only been able to pass because they happened to run into the same trap that Yuri had been in.

But no. They’d all passed the exam on their own merits. They’d stayed calm and kept their heads.

Still, not all of the reactions were negative. Quite a few students were genuinely pleased for Nival, Kira, and Brigitte.

As the students thought back, the exam itself hadn’t been too difficult.

The students just used the know-how they’d gathered and the relationships they’d fostered. And a little courage, relying on themselves rather than on their spirits. The graduation exam had been designed from the ground up to test all these things. It actually didn’t matter how powerful your contracted spirit was, in the end.

Still, if Yuri hadn’t helped me, I’d have failed right at the beginning!

When Brigitte remembered what the puck and the duergar had done to her, a swell of regret welled up in her heart, and she vowed to herself that if she ever got a second chance against those evil fairies, she wouldn’t let them trick her a second time.

After waiting for the excitement to die down, Marjory went on to explain a few things.

The students had all been sent to the Crack, but to different parts of it. There was the sea of trees, but there were also beaches, sandy dunes, flower fields, snowy plains. There, the students encountered evil fairies of the Unseelie Court who dwelled in each habitat. And they were all presented with a certain challenge to solve. The only thing that was consistent was that none of them could get help from their contracted spirits.

Some students were absent today, suffering from shock or bad health, and even some of those present had bandages on their arms and legs. It was clear that many students had struggled. But it was a blessing that no student had been seriously injured or failed to return.

Everyone who failed or withdrew from the exam would be allowed to do the retake before the year was up. The difficulty would be lowered, with no evil fairies involved the next time. Needless to say, all the students in the entire auditorium breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this.

After Marjory announced that the assembly was over, Brigitte and her classmates, official victors, found themselves surrounded by students.

Students gathered to clap for them and to offer congratulations, including those from different classes. Nival and Kira both blushed. The last two successful were similarly surrounded.

“Hey, what kind of evil fairies did you meet?”

“Can you tell me how you dealt with them?”

“How did you manage to join up with your contracted spirits?”

“More importantly, how did you get back to the human world?”

Questions flew back and forth over Brigitte and the others’ heads in rapid succession. It was no wonder; most of the students had to be rescued at the end of the exam by the patrolling korpukkurs. Understandably, they wanted to know how the successful ones had done it.

But none of them could give anything but the vaguest response to the questions. They were not allowed to reveal the events of the exam to anyone else, and the Magical Pledge would keep them in line—unless they wanted to face the dryads’ curse.

So, since they couldn’t give many details or share how they had overcome their trials, it all felt a bit anticlimactic.

But Brigitte had more important concerns.

I knew it! Yuri’s absent today…!

Yuri, a member of Class 1, was nowhere to be seen in the auditorium or among the students who were already beginning to file out.

I wanted to celebrate our victory together…

When Sienna and Roze found out that Brigitte had passed her graduation exam, they were overjoyed for her.

The servants treated Brigitte’s success as a group achievement, and the whole mansion was in a festive mood. The Meidell household had been without any celebrations for a while now after the scandal surrounding the previous head of the family, Deag, and his banishment from the royal capital. Finally, the house was lively again.

It was decided that a graduation exam victory party would be held over the weekend. Of course, Brigitte planned to invite Nival, Kira, and Yuri.

I guess successful exam candidates will get their badges on graduation day, so there was no real need for Yuri to force himself to come to school today…

But Brigitte couldn’t imagine why Yuri would skip school.

Now she was starting to imagine all kinds of worrying scenarios.

Maybe he caught a cold? Maybe he got injured during the exam, and I just didn’t notice? Maybe Yuri really needed to take the day off today?

An image of Yuri in bed, groaning in pain, came to Brigitte’s mind. The thought made her uneasy, and she couldn’t even smile back at the students congratulating her.

Still, Brigitte couldn’t exactly leave school early. She spent the afternoon feeling on edge, and as soon as classes were over, she dashed out of the classroom.

Still, as the daughter of an earl, she couldn’t exactly run full tilt through the academy’s corridors. Instead, she tried to walk as fast as she could—until she reached the staff room.

Someone familiar was stepping out of the room.

“…Clyde?”

Up until now, Brigitte had only encountered Clyde at the Water Clan’s mansion and in town.

It was a little strange to see him at the academy, but Clyde had been helping with the graduation exam, so it wasn’t so odd for him to be here.

And though she hardly cared to see him, it was a good thing she’d run into him. Clyde lived with Yuri, so surely he’d know if anything was wrong.

Though he is a tricky person. He might well lie to my face, but…

But any port in a storm, or so they say.

Brigitte wanted to call out to him, but she hesitated at the last moment.

It only took a few seconds of observation to see that Clyde was upset. The weight of his footsteps, the clicks of his tongue, the way he kept scratching the back of his neck…every gesture expressed that he was in a bad mood.

It’s going to be tough getting a straight answer.

No one else came out of the reception room, so it didn’t seem as though he was leaving a meeting for everyone who had helped with the exam.

As Brigitte dithered, Clyde noticed she was there. He stopped and turned to look at her.

“Oh, Brigitte. It’s you.”

The furrows of Clyde’s brow disappeared, as if by magic. He plastered a fake smile onto his handsome face, and he spoke with his usual cheery tone.

“Well. I never thought you’d pass the graduation exam.”

“…”

“I graduated from Otoleanna myself, you know. Back then, I completely failed the graduation exam. No one expected anything from the Red Fairy, but you’re more amazing than they give you credit for, aren’t you, Brigitte?”

Clyde kept talking nonstop, not giving Brigitte a chance to respond. It also seemed that he was keeping himself together by directing his frustration at Brigitte.

Brigitte took a deep breath. She didn’t have time for Clyde’s issues right now.

“So—”

“By the way, Clyde…Yuri was absent from school today. Do you know anything?”

When she interrupted him, Clyde narrowed his eyes.

The air became tense, but Brigitte didn’t back down. She returned his gaze with a ferocity of her own, and she was ready to stand up for Yuri if Clyde said more bad things about him.

But to Brigitte’s surprise, Clyde was more than willing to give her the information she was looking for.

“He’s been in bed with a fever since he got back the day before yesterday.”

Brigitte realized her fears were true.

“You’re worried about him?” Clyde asked.

“Of course I am,” Brigitte replied in a stiff voice, and Clyde laughed.

“All right. If you take my carriage, I think you can get access to the mansion—”

“Then please take me there.”

Clyde blinked, perhaps taken aback by Brigitte’s quick response.

“Won’t that frosty maid of yours be angry?”

“She will, but this is urgent. Let’s go quickly, Clyde.”

Brigitte walked out, her red hair flowing behind her, leaving Clyde to chase after her.

About an hour later, Brigitte and Clyde arrived at the Aurealis family mansion on the outskirts of the royal capital.

As the carriage pulled up just beyond the towering gates, Brigitte climbed down to the ground without Clyde’s help.

The mansion, which had a vast lake on its property, was bathed in the light of dusk. With the roof lightly dusted with snow, it looked even more mystical than when Brigitte had seen it in the summer.

“Where is Yuri?”

“So impatient, Brigitte. Still, it’s cold, so let’s go in quickly.”

Brigitte was shown into the reception room, where a large fireplace was burning with firewood, keeping the room toasty warm.

Shortly after entering the room, Clyde stopped and let out an exaggerated gasp of surprise, and Brigitte turned to look at him with her brows raised.

“I’m sorry. I thought maybe the Red Fairy doesn’t like fire.”

Brigitte stood very still.

The only people who regularly called Brigitte by that name were the undine and Clyde, but the undine said it with a touch of familiarity, while Clyde intended to mock her.

Odd. He doesn’t seem to mean it maliciously.

Maybe it was because Clyde’s voice was so similar to Yuri’s.

Am I forgiving him because he reminds me of Yuri…?

“No. It’s cold outside, so I’m grateful.”

Brigitte smiled and shook her head.

Clyde seemed a bit taken aback, but then he regained his composure and offered her a seat.

Shortly after they sat down facing each other on the leather sofas, the Aurealis family maids came in with tea and sweets. Then Brigitte spoke without hesitation.

“Clyde. May I see Yuri, please?”

That was the sole purpose of her journey here.

But Clyde, with his long legs crossed, shook his head.

“No, sorry.”

“…Huh?”

“We’ll chat until I’m satisfied. Once we’re done, I’ll bring you to Yuri.”

“…We talked the whole time in the carriage, did we not?”

To be precise, Clyde had been talking, while Brigitte merely nodded along.

“But, Brigitte, you weren’t listening to what I was saying. Let me tease you a little, won’t you?”

Brigitte ignored his remark and stood up.

She pushed against the doors she’d entered by, then frowned.

The doors wouldn’t open. They seemed to be locked from the outside. One of the maids who had served them earlier must have locked it at Clyde’s instruction.

“…You’re despicable.”

Even when she criticized his ungentlemanly behavior, Clyde remained calm. “Say whatever you want.” He knew he had the upper hand in his own mansion.

Brigitte bit her lip and glanced back at the door.

I don’t think I can break it down with magic…

Now she was locked in a room with a man she barely even knew. She needed to protect herself…but she couldn’t go doing anything crazy.

I’m in the residence of the Water Clan, a leading ducal family.

What would happen if Brigitte destroyed the door and the incident was made public? The Meidell family was already in a precarious position. Brigitte didn’t want to do anything that Roze would later be forced to apologize for.

Giving up on the door, Brigitte returned to her seat. She hated to comply, but it would be the quickest way to satisfy Clyde.

As though he’d been waiting for her to take a seat all along, Clyde leaned forward and began asking her questions.

“Brigitte, have you been manifesting your contracted spirit this whole time?”

“Cheep!”

Peep suddenly emerged from within Brigitte’s hair.

It seemed the little chick spirit thought it was being summoned. After patting her adorable chick on the head, Brigitte replied in the affirmative.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm. Even while you’re sleeping?”

“Probably.”

Mostly, Peep slept beside Brigitte’s bed. She had a little basket all set up with soft cotton and a cloth for a cushion. Peep slept very soundly inside it.

Clyde was astounded when he heard this.

“Wow…I didn’t know anyone besides him could manage that. Your magical power must be something monstrous, Brigitte.”

Monstrous?

Brigitte was getting annoyed. Clyde smiled wryly, probably realizing that using a word like that toward a girl of her age was insulting.

“Well, I mean…that spirit is the legendary phoenix, right? An ordinary person like me could only summon an advanced spirit like my rusalka for a few hours at most, and after three days of rest.”

Brigitte said nothing. It was too late to keep Peep’s identity a secret, though Brigitte had asked Liam to wait before registering the phoenix in the Book of Spirits. She felt awkward nodding and admitting to it now.

Clyde continued regardless.

“Have you ever thought about using that power to get back at those who made a fool of you?”

Perhaps it was because the question was unexpectedly sincere, but Brigitte inhaled sharply.

“That’s not how I do things.”

She had no desire for revenge or retaliation.

What good could be gained from using the power of the legendary phoenix to intimidate and subjugate others?

That wouldn’t heal the wounds of the past. It wouldn’t bring her any peace.

“Even so, your power is impressive,” said Clyde. “Too impressive. It’s ironic, but you might have been happier if you’d made a contract with a no-name spirit and been labeled as useless.”

Brigitte was reminded of the words of Tonari, the renowned spiritologist.

“Brigitte. Any priest who manages to bring you into the fold of the shrine will be a shoo-in to become the next archbishop.”

Tonari said that everyone connected to the shrines would seek Brigitte’s power, as a phoenix’s presence would rewrite the balance of power among the shrines.

Brigitte could hardly believe that, but she remained undeterred.

“I don’t agree that I’d be happier having never met Peep. No, I’ll never think that way.”

“I don’t understand. How can you say something like that? Those who wish you ill will make mincemeat of you, you know.”

Brigitte glared up at Clyde as he sighed in exasperation.

“Like you?”

“…!”

It was then that Clyde’s nonchalant, calm expression suddenly changed.

“You were called to the academy today to be reprimanded, weren’t you? You deliberately disobeyed the academy’s instructions and cast a spell on Yuri of your own volition.”

Steam was rising from the teacup on the table. Clyde picked up the cup as if he had just remembered it existed and took a sip of tea.

“…Perhaps you, too, saw the vision the rusalka cast?”

Clyde couldn’t necessarily see the rusalka’s visions, even as her contractor. Brigitte nodded, realizing he was probing for information.

“I did. You’ve been using your spirit’s power to torment Yuri for the past eleven years, haven’t you?”

“So what if I have?”

“That’s utterly deplorable.”

“Huh. Even when you’re angry, you’re very cute.” Clyde laughed, already having regained his composure. “So? Is there anything else you want to say to me, Brigitte? The academy’s already raked me over the coals, so please be gentle.”

“Now, you listen here…”

“Wait a minute, you two.”

Brigitte stiffened at the sound of a third person.

“This isn’t something you should discuss behind someone’s back, is it?”

The locked door had opened without any resistance to reveal the person standing on the threshold.

“Brother… What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? This is my house, too. Surely I have a right to be here?”

The young man smiled wryly and turned his gaze to Brigitte.

“Hello. Nice to meet you, Brigitte.”

“Um, yes. Nice to meet you, too… I’m, um, Brigitte Meidell.”

When Brigitte stood up and bowed, Noel, the eldest brother of the Aurealis family, held out his hand.

Brigitte nervously shook it. She was surprised at how firm it felt, and Noel smiled again.

“I did see you here over the summer. I didn’t have time to talk to you then. Yuri whisked you off so quick.”

“I apologize for not having been able to greet you sooner, Noel…”

“No need to apologize… Oh, you know my name. What an honor.”

He gave her an impish smile, and Brigitte blinked.

“The truth is…Yuri told me your name.”

“I see. So Yuri was talking about me, huh? That’s nice to hear.”

“Hee-hee-hee,” Noel chuckled. This didn’t feel like a first meeting. She’d seen Noel many times in Yuri’s memories.

Noel Aurealis…

He was the only older brother Yuri loved. But Yuri could not bring himself to trouble him for anything.

Standing across from him like this, Brigitte felt a strange sensation, as if she was looking up at an ancient, great tree.

Brigitte had never met anyone like Noel before. He was a young man with a slim build but no fragility about him, and despite his youthful appearance, he exuded the calm aura of a wise old man.

When she’d shaken his hand, she could feel his gentleness, his welcome acceptance of all others, through his palm.

But Brigitte was concerned. The Noel in Yuri’s memory was always sickly. What if he was still in poor health now?

“Oh, don’t worry. As you can see, I’m completely recovered. I’m currently studying a few different things in order to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

Brigitte felt a cold sweat at Noel’s unexpected reply.

He’s…not reading my mind…is he?

His pale-blue eyes seemed almost able to read Brigitte’s innermost thoughts.

“Oh, well, I’m very glad for that.”

She smiled awkwardly, and Noel slowly let go of Brigitte’s hand. Then a familiar voice came from behind Noel.

“…Brigitte?”

Brigitte’s eyes widened at the sound of the voice.

“…Yuri!”

Clifford had arrived with Yuri, who was wearing a white shirt.

Brigitte was relieved to see Yuri’s face, but he didn’t seem well, just as Clyde had told her.

“Are you okay? You must still be ill.”

“…Don’t worry. I just have a slight fever,” Yuri said in a husky voice, coughing softly.

“But…”

“I sent a message to Yuri. I thought he might be upset at being left out,” Noel interjected with a smile.

Yuri brushed off Clifford with one hand as the other man tried to lend Yuri his shoulder. Then he sat down on the sofa where Brigitte had been sitting before and leaned back. He did not look well.

His sweaty forehead and flushed cheeks, his ragged breathing and open shirt—it was all so alarmingly sensual and…

Oh goodness, Brigitte! This is hardly the time and place!

Clifford stood behind the sofa, apparently taking in the mood of the room. As for Noel, he sat down beside Clyde, as if that was his usual spot.

“Well then, let’s hear the rest. Oh, but don’t worry about me.”

Clyde’s expression was bitter as he glanced at Noel, but perhaps he realized that there was no point in arguing with his brother. He turned his attention to Brigitte in silence.

“Ahem,” Brigitte said, clearing her throat. The number of spectators had increased, but it would be far too awkward to try to back out now.

So she looked straight at Clyde.

“There is only one thing I want to say, Clyde. Please apologize to Yuri.”

“Huh? Why should I?”

“Because you owe him an apology for your actions.”

Clyde rolled his eyes and laughed. He wasn’t planning to take this seriously at all.

But Brigitte didn’t intend to back down, either.

“I know what you were up to. You wanted your own battle with Yuri, didn’t you?”

“…Now, now. Don’t pretend you know what you’re talking about.”

Clyde’s lips were smiling, but his eyes were not. It was obvious he was angry. Brigitte had hit him where it hurt.

But Brigitte didn’t look away. Compared to Yuri’s power, Clyde’s was nothing.

“In fact, I think I’ll just say it. Your younger brother made a contract with a water spirit and an ice spirit of the highest possible level. You were jealous, weren’t you? You hated him. After all, you made a contract with an evil fairy.”

“…!”

“People only ever had high hopes for Noel and Yuri. Despite being the third-born son, none of your relatives even bothered mentioning your name. You used Noel’s illness as an excuse, didn’t you? All this time, you just wanted to put down Yuri, your excellent younger brother. It was never about standing up for your eldest brother at all.”

Clyde opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“You must have loved it. Tormenting your younger brother, even though he had two of the most powerful contracted spirits possible. Did it make you feel big? All-powerful, untouchable? I can just imagine how much you enjoyed it.”

Brigitte paused for breath, and Clyde scowled at her with growing fury.

“…Don’t go any further, little Brigitte. I won’t hesitate to harm a girl, you know.”

“Oh, I can see I’ve hit a nerve.”

If Brigitte weren’t on the mark, Clyde wouldn’t be losing his composure like this.

She took a little breath and plowed on.

“In the end, you’re the one who discriminates against evil fairies the most, aren’t you? Including your own rusalka.”

Clyde’s eyes widened. Brigitte had never seen him this visibly upset.

“No, you’re wrong. I never…!”

“I most certainly am not. Has Yuri ever looked down on you or your rusalka? Has he ever made fun of you? Did he ever once laugh at you because of your contracted spirit?”

Clyde looked away. Was it to get away from Brigitte’s glare, or was he pained by past memories of Yuri?

Lowering her own gaze, Brigitte finished up in a subdued tone.

“…I’m not good at it, either—expressing my true feelings. I’m still afraid to speak honestly. But running away means that nothing will ever change.”

Opportunities don’t last forever. Sometimes things fall apart, and it’s too late to fix them. Like the rift between Brigitte and Joseph—even though they were once engaged, their relationship would never truly be put right.

There was a long silence. Clyde didn’t speak.

“He wanted to get under his skin,” said Noel, in a quiet voice full of emotion. “You wanted to get under Yuri’s skin, didn’t you, Clyde?”

Clyde, sitting next to him, didn’t reply. He also didn’t deny what Noel had just said.

“Brigitte’s right. You wanted to use Yuri as a rival. That was part of it. But there was a deeper reason. You wanted to bother him. So you could actually apologize.”

“…”

“You wanted a chance to apologize to Yuri. But how could you, when Yuri refused to get angry with you? So you stole his precious scarf. You had your rusalka rip it to shreds right in front of his eyes. You might not even have realized yourself what you were really trying to do.”

Clyde remained silent with a bitter expression, his head bowed.

As she listened to the fire crackling, Brigitte cast her mind back to the time when she first met Clyde.

Everything he said and did was designed to provoke a reaction. Why did he continue to behave like that?

Right… Clyde was trying to stir up Yuri’s emotions and draw out his true feelings.

Thinking back, Clyde had seemed shocked to see Yuri so angry on Brigitte’s behalf. It must have been his first time seeing his brother show that kind of emotion.

That was why he kept teasing Brigitte. He was trying to stir up Yuri by upsetting her.

No way… That’s crazy.

It was perverse. Yuri was a human being with feelings.

But Brigitte didn’t feel like saying anything more to Clyde. Now that he’d been confronted with the truth, there was a mulish look in his eyes.

It takes courage to apologize in public, and given Clyde’s personality, he’d want to avoid losing face in front of a younger girl at all costs.

“…If your pride will be wounded by my witnessing your apology, I’ll gladly leave the room.”

Brigitte thought she was being considerate, but Clyde reacted as if he’d been kicked in the back.

He gritted his teeth and slowly bowed his head before Yuri.

“…Sorry.”

Yuri took in this awkward apology with visible surprise.

“I knew it was a stupid thing to do. I know I’m weak. Back then, and now, too… I never wanted to do something like that.”

He seemed to regret the past.

Yuri leaned back on the sofa and let out a heavy sigh.

“I accept your apology. And…I think I was in the wrong, too.”

“Huh…?”

Clyde lifted his head, and Yuri continued in a flat voice.

“I never thought of you as anything but an inconsequential person of no merit. So I let my eyes drift right past you, never told you my true feelings, never paid you any attention, and never resented you. Because, deep down, I didn’t think anything of you at all.”

…Clyde’s facial muscles twitched. “Y-you… You call that accepting my apology?!”

“Yes. Is that not coming across?”

Yuri snorted air through his nose, then called out into the void.

“Undine, Blue.”

“Yes, Master!”

“What is it, Master?”

Perhaps they had been waiting on standby in the spirit world. For in an instant, the two spirits had appeared, tearing through the void in response to their master’s voice.

“From now on, if Clyde or the rusalka try to harm me, fight them with all your might. There’s no need to ask my permission every single time.”

It wasn’t Clyde or even Brigitte who was most shocked by this command, but the two spirits themselves.

“Master!” The ice wolf leaped at Yuri, pawing him.

Yuri groaned softly. “…Blue, don’t jump on me. You’re too heavy.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

Blue apologized without any actual remorse and nuzzled his fluffy head firmly against Yuri’s shoulder.

“You see, Master. I’m really happy. I only want you to put yourself first!”

“That’s right. That’s why Blue started to copy Master’s appearance.”

“Undine! Shush!”

“Hmm? What’s the problem?”

Yuri stroked the wolf’s head as it whined. But then Blue seemed to regain his composure.

“From now on, if I get the chance, I’ll crush that rusalka in an instant! Those evil fairies give me the willies, but don’t worry, I’ll crush them! Crush them! Crush them!”

Clyde chewed his lip, but Blue was too lost in his chanting to notice.

“If Blue’s going to be crushing the rusalka, then it’ll be my job to entertain Mr. Teardrop Freckle over there… Hey, what kind of games do you like to play? I’ll play with you…till you drop…”

The undine, dripping water from her voluptuous body, peered down at Clyde with her head tilted to one side. He looked away in horror. As a member of the Water Clan, he understood her truly fearsome nature.

Brigitte knew what was behind the spirits’ intimidating attitude.

Both of them were really worried about Yuri.

But Yuri just frowned in disgust.

“That’s enough. Return to the spirit world. I’ll call you again later.”

“You’re no fun.”

Grumbling, Blue stopped fawning and pawing at Yuri, although he was probably secretly happy that Yuri had said he’d call on him again later.

As Brigitte watched the scene, the undine approached her and lightly poked Brigitte on the cheek with a wet fingertip. “Thank you, Red Fairy. I guess it’s thanks to you that my stubborn master has loosened up a little.”

“…Oh, Undine. That means a lot.”

“And I’m grateful…too…Bri,” Blue muttered, as Brigitte blushed.

“Aw, Blue…”

“But that doesn’t mean I approve of your relationship with Master! I mean, it’s not so easy to find a mate that would be perfect for Master, and…”

“It’s all right, Blue. You may go now.”

Blue trailed off, then disappeared abruptly along with the undine. It seemed Yuri had forcibly cut off his supply of magical power.

Yuri’s amazing… How can he so precisely adjust the power flowing to his contracted spirits…?

As Brigitte was admiring Yuri’s skills, she made eye contact with Clyde, who was sitting across from her.

“I’m sorry, too, Brigitte. I took away the scarf you worked so hard to knit yourself…”

Clyde’s contrition was unnerving, and Brigitte waved it away.

“Never mind. I was just going to knit another one.”

As Brigitte shrugged, Clyde suddenly called out to his contracted spirit.

“Rusalka, come here.”

“!”

Brigitte instinctively tensed up, and Yuri did the same beside her.

Both were on edge, wondering if the rusalka would cast another vision. But when she appeared from the void, that didn’t seem to be the case.

On the contrary, the rusalka was holding a yellow scarf in both hands, her expression apologetic.

Huh? But that’s…

Both Yuri and Brigitte froze, wondering what was going on.

“Uh.”

The rusalka, pierced by Yuri’s and Brigitte’s stares, flapped her tail and rested her head anxiously on Clyde’s lap. Clyde stroked the childlike spirit’s head in a soothing manner and awkwardly began to speak.

“So…er, here’s the scarf.”

“…What?”

“Oh, come on. I couldn’t really damage a scarf that a young girl worked so hard on.”

Brigitte’s mouth dropped open.

“But… The scarf… She tore it apart in the Crack…”

“That was one of my rusalka’s special illusions. It was very convincing, apparently.”

Brigitte was speechless. The rusalka approached her hesitantly, holding out the scarf.

“Uh…”

Though Brigitte couldn’t understand the rusalka’s noises, the apology was clear. Yuri took the scarf from the rusalka’s hands.

“…Thank you.”

“Uh.”

The rusalka made a low crooning noise in her throat.

Spirits tended to absorb the influence of their masters. Just like how the ariel went berserk when Nival let his emotions get the better of him, the rusalka must have soaked up Clyde’s feelings of hatred for Yuri over the years.

But after Clyde’s apology, the rusalka’s feelings had changed, too. Now she wished Yuri no ill will.

“Rusalka. If you’d like, let’s be friends.”

“Uh?”

Brigitte nodded.

The rusalka shifted her gaze from Yuri to Brigitte…but a moment later, she was gone, like a broken illusion.

“…Oh, Clyde! You’re sending her away already?”

That could have been a great opportunity to learn more about rusalkas!

“I told you. I can only summon my rusalka once every few days. I’ve only had one day of rest so far since the last time. I’m doing my best.”

Clyde was already sweating after just a few minutes of summoning. The exhaustion was audible in his voice. He wasn’t trying to make trouble; he had truly run out of magic.

“I’ve given you the scarf, so I’m going back to my room. Today, I’ve been lectured by the academy staff, by you, by Brigitte, and even by my older brother. I’m completely exhausted.”

“That’s, well… I’m sorry.”

Brigitte apologized sincerely, knowing that she’d been harsh on him and said some cutting things.

Brigitte hung her head, but Noel cheerily said to her, “No need to apologize, Brigitte.”

“Brother, that’s not your place to say… And wait, how did you know I stole that scarf or pretended to tear it up? I never said anything…”

“Hmm. I knew because…I’m your older brother, right?”

“That’s not really an answer.”

Clyde shrugged at Noel’s carefree reply, then turned to Brigitte.

“Hey, Brigitte. As an apology for what happened…if there’s anyone you want to punish, please let me and my rusalka know.”

“What…?”

“I’ve never been treated so harshly by a girl before. I was actually quite happy when you told me your true feelings, you know…?”

“Then don’t talk to Brigitte ever again. That’s the only way you can apologize.”

It was Yuri, not Brigitte, who cut Clyde off.

Clyde sighed and stood up. “I have no obligation to follow your orders, you know? Anyway, that’s all for today. See you, Brigitte.”

Clyde waved his hand and left the room.

“Don’t show your face here again,” Yuri spat after him as he walked away, but Clyde pretended not to hear.

I don’t really know if the two of them can start over as brothers after this…

If only blood were enough for a close relationship to form. How lovely that would be.

However, Brigitte was not blessed with such a miracle, and neither was Yuri. There was really no telling what kind of relationship Yuri and Clyde would develop in the future.

Still… Maybe it’s all right not to know the future right now.

Clyde had apologized, Yuri had accepted, and at the very least, there would never be any open warfare between them again.

Her relief was short-lived, though, as she realized with some surprise that Noel was gazing warmly at her.

“Um, Noel… I’m sorry for treating Clyde like that in front of you…”

“I don’t mind. I actually found it quite refreshing.”

“Uh… Um…”

Brigitte’s first impression seemed correct. Noel seemed to be a very generous person. And yet he was also very hard to decipher.

Noel looked away from Brigitte as she sat there awkwardly, and he chuckled.

“Despite appearances, Clyde knew from the beginning that he was wrong… But just as you said, Brigitte, he couldn’t admit it.”

Noel’s eyes were full of love for his brothers.

“Plus, it’s my fault that Clyde became so twisted and that Yuri continued to endure it. I couldn’t have done anything about the mess it became on my own. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you, Brigitte.”

With her head bowed solemnly, Brigitte timidly replied, “No, I… I didn’t do anything that important…”

She hadn’t been trying to do anything dramatic and noble, like getting mad at Clyde on Yuri’s behalf. Honestly, she’d been acting on pure emotion.

“I didn’t want to see Yuri sad or in pain. That’s all.”

As she lifted her head, Noel nodded understandingly.

His relaxed gaze reminded Brigitte of how Yuri looked when he smiled. They were brothers, after all.

“Brigitte, please continue to take good care of Yuri.”

“What…?”

However, Brigitte was completely taken aback by that sudden request.

Wh-what should I say in response to that? I want to say I will, of course… But maybe I should see if Yuri actually wants me to do that before I say anything…?

But Noel’s eyes were solemn as he gazed only at Brigitte.

It wasn’t about Yuri… It was about what Brigitte herself wanted to do.

“…Yes, of course.”

Hearing her response, Noel stood up with visible relief.

“Well then, I guess I’ll be taking my leave now, too.”

And following in Clyde’s wake, Noel left the drawing room.

So that was everything taken care of… Brigitte let out the breath she’d been holding. Then she realized that Yuri, who was sitting next to her, had hardly said a word for some time.

Looking over at him, Brigitte was startled to see that he was leaning against the sofa, and that he had gone white as a sheet.

“Yuri…?”

“…So cold,” Yuri said, trembling.

Hearing his voice, Clifford quickly spun around.

“I’ll bring a blanket. Lady Brigitte, could you keep an eye on Yuri until I return?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Yuri didn’t seem to hear Clifford hurrying out, and he moved his dry lips again.

“…So cold.”

Then Brigitte realized with some excitement that Yuri was clutching the scarf the rusalka had returned.

“Leave it to me! I’ll just wrap this around you!”

Taking the scarf from Yuri, Brigitte quickly began wrapping it around his neck.

By the second wrap around, she was getting the hang of it. After she finished, with a skill that surprised even herself, Brigitte murmured with satisfaction.

“Yuri, does it feel tight around your neck anywhere, or…?”

However, she wasn’t able to finish her sentence, because Yuri suddenly reached out with both arms and pulled her to him.

Brigitte was taken aback by the sudden embrace, but despite his illness, Yuri’s arms were strong.

“H-hold on, Yuri…”

“…You’re beautiful.”

“Um…”

And then…

Yuri gazed into Brigitte’s eyes. His face so close to hers, their noses were almost touching.

The golden afternoon sunlight coming in through the window made Brigitte’s red hair burn with even more fire than usual. Yuri picked up a lock of her shining hair and kissed it.

Then he smiled, his eyes sparkling as if he were beholding some precious jewel. Happily, he murmured, “…A fairy. My very own red fairy…”

Those lovely words faded as Yuri’s voice trailed off… And then there was just the sound of gentle breathing.

Is he…asleep?

Yuri had nodded off with Brigitte still in his arms. Brigitte was left alone with Yuri’s overwhelming words ringing in her ears, her cheeks flushed red, her lips trembling.

She wanted to say, Don’t go falling asleep on me right now. But she couldn’t bear to wake Yuri when he was sleeping with his face so close to hers.

Yuri was so relaxed and so at peace with her.

Drat… I can’t say anything now.

Yuri was as defenseless as a child when he was asleep. Gazing up close at his adorable, youthful sleeping face, Brigitte let her thoughts wander.

Some people called her the “Red Fairy” as an affectionate nickname. Her past still hurt, and the fact that she’d been hated would never change. But for better or worse, the nickname had become part of her.

When Clifford returned with blanket in hand, his eyes widened as he realized what was transpiring on the sofa. He bowed silently, careful not to wake Yuri, and Brigitte nodded ever so slightly.

“It’s fine, Clifford.”

Listening to Yuri’s gentle breathing, Brigitte rested her cheek against his neck.

“We’ll stay like this…just a little longer…”

Was Yuri having a pleasant dream?

He seemed to be smiling, just a little…

Chapter 7: Fallen in Love

One afternoon, the weekend after the graduation exam, Brigitte was riding in the Aurealis family carriage.

The sky was overcast, and it looked like snow. A chill was creeping up from her feet and even into the carriage, but Brigitte didn’t shiver.

On her small head, she wore a beret with a ribbon.

She also wore a coat-like dress in a striking crimson color that matched the long red hair that fell down her back. The design was simple yet sophisticated, with elegant gold buttons and braiding around the chest and waist. The skirt, which reached down to her knees, flared out softly, and it was impossible to make out the magic stone hidden in her pocket.

She had a scarf wrapped around her collar, and her legs, which were sensitive to cold, were clad in thick black tights. This was an outing, so Sienna had made sure that Brigitte was fully protected from the cold. Of course she also wore an excellent pair of snow boots that protected her from cold, water, and slipping.

Yuri was sitting on the seat opposite Brigitte in all her cold-weather finery.

Around his neck, he was wearing the yellow scarf that had just been returned to him. A gray formal suit peeked out from under his elegant deep-purple coat. He made simply sitting in a carriage appear elegant and dignified. Maybe it was his posture or his finely chiseled features.

Brigitte spoke to Yuri then, breaking a silence of a few minutes.

“So, Yuri, how are you feeling?”

“Much better now.”

Yuri nodded vigorously. He wasn’t trying to hide any signs of poor health.

“My fever has gone down, and I’m barely coughing anymore. I only stayed home from school until yesterday because of Clifford’s fussing…”

“Well, of course. He worries about you, Yuri.”

Yuri pouted in annoyance, knowing Brigitte was right.

His expression reminded Brigitte of Blue’s when he was whining. It was somehow adorable, and she fought back a laugh.

“There will be a victory celebration at my house tomorrow, so please take good care of your health. By the way…where is this carriage heading?”

Brigitte didn’t actually know where they were going.

In the letter Yuri had sent her, he’d said that he wanted to go out with her on the weekend, and that he would come to the earl’s mansion to pick her up. However, for some reason, Yuri never told her where they were going, either before or after they got in the carriage.

Yuri gazed out the window, away from Brigitte.

“There’s something I want to show you.”

You said that in the letter, too, Brigitte thought.

The carriage moved at a leisurely pace, though Brigitte remained quizzical.

To be honest, she was a little worried about whether Yuri would be all right traveling so far when he had just recovered from an illness, but for now, he seemed to be fairly healthy.

If anything happens, I have to tell the coachman to turn back immediately.

Thinking about this, Brigitte frowned toward the window. The scenery outside looked familiar.

“Are we perhaps going to the Aurealis mansion?”

“…No. It’s close by, though.”

“Well, I could have come to you, in that case.”

That would have been more efficient, Brigitte thought, but for some reason, Yuri gave her a slight glare.

“Don’t worry about it. I…I just felt like a carriage ride.”

“Hmm.” Brigitte nodded, a bit confused.

Yuri’s acting a little strange today…

Maybe he hadn’t fully recovered from his illness yet.

I’d better keep an eye on him!

As Brigitte made up her mind to do just that, the carriage came to a halt.

After alighting from the carriage, Brigitte realized she could see the roof of the Aurealis mansion at the end of the road they had just traveled. However, as he had said earlier, that wasn’t their destination.

He was looking toward a low mountain to the north of the mansion.

From the ground, it didn’t appear very tall. It wasn’t a mining mountain, but it wasn’t public land, either. It belonged to a nobleman, so no one was allowed to walk or hunt there without permission.

It’s one of the mountains owned by the Aurealis family.

But surely Yuri’s purpose wasn’t to show off the vast property of his family home to Brigitte. So then that must mean there was something about the mountain itself that he wanted to show her, right?

“Brigitte. We can’t take the carriage from here on. We’ll have to walk for a while. Is that all right?”

“Yes.”

It seemed Yuri wasn’t going to tell her anything until they got to where they were going. Brigitte nodded, and Yuri offered her his hand.

“You might slip and fall.”

“It’ll be fine. Unlike in the Crack, there are steps cut into the mountain for people to use.”

While joking, Brigitte reached out and took Yuri’s hand.

Neither of them was wearing gloves, so their hands were quite cold at first, but as they climbed the stairs, they gradually began to warm up.

The steps on the mountain path weren’t that steep, but there were more of them than she’d anticipated. By the time she reached the top, Brigitte was sweating and feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Crunching over dead winter grass and piles of fallen leaves, she gazed out at the scenery.

“We’ve reached the top!”

Perhaps the view from up here is what he wanted to show me?

The lake owned by the Aurealis family made for a spectacular sight below them. Brigitte was about to comment on it, but Yuri didn’t stop.

“Not yet. Now we take the steps over here.”

“What?”

Yuri tugged her by the hand and led her to another set of steps going down, narrower than the ones they’d taken before. With an almost visible question mark floating above her head, Brigitte followed Yuri down the steps.

They went down, then up, then down, until they reached a secluded area using a cleverly hidden staircase.

Before long, Brigitte noticed something strange.

Shivering as the wind caressed her cheeks, she spoke.

“It’s…it’s getting strangely cold, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t because the sun was about to set. It was more than that. A piercing, midwinter chill was hanging heavily on the air.

“Just a little farther.”

Yuri breathed out white steam as he walked. Feeling a little uneasy, Brigitte obediently followed him.

After they’d been walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a place where the green vegetation all around had simply ended. Everything was frozen white.

“Where are we?”

Brigitte let go of Yuri’s hand and muttered in a daze. It was a natural reaction to the long icicles rising from the frozen ground and dangling from rock formations.

The climate around the capital of the Kingdom of Field was relatively warm throughout the year. Although it did snow, Brigitte had never heard of anywhere freezing over like this.

As she looked back, the wooden steps they’d climbed weren’t frozen at all. It was impossible for this to have formed naturally… A single area of a mountain couldn’t freeze over and turn into a snowy ridge by itself.

Thus, only one possibility occurred to Brigitte: The seasons here were separate from the rest of reality.

“Is this…? Is this a part of the Crack?”

Yuri laughed happily in response to Brigitte’s question.

“No. This is the human world.”

“But…”

Brigitte was about to ask another question, but her lips stopped moving.

There was only one thing reflected in the center of those emerald eyes. Brigitte stepped forward, entranced.

She made her way through the crisp, clear air and stared intently at it. Bathed in the soft winter sunlight, it sparkled and shone.

“An arch of ice flowers…?” she murmured softly, letting out a sigh of admiration at its sheer beauty.

Her face was glowing.

“Amazing. It’s amazing, Yuri! Look! It’s so beautiful…!”

With a cry of joy, Brigitte squatted down to examine it more closely.

There were flowers blooming from cracks in the ice. They looked like roses, large and lush. The petals, the thick heads of the flowers, the leaves, and even the thorns were all frozen. Truly unusual snow-white roses.

Brigitte leaned in and sniffed expectantly.

“It’s too bad that there’s no scent. Oh, but of course there isn’t, since it’s frozen! Oh! Over here! There are more flowers!”

Brigitte got to her feet and dashed off, boots thudding.

“Wait, Brigitte. If you run around, you’ll slip…”

Despite Yuri’s warning, Brigitte was so excited that she did indeed slip on the ice.

“…Whoa…!”

The worst possible scenario appeared in Brigitte’s mind, playing out slowly…but there was none of the anticipated shock of impact.

Brigitte shut her eyes tightly and then cautiously opened them to see Yuri’s panicked expression above her.

“I told you you’d slip! Argh.” Yuri sighed in exasperation. One of his arms was tightly wrapped around Brigitte’s waist.

Thanks to him, she hadn’t fallen. Brigitte’s heart was beating wildly from his closeness and the feel of his strong body, but she somehow managed to speak.

“I… I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine. I know you’re clumsy.”

Brigitte puffed out her cheeks at the comment, something you’d say to a child. Still, it was true, so she couldn’t deny it.

After Yuri helped her regain her balance, Brigitte clung to Yuri’s hand as she moved toward the cluster of flowers.

“Why don’t you try touching one?” he said.

“Is it okay? Will it break?”

“It’s okay.”

Since Yuri insisted, Brigitte held her breath and reached out.

Beneath her fingertips, she felt hard, cold ice, just like she’d expected. She tapped it lightly with the tip of her fingernail and murmured in amazement.

“It’s not a sculpture or flower that was covered in ice. It looks like a real flower, like it’s grown this way… But why isn’t it wilting even though it’s winter? Is it blooming because it’s winter…?”

“Yes.”

Yuri nodded slightly and then explained:

“This is a flower created by my Water Clan ancestors. Its official name is, as you might expect, ‘Flower of Ice.’”

“The Water Clan…?”

“There are hardly any documents left about it now, but it seems that it grows covered in ice from the moment it sprouts. Because of its beauty, many people have tried to propagate it…but it can’t be cultivated anywhere other than this little patch of mountain that’s mysteriously frozen all year round. Even when people try to export it outside the country, it always withers in transit.”

Yuri explained slowly and steadily. Because it was frozen, the rose’s scent didn’t attract any insects, and it couldn’t spread its seeds like other plants. But as long as it remained here, in this place, it was more beautiful than any other flower and would continue to bloom forever.

“So, outside of our clan, hardly anyone knows about it.”

“It’s a bit of a lonely flower, then…”

“Do you think so?”

Brigitte nodded, then continued. “But maybe that’s not the case. After all, it’s not just a single rose. Even if it’s only blooming in this place, it has countless other roses as friends…so maybe it only seems lonely to us humans.”

There was a silence of about ten seconds before Yuri spoke again.

“I’ve been wanting to show this to you.”

“…Really?”

“I was five years old when Clyde brought me here.”

Yuri recounted a memory that hadn’t been included in the ones Brigitte had seen.

“He said it was to celebrate my contract with a first-class spirit. I’d rarely spoken to him before. I was so happy my brother had taken me out that I followed him without even noticing where we were going. These flowers were so beautiful that I almost cried…but when I turned to talk to Clyde, there was no one there.”

Brigitte wasn’t sure what to say.

So five-year-old Yuri had been left alone in this place, betrayed by the brother he trusted…

“It was early spring, and it was getting colder and colder as the day went on. I remember shivering as I desperately tried to find my way down the mountain… And I didn’t have much magical power at the time. I had a hard time summoning either Undine or Blue.”

Brigitte could see it in her mind’s eye—little Yuri struggling to hold back tears as he marched on with numb legs.

Trying hard to keep her voice steady, Brigitte prompted him to continue.

“…And then?”

“Luckily, I managed to get down the mountain before nightfall. And that’s about it.”

Yuri seemed embarrassed and wrapped up his story there. But Brigitte tightened her grip on his hand.

“I won’t leave you alone…so it’s okay now.”

Yuri looked at Brigitte, his eyes wide.

“Ever since then, I’ve hated this place. I never wanted to go near it again. But I thought maybe with you…”

The hand tight around hers was warm, like a sign to Brigitte that he would never leave her alone, either.

“I’m glad we came here. I think the flowers are beautiful, too.”

There was no hidden sadness behind that soft smile.

Just as Brigitte had come to appreciate her nickname of “Red Fairy,” Yuri was also trying to overcome his painful past step by step.

Yuri had brought Brigitte to a place that held painful, bitter memories.

…I’m not just imagining the significance of being the one he brought here.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. It wasn’t a misconception. Brigitte knew the thoughts and feelings Yuri kept in his heart—because they were the same as her own.

She hesitated, wondering what to say. How could she reach him with mere words? It should have been easy enough to say, but Brigitte, who had never been particularly forthcoming, found herself unable to speak.

Would Yuri accept her true feelings, the words she held deep in her heart?

Look at me, after telling Clyde that running away changes nothing.

Brigitte wanted to cry… Then there was a cold sensation on her cheek. Brushing it with her fingertips, she found only wetness, melted from her body heat already.

“It’s snowing…”

Seeing snowflakes falling from the dark sky made Brigitte shiver, even though she was already mostly numb to the cold.

There was no shelter anywhere, so Brigitte and Yuri moved under a large sheet of ice. It was still cold, but it was better than having snow falling directly on them.

Their hands had separated, and the conversation had somehow come to a halt. As she gazed blankly at the steadily falling snow, Brigitte suddenly had an idea.

“By the way, can you also create ice flowers with magic, Yuri?”

“Me? …Flowers?” Yuri sounded surprised, and Brigitte wondered if she’d been thoughtless.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

“No, it’s just…I’ve never even thought about making flowers before.” Yuri frowned thoughtfully. “…Could you please give me a moment? I’ll try it.”

“Of course.” Brigitte nodded.

Yuri clasped both his hands together, then closed his eyes, perhaps to concentrate.

Yuri’s magical aura formed and mixed with the blowing snow. Unable to see Brigitte’s wonder at the beauty of the glowing light, Yuri continued to refine his magic.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and gently opened his hands.

Brigitte was so engrossed in gazing at what he held in them that she forgot to blink.

“Wow…!”

Brigitte gasped, eyes sparkling.

What Yuri held his hands was indeed an ice flower.

There was no stem, only the bloom, and it was small compared to the ones nearby. Since it wasn’t a living, growing flower, it was as delicate and as transparent as crystal, possessing its own tranquil beauty.

However, in an instant, that lustrous beauty crumbled. Cracks appeared in the petals, which then crumbled into pieces, eventually turning into grains of ice. A single gust of wind blew, and the fleeting ice flower disappeared without a trace.

“Sorry. It crumbled so quickly.”

Looking down at his empty palms, Yuri sighed in frustration, but Brigitte shook her head enthusiastically.

“…Not at all. It was beautiful. It was so beautiful.” Emotion filled her voice. “You made it for me, Yuri. I have never seen a more beautiful flower in my life.”

She’d never forget the sight of it. The image would remain in her mind forever.

Seeing Brigitte smile, Yuri solemnly replied, “Brigitte. I’m sorry for all the trouble during the exam.”

“It certainly was troublesome!” Brigitte quipped, then giggled. “I’m joking. I’d never see you as troublesome, Yuri.”

“…The final victory is yours.”

“No. I think it’s a draw.”

Yuri seemed surprised to hear that. “A draw? But it’s only thanks to you that I was able to break the rusalka’s illusion and that we were able to reunite with our spirits…”

“Well, I was the one who got caught in a trap by a puck and a duergar. I would have failed if you hadn’t saved me. I think a draw is fair.”

Brigitte waggled her numb finger.

“A victory should be an outright victory. Especially since this was our last battle.”

“…”

“But, Yuri, if you had managed to beat me…what is it you would have asked of me?”

“…Well, an engagement.”

At that point, Brigitte had no idea what Yuri meant.

Her brain had completely frozen, but then she realized that Yuri was still speaking in a quiet voice.

“I was going to ask if we could get engaged once more, and…”

En… Engage…?

Brigitte was frozen in shock. Yuri’s response was something she never could have imagined.

Engaged…to be married?

Her mind was spinning, but she had to speak. Still frozen, Brigitte managed to move her lips.

“I… Well, I’d rather you say something like that out of the context of our wager…”

Or rather, there was something else she’d like to hear from Yuri, before that… Brigitte was still mumbling to herself when Yuri spoke again in his low voice.

“I know. There’s a proper way to do these things. But…” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “I thought you’d never choose me.”

…Huh?

Brigitte narrowed her eyes.

“So I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to win you over. I thought you wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

From a young age, Yuri had been bullied by his older brother and his contracted spirit. Those days had worn him down, both body and soul.

He believed no one could ever love him.

It was more obvious than ever now.

Yuri was still tormented by his unhealed wounds, and that was why he’d brought up the idea of a final challenge. He could get what he wanted by compulsory means.

He and I…are the same after all.

Brigitte was also a child who desperately wanted to be loved by her parents. She’d been forced to live a life deprived of what she desired most.

She’d forgotten the touch of hands stroking her head. She’d lost the warmth of arms that embraced her with unconditional love. The things other children took for granted, Brigitte would never have again.

She didn’t know how to be loved, which left her insecure. Her fear of rejection left her unable to speak.

Taking all this in, Brigitte looked up at Yuri and smiled.

“We really are a hopeless pair, aren’t we?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Brigitte grabbed the dejected Yuri by the hands and spun him around. It was a silly, childish dance, nothing like the dance they’d shared the night of the National Founding Day.

“Brigitte?”

“But… Hee-hee. I’ll forgive you. Even your awkwardness is part of you, Yuri.”

At first, she’d admired Yuri’s strength. She’d wanted to be like him.

He never let what anyone said to him shake him. He was noble, aloof. But it was a version of Yuri that he’d constructed at the cost of his true self. It was the sort of person he’d thought he ought to become.

It was odd that Brigitte fell for Yuri more and more whenever she caught a glimpse of his weaknesses. But looking inside herself, she knew why.

There’s nothing strange about it. Yuri…never once laughed at my own weaknesses.

As they continued to spin lazily around, Yuri frowned at her.

“You’re sneaky.”

“Sneaky? How?”

“It’s not fair, Brigitte,” he said as Brigitte gazed wide-eyed at him. “I never thought I’d come to love someone this much.”

Those words caused Brigitte to stop moving.

The two of them lost their momentum and started to stagger a little. Before they regained their balance, Brigitte retorted, “You’re one to talk, Yuri. You’re the sneaky one.”

“Me?”

Yuri looked upset. But Brigitte pursed her lips and doubled down.

“At first, I thought you were cold. I thought you were so unpleasant. I tried to hold on to that belief, but…”

But the pretending to be angry didn’t last long.

“My head is always full of thoughts of you. Just seeing you smile, Yuri, makes me happy. I am happy. Even though I never even knew it was possible.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, blurring her vision.

Yuri wiped away the warm tears with his fingertips, allowing Brigitte to gaze clearly at the expression on Yuri’s face as he said it.

“I love you, Brigitte.”

Yuri’s face was open, overwhelmed, and beaded with sweat.

“I love you. I’ve always, always loved you.”

Each word was like a flower in a bouquet, and Brigitte felt warmth spread through her.

“Brigitte. I want you to smile. Just seeing you happy makes me feel at ease.”

“…”

Brigitte found it hard to respond.

“…Brigitte?” Yuri said her name nervously.

Brigitte put her arms around Yuri’s neck as he stood there in confusion and hugged him tightly.

She loved him more than anyone else.

She loved his weaknesses as well as his strengths. She loved the way he kept pushing forward despite them.

Whenever he looked straight at her with those eyes, Brigitte was left speechless.

“I love you. I love you, too, Yuri.” Brigitte held him as tightly as she could.

In response, Yuri wrapped his arms around Brigitte tenderly, as if he would never let her go again.

Apparently, while they were enjoying their dance, they had moved out from under the icicle. Powdery snow fell from the sky, gathering on their hair and shoulders as they embraced each other. But the cold air only made Yuri’s body feel warmer against Brigitte, and her heart melted.

When they slowly pulled away, their eyes were glistening with emotion.

Yuri gently placed his hands on both of Brigitte’s shoulders. Brigitte’s eyelashes trembled at his gentle touch, and she timidly parted her lips.

“Yuri…”

“Yes?”

Encouraged, Brigitte decided to say something.

“There’s something I haven’t said. I should have told you sooner, but…”

With Yuri willing to listen, Brigitte confessed a secret she had been holding inside her for some time.

“On the day of the graduation exam, I…I actually had my first kiss already…”

“With whom?”

“Huh?”

“Who touched you?”

Brigitte was stunned as Yuri’s citrine eyes lit up with a fierce, almost burning rage.

It was an emotion of unconcealed fury and jealousy directed at whoever had kissed the girl he loved without his knowledge.

Brigitte realized that her nerves had made her forget how to speak. And the delay was a mistake.

Yuri’s grip on her shoulders was so strong that it hurt. He was extremely worked up now.

“Was it someone from school? Or if not, then… Just tell me, Brigitte. I’m going to kill him.”

“…It was you, Yuri!” Brigitte gasped before he could say anything else.

If she didn’t sort this out fast, someone was going to die!

Yuri trailed off, stunned. He had no idea what Brigitte was talking about.

“…Me? What do you mean?”

“I needed a way to reach you when you were trapped by the rusalka’s song… So I, um, kissed you.”

There was a sudden silence. Now panicking, Brigitte continued her desperate confession.

“Oh no, you must think I’m awfully forward. But I had no choice. I thought the only way to interfere with your consciousness was to absorb your energy.”

Yuri was still silent. Brigitte was almost in tears as she tried to explain herself.

“Well, now that I think about it, maybe there was no need. I could have just brought my lips close to yours and sucked up the energy that was spilling out…so, um, perhaps I just wanted to kiss you? I can’t deny that was part of it…”

“I understand.”

Brigitte was so afraid of Yuri’s reaction that she blurted out all her true feelings, even things she had decided to keep secret.

Putting his hand on her boiling hot cheek, Yuri spoke soothingly.

“It’s all right. I understand, Brigitte.”

“…Are you shocked?”

“You did it to save my life, so you had no other choice. I have no right to complain after the fact.”

Oh, phew…!

Brigitte was deeply relieved, even though she regretted having revealed so much.

“But I was unconscious at the time. So I think we need a do-over.”

“What…?”

“I want to look into your eyes; I want to touch you. I want to kiss you. May I?”

His words were so direct that Brigitte’s heart skipped a beat.

It was so tempting to give herself over to his soft warmth, but Brigitte hesitated.

“No… No.”

“Why?”

“I… I want to kiss you, I do, but…”

Brigitte was the one who’d made the request in the first place. She had no intention of rejecting Yuri. Only…

Turning bright red, Brigitte pleaded in a barely audible voice. “Please close your eyes. It’s embarrassing…”

Brigitte wasn’t just a stubborn young woman… She was a shy one, too.

Heat rose to Yuri’s cheeks again.

Though she wanted their lips to touch, the things Yuri was saying were making her embarrassed, and letting him have his eyes open made it all worse. But she didn’t realize that asking him to close his eyes was the ultimate act of seduction.

Yuri’s lips moved soundlessly. He was overtaken by an overwhelming desire to further tease Brigitte in her tearful, embarrassed state.

“…What about our hands? Can I hold your hand?”

As he spoke, Yuri intertwined his fingers with Brigitte’s. Brigitte’s cheeks turned red, and she became even more flustered.

“Well, I…”

“What should I do with my other hand? Should I place it on your cheek? Or on your shoulder? Or around your waist? Or…?”

“…Yuri, please stop! I don’t know what to do! I’ve never done this before… Except that one time with you…”

Brigitte glared at Yuri through her tears. She had no experience in romance, so of course she knew nothing of proper kissing etiquette.

Yuri then pulled away slightly, a bit guilty about the teasing. He coughed and cleared his throat, his cheeks just as red as Brigitte’s.

“Sorry. That was a bit mean.”

“Hmph,” Brigitte said, shrugging her shoulders in anger, before taking a deep breath.

“Please just close your eyes. Okay?”

“All right.”

“But please do hold my hand. I like holding yours…”

“I understand, Brigitte.”

Chuckling, Yuri did as he was told and took her hand again.

“But can I keep my eyes open until we’re about to kiss? Otherwise, I might not be able to find your lips.”

“Oh, right…”

Brigitte hesitated, closing her own eyes.

In the moment of silence, she realized her hand was sweating. Unable to bear the suspense, Brigitte’s eyes flew open again.

“Umm, I’m sweating so much, and I’m probably making an odd expression, so…”

But Yuri took hold of Brigitte’s chin and pressed his lips against hers.

Oh…

Beads of sweat formed on Yuri’s forehead as he shut his eyes tightly.

When she saw that, all desire to complain vanished. Brigitte somehow managed to force her stiff body to relax.

Snowflakes fluttered down teasingly to brush the tip of her nose.

But even that cold sensation was precious, highlighting the warmth that Yuri and Brigitte were currently sharing.

…Warm and soft.

Brigitte finally closed her own eyes.

Chapter 8: A Bad Omen

During the winter season when the snow fell steadily, people walked down the street with their shoulders stiffened, their backs hunched, and their heads bowed.

However, in the Kingdom of Field, under the protection of the spirits, the Jack Frosts ate the snow that piled up on the roofs and roads with gusto, and innocent sylphs played by floating chunks of snow on the wind. Thanks to this, the people were able to keep smiling through the winter.

The same was true at the Otoleanna Academy of Magic, one of the respected magic schools on the outskirts of the royal capital near a great forest.

However, this was only true for the first-year students who were excited about their first winter at the academy. As for the students who were about to graduate next year—especially those who had not yet passed the exam—well, they had no time to spend on the cold. Instead, they spent all their days studying in the classroom and undergoing intensive training in the magic training grounds in preparation for the reexamination.

Absent from this hustle and bustle were a boy and a girl who spent all their time in the library. They sat close, their chairs pushed together, each concentrating on the pages of an open book, but they were using the same lap blanket spread across both their shoulders. Clearly, they were extremely close.

The librarian passing by stopped and did a double take.

“Um… Quiet in the library, please!”

It was the same librarian who always scolded them for the lively arguments they kept having. The other librarians left the job to her. You’re the only one who can scold that troublesome pair, they claimed.

The librarian had grown used to this role over the past six months and usually didn’t hesitate to scold them. But the two of them had been silent as mice today. Usually, it was the red-headed girl making a racket…

“Oh, sorry. You are being quiet today. Excuse me.” The librarian continued in a hushed tone (for this was the library, after all). “Um, I heard you passed the graduation exam. Congratulations.”

Brigitte and Yuri exchanged glances and then bowed their heads politely.

“Thank you very much!”

“It’ll be winter vacation soon.”

Brigitte and Yuri emerged from the library after their reading session.

“Yes. Time flies.”

Worried about what other people would think, they didn’t hold hands. It wouldn’t have been appropriate at the academy, either. Huddling together in a deserted library to read books was probably as far as they could go.

“By the way, Brigitte. Regarding our engagement.”

Brigitte blinked.

The approval of their parents was essential for an engagement among nobility. In a world where arranged marriages were commonplace, it would be extremely difficult for two people who genuinely cared for each other to reach the point of marriage based on pure feelings alone.

Brigitte’s desire to be officially engaged to Yuri was growing stronger with each passing day, and it seemed Yuri felt the same.

“I’d like to discuss our next steps over the winter break. Is that all right?”

“Of course!”

Brigitte leaned forward and nodded vigorously, although she was a little embarrassed.

“I’ve already spoken with my brother Noel about it, actually. I don’t know how my mother will react, let alone my father…so I thought I’d ask him to be on my side when the time comes.”

Brigitte could picture Noel agreeing without hesitation, but she still couldn’t muster a smile.

Yuri’s mother will probably be against it.

Brigitte had just the faintest concept of her. She’d seen Yuri’s mother from afar just before her contracting ceremony and then again last month at the Water Clan’s mansion.

But Brigitte had no intention of backing down just because of one obstacle. She’d made up her mind that nobody was going to get between her and Yuri.

“That’s right. As for me…”

Brigitte trailed off.

She did want to see her parents and ask their blessing. But it would be difficult to see Deag in person. Besides, Brigitte still hadn’t made sense of her feelings about him. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to remain calm if she did speak with him.

“Well, to start, I’d like to send a letter to your parents. The biggest problem, as I see it, will be Roze.”

Yuri scowled, which struck Brigitte as odd. She didn’t really see what the problem was.

“It’ll be all right. Roze is kind. I’m sure he’ll just offer us his heartfelt congratulations.”

“Perhaps in your dreams,” said Yuri. Brigitte tilted her head; Yuri was gazing into the distance. “Also, I’d like to go on another date.”

This unexpected request made Brigitte’s heart skip a beat.

“…So would I.”

“If there’s anywhere you want to go, let me know. I’ll plan something.”

“All…all right. I’ll think really hard.” Brigitte nodded firmly.

Yuri seemed tickled by her response and laughed.

“Well then, I have to go back to the classroom now.”

“What’s happening there?”

“Some of my classmates have been pestering me to come and see them when I have time. They want some advice on their graduation exam.”

“Hmm,” Brigitte said in surprise. The students must have gathered all their courage to reach out to ice-cold Yuri for help.

Then shouldn’t he have headed to the classroom earlier? Brigitte wondered, but she supposed she ought to just be pleased that Yuri was helping others.

“…Well then, see you later.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Yuri rewound his scarf around his neck and walked away.

Brigitte watched him leave, cheeks flushed.

Would there ever come a day when close, intimate conversations like that one with Yuri would start to seem normal?

Just thinking about it made Brigitte’s heart pound so hard, she felt it might burst. She put her hand over her heart through her coat.

But I wanted to spend more time with you… Oh well.

“Brigitte.”

“Whoa!”

At that moment, a voice from behind her made Brigitte jump.

“P-Professor Tonari?”

When she turned around, she saw the spiritologist Tonari standing there.

He was wearing a plain black cloak over his dirty, wrinkled clothes, and Brigitte frowned in confusion.

How on earth did he get this close to her? She hadn’t exactly been on high alert, but she hadn’t sensed the presence of anyone…

Ah, maybe it’s the cait sith’s ability?

Perhaps Tonari’s contracted spirit was exerting its power.

Perhaps he’d come to quietly congratulate Brigitte on successfully passing the graduation exam?

No, that doesn’t seem likely.

The academy had reached out to the shrine members to help Clyde and the others with the exam. Tonari must also have been involved. Still, it was hard to imagine him rushing over after learning about Brigitte’s exam results.

“Cheep!”

Peep emerged from Brigitte’s hair and raised one wing, as if to greet Tonari. Peep was very attached to Tonari and seemed happy every time they met.

But Tonari appeared too busy to smile at Peep just then. He looked around, then quickly took Brigitte’s arm and led her down a side corridor near the library.

“Here, no one will be watching.”

“Er, yes. Not many people come down here, so it should be fine…?”

Turning finally to the confused Brigitte, Tonari began to speak in a stern tone. “Brigitte. Please remain very calm and listen to me.”

“Cheep?”

Tonari was very restless, which alarmed Peep in turn. His eye, peeking out from under his worn-out hat, shone with a regretful light.

“The archbishop has died.”

“…What?”

It was such a shock that Brigitte couldn’t process it.

The archbishop…died?

Brigitte could see the elderly archbishop in her mind. She’d been nervous at first during the shrine banquet, but the gentleness in his eyes as he’d gazed at her and Peep had set her at ease.

He… He died…?

“He had a heart condition. It’s unfortunate indeed that he’s passed away, but now is not the time to mourn. The forces the archbishop held at bay are already moving to obtain the phoenix. I’ve come to help you, at the guidance of High Priest Liam. After all…you have no one else.”

Tonari was clearly upset. He was speaking so quickly that it was hard to understand what he was saying.

There was so much she wanted to ask, but Brigitte couldn’t speak.

All she knew was that something immense and terrible was happening.

His large hand came down upon Brigitte’s shoulder. As her eyes welled with tears, Tonari leaned in close and spoke in an uncharacteristically urgent voice.

“You have to run. You must come with me right now, Brigitte.”

Bonus Story: It Kept Building Up…

Two rows away, sitting in the seat opposite.

She didn’t know that it had been Yuri’s regular spot for the past few days.

…The third prince, Joseph, had announced to his fiancée, Brigitte, that he was breaking off their engagement.

The rumor had been spreading around the academy until even Yuri, usually not one for gossip, soon heard it.

It happened at a party held in the Academy of Magic’s main hall. Joseph had condemned his fiancée for her despicable behavior, using her position to bully Lisa, the daughter of a baron.

Joseph was known as a good young man with a good reputation, just like his two older brothers. Everyone believed his claims without question.

But no decent fellow would publicly condemn his fiancée, no matter the reason… Joseph must have chosen to do this specifically to humiliate Brigitte.

For one thing, Yuri had never seen Brigitte talking to Lisa before. He imagined that if he questioned everyone in the academy, they would all say the same thing.

Not that it would matter.

Joseph was known for his charitable work, while Brigitte’s reputation was terrible. As a child, she was thought of as bright and inquisitive, but these days people thought of her as arrogant and pretentious. Because of her poor reputation, people were quick to believe the rumors.

Needless to say, a lot had changed for Brigitte since she had been banished to the villa for her spirit contract and gotten engaged to Joseph.

But Yuri didn’t know much about it. Even though he’d once been Brigitte’s fiancé, that had been when they were very young, and nothing had ever been made official anyway.

Then, two days after Brigitte’s engagement had been broken off…

As Yuri was walking down the hallway, he was approached by Lisa herself. He had no interest in her at all, so he responded coldly, and Lisa suddenly burst into tears.

To Yuri’s great misfortune, Joseph happened to be passing by and approached him.

“Did you hear me, Yuri Aurealis?”

“Of course. I’ve been listening to you this whole time, Prince Joseph.”

“…How dare you speak so rudely to royalty?”

His eyes were full of undisguised distaste for Yuri.

A philanthropist, are you?

Disgusted, Yuri chose to just ignore both Joseph and Lisa and their meaningless complaining.

But since Yuri hadn’t really done anything, he didn’t feel any need to bow his head in apology to Joseph. Just because he was the third prince in line, that didn’t mean he had any special authority within the academy. And if he made a fuss over what was basically a petty quarrel between two children, it would reflect poorly on the royal family, not necessarily on the Aurealises.

Joseph knew that. That was why he contented himself with chiding Yuri in a bossy manner in front of the other students. He was just using Yuri to maintain his own position.

Yuri was fed up with this pantomime and was about to breathe a huge sigh when he saw a flash of color in the corner of his eye.

Brigitte…

She probably thought she was well hidden behind that pillar, but her striking red hair was peeking out. Joseph and Lisa had their backs turned, however, and didn’t notice her.

Right. Brigitte wasn’t with Joseph anymore. Yuri felt something like a sense of relief at this realization. Then he blinked.

Am I happy that Brigitte’s engagement has been broken off?

If so, it was awfully selfish of him… It made him sick.

Every time he’d seen Brigitte smiling joyfully at Joseph, he’d felt sick to his stomach. Still, if Brigitte was happy, if she was smiling, then that was fine, he told himself. But perhaps he was lying to himself.

Yuri looked right through Joseph, drowning in self-loathing. Brigitte seemed to be watching them all intently, holding her breath.

Is it Prince Joseph she’s watching? Not me?

She probably didn’t even remember Yuri anyway. If she did, no doubt she’d have hated him from the moment she entered the academy.

If only she would remember him. But…it was better that she didn’t. Beneath his icy mask, Yuri always felt like he was a roiling sea of conflicting emotions.

When their eyes met, Brigitte dashed off in a fluster. Yuri silently watched her leave.

When he saw Brigitte again a few hours later in the library, Yuri was surprised.

He often frequented the library, but this was the first time he’d seen her here.

Had there been some sort of change in her? Or was there no place for her in the classroom or at home? Yuri couldn’t help his curiosity, but there was no way he could strike up a conversation and make small talk. Instead, he sat down two rows away from Brigitte, pretending like he hadn’t even noticed her.

Up until then, Yuri had always just sat anywhere in the library.

However, the next day, Brigitte sat in the same seat, so Yuri did the same. Day after day, it became part of Yuri’s routine to watch Brigitte reading from his seat two rows away. Many times, he felt Brigitte’s gaze on him, but…he pretended not to notice.

Then, after several days of this…

Yuri stood up from his chair to put away the book he had finished reading.

“…Hmm?”

Immediately, he caught a glimpse of swinging red hair, very close to him.

“The Wind Laughs… The wind, huh…?”

Brigitte was standing in front of the bookshelf, moving around and muttering to herself.

It soon became obvious that she was searching for the original text of the mysterious book: The Wind Laughs. So she still loved spirits. She hadn’t changed at all since back then.

No doubt Brigitte’s reputation would have reached the librarians. That was why she was searching alone, instead of asking for help.

Upon that realization, Yuri found his feet moving, his eyes fixed on her swaying red hair.

He told himself to turn back immediately. There was still time.

But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. He had already seen the title of the book Brigitte was looking for.

It was merely an excuse, but at the time, it seemed vital to Yuri to do this.

Yuri reached for the book.

But his fingertips brushed against others, encased in a white glove.

Then Yuri saw them…

Her emerald eyes were more beautiful than any shining jewel. And they were staring, for the first time in eleven years, at Yuri alone.

“Master Yuri. Did something good happen at school today?”

Yuri blinked.

As soon as he returned from the academy, Clifford had commented on the change.

Yuri was an extremely stoic person. He hadn’t been as a child, but he’d disciplined himself and chastised himself until his emotions were locked away, believing it was better. He forbade himself from revealing his weaknesses to others.

Still, it seemed Clifford, who’d known him many years, had been able to sense the excitement in him today. Yuri was annoyed with his own transparency and grunted back:

“Why do you ask?”

“It just seems that way.”

Yuri scowled at Clifford, who chuckled knowingly. Now Yuri was even more annoyed.

Eleven years ago, Yuri’s desire was to discuss spirits with Brigitte. How fun that would be.

That little desire had come true today. Yuri had talked with her about The Wind Laughs.

I wouldn’t say we were talking about spirits, exactly…

Yuri had said cruel things to Brigitte on purpose. He had no intention of being nice to her or getting her to like him. Rather, he wanted her to dislike him.

What was it about Yuri’s lack of respect that had struck a chord with her? Or perhaps she just wanted someone to talk to. Brigitte told Yuri bit by bit about her life, from her childhood up until the present day.

He’d learned a lot about her state of mind and her relationship with Joseph, but she never mentioned knowing Yuri in the past.

She didn’t seem to be avoiding the subject. So Brigitte really had forgotten him. Yuri wasn’t sure whether he was pleased or devastated.

Brigitte spoke bitterly of her childhood self, calling her weak and timid.

Maybe that was what she was like after she was banished to the villa. The Brigitte that Yuri had known was a bright and bubbly child, like a fairy. Those days might now just be a distant memory for her.

If anything, I was the one who was timid and weak.

The person he was now was completely different from the person he was eleven years ago.

Not that getting stronger had changed anything. He still couldn’t go back in time and help Brigitte. He knew that. This strength was merely for his own sense of satisfaction.

And yet…for some reason, we ended up making a pact to compete against each other in the next written exam.

Why would two people who barely knew each other compete over an exam?

Maybe it was a mistake of Yuri’s to keep questioning Brigitte’s intelligence. She’d clearly decided to prove him wrong.

There was no doubt that she was a very competitive person.

Yuri recalled the sight of her beautiful face, scowling with annoyance, and he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling softly.

“M-Master Yuri…?”

Clifford stared at Yuri with amazement.

Clifford was taken aback by that careless chuckle from his normally coldhearted master. Yuri cleared his throat, shook his head lightly, and answered Clifford’s question in an offhand manner.

“No. Nothing good happened today.”

He knew he couldn’t hope for much. He knew that he deserved nothing.

“Nothing good happened today, nor has it any other day.”

And yet his selfish wish…

…If only he could be close to her again…

Afterword

Hello, this is Harunadon.

Thank you very much for picking up If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love, Vol. 4.

The third volume was also a big success, and as a result, we were able to successfully release the fourth volume.

I just heard that the total number of copies sold for the series has exceeded one hundred thousand! I owe this to all my readers, so thank you so very much…!

The previous volume was about Brigitte’s family, and this volume is about Yuri’s siblings. What’s more, Brigitte and Yuri’s relationship turns a corner in this one.

This volume contains the fourth part of the web version, but since it was written a year and a half ago, it needed to be revised overall. At a conservative estimate, I must have added sixty thousand to seventy thousand characters… It was much harder than writing a completely new version (lol).

But even so, or maybe because of that, this volume is one I feel very attached to. I hope everyone will enjoy it.

Also, I have an important announcement: The third volume of the manga will be released at the same time.

Brigitte is just so cute and cool as she takes on the magic stone retrieval challenge! Please enjoy this beautiful manga by Chiru Ukai.

Finally, I would like to say a few thank-yous.

To my editor, N-sama. Thank you for giving me a good kick in the rear end, even though I’m a useless writer who answered “Nothing yet” when you asked “How’s progress?” …Still, I was very happy to receive your comment that the first draft made you, quote, “cry actual tears.”

To the illustrator, Yomi Sarachi. Seeing the happy couple on the cover illustration brought a flood of emotions. I love the soft expression on Yuri’s face as he looks at Brigitte. Thank you for always adding color to the stories with your wonderful illustrations.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has picked up a copy of this book.

I really appreciate your continued support!