Color Gallery

Copyrights and Credits

Chapter 1

IT WAS A FRESH AND CLEAR summer day. Deep inside Alcait Castle, Mira and Solomon sat face-to-face in Solomon’s office, absorbed in an important discussion. Thanks to the martial arts tournament being held in Nirvana, they now had a chance to get ahold of Meilin.

“Wow, this is really shaping up to be a massive event,” Mira said.

Solomon had received a specially delivered, sealed envelope the day before, containing all the details about the tournament. The letter stated that anyone who wished to participate had to register within two months of the postmarked date. Preliminaries would be first-come-first-served, starting one month after registration began. The number of participants in the tournament would vary depending on how many entered.

“If registration is going to take two months, then how many people do you think will participate?” Mira asked.

“From what I can tell, it’s going to be the biggest event of the past few decades. So…I’m guessing tons of them.”

It was impossible to know for sure, but Solomon estimated there might be upward of ten thousand attendees. Given the massive scale of the tournament, Mira was convinced he was right.

A contestants’ village would be set up within the venue, able to accommodate more than a thousand fighters and provide them with food and housing. Next, the invitation stated that there would be events specifically for either mages or fighters, as well as events with different age brackets. There were also pair and team divisions, and an anything-goes open division. Matches were called by a referee or when one side conceded defeat, and anything that might do lethal harm to an opponent was prohibited. It was also prohibited to do anything that might maim or otherwise inflict lasting damage.

But participants didn’t have to worry about being too rough, thanks to the presence of the cleric Esmeralda of the Divine Word, of the fabled Twelve Apostles of Nirvana, and the rescue team she led. So long as no one did anything that was instantly fatal, anyway.

“It almost reminds me a bit of the Olympics, but this is what’s most interesting…”

Solomon described how the rules and regulations were quite practical and standard for a tournament like this, then flashed a smile. The prizes, it seemed, were anything but.

Prizes were one of the key attractions of any tournament. And the prizes for this one were spectacular. The winners of the class competitions would receive a piece of hero-grade gear and three hundred million ducats. The runner-up would receive special-grade gear and one hundred million ducats. Finally, whoever came in third place would get equipment handcrafted by an expert craftsman.

There were other special prizes that would be awarded to winners too. Mira already found the potential winnings incredible, and yet, they seemed like chump change when she heard what came next…

Unbelievably, the winner of the unrestricted division would be given a legendary-grade weapon or piece of armor belonging to the Empire of Nirvana, and five hundred million ducats.

“I guess that’s what I should expect of Nirvana, huh…? They’re playing on a different level…” Mira said.

“Yeah, true…”

It would be impossible for the Kingdom of Alcait to host a tournament of this scale. Only large countries such as the Three Great Nations, Atlantis, or Nirvana could do such a thing. And because it was being done on such a monumental scale, the excitement surrounding it must be intense.

Even though they’d all been founded by players, these nations were staggeringly powerful. Or so Mira complained. Loudly.

Solomon could only blankly nod in agreement. “Well, anyway, this is where it gets interesting,” he said, changing the subject as he picked up a piece of paper.

It had the names of famous figures who’d been sent invitations in a bid to drum up more excitement for the tournament. There was a passage urging each nation to send representatives to participate. There were many talented warriors and mages among the adventurers, mercenaries, and explorers who were listed as having been invited, and even some active military personnel.

There would be a special, separate event for those who’d been invited this way. There was no doubt that such a contest could be the main draw of the entire tournament…but the tournament was so over the top that it was merely dubbed a side event. And the winner would be able to choose one of the fabled Twelve Apostles of Nirvana to spar against in an exhibition match. That would surely be an epic way to close out a tournament.

“Jeez. This is going to be incredible, huh? It’s not likely that Meilin will pass it up.”

It would be a huge event that’d attract ferocious competitors from all over the continent. Meilin, who was constantly seeking out powerful opponents as part of her…training, was bound to make an appearance.

“I’m guessing we’ll find her among the finalists for the open division.”

“Yeah. It is her, after all. She’ll probably breeze through to the finals.”

As her position as one of the Nine Wise Men would suggest, Meilin’s skills were world class. While there’d be plenty of powerful, unfamiliar faces from across the continent, it wasn’t hard to imagine Meilin trouncing them all.

And as the tournament continued, she’d begin attracting more attention.

“And that’s why we may have a bit of a problem…” Solomon continued, saying that the more accolades she won in the tournament, the harder it would be to keep a low profile. The tournament would be attracting the attention of people all over the continent. Any contestants who did well were bound to become famous.

It was inevitable that those who knew Meilin would recognize her.

Meilin had been continuing her martial training, and so she spent a good portion of her time holed up in the mountains where there were loads of strong enemies. It was likely she hadn’t had much contact with other people. The fact that they’d heard no rumors of her activities and found no leads on her whereabouts was testament to this. But this time, the ultimate stage had been provided for her, in the most conspicuous of places. When word of the event reached her, she’d show up without a second thought. And, quite unlike the forest or mountains, the tournament would very much be in the public eye.

If she truly went all out, it’d only be a matter of time until someone realized that she was one of the Nine Wise Men. And that worried Solomon.

The news that one of the missing Nine Wise Men had turned up would make its way all over the continent. The number of people who recognized Meilin would rise dramatically. And then reports would start coming in—however few—from people who’d seen Meilin training.

This was bad timing, with the Limited Non-Aggression Pact soon set to expire, and nations beginning to grow anxious. Many would wonder what one of the most powerful warriors in the Kingdom of Alcait was doing wandering all over the continent. If other nations began to suspect she was gathering information while undercover, things could rapidly go south.

The sad truth was that there was no way that girl would or could pull off anything so clever. But the title of Wise Man carried a lot of weight. Even if Meilin were to prove that she was traveling as part of her training, Solomon couldn’t say for sure whether other countries would buy it. If it were suspected that she was conducting reconnaissance in other countries, that could easily be construed as a breach of the Limited Non-Aggression Pact.

Given that Meilin wasn’t very well known now, they might talk their way out of such accusations. But if she managed to make a name for herself at the tournament, then doing so would become much more difficult.

“That’s the worst-case scenario, at least. Truth be told, it’s not likely to be so dire. But I’d rather not risk it, so I’d like to take preventative measures,” Solomon concluded, looking expectantly at Mira.

“Hrmm. I’m guessing it won’t be as easy as simply bringing her back, eh?” It sounded like she was going to have to go to Nirvana to bring back Meilin—all to assuage Solomon’s concerns. “Do you have a plan? We won’t stop her by just asking her nicely to sit this one out.”

Having learned martial arts from Meilin, Mira knew her passion for fighting better than anyone. Meilin actively sought out powerful opponents to train against. Even if Mira found her and explained why they didn’t want her to participate, they couldn’t be sure she’d agree. And even if they succeeded in explaining everything and prevented her from entering, her frustration might lead her to just hurry off to another tournament.

Maybe the ideal scenario would be to bring her back after she’d fought to her heart’s content…

When Mira questioned whether they’d be able to do this, Solomon flashed a knowing smile.

“I’ve been making arrangements since yesterday to do just that. All we really have to do is conceal the fact that it’s her.”

It didn’t matter how many people suspected it was her—as long as no one could prove it, they’d be fine. Solomon went on to explain his simple yet effective plan.

Taking Meilin’s feelings into account, they would not stop her from participating in the tournament. However, after explaining the situation to her, they’d include a single condition for her participation.

She needed to wear a disguise.

Presuming that Meilin would be able to wrap her mind around that concept, Solomon had already begun working on this plan. Since this was Meilin they were talking about, he knew she’d just try to use a fake name and throw on a pair of glasses to disguise herself. And so, his plan was to prepare a more convincing and appropriate disguise himself…

The day before, Solomon had spoken with Lastrada about the problem. With the wisdom of someone who was an expert at disguising themselves, he’d come up with a better idea of how to go about it. They’d change her look so drastically that even people who knew her wouldn’t recognize her. Or at least that was what Solomon hoped.

“There might end up being someone who sees through her disguise, but they won’t have any proof. We should have no trouble talking our way out of the situation,” Solomon added, pulling out a piece of paper from his desk and handing it to Mira.

“Hrmm… I see.”

On the piece of paper were guidelines regarding what arms and armor could be used in the tournament. Only weapons provided by the tournament organizers were permitted to be used. Standardized armor would also be provided by the tournament organizers, in order to level the playing field and make it a true test of skill.

…but it wasn’t a violation of any of the rules to wear whatever kind of clothing she wished.

“So I’ve decided to have her dress as a mysterious magical girl,” Solomon announced without batting an eye.

First—and easiest—would be her hair. She had a unique hair color, so the plan was to dye it red. That alone changed her vibe quite a bit.

Having dyed her hair black during the whole graffiti incident at the academy involving the portrait of Danblf, Mira couldn’t disagree with the logic. In fact, she wanted a piece of the action, too. She asked if she might get some hair dye to make her hair black again.

“Listen…I’ve gotten pretty famous as the Spirit Queen, but there are times I just want to be left in peace.”

Having said that, she didn’t seem particularly bothered by her fame. She was actually rather smug about the whole situation. Being treated like a VIP and having people sing your praises wasn’t all bad. Not only that, it also helped improve how people perceived summoners.

It was pretty awesome. Even if all the attention often made it a struggle to relax.

“Knock yourself out. I’ll help you prepare,” Solomon said, quickly acquiescing. Mira didn’t notice the devilish grin that flashed across his face. “Now, about the clothes…”

A disguise absolutely required a change of clothing. Everybody—Mira, other former players, the general masses who knew of the Nine Wise Men—had a mental image of Meilin dressed as the archetypal martial artist. For this reason, Solomon argued that a magical girl disguise would work perfectly.

“A magical girl outfit… Hrmm…? I suppose it really doesn’t fit her image, but how am I going to talk her into wearing something like that?”

Meilin was obsessed with the martial arts. Mira had only ever seen her in a martial arts uniform or similar attire. Would they be able to get her into a shiny, frilly, magical girl outfit? She had her doubts.

But Solomon smiled confidently, as if it wasn’t an issue. “Ah, don’t worry about that. I discussed it with Lastrada, and we sent instructions to those making the outfit.”

The outfit would need to make Meilin—who always wore a martial arts uniform—look cute and like a completely different person, while also not obstructing her ability to fight. Solomon had used Lastrada’s vast knowledge on the subject to put in an order for what they needed. And there were some people in the castle who were very well acquainted with making such things—the maids. Lily, in particular.

Solomon added that Mira ought to know their talents at crafting magical girl clothing very well. Was she aware that Lily was an accomplished practitioner of a form of close-quarters combat used by maids?

“Well, then… I expect they’ll put together something incredible.”

Regardless of what she might think of Lily and the maids, their skills were undeniable. Looking down at her own clothes, Mira smirked. She wondered what kind of outfit they’d dress Meilin in.

“But jeez, a martial arts tournament… I can hardly wait!”

There was the whole other mission to get Meilin back to Alcait, of course… But that was another matter.

Mira was beginning to get all fired up. This was the perfect opportunity to show the world that the art of evocation was alive and well. She was going to win and become the champion of the open division. Meilin was a tough opponent whom she was sure to cross paths with, but knowing her as she did, Mira had a plan.

As she thought about the legendary-grade prize and the five hundred million ducats that went along with it, a devious smirk appeared on Mira’s face. But the smile soon died on her lips…

“Ah, actually, about that…” Solomon sat down in front of Mira before reluctantly informing her of an unfortunate detail.

He’d received a separate letter from Nirvana…in which they asked the Spirit Queen to refrain from registering in the tournament.

“What…did…you…say…?” Mira snapped.

The Spirit Queen’s profile had risen rapidly. If anything, they ought to have invited her to the tournament.

“I think they’re wise to who you really are,” Solomon said. Those in the upper echelons of Nirvana had begun to suspect that Mira might actually be the Wise Man Danblf.

The Kingdom of Alcait and the Empire of Nirvana enjoyed a cordial relationship that went back for years. The ruler of Nirvana was the younger sister of Artesia’s late husband, and that younger sister was still in this world. Therefore, Alcait and Nirvana were still on good terms. And having been on good terms with each other for so long, citizens of both nations often adventured together and held mock bouts.

It was little surprise that Solomon had received that letter. Since they knew so much about Alcait, they’d begun to question the true identity of the Spirit Queen after hearing all the rumors.

“Good grief…”

And if they knew she was Danblf…well. This was a very embarrassing moment, as far as Mira was concerned.

“Well, you haven’t been very discreet. To anyone who knew you, it’s pretty obvious. I mean, I pieced it together pretty quickly.”

At this point, it was too late to turn back. She ought to have expected as much after using her summoning skills the way she had been.

Solomon, who clearly shared her thoughts, gently handed her the letter. It had an apologetic tone and simply asked whether the adventurer named Mira, rumored to be the Spirit Queen, was one of the Nine Wise Men.

And if she was, they requested that she not register.

Finally, they added that this was at the behest of the Twelve Disciples.

“I bet they still haven’t gotten over what happened…” Solomon muttered.

He was referring to the sparring match that’d taken place between the Nine Wise Men and the Twelve Disciples. The individual matches had yielded various results, but the Twelve Apostles had ended the contest with one request: that the “One-Man Army” would not participate in any future contests. Besides the very formidable Valkyrie Sisters, the battle against unending ranks of dark knights had ruthlessly crushed their spirits.

In this tournament, the winner of the special tournament would face off against the Twelve Apostles as the closing act. If Mira made her way to the very end, she’d end up making the Twelve Apostles relive that nightmare. And considering how skilled the Wise Men were, the chances of her making it to the very end were high. So, they’d sent the letter.

But there was a consolation “prize.” They ended the letter by offering to let Mira give the play-by-play commentary on the tournament.

“That can’t be…”

Thanks to her own bad behavior, she’d lost the ultimate opportunity to show the world how incredible evocation was. Hanging her head in disappointment, Mira suggested that just this once, they could stick to the claim that she was only Danblf’s pupil.

“We really can’t. You don’t want to cause them trouble either, right?”

Despite them not wanting to face her in mock bouts, they were still good partners and a source of trusty adventuring companions. Solomon wasn’t wrong.

Mira wished she’d kept a lower profile.

Bidding farewell to her dreams of competing, she ate her feelings by bingeing on the spread of desserts before her.

Chapter 2

MIRA’S PLANS TO SLACK OFF didn’t change much after hearing about the tournament that was going to be held in the Empire of Nirvana. There was still some time until the tournament and, most importantly, it’d take a while to get Meilin’s disguise ready. No matter how skilled the maids might be, it was difficult to make clothes that’d fit Meilin perfectly based solely on Solomon and Luminaria’s memory of her physique. For that reason, they included various elements that’d allow her to adjust the size, but wouldn’t hinder her in battle. Judging by the design phase, it was considerably difficult.

Still, the maids of Alcait Castle were the best of the best. They managed to come up with a flawless design and set about crafting it.

Mira would need to transport the clothes so Meilin could fight her heart out in the tournament. Until then…she was going to live her best life.

She still had plenty on her plate. There was research to do and experiments to run, in addition to enjoying quiet downtime with Mariana. After school, she would tutor Emilia and Phil to ensure the future of evocation stayed bright. Meanwhile, she stopped by the orphanage to play with the children on her days off, filling their ears with the wonders of evocation and occasionally enjoying a bit of window-shopping on her way home.

Cleos’s lessons were also going quite well. Due to his position, Mira was a much more brutal instructor with him than she was with Phil and Emilia. He was now at the level where he could almost effectively use a holy knight partial summon in battle. Not only that, he could use it with simultaneous evocation. And he was on the cusp of being able to partially summon a dark knight.

Mira also taught as a guest instructor at the School of Evocation and assisted Hinata with training, while also working with her on the curriculum for the class. But now, she had a break in her busy schedule. The academy had a day off, and so Mira didn’t have any special lessons or training.

Emilia and Phil seemed a bit bummed out when they heard this, but Mira told them that taking a breather was another important aspect of training. That did the trick, and they started making plans for how they were going to rest.

Cleos just seemed quietly relieved.

Now that she’d finally gotten a day off, Mira set to work first thing in the morning, doing research and tending to other matters. She went over everything that she’d been teaching Emilia, Phil, and Cleos, spoke with the Spirit King about transcendental evocations, and tried to craft blasting stones with various effects. It was busy, yet enjoyable.

…at least until the afternoon, when the Spirit King asked Mira how she could justify telling others not to burn themselves out while she refused to get any rest. Mira figured he was right and decided to spend the rest of her time taking it easy.

“Oh ho, so they’ve reopened?”

Enjoying a relaxing afternoon with Mariana, Mira’s interest was piqued when mention of a store came up while they were chatting. Wild Buddy. It was a pet shop with a wide selection, where she could buy whatever she might need for Luna. It’d been remodeled over the past month, but they were having a grand reopening sale that same day.

It was a bit rough, having a big sale on what would normally be a day off. Mira’s heart went out to the staff as she got to her feet.

“All right, how about we go over and check it out?” she said, looking around the room, which was littered with Luna’s things. Eager to explore, and wondering what kind of wonders the shop full of pet supplies would hold, she picked Luna up.

With the news of an impending excursion, Luna happily chirped, “Kyeee!” as Mariana softly shuffled about, getting the group ready to go.

“It’s over there, Miss Mira.”

“Oh ho! It’s bigger than I expected.”

Wild Buddy was in a spot facing the main street, with an unobstructed view of the Linked Silver Towers.

“Not only that, it’s also a lot fancier than I’d expected.”

In stark contrast to its earthy name, the exterior of Wild Buddy was awash in pastel hues and gave off a rather bougie vibe. According to Mariana, the shop had previously had a more…earthy vibe that was more in line with its name.

Wild Buddy had previously been a supply store for hunting pets. But as time went on, they began selling goods for normal pets. Now, that was what they primarily sold. Mariana had heard that from a member of the staff that she’d become acquainted with. To keep up with the times, they’d remodeled it into a normal pet-oriented store.

“It sure looks like business is booming.”

Thanks to the sale, there were tons of customers. Even the street outside the store was abuzz. Mira and Mariana passed through the crowd and made their way toward the store. But as they did, they were stopped dead in their tracks.

The reason for this was Luna, still cradled in Mira’s arms. There was no way the pet-loving customers would let such a rare, and more importantly, incredibly cute and tiny creature pass by.

“I see. Her name is Luna, huh? She sure is cute.”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing a Pure Rabbit this close!”

For a moment, Luna was an even bigger attraction than the store. But she wasn’t very comfortable around other people yet, so this only lasted a few minutes. The assembled pet lovers seemed to recognize her discomfort upon seeing Luna curl up and dive into Mira’s chest with a “Kyeee!” The viewing party ended abruptly.

“You’re popular, Luna. I should’ve guessed!”

“Yes, we ought to have expected as much of Luna,” Mariana agreed, sounding like a doting parent who thought their child was the cutest thing.

Luna looked on as the two of them stood there, aglow with pride. Realizing that she could make Mira and Mariana happy by having others talk about how cute she was, Luna felt something stir within.

This feeling would eventually allow her to overcome her shyness and fear of strangers. That moment, Luna took the first step toward her future as a rabbit idol.

But that’s a story for another time.

“The inside of the store outdoes the outside,” Mira observed as she set foot in Wild Buddy.

The vast store before her was a riot of pastel colors, almost like a women’s fashion boutique. According to Mariana, the inside of the shop had changed quite a bit. Before the remodeling, it had been more nature-themed, with wood hues and such. They’d really gone for a bold new look, but the customers seemed quite pleased with the result. The remodel also added several new spaces that pet-lovers could enjoy.

Mira and Mariana strolled around the shop, looking for something new they could buy for Luna. One of these new spaces naturally caught both of their eyes…

At first glance, it looked like a café—a place people might enjoy eating and drinking a cup of tea with their beloved pet. It even had a complete menu for pets. Much like the menu for humans, the food on the pet menu came with suggested pairings. And it was loaded with desserts such as cake.

“These aren’t cheap, huh…?” Mira said in surprise.

Given how elaborate the dishes were, the prices on the pet menu weren’t much different than those on the human menu. But taking a quick look around, Mira noted that people were mostly ordering food for their pets rather than for themselves. Filled with nothing but devoted pet-lovers, the café was a bizarre scene.

Mira saw Luna’s eyes glitter as she beheld the delicious food and guessed what it was the rabbit wanted.

“Luna, you’re hungry, eh?”

Now that she thought of it, she seemed to remember that Luna ate vegetable sticks. Curious, Mira tried asking Luna about it.

“Kyeee!” Luna energetically chirped back in response.

“I see. So, you want to try some other stuff?”

Judging by the way Luna’s eyes were glittering, Mira presumed that this was the case. Just as she was thinking about how they ought to make a stop on their way back, she heard Mariana speak up.

“How about I make a cake tonight just for you, Luna?”

This seemed like a thing that might happen when moms went out with their kids. A kid would see something delicious in a store and say they wanted some, at which point their mom would point out that they had the same thing at home. The child usually ended up a bit disappointed. After all, they wanted to eat whatever was right in front of them.

But though she’d expected Luna to feel let down, Luna’s expression turned to one of pure joy. And, once again, Mira understood how Luna was feeling.

If Mariana was making it, it’d undoubtedly be more delicious than whatever they could get at the store.

“Isn’t that great? You’re gonna get cake tonight!” Mira said to Luna before mumbling, “Cake…? Hrmm… I wouldn’t mind having some cake…”

“All right, then we’ll need to pick up some ingredients on the way home. I’m guessing Luna will want…carrot cake? And since I’ll already be going to the trouble, I’ll make one more. Perhaps a chestnut cake?” Mariana asked both Mira and Luna. She’d figured out what they wanted by following each of their eyes as they stared at the café menu.

Mira and Luna both enthusiastically agreed, saying, “Hrm, yes, that sounds good,” and “Kyeee!”

With that night’s dessert planned, the trio continued touring the shop.

Aside from the café, the remodeled Wild Buddy was also equipped with a brand-new gym, pool, exercise area and a photography studio. Naturally, they were all pet friendly.

But that wasn’t all—the shop was also chock-full of pet supplies. Mira grabbed several toys that she planned to buy for Luna. Mariana had picked out some sand that she’d use as pet litter and several other essential supplies.

After they were done paying, a staff member approached them.

“Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t Miss Mariana?” It seemed as if they were the shop’s proprietor.

From what Mira had heard, Mariana was held in high regard as the owner of an exceedingly rare Pure Rabbit. It was for this reason that she was given a voucher to use the newly installed facilities in Wild Buddy. It was quite generous…but they had to have an ulterior motive. If the shop became known as a place frequented by the rarely glimpsed Pure Rabbit, then that would be good for business.

Still, Mira’s quarters and the assistant’s office alone weren’t quite big enough for Luna. Mira was grateful to have a safe place where she could bring Luna to play.

They have a pool too? That’s great this time of year. And Luna’s a strong swimmer!

Mira was pleased to have more ways of playing with Luna.

Just then, a section in the far corner of the store caught her eye. Unlike the lightly colored pastel hues of the rest of the store, this corner was still earth-toned. In it stood a gruff-looking man who seemed to be a hunter, standing beside a well-behaved black wolf who was tethered in a corner.

Mira had a hunch that it was a holdover from the old store where the hunting pet supplies were sold. She took a closer look at what kinds of goods they stocked. They had nets for catching small animals, and different kinds of rope that looked like they had lots of uses. They also had armor that could withstand attacks from monsters, bladed weapons, and other gear used specifically for combat…and everything was designed to be used by hunting pets.

Mira was certain that if the black wolf was fully equipped, it would be a potent and lethal companion. At least, that was the sense she got as she gazed at the gruff-looking hunter and the wolf. Both looked quite experienced.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling that the area—standing alone and tucked in the corner of the bright pet store filled with so many happy voices—was a vestige of a bygone era.

The hunter was earnestly perusing armor, a hard look on his face. Watching from behind as he browsed the downsized hunting pet corner, Mira could sense his melancholy. The cruel march of time broke her heart.

Chapter 3

AFTER FINISHING UP THEIR SHOPPING at Wild Buddy, Mira and Mariana enjoyed a nice date as they took Luna for a stroll.

To keep Luna from standing out quite so much—and to help with the heat—they dressed her up in white rabbit clothes. The outfit covered her like a poncho and helped pets stay cool with a system similar to Mira’s trusty Magic-Powered Innerwear Cooling Conditioner. By putting up the hood, she transformed from a blue Pure Rabbit into a standard white one.

Luna was now like a princess who’d snuck out of the castle in disguise to wander the streets.

To allow Luna to run about freely, Mira and Mariana avoided places that were filled with people and went along the back streets instead. There they found local shops that were often filled with hidden gems. The more they searched, the more trinkets to enhance feng shui or refinable materials they found. They ended up buying all sorts of things.

As the sun was beginning to go down, Mira and her companions returned to the Tower. Once they arrived home, Mariana quickly got started making dinner and dessert.

Mira got straight to work without taking a moment to rest.

But she wasn’t working on anything remotely related to evocation or refining. Rather, Mira set about constructing something that she’d purchased that day in the living room, keenly aware of Luna’s glittering gaze.

She was setting up an indoor sandbox, the most expensive thing they’d purchased at Wild Buddy. As they were looking around, Luna had hopped into one that’d been set up on display. Utterly lost in delight, she began happily digging holes in it.

Thanks to the sand—and every other part of it being specially made—The whole set was quite pricey, at three hundred thousand ducats. And yet, seeing just how happy Luna was, Mira had decided to buy it on the spot. She’d stored it in her item box and was now in the process of putting it together in the living room.

“I’m almost done. Hold on just a bit longer.”

After putting together the base, all that remained was to pour in loads of sand. Mira pulled out several sacks and began pouring their contents into the base.

“All right, all done!” Mira shouted, lifting her hands in the air after pouring in the final sack of sand. From beginning to end, the whole process had taken about an hour. The indoor sandbox was finally complete and looked just as good as the display one that they’d seen in the store.

“Kyeee!” Luna squeaked in excitement alongside Mira.

Mariana then came over and said, “Good job, Miss Mira,” before handing her a cup of chilled tea. Thanking her and taking the drink, Mira downed it in one gulp.

“Whew. Having a glass after finishing a job just hits a little different!” Wiping her brow as if she really had worked hard, Mira looked down at the sandbox that lay at her feet.

Despite being for indoor use, it was quite large, about the same size as two tatami mats and about a foot deep. That meant it used a lot of sand—there was now a pile of empty sacks beside the sandbox.

Looking over at the pile, Mira sat down on the edge of the sandbox and thought about how well she’d done completing such a difficult task. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue wash over her, she let out a sigh. As she watched Luna—who’d hurriedly jumped into the sandbox to begin playing—Mira realized something.

Darn. For stuff like this, I ought to use the dark knight frame…

Perhaps because of her habit of emphasizing combat when it came to her research, the everyday applications of such techniques hadn’t occurred to her until now. Smiling bitterly at the thought of how she’d tired herself out needlessly, Mira nonetheless began to feel quite relaxed as she watched Luna play happily.

Because she’d worked so hard for Luna, she felt a sense of satisfaction. She flashed a slight grin.

How long had it been since she started building the sandbox? The base of the cake was done baking right around the time Mariana also finished preparing for dinner. The night seemed to be going right on schedule.

“Miss Mira, it’s just about time.”

“Hrmm, sure thing.”

Recently, their routine had been for Mira to jump in the bath just as Mariana finished cooking the food. Of course, Luna joined her in the tub as well.

When she called Luna’s name, the rabbit poked her head out of a hole in the sandbox. The sand was a special blend that didn’t easily stick to skin, clothes, or fur. Despite having played nonstop, Luna’s coat was clean after just a few quick pats.

Picking her up and heading to the bath with Mariana, Mira rinsed away all the day’s fatigue in the steaming hot water.

After their bath, it was time for dinner. In addition to the splendid feast, they also had Mariana’s handmade cake for dessert. Mira said it was the most delicious chestnut cake she’d ever consumed, while Luna squeaked, “Kyeee!” with her cheeks stuffed with carrot cake. Mariana answered both with a smile.

And thus, Mira enjoyed a vacation day filled with warmth and contentment.

Having more than thoroughly recharged her batteries, she jumped right back into her work over the next several days. She often made quick trips to a nearby old battlefield, trying to explore new types of armor spirit evocation that she’d come up with during her research, but she also dropped by the orphanage to play with the children. Mira was very much in high demand as a companion for redecorating bedrooms and going on strolls through the city. The junior class hadn’t forgotten the impression she’d made on them about the magnificence of evocation.

Lastrada was no longer at the orphanage. A few days prior, things had settled down at the institution, and he’d headed off on a journey to Grimdart to carry out Fuzzy Dice’s final mission.

But now, Artesia had even more on her plate. And, with how much she loved taking care of children, she wore an even brighter smile than usual. Most likely this was because the children who usually stuck close to Lastrada were now getting closer to her.

Aside from that, Mira occasionally dropped by the royal castle to chit-chat with Solomon. Whenever she did, she’d either craft heaps of blasting stones, provide the Mage Corps with a sparring partner during special training, or participate in meetings to help facilitate turning the city into a place where people could coexist with spirits. The Spirit King often voiced his opinions during those meetings. In order for everyone to hear his voice, the head administrators of the Kingdom of Alcait would join hands in a circle to hold the meetings. They seemed to be getting along well. Even if the situation was a bit surreal, no one complained.

While Mira had done quite a few odd jobs, she wasn’t just helping out other people. She was seeing to plenty of business of her own.

Her equipment enhancement project was making slow progress. In order to make the powerful, high-caliber equipment that she wanted, she would need the help of craftsmen of an equally high caliber. They would need to be very high level, able to work with materials such as the remains of the Machina Guardian. However, there were no such craftsmen where she was.

…But she did know where to find them: at the Hinomoto Committee’s facility.

From what she’d heard from Soul Howl, the highest-level craftsmen all called the Modern Technology Research Institute home. But even if she showed up on their doorstep, she wasn’t sure she’d be allowed in. Since Solomon was a member of the Hinomoto Committee, he might be able to help. So, she explained the situation to him and asked if he might put in a good word for her.

He agreed, saying, “Sure thing. I’ll let them know.”

Then, several days later, those very craftsmen asked, “So, when’s she coming?”

He urged her to hurry up and visit.

They knew Mira wanted them to make equipment for her and that she’d be coming with veritable mountains of rare materials from the Machina Guardian. With that exciting piece of news, they were eager to get their hands on the goods.

“Once you get done with your current assignment, you can head over. I’m sure they’ll welcome you as a guest of honor.”

“Hrmm… All right, then. But now I’m a bit anxious…”

If they were already that inspired, then they’d surely be able to craft incredible things. She had a feeling that they might come up with something completely wild and outlandish. Sometimes high-level craftsmen got so carried away with whether they could make something that they didn’t bother asking if they even should. Mira had quite a few acquaintances like this, and so she furrowed her brow with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

“Oh, that’s right. Just one more thing…” She asked about the army and how it operated.

“I take it you’ve got something interesting in mind,” Solomon said with a smile, looking keenly intrigued. “So, what else do you want to know?”

On days off and during breaks in her research, Mira began going out more. Today, she was headed to Wild Buddy to use their new pool. Naturally, Mariana came along. It was late summer, and the temperature had yet to drop. In weather like that, the pool was the best place to have fun.

Mira changed into her swimsuit alongside Mariana in the changing room. She could finally put the swimsuit that’d been developed by Lily and the maids to good use. Once Mariana helped her put her hair up, Mira was ready to go.

In contrast to Mira’s bikini, Mariana was wearing a one-piece swimsuit. It was mostly white and very sleek.

“Luna sure seems to like that.”

Wild Buddy was equipped with all sorts of pet-related pool supplies, such as surfboards, inflatable rafts, and even a helmet for going underwater that fit snugly over a pet’s head, and they could all be rented for free. Luna stared longingly at an inner tube that stood amongst all these supplies.

At the rental desk, Mira rented the classic red inner tube and headed toward the pool. After plopping it in the water, Luna hopped in and impressively wedged herself right into the center. Now Luna could be safely left to her own devices. Using her front and rear legs, she paddled about.

“Watch out, here I come!”

Mira leapt into the water, sending waves rolling forward, catching Luna in their furious grasp. But such water fury was nothing to Luna. The rabbit deftly recomposed herself and proudly squeaked, “Kyeee!” as she made an impressive turn.

“Oh… That was pretty good. In that case, let’s see how you handle the next one! Now, Mariana!” Mira said, challenging Luna with a cocky grin as she gave the signal for the waiting Mariana to jump in.

“Will do, Miss Mira.” Following along, Mariana faced Mira and leapt into the pool.

A huge wave, somehow larger than the previous one, surged toward Luna as she splashed into the water. Luna faced down the wave with such a steely look that one could almost hear her thinking, Now, that’s what I’m talking about.

She used her forelegs deftly to maneuver the inner tube—but the wave was too formidable. Her efforts were in vain, and she tipped over at the very last moment.

Luna squeezed out of the overturned inner tube before poking her head through it once more. Then she flopped backward, exposing her belly in surrender.

“Heh heh, you were close,” Mariana said confidently, stroking Luna’s belly. To the winner went the spoils.

“Hrmm. If I were just a bit bigger, I bet I would’ve won…”

It’d been a close match. Mira would only have needed a bit more mass to plunge into the water with more force. Then, an indescribable chill went down her spine…

“Miss Mira, what do you mean by that…?” Mariana’s voice was icy cold. Mira turned and stood in horror before her frigid gaze.

She realized exactly what she had just implied. It didn’t matter how close the two girls were—that was a topic that simply wasn’t broached. And though Mira was clueless, the meals they’d been eating had been more extravagant than usual, given that she had been in the Tower for the past few days.

Now Mariana was beginning to worry about her diet. Mira had truly stepped on a landmine.

“Ah, uh… I didn’t mean…uh… I meant…you know…”

Unable to come up with a good excuse, Mira fumbled an apology as her eyes darted about the room. Then Mariana flashed a thin smile, seeing just how thrown Mira was.

“Perhaps tonight we can have a salad?” She may have been smiling, but the damage had been done.

“All right…” Mira said, completely out of options.

With meat off the menu, they heard a spirited bark. A black dog made a playful entrance. He must’ve been quite a fan of pools, because he made a beeline for the water and dove in, belly-first, landing with a powerful splash near Mira and her companions. He was about the size of a full-grown man, so Mira and her companions were sprayed with pool water and hit with a huge wave.

“Kyeekyeekyeee!”

It was such a large wave that even Mira and Mariana couldn’t withstand it. Luna did her best to face the wave bravely, but was swept under and helplessly flipped. Popping out of the inner tube once more, she looked at the source of the wave with a baleful stare.

***However, the dog was already elsewhere. In stark contrast to his wild dive, he was now quietly and gracefully doggy paddling around the pool. It almost looked like he was running through the water.

“He’s a darn good swimmer.”

“He’s quite extraordinary.”

Mariana and Mira both muttered in admiration as they watched how smoothly the dog made his way around the swimming pool.

Looking at the two of them, Luna quietly popped out of the inner tube and began kicking her legs. But after a few seconds, she returned once more to the float with her ears drooping. She could swim a bit…but it was still a bit tough for her to go long distances.

Still, her eyes bore no trace of surrender. Rather, they were filled with fiery determination to one day prove she could swim freely. This was the moment when Luna resolved eventually to become a good swimmer.

Meanwhile, Mira couldn’t help feeling that she’d seen the black dog somewhere. She only had to wonder for a moment, as the answer came to her when the dog’s owner made his appearance.

Oh ho—that grizzled guy is the hunter I saw the other day, isn’t he?

The man was muscular, covered in scars, and wearing light blue camo-patterned swimming trunks. But he was definitely the man she’d seen in Wild Buddy a few days prior. He was the seasoned hunter who’d been standing in the corner of the shop, gazing at the remnants of the significantly downsized hunting-pet section. This meant the black dog she’d seen before was the wolf she’d seen him with. Flying leap aside, the noiseless way the wolf swam must’ve been a technique he picked up for hunting.

There was something about the stoic and manly vibe of a hunter who earned a living with his black wolf that Mira couldn’t help wanting to aspire to. And yet, that ship had already sailed for her.

Soon, Mira and her companions found themselves in the middle of the pool, which had five lanes and was about fifty feet long. Despite being an indoor pool, it was quite wide, and the first ten feet at either end were shallow enough that even a small dog could stand. The middle was just deep enough that Mira’s feet barely touched the bottom. It had been designed for pets of all kinds to enjoy the pool.

“Kyeee!”

“Hrmm, I know, I know. All right, then let’s go!”

Still in her inner tube, Luna was quickly swimming toward the pool’s defining feature: a large waterslide. Pet owners could slide down alongside their pets, and that caught Luna’s eye more than anything else at the pool (after the inner tube).

Mira caught up and picked up Luna, carrying her up the steps while Mariana waited at the bottom.

Due to it being indoors, the slide wasn’t terribly large or steep. But it had some pretty wild twists and turns, and looked pretty fun. It seemed to be quite popular with the pets—so much that they saw a well-trained dog run up the steps and go down the slide on its own.

After watching a medium-sized dog named Melody gleefully fly down the slide—clearly a pro at having fun—it was finally Mira and Luna’s turn.

“All set?” Mira asked, ready to go.

Sitting atop her thighs, Luna bravely squeaked back, “Kyeee!”

“All right, then let’s go!” Throwing herself forward, Mira began to pick up speed despite the slide not being very steep.

Always a daredevil, she raced to see how fast she could get to the bottom, while Luna was thoroughly engrossed in the rush of twisting, turning, and flying down the slide at such speeds. Holding firmly onto Luna, Mira flew down the slide and landed in the pool after about ten seconds.

“That was pretty fast, wasn’t it?!” Mira sounded impressed as she popped her head out from the water.

Luna bobbed up and down in her inner tube and squeaked back, “Kyeee,” as if also impressed.

Mira wasn’t actually timing herself or counting, so she was just going with her gut. But at that moment, none of that mattered. Mariana smiled softly as she watched Mira and Luna celebrate their new record.

The three returned home in the late afternoon. After thoroughly enjoying swimming and playing in the water, Luna, Mira, and Mariana all felt that unique and weirdly pleasant sense of fatigue as their body temperatures returned to normal. They gathered on the couch to take a quick snooze.

Lying beside each other, the girls succumbed to comfort as Luna lay curled up between them, underneath both of their hands. That short stretch of time just before twilight was sublimely joyous. It felt like a moment in some dream that they wished would go on forever.

After their warm and cozy nap, it was right back to their usual schedule. Mira went back to working on her research and tests, and Mariana went back to getting ready for dinner and doing chores.

Meanwhile, Luna was now sitting on the couch flapping her legs instead of playing in her sandbox. She was doing some swimming practice.

“Wow… Hamburg steak!” Mira cried. It was dinnertime, and Mira’s face lit up as she saw the food on the table before her. She’d been resigned to salad, but was ecstatic to see Mariana had made some of her favorite food.

And so, Mira continued to live blissfully, wrapped as she was around Mariana’s little finger.

Chapter 4

DURING THESE PEACEFUL DAYS, she was often tasked with refining some blasting stones.

With the situation in Alcait stabilizing, Mira had been busy with her technomancy research. This was because there was now an ample supply of blasting stones, which were highly efficient sources of power. She had even learned more efficient refining techniques from the engineers at the castle over the past few weeks.

Having finished crafting the requested number of blasting stones, she’d had her lesson with Phil and Emilia, visited the orphanage to play with the children, and was now on her way back to her Tower from Lunatic Lake.

Mira watched evening descend from the window of her flying wagon, suddenly thinking, Hrmm… I feel like I’m a lot busier than when I was running all over the continent…

She smiled faintly at how, deep down, her sense of accomplishment was greater than her sense of exhaustion.

“Ah, the joy of being young…”

Looking at her reflection in the window that framed the dimly lit night sky, Mira appreciated just how wonderful it was to be eternally youthful.

On another occasion, she found herself reflecting on just how special each of those routine, busy, yet fulfilling days was. That morning, she’d been thinking about what she’d research that day, when word came from Solomon informing her that Meilin’s disguise had been completed.

It was finally time for her next task to start. Her tranquil days were at an end, and the time had come for her to go on yet another journey.

Well rested and highly motivated, Mira made her way toward the castle.

***

“…Why’d this have to happen?” she grumbled as she stood within the maids’ quarters. She’d only gone there to pick up Meilin’s uniform. There was absolutely no need for her to try on any clothes.

But ten minutes ago, the trap was sprung. Arriving at the castle as planned, Mira made her way to the front of the maids’ quarters. Solomon said that she’d be able to find Meilin’s completed disguise there.

If they’re finished with it, couldn’t they have just brought it to Solomon’s office themselves? Annoyed, Mira wondered why they hadn’t as she stepped forward. She’d heard through the grapevine that her custom inner wear had been completed. If Lily and the others managed to get hold of her, they’d definitely make her endure another huge fitting session. That made this a stealth mission.

Donning her special forces gear, Mira proceeded cautiously.

While fully aware that she was in rather dangerous territory, all she had to do was grab the clothes and make a quick escape. Most of all, she needed to avoid Lily and Tabitha, since they were both working. But she thought she might be able to take advantage of that fact, and decided the challenge was worth it.

Wary of the maids’ extensive information network, Mira continued her mission. If they saw her even once, they’d surround her in an instant. She could only make contact with them the moment she grabbed the disguise. Then she’d slip out before word of her presence managed to spread, and her mission would be accomplished.

So, Mira proceeded cautiously at times and boldly at others. Soon, victory was before her…

…Only to be snatched away by the jaws of defeat.

What on earth had gone wrong? Going into the room where she’d expected to find Meilin’s disguise, she found Lily, Tabitha, and a host of other maids waiting. Confronted by the enemy, Mira gave up and handed herself over.

It didn’t matter how long she struggled—they’d get their claws on her eventually. She decided to accept her fate and try on the inner wear.

But then something unexpected happened. It turned out that the clothes they had prepared for her weren’t only her custom inner wear.

Mira quickly found her special forces gear, and all the other clothes she’d been wearing, stripped from her. Instead, she was dressed in her new inner wear and a custom-tailored autumnal outfit, as the season was soon to change. The outfit was made with warm fabric and could be best described as a militant magical girl ensemble. Once equipped with a cape, she looked like an adorable little general.

“Once again, we’ve created something truly miraculous,” Tabitha said with a smile, her voice thick with emotion as she stood before Lieutenant Mira, garbed in her new uniform. And yet Lily, who was usually the most excited during such situations, was oddly quiet.

“…”

Taking a closer look, Mira saw the look of pure jubilation on her face. It was as if she had died and gone to heaven. But this only lasted for a moment before Tabitha brought Lily right back to reality.

“Oh my, look at my creation. It’s been so long since I’ve beheld such a sight. I thought I was about ready to shed this mortal coil.” Lily smiled bashfully, returning to reality and staring at Mira the way a lion might look at a gazelle.

But she wasn’t the only one.

It must’ve been several months since the maids had gotten their hands on Mira, and their obsession had reached a fever pitch. Mira had no choice but to let them mercilessly dote upon her until they were finally satisfied.

I really need to let them get their fix more often, she thought as she headed toward Solomon’s office with Meilin’s disguise, her autumn outfit, and enough hair dye for both of them to disguise themselves. She hadn’t just changed into new clothes, but had also been given a full-body massage, and treated to a delicious dessert by the maids.

Despite her annoyance, the maids working at the castle really did know how to look after their guests. Though emotionally unnerved, Mira felt physically fantastic and even had a spring in her step.

“You look good in that,” Solomon said with a look of satisfaction.

“I don’t recall asking…” Mira replied with a frown of displeasure.

She asked why they needed her to be disguised as well as Meilin, and Solomon responded that she ought to have known she wouldn’t get off that easily. Judging by what had just happened, he wasn’t wrong.

Letting out a massive sigh, Mira recomposed herself and held out her right hand, asking that Solomon hand over what she’d requested.

“Look, this took a bit of time to get ready,” Solomon said, taking out a single book.

The book held the information Mira had requested the other day—information related to the armed forces and their operations. It was filled with highly confidential details about how the Kingdom of Alcait’s army was trained. But Solomon was so curious to know what Mira was scheming that he simply tossed it over.

“I look forward to seeing what you’re going to accomplish with that.” He chuckled, then added that when the time came, he’d be counting on her.

“Should that time come, I’ll show you,” Mira said with a smile, before taking the book and assuring him that she’d exceed his expectations.

Having finished up her tasks at the castle, Mira dropped by the academy. It was right in the middle of lunch break, and so the campus was filled with students doing as they pleased.

Having entered the academy countless times to give Emilia and Phil their lessons, Mira had become a fairly common sight. Only a few students gathered now to get a look at the Spirit Queen. She wasn’t sure how anyone found out, but word had spread that Emilia—one of the representatives of the School of Evocation—was the pupil of the Spirit Queen. As a result, the representatives from the other schools were now training more vigorously.

Around the academy, everyone understood the concept of an A-rank adventurer. Some were looking at her warmly or curiously, while others were respectful. Some even seemed to regard her with hostility. No doubt they were the ones concerned about the next Spell Symposium. They were likely worried about what kind of spells the famed Spirit Queen would be teaching her pupil.

Hrmm… I wouldn’t mind them coming up to say hello.

The students were only staring from a distance, not venturing near. Mira wouldn’t have minded signing a few autographs or taking a few fan photos, but now all she could do was guess at what they were thinking. She’d overhear snatches of their conversation every so often, and none of it was particularly bad. They were exclusively positive things—such as how cute or amazing she was.

Wanting to ask about how things were at the academy from the students’ point of view, Mira approached several of them, but they always scattered. Feeling a bit down about this, she proceeded further into the academy.

Chapter 5

GOING STRAIGHT ACROSS CAMPUS, Mira made her way to the front of the training hall, where she ran into Cleos, who just so happened to be on his way out.

“Oh ho, if it isn’t Cleos. You’re practicing simultaneous evocation in class today, right?” Mira asked.

Cleos hurried over to her as she greeted him. It seemed like he’d just finished cleaning up after the day’s practice. Emilia had helped with the lesson as well.

“She’s growing more and more by the day. After she graduates, I’d love for her to become a teacher at the School of Evocation,” he said. Despite it seeming like a joke, his face was dead serious.

At the present moment, Hinata was the sole instructor at the School of Evocation. Cleos had been doing his best to fill in, even though he was the deputy of a Wise Man. It was rather obvious that they didn’t have enough teachers. Now that they had more students, the problem was only going to worsen. If Mira was going to continue promoting the advancement of the School of Evocation, finding a new teacher seemed like a priority.

But Emilia was the daughter of a noble family. It was unlikely Cleos would get his wish.

“By the way, Miss Mira. About your correspondence with King Solomon this morning… I take it you’ll soon be leaving on your next assignment?” Cleos seemed to have gotten word that Meilin’s disguise had been completed.

“Hrmm, that’s right. The preliminaries will start in about two weeks. I’m planning to find Meilin before then.”

It’d already been a fortnight since news of the tournament had been sent across the continent, and this was Meilin they were dealing with. News of such things usually reached her fast, and she reacted just as quickly. There was a good chance she was already there. Furthermore, Mira had no doubt that she’d be participating in the open division, and that she would make an impression from the very start of the preliminaries.

Her most immediate objective was to find Meilin before then and have her disguise herself.

“I’d thought as much. In that case, I’m guessing today will be Emilia’s last training session for the time being?”

If Mira was heading to Nirvana, she wouldn’t be able to train the girl. Emilia had been coming to special lessons in the training hall, but would now need to go back to her regular lessons. Mira had spent afternoons teaching her how to use simultaneous evocation, so it was likely the normal syllabus wouldn’t be challenging for someone who was already a few steps ahead. Cleos wondered whether Emilia should continue to help teach the class, or switch to a different one.

“Why not continue having her teach? One develops a deeper understanding of things by teaching them. Even I realized quite a few things while teaching you and Emilia.”

To effectively impart knowledge to others and teach them new skills, she had to think of how to communicate things in a way that was easy to understand. And she attained an even deeper understanding of the subject by doing so.

She’d taught Emilia just about everything regarding simultaneous summoning. All that was left was to see if the girl could fully comprehend it.

“I see… I think you have a point. All right, then. From tomorrow, I’ll have Emilia assist me with my duties as an instructor.”

Cleos had been a teacher at the School of Evocation for a long time, and it seemed he understood exactly what Mira meant. He would have Emilia assist when they were learning about simultaneous summoning in class, and do his best to help her deepen her own understanding of the subject.

“Hrmm, I appreciate it.”

By the time Mira got back, Emilia would’ve grown even more as a summoner. She’d been meeting Phil after school as well, and he was growing steadily too. She looked forward to what their future held.

Mira glanced at Cleos, for whom she also held high hopes. “In that case, today will be the last day of your special training for a while too.”

She’d been teaching Cleos partial summoning, and planned to review everything she’d taught him. She was excited to see just how much of it he had learned. Seeing the disquieting smile on Mira’s face, the corner of Cleos’s mouth twitched and he looked away from her.

“See you tonight,” Mira said, beginning to walk away.

After a moment, something came to Cleos. He called out to her, “Um, Miss Mira… Actually…” He seemed troubled. “I’m actually swamped preparing teaching materials and getting ready for lessons… I don’t know if I’ll make it back to the Tower tonight.”

“Oh ho, is that right?”

It seemed Cleos would miss this training session. Their next session wouldn’t be for quite a while…

“Well then, I guess we have no choice. In any case, I’ve taught you what you need to get going. I’m sure you’ll make it work.”

Until now, they’d had special training every night. The sessions had been short, but her student was none other than the deputy of one of the Nine Wise Men, so she didn’t hold back when it came to teaching him everything she could. The sessions were intense. She drilled him on everything that he’d need to know about partial summoning.

Her lesson on what to use in concert with partial evocation and simultaneous evocation, how to time their use, and other finer points of their application would just have to wait until next time.

Mira laughed and told him she hoped he would have mastered the fundamentals by the time she got back. She was leaving in the morning the next day, and wouldn’t see him again until she returned from her travels.

“I’ll do my very best,” Cleos replied, shuddering.

“All right, well, I won’t be around for a while. So I’ll leave everything else to you.”

Left in charge once more, Cleos proudly answered, “Sure, I’ve got it covered.”

Patting him on the shoulder, Mira whispered in Cleos’s ear that it was no problem if he wasn’t able to master partial summoning by the time she came back. “If you don’t, then I’ll just make sure to drill you until you get it.”

“I-I’ll definitely try and get it down myself…”

Cleos shuddered slightly and nodded, somehow managing to maintain a calm expression. He couldn’t even imagine what special training would be like with Mira actually going all out.

And so, saying farewell for the time being, Mira went to the training hall while Cleos began walking back to school.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked back toward the training hall, thinking to himself, Since I said all of that, I might as well prepare some stuff for tomorrow’s lesson.

The whole thing about him not being able to go back to the Tower tonight was a small white lie. The reason he’d said as much wasn’t simply because he wanted to avoid training. He had another important reason: not getting beat up.

With that in mind, Cleos made his way toward the classroom in the School of Evocation, thinking about what he’d teach the next day.

Mira met Emilia for lessons in the training hall right after lunch break. While she was doing so, she thought about introducing Emilia to Lily and the other maids…perhaps as a kind of sacrificial lamb. It was likely she’d be gone for a long time on this journey. It might be prudent to give Lily and the maids a target to vent their creativity.

But she firmly resisted the temptation. She couldn’t very well put a cute young student in such terrible peril.

With that in the back of her mind, Mira proceeded with the lesson. After school, Phil joined them, and the day flew by.

“So, about what comes next…”

She’d been tutoring them every other day lately, but today would be their last lesson for a while. She’d be busy tomorrow, and would soon be setting off for Nirvana.

Learning of this, Emilia looked like her world was crashing down. Phil looked forlornly at the ground. Then Mira told Emilia about what she’d just discussed with Cleos.

“I want you to try teaching all the other students everything that I’ve taught you up until now. Not just how it feels—explain the mechanics behind everything to them in a way that they’ll understand.”

Emilia would be attending simultaneous summoning class as a teacher, and needed to work hard to deepen her own understanding of the techniques. If she could do that, then Mira promised that she’d continue teaching her once she returned.

“Me…teach…? All right! I’ll do my best!” At first, she seemed a bit perturbed, but Mira’s promise must’ve done the trick. Emilia’s eyes were soon bursting with enthusiasm.

“You’ve done a fantastic job too, Phil. But you’re still just getting started. And while I won’t be teaching you anymore, make sure to keep training every day,” Mira said tenderly, turning her gaze to Phil.

“Sure thing! I’ll work hard every day!” he answered sincerely. His eyes looked a bit sharper and more self-assured than they had when he was still clingy and attention-starved. “Thank you, Miss Mira! I look forward to our next lesson!”

“Thank you!”

Their next lesson wouldn’t be for months. But Emilia was brimming with enthusiasm, feeling good about the promise Mira had made her. Phil still turned around to look at Mira reluctantly before heading back to his dorm.

Thanks to Mira’s lessons, Emilia had made remarkable progress. Mira was sure that by the time she came back, the girl would’ve fulfilled her promise and deepened her understanding of simultaneous evocation. And despite literally starting from scratch, Phil had grown so much that he was beginning to catch up to his peers.

What would she try teaching them next? And just how much would they have grown the next time she saw them? Mira smiled, knowing she now had even more to look forward to.

“I’m gonna need to work hard myself!”

Having witnessed Emilia and Phil grow as summoners, she resolved that she wouldn’t let herself be outdone. And with that, she left the training hall behind.

The next place Mira visited was the orphanage beside the academy. Because she visited twice a week, she had an idea where the children would be at that time.

As she poked her head in, the junior class came running over to her like she was the tree on Christmas morning. After sweeping them into a hug, Mira went on to play with them, and explain the merits of evocation to them, like she usually did.

Before heading back to her Tower that evening, she stopped to chat with Artesia about her plans and explain how she wouldn’t be around for a while.

“There’s this tournament that’s going to be held in Nirvana, and I’ll be there for a bit,” Mira explained.

“I see. I take it you’re looking for Meilin?” Artesia asked after pausing for a moment. Anyone who knew Mira’s primary assignment could have guessed as much the moment they heard the word tournament. “In that case, I’ll let the children know that you won’t be visiting for a while.”

Artesia had noticed Mira hadn’t mentioned her departure to the children for the simple reason that she didn’t want to make them sad. She then patted Mira on the head and gently smiled.

“Hrmm… I appreciate it.”

Thanks entirely to how Mira looked, Artesia continued to treat her as if she were a child. Exploiting that quirk, Mira let her continue patting her on the head and left it to Artesia to tell the children about her absence.

Chapter 6

RIGHT AROUND THE TIME the sun was just setting, Mira got back to her Tower and was greeted by Mariana.

“Welcome home, Miss Mira.”

“Hrmm, glad to be back.”

It seemed the fairy had been getting ready for dinner, as the smells wafting into the room were enough to set Mira’s stomach rumbling. While Mariana quietly began getting the bath ready, Mira picked up Luna, who’d come running over.

Mariana knew Mira preferred to take a bath before dinner. She always precisely timed getting dinner ready so they’d have time for their bath.

Mira’s days of bathing alone upon returning home were long gone. She began taking off her clothes, completely used to doing so. And yet, she couldn’t get herself to look directly at Mariana’s nude form. Feeling more for her than simple lust, Mira was suddenly bashful.

She remembered all the women she’d seen in public baths, and smirked to herself, thinking how odd it was that she had no problem leering in those situations.

The bath was big enough for all of them. Mira and Mariana slowly lowered themselves into the warm water. Making full use of the tub, Luna was going about her swimming practice. Every day, she got a little bit better.

“So, I’ll be leaving tomorrow. I’ll be away for a while again, but I’ll be in touch when I can,” Mira said, observing just how much progress Luna had made.

“All right. Should I get a lunch box ready for you?” Snuggled up next to her, Mariana had a bit of a sad look in her eyes, but still tried to brush it off by making a list of chores. She fully understood the significance of Mira’s assignment, so tomorrow’s lunch would be a spectacular one.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Knowing what foods Mira loved most, Mariana would be sure to make every effort to impress. It would undoubtedly be a more delicious feast than any she would get anywhere else.

With Mira’s hopes high, she suddenly heard a declarative cry of “Kyeee!” ring out before them.

Luna hopped into the boat-shaped bathing bucket they’d bought her the other day, deftly steering herself up in front of the pair and looking up at Mariana eagerly. She was hoping to get something special for tomorrow’s meal too. Her sparkling eyes were so adorable that Mariana couldn’t resist.

“All right. Would you like a treat as well?”

“Looks like you’ll be eating well, Luna. Lucky you.”

Also unable to resist, Mira picked Luna up and nuzzled her cheek against the rabbit’s. Quietly watching the pair as this happened, Mariana simply smiled warmly.

After getting out of the bath, Mira changed into a robe meant for lounging around the house before sitting down on the living room couch and playing with Luna for about ten minutes. The table was laid with a more lavish assortment of food than she’d ever seen.

“Whoa! You really went all-out!”

The main course for the night was hamburg steaks loaded with cheese, and several well-balanced and wonderfully colorful dishes of meat and vegetables. These included several elaborate dishes that wouldn’t have been ready in time had they not been prepared in advance.

“Yes, I tried to be a bit more discriminating when picking out ingredients this time,” Mariana said self-assuredly. It seemed like she was quite confident in the night’s feast.

After tonight, Mira would be off on a journey once again. Mariana must’ve guessed as much, based on Mira’s conversation with Solomon that morning. No wonder she’d made such an incredible feast. She wanted to send Mira off in style.

And she didn’t stop at making sure it was a well-balanced meal. She’d even put out all metal tableware as, according to the principles of feng shui, the sound of metal warded off evil spirits. There were also a few other superstitious elements incorporated into the dinner.

Looking about the room, Mira noted the trinkets were placed differently than they had been in the morning. Everything in the room had been thoughtfully arranged by Mariana.

Mira had asked Solomon a bit about feng shui once, but that was as far as her knowledge went. However, even if she didn’t understand it, she could still sense the enigmatic vibe of the way Mariana had arranged everything. Catching sight of the frog ornament that’d been placed inconspicuously by the entrance, Mira glanced at Mariana warmly and resolved to come back as soon as she could.

After dinner, they all relaxed and took it easy. Watching Luna as she played in her sandbox, Mira and Mariana enjoyed post-dinner tea and talked about their day. Their conversation was simple, fun and trivial.

Mira mentioned how she’d gone to the castle and how the maids had made her a new outfit. Mariana chuckled and remarked, “You look great in it.”

Mariana discussed how she and Luna had gone shopping on the main street, and Luna had taken forever to pick out a piece of fruit for a snack. Mira laughed and said, “Luna sure is a little foodie.”

These conversations were part of their normal routine after Mira got back to her Tower. They were usually about truly trivial things, or small concerns, never any topics of particular note. And yet, the mundane chit-chat was enjoyable. They both valued it greatly.

“Ah, and a bit after that, someone came by looking for you,” Mariana said, suddenly remembering what had happened after she and Luna had gone to buy a bunch of grapes.

Mira asked who it was. It seemed that Mariana had wondered the same thing.

“They said that they were a representative for the Grimoire Company. They wanted your permission to make you into a card…” she said, relaying the odd conversation. She understood that they were looking for Mira, but couldn’t wrap her head around what it meant to…make her into a card.

But while Mariana couldn’t make heads or tails of the request, Mira knew exactly what the representative had been referring to.

“Would that mean…?!” She opened her item box and took out the cards she’d collected. Specifically, the Legends of Asteria cards she’d used to learn about Fuzzy Dice. “Just as I thought!”

Sure enough, in the corner of the Fuzzy Dice card she held were the words “Grimoire Company.” Realizing this, Mira proudly smirked at the thought of her current self finally making her trading card debut…just like Danblf.

Then she thought about how a strong card would drive up interest in evocation… But she was leaving the very next day, so she wouldn’t have time to track down the representative.

“About that sales rep…”

She showed Mariana the card in her hand while explaining the characters that were used in the Legends of Asteria card game—and what a trading card game even was—and what the representative had been attempting to do.

It was a game of strategy in which players dueled one another using cards depicting famous adventurers, heroes, and other notable characters who existed in that world. And because they used depictions of actual people, they needed permission to use those people’s likenesses.

“I see. So that’s why they were looking for you.” Upon finally wrapping her mind around the concept, Mariana appeared quite interested in the card game. Looking at the card in Mira’s hand and seeming impressed, she murmured, “You can fight with this?”

“It’s not just popular with kids, but adults as well. If I can be successful in card form, then it’ll be sure to drive up interest in evocation.”

Mira was certain that this would help with reviving her art. And so she told Mariana that if she ever met the representative again, she should let him know that they had permission to use her likeness.

“Understood. I’ll pass that along.”

After asking around a bit, it seemed that the representative had been popping into the Mages’ Guild every day around noon. Mariana said she’d meet him there. “So…you’ll have your own card like this, huh?” Then she muttered, “I wonder how they managed to get Mr. Fuzzy—I mean, Master Lastrada’s permission…”

“That’s a good question,” Mira answered, cocking her head, as if Mariana had unearthed a mystery. Given that there was a Fuzzy Dice card, it made sense that they’d gotten his permission to use his likeness. But the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice only made an appearance on the day printed on the calling cards he sent out. When did he find time to negotiate his being featured on a trading card?

And yet, there was a card of him. They must’ve found some way of getting his permission…but how had they done it?

Mira and Mariana’s night passed slowly as they developed various theories. None of them fit quite well, which only increased the mystery. Mira decided to ask Lastrada about the subject once he’d returned.

She moved onto discussing what she wanted her card to be able to do. If she gave them permission to use the card and it ended up being a dud, it would have a negative impact on how people viewed evocation. They needed to find out if she had a say in what the card did. Despite not knowing the answer, Mira and Mariana read the Legends of Asteria rulebook while imagining all kinds of different card effects.

It turned out that for members of the Nine Wise Men whom the company couldn’t find in person—which was all of them save Luminaria—Solomon had been the one to give permission to use their likenesses on a card. Mira would later ask where her share of the licensing fee was.

But that was a story for another time.

It had already gotten quite late and was about time for bed. It was Mira’s last night in the Tower before she departed for Nirvana. Cleos wasn’t there for their usual training session, so Mariana and Mira spent the entire night by themselves…with Luna, of course.

Talking, laughing, playing, and enjoying family time together to their hearts’ content, the two girls and long-eared rabbit continued chatting about everything and nothing before spontaneously falling asleep.

The morning of Mira’s departure was there before she knew it. Like usual, Mira awoke to find that Mariana was no longer beside her, and heard the faint sound of the fairy going about her morning routine.

“Oh ho, you’ve gotten up already too. You sure are an early riser.”

Despite having opened her eyes, Mira was still not fully awake when Luna crawled up onto her chest for attention. Petting Luna, she dozed back off while enjoying the warm and cozy morning.

Sensing that she wouldn’t be seeing Mira for a while, Luna craved even more attention than usual. When she woke again, Mira procrastinated by playing with Luna in bed.

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”

“Kyeee!” Luna squeaked happily, being hugged and having her cheeks nuzzled nonstop.

Shaking off the last remnants of sleep, Mira finally lifted herself up and got out of bed. The moment she did, the bedroom door opened and Mariana poked her head inside with impeccable timing.

“Good morning, Miss Mira.”

“Hrmm, morning.”

“Kyeee!”

Though ordinary, the moment felt incredibly special.

With Mariana’s help, Mira quickly got dressed and answered the call of nature. Then, she sat down at the dining table along with Luna to enjoy a breakfast that’d been prepared with heaps of love. Because it was the day Mira was leaving, Mariana served up even more unique dishes than usual. Everything was cooked to perfection and imbued with her hope that Mira stayed safe during her travels.

After enjoying their family breakfast, it was finally time for Mira to get ready for her journey to Nirvana. She’d made all her preparations the day before, so all she really had to do was one final check.

“Change of clothes, check. Adventurer’s license, check. Funds from Solomon…wouldn’t have killed him to give me a bit more…”

She’d gotten five million ducats from Solomon. So long as she didn’t spend extravagantly, she’d have enough until the tournament was over…

…But she did plan on spending extravagantly. Mira grumbled while completing her final check and putting everything into her item box.

“And, of course, I’ll need my food too.”

Mariana hadn’t gotten up bright and early just to prepare breakfast. Enough boxed meals were lined up in front of Mira to last for a week. They were all different, and even included dessert.

“I’ll be looking forward to each and every meal!”

It was surprisingly difficult to be able to make boxed meals that someone wouldn’t tire of after a few days. And yet, Mariana thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent coming up with such meal plans. Watching as Mira contentedly put away each meal, she happily smiled herself.

“All right, now for the last thing. My Luna good luck charm, check!”

It was a small charm shaped like Luna that’d been made by Mariana using fallen tufts of the rabbit’s blue fur. Due to it being made from the fur of a Pure Rabbit—widely regarded as a symbol of good luck—and imbued with Mariana’s love, it was the ultimate good luck charm.

“It really looks just like her,” Mira said, taking it from Luna and marveling at how excellently it’d been constructed before carefully putting it in her bag.

And with that, her preparations were complete. Having finished her final check, Mira glanced around the room once more.

It was a room she knew well, and yet, it changed every time she came back. All the small trinkets about the room were constantly being repositioned by Mariana in accordance with feng shui, and now there was Luna’s newly installed sandbox. Considering how long the tournament would last, she’d be back in two months at the soonest. Just how would the room look by then?

She was looking forward to finding out. Mira etched the image of the room the way it currently looked into her mind.

“All right, then I’ll be off.”

After summoning Garuda, Mira turned to hug Mariana tightly as they stood in front of the Tower of Evocation. The tenderness she felt made her feel warm inside, and gave her a great boost of energy.

“Okay, we’ll see you when you get back.”

“Kyeee kyeee!”

Still locked in Mira’s arms, Mariana looked down softly. There was no longer any trace of sadness in her eyes. She believed that Mira would return. When she lifted her eyes again, they were filled with love, and her desire to support Mira on her quest.

They looked like an older sister wishing her younger sister well on her travels, or like a wife seeing off her beloved husband.

Chapter 7

THE KINGDOM OF ALCAIT wasn’t the only nation led by former players. Among those nations, the Kingdom of Atlantis stood preeminent in terms of national power. It was a huge kingdom that was still host to a large number of former players in this game-become-reality.

But second to Atlantis was the Empire of Nirvana, where the tournament was to be held.

Until then, Mira had traveled around the continent of Earth, which was home to the Kingdom of Alcait and the Three Great Kingdoms. But the Empire of Nirvana was located on the southern edge of the continent of Ark, which was to the west of the continent of Earth.

The continent of Ark was huge and shaped like an open mouth getting ready to devour the continent of Earth, or like an angle bracket. It also had more dungeons. Most players crossed over there once they’d reached mid-level…but due to dungeons being more difficult and the presence of powerful monsters, about half of them came running back to Earth.

To reach the Empire of Nirvana, Mira needed to cross the ocean from Sentopoli, which was on the western edge of Earth. Luckily, many additional cruises from Sentopoli had been scheduled since the day the tournament was announced.

Figuring Mira was already heading that way, Solomon had asked her to deliver some letters to the Roslein Duchy. The letters she’d been asked to deliver were critical to the diplomatic relations between the two nations. Judging by how Solomon seemed when he handed them to her, and the relieved look on Urashis’s—a.k.a. Mr. Ebatess, CEO of Ebatess Commerce and current leader of the Roslein Duchy—face, it was likely something mutually beneficial.

After that, she arrived in Sentopoli and booked her cruise. She was now en route, and would arrive at a port in the north of Nirvana after a three-day voyage.

“Oh ho, I can see it. We’ll be arriving in Nirvana soon!” Mira cried out. Having made her way to the bow of the ship, she had a splendid view that let her see the outline of the continent. After that announcement, all the children crowded around her began going wild.

Mira had met quite a few people who were also heading to Nirvana to see the tournament while on her voyage. And, before she knew it, she’d been tasked with taking care of the children.

“Kyew kyew!”

There was one other presence among Mira and the children. It was none other than the selkie, Fi, who she’d summoned using evocation. She was enjoying herself just about as much as the children who were playing with her. Fi looked like an earless seal, and Mira had summoned her to make sure there were no issues on their voyage. Her cuteness and skill in water were also perfect for endearing her to the children’s parents.

Recently, Fi seemed to be obsessed with imitating humans. At that moment, she was gleefully prancing about wearing a raincoat that she’d procured from who knew where.

“Jeez, they sure are enjoying themselves.”

As they approached the port, they could now see several other passenger ships. It seemed Nirvana had put quite a bit of work into getting ready for the tournament, as there were many additional cruises pulling in. There was even talk of the Three Great Nations scheduling regular flights in large airships. Loads of people were seizing the opportunity to take their first airship flight, drawing even more attention to the tournament. Major powers were the only ones certain to possess airships, but it was only a matter of time until their use began to spread.

Given all the talk and the circulating rumors, it certainly seemed that the event was shaping up to be one of the biggest in recorded history.

“Damn, I’m starting to look forward to this.”

While her mission was to find Meilin, Mira began getting amped up for the celebrations that would occur before that. She looked at Fi and the children making merry with her and smiled contentedly.

The tournament was the talk of everyone in the Empire of Nirvana.

Tournaments are pretty common in myths, but I guess them holding one of this size is unprecedented.

Dusk was falling. After arriving at the port and reluctantly bidding goodbye to the children, Mira felt a bit of trepidation as she took in the scene before her. She was in the city of Sutra, which had a huge port and was famous as both the northern entrance to Nirvana and a sightseeing spot. For those reasons, it was normally a bustling city, crowded with tourists. But now, thanks to the tournament, the city was even more hectic and packed full of people.

In the worst-case scenario, she could summon her spirit mansion and spend as many nights there as she wanted—but the real pleasure of traveling was getting to experience the unique foods and lodging of the places she visited. It was important to find the rest of the Nine Wise Men, but there were only two of them left. Feeling that she’d already ensured the Kingdom of Alcait had more than enough power to defend itself, Mira prioritized enjoying her time on the move.

She began walking around the city of Sutra, searching for any inns with vacancies. There were plenty of people around who’d come to watch the tournament, and most seemed to be familiar with adventurers.

Mira heard quite a few people saying, “H-Hey. Isn’t that the Spirit Queen?!”

“Huh? Where?”

“Ah, there!”

A bit of time had passed since she became known as the Spirit Queen. At least now the information going around about her was mostly correct. Gone was the male fantasy that she was some buxom babe. Most people now grasped that the Spirit Queen was a beautiful young girl.

Looks like I’ve finally become famous, huh?

Since the world had become reality, she’d been attracting attention from people besides other players. She got much more attention than she had while she’d been Danblf.

Despite her current situation, Mira kept her head held high and neither ran nor hid. Now that she’d been asked not to participate in the tournament, she needed to find other ways of showing how useful evocation was. So, if people wanted to stare, she was inclined to let them.

But despite so many people having heard of her, there weren’t many who’d seen the Spirit Queen in the flesh. No one could be quite sure whether she was the real thing.

She was a beautiful young girl dressed in a magical girl outfit with long silver hair and azure eyes. That was what the rumors said the Spirit Queen looked like, but she was hardly the only person with such looks. For that reason, no one came up to speak with her. They all opted to gawk from a distance while wondering if she was the genuine article.

She wasn’t about to go up to them, either. Thinking as much, Mira simply continued looking for lodging while ignoring this rather odd situation.

After going around town, she finally arrived at a large street a short way from the center of Sutra. Having wandered about the city for a bit, she realized that this area wasn’t as busy as the harbor and the center of the city, which were both teeming with tourists. In fact, as she went down one of the main streets, she felt sure there were a lot fewer people here than there’d been in the cramped vicinity of the harbor. The people here also had a somewhat different vibe from the tourists.

What was different? Trying to figure this out, Mira wandered down the large street. As she did, several sets of eyes locked on her. This, too, felt different from the way people had looked at her at the harbor.

Hrmm… I wonder if this is where the rougher crowd hangs out.

That would account for the frequent outbursts and general mood of the people here. This street was set apart from the port, making it a place where hot-blooded adventurers and sailors gathered. In any case, she was getting loads of concerned looks.

She was beginning to be known everywhere as the Spirit Queen—a top-class adventurer—but that didn’t particularly matter here. They couldn’t help but be concerned when seeing a girl like her walk into such a rough part of town.

But no one said a word to Mira. No doubt they didn’t want to alarm her.

So, Mira paid them no mind whatsoever and resumed her search for a place to stay.

Looking around, it seemed there were some places with vacancies. And yet, she didn’t spot anyone who particularly looked like a tourist. It seemed she’d be able to find at least one vacant room. With that in mind, Mira quickly dashed into the first place she came across.

It was the kind of archetypal inn most adventurers visualized upon hearing the word “tavern.” The first floor had a public area for eating and drinking, while the second floor had rooms and other facilities for those lodging there.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about.”

Due to it being dinner time, the common room on the first floor was bustling. Mira wondered how many of the people there actually had rooms, and whether there were any vacancies. Despite feeling a tad worried about this, she made her way to the counter to check.

And as she did, she heard several people drunkenly arguing…

“Summoners? I told ya, they’re useless!”

Despite the cacophonous nature of the inn, Mira clearly made out the words.

“What did…he say?!” Mira froze and spun toward where she’d heard the voice. With a sharp glint in her eye, she looked around to find who the voice had belonged to.

As she did, she once more heard the same man laugh.

“You’d be a lot better off just learning the Ethereal Arts.”

“Then there’s that black, sword-wielding bucket of rust. I thought it was a monster or something and cut it down. And the crazy part was…it didn’t even do anything!”

“I told him, it’s gotta at least be useful as a decoy.”

On and on he went. The man certainly wasn’t holding back. But because he was making so much noise, it took Mira no time at all to scope him out. He was sitting at a table in the corner of the first floor. Also at the table was a red-faced swordsman who was gulping down booze.

Upon closer inspection, the loudmouth was young, with a somewhat delicate face. It seemed he was trying to show off by talking big. In other words…young and stupid.

“Jeez, what a little brat,” Mira muttered as she walked toward him, thinking about how she might generously offer to rearrange that pretty face of his.

She weaved her way through the throng of drunks and got closer, now able to see the entire table he sat at. There were three other men there who looked like friends of the pretty-looking youth. It seemed as if they were trying to get the jerk to calm down, talking about how the coming of the Spirit Queen meant summoning had recently become popular. But the pretty-looking youth wasn’t having it.

“*Hic* But come on…she only got famous because she just so happened to be in that big battle, right? Well, I did hear she’s cute. So maybe she’d be good for some nocturnal activities. Aaah, yeah, that’s true. So long as she’s a woman, even a summoner can be of some use, huh?!”

Oh ho… It seems he doesn’t want his face rearranged, but would prefer castration instead.

He was really getting fired up, much to the chagrin of his three friends.

“Enough, man.”

“You’re so hammered.”

“Let’s call it a night.”

And yet, the pretty-looking youth just kept laughing.

Having decided that this was an affront to Layla, Rina, and the others she’d met in Haxthausen—not to mention Emilia and all the students in the School of Evocation at the Academy of Alcait, who were the future of evocation—Mira drew near, rage burning in her eyes.

But then a baleful voice rang out not far from the youth’s table.

“Hey. Don’t say shit like that. Shut your mouth this instant.”

Looking over, she saw a man who looked to be a seasoned warrior.

Chapter 8

UPON HEARING THE YOUTH disparage evocation, the burly man spoke up before Mira had a chance to intervene. The jacked, well-built fellow got up and walked over to stand in front of the youth’s seat.

It must’ve been intimidating to see a man like that right up in his face. When it came to physical stature and overall presence, the warrior-looking man was the clear winner.

And yet, with all that big talk, there was no way the jerk would simply do as he was told and shut his mouth. It was easy to guess what his reaction would be. Slowly standing up, he belligerently shot back, “What was that? Ya got a problem, old man?”

Clearly not wanting things to escalate further, the older warrior kindly answered, “All right now, settle down.” He grabbed the youth with his right hand and showed a fraction of his considerable might by sitting the jerk back down.

Oh ho, he knows what he’s doing, huh?

Feeling her anger dissipate now that the man had stepped in, Mira was in spectator mode. She watched as the two men went back and forth.

“Wh-what the hell?” the youth returned. Perhaps having perceived the difference in their strength, his voice sounded weaker. But, thanks to an overabundance of pride, his eyes still burned with defiance.

This didn’t appear to faze the warrior-looking man one bit. He looked straight at the youth, his eyes deadly serious. Casually shrugging off the youth’s stare, he quietly advised, “Listen up. At the very least, don’t disparage summoners while you’re in this city. I’m telling you this for your own good.”

It sounded as if he was genuinely trying to help the youth. A look of fear passed over his face as he spoke.

“Huh, what do you mean? Why’s that?” the youth asked, looking up toward the man with wide eyes. He didn’t shout the words. His defiance seemed to be fading, and the brash and edgy attitude he’d had before had vanished as he realized the man was trying to do him a favor. Not knowing the reason, he simply asked because he was now genuinely curious.

The older man then quickly glanced around before continuing. “It’s simple. Right now, there’s a summoner from the Towers in the city.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a buzz went up around them.

Needless to say, this surprised Mira as well.

What did he say?

A summoner belonging to the Towers…

He had to be referring to a researcher affiliated with the Linked Silver Towers. Had someone managed to see through her disguise? Mira considered this for a moment, but no matter how much she thought it over, it just didn’t seem plausible. The more the man spoke, the more the buzz from those nearby turned to a mix of fear and shock.

The older man went on to explain that most researchers belonging to the Linked Silver Towers—the foremost institution for mages on the continent, and the site they most revered—were completely unhinged. And yet, they were some of the most capable mages on the continent. They were so obsessed with learning spells that they lost sight of everything else. What might those mages, capable of such incredible magic, do if they heard someone badmouthing their craft?

“Worst case scenario, you’ll end up disappearing after being used as a human guinea pig. Honestly, I feel like I said some pretty bad stuff too…”

Right after he finished speaking, the man shuddered and nervously looked around. Whether by coincidence or fate, he exchanged a glance with Mira and shuddered. It seemed he’d gathered that she was a high-level adventurer. He also recognized that Mira perfectly matched the description of the famed Spirit Queen.

Judging from the way she was standing, he seemed to gather that she’d been listening the whole time. A visible look of anxiety washed over his face.

Well, I agree that quite a few mages get so wrapped up in research that they lose sight of everything else. But people will get the wrong idea if they think we make them disappear. I’d probably only rough him up a little bit.

While part of her did want to make him eat his words, it’d been thirty years since she would’ve considered doing so. Though she didn’t entirely rule the option out, Mira smiled back at the man, as if inviting him to continue, while his eyes darted about the room.

Sensing that she’d extended her forgiveness, a look of relief appeared on the man’s face. He looked down, turning back toward the youth.

“So, that’s why. Just because you don’t know who they are, doesn’t mean they ain’t around. It’s best not to say anything insulting. If they catch you, ya don’t know what they might do.”

Then, as if to appease Mira, the older man added that evocation was experiencing a huge resurgence recently.

“I get why you’re being careful. But come on, we’re talking about the same evocation, right? You can say it’s having a resurgence, but I’ve only ever seen two summoners. I ain’t buyin’ it.”

Perhaps because it was so tough to acquire a summon or because it was so difficult to learn evocation—most summoners needed to train both themselves and their summons—the difficulty curve for becoming a summoner was incredibly steep. The two the youth mentioned must’ve been summoners who hadn’t had a chance to learn properly. Young and powerful summoners were incredibly rare.

But there were skilled summoners around, even if they were fewer in number than ordinary summoners. It was almost a miracle to run into one…and miracles did happen.

Therefore, this jerk had decided that evocation wasn’t anything to write home about.

Hrmm… How frustrating…

Recently, Alcait Academy and Mira’s exploits had helped rehabilitate evocation’s dreary reputation. And yet, it would still be a while before those who’d been inspired to become summoners would begin making a name for themselves.

Mira could only hang her head in disappointment.

“Well, it’s probably precisely because you know so few of them that it’s hard to get a good idea of what they can do.”

So just how powerful were the mages from the Towers? Hard to say…

“All right, I’ll put it simply. Regardless of the discipline, the criteria for gaining admission to a Tower are the same. It doesn’t matter what discipline they belong to—any Tower mage is powerful. How powerful, you ask…? Do you know the mage known as Raitsui Senpu?” the older man asked, just to be sure.

“How could I not? He’s famous. I heard he worked his way up to the upper levels of A rank. Anyone who works as an adventurer knows about him,” the young jerk answered, with a look that indicated that this much was obvious.

Mira, who was also A rank, muttered, “Never heard of him…” as if it weren’t quite so obvious.

Raitsui Senpu had made quite the name for themselves in the adventuring world.

“Since you know him, this’ll go a lot faster. Raitsui Senpu took and failed the Tower entrance exam.”

“S-seriously…?” the youth said in shock, finally understanding what it was the man was implying.

The Adventurers’ Guild Union had a strict ranking system. Everyone knew that the top-tier adventurers—A ranks—were incredibly skilled and powerful. That meant that the Linked Silver Towers were full of mages who’d passed the kind of test that someone like Raitsui Senpu had failed.

Now having this clear idea of their might, the youth finally realized his folly and froze.

“Yeah, for real. He might be famous as an adventurer now, but he’s also known for being an ace sorcerer. And they turned him away. The Linked Silver Towers is chock full of mages who are more powerful than Raitsui Senpu. You’re young, so you might not be able to imagine it…but every summoner on that level is able to summon all kinds of outrageously powerful monsters. So I’ll tell you one more time. Quit badmouthing them. At least in this city, stop talking shit about evocation,” the man concluded, sounding quite persuasive.

“Y-yeah, sure thing. Thanks for the warning,” the youth said earnestly.

“No worries, I’m just glad I could get through to you. Well then, I’ll leave you to it,” he said, nodding, before clapping him on the shoulder.

It seemed the youth really did understand just how much danger he’d been courting. The older man glanced over toward Mira, who simply nodded back without saying a word. Seeming relieved, the man gave a short bow and returned to his seat.

“They must really be something else to make such a tough-looking guy say all of that.” The youth seemed to have reconsidered his stance. The conversation at his table turned to sharing stories about famous adventurers, and it didn’t seem like he’d be badmouthing evocation again.

But there was another sin that he’d committed. He had disrespected women.

After the lecture from the man, the female staff soon surrounded the youth, accompanied by the inn’s proprietress, and taught him a harsh lesson. Tower mages weren’t the only people you needed to fear. And so, in this short span of time, the youth learned two important things.

He wasn’t doing himself any favors.

Having beheld the whole scene of the youth getting lectured by the man and then punished by the women, Mira shuddered to behold the women’s fury. At the same time, she was surprised to hear of Tower mages—scholars who were often completely absorbed in their studies and more than a little eccentric—being spoken of in such a way by a seemingly skilled adventurer. From Mira’s point of view, the mages in the Towers were just nerds obsessed with their research. But from an outsider’s perspective, they were as skilled as A-rank adventurers. Some looked up to them in awe.

Having received this unexpected insight into how people perceived Tower mages, Mira was also interested to learn about the summoner she’d heard mentioned. If what the man said was true, then a mage affiliated with the Towers—one of her juniors—was in the city.

Back when Mira was Danblf, the Tower of Evocation had thrived as much as any of the other Towers. Perhaps because Danblf was its head, it had been known for having lots of older mages. But now there were only three researchers left in the Tower, making it a rather lonely place. Luminaria used to joke that the Linked Gray Towers was a more fitting name. According to Cleos, more than half of the researchers had left the Tower due to old age, and they hadn’t had many new recruits. In a lot of ways, the current situation had been inevitable.

However, Cleos had also mentioned that several of the remaining researchers were scattered across the continent. It seemed they were training their skills while also taking action to promote the art of evocation. According to Cleos, part of the reason why the School of Evocation at Alcait Academy was beginning to pick up steam was because those Tower summoners had been scouting talent from all corners of the continent to become students.

The summoner who was in the city had to be one of those very Tower summoners. As far as Mira was concerned, this was a like-minded comrade who shared her passion. She definitely wanted to meet them.

With that in mind, Mira went to ask someone who might know something about this summoner.

“Pardon me, do you have a second?” she kindly asked the same man from before. After lecturing the youth, the man had returned to calmly drinking again.

“Hm, what is it?” he said, sounding a bit tipsy, before turning his head. “…?! Wh-what can I do for you?”

He hurriedly sat up straight and turned to face her. Given what’d just happened, his respectful behavior was very noticeable. Some of the other people present seemed to pick up that Mira was the Spirit Queen and, understandably, grew a bit tense.

The previous discussion about Tower mages had clearly given them the wrong impression, as her surroundings filled with murmuring. This was especially true of the youth who’d spoken disparagingly of evocation and was still recovering from being called to account. He was particularly panic-stricken, wondering whether the man who’d warned him was in league with an A-rank adventurer.

He had no need to worry.

“It’s nothing major. I just wanted to ask about that mage from the Tower you just mentioned,” Mira said before going on to ask if he knew where the mage might be. Her tone indicated that she harbored no ill-will but was simply curious.

Sure enough, at that, the atmosphere around her changed. The tension melted away as people decided she was just a young and beautiful summoner after all.

“I’ll tell you everything I know,” the man quickly replied as people began discussing whether she was the real deal. He told her about the inn where he’d heard the mage from the Towers was staying and where it was located.

After Mira left, those inside the common room giddily chatted about the Spirit Queen, with some claiming that the young, beautiful summoner from before had been the woman herself. One such person had been staying in the city of Sentopoli during the climactic battle with Chimera Clausen. He talked about having clearly seen Mira’s reflection in the sky and insisted that the girl who’d just been here was that very Spirit Queen.

Several of the adventurers were ecstatic to have met their very first A-rank adventurer. Others talked about how cute she was, revealing more lecherous motives. Others were just amazed to have seen the Spirit Queen. Everyone was discussing her.

The man who’d spoken to Mira had a conflicted look on his face. “For some reason, I felt the same kind of aura coming from her that I felt coming from the mage from the Towers…”

Was it a coincidence or intuition? Either way, he had noticed Mira’s aura. But he couldn’t be certain, so he dismissed the thought. What he could say for sure was that he had succeeded in saving the young jerk’s life.

Chapter 9

HAVING STAYED A SINGLE NIGHT at an inn exclusively for mages called Caster’s Sanctuary, Mira thoroughly enjoyed a breakfast of custard toast and left the inn.

The inn was the one she’d heard about the night before, where a mage from the Linked Silver Towers was staying. But after asking around, she learned that this mage had checked out in the morning. According to the staff at the front desk, they’d been headed toward the capital. This left her with no choice but to give up on her plans to locate them, but since she was already there, she’d decided to grab a room and relax in the high-end hotel.

After breakfast, she set out once again from the city of Sutra in her Garuda wagon. After several hours, Mira arrived in the capital of the Empire of Nirvana, Ratnatraya.

Just outside the city, Mira touched down at the landing field that’d been set up for people who were arriving via air. Passing through the gate and entering the capital, she immediately began walking toward the tournament grounds.

The city had been huge before, but she noted that it’d grown even larger in the last thirty years. She guessed it now had a population of at least half a million people. The streets were well-maintained and full of streetlamps, making it safe even at night. The city was all built with brick and looked something like London in the latter half of the 19th century. It almost looked like the kind of place you’d find Sherlock Holmes strolling about.

Going through the city and arriving at a large square, the vibe changed once again. Now, she saw a grand colosseum towering before her. The bustling vibe of the area inevitably made her feel as if she had set foot in some large festival.

“All right, now, where could she be?”

Mira began searching the nearby area. Her priority was to find Meilin, whose whereabouts she couldn’t even begin to guess. There was still a little bit of time until the preliminaries began. With that time, she’d surely be able to locate Meilin, who was likely already there.

Being a place filled with so many tough opponents, there were sure to be small-scale contests here and there that resembled amateur street fights…and this was Meilin she was talking about. There was a good chance she’d be taking on some hundred-man-fight challenge or something. So Mira looked around the venue, while focusing her attention on places full of rowdy and high-spirited people.

This is the wildest event there’s been in quite a while.

There were loads of food stalls and specially erected stages. In the middle of all of it was even a flea market where one could hunt down good bargains. Perhaps someone there was unwittingly selling some spirit-dwelling furniture, or other rare finds. Once she accomplished her first priority—persuading Meilin—she would go search the flea market.

With that thought in her mind, Mira continued making her way around the venue.

The more she looked, the more things she noted going on. There weren’t just fighting contests, but also trivia competitions, fashion shows, orchestral performances, and more. It was no exaggeration to say that when it came to entertainment, the venue had the best to offer of anything anyone could ask for. It was the kind of place that could tempt even someone with the strongest self-restraint.

Hrmm… Those look nice!

Mira stood in front of one of the specially erected stages with some fried food on a paper plate in one hand and a fruit cocktail in the other. Before her was an exhibition featuring the new fall line of Magical Knights magical girl outfits.

And that wasn’t all. The excitement in the venue reached its peak with the unveiling of a new brand called Magical Warrior Princess, designed for those who fought on the front lines. The clothes were designed to be both functional and cutesy, with the brand seeking to tap an underserved market.

Hrmm, I feel like Luminaria would dig this stuff.

They were perfect for female knights. Thinking as much, Mira watched the fashion show until the very end. Once the show was over, she resumed her search for Meilin—and then a voice suddenly rang out from beside her.

“Ah, I thought that was you, Mira!”

The person sounded well-acquainted with her. So, who was it? Turning to look, Mira saw a blonde-haired girl dressed to the nines in magical girl clothing.

“Hrmm… You’re…” Mira felt like she’d seen her before. And yet, being terrible at remembering faces, she couldn’t quite locate a name. She had definitely met her before, but…where?

Observing that Mira was at a loss, the woman gave her a hint to jog her memory.

“We sat together on the continental railway. I’m a representative from Magical Knights, and I took some pictures like this with you,” she said. Then she reenacted what they’d done, with camera in hand.

“O-oh yeah! That’s right, I met you back then!” Thanks to that hint, Mira realized where they’d met. And yet, her name was still lost to her. After discreetly using the Inspect function, she continued as if she remembered, “You’re Theresa!”

Theresa beamed joyfully.

“Wow, I’m so glad you remembered me, Mira! By the way…” Drawing closer, she discreetly asked if the Spirit Queen, who’d made a name for herself in both Sentopoli and Haxthausen, was actually Mira.

“Hrmm, yes, that’s me,” Mira answered proudly, as if it were nothing she really needed to hide.

Hearing this, Theresa’s expression brightened. “I knew it! Let me get some photos of you!”

Something had happened about a month prior. Her manager had come across the photos she’d taken while on the continental railroad and had begun asking whether they were of the Spirit Queen. If they were, the manager insisted she take advantage of the connection to get some more photos to use on the front cover of their magazine. This would be the issue featuring Lyrical Knights, which was put out by Magical Knights.

“Can you believe it? Even though I only work in advertising…” Theresa said, simultaneously annoyed by her boss and begging Mira to help her out.

“That sounds rough,” Mira said, before thinking it over for a moment. It was inconvenient, but she did want to help the girl out. “I can spare ten minutes or so.”

“Thank you, Mira!” Theresa said, so happy that she was ready to jump for joy.

There was a space that was both a changing room and a photography space that’d been set up for models. Theresa led the way to a private room that’d been specially set up for Magical Knights, and Mira reluctantly tagged along.

Nearby, there was someone who happened to overhear Mira’s exchange with Theresa. They immediately began boasting to their friend about how the Spirit Queen was there.

“Thank you, Mira! Thanks to you, my manager will love me.”

After their ten-minute photo shoot, Theresa sent someone a message, then smiled as if both satisfied and relieved. She’d reported to her manager that the photo shoot had been a success. Additionally, she was excited to have received confirmation that Mira would be the featured gravure idol on the cover of next month’s issue.

Her manager must really have been pestering her about getting these photos for a while, as she seemed happier than Mira expected.

Mira would be the gravure idol on the front cover. The world she was in was made up of bits and pieces of technology and culture that former players had brought with them. Judging by how casually Theresa said the words gravure idol, some Japanese magazine culture must’ve made its way into this world.

She chuckled about how unbelievable it was that she’d be an idol featured on a magazine cover, just like the ones she used to look it.

“Well, I’m just glad I could be of service.”

At any rate, she’d made her friend happy, and that’s what mattered. Mira was starting to say goodbye so she could resume taking in the festivities—or rather, searching for Meilin—when she heard Theresa speak up once more.

“Ah, sorry!” Theresa cried out, as if she’d suddenly remembered something.

Surely, ten minutes hadn’t been enough time to capture all her cuteness. Filled with a bizarre sense of self-confidence, Mira asked, “Hrm, what is it? Did you forget to get a certain shot?”

But there was another issue.

“I got so excited to meet you that I totally forgot. Um, about the modeling fee…”

Mira didn’t mind having pictures or whatever taken of her for free, and she’d agreed to the photo shoot without expecting payment. But then Theresa informed her that she’d actually be getting the impressive sum of five hundred thousand ducats.

“For adventurers, we usually have the payment deposited in their guild union account. Would that work for you?” Theresa explained. The modeling fee would be deposited into her account after a week.

Playing it cool, Mira replied, “Hrmm, that works for me.”

While they discussed this, the event staff began getting louder, signaling that preparations had begun for the next event.

“All right then, Mira. See you later. I’ll be here for most of the tournament, so come say hi whenever.”

“Hrmm, see you later then.”

Because the space doubled as a changing room, the two bid each other farewell as the models in the photo studio were beginning to change their clothes. That made it a bit awkward to stay standing there, so Mira reluctantly left the space.

It feels like everyone’s staring at me.

It’d been about ten minutes since she left the special stage for Magical Knights and resumed her search for Meilin. Suddenly feeling like something was off, Mira began looking around. Ever since she left the Magical Knights’ area, there’d been a lot of people looking at her.

After a moment, the reason became clear. A young girl who was there with her parents ran up to her with a radiant smile and asked, “Are you the Spirit Queen?”

“Hrmm, that’s right!” Mira said, smiling cheerfully as she patted the young girl on the head.

As soon as she did, all the onlookers who’d come to check things out suddenly began getting excited.

The young girl seemed to be obsessed with the exploits of the Spirit Queen. She was just happy to have met Mira, so when Mira went as far as letting her ride atop Pegasus, her delight only grew. As they bid each other farewell, Mira gave her usual marketing spiel, saying, “Isn’t evocation amazing?”

But by doing all of this, she was fully unveiling herself to the public and drawing exponentially more attention. After that interaction, more people began coming up to her. Every time they did, she was forced to stop for longer and longer periods of time.

All right, it’s probably just about time to use my disguise.

It was good to promote evocation, but at this rate, it was getting difficult to work. Having to stop constantly would potentially hamper her search for Meilin.

It wasn’t easy being a celebrity. Smiling about this, Mira began looking for a place to change into her disguise. Luckily, she was already prepared for just such a situation. It was time for her to break out the hair dye that Solomon had given her.

However, there was one thing she’d miscalculated.

“Hrmm…”

Despite having a disguise, she couldn’t find the right place to put it on.

In such situations, the first place she thought of using was a public restroom. But at the end of the day, that was just a bathroom where people went to relieve themselves. It wasn’t the kind of place where people went to change their clothes.

The next place that came to mind was a changing room in a clothing store. And yet, it went without saying that such places were only for use by customers.

The third option was to change clothes in her own wagon. It was certainly more practical than the other two options—but there was one issue. With all the attention she was currently getting, she couldn’t stealthily sneak into her wagon to don her disguise. The disguise was pointless if everyone saw her come out after getting changed.

So, what was she to do? After worrying about this for a while, Mira spun around and began heading toward the ideal place for such a situation.

Chapter 10

“OH HEY, MIRA! I’d say long time no see, but it’s only been an hour,” Teresa shouted as she came running over to Mira.

Mira had decided the ideal place to change into her disguise was the photo studio behind the event stage that’d been set up for Magical Knights.

“Sorry, but do you think you could let me use the changing room for a second?” Mira asked, before explaining the current situation and how she needed to change into a disguise.

Theresa immediately agreed, answering that it sounded fun before securing her a personal dressing space. She was quite interested in what disguise the Spirit Queen would be donning, and so she hung around, adding, “I can give you a hand if you need…”

“First, we’ll start with this.”

Mira had secured a space where she could easily change into her disguise. She quickly took out the hair dye and turned to face the mirror. The container it was in was black, and about the same size as a plastic water bottle. This was her second time using it, but Luminaria had applied it the first time, so she was a bit anxious.

“Ah, is that Genus Lean? Wow, I should’ve expected that’s what you’d be using, Mira!” Theresa excitedly cried out from behind her as she was about to apply the dye. She clearly knew the dye very well.

“Oh…so that’s what it’s called.”

Hearing Mira’s reply, Theresa went on to say that cosplayers loved the brand. The colors their dye produced—as well as the smell and how easy it was to use—made it ideal. The drawback was simply how expensive it was. The hair dye Mira was holding cost a whopping hundred thousand ducats.

“It cost that much…?!”

The moment she learned how much it cost, Mira’s inherent stinginess flared and her grip on the dye faltered. And yet, if she didn’t change the color of her hair, her disguise would only be half as effective.

Having convinced herself of this, she looked back at the mirror, finally preparing to dye her hair—then realized something. Solomon had only told her to put the dye in her hair, but he’d never mentioned exactly how it worked. How had Luminaria done it?

Perhaps one just put it in their hair the way they would put lotion on their hands? Thinking back, she realized that she’d left her last application entirely up to Luminaria, and hadn’t taken any notes at all.

Taking off the lid, Mira noticed the contents were a kind of gel and grew more concerned. But then…

“Let me do it, Mira!” Theresa offered. She’d been waiting off to the side and had picked up on how Mira was struggling with the coveted dye.

Quickly rushing up beside her, she began babbling about how she wanted to know what it felt like to use such high-quality hair dye. Theresa’s eyes shone brightly as she told Mira that she’d do it just like the professionals did.

Theresa was a cosplayer and so had plenty of experience, having dyed her hair dozens of times. Hoping that a day would come when she’d have a chance to use Genus Lean, she’d practiced how to use it properly.

“Hrmm, if it means that much to you, then by all means,” Mira agreed, pretending to have been swayed by Theresa’s passionate appeal.

“Thanks, Mira!” Theresa was so ecstatic that she did a little dance before adding, “I’ll go grab some tools!”

After a minute, she thumped noisily back to the room. She was only supposed to dye Mira’s hair, and yet, she’d come back holding two huge bags.

“Seems like this is pretty involved, huh…?”

“That’s because dying your hair with Genus Lean is a once in a lifetime job!” Theresa said eagerly. One after another, she pulled tools out of the bags and lined them up. Mira would be getting her hair dyed more expertly than she’d ever imagined.

“Now then!” Gingerly taking the bottle of Genus Lean from Mira, Theresa enthusiastically began the process.

“Wow, it smells so good!”

“The texture is so much more velvety than I’d imagined.”

“Whoa, it spreads so easily!”

“It’s impressive how quickly it sets too!”

“I’ve never seen such an incredible color payoff!”

“Aaah… So this is Genus Lean, huh…?”

Theresa chattered on and on as she deftly used each tool to dye Mira’s hair. Just like she’d attested, her skills were that of a professional, and the dye job was smooth and even. It was perfect.

“Hrmm, now no one will know it’s me,” Mira said, nodding contentedly as she checked out her now-black hair in the mirror. She was the same person as before, but didn’t look like it at all.

Her platinum hair now gleamed like obsidian. It had been like that at the academy as well, and so it was unlikely that anyone would recognize her. She was convinced that changing the color of one’s hair was enough to change one’s whole vibe.

“I would never have been able to do this by myself. You have my thanks,” Mira said, getting up and looking pleased.

“It was my pleasure,” Theresa said contentedly, returning her thanks. She chuckled about how she’d brag to all her friends that she’d gotten the rare opportunity to test the dye out.

“All right, now all that’s left is to change my clothes.”

Looking at herself in the mirror once more, Mira was convinced that, once she changed her clothes, she’d be much less recognizable and therefore able to focus on her search for Meilin. She pulled out the outfit she’d brought to be her disguise, which she’d prepared herself.

She needed the outfit to conceal her identity. Lily and the maids were experts at their craft, and they could have come up with a spectacular disguise if Mira had asked them to help with it—but a disguise needed to be something that wasn’t eye-catching, so she could melt into a crowd while wearing it. Mira had gone to a normal clothing shop and purchased the most ordinary-looking clothes she could find.

“I bet nobody will recognize me wearing this.”

Stripping off her clothes, Mira quickly changed into her disguise. However, she wasn’t done. She pulled out a pair of fake glasses, donned them, then checked herself out in the mirror and smiled at how perfect it was.

“What do you think? Can you tell that it’s me?” she asked confidently, turning to Theresa.

A look came over Theresa’s face that seemed to suggest she was struggling not to voice her true thoughts. But it was only there for a moment. Smiling to collect herself, she answered, “Not at all. I don’t think anyone will recognize you.”

“Right?!”

Theresa agreed, so it had to be true. Now she could walk wherever she wanted without having to worry.

“Thanks again for the help,” Mira said as she walked out of the room.

Theresa watched her go, stunned. The reason for her astonishment was Mira’s clothes. They were just so shockingly…lame. She predicted that, far from guessing she was the Spirit Queen, people would just assume she was a slob.

“Wait, Mira!”

Theresa couldn’t help but call out for Mira to stop. She began racking her brain to think of how she might get Mira to change into something nicer without offending her by calling her fashion sense into question.

“Hrmm? What is it?” Mira huffed, turning around.

Keeping the cheerful smile plastered on her face, Theresa gently said, “Actually, we’re in the middle of developing a new line of everyday wear, and I was thinking it might be exactly the kind of thing you were talking about. And, you know…since you’re already here and all… I might as well go get it! So hold on a second, Mira. Just hold on!”

She repeated that she wanted Mira to stay put a few more times before flying out of the room.

“Hrmm… I wonder what kind of clothes they are.”

Magical Knights had started the whole magical girl clothing trend. What would their interpretation of everyday wear look like? Feeling a tad curious, Mira did as Theresa asked and waited patiently.

“Mira, thanks for waiting!” After a minute, Theresa noisily clomped back to the room with a case in her arms. She hastily opened the case and took out the clothes inside, which were extremely simple in their design. There was a blouse, accented with a ribbon, and a black skirt to go with it. The whole vibe was entirely different from the clothes that she’d seen during the fashion show.

“Oh ho… How do I put this? It really does feel like everyday wear.”

Unlike magical girl-style clothes, they made no particular statement—and yet they were cute, while also nondescript enough to blend in. Surprised to learn that Magical Knights was developing this line, Mira looked at the outfit approvingly. However, this was still Magical Knights they were talking about. Guessing that an outfit like that had to have a gimmick, she asked Theresa to elaborate.

“Um… That’s all still confidential, so there’s not much I can tell you, but…” Theresa said, before going onto reveal a bit about the outfit she was holding. Apparently, these garments hadn’t made it past the qualification round. “And since it never made it past the design stage, they’re just normal clothes. Also, it made me feel kinda sad that no one would ever wear it…”

She smiled, adding that someone had worked hard to make this outfit, despite it having not made the cut. Her primary reason for recommending it was that she couldn’t allow Mira to go outside dressed like that, but it did cheer her up to know that this outfit would finally see the light of day.

And since Mira was already here, Theresa wanted her to wear it. Or at least that was what she claimed, with a faint hopeful look in her eyes.

“Hrmm, sure. In that case, I suppose I’ll wear them.”

Having been moved by what Theresa said, Mira accepted the girl’s proposal without resistance. The outfit looked perfectly fine…but Theresa was also far more reserved than the maids at the castle. Mira had a more favorable opinion of her.

“Thanks, Mira!”

Mira smiled at Theresa, who seemed to be genuinely overjoyed, and returned, “No worries.” Then she hastily changed into the clothes.

The clothes must’ve been made for a young girl, as Theresa deftly finished tailoring the outfit to Mira within ten minutes. And thus, Mira went from being a hot mess to sensibly dressed.

She didn’t know that the information Theresa said was confidential had to do with the completed version of the everyday series. The clothes were going to be imbued with a surprising function that would allow one to change from an everyday look to a magical-girl look. In other words, the wearer could transform like a certain celestial sailor.

Chapter 11

MIRA HAD DYED HER HAIR, donned a pair of glasses, and changed her clothes. Surely, no one would recognize her as the Spirit Queen.

Having been seen off by Theresa, she confidently left the Magical Knights booth and resumed her search for Meilin.

The primary places she targeted were stages hosting brawls or challenge matches. But after checking for an hour or two, she had yet to see anyone resembling Meilin. She figured she might as well also take a quick look at any of the occasional street fights or brawls that broke out. Wherever hot-blooded fighters gathered in one place, small skirmishes were sure to occur. It seemed like security had their hands full.

“Hrmm… It doesn’t seem like she’s fighting.”

Though she checked out ten or so of these skirmishes, Mira figured that brawls were…well, brawls. A proud martial artist, like Meilin, would be unlikely to participate in such simple bouts. With that in mind, she went back to the stages where proper fights were taking place.

There were all kinds of different stages hosting competitions such as boxing bouts, fights where only kicks were allowed, and fencing matches with bamboo swords. There were even contests involving throwing balls that resembled snowball fights.

Checking all of these took three hours. Whenever a famous adventurer with their own nickname made an appearance, the stages were mobbed…but Meilin was nowhere to be found. And so the hours ticked away, and the day passed, and soon, the moon was twinkling in the sky. It was closing time, so the many stages that’d been set up began to be cleared away as the spectators filed out to go home.

It seemed she’d have to end her search for the day.

I’m sure she’s here…but who would’ve guessed this place would be this huge?

Mira smiled bitterly as she reflected on how much had happened, and how all the distractions she encountered had kept her from scoping out the entire venue. The grounds where the tournament was being held were so large that they rivaled those of a major amusement park. The various stages that’d been specially set up in the tournament grounds were scattered all over the place, just like attractions.

Even if Meilin was rather easy to predict, it didn’t seem like Mira would easily be able to find her in such a huge place. Or so she worried…

But just by walking around, she’d come to the conclusion that her disguise was extremely effective. Since she changed into it, nobody had recognized her as the Spirit Queen. However, the trade-off was that men were now shooting her pervy looks and catcalling her.

While going around as the Spirit Queen, she’d had the air of being somewhat cool and detached. But now that she looked like an ordinary, pretty girl, men hit on her much more readily.

“Hey, I’m about to go grab a bite to eat… How about we go together?”

“No can do. I’ve got plans.”

Men would relentlessly try to pick her up. But before they could get another word in, Mira would promptly shoot them down. She’d gotten pretty good at it.

Having given up on her search for Meilin for the day, she leisurely made her way to the exit of the tournament grounds. It seemed as if they were still registering entrants for the tournament, as that particular area was still buzzing with activity.

How should I go about searching tomorrow?

It didn’t seem as if her strategy for that day had been very effective, given the size of the venue. What was she to do the next time? Mira was pondering that when she overheard two voices.

“Huh? I have to write where I’m staying? Damn… I still haven’t figured that out. Everywhere was full.”

“Ah, how about I assist you with getting a room at the tournament-sponsored inn? Hand this card to the innkeeper, and they’ll take care of the rest.”

Looking over, she saw the conversation that was taking place at the tournament registration booth.

…Write where they’re staying?

Picking up on what these words implied, Mira casually asked a nearby staff member about what exactly one needed to register for the tournament. The staff member looked a tad peeved but told her there were several things necessary to register. First, those who wished to participate needed to fill out a form with their name, age, class, and where they were staying.

But why did they ask where the participant would be staying? Asking for clarification, Mira learned that it was because they wished to gather information on the lodging facilities. This was the largest tournament of its kind and attracted tens of thousands of spectators and participants. Registration officials needed to help manage accommodations, evenly distribute guests between lodgings, and make sure information on available inns was conveyed as smoothly as possible. So they’d included a field for participants to write down where they were staying.

I see. So…if I can get a look at the list of everyone who’s registered, I can learn where Meilin is staying.

Mira was sure that Meilin had already finished registering for the tournament. In cases such as this, she liked to get registered as quickly as possible so that she’d be guaranteed a spot participating.

She decided what her next strategy would be. Her plan was to get a look at the registration forms of everyone competing and go directly to where Meilin was staying.

Even Meilin—a martial arts nerd who only ever thought about martial arts—ought to have some idea of the weight her name carried. It was likely she’d have registered under an alias…but then again, this was Meilin. She was sure to have used some kind of simple and easily guessable false name, like Lin-Lin or Linmei. Finding any names like that would narrow down Mira’s search quite a bit.

She wasn’t sure whether Meilin would provide her actual age, so she couldn’t rely on that particular criterion. Mira believed that her best chance of figuring out who Meilin was registered as lay in the “class” field. Even if Meilin chose a completely random alias, the class field would help her narrow down her search dramatically.

Mira had once spoken with Meilin about how Meilin was a martial artist in the real world. As they trained together, they’d discussed how that would be comparable to a warrior sage in the game world. Meilin liked the idea, and from that day forth began referring herself as a warrior sage. According to Meilin, the name implied that she was both a martial artist and a scholar of the Immortal Arts.

Even if she did use an alias, she was sure to put that down as her class. Regardless of how many sages were participating in the tournament, if Mira could locate someone with that particular class, then Meilin would not be hard to find.

The issue now was the registration forms. Simply asking to look over them wasn’t likely to work. But she was in the Empire of Nirvana, so there was still a chance…

“It seems like there’s a ton of information to manage,” Mira said to the staff. “How are you guys able to deal with it all?”

She got just the information she was after. The tournament committee was in charge of keeping all the records, so there was no need to worry. That committee had access to all the registration forms.

“Amazing. Sorry to have bothered you,” Mira said, thanking the staff member before leaving. Having gotten the information she needed, she decided on her next destination and began heading there.

The tournament was a huge event for the country, and so the tournament committee was sure to be under the jurisdiction of the state. All that was left to do was to throw her weight around a little.

I’ll have to tell them who I am. But, well…people already know I’m here. I guess I’ll just have to bite the bullet and deal with the temporary embarrassment.

In order to check the tournament registration records, she’d need permission from the tournament committee. And the quickest way to do so would be to get in contact with someone high up in the government and have them twist a few arms.

Mira had a few acquaintances in just such positions. Furthermore, she’d be participating in the tournament as a commentator, rather than as a participant…so those acquaintances were most likely aware that she was actually Danblf.

In any case, that would help resolve things quicker.

I ought to see if they can put me up as well.

Judging from what she’d just heard at the registration booth, it seemed like it’d be tough trying to find a place to stay after she got done talking with her contacts. But considering she’d been invited to be a commentator, they’d most likely provide a room for her to stay in.

Mira hurriedly walked off toward the castle. Gorgeous stone mansions dotted the residential area near the castle, which boasted intricately patterned flagstones and elegant lines of trees. The area was illuminated by streetlamps positioned at equal intervals. This neighborhood was home to the residences of nobility. Despite thirty years having passed, it looked much the same now as it had before.

Seeing as it was already night, there weren’t many people on the street that ran through the residential area. She occasionally caught sight of the odd servant or guard passing through.

“All right… It looks like they’re gone.” Mira stealthily made her way through the area, appearing from behind some shrubs as she watched a guard walk off. She was afraid that with night having fallen, she might be taken into custody if anyone caught her walking alone in such a place. As she made her way forward, trying not to bump into anyone or be spotted by any guards, she felt like a cat burglar.

Now that I think of it, I ought to report in to Solomon, Mira suddenly thought as she made her way to the castle.

They would most definitely ask her about her reason for wanting to see the tournament registration records. She could answer that she was trying to find Meilin, but Mira’s search for the Nine Wise Men was regarded as a state secret. While they were a trusted partner, they were still a foreign nation. It would be best to let Solomon know first.

This was precisely the kind of situation where the communication device that she kept in her wagon would be handy. And though she wanted to get in touch with him as soon as possible, a thought hit her… In a residential area filled with nobility, the guards would most certainly take her for a trespasser if she simply were to pull out the wagon and park it on the street. It would be a serious pain if that happened. She should move somewhere less conspicuous to use the communication device.

There should be a park just nearby.

Since not much had seemed to change, she guessed the large park she remembered should still be there. Mira hurried toward the park, which was known as the Royal Evergreen Woods Park. It looked as if someone had simply dropped an entire forest in the center of the city. Measuring in at one square kilometer, the park was a majestic expanse surrounded by the stately cityscape. It was a nice, cozy place favored for afternoon strolls, and also famous as a date spot. But at night, that vibe changed completely.

Passing through the entrance, she was greeted by a road lined with cherry blossom trees and covered in lush foliage. In the morning, the sight of sunrays poking holes in the greenery must’ve looked heavenly. And in spring, those surrounded by the magnificent cherry blossoms must’ve felt their hearts skip a beat.

But now it was nighttime, with fall fast approaching. The dense, thick trees cast dark shadows that devoured the light from the streetlamps.

This seems like the perfect place to send someone on a dare, Mira thought, as she continued down the tree-lined street.

Seeing a light other than the lamps from outside slowly come into view, she shuddered inadvertently. This was only for a moment as she quickly realized where the light was coming from. It was a guard, patrolling inside the park.

“Damn, they sure take security seriously,” Mira complained. Before the guard had a chance to notice her, she left the path and hid herself. Using [Biometric Scan], she made sure that he’d gone and that the coast was clear before continuing on.

I guess I’d better go a little farther in.

The guard was patrolling fairly attentively, but it seemed he was mostly sticking to the walking trail and not checking further inside. Realizing that she was better off avoiding anywhere that could be seen from the trail, Mira ventured into the part of the park that was thick with trees.

The trees in the park were well-maintained, and were lined up in natural yet orderly fashion, with paths between them here and there. The way they were arranged made it difficult to find the perfect place to hide herself.

Hrmm… How about over here?

Deep inside the man-made forest, Mira succeeded in finding a spot where no one would see her, just behind a maintenance shack. The facility was set away from the walking trail, at the end of what looked like a game trail. Aside from the shack, there were various pieces of old scrap material scattered around, making this a good place to hide.

Mira hurriedly opened her item box to take out her wagon.

However, taking it out would emit a light—and so, just to be absolutely sure, she used [Biometric Scan] once more to check whether a guard was near.

Hrm…! There’s someone here?!

She was getting two strong reactions about sixty-five feet away, on the other side of the shack. It wasn’t coming from an animal—it was clearly humans.

Were they guards? Mira thought so for a moment, but then she realized that this couldn’t be right. While observing these reactions, she noticed one other reaction entering from outside of her detection range before merging with the other two.

The newest reaction’s movements were very different from those of the guards. They moved in much the same way as Mira had, as if they were trying to hide from something. Having met up with the other two, they appeared to have come to a stop.

It seemed they all knew each other. Who on earth were these three? And what were they doing, meeting in the middle of the night in a place like this?

Could they be burglars?

The park was bustling in the daytime, but at night, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Meanwhile, the surrounding area was full of state facilities and mansions belonging to the country’s nobility. What kind of people would be secretly meeting here?

Not realizing that she was in no position to talk, Mira kept her eyes on the three suspicious individuals. She quietly looked toward them from the shadow of the shack, but it was so dark that she couldn’t see anything. She couldn’t hear what it was they were discussing at this distance, either.

Guess it’s time for him to help.

Taking the situation and overall vibe into account, Mira decided that they were up to no good. Despite it being possible that something else was going on, she jumped into action.

This nation was run by friends and allies, and she couldn’t allow these scoundrels to slink around in the darkness, plotting their misdeeds. With new resolve, Mira surreptitiously drew herself back into the shadow of the shack before stealthily summoning an evocation.

The magic circle that appeared looked like a cat’s eye. Out came the Cat Sith, First Pupil, garbed in an all-black ninja uniform.

“Hattori Meowzo is on the scene, meow. It’s ninja time!”

As usual, Mira had no idea where First Pupil, a.k.a. Hattori Meowzo, had gotten his outfit. Nevertheless, there he stood, posing with both hands together in a ninja hand sign. Because he didn’t have fingers with which to make a proper sign, it simply looked as if he were praying.

“Ugh. All right. Look, right over there are…”

As usual, Cat Sith seemed to not have a care in the world. Mira recomposed herself and briefly explained the situation.

Chapter 12

“AND SO, THAT’S THE SITUATION. I’m certain they’re up to no good,” she remarked about the three who were lurking in a corner of the desolate park.

Cat Sith said, “It certainly is fishy, meow. I can smell that they’re up to something.”

“That’s why I’d like you to get closer without them noticing you.” Mira began explaining her battle plan. It wasn’t terribly complicated. His mission was to get close enough to the three to overhear what they were saying without being detected. That was it.

She planned on attempting to use the next stage of the [Synchronized Senses] technique, which she’d been working on during her time at the Tower of Evocation. If things went to plan, she would now be able to see and hear what her evocations were experiencing. She’d have Cat Sith, who excelled at stealth, get close to the targets, and then use his ears to listen in on what it was they were saying.

By using this eavesdropping technique, she could directly hear what was being said, and get more details than she would from a secondhand report. Cat Sith could focus all his energies on remaining undetected without needing to focus on listening, giving the additional benefit of increased stealthiness.

“All right, First Pupil. I’m leaving it to you.”

“Understood, meow.”

Upon giving the signal, Cat Sith disappeared as if he’d melted into the darkness. Despite his quirks, he really was skilled at tasks like this. But upon straining her eyes a bit, she saw something white bobbing on the path ahead. It was a placard, across which was written BRB Sneaking. It caught the dim ambient light in the forest and looked as if it were floating.

Mira let him know about this, at which point he hastily put it away. But a moment later, he produced yet another placard. This one was all black but said the same thing in white letters. He was hopeless.

Even while engaged in all this absurd placard business, Cat Sith stalked ever closer. He had finally gotten close enough that they could hear the group’s voices.

Mira focused, completely hidden in the shadow of the shack, and synchronized with Cat Sith’s senses. Thanks to her training, it only took her about three seconds to do so. And having already gotten used to it, she was able to hear what the three were saying through his ears.

“…You too? Do you really think that Orakul is here?”

“They certainly are; that’s why we’re in this mess.”

“But there’s been no information that they made it all the way here. So I wonder…”

Judging from their voices, the three were men. They seemed to be fairly cautious, speaking in voices that were barely above a whisper. Cat Sith’s ears were sharp enough to catch even such minute sounds, so Mira could hear everything.

What were they talking about? She’d only picked up their conversation halfway through. It sounded like they were trying to find someone named Orakul.

And what were they going to do once they found Orakul? Continuing to listen to their conversation, she learned that the only information they’d gotten was that Orakul was in Nirvana. They didn’t know their name, age, or gender, much less what they actually looked like. And yet, time was running short.

The three then began to complain.

“I wish they would’ve at least sent a few more people. Why’s it just us? It’s supposed to be an important mission, isn’t it?”

“We have no other choice. The more of us there are, the higher the chance of getting caught. Besides, there’s lots of surveillance with that tournament or whatever going on.”

“Yeah. And we’re in Nirvana. If someone finds out, then they’ll send out the Twelve Apostles, and that’ll be trouble for the syndicate.”

It didn’t seem as if their job was going smoothly as the three continued to do nothing but complain. And yet, during this conversation, they let slip something regarding their identities.

“But jeez, isn’t there some other way of dealing with that Orakul other than whacking them?”

“We’ve tried every other way, but nothing ever worked. That’s why we got this assignment. That Orakul’s special ability is an absolute nightmare.”

“True enough. They’re able to see the future, right? And they’ve used it to ruin all our deals, so the boss is furious. Who knows what’ll happen if we fail…”

After this back-and-forth, the three sighed about having had such a difficult task foisted upon them.

Well, they aren’t burglars…

Upon seeing the three suspicious men hiding out in an inconspicuous corner of the park, Mira had glared at them, thinking that they were thieves sent to rob some wealthy person’s mansion. But from their conversation, she knew that this wasn’t the case. They were assassins who belonged to some kind of syndicate.

Then there was someone named Orakul in Nirvana, who possessed the ability to see into the future. They’d used this ability to ruin completely all the deals of whatever syndicate the men belonged to, and so, the syndicate had sent assassins after them.

But this was Nirvana they were in, so the assassins had been unable to locate Orakul. Having listened to them complain, that was the situation as Mira understood it.

Hrmm… I see. But I really wonder who this Orakul is…

She understood what the three men were doing there, but Mira was curious about this Orakul character. Thirty years ago, there was no one in Nirvana who possessed such an ability. So who on earth could they be?

Despite her curiosity, Mira knew what she had to do. The men were there to end Orakul’s life. She couldn’t leave things as they were.

Mira resolved to capture them.

Having finished their complaining, one of the men said, “Well, let’s head back for today. It’s probably best we fill in the boss. We’ve searched all over but haven’t found a single clue. Let’s ask if we can change up our strategy…”

Judging by his words, they had a hideout somewhere, and their boss was there as well. The other two seemed reluctant, grumbling about how they were gonna get yelled at again and wanted to keep trying for just one more day. It seemed their boss was a fearsome individual.

Rather than capturing the three then and there, it seemed like a better idea to tail them and identify their hideout. She could catch their boss, them, and whoever else in one fell swoop.

Mira disengaged [Synchronized Senses] before hurriedly using Mark of the Rosary to summon Wasranvel, the spirit of silence, to tail them reliably to their hideout.

“Would you mind concealing my aura and using optical camouflage?” Mira asked, as soon as she summoned him. Thanks to her intensive training, she was now able to activate two different effects at the same time. And thanks to the way those abilities increased her stealth skills, she could now do even more without relying on total concealment and the strict time limit that went along with it.

“Um, understood,” Wasranvel replied, quickly expanding his zone of concealment. Then he looked about the pitch-black park and said, “So…what’s going on?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right…”

While undergoing intensive training to use [Synchronized Senses] in the Tower of Evocation, Mira had noticed that the Spirit King and Martel weren’t able to see or hear anything over their link while she was using the technique. And since the other spirits also relied on that link to stay in the loop, Wasranvel had no idea what was going on.

Meeting back up with Cat Sith, she briefly explained the situation to Wasranvel.

Meanwhile, the assassins continued to argue. “It won’t be any different if we just waste time. At least if we go back now, we might only get a slap on the wrist. And the boss is a real stickler about keeping in touch and reporting to him. No use in delaying the inevitable.”

Two of the three were still afraid of facing the boss.

Uuugh. Can you guys just go home already?!

Not caring one bit what the boss was going to do to the three, Mira was getting impatient with the group’s refusal to make a decision.

“All right, then let’s do this,” the man who’d first suggested going back said after a moment. He suggested that he go back and deliver the report, while the other two could stay there. He appeared to be the senior assassin. He must’ve been trying to look out for his juniors by agreeing to take on the duty of delivering the bad news. But being that they were assassins, Mira didn’t feel any sympathy.

That decided, the three began moving out with Mira and Wasranvel following them from a safe distance. Wise Popot was also keeping an eye on them from the sky. Mira had everything set so that they had no chance of escaping her.

Meanwhile, another shadow dashed in a different direction. It was Cat Sith. Having been given a new task, he was heading in a completely different direction…toward the castle that sat in the middle of the city.

His task was to inform Mira’s friends in Nirvana about the situation with the assassins. This included the character known as Orakul and their special ability, and the syndicate that had sent out assassins to deal with the problem. Seeing as the situation concerned the state at large, it was best to inform them that she was going to go after the assassins and their boss.

And that was precisely where Cat Sith came in. As well as the message, Mira had entrusted him with her medal. It was given to her by Solomon and showed that she was working directly under him.

With that medal, they surely wouldn’t give the rather odd Cat Sith a hard time, despite him showing up at the castle in the middle of the night. And considering they were allies, they’d likely listen to what he had to say.

If he could get through to them, even if he ended up causing a bit of a ruckus in the process, they’d likely give her their blessing. Which meant she could go all out when raiding the assassin’s hideout.

Following the assassins as they made their way through the night-covered town, Mira grinned faintly while plotting which of her newest techniques she’d test out first.

Wasranvel’s powers were quite effective, and the three never seemed to catch on to her presence. She tailed them for about twenty minutes, until they were going down a backstreet in the new part of town. Suddenly, there was some activity among the assassins. Though she thought they might have caught on, it turned out they were attempting to keep out of sight while slipping onto the grounds of a mansion.

Looks like we’re here…

It seemed the mansion was their hideout. Using [Biometric Scan], she detected the presence of more than twenty individuals. A larger group than she expected…

Standing about thirty feet away from the three assassins, Mira and Wasranvel quickly followed them into the estate. Wise Popot positioned herself high up, with a view of the mansion, and waited.

This is a pretty nice place.

The mansion’s grounds were opulent, with about sixty-five feet of lawn from the walls to the building itself. There wasn’t a single thing to hide behind, and so if anyone climbed over the wall and tried to sneak inside, they’d be immediately spotted.

Not that this mattered when using Wasranvel’s powers.

Following the three, they made their way to the entrance. The door wasn’t locked, so she made brief use of the total concealment technique. Mira waltzed right into the mansion.

“Ah, you’re back. How was it?”

“Terrible. We’re on our way to go get chewed out by the boss.”

“Jeez… Is that right? I’ll say a prayer for you.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

The three must’ve been fairly high ranked among the people in the mansion. Wherever they went, the people they encountered greeted them with bows and chatted a bit. They also walked right past Mira and Wasranvel without realizing a thing.

Thanks to the power of silence, she and her summons remained undetected, despite being in hostile territory. This was entirely because no one even knew that there were spirits of silence who possessed such powers.

After proceeding deeper into the mansion, they arrived at a storeroom that was strewn with all kinds of miscellaneous things.

“All right, I’m goin’ in.”

“Okay.”

“Please let him be hammered…”

The leader of the assassins went over to the statue of a lion in the corner and put his hand inside its mouth. There was then a small click, followed by the floor opening up.

A secret door? Do all mansions have this kind of stuff? Mira wondered, sensing a pattern. As she started to follow, Wasranvel asked her to stop.

“Miss Mira, time is almost up.”

“Uh oh. Let’s find a place to hide here, first.”

Mira suspended her pursuit and hid herself in the corner as total concealment was deactivated. Wasranvel had been keeping track of the time limit on all of his powers of silence. His abilities were extraordinarily useful, but they had reasonable restrictions and drawbacks. At the moment, he could only keep simultaneously active abilities up for around thirty minutes at a time, making it necessary to use them in ten-minute intervals.

Using [Biometric Scan] on the secret passage, Mira detected ten people, including the three assassins. The boss had to be in there as well. If he was worth his salt, he’d see right through optical camouflage if that was all Mira used. And if any of them had sage-like abilities that were good at detecting enemies, she’d be cooked the moment they perceived that something was being concealed. They were bound to be able to use [Biometric Scan] to detect her, just as she did, and so she needed to use optical camouflage simultaneously and conceal her aura.

“Let’s just keep an eye on the situation for now.”

Until she could use simultaneous activation again, Mira kept an eye on the situation using [Biometric Scan] and waited. There was another ping from the area where the three were headed. That had to be the boss. She couldn’t pick up much about him, but she could tell that he was a good deal larger than the three assassins.

While she waited, she received word from Cat Sith from the castle…

Chapter 13

“DEAREST MASTER, I have completed my assignment without incident, meow.”

The report went as follows…

He managed to arrive in front of the castle safely and without issue. The castle was practically begging to be conquered and he felt his current persona’s ancient blood stir. He tried sneaking inside…and was captured by the guards. But as he was being handed over to the interrogator, disaster was averted when he showed them the medal.

After a while, he succeeded in making contact with Esmeralda of the Twelve Disciples. He had just finished explaining the whole situation regarding the assassins.

“It sounds like you got yourself into a completely unnecessary mess halfway through. Job well done.”

All he had to do was show up to the castle, show them the medal and be done with it. Did he really need to keep up with the ninja routine? It seemed everything else had gone according to plan, though. With a weary smile, Mira decided not to ask any further questions, telling him to continue. For now, she simply wanted to know what the state was planning to do about the situation.

“Oh yeah. She said they’re gonna send a task force over, meow.”

“Hrmm, a task force, huh?”

According to Hattori Meowzo, they were cobbling together a team. And once they were ready, they were going to have him lead them to the hideout.

Mira was a bit unhappy with this. She wanted to take care of the rogues herself—she just needed their permission to get the job done. Now she had to wait. But this was their country, their rules.

“By the way, meow. There was one other thing. They said that if it looks like they’re gonna leg it before the task force gets there, they want you to take care of them,” he added.

Mira was grateful that someone there knew her style. They might not trust an adventurer, even an A rank, to take down a hideout full of assassins…but because she was the One-Man Army of the Nine Wise Men, they could ask her to take care of things solo, if need be.

And that was exactly what she’d wanted to hear.

“Hrmm, got it. Let them know that I’ll take care of things if the situation arises,” Mira replied, smiling faintly as she thought of ways to make sure it arose.

Should she quietly let her dark knights loose? Or perhaps position Alfina and her sisters somewhere conspicuous to put the squeeze on them? She could even use the powers of silence to project some sort of bizarre phenomenon.

Mira continued to plot. But just as she was doing so, she received a report from Wise Popot, who had been keeping watch from outside.

“Someone just went into the mansion, and they were running fast!”

They must’ve had some reason for being in such a hurry. Thinking about how the three assassins had entered the mansion cautiously, Mira wondered why this person had not.

After several seconds, she heard the loud sound of hurried footsteps, accompanied by a man bursting into the room where Mira was hiding. She was sure it was the same person Wise Popot had mentioned.

“Oh ho, this must be him. He made a beeline here.”

What was the big rush? Taking a huge breath, he quickly used the switch to open the hidden stairway and stomped down the stairs.

Looks like he’s going straight to the boss.

Tracking his movements using [Biometric Scan], she verified that he’d burst into the same room as the three assassins. Was there really something so important that he had to rush in like that?

What on earth could be going on? Should she start making her way underground? As Mira was pondering this, she noticed more movement. The man from just a moment ago was coming back, yelling as he rushed above ground once more. “Hurry up and grab all our stuff! A task force is on its way!”

What the…? Have they got a mole on their end? They got that information pretty quick…

According to the report she’d received directly from Cat Sith, Nirvana’s people were only just getting the task force ready and had yet to even leave the castle. If this man already knew that they’d be dispatching a team, they must have a leak somewhere on the inside.

Well, that’s their problem.

She’d leave internal affairs to the higher-ups in Nirvana. But seeing as the band of assassins now appeared to be attempting to escape, she had her excuse. Mira was now justified in taking action, and she began moving quickly.

To start, she began sharing Wise Popot’s senses through the use of [Synchronized Senses]. Then Mira kept reaping the fruits of her continued training at the Tower. Summoning points were a crucial element in the use of evocation. Up until then, Mira had been able to place these anywhere within a certain visible range around herself. But she had found a way to improve upon this…and thanks to her intensive training, she could do it while using [Synchronized Senses].

Now, she could position a summoning point outside, via Wise Popot’s line of sight, while staying hidden inside the mansion. She successfully managed to surround the mansion with forty-five holy knights and five ashen knights.

Oh ho, let’s see them get out of this trap.

They must’ve packed light, as the first man who came running out only had a single bag in his hand. Moments later, he was flung back into the mansion after being shield bashed by a holy knight who had been waiting in position.

A loud crash rang through the air.

Asking Wise Popot to move to a position where she could get a better view, she saw the man had smashed into the wall. He was crumpled on the ground and appeared to have completely lost consciousness.

Hearing the crash, people streamed out, looking at the man before peering through the open door to see the holy knights waiting on the other side. They broke into a panic, as if the place was on fire.

“What the hell! They’re already here!”

“Didn’t we still have time until they got here?!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding! They’ve already got the place surrounded?!”

It seemed they thought Mira’s knights were the task force. Furiously discussing how they could escape, they began blaming the man who’d previously run into the mansion.

“It can’t be… I came as soon as I got that intel! There should’ve been plenty of time!”

“Well, then, who’s outside?! We don’t even have a way of breaking out!”

The runner continued to insist that the task force couldn’t be there yet, but his face turned pale after seeing the holy knights.

“What the… They aren’t the task force… I’ve never seen anything like them…!”

Some of the rogues tried to find a way to slip through the encirclement, while others took the bull by the horns and attempted to break through by force. Each and every one was beaten down by the holy knights.

But this wasn’t Mira’s only response. Having cut off any hope of escape, she sent the five ashen knights into the mansion. Those who encountered them were either cornered, forced to surrender, or fled deeper into the mansion. Regardless, they were all subdued by Mira’s ashen knights. Even the man who’d come to tell them they needed to flee was knocked out like the rest.

Now, the rest is up to me.

Everything seemed to have been taken care of upstairs, so all that remained was to round up those hiding underground.

Mira deactivated [Synchronized Senses] and stuck her hand into the mouth of the lion statue that sat in the corner of the room. She pulled the small metal ring that she felt inside, and a trapdoor opened to a stairway leading underground.

“All right, time to head on down.”

“Yes, let us proceed.” Wasranvel simultaneously activated optical camouflage and aura concealment before he and Mira began moving downstairs.

Beneath the assassin’s hideout was a long passageway occasionally interspersed with doors. By her count, there were at least ten different rooms. But what stuck out most to her was how opulent the place was. She was sure this underground area was used by senior officers within the group. Despite being in the basement, the decorations gleamed like they would inside an aristocratic estate.

This place sure is fancy.

And it belonged to the group of assassins, so Mira knew what would happen once they were dealt with. The mansion would be locked down by the state, and all its valuables would be seized and retained in the national treasury.

Surely there was no harm in taking just a few things… They could come in handy for her continuing search for furniture spirits. Or so Mira thought for just a moment, before changing her mind. Regardless of her reasons, she’d end up feeling like a common burglar.

I still have to look at myself in the mirror…

There was easily more than ten million ducats’ worth of loot here, but she resisted the temptation to take any of it. Mira wondered if she might receive some sort of monetary reward for her efforts as she searched the underground area.

“Hey, One-Horn. You plannin’ on grabbing that stuff too?”

“What’s it to you? I like it. And what about you, Seven-Claws? You seriously gonna take that jeweled turtle shell?!” Mira heard through a cracked door as she went down the hall.

Glancing inside, she saw an exasperated-looking man standing next to another man who held a gaudy vase. The pair wore masks that were somehow creepy and gaudy at the same time. Chaos had broken out in the mansion overhead thanks to Mira’s armor spirits, but this pair were still eerily calm.

She overheard them talking about how one of them needed to bring their blanket, because they couldn’t sleep without it. How they’d be back on their feet in no time. How they ought to grab everything that was worth some money.

Then, peeking into another room, she saw others leisurely preparing to flee. Could they not hear the situation overhead? Mira considered that for a moment, but it didn’t appear to be the case.

At the far end of the hall, there was a large room with multiple senior officers, two of whom were speaking with each other.

“They got here quicker than we expected. No big deal.”

“It’ll still take them time to figure out what’s down here.”

Mira gathered that regardless of whatever was going on overhead, they figured they had time to escape. Just like they said, it would’ve taken a long time to find the trapdoor and discover the true hideout underground under normal circumstances. They figured they had time to burn while planning their escape. And judging from what she’d heard them say, she knew these were senior members of the group.

It seemed all the senior officers wore different masks, and that they addressed each other by the defining features of the masks.

Hrmm… Well, we’re in a secret underground room. I knew they’d have some escape route they could leave from… It must be this room.

Quietly sneaking inside, Mira slipped into the corner and scoped the place out. She lay in wait for the rest of the senior officers to show up, so not a single one of them would have a chance to sneak out through the hidden passage. Now she could apprehend all of them in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, Mira was able to determine how powerful the men were from how they were equipped, how they carried themselves, and the type of mana they gave off. She wouldn’t know for sure unless she actually fought them, but given they were all senior officers, they had to be at least a match for a high-level adventurer.

And then there was movement deep inside the room.

She saw the three assassins whom she’d tailed there. The trio were beginning to tear wallpaper off the walls at the behest of a big Galidian man, who appeared to be the boss of the hideout.

“Ah, this lever, right?”

“Let’s hurry and get outta here!”

What were they doing? Mira found out soon enough… Under the wallpaper was a cavity which housed some sort of lever. Surely, it opened up the escape route. Looking closer, she watched as the three anxiously drew near the lever while the senior officers kept their distance.

“Hey, don’t pull the lever yet,” the boss warned. It’d been rigged so that once it was pulled, an escape route would open up. But three minutes later, the entrance would collapse. They couldn’t make a run for it until everyone was together.

Hrmm… So I’ve got three minutes to follow them once that door opens.

The silver lining was that they were unable to run off individually. This was perfect. Smirking with satisfaction, Mira waited for the remaining officers while keeping an eye out for the perfect moment.

“If only I still had a Users’ Bangle…”

“It got confiscated, right? Get over it.”

A stream of people showed up, carrying huge sacks. There was still plenty they couldn’t take with them, and they complained about that endlessly. But they’d decided that they weren’t a match for the task force, so they were focused on escaping.

“We managed to block the entrance, but upstairs is a complete disaster. The task force is way stronger than we expected, especially those gray guys who broke inside. Who was it that leaked that bad intel to us?” an intellectual-looking man complained as he walked into the room. Mira couldn’t be certain, but she was willing to bet he was the boss’ right-hand man.

“Not only did they arrive a hell of a lot earlier, but they’re stronger than we expected, to boot. It seems we were fed some false information, doesn’t it?” the boss said quietly, a look of fury on his face. Then he smiled. “We’ll pay them back in full for this.”

His right-hand man replied, “We’ll make them regret forcing us to take the gloves off.” The corner of his lip curled into a smirk.

My apologies for the inconvenience.

The senior officers had mistaken the armor spirits Mira had summoned for the task force. They grumbled among themselves, saying, “Next time, let’s absolutely massacre them,” and “Next time, I’ll do the spying.”

Big talk, but this is the end of the line for you guys.

A man came into the room, apologizing for making the group wait. He seemed to be the last bigwig they’d been waiting for. Giving orders to open the door, the boss said, “All right, we’re outta here.”

Checking one more time with [Biometric Scan] just to be safe, Mira confirmed that everyone underground was now in the room.

Everything was set. Gleeful that she could finally make her move, Mira looked around the whole room before gently opening the door.

“Hm? Did that door just open by itself?”

While everyone’s attention was fixed on the three pulling the lever, one of the men picked up the extremely faint sound of the door opening and turned around. Looking curiously at the door, which was now slightly ajar, he saw them.

Enjoy these fantastic parting gifts.

Smiling gleefully as she slipped around the door alongside Wasranvel, Mira flung several blasting stones into the middle of the room.

“What the?!”

Seeing the blasting stones appear in front of him as they left the range of Wasranvel’s optical camouflage, the man’s bewildered voice rang through the air. Several other shouts asked what was going on, but they were all silenced by the deafening roar that ripped through the room and shook the entire underground chamber.

Chapter 14

“ALL RIGHT NOW… Let’s see just how they worked.”

Having recreated a scene in which special forces tossed a grenade during a raid, Mira once more opened the door and surveyed her handiwork.

The first thing she saw was that the men’s valuables were completely smashed and their luggage was strewn all about the floor. The next thing she saw was the trio of assassins who lay knocked out in front of the lever.

The blasting stones she’d used weren’t the gentle stun grenade-type. Her foes were a considerably powerful group of assassins, and so she’d started out by throwing a hail of powerful blasting stones.

Despite being at ground zero of the blast, her foes began staggering back to their feet one by one. The boss and the other senior officers had taken a direct hit from the blasting stones and made it out with only cuts and scrapes. Mira had only managed to knock out the three assassins and the man who appeared to be the boss’ right-hand man. She saw no sign of them trying to get to their feet.

Oh ho… So, they tanked that one, huh? It seems they aren’t ordinary foes, after all…

As one might expect of the senior officers of a band of assassins embedded in the great nation of Nirvana, these men were the best of the best. Poking her head through the gap in the door, Mira cautiously assessed the situation.

“You at the door…did you do this?”

The officers were impressive, but the boss was on another level. Rising from his defensive position, he glared daggers at Mira as she peered through the door. The concealment effects had deactivated upon throwing the blasting stones, and he called out to her the moment she attempted to hide in the shadow of the doorway.

Her blasting stones had been quite effective. Despite following their boss’s gaze toward the doorway, the dazed officers didn’t appear to notice her. Only the boss saw her as clear as day, his unblinking gaze followed her as she moved into the room.

Looks like he’s pretty skilled at detection… Doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to hide.

She didn’t have a choice. Mira deactivated Wasranvel’s concealment and showed herself.

“What…?!”

“Where the hell did you come from?!”

Out of nowhere, a young girl had suddenly appeared in front of their eyes. The officers cried aloud, but the boss took a couple of steps forward, his countenance shifting into a baleful look.

“It’s some little brat. Who are you, girl?” the boss said.

Being in the business he was, he had no shortage of enemies. Surprise attacks weren’t particularly surprising. But given that the one doing the attack was just a young girl, the boss wore a blackhearted look. Not because he disliked the idea of sending a young girl into danger—no, his look was one of sinister thankfulness that his enemies had underestimated him.

“Well… That’s a good question, actually,” Mira said, feigning ignorance and wearing a defiant smile.

She was a righteous summoner who’d come to bring justice upon the forces of evil—or so she considered saying, in a very Lastrada-eque speech, before showing them her summoning skills. But her opponents were assassins. That sort of thing would probably be wasted on them.

“A bounty hunter, maybe…? No, that doesn’t seem right… In which case, you must be the vanguard of the task force. But I’ve never heard about anyone like you. With what’s going on up there, I can’t be sure of any of the intel we’ve been getting. This country is more of a pain than I’d expected,” the boss said, his eyes fixed on Mira as if studying her. He smiled bitterly at how he’d underestimated Nirvana’s intelligence operations, anger flashing across his face.

His spy had done his job perfectly. But thanks to the rampage her armor spirits were on above ground, they seemed to have gotten all their information mixed up.

“At any rate, I compliment you for making it down here. Your stealth techniques truly are impressive. Until that attack, I never even noticed you were here. But weren’t you a tad hasty? That was foolish. All you succeeded in doing was alerting us to your presence,” the boss continued.

She’d managed to infiltrate the very core of the hideout. Staring cautiously at Mira, he laughed and added that she ought to have kept a lower profile. He wasn’t the only one alive and well—the rest of the officers were up too. Mira was vastly outnumbered.

Despite listening to the boss say all of this, Mira was thinking about something entirely different.

This guy has no idea who I am, huh?

When she walked down the streets, there were quite a few people who recognized her and whispered about whether she was really the Spirit Queen. But this boss and his senior officers didn’t seem to realize it was her. Not only did they not guess for a second that she might be the Spirit Queen, but they even thought she was the vanguard of the task force. Perhaps because they’d all been cooped up underground, they hadn’t heard any information from the day before.

Then she realized why…

Ah, that’s right. Now that I think of it, I’m in disguise!

She’d dyed her hair, put on glasses, and changed her clothes. She looked like a cute girl from town—nothing like the Spirit Queen everyone was talking about. It was no surprise none of them recognized her. They had no idea what kind of techniques Mira was skilled in.

It was in her best interests that they remain confused about her identity, so Mira defiantly looked at the crooks and announced that she was a member of the task force by saying, “Heh heh heh. Underestimate me at your peril. I’m both an infiltration operative and the black-haired captain of the shock brigade! You’ve all been caught, now come quietly!”

“Hm… Infiltration and shock brigade, huh? Those are important roles. You’re in a situation like this and still seem cocky… Do you have balls of steel or is this all an act? A lone girl sure has guts, coming here,” the boss said, staring assuredly at Mira with an unconcerned look on his face. He seemed to be confident in his companions’ strength, not to mention his own. And sure enough, his abilities seemed to be on another level when compared to theirs. “No, that’s not quite true. You’re not…”

The boss stared at a spot not far from Mira and threw his fist toward where he’d been staring. Mana whirled and erupted into a shock wave that blasted toward where his fist was pointed.

“Uh oh, that’s bad…!” Wasranvel cried out.

An explosive blast rang out and a large fissure split down the wall where the attack had been aimed. Nearby, Wasranvel had been forced to jump out of the way. Mira was the only one who’d stopped concealing herself, so he’d still been hiding. However, the boss had seen right through that.

“…alone. No, there’s two of you. I’m not sure what you did to hide yourself, but you must’ve been waiting for the opportunity to strike, right? Was that your ace in the hole? Unfortunately, you couldn’t fool me.”

Within moments they were surrounded by the senior officers. Wasranvel looked disheartened, as if reluctantly admitting that he’d been discovered. The boss smirked.

“Hrmm… I might’ve expected as much of the leader of a group of assassins.”

The boss was the real deal. For sure, normal A-rank adventurers wouldn’t be a match for him. His confidence confirmed this as much as anything else. And yet, Mira was able to gather from his previous attack that he was a sage.

The strike he’d launched was called [Pulse]. And the technique he’d used to detect Wasranvel was, without a doubt, [Biometric Scan]. And from what she could tell, he was skilled at both.

“If you surrender quietly, then I’ll give you a quick death. But if you resist…then you’ll regret it,” the boss said, his voice as cold as ice. He took up a fighting stance, wielding a punch dagger. He spoke so impassively that she could tell he’d done this kind of thing plenty of times.

The room around them began to fill with a sense of bloodlust. And then one of the officers staggered forward.

“Boss, do you mind? Could you let me take care of this, just this time?”

In stark contrast to the extremely cold-hearted boss, the man wore a pretentious grin. He began looking Mira up and down, undressing her with his eyes.

“She may not seem like much…but she looks simply scrumptious,” the man said, a vile look on his face and a short club in his hand. He then suggested that they take her alive.

“Oh ho, you’ve got a good eye. Unfortunately, being checked out by a pervert like you gives me the creeps,” Mira said, exhibiting clear disgust for the man who’d taken a couple of steps closer to her and was moving his gaze up her legs inch by inch.

However, this reaction was to the man’s liking. The grin on his face only grew wider.

“Jeez, he’s putting his mental illness on display again. Once he gets like this, he stops listening to a word anyone says.”

“And worse, now everyone’s gonna think we’re into the same sick stuff as him. Come on, can’t we catch a break?” one of the officers muttered. Another agreed with him. The other officers weren’t too fond of the perverse tendencies of the man standing before her, but he had to be quite powerful to be in this company.

“All right. Hearing that from you, I gotta assume that girls like her must be fairly popular,” the boss said. “We’ll take her alive and sell her alongside the other merchandise.”

With a shocked look on his face, the perverted man began to complain. “Ah, what the hell? She caught my eye first! But if those are the boss’s orders, then I don’t have a choice. You’ll let me have a taste though, right?”

No one was allowed to damage the merchandise, which put an end to most of his fun. With his eyes clearly displaying all his sick intentions, the perverted man staggered closer. Smiling a provocative smile, he took up a fighting stance and began licking his club, as if he were the very avatar of degeneracy.

My God… It really does feel unpleasant to have such sleaziness directed at me.

She’d experienced such lewd intentions quite a few times. Sometimes girls just unintentionally ended up catching your eye. Because Mira understood what it was like to be a man, she often just turned a blind eye to such a thing. But just like with the baron, this really did feel uncomfortable, and so she couldn’t hide her disgust.

“All right, just go to sleep. The next time you wake up, it’ll all be over with,” the perverted man said, his mouth twisting as he slowly crouched down. His sexual proclivities might’ve been horribly warped, but he was quite skilled. There were no gaps in his fighting stance.

When and how would he strike? Grinning provocatively, he let loose his extraordinary aura and closed the distance between them. Mira was careful not to let her guard down—but in that moment, a shadow moved soundlessly and yet piercingly as an arrow. It approached Mira diagonally from her blind spot.

This was one of a tried-and-true tactic. Was it a feint or was it real? The perverted man would make a display of his sick fantasies, making his opponent feel both disgusted and unable to ignore the dangerous-seeming situation they found themselves in. Then the officer’s real strike would come from the opponent’s blind spot.

Mira felt even more repelled and disgusted by the perverted man than before. Recognizing that she was feeling this way, another officer had acted with perfect timing. He stretched out his arm toward Mira’s neck, speeding up when there was but a few meters between them. In the blink of an eye, he managed to grab hold of Mira…or so it appeared. His hand passed right through her neck.

“What the hell…?!” the officer cried out in astonishment. He’d waited for the perfect moment. He couldn’t possibly have missed.

But it was possible. The girl he thought he was grabbing was actually an illusion. Mira had conjured up a false image of herself using [Mirage Step], never actually letting her guard down. She was only a single step behind this illusion, just enough to evade the attack. The officer was now perfectly within striking distance.

“Nice try,” Mira said, grabbing his arm as it just missed his prey. He tried to shake her off, but it was already too late.

The roar of an explosion as a flash of purple light lit up the room. She had used [Violet Spark]. Hit with a powerful electric shock, the officer crumpled to the floor as if sapped of all his strength. The lingering echo of a lightning strike filled the room.

For a short moment there was silence as the senior officers held their breath after being confronted with this sudden revelation. Everything had been going according to plan. But in the end, she’d managed to flip the tables. She’d showed them power that they’d never imagined she could possess.

“She sure is a wild little tomboy. I’m getting excited to get a taste.” The first person to speak was the perverted man. He certainly seemed to be the real deal, as his expression was even more provocative than it’d been before. But, perhaps knowing Mira’s skills were nothing to sneeze at, he kept a bit more distance from her.

“In that case, why don’t you hurry up and come get some,” Mira said, narrowing her eyes while brandishing the hand she’d used to bring down the other officer. She stared down the rest of the group and asked, “Does anyone else plan on launching a sneak attack?”

The way she held herself suggested she was convinced that it didn’t matter how many times they tried to land a surprise attack—she’d beat them to the punch every time. Seeing her expression, and how confidently she held herself, the senior officers wavered.

Then a single man stepped forward.

“It looks like you’re a sage as well, huh…? That must be why you were able to react to something from your blind spot.”

The boss grabbed the perverted man by the shoulder before brushing him aside, as if telling him to get out of the way. Walking toward Mira, his gaze shot toward the officer who lay incapacitated on the floor.

“And what power. So, this is what happens when you judge a book by its cover. I see… You said it well, Miss Vanguard,” the boss said, staring ominously at Mira with a faint smile dancing on his lips.

Mira shot back with a smile, “Well, it’s not like I ever needed to bother with tricking people like you lot.”

“Hmph… To think you’d challenge us so openly. I’m intrigued.”

Mira had challenged everyone in the room. There was no subtlety to it, and now the boss was truly angry, his fury washing over his face.

“Can’t let that go unanswered… Since we’re both sages, why don’t we go at it one on one?” the boss suggested. As if to prove he was serious, he ordered his officers to put down their weapons and stand back. The officers acknowledged, disarming and giving them room. The men even released Wasranvel.

“Hrmm… Works for me. I accept your challenge.”

Her opponent was an assassin who worked in less-than-legitimate avenues, but it was hard to turn down the offer. It also helped that it played into her plan perfectly.

Mira and the boss walked to the center of the room. The senior officers moved to the edges while Wasranvel drew back toward the entrance.

With the stage for their battle set, the two faced each other. Mira stared straight at the boss and got into her fighting stance. Opposite her, he threw aside his punch dagger and confidently squared up to Mira with his bare fists.

“Hey, give us the signal to start,” the boss said, at which point the perverted man stepped out.

“All right. I take it this will do?” he said, taking out a silver coin, as was tradition for a proper street fight. The perverted man flicked his thumb to send the coin spinning into the air. Once it landed on the ground, the fight would begin.

The two stared straight at each other. The boss slowly lowered himself into a stance from which he could easily spring forward. Mira didn’t do anything. She just stood naturally, observing the boss’s movements.

For a brief moment, the coin twirled high into the air. Having reached the highest point of its arc, it began to fall. And that’s when it happened.

Silently, all of the senior officers all moved in unison. Taking up hidden weapons, they all rushed forward to attack Mira. This was their second surprise attack. The coin toss had been a signal to the senior officers.

She’d defeated one of them, but what about all at once?

Mira was completely surrounded. Having picked up on their movements using [Biometric Scan], she figured there was no way she could take on that many foes at once. It was clear from the boss and his underlings’ actions that they thought the same.

For a split second, a smile curled on the boss’s face. It was as if he was mocking Mira for accepting the challenge and making herself into such an easy target.

Despite being in such circumstances, the look on Mira’s face wasn’t one of surprise or shock. At the same time as the mocking grin curled on the boss’s face, so too did a defiant grin appear on Mira’s.

Seeing as they were all senior officers, they were powerful, and their movements were startlingly fast. Nearly anyone forced to react after they’d launched the attack would fail to do so in time.

But not this time. The moment the senior officers sprang into action and whipped out the weapons they’d been hiding, a great shadow enveloped them from behind.

“What…?!”

“Is she a…?!”

Behind the senior officers, a host of black armor appeared, sending a chill down their spines.

Mira had summoned her dark knights and equipped them with baleful-looking war hammers. They all leapt forward from behind each of the senior officers to neutralize them. Having their sights aimed on Mira and Wasranvel, the officers were taken completely unaware by the dark knights who’d suddenly appeared. She’d masterfully timed this maneuver immediately after they’d moved to launch their attack, so they would have no time to react, despite how skilled they were. The dark knights seized the opportunity flawlessly.

One of the officers was smashed to the ground by a dark knight’s war hammer, while another had both of his legs broken. One launched a counterattack, but then had his entire body viciously smashed into the wall and fell silent. The only thing she could hear was the dull sound of bones being crushed alongside anguished cries.

No sooner had it started than it was over. The senior officers were out of commission and all lay sprawled out on the ground.

“Very impressive,” Wasranvel said, praising Mira, as he gazed on the results of Mira’s well-executed ploy.

Mira had turned the tables and met their surprise attack with one of her own.

“Hrmm, that worked better than I expected. That really is an excellent ability,” Mira said, surveying the scene to make sure everyone had been taken care of, while keeping an eye on the boss’s movements.

What she’d used was a new method of summoning called [Suppressed Evocation], which could only be used when she had Wasranvel summoned. It allowed her to cast evocation spells using aura cloaking and optical camouflage on them until they moved.

She’d used [Suppressed Evocation] very early on to position her dark knights to encircle the entire space. She’d been able to act instantaneously when the senior officers moved to strike.

“Damn you…!”

With all his subordinates knocked out, the only member of the group of assassins left standing was the boss. Perhaps because he’d left the surprise attack to the senior officers while he watched, he still had his guard up. Combined with his considerable power, that enabled him to evade the dark knights’ surprise attack deftly.

Being the kind of person who could run a group of assassins, he could eat most top-class, A-rank adventurers for breakfast. He even took on three dark knights without breaking a sweat. Her dark knights had recently grown even more powerful, and yet, the boss was more than a match for them. Even with three of them fighting him head on, the odds were against the dark knights.

One dark knight lightly whipped forth its ponderous war hammer and delivered a sharp blow. However, the boss’s reflexes were excellent, and he moved to avoid it. Without skipping a beat, he unleashed a crushing blow that utilized Immortal Arts.

The other two dark knights began attacking in turns, but the boss’s agility was on another level. Using Immortal Arts, he withstood their ferocious attacks and struck back with a special attack that easily penetrated their armor. The dark knights burst into pieces after getting hit with his second strike. The boss wasn’t just a skilled fighter—he was a first-class user of Immortal Arts.

But despite having just neutralized the three dark knights, a shiver went down the boss’s spine.

“My dark knights are a handful, huh?” Mira said confidently as she placed her hand on his back. The knights had hulking frames, fiendish weapons, powerful swings, and exuded a mighty presence. When faced with such formidable opponents, it was easy to take one’s eyes off the little girl across the room.

Seizing the opportunity, Mira successfully got within range to touch the boss.

In such circumstances, victory was all but guaranteed. There were plenty of finishing moves in Immortal Arts that could be used by simply laying a hand on one’s opponent. Being a skilled practitioner of Immortal Arts, the boss must’ve known that his current situation was hopeless.

“I get it… You did that so you’d be able to sneak up behind me. I surrender,” the boss answered, putting up both of his hands.

Being unable to see his face from where she was, Mira couldn’t tell that his expression wasn’t one of surrender. By raising his hands, he was hoping to wait for the precise moment when his enemy moved to apprehend him. It would be a perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack.

“You’re a summoner, aren’t you? I can tell. And that means you can use Immortal Arts and evocation. Jeez, you really pulled one over on me. Ya know, I heard a rumor about there being this exceptional, A-rank adventurer known as the Spirit Queen…”

As the boss spoke, he was keenly checking his surroundings, looking for something, anything, he might use to turn the tables on Mira.

And then he found it: the lever that opened up the hidden passage. It’d been rigged so that three minutes after opening, the entrance would collapse in on itself. This meant it was rigged with enough explosives to bring down the entire mansion.

Its design was quite simple. He might be able to detonate the explosives just by hitting them with a powerful shock wave, without even needing to pull the lever. It was a long shot, but it was the only option the boss saw for breaking out of his current predicament.

“I never would’ve imagined we’d be done in by something as useless as evocation.”

Having come up with his plan, the boss began chatting about entirely unrelated things to distract her while watching for her next move. But it was all for naught. Despite her appearances, Mira was much more ruthless than the boss seemed to have gathered.

[Immortal Arts Earth: Violet Spark]

Her hand still on the boss’s back, she unleashed the attack without holding back even a little bit. The sound of a thunderclap rang through the air, accompanied by a great surge of light. Mira knew the moment she went to apprehend him was an excellent opportunity to counterattack. That was one of the oldest tricks in the book, and she needed to be as cautious as possible.

And yet, her opponents were a bunch of cold-blooded assassins. There was no need to treat them with kid gloves. It’d be a lot easier and simpler to just knock them out and tie them up.

“Looking down on evocation will not go unpunished,” she murmured. Perhaps that was the actual reason she wanted to knock him out.

The faint smell of burnt hair hanging in the air, the boss’s hulking body lurched forward with both hands still in the air as he crumpled to the ground.

Chapter 15

“ALL RIGHT, let’s start with this.”

In an underground room beneath an assassins’ hideout, Mira was gulping down some matcha au lait as if to congratulate herself on a job well done after tying up the boss and all his senior officers. It was a go-to drink in Nirvana, which was a top producer of tea leaves.

After tying all of them up and thanking Wasranvel for all his hard work before dismissing him, Mira was the only one moving in the underground room. She began looking inside the packages that lay strewn about the room.

“Maybe I should’ve held back a little bit…”

The packages were what the senior officers were taking with them as they attempted to abandon their hideout and flee. They all contained expensive-looking valuables, more than half of which were damaged beyond repair. The blasting stones she’d first thrown into the room had seen to that.

However, several of them had survived unharmed. One was a sturdy piece of armor, while others were works of art that the senior officers had immediately moved to protect. A cursory glance told her that every single one of them was a fine piece worth no less than a million ducats. The whole stash was easily worth over a hundred million. If one included all the things that they’d given up on bringing with them, that figure went up by double.

Mira went around to each room and tallied up prices in her head, smiling gleefully.

There must’ve been stolen articles among the items as well. But whether as spoils of battle or as a reward for her hard work, she thought she deserved a share of the loot. Mira continued counting her unhatched chickens as she waited. But as she investigated the underground hideout, a sudden question occurred to her…

“Hrmm… Now that I think of it, how do I get out of here?”

One of the senior officers had mentioned that the entrance was blocked. This was true—the stairway she’d used to get underground was completely blocked. Mira had somehow managed to get herself sealed up underground.

There was an escape route… The boss and the others had mentioned the route was opened by that lever. But she wasn’t sure where it led to and opening it would cause the entire mansion to collapse.

It’s a real one-way trip, eh?

The idea was to escape their secret base while simultaneously destroying all the evidence. It was the kind of thing that happened in spy movies. Not knowing just how much of the mansion would be destroyed, it would be reckless to pull the lever.

In that case, I’ve gotta get up there.

Was it possible to break through the ceiling? Taking a closer look, she noted that it was made of stone…so maybe not. It looked fairly solid. A relatively small bomb likely wouldn’t put a dent in it. She would need to use something with considerable destructive power, but Mira couldn’t immediately think of a way of neatly putting a hole in the ceiling. The first things that popped into her head wouldn’t just destroy the ceiling, but likely everything above it as well. And that would just end up being more work in the end.

So, what was she to do? Mira figured she’d check for any more loot—er, survivors—when suddenly, she heard something.

“Master, reinforcements will be arriving in just another minute, meow!”

It was the voice of First Pupil, echoing inside of her head. She’d nearly forgotten about him, but now the real task force was finally arriving.

“Oh ho, I see. All right then, can you tell them…”

With the task force overhead, bursting through by force was no longer an option. She could clearly imagine them being blown to smithereens along with all the evidence. Mira relayed the details of the situation to Cat Sith and asked him to convey them to the task force.

***

“…So that’s the situation, meow.”

Galloping down one of the main streets in the new part of town was a group of soldiers mounted atop warhorses. They were none other than the task force that’d been dispatched by the Empire of Nirvana. At the front of the group, Cat Sith clung to the back of the knight leading the team.

“She’s already defeated them…? She must be extraordinarily skilled. I should have expected as much of the Spirit Queen,” a knight named Cecilia answered. Despite her youth, she was a prodigy who had been put in charge of leading the task force. She was also a member of the forces directly under Nirvana’s famed Twelve Apostles.

Mira should be just an adventurer. And yet, she caused Lady Esmeralda to fly into a panic. I wonder who on earth she is…?

Cecilia had been nearby when Cat Sith had first arrived. An uneasy look flitted across her face as she thought back on how Esmeralda had acted upon hearing from him. She couldn’t even imagine the kind of adventurer who’d faze someone like Esmeralda of the Twelve Disciples.

Not only that, Mira had managed to bring down the assassins’ base…by herself.

Be polite, be polite…

She’d been instructed by Esmeralda to invite Mira courteously to the castle. As she repeated these instructions to herself, a look of anxiety washed over Cecilia’s face. She’d been tasked with not only bringing the base under their control, but also with welcoming a guest of honor. Thinking back on how to conduct herself with proper etiquette—something she wasn’t yet used to, having grown up in the countryside—Cecelia quietly hurried toward the mansion.

Night was deepening as they rode through the new side of Ratnatraya, the capital of the Empire of Nirvana. Lights were pouring out of windows from the surrounding houses.

There was quite a commotion coming from what appeared to be a quiet residential district. Here and there, people were peeking out to see what it was that was going on. The chaos was centered on a place that didn’t otherwise stand out.

There was a house where strange rituals were said to take place in the middle of the night, and from which eerie voices could occasionally be heard. It was a house where a man who gave everyone the evil eye was often seen entering, and a house whose owners had never been seen. There was a whole list of other dubious residences, but the only thing that stood out about this mansion was the size. And yet, there was now quite a scene surrounding it.

The nearby residents were curious about what exactly was going on. Within the walled grounds lay the home itself, which had now fallen eerily silent. It was surrounded by white knights with unearthly auras.

Neighbors who’d witnessed the scene from the second floors of their homes were utterly horrified. They asked each other about what was going on, but none dared get any closer, electing simply to watch from afar. Now everyone began buzzing about the development that had just occurred—the task force gallantly galloping into the midst of all the commotion.

“Well, I’ll be…if it isn’t Sir Cecilia!” an older gentleman who was quite fond of the ladies cried out in surprise, looking through a telescope.

“This is incredible… I wonder what division that is. They must be the best of the best!” another man shouted. He was a huge fan of military stuff and had just caught a glimpse of the armed force through his own looking glass. Unique among all the military units in Nirvana, the task force was made up of elite individuals. It was exactly the kind of roster that would excite a military nerd.

This area was normally quiet and residential. The imposing sight of the force only served to spur the curiosity of the residents.

***

Meanwhile beneath the mansion…

“Hrmm, yes. Now just a little bit… There. Right under there is the entrance!”

Having given up on escaping by herself, Mira was asking Captain Cecilia to help her get out.

The assassin’s base had already fallen to Mira’s knights, so the task force’s job was now to investigate and take the prisoners into custody. With Cecilia unoccupied after giving her troops their orders, Mira relayed through Cat Sith that she was sealed underground. She was quickly assured that they’d find some way of getting her out.

The only way to get out on her own was to do so by force, and she was still afraid that she’d destroy too much.

But if Cecilia did it, then whatever happened would be her decision and her fault. Taking that cowardly stance, Mira took a few steps away and relayed that she was ready to Cat Sith. “I’m ready when you are!”

But when would it happen? Amid the brief silence, Mira looked up at the blocked entrance.

A few seconds later, a quiet cracking sound rang out. Then twice. Three times. Four times…

Hearing this again and again, silence fell once more. And then it happened…

A broken fragment fell from the ceiling near the entrance, a crack formed, and then the entire ceiling nearby came crumbling down.

“Well, I’ll be… She does good work…”

The only place that collapsed was the exact spot Mira had indicated. The entrance was cleanly broken through. It hadn’t been blown up…but split evenly and cleanly in two.

It seemed that she’d sliced through the stone ceiling with her sword. The edges were clean and from looking at the rubble, Mira was able to deduce how skilled Cecilia was with a blade. She’d been tasked with serving as the captain of the task force to take down a dangerous criminal organization, but as one might expect of someone serving in the armed forces of a powerful nation like Nirvana, she was extraordinarily competent.

“Come on, this way, meow!”

While Mira marveled at Cecilia’s handiwork, First Pupil deftly descended from the hole in the ceiling. Then a woman in entirely dark blue armor lightly descended as well as if answering his summon.

The moment the women landed underground, she noticed Mira in front of her and rushed over. “We very much appreciate your help with this matter. My lady…um…” She faltered as she thanked Mira, getting her first good look at the girl. A somewhat puzzled look came over her face.

At first glance, she seemed like a simple and unpretentious woman. And yet, decked out in her armor, she looked like a magnificent knight. And her somewhat perplexed state actually seemed rather cute.

“Is something wrong?”

“Ah, you have my apologies. Um, I was told that you’re the Spirit Queen but…well…you look a bit different than I’d heard,” she answered, straightening her posture.

She had most likely heard that Mira had silver hair and was dressed in magical girl clothes. But Mira was in disguise and she had black hair. She was dressed (relatively) plainly. There was an awkward moment of confusion.

“Oh, you mean this? I’m undercover, so I disguised myself. Thanks to that, I was able to take them out using evocation before they could figure out who I was,” Mira answered, cobbling together an excuse while smiling proudly. Had they known she was the Spirit Queen going in, the boss and his men might’ve been able to put up stiffer resistance—even if the result would have been the same.

“Wow, well done,” Cecilia earnestly replied to Mira’s idle boasts. Then, remembering that she’d forgotten to introduce herself, she straightened up and said, “Pardon me. My name is Cecilia, and I’m the captain of the task force.”

“Hrmm, I’m Mira. Some people refer to me as the Spirit Queen.”

With that taken care of, she took the medal from Cat Sith and stored it in her item box. That served as proof that she was who she said she was.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll just…”

“Not to change the subject, but where are the people you captured?!” Cecilia said, her face stiffening sharply and completely ignoring Cat Sith. The most important order of business was making sure they secured the group’s leadership.

“Oh, they’re in the room at the end,” Mira replied.

“Pray excuse me,” Cecilia said quickly before leaving to check.

“She’s dedicated,” Mira muttered, nodding as if impressed.

Behind her, Hattori Meowzo no longer had a part to play. He whispered to himself, “Sometimes he’s a messenger, and at others, a phantom thief. And yet, his true identity is that of a ninja who lives and dies in the darkness like a shadow. Meow…”

He’d dressed up as a master ninja, but no one seemed to appreciate his performance. He grabbed a placard with words, A shadow made flesh, then trudged off after the two.

“Hyaaah!”

A scream tore through the silent underground. It belonged to Cecilia, who had gone to check on the leaders of the group of assassins down the hall. What happened to make her scream?

“What’s going on?” Peeking inside, Mira saw Cecilia standing with her sword drawn in front of several dark knights and a slightly uncomfortable look on her face.

Mira realized exactly what’d happened.

In the center of the room, the boss and his officers lay on the ground, still wrapped in binding tape. But thinking it better to be safe than sorry, Mira had summoned a host of dark knights to stand guard over them. At first glance, the tableau looked like some ghoulish ritual involving human sacrifice. The dark knights were so vigilant that they turned to face anyone who set foot inside the room. Anyone entering found themselves being stared down by a host of animated armor.

“Uh, um… It’s nothing…” Cecilia was only surprised for a second. Quietly sheathing her sword, she began to inspect the senior officers who lay on the floor as if nothing had happened.

“Hrmm…? ’Kay.” Out of respect for Cecilia, Mira let it drop.

And yet there was one guy—rather, one feline—who wasn’t quite as skilled at reading the room.

“The cry of a young maiden is my signal! No matter what the trouble is, I’ll be there! The warrior of truth, Cat Justice, is here to join the fray! Meow!”

Cat Justice—Cat Sith, now changed into a hero-themed outfit—made his grand entrance, jauntily leaping through the air and landing nimbly before flashing a heroic smirk.

“My lady, what happened?” he managed to say before he was wreathed in the light of an evocation being dismissed.

Cecilia turned to Mira and gave her a look. Mira simply shook her head silently.

Thanks to the dark knights, the group of assassins had all been knocked out. Aside from simply checking their clothes and faces, Cecilia deftly patted them down to find any concealed weapons. She seemed to be a pro at this, exuding the air of being a masterful investigator.

Moving on from the senior officers, she made her way to the boss…who looked a bit roughed up.

“This is… No way! Yogue?!” Cecilia gasped, saying what sounded like a name.

“What? You know him?” Mira asked, curious as to whether he might be someone famous.

After taking a moment to think, Cecilia answered, “Yes. This man is Yogue, and he’s suspected of belonging to a known criminal organization.”

“An organization? Is this their base?”

So they weren’t a lone group of assassins…but part of some bigger organization. Who on earth were they? Mira was about to press for more details, but Cecilia spoke before she had a chance.

“I would direct you to ask Lady Esmeralda about these matters. There is one other task I was given as part of this assignment, and that is to bring you to her,” she said, changing the subject.

Having predicted that the situation would be under control quickly, she’d been specifically ordered to bring Mira to the castle as a guest of honor.

“I understand that you must be very busy, Lady Spirit Queen, but would you be willing to accompany us? I’m sure they’ll have prepared remuneration for your assistance…and food and entertainment?”

When she’d been examining the senior officers, Cecilia had seemed like a veteran investigator, but now she was at a loss. She’d be in big trouble if she failed to accomplish this special task. She seemed desperate to get Mira to go. She added that it’d be a huge help, and that she’d do anything if Mira would just come along.

“Fine, fine, fine… You just want me to go to the castle, right? Sure. Fine.” Mira agreed readily, attempting to calm Cecilia down. Wanting to check the tournament registration records to find Meilin, she’d planned on going to the castle anyway.

“Th-thank you!”

With a smile blooming on her face at Mira’s answer, Cecilia shouted loudly for the vice-captain. The vice-captain came and they both thanked Mira, looking relieved.

Special orders from Esmeralda were no joke.

Chapter 16

AFTER BEING JOSTLED alongside Cecilia in a horse-drawn carriage for a short while, Mira arrived at Nirvana Castle. Being a matter of state secrecy, the pair inconspicuously slipped in through the back gate.

Mira was shown straight through to the reception room.

“Okay, I’ll go let her know you’ve arrived. Please feel free to relax here,” Cecilia said, dashing off to inform Esmeralda that Mira had arrived. It seemed as if she was scrambling to not make Mira—or Esmeralda—wait a second longer.

“Her smile is scary…”

Having quite a few friends in Nirvana, and knowing Esmeralda, Mira smiled wryly at how little had changed.

Esmeralda never raised her voice in anger, and yet, this was precisely what made her so intimidating. Without a doubt, there was nothing more oppressive than silence. Pondering that, Mira flopped down onto a large sofa and reached out to grab some cookies that had been placed on the coffee table for people to help themselves.

After about five minutes, someone knocked. A very familiar face made their way into the room. It was Esmeralda of the Divine Word.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Esmeralda said, smiling softly at seeing Mira lounging brazenly on the couch. “I’d heard you were in disguise. And you style yourself a bit different than we expected… But…Mira, the Spirit Queen, correct?”

Esmeralda walked toward Mira. Mira washed down the cookie she’d eaten with some tea, before answering, “Hrmm, yes, I’m Mira.”

“So, we can dispense with introductions, yes? After all, this isn’t our first time meeting,” Esmeralda said, standing in front of Mira with a bright smile on her face. She was really trying to confirm whether Mira’s true identity was that of Danblf. It was her first time meeting Spirit Queen Mira…but she and Danblf were old friends.

“Hrmm… Well, it’s only been a few months since we last met, for me. For you, it must be…decades. Good to see you, Emeko,” Mira confirmed with a nod, before smirking, as if to prove that she was Danblf.

A soft smile spread over Esmeralda’s face. But it only stayed there for a moment. She immediately stuck out her lip and protested, “Come on, I told you to stop calling me Emeko.”

Esmeralda was a long name and a bit of a pain to say. Or at least that had been Danblf’s excuse when he opted to start calling her Emeko. But this was just another way to prove that she was Danblf.

“Hmm… No fair. I can’t very well call you Danjiro when you look like that,” Esmeralda murmured sulkily after studying Mira. To return the favor of being called Emeko, she used to call him Danjiro. But in Mira’s current body…things were certainly different than they had been. And so, with Mira no longer looking the part, Esmeralda knitted her eyebrows in increasingly visible displeasure.

“Well, that’s just too bad. How about you just be sweet and call me Mira.” Now used to these kinds of situations, Mira flashed a smug, cute grin.

Lately, she’d been thinking of various ways of exploiting the fact that she was now a pretty girl. She’d been inspired to do this after visiting a café and receiving some extra goodies along with her order just because she was cute.

“Ngh… Brat…” Esmeralda spat.

Despite trying to look cute, she really was. Nevertheless, Esmeralda thought of how she might strike back.

“Mirako… I’ll call you Mirako!” she said after a moment. While this made Mira’s name longer, it was the best she could come up with on the fly. “So, Miss Mirako… In addition to telling me more about the matter at hand, there was one other thing I was hoping to ask of you. Sorry for jumping straight to business so soon after you got here, but we need to go somewhere else to talk. Would you mind coming along with me?”

The business in question was probably the assassin’s base and the man named Yogue.

But what else could she want from Mira? Either way, it was serious business, and they couldn’t discuss it in the reception room.

“Hrmm, sure thing,” Mira answered, standing up and following Esmeralda deeper inside the castle.

Nirvana Castle was the nerve center of the government of Nirvana. And, as befitting the second mightiest player-held country, it dwarfed Alcait Castle. Thanks to their use of technomancy, the inside of the castle was bright enough that it looked like it was the middle of the day, with its pure white walls and dazzling rugs brilliantly illuminated.

Wherever she looked, she couldn’t help being impressed by not only the size of it, but also by the furnishings that had been placed throughout, the sheer number of government officials who frequently passed by, and how well-equipped the guards were.

“Oh ho… This is pretty classy…”

But what impressed Mira the most were the castle’s maids. They were so refined and deliberate in the way they worked. The way they carried themselves was also quite impressive, with the bows they gave Mira and Esmeralda full of both elegance and grace.

It was like night and day when compared to the maids at Alcait Castle, who would silently stroll up to her and make a huge fuss about the new clothes they’d made while fawning over her obsessively. Reflecting on this, Mira straightened up as she thought about how it was the first time in a while that she’d been able to relax as she walked down a castle’s halls…even if it was a different castle.

The maids of Alcait Castle were no less elegant and refined than their sisters at Nirvana Castle. But at least Mira wasn’t subject to their whims here in Nirvana.

Mira followed Esmeralda for about five minutes. Before she realized it, they’d made it rather deep inside the castle. The surrounding environs looked quite different than they had upon first leaving the reception room. It was now quiet and austere, with fewer people in the hallways and almost no furnishings. The guards were better equipped.

Security is pretty tight.

Judging from the vibe, Mira guessed that only high-level officials were allowed to enter the area they were in. They were nearing the center of the castle. The conversation they were going to have must’ve been quite important, Mira thought as she stepped inside a room that Esmeralda had entered.

The room was at the end of a hallway and so long and narrow that it could easily be mistaken for an additional hallway. In front of the door at the back of the room were two knights who were quite clearly not ordinary knights. The pair had the look of veteran warriors and gave off the air of being mighty warriors simply by standing there. Seeing as they were guarding the door, it certainly seemed as if there was someone very important on the other side.

“Hello there, Lady Esmeralda,” both knights said, bowing as she approached. They cast their eyes on Mira and continued, “And this must be the guest we’ve heard about?”

Word had reached the two of them that Mira was coming. It was likely they’d only heard of her being the Spirit Queen. Looking at Mira in disguise, the two looked rather puzzled.

“Yes, that’s right. She’s incognito at the moment, but this is Miss Mirako,” Esmeralda answered.

The guards then murmured, “Incredible,” taking the whole “Mirako” thing in stride.

“I’m Mira. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, figuring she might as well set the record straight.

The pair of knights gave her their names. One of them was named Griez and the other one was named Ligna.

Mira and Esmeralda walked through the door, turned right, and walked into another room. The two finally arrived at their destination.

“Oh my, that was fast! I still haven’t finished getting ready!” the woman inside the room said as soon as Mira and Esmeralda arrived, putting silverware on a table.

The chamber was ordinary and unassuming. There was a simple rug on the floor, in the center of which was a table. A kitchenette contained a box that looked a bit like a refrigerator, and there was a twin bed in the corner of the room. The entire room was about the size of a studio apartment for a single person.

“I was wondering who would be in here. It’s you, huh?”

The woman was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts, but looked as if she were preparing for a tea party. Mira knew her very well. There likely wasn’t anyone in the Empire of Nirvana who didn’t know her.

This was the head of the Empire of Nirvana, Queen Alma.

“Seeing as Esmeralda brought you here, that must mean you’re the geezer! Hey, I’m right, aren’t I?! Couldn’t fool me. Nothing slips by the queen, right?!” Alma said, running over to them after setting the table. Then she flashed Esmeralda a knowing smile. It seemed she was the one who’d realized Mira was Danblf.

Esmeralda must’ve been more skeptical, as evidenced by the triumphant look on Alma’s face. “Ugh…come on, who could’ve imagined that old geezer Danjiro would turn into…this?” she muttered. Then, glancing over at Mira, she asked, “Is that the kind of thing you’re into?”

“No, no, there’s a good reason; I can explain…”

And with those words, the dignity she’d worked so hard to build as Danblf came tumbling down. Unexpectedly confronted with this crisis, Mira was about to deliver her excuse when Alma opened her mouth. “…I knew that old geezer was a perv!”

“Hrk…!”

She’d hit the nail on the head. At a loss for words, Mira still couldn’t let this stand. She began presenting her excuses to reclaim whatever shreds were left of her honor.

“This all has to do with the secret assignment I’m working on!” she exclaimed, going on to explain she’d chosen her current form so that she could travel without being detected. As one of the Nine Wise Men, Danblf was quite famous. It was hard for him to move about under the radar.

“Suuure… So that’s why. Well then, what’s this secret assignment all about?” Esmeralda was dying to know what was so important that Danblf had dressed up as a young girl.

“More importantly, let’s stop standing around and sit down for some tea,” Alma broke in as if to stop Esmeralda from pressing Mira on the subject, then quickly returned to the table.

“Hrmm, sounds good to me.”

Alma must’ve guessed it was a secret assignment that had to do with national security. Mira would have expected a queen to be able to pick up as much. Quickly agreeing with the suggestion, she walked over to the table.

After the three had sat down, Alma poured the tea before putting out some pastries. With that, their tea party was all set.

“All right now, Gramps. Out with it!” Alma said, looking rather curious. It seemed as if she wasn’t entirely sure if Mira was here on a matter of national security, but aimed to drag the story out of her over tea.

Well, I guess I’m not surprised. She was never one to give up on something so easily. Her folksiness was outdone only by her curiosity. Alma hadn’t changed much since Mira had known her.

But when she got like this, Alma was relentless. The excuse Mira had ready was that she was looking for one of the Nine Wise Men. She needed to get a look at the tournament registration records, and so she needed to make that point clear.

It was a state secret. She’d been meaning to run it by Solomon, but she’d come across the assassins and hadn’t gotten a chance to do so.

“I do want to tell you, but it’s something involving a national secret. So, I can’t just…”

As Mira was talking, Alma took a black box from beside her and plopped it down on the table.

“Why don’t we call up Solomon and settle this?”

Inside the box was a communication device. Mira should’ve expected as much of a queen’s private quarters. She plopped the priceless item on the table as if it were nothing and had already begun ringing up Solomon.

“Hrmm… All right,” Mira said, wincing at how sudden it was. But, since she’d planned to speak with him anyway, she did as Alma had suggested and grabbed the receiver.

After a couple seconds, the call went through and she heard Solomon’s voice say, “Hello, Solomon speaking,” from over the receiver.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Ah, hey. So, how goes it? Everything going smoothly?”

It seemed he’d immediately recognized her voice and way of speaking, as he immediately dropped any formality.

“Hrmm, well, about that…”

Mira gave him a quick rundown of the situation. She told him that she was in Alma’s private quarters and that Alma and Esmeralda were in the room with her. She then told him that to continue with her assignment, she’d need to fill them in on the details.

“I see. If it’s Alma and her people, they should already know the situation. Feel free to discuss it with them,” Solomon said immediately, not sounding as if he minded whatsoever.

The information was a state secret…and yet, the two nations were so friendly with one another that he had no problem with her revealing it. That really was quite a lot of mutual trust.

“Is that all? In that case, I’ll let you get back to it.”

“Thanks, Solomon! I’ll get in touch!”

With the call over, Alma and Esmeralda both fixed their eyes on Mira. While a bit thrown off by how quickly everything had unfolded, she had gotten Solomon’s permission. In which case, there was no longer any issue.

“Well, you see…”

In between snacking on pastries, Mira told them about her strictly confidential assignment. She told them she was in search of the Nine Wise Men, who were scattered all over the world, so she could bring them back to Alcait. She needed to be able to move around without any restrictions. It’d been tough just leaving the country as Danblf, due to his fame as one of the Nine Wise Men. But Danblf was a real patriot! And though it was completely humiliating, for the sake of the nation and its people, he’d changed his appearance and taken on the assignment.

Or so Mira claimed. The truth was that he’d endeavored to create the most beautiful girl, passed out, and woken up with the game turned into reality. Not that they needed to know that.

“…”

The desperation with which she argued her case worked against her. Furthermore, even if Danblf did have to change his appearance, he didn’t have to change into a young girl. But Esmeralda and Alma must’ve felt bad to see Mira in such a desperate state, as they simply said, “Sure, that makes sense,” and didn’t ask any follow-up questions.

“At any rate, Solomon finally started making moves. I was wondering what he was going to do. But if he’s got you working for him, then I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Alma said, switching gears. It seemed she’d been concerned about all of the Nine Wise Men besides Luminaria being missing in action. Perhaps that’s why she seemed so genuinely happy to hear the news.

However, her cheerful demeanor only lasted for a moment. Alma turned toward Mira with a look of both anxiety and unease.

“So, how are things going? Any idea where Fumika…er, Artesia, is?”

Artesia and Alma were in-laws, with Alma being the younger sister of Artesia’s deceased husband. Because they knew each other from the real world and got along like real sisters, it meant she was all the more worried about her.

“Hrmm, yes, about that. Artesia is actually…”

That particular information was also a state secret, and Mira had only gotten clearance to discuss her search for the Nine Wise Men. Anything further was a different matter. There was a big difference between saying she was searching for someone and saying they’d already been found and come back.

But knowing the relationship between the two, Mira told her that Artesia had been found six weeks ago and that she was the director of a newly built orphanage in Lunatic Lake. She also told her that Artesia’s return would be announced to the public on Alcait’s national founding day.

And so, Mira wound up informing her of everything else as well.

Chapter 17

“I SEE, SO SHE’S SURROUNDED by children, huh? I’m happy to hear she’s doing well.”

With Mira done spilling the beans, Alma smiled in relief from the bottom of her heart.

Esmeralda seemed to be quite happy as well.

“That’s fantastic,” she said, beaming. She seemed to be particularly interested in Artesia’s capacities as a cleric, as she then added, “I’d be curious to see how much better she’s gotten since then. I really do wonder…”

Both Artesia of Dissonance and Esmeralda of the Divine Word were clerics, and yet they’d both gone in different directions when it came to the holy arts. While Artesia specialized in restoration and defense, Esmeralda specialized in offense and buffs.

In a sense, this was a reflection of the differences in their respective nations and the differences in their comrades.

With Solomon providing defense, the rest of the Alcait team had no real defensive abilities of their own to speak of. And so Artesia worked on developing her restorative and defensive skills to augment that.

Meanwhile, the Nirvana team was made up of mostly warrior classes, so they were capable of extremely high-level physical buffs. But because they didn’t have many mages, they didn’t have much spell-based offensive power. They used holy arts offensively.

“I wonder if I can see her again…” Alma murmured, her voice sounding both hopeful and somewhat nostalgic.

“Hrmm, that’d be tough,” Mira said in response.

Esmeralda added regretfully, “True. Alma would need a pretty important reason to leave the country, after all.”

Realistically, the sovereign of a great nation couldn’t just leave her country to meet a single person. She would need to visit some diplomatic reason to visit Alcait. And her nation was currently hosting a huge event, so she certainly couldn’t do so now.

It would prove difficult to summon Artesia to Nirvana as well. This was because, no matter how much Alma wanted to see her again, Artesia coming to Nirvana would mean leaving her children for several days. Artesia wouldn’t likely be able to abide such a thing, and Alma and Esmeralda both knew that.

“But, well, there might be a way.” After thinking it over for a moment, Mira implied that there might be a way for them to see each other. It was only human to want to reunite old friends.

“Really?!” Alma said, seizing on the hope while Esmeralda glanced at Mira curiously.

Sensing the pair’s expectation, Mira said that since they were in Nirvana, they might be able to figure something out if they could just work out the details.

“It’s like that old proverb, ‘If you want to shoot the general, shoot his horse first.’”

First of all, it wasn’t possible for Alma to leave the country due to her position. In which case, their only option was to have Artesia come there. To do that, why not invite Artesia and the children from the orphanage to join in the current festivities?

All of Nirvana was in a frenzy over the tournament. And there was plenty of other entertainment at the venue. It was the kind of place where children could really have a blast. Artesia prioritized the happiness of children above all else. If they invited the children to come have fun and be merry, then she’d most certainly accept. And she’d have to chaperone them there.

And once they were here, all they had to do was find a time to meet.

“But you’ll need to be careful with how you invite them. If you only invite one orphanage, then the others will think you’re playing favorites,” Mira said, wrapping up her explanation.

Were a great nation like Nirvana to be perceived as playing favorites, it’d likely cause problems down the line. Some people would ask why they’d invited only one orphanage. That would be a headache. And some people might flat-out suspect that she was visiting Artesia, with whom Alma was very close.

And with the orphanage having just been established, Mira wanted to avoid causing any such difficulties. But she sympathized with Alma. Mira added that she was willing to help facilitate.

Having finished listening to Mira’s proposal, Alma began pondering it over. And after several minutes had passed, her eyes suddenly grew wide and she cried out, “I know what’ll work!”

“Oh ho, it sounds like you’ve come up with something good,” Mira said.

Alma smiled somewhat confidently and nodded. “Recently—thanks to Solomon pulling some strings—we were able to establish a trade route through Sentopoli. It’s been decades since I learned that they’d built a port on that sheer cliff off to the west. We went through several rounds of negotiations, but none of them were successful. But thanks to Solomon, talks suddenly went smoothly. How about, I send an invitation to the Kingdom of Alcait to thank him and I’ll include one to the orphanage as well…to celebrate its founding,” Alma said before glancing at Esmeralda to ask what she thought.

“It feels like it’s a bit of a stretch…but you do have a history of fairly proactive policies when it comes to orphanages, so you’ll probably be able to convince others. They’re also likely to say that the queen’s odd tendencies are making a resurgence,” Esmeralda answered, to which Alma shifted her gaze elsewhere.

Perhaps it was thanks to Artesia’s influence—or perhaps it was just her nature—but Alma was also very proactive when it came to helping children. Of course, this wasn’t as strong as it was with Artesia. Artesia couldn’t see a child crying without trying to rush to the rescue…

A person like a queen would have considerable influence and authority. And from how Esmeralda was acting, it seemed as if Alma had most likely engaged in philanthropic work to help children in the past.

“Hrmm, in that case, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be an issue. There’s just one thing. There are other orphanages in Alcait besides that one. I think it’d be best to invite them too.”

Under this pretext, they could help quell any jealousy that other countries might feel, but it wasn’t good to make other orphanages in Alcait feel jilted. Upon hearing that, Alma immediately replied, “In that case, we’ll invite them all!”

“Well, that’d probably be best but…”

Simply inviting them was easy, but there’d likely be costs involved, and these would likely bankrupt the other orphanages.

That didn’t appear to faze Alma in the slightest.

“So… They’ll need round-trip tickets from Alcait and…” Alma said, hurriedly taking out a notebook and making plans for Artesia’s visit. The first thing she had to decide was how it was she’d transport the children.

“By the way, Gramps. Do you know how many children there are?”

“There were about one hundred of them at Artesia’s orphanage. But I’m not sure about the others. Judging from the size of them, I’d say less than a hundred,” Mira said. She added that there were about ten people who helped at Artesia’s orphanage as both caretakers and teachers.

“Hmm, that many, huh? A medium-sized airship should do the trick…”

She was certainly concocting this plan rather quickly. Perhaps not unexpectedly, she’d casually included an airship in the plan. Airships were extremely expensive commodities and were difficult for countries to afford, but Nirvana seemed to have one.

She also said medium-sized, which implied that they had multiple airships.

I planned on talking with Kagura again if transportation became an issue… But it looks like I didn’t need to worry about it…

How powerful Nirvana was hit her for the umpteenth time. Mira looked on as, step by step, the plan came together.

It seemed that for a queen in charge of ruling a major power like Nirvana, inviting a few orphanages to visit her country was something that could be done before breakfast. Mira was surprised to learn that all the expenses that would be incurred from this plan wouldn’t be paid for by state funds, but by the queen herself.

“…And regarding where to put them up, isn’t there a vacant mansion in the area near the church?”

“Yes, it’s still unoccupied. It’s large, so it should easily be able to fit two hundred or so children.”

While discussing the plan with Esmeralda, the potential figure of one hundred million came up, but Alma didn’t waver for even a moment. If anything, Mira was the one who suggested the plan and now felt a bit uneasy about whether it was okay to spend that kind of money.

“…Okay, so that’s the gist of it. Let’s get started on it first thing tomorrow morning.”

It’d taken Alma just over ten minutes to complete her plan for reuniting with Artesia.

According to what she’d heard while chit-chatting with Solomon, Esmeralda and Alma had been there ever since the current world had become reality, over thirty years ago.

Perhaps for this very reason—and having ruled such a powerful nation for that long—Alma and Esmeralda had picked up all kinds of information about their country. Watching the practiced way they came up with the plan gave Mira a glimpse into just how mighty a nation it was.

Enjoying her fill of tea and pastries while the two were ironing out their plan for inviting Artesia to Nirvana, Mira said, “That’s sorted out. How about we get back to the topic at hand? I’m interested in learning about that group of assassins as well, but it seems like you have something to ask of me.”

“Ah, that’s right. Sorry about that.” Looking satisfied and with her written plan in her hand, Alma smiled as if suddenly remembering why they were there. With a very deliberate “Ahem,” she shifted gears.

“So…we’re currently sheltering an oracle with a special power. And we wanted to ask if you’d protect her,” Alma said, straightening herself up.

Despite tilting her head inquisitively upon hearing this request, Mira immediately began racking her brain about where she’d heard something similar.

She then remembered that the three assassins had talked about going after someone named Orakul.

Orakul…Oracle…

“So, does that mean…” Remembering what she’d heard the three of them say, Mira cut straight to the point and asked, “…that you want me to protect an oracle who has the ability to look into the future?”

“Wow, so you know already?”

“Hrmm, I overheard what the assassins were discussing,” Mira replied with a smile to the somewhat surprised Alma. “They were crying about how they couldn’t even find a single trace of the oracle.”

“Well, that’s because we’re hiding her very carefully,” Alma answered proudly, smiling back cheerfully. It seemed any information regarding the girl who was the oracle was classified as a state secret. “And so, the only people who actually know about the existence of the oracle are a small selection of the higher ups here, and one other person—Eugust Groudein, Lord of the Dark Road.”

The moment this name left Alma’s lips, her eyes became dead serious, sharp and cold. The look in them wasn’t one of hatred, but rather one of enmity.

“The Lord of the Dark Road? Never heard of him. Who is he?”

It was the first time the name had come up, but based on their discussion, there was no doubt that he had some deep connection to the group of assassins or to the organization to which they belonged. Mira lounged back on the couch, readying herself for what was now shaping up to be a long meeting.

Esmeralda brewed another pot of tea as Alma began giving a detailed overview of the matter.

It had not only to do with the Empire of Nirvana, but with the war that numerous countries were waging on the darkness that was spreading throughout society. This was the same sort of darkness Mira destroyed with the help of the Isuzu Alliance: Chimera Clausen. It seemed that similar organizations were still lurking in the underworld. The largest of these organizations was known as Ira Muerte. Alma informed her that this organization was deeply connected with the matter at hand.

“And so, after an investigation years in the making, we’ve discovered that this organization is composed of four main pillars,” Alma said, before expounding on what exactly these were.

The first was a division that specialized in selling weapons and drugs. But unlike other merchants, everything they sold was illegal or quite shady. They dealt in stolen goods. But they also sold concealable weapons and other goods that those involved in illegitimate businesses found extremely useful. They sold embargoed illegal magical tools, poison, and other such things.

The weapons sold by this division were used for assassinations, armed robbery, and thrill killings. They were never used for legitimate purposes and were all connected to unnatural deaths. Even other local merchants of death remarked at how cold-blooded they were.

“They sound like a pretty awful bunch…” Mira said.

There had been an entire village that’d been wiped out by the poison a group of bandits had used. Then there was a virtuous nobleman who’d fallen to an assassin’s hidden blade. And a forest that had been burned to ashes along with all the woodland creatures that lived in it, thanks to an illegal magical tool. The list went on and on. Mira looked down with a grave expression as she listened to Alma rattle off all of the victims who’d fallen to such weapons, wondering how people could be capable of such horrible things.

“You’ve got that right,” Alma agreed with a heavy sigh.

According to her, this was just a tiny portion of their crimes, and among the more minor of their misdeeds. About ten percent of all crimes committed on the continent were carried out using weapons that could be traced back to that very organization.

Mira was speechless to hear the devastating influence the group had.

Chapter 18

“AND AS FOR the second pillar…”

After a short break, Alma continued her explanation as if she took no joy in doing so. The next pillar she spoke of was also involved in extremely shady sales. But they didn’t sell goods…they sold lives.

“They’re a group of cold-blooded villains who engage in poaching, kidnapping, and murder.”

They seemed to sell valuable animals, sacred beasts, spirit beasts, and even human beings. They paid no heed to whether they were in a wildlife sanctuary or any of the preservation laws enacted by the Three Great Kingdoms. They’d scoop up children and mercilessly cut down their parents should the opportunity arise.

They had absolutely no respect for life, and if they decided they no longer needed something because it wasn’t selling, they wouldn’t hesitate to execute it.

“Hrmm… There really are evil people out there,” Mira said, a look of distress materializing on her face as she listened to Alma talk about their victims.

While out poaching, they had injured a baby sacred beast and executed it because they could no longer sell it. They had no qualms about forcibly tearing children from their own mothers. This division seemed wholly devoted to sowing tragedy.

“But actually, there is one bit of good news,” Alma said with a smile. “You and your companions managed to deal a heavy blow to this division not long ago.”

“Wait… What did I do?”

Mira asked Alma what she was talking about, tilting her head in curiosity. It turned out it had to do with when Mira brought down Chimera Clausen.

“This team was heavily connected to Chimera Clausen, because they sold spirits as well.” Alma went on to state emphatically that Mira’s efforts had dealt a serious blow to the organization.

After Chimera Clausen was destroyed, the Isuzu Alliance had interrogated everyone involved with the incident and eventually rounded up everyone connected to them. They’d done an excellent job getting their hands on everyone who’d held a prominent position and extracting information. They’d managed to penetrate deep into their operations in a single go.

And so, this particular pillar was forced to cut ties with much of its leadership and give up quite a few of its bases to protect the organization as a whole. As a result, it’d taken serious damage and was significantly weakened.

The Isuzu Alliance pulled strings from behind the scenes and worked closely with the Adventurer’s Guild Union to bring the evil organization to bay. Alma seemed to think of them as a righteous party that worked behind the scenes for good and raved about how fantastic their work was.

Hearing that she’d managed to help out in an unexpected way, Mira smiled triumphantly and said, “Oh ho, is that right? I’m glad to hear all my hard work paid off.”

It seemed that thanks to the dissolution of Chimera Clausen, not only had the selling of spirits been brought to an end, but the loss of the bases and leadership had a profound impact on the selling of spirit beasts, sacred beasts, and human beings as well.

The number of missing persons reports and the number of injuries from people illegally entering animal sanctuaries or sacred areas was falling. This was especially the case with human trafficking, where the marked decrease couldn’t really be attributed to anything else. As a result, Alma predicted that the leadership of this team had their backs against the wall more so than anyone else in the crisis-laden organization.

“Next is the third pillar, and they’re the ones I’d like to ask your help with…” Alma said, moving on. She then began explaining, in detail, about the third pillar that made up Ira Muerte.

This division oversaw something very closely related to the previous two divisions. That is, distribution. They collected weapons, magical tools, and animals from all corners of the continent and then sent them to buyers. It was Eugust Groudein, Lord of the Dark Road, whom Alma had previously mentioned, who was in charge of this division.

“Ah, Eugust is really quite the villain,” Esmeralda said. Eugust knew about the existence of the oracle. Much like his title implied, he had about half of the trade routes used for distributing shady commodities under his thumb.

The backdoor channels he’d established to ship illicit goods ran all over the continent, and most of the evildoers made use of these. If any big deals went down, he was sure to know.

That’s how major a player he was. Whether they were dealing in cursed artifacts or illicit goods, there wasn’t anyone who sold shady goods who didn’t know about the merchant of the underworld. He was even involved in distributing goods for Chimera Clausen.

“On that note, we haven’t been outdone by you and your allies. Now, this is just between us, but our military has succeeded in infiltrating almost all his trade routes.” She must’ve really been wanting to brag about this, as an extremely self-satisfied grin broke across Alma’s face. While she sounded slightly boastful, this was actually extraordinary news.

“…Wow, you said that so casually. Is it true?” Mira found herself asking. There wasn’t much helping it, as Alma had just claimed that they’d managed to muzzle the distribution network of Ira Muerte, the most powerful criminal organization in the underworld. Not just some of it, but almost all of it. This meant that they’d managed to cut off Ira Muerte’s financial lifeline. It didn’t matter how many shady goods they got their hands on if they were unable to ship any of them.

How on earth had they managed to pull this off? If anything, that’s what baffled Mira more than anything else.

“Yep. Right now, I’d say we’ve erased about five hundred billion ducats’ worth of sales. And this is where you come in,” Alma said, spitting out an absolutely outrageous figure. She then finally began explaining that the task she wished to assign Mira was to protect the oracle.

More than anything, what’d allowed them to secure the entirety of the distribution network of Ira Muerte was the oracle’s power.

“You heard her ability is to see into the future, but that’s not entirely true. There’s a limit to the extent to which she can use the ability, and she can’t foresee earthquakes or other such disasters. Allow me to explain…”

Alma explained how it could only really be used on a single individual, which was why it was so powerful. Furthermore, it didn’t allow her to see into the future. A more accurate description would be that it allowed her to see what a person was doing and what they were planning to do.

“There is one condition for using the power. She must touch something that the target loves or something such as their hair or fingernail. Should we get ahold of one of those things, the ability can then be used an unlimited number of times. …In other words, Eugust can no longer do anything for the organization or associate with them in any way.”

According to Alma, the Empire of Nirvana had battled Ire Muerte for many years. Then, thanks to the efforts of a large number of soldiers and spies, they’d managed to get intel on a particular base of operations a few months prior. When they went to investigate the place, they succeeded in recovering a very important clue: a lock of Eugust’s hair.

“What makes the oracle’s power so strong is that it can be used multiple times. All she needs to do is touch it, and she’ll immediately be able to get information. Were she to touch it now, she’d be able to know everything that Eugust is currently doing and planning on doing. So, as long as we have the oracle and his hair, he can’t even do anything related to the organization,” Alma concluded, her eyes swimming with pride and confidence.

Thanks to the might of the Empire of Nirvana and the help of many others, they’d struck a devastating blow to one of their archenemies. She seemed to be deeply proud of having done so.

“I see… Because it helps you keep tabs on the organization’s transactions, this power has become one of their foremost enemies.” The backdoor trade routes that Eugust managed were used by Ira Muerte for their transactions, and these had now been leaked in their entirety to the oracle.

This power allowed Nirvana to stamp out transactions being carried out by other evildoers, which drastically reduced their reliability as well. And the more countermeasures they came up with, the more those evildoers showed their hand to those in Nirvana. So the oracle’s ability had utterly shut down one of the organization’s important divisions. The impact was immeasurable.

Having grasped the situation from what Alma said, Mira could also understand why they hated this oracle so much. She could see how their natural conclusion would be to send assassins after her.

“By the way, a moment ago you said that only a small group of those in top positions and Eugust know about the oracle, right?” Mira asked.

While she mostly grasped the situation, there was one point not yet clear to Mira. She then added, “Do you know how it is that he knows about her?”

From what she could tell, there was no reason for the person the ability was being used on to know about it. Surely, he shouldn’t be able to deduce that they were using a lock of his hair without explicitly knowing about this ability beforehand. And yet, he’d sent assassins after her. Someone must’ve leaked that information, or there must’ve been some other way he’d figured it out. This greatly piqued Mira’s curiosity.

“That’s a side effect of the ability… Being so powerful, it also has a pretty heavy drawback to balance it out,” Alma answered. She then took a sip of her tea before explaining. The oracle had the ability to read the thoughts of the person they targeted, to know what they were doing and what they planned to do. But because it allowed one to see so deeply into another’s thoughts, it also let the target know who was reading their thoughts and observing them…and why they were doing so.

“I tested it to see just to what extent this was, and it really was an incredible sensation.” It seemed that Esmeralda had allowed herself to be targeted by the oracle’s power. According to what she’d experienced, it’d started off as a somewhat uncanny feeling. But after having it used over and over again, she became able to detect the presence of the oracle.

The oracle had used the ability on Eugust over one hundred times. There was no doubt that he could perceive her quite clearly. It was only to be expected that he wanted her eliminated.

“I see… So basically, you expected that he’d go after her. In that case, why do you need to ask me to guard her? Given the situation, I’d expect you already have someone guarding her.”

Using the ability caused its target to perceive the user. Even knowing that it would put the oracle in danger, Alma had opted to use it to lock down the backdoor trade routes that Ira Muerte was using.

Even if they kept information about her under wraps, and kept her hidden, they ought to have had security in place just in case. It seemed like common sense to assign her protection. Mira knew that Alma wouldn’t be so careless as to neglect such a thing, but she wanted details.

“Um, well… It’s not like we don’t, but…” Alma answered, suddenly sounding less sure of herself.

She’d said it wasn’t like they didn’t have a guard. From the way she phrased it, it sounded like the oracle had had protection assigned to her from the start. And given the situation, it was likely that her guard detail was quite powerful. They were probably drawn from among the Twelve Apostles.

In which case, there wouldn’t be much need for Mira’s assistance. But somehow, she sounded less than certain.

“What do you mean? Can you be a bit clearer?” Mira asked.

Alma looked quite uncomfortable and just kept swallowing back her words whenever she seemed to be on the verge of saying anything.

“What’s going on here?” Mira asked, crossly puffing out her cheeks as Esmeralda let out a heavy sigh.

“Allow me to explain,” Esmeralda said with an expression that seemed to say she had no other choice. Though also sounding rather pained, she explained why they wanted to ask Mira for help guarding the oracle despite already having a guard.

She began by saying, “Right now, Noin is the one in charge of guarding the oracle.”

Hearing this name, the inquisitive look on Mira’s face deepened. “Then the oracle should have all the protection she’d ever need.”

Noin of the Ivory Prison was one of the Twelve Apostles, a holy knight like Solomon. But unlike Solomon—who’d fallen somewhat astray—Noin was a proper holy knight.

Having mastered defense to the greatest extent possible, his might was unmatched. And were he to use the full extent of his power, he’d even be able to defend against a full-on blast from Eizenfald’s dragon breath attack.

When Danblf and Noin had competed against each other in the past, the match had gone on for so long that it was eventually called a draw. When Eizenfald’s attack failed to penetrate, Danblf gave up on attacking and was only really able to use his army of evocations to hinder Noin.

Meanwhile, no matter how many evocations Noin cut down or how many blows he defended against, he couldn’t take a single step forward, being completely engulfed by Danblf’s hosts. With the match at a stalemate, it was declared a tie.

It certainly seemed that Noin was perfectly capable of protecting the oracle no matter what attack was used or how many there were doing the attacking. He was the ideal person to task with such a job.

“I don’t think you need me.”

So, why were they asking for her help in protecting the oracle? What exactly was the deal? Feeling that she wasn’t necessarily the best at being a bodyguard, Mira stared at Esmeralda as if to ask whether they were just wasting her time.

“Well… That was true, but it isn’t really anymore,” Esmeralda said haltingly, while looking about to avoid Mira’s gaze. Realizing that Mira still had no idea what was going on, she heaved a heavy sigh and said, “The truth is, the oracle…she’s a girl, and is afraid of men. Noin can’t even be in the same room as her, much less be right beside her without her freaking out. So now we have him standing guard in front of a door. But that isn’t really good enough, you know…?”

Esmeralda wore a very troubled expression. True enough, in that situation Noin wouldn’t even be able to make use of half of his capabilities if something were to happen.

Then Mira’s expression changed once more as a new question popped into her head. From what Esmeralda had said earlier, it sounded like the oracle wasn’t originally afraid of men. Something had happened.

It was possible that Noin had done something. He was quite fond of women—but that was also precisely why he would avoid doing anything to make them dislike him. And he was such an archetypal holy knight. Surely falling for him wouldn’t lead to the oracle developing a fear of men…

“Hrmm… Fear of men, huh…? May I ask how she ended up like that?” Mira asked, figuring a direct answer was better than speculation. It had to be a serious case of androphobia if she couldn’t even be guarded by a man. Mira was really dying to know.

But Esmeralda’s response was not forthcoming. Alma just turned away.

Something truly awful must’ve happened. Mira was almost ready to tell them that if they didn’t want to say it, they didn’t have to. But just as she was about to, Esmeralda steeled her resolve and began to speak.

“Well, actually, Eugust… He…” What came next nearly turned Mira’s stomach.

Eugust had realized that the oracle could use her abilities to see what he was doing and everything he was plotting. Blushing, Esmeralda informed Mira that he’d begun a steady stream of X-rated activities specifically to make her witness them, regularly engaging in perverted shenanigans with women.

According to Esmeralda, the oracle was still just fourteen years old. Showing someone at such a sensitive age the perverted things adults can do…it was no wonder she developed a fear of men.

But if they stopped peering into his thoughts, they’d be playing right into his trap. Without constant observation, he’d undoubtedly get right back to his evil work. The way things were going, the only ethical thing to do was use her ability less frequently. And while that let them stay on top of any big schemes he might be brewing, a lot of smaller ones were slipping through the cracks.

The countermeasures he was taking were having the desired effect. It was hampering their ongoing efforts to keep close tabs on him. The lingering question was if these acts were just part of his plan to evade them, or if he got off on that sort of thing.

Unable to be sure, Mira murmured with an exasperated look on her face, “What a sick pervert…”

She seemed to be crossing paths with perverts quite often recently.

Chapter 19

“OKAY, I UNDERSTAND why you want to give me the assignment. But isn’t there someone else who isn’t a man who could do this? You’d be perfect for this, Emeko.”

The oracle was afraid of men. Despite who she really was on the inside, Mira at least looked like a girl. That meant she was the one getting a job offer. She could understand their logic so far…

But there were female members of the Twelve Apostles. Why not choose one of them?

She got her answer from Alma.

“Normally, that’s what we’d do…but we’re a bit short-staffed at the moment,” she said, nodding as if it was all quite reasonable.

She said the rest of the Twelve Apostles were all busy with other assignments. Then the smile on Alma’s face broadened, an expression much closer to a mischievous trickster than a queen. She was undoubtedly trying to come off like some ingenious strategist, and so Mira decided to let her keep going. She was hoping Alma was about to discuss what it was the female members of the Twelve Apostles were doing when the conversation took yet another unexpected turn.

“Truth be told, there’s a reason we’re holding this tournament. It’s all part of our plan to bring down Ira Muerte!”

It seemed the status of the individual female members of the Twelve Apostles wasn’t actually as relevant to their discussion as she thought. Behind the scenes of the tournament that the Empire of Nirvana was hosting were multiple ongoing operations aimed at exposing and eradicating the top leadership of Ira Muerte.

“…And so, we decided to host the biggest tournament possible.”

Their adversary was a huge organization with influence all across the continent. No matter how powerful Nirvana might be, this wasn’t a foe they could easily take on alone. And so, they were secretly cooperating with several other countries to carry out this mission.

The goal was simple. They’d host a massive event as a pretext for mobilizing their people en masse. It was a bold plan that had the potential to expose the identities of the leaders of Ira Muerte who lurked behind the scenes.

“Ah… So, the Twelve Apostles are all busy, huh?”

One of the key points of the plan was to invite top officials from each country to Nirvana. But they weren’t just inviting random top officials. The people they invited were discreetly leaking information in a way that made it easily discoverable with a bit of snooping. This information was that they were tasked with bringing down the organization within their respective countries and that they were also launching an operation against Eugust.

They were not only giving the organization a reason to target them, but also leaving the safety of their own countries by traveling to Nirvana. They were baiting the organization to come after them.

The whole aim of the plan was to capture members of the organization when they moved to strike. The top officials were aware of the plan and had consented to participate. Using their lives as bait was a small price to pay to get intel on the organization.

“Yep, they’re all on assignment.”

They weren’t using people as bait without a safety net. People were in place to capture anyone who went after them—specifically, the Twelve Apostles.

They had invited four top officials and tasked two of the apostles to guard each one. They disguised themselves and embedded with the official’s escorts.

That left four apostles. Three of them, including Esmeralda, were left to defend the nation and be on guard duty for the tournament. The final apostle was Noin, who was guarding the oracle.

Of those four, only Esmeralda was female. But because of the huge tournament, her first-aid squad would have its hands completely full. She didn’t have time to guard the oracle.

“Jeez, you’re playing a pretty dangerous game…”

The real reason they were holding the tournament was to eliminate the evil organization of Ira Muerte from the entire continent in one fell swoop. While shocked by their audacity, Mira also now understood why they had chosen her to protect the oracle. Their foe was a massive criminal network. At the moment, they were trying to establish the identity of the oracle, but sooner or later, they’d send in some elite agents. Nirvana would need someone equally skilled to respond to such a threat.

The person with the skills best suited to this job was Noin, but Mira now understood why he wasn’t going to cut it. And none of the other apostles were available. Instead, they had another option: her. She was the Spirit Queen, but had originally been Danblf…someone who was easily on par with the Twelve Apostles. Not only that, she was also a summoner and could manage her own backup.

Mira’s arrival was a godsend to Alma, who had been anxiously worrying about the oracle’s protection.

“Also, the truth is…” she added, revealing some more details. During the tournament, the oracle would make a secret appearance. But news of that appearance would be purposefully leaked in advance—just one more piece of bait.

“But that all hinged on Noin being by her side. We were about to cancel the part of the plan where she could come out to watch. Which was a shame, because it seems she’d really been looking forward to it…”

With Noin there to protect her, she could watch the grand raid with snacks and juice in hand. But considering her problem with men, that wasn’t possible. They’d already leaked the intel that she’d be watching the event, and considering Ira Muerte’s substantial information-gathering capabilities, it was likely they knew. So unless they were certain she’d be protected, they couldn’t let her spectate.

And no one had told her that she wasn’t allowed to watch yet, so she would likely be quite let down.

“Hrmm. Well, sure, why not? If that’s all you need, I can do it.” Now that she grasped the whole situation, Mira consented.

Eugust was in control of the all-important distribution network. The shadowy organization operating across the continent wanted to eliminate the oracle who was severely limiting Eugust’s actions. That oracle was bravely taking a stand against this huge organization. Therefore, Mira couldn’t abandon the oracle while she was going through such a tough time. It was as simple as that.

“Thanks, you old geezer!”

“Thank you, Mirako. You’re a lifesaver.”

Noin would have been great, had it not been for the wrench thrown into the plan. But now Alma and Esmeralda looked extremely relieved as they thanked Mira.

“I hope it’ll all work out.”

She understood why the oracle needed protection. And while using the oracle and several high-ranking officials as bait to lure out assassins from Ira Muerte seemed fine on paper, Mira wondered whether it would really be that simple in practice. Ira Muerte was up against the nation of Nirvana, so they were guaranteed to send highly skilled assassins.

“There are people in the world who’d take on any assignment, as long as the price was right. I don’t know if you’d get any useful information on the organization by capturing someone like that.”

The issue was that these assassins might not have any information regarding Ira Muerte. If they were simply hired hands, then they probably wouldn’t know much. And yet, Alma must’ve had a reason for doing things this way.

“I’d say we’ve got a fifty-fifty shot,” she replied confidently, despite those seeming like terrible odds. “Perhaps now’s the time for me to tell you about the fourth pillar.”

The fourth pillar of the organization was the division responsible for both intelligence and assassination.

“And you probably already know some of this… Word is that Yogue, that guy that you caught, belongs to the fourth division. You did an incredible job not just finding their base but rounding up everyone in it. Thanks, old man.”

“Piece of cake.”

It seemed the band of assassins she’d come across—and their leader, Yogue—was connected to the division that served as the fourth pillar of Ira Muerte. Additionally, judging from the fact that their target was the oracle, it was safe to assume that Alma’s plan was having some effect. She looked cheerful as she said that, once they investigated further, they’d be likely to procure some good information.

“Ira Muerte is incredibly secretive. They have almost no connection to anyone on the outside…”

They were talking about the organization’s intelligence division, and intelligence was worth its weight in gold. Little wonder that the fourth division was in charge of overseeing assassinations…and composed of the true elites within the organization. It was extremely likely this division would be put in charge of attacking the oracle, seeing as it was an incredibly important job that they couldn’t afford to fail.

“I’m sure they’ll send the very best they have to offer. They’ll probably be sending some of their most senior operatives.”

The fact of the matter was that, thanks to the power of the oracle, any intel Eugust possessed had been compromised. This was undoubtedly something they wouldn’t want any competitors catching wind of. For a very long time, Ira Muerte had ruled the underworld and held sway over a great number of villains. Their considerable influence aside, the prominence of their position came from the trust these villains put in them.

Their pride meant they couldn’t let such a slight go unpunished, and a loss might cause others to lose faith in them. Thanks to the oracle, they’d lost five hundred billion ducats and had their backdoor distribution channels shut down. Ira Muerte couldn’t afford anyone else catching wind of this failure. To successfully carry out this mission in secret, they’d be forced to employ people in the upper ranks of the organization, who already knew about the whole situation…or so Alma surmised.

“Hrmm, this is all pretty complicated, but I guess what you’re getting at is that they want to keep this under wraps.”

If they hired someone from outside the organization to go after the oracle, and those hirelings then got some kind of information from the oracle, everyone might discover what was going on. And so, they’d only dispatch elite members of the information division, who were already in on the secret.

“Yeah, exactly. And because they’re key players in the organization, they’re excellent targets for us. After all, the intelligence division’s job is also to cover up things.”

They would try to sweep anything that made the organization look bad under the rug. That was their job. And so, they undoubtedly possessed some valuable information.

Alma said the current operation, including staging the tournament, was all centered around catching important members of the information division.

“Well… It’s a bold plan, but you’ve certainly left a lot to chance…” Mira said, offering her honest opinion.

While there was a possibility high ranking members of the intelligence division would be dispatched on this job, it was by no means guaranteed. Bringing the oracle out of the tightly guarded castle to the tournament grounds to spectate would be dangling the juiciest bait, but there was no reason to believe they’d bite. If they were planning on simply killing her, there were plenty of other ways to do so.

After hesitating a moment, Alma said, “But thanks to you, I think our odds of success have gone up.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mira asked upon seeing Alma’s confidence return.

This all had to do with Noin. “His impervious defensive skills are known around the world. With him guarding her, I believe they might have had second thoughts. So our chances of success were only fifty-fifty… But with you guarding her, Noin can move about freely. That’s good for us.”

Alma explained that with Noin free from guard duty, they could now have him casually stroll about the tournament grounds, further enticing assailants to act. If people reported seeing Noin, then the organization would realize he was no longer guarding the oracle. They had learned via the ability’s link that the oracle now feared men. And while it was unclear whether this was part of their plan or simply a coincidence, they might see how Eugust’s actions had given them a golden opportunity.

“They’ll assume she no longer has her infallible bodyguard. Not only that, they’ll assume it was all thanks to Eugust. They’ll think that she’s suddenly vulnerable, right?” Alma looked curious to hear what Mira thought.

Her reasoning was sound. Eugust’s efforts had successfully gotten the most capable bodyguard imaginable replaced. Nirvana would have no choice but to choose someone less capable in his stead.

Following Alma’s logic, Mira nodded and answered, “I think you’ve got a point.”

Even another member of the Twelve Apostles would be a step down when it came to how well she was defended, compared to Noin.

“On top of that, they’ll figure out from her ability that we sent the Spirit Queen to be her bodyguard. That’s also to our advantage. After all, you’re the adventurer everyone’s talking about these days.”

Considering her appearance, she was the perfect person to protect the oracle now that she was afraid of men. And like the rumors suggested, she was powerful, to boot. Alma proudly proclaimed that it was best to choose someone who wouldn’t elicit any suspicion from their foes if there was a sudden need to switch bodyguards.

Being that she was in disguise, they could opt to have her remain a mysterious young female bodyguard. But Alma predicted that it’d be easier to keep up some of the pressure on Ira Muerte if Mira was acting as the Spirit Queen, known for being a summoner.

“No matter how skilled anyone says you are, they think you’re nothing more than some upstart adventurer. They’ll think they can deal with you and kill two birds with one stone. But the truth is that you’re one of the Nine Wise Men—just as skilled as Noin. They’re going to bite off more than they can chew. Come on, doesn’t that sound like the perfect plan?!” Alma said with a triumphant look, practically begging for Mira to recognize her strategic prowess.

“Sounds like fun,” Mira said, indicating that she was on board. It was the kind of setup you’d see on one of those hidden camera shows, where a world champion boxer walked into a boxing gym as a ringer. Thinking she’d get to pummel her foe with everything she had, Mira’s motivation began to skyrocket.

“Right?! I knew you’d agree, you old geezer!”

Mira never shied away from confrontation. Back during the wars that had been waged when the world she was in was still a game, she often took on jobs guarding or defending things. The reason was her holy knights. They were perfect at defense—a summoner could simply order them to intercept any incoming attacks, and they would keep doing so automatically, without the summoner’s explicit instructions. And they were easy to summon. By arranging a wall of holy knights, she could improve her defenses dramatically. There was literally no reason not to use them.

Mira was confident in her defensive prowess. And yet, she smirked faintly, because she had something even better planned.

It looks like this’ll be a great opportunity to test out that new technique…

Having thought up all kinds of different applications of evocation during her time back in the Tower, Mira began plotting which ones she would now test out in real life. Keeping that to herself, she confidently boasted, “With me in charge of protecting her, no one will touch a hair on her head.”

These words reassured Alma and Esmeralda, who thanked Mira once more.

Chapter 20

“BUT BEFORE I BECOME her bodyguard, there’s one thing I need to do,” Mira said after agreeing to protect the oracle.

While she’d taken the job for the sake of the hard-working girl, Mira had come to Nirvana to find Meilin. Until she accomplished that task, she still had to be able to move around and continue her search. To be a proper bodyguard, she’d need to finish her primary mission before returning to assist with the new plan.

“Ah, that’s right. So, what do you need? If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know!” Alma said, holding her head up high as she offered to help. She was quite thankful to Mira for taking this assignment.

Esmeralda added, “Yes, if there’s anything I could do, I’d be happy to help.”

“Oh ho, I’m grateful… In that case, there is something I’d like to ask.” These were precisely the words Mira had been wanting to hear, so she seized the opportunity. “Could you let me check the tournament registration records?”

“The registration records?” Alma asked, tilting her head inquisitively. There was an intrigued look in her eyes as she wondered why Mira would need to check those.

“If that’s all you’d need, then go right ahead, Mirako,” Esmeralda said. She had no reservations, but she was rather intrigued as well. “Currently, thousands of participants have signed up. Will you really be able to review all of them? It won’t be an easy task… Can I assist?” she offered, using the excuse of wanting to help Mira to wheedle her way into whatever Mira had planned.

“Yes, we’ll do whatever we can to help!” Alma jumped in.

Mira smirked…but she’d planned on asking for their help anyway.

“I’ll take you up on that offer,” she answered. “Actually…”

She began to explain why she’d come to Nirvana. She’d already explained that she was looking for the remaining Nine Wise Men, so she was able to do so rather quickly. She had only to add that she’d come to find Meilin, the Controlling Fist, and they guessed the rest.

“Wow, Mei is here?! Ah, but yeah, that makes sense. Well…it is a huge tournament and all.” Esmeralda caught on very quickly, and her expression seemed to say that she fully understood.

She was also quite happy. Ties between the Nine Wise Men and the Twelve Apostles ran deep and they also got along surprisingly well. Esmeralda and Meilin were well acquainted.

“I see… Yeah, Meilin would definitely come to something like this. Okay, I got it now. Let’s give you a hand!”

Grasping why it was that Mira wanted to check the tournament registration records, Alma and Esmeralda promised that they’d get them ready that night and have everything set for the next day.

Having finished their discussion on the assignment for protecting the oracle, their meeting became a young ladies’ tea party, to use the term young ladies very loosely. The three reminisced on what things were like in the game and discussed what they’d been up to since coming to the world they now inhabited. They enjoyed a truly splendid time sharing silly stories over tea and pastries.

“You guys really are holding quite the tournament. Just how much are you spending on running such a thing?” Mira asked out of curiosity.

In addition to the five-billion-ducat grand prize for the open division, they were giving away a bunch of extremely valuable, legendary-grade equipment. In addition, they’d prepared a huge tournament venue and spaces for all kinds of events and attractions. The venue had the exact same feeling as a mini-theme park.

The tournament was so huge that there was no way the Kingdom of Alcait could hope to outdo it. Mira was curious just how much money it would cost to put on such an event, the likes of which Alcait could only dream of.

Alma simply grinned and answered, “Around two trillion.”

“Trill…ion?”

She had gone from billions to trillions. That was the kind of sum no individual would ever see in their lifetime, and one no ordinary nation could easily muster. It outstripped the entire annual budget for the Kingdom of Alcait, and they were going to spend it on a single event.

As the second strongest player-held nation, they’re in a league all their own…

Were a small, remote country like the Kingdom of Alcait to host such an event, it would likely be the last thing they ever did.

“Being Nirvana, I’m not surprised. To think you can just throw around that kind of cash for a tournament…” Mira replied, smiling bitterly about the disparity. But in contrast to the smug-looking Alma, Esmeralda wore a somewhat exasperated expression.

“Come on, Alma. You don’t need to brag. Hey, Mirako? We aren’t throwing around any of the nation’s cash. We all chipped in our own money, and we barely scraped it together,” Esmeralda revealed.

“Urk,” Alma grunted, like something was stuck in her throat.

From what Esmeralda said, plans for the tournament had been progressing in earnest, but that all changed shortly after the beginning of the year when things accelerated to full steam. The reason for this was the change in the situation with Ira Muerte.

In addition to the oracle’s power, something happened that showed that the organization was significantly weakened. So they quickly tacked on the whole plan to lure Ira Muerte into the trap that they’d been planning, giving rise to the tournament as it was now.

However, the annual budget for that year had already been decided. With little money left to pay for the dramatically increased size and scale of the tournament and operating expenses, the Twelve Apostles had to pay for anything over budget out of pocket. And so, all the savings that they’d accumulated over the past thirty years had evaporated.

They were a trillion ducats over budget. Each of the Twelve Apostles chipped in around eighty-three billion ducats. To Mira, that was an incredible amount of money.

“How could you possibly have that much…? I don’t even have one percent of that…” Mira struggled to wrap her head around that kind of wealth.

They possessed similar strength while still in the game and were just as active as the Nine Wise Men. But Mira thought that if all the Wise Men combined their personal assets, they’d be lucky to come up with a hundred million ducats.

“Things must really be different in a big country like this, huh…?”

How on earth could there be such a startling difference in how much capital they were able to save? The pay they used to get wasn’t much different from each other. Meanwhile, Alma and Esmeralda stared daggers at Mira as she pondered this.

“Seriously? You guys always blew all your money on experiments and stuff.”

“Don’t try to blame that on us; it had to do with how you guys individually spent your money. You guys just sort of…”

The two let out a heavy sigh. How could Mira complain about having no money with a straight face while throwing around cash like it grew on trees?

“Nh… It’s not like any of us spent th-that…much… Uugh…”

They really did do a lot of experiments. And they really did spend a lot doing so, but that didn’t account for the fact that Nirvana had billions more. And it certainly didn’t account for the fact that they’d mustered a trillion ducats between them. That made no sense at all.

Thinking of protesting, Mira began to ponder. The more she did, the more vague memories began coming back to her, and gradually, her expression darkened.

How much did we spend on those temples we built back then…?

They had thought they might learn different kinds of holy spells if they had proper temples in which to commune with sacred artifacts and offer up prayers. Then someone had the bright idea that if they built new temples and turned them into venerable places of worship, they might learn more about the Holy Arts.

And so they created a place known as the Great Holy District just west of Lunatic Lake. They’d built a great temple to honor the Trinity, housing for multitudes of the faithful, and a road leading all the way there.

If her math was right, that ended up costing them around a hundred billion ducats. And yet, they learned nothing from this experiment. It would probably take centuries for the district to become as holy and venerable as it needed to be.

“And herexperiment ended up being pretty pricey too, huh…?”

That experiment had to do with burning certain items as catalysts for learning sorcery spells. There was always a reason why items that contained latent power were valuable. And one of the ways to learn sorcery spells was to extract that power through the use of fire before putting it together again, like one would a puzzle.

But if you didn’t know what the puzzle was shaped like, you wouldn’t have any idea how to put it back together. And so Luminaria, the Wise Man of sorcery, gathered just about every piece of powerful equipment she could and burned them all. She destroyed rare-, heroic-, and legendary-grade items alike.

The legendary-grade ones ran for billions. No wonder we weren’t able to save much.

But they were able to figure out about five new techniques. Additionally, they figured out that this was a terrible way of learning new sorcery spells.

There were also those relics that Soul Howl needed…

It was often the case that those known as saints or heroes had some kind of special power within them. It was easy for this special power to be transferred to artifacts that these people loved while they were alive or possessed as they passed. Necromancers were able to take the power extracted from these items and incorporate them into different spells.

There were cases where one could get a spell that enabled them to raise physical attack power from relics that had once belonged to a physically powerful hero. So Soul Howl had collected a whole host of relics from powerful and prominent figures—saints, heroes, evil-doers, genius scholars, and even artists who’d made their mark on history. All of these, combined together, must’ve amounted to a fortune.

Now that I think of it, I feel like we spent a lot on that too…

Then Mira remembered a big one that she’d undertaken…restoring a dilapidated but sacred area to its former glory.

To the northeast of the Kingdom of Alcait, in the middle of a mountainous region, was a holy area that had been known as a paradise in the distant past. It was an extremely tranquil place where multitudes of spirits once resided. However, that area had become embroiled in a great war long past and had been burned to the ground.

Mira endeavored to restore this very area. She’d used some mystical remedies to restore the forest and had reinforced the area surrounding it so that it would not get burned down by the fires of war again.

Her hard work paid off. The area was once again a proper holy sanctuary, filled with spirit beasts and sacred beasts. And she’d often passed through to see if she might make evocation contracts with any of them. Er, well…Danblf had done all that.

There were several such holy sanctuaries, and it cost a considerable sum to restore them all.

She’d created a sprawling proving ground beneath the Linked Silver Towers where experiments relating to any magical discipline could be tested. She’d also worked on a huge irrigation project to grow the ingredients used as magical reagents. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how extravagantly they’d spent their money.

It was no surprise that there ended up being a huge difference in the accounts of those who kept to a strict budget compared to those who spent money like it was going out of style.

“Hmm, yeah. I guess that added up.”

But it hadn’t all been for nothing. It was why she had the power she had now. Or so Mira said, trying to justify it to herself. Alma and Esmeralda continued to stare daggers at her.

Chapter 21

THE DAY MIRA ARRIVED in Ratnatraya, capital of the Empire of Nirvana, she had a late dinner with Alma and her companions. Then they bathed separately before Mira made her way to her private quarters and went right to bed. The next morning, Mira got up and went about her morning routine before leaving her quarters, feeling refreshed.

“Whoa!” She saw a maid waiting for her and jumped in surprise. Seeing maids while inside a castle brought back flashbacks of Lily, Mira’s arch-nemesis.

“Good morning, Miss Mira. If you’re all set, then I can show you to the dining hall,” the maid said, her behavior both proper and composed. Just like Lily would have…

But unlike with Lily, Mira couldn’t detect any dark and hidden motives. This maid gave off a rather clear and refreshing aura.

“Hrmm, thanks.”

Her tendency to assume immediately that any maid was like Lily was deep rooted. But typically, someone like Lily would never become a maid in the first place. This maid was what they were typically like.

Relieved that this was a castle where she could take it easy, Mira stopped looking over her shoulder and followed along to the dining hall.

“To think, I’m already this stuffed this early…” Mira muttered after finishing breakfast, sounding pleased. The dining room she’d been taken to was buffet-style and wasn’t originally intended for guests, but rather for those working at the castle. Alma had assumed that Mira would prefer that kind of food over the morning course for VIPs.

…And how right she was. Having been able to eat her favorite foods and finish her meal off with dessert, Mira was in bliss.

After finishing breakfast, Mira was led by the maid to Alma’s chambers.

“If you’ll excuse me,” the maid said, taking her leave.

“Thanks for showing me around,” Mira said. Turning around, she found herself facing Alma.

“Morning, Geezer.”

“Hrmm, morning.”

After briefly greeting each other, Mira looked at the documents scattered across Alma’s desk and thought about how being queen must not be easy. Then they discussed whether Mira had slept well, how sumptuous breakfast was, what they’d learned from Mira’s efforts the day before, and things related to the matter of guarding the oracle.

“Good morning, Mirako.”

“Morning, Emeko.”

After a little while, Esmeralda arrived. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, it seemed that she had gotten the tournament roster ready for Mira in another room.

“When I get some time, I’ll come over and help you go through it,” Alma said from behind her.

Replying that she’d appreciate that, Mira followed after Esmeralda.

The room Esmeralda led her to was spacious and filled with shelves. According to Esmeralda, the room was an archive used by the information management department. It was about a thousand feet wide, and Mira realized that it had four floors as she looked up from the center of the room. Befitting such a large country, the amount of information that needed to be stored and managed far exceeded that of the Kingdom of Alcait.

“This place…is insane,” Mira murmured, beholding the room’s impressive size.

“If you stay in a place like this for too long, it’ll turn you into a different person,” Esmeralda answered sarcastically. She had also originally been of humble origins. Esmeralda laughed that she still wasn’t quite used to living in a castle.

Whether it was Alma, Esmeralda, or even Solomon, it seemed there were many who were unable to forget how they’d been back then, despite having lived in this world longer than they’d lived in the modern world.

Was this world just special or was there some secret laying hidden in their physical bodies? Solomon had his own questions about whether the extraordinarily slow rate at which memories aged was due to one of these reasons.

Thinking about this as they walked, they arrived at a room further inside the archives. It was used primarily for sorting and organizing documents.

In a corner of the table and chair-strewn room, Mira spotted one large table, atop which was a giant pile of papers. This mountain of paperwork was entirely tournament registration forms.

“That’s…a lot,” Mira muttered, sounding exhausted just to see it.

“Enjoy, Mirako. I’ll come by and help once I finish my work… Do your best.” Having simply led her there and nothing more, Esmeralda said her farewell and left.

Alma and Esmeralda both said they’d lend her a hand, but they seemed to be pretty busy with their respective duties as queen and as a member of the Twelve Apostles.

“Well, I suppose I ought to be thankful just for them getting all of this ready for me…”

Feeling a tad lonely, Mira grabbed the first stack of papers.

The registration forms were organized into specific divisions. For example, there was a mage-class division, an under-eighteen division, and so on. They’d been filled out on a first come, first served basis. Whoever registered first was at the front of the stack.

Knowing Meilin, Mira was sure she’d registered for the open division. And she would’ve made a beeline here the moment she heard about the tournament. It was hard to imagine that she’d be toward the back of the stack.

“All right… Please let me find it…” Mira prayed before beginning to look at the forms from the open division.

Storing information digitally was extremely convenient because, by setting up search conditions, you could sort the information with a single click.

It would be so easy if she could just search by Meilin’s class and look up sages. Wishing it were that easy as she shuffled through papers, Mira spent about half an hour or so checking for those who matched her criteria.

“Ah… What’s this?”

While still scanning the class section, she came across a form upon which someone had clearly written warrior sage. That was the class Meilin claimed, saying that she was both a martial artist and a sage. It was also what her friends referred to her as.

Checking the name of this participant, she discovered it was listed as Meimei.

The name of Wise Man of the Immortal Arts was Meilin. Mira predicted that Meilin might be sensible enough to register under an alias, and she’d also guessed that Meilin would use one that would be completely transparent. Mira had hit the jackpot.

“I can’t believe I was right on the money! Hrmm…I bet that whole business with Fuzzy Dice awakened my inner Sherlock Holmes!”

Though honestly, anyone who knew Meilin would have come to the same conclusion.

But Mira was in high spirits that everything had turned out the way she expected, so for a moment she felt almost as if she were the legendary detective.

There was no doubt that this was none other than Meilin. A confident grin blazed across Mira’s face. Letting out a chuckle while staring at the mountain of registration forms, she thought it was almost anticlimactic how quickly she’d found her. She felt a bit bad for having found who she was looking for without needing to go through even one percent of the forms they’d gotten for her.

“Well, I’ll just tell them I got lucky…” Settling on that excuse, Mira heard the sound of footsteps scurrying before the door flew open with a bang.

“We’re here to help, ya old geezer!”

“How’s the hunt going?”

Alma and Esmeralda popped into the room. They’d finished their morning duties and had come to help, just as they’d promised.

“Oh ho, thanks for coming all the way. But actually…” Mira said with a wry smile. Having found who she was looking for, she wordlessly held out a registration form.

“What’s that?”

Confused, Alma and Esmeralda dropped their gaze to scan the form. “Ah…” they said in unison after a few moments, realizing what had happened.

“That’s gotta be Meilin.”

“Oh yeah. Definitely Mei.”

The two of them appeared to be convinced that the form belonged to Meilin. Having arrived ready to take on a mountain of registration forms, the pair seemed a bit deflated that their help was no longer needed. At the same time, they laughed in relief.

“And where is Meilin staying…?”

Meilin had certainly come to the tournament. But there was another problem: finding where exactly she was.

When registering for the tournament, contestants had to provide the name of the place where they were staying…or at least their camp site number. By checking this, they could find where exactly the wandering Meilin had settled down.

“It says Adams’s house. Where is that…?”

“I have no idea.”

Looking at the field for lodging, it was only listed as the enigmatic Adams’s house. They checked that against a list with all the lodging in Ratnatraya, but found nowhere with any name like that. Only one explanation was left, and all three of them were in agreement: Meilin was staying in the house of someone named Adams.

“I wonder who this Adams is.”

If she were staying in an inn or hotel, this would’ve been so easy. But if it were a private home, that would complicate things. In addition to Adams not being a particularly uncommon name, Ratnatraya was a huge city with a population of over a hundred thousand people. There was no telling how many Adamses there were.

“Well, I suppose we should head to the social affairs department and have them find us every Adams in the city.”

They had no further information, so their only option was to go to each and every house owned by an Adams. For that, they’d need citizens’ information, which was kept by the state.

Upon hearing Alma explain this, Mira asked how many homes that might be, looking weary.

“I’m surprised she’s staying at someone’s private residence. I wonder if they’re a friend of hers,” Esmeralda murmured. Being a wandering warrior who was constantly on the road training, would she have acquaintances scattered around who would give her a place to stay?

That was a good question.

“I guess Meilin can be pretty cute when she’s not out running wild…” Alma said before wondering if something more nefarious was at play.

“Yeah, I’m not so sure,” Esmeralda said, seeming to think that wasn’t likely. There was no way anyone could force Meilin to do something against her will.

But the same thought had occurred to all three of them—what if someone was buttering her up, instead of using brute force?

“So. Adams, huh…?”

“Yeah… Adams.”

“At any rate, we won’t learn anything until we look them up.”

They weren’t getting anywhere standing around chatting. They needed to go to the social affairs department. But as Mira said that, there was a knock on the door and a woman peeked inside.

“Um, we just received a new registration form; shall I bring it to you?”

She was the woman who’d brought over the registration forms on Esmeralda’s orders. She’d been instructed to bring all of them, and now there was apparently one more.

“Thanks, we’re all set,” Esmeralda answered.

Having found the applicant they assumed was Meilin, the registration records’ purpose had been served. No need to keep digging.

“Understood,” the woman said before bowing. But she didn’t leave.

Looking extremely nervous, she nevertheless stayed put and looked down as if deep in thought.

“Is there something else?” Esmeralda asked.

The woman raised her head determinedly. “Um… Did something happen to Mr. Adams?!” she asked, her expression colored more with worry than unease. It would seem she’d been eavesdropping—and that someone named Adams was a colleague of hers. After hearing the queen and one of the Twelve Apostles discussing someone with that name in troubled tones, she had some concerns.

A lead had fallen right into their laps out of nowhere. Was it a coincidence? Sensing it may be something more, Mira asked, “Oh ho… Would you mind if we ask you a bit about this Adams that you work with?”

“Well… Uh…” the woman said. She knew the queen and Esmeralda, but who was this mystery girl? Still, confronted with Mira’s brazen request, she answered almost reflexively. From what she’d heard, Mr. Adams was the captain of a squad of knights and one of the people in charge of registration for the tournament.

“Oh… In charge of registration, eh…?”

Hearing the girl’s answer, Mira’s eyes lit up as she wondered if she’d struck gold twice in one morning.

This was Meilin they were talking about. It was likely she’d gone straight to enroll in the tournament without giving any thought to where she’d be staying. She’d mentioned that when registering.

“So, what is your impression of Adams? Is he the kind of person who’d be unable to turn away a stray cat that turned up on his doorstep?” Mira pried a little deeper.

Despite seeming a tad bemused, the woman’s face reddened a bit as she opened her mouth to speak. “Yes, that’s right. Whenever he finds an injured street cat, he immediately brings it home. He also has a strong sense of responsibility, is kind to everyone, and is strong enough to take down anyone who goes around starting fights.”

Well, this Adams was a pretty good guy. Maybe this was why the woman was so desperate to learn if something had happened to him… So desperate that she’d interrupted a conversation between the queen and one of the Twelve Apostles.

“Hrmm, I see.”

“My, my, isn’t that something?”

Alma and Esmeralda both seemed to sense that the woman had some feelings for the man. Smiling cheekily, they seemed somewhat amused. Mira also picked up on this with a slight smirk.

“Oh ho,” she said.

But, confronted with these reactions, the woman seemed to think she hadn’t said enough. Not knowing why they were talking about him, and hoping it would help him escape any potential trouble, she recounted the most recent anecdote she’d heard.

“Um… About a month ago, a girl came to register for the tournament alone, but…” Incredibly enough, she began describing the exact scenario Mira had imagined.

After coming to register for the open division of the tournament, a young girl got to the final field on the form. When asked where she’d be staying, she had simply written, “wherever.”

That wasn’t very specific, so upon asking the girl what exactly that meant, the young girl elaborated that she meant maybe in the park, the nearby forest, or just by the road—a broad definition of wherever.

The registration officials were concerned. The city was quite safe thanks to the city guard, but they couldn’t allow a girl to sleep out in the open. She didn’t have much cash, so staying in an inn wasn’t an option. There was a campsite for competitors, but upon hearing that the facilities there were shared and there were designated times for eating, bathing, and going to bed, the girl rejected that idea.

That’s Meilin. She’s going to eat and sleep wherever and whenever she wants.

They weren’t one hundred percent sure that this girl was Meilin, but the evidence was piling up.

In the end the registration official who’d suggested staying at the competitors’ camp wouldn’t allow the feral girl to sleep wherever. Adams overheard the lack of consensus and walked over to them.

“Mister Adams agreed that they couldn’t just let her stay wherever, so he proposed letting her stay with him,” the woman said, sounding passionate yet dreamy.

She didn’t have money for an inn, but she wasn’t about to abide by rules to live communally. So Adams invited this girl to stay at his own home. With a hint of envy, she said that the girl was still staying with the Adams family.

“Is that right?” Mira said.

“Well, it sounds like that problem is solved,” Esmeralda added.

“Yeah, what a nice guy!” Alma chimed in as well.

This certainly explained why “Meimei”was staying at Adams’s house. Now that they knew the full story, they all nodded as if it made sense. Seeing their reaction, a look of relief washed over the woman’s face.

What a lucky break! Mira thought.

There was no need to search for which Adams’s house was the right one. Now they just needed to ask where this Adams lived, and meet up with Meimei, who was undoubtedly Meilin.

“All right then. Would you mind asking Adams to come here?” Alma requested once the girl had finished with her story.

Now the woman looked anxious. There was no blaming her for feeling worried about the queen herself summoning the person she had feelings for.

Reading her expression, Esmeralda smiled gently and said, “There’s no need to worry. It isn’t anything bad.”

It seemed that Esmeralda’s words had dispelled her anxiety. She knelt and bowed before rushing off to summon Adams, saying, “Okay, I’ll go call him right away.”

They were waiting in a room deep within the information management division, the heart of intelligence gathering for the Empire of Nirvana. Mira and the others figured that they might as well begin looking into Adams and the house in which he was boarding the girl they assumed was Meilin. But more than anything, they wanted to know what kind of guy he was after seeing how much of a crush the woman had on him.

They didn’t really need to know any of that—they were just bored.

Chapter 22

ESMERALDA WAS the highest-ranking person in the nation, with a position comparable to that of general. There were no restrictions on what they could access. They could find any information pertaining to the military that they wanted.

“Wow, he really is a stand-up guy,” Mira said, looking at the dossier, which also covered Adams’s background.

His full name was Henry Adams, and he was the captain of a squad of knights. According to his file, he was an exceptional knight. He graduated second in his class from Nirvana’s top knight academy and after joining the military, had won second place in a sword fighting tournament. Then, he won a group jousting tournament and earned several other awards. All of it bore testament to his bravery and valor. He was a skilled individual who was very much worthy of his title of knight-captain.

“Oh wow, he’s the captain of the squad that August was in,” Esmeralda said, as if it were quite the coincidence.

The great nation of Nirvana had three armies. Each was composed of four brigades of knights, with each brigade made up of thirty-two individual squads. Henry belonged to the army’s sixteenth heavy-armor squad. Several years prior, August had been the former captain of the sixteenth heavy-armor squad. He’d joined the squad directly under Esmeralda’s control. Long story short, Henry became captain after August left.

While looking at this information, Alma suddenly said, “Ah, I see now. He must be the son of that Adams.”

Henry Adams was the son of a man she’d knighted twenty-five years ago. Back then, it’d only been five years since the game had become reality, and one particular individual had been exceptionally dedicated to the task of exterminating monsters. That was Lloyd Adams, Henry Adams’s father.

Alma smiled cheerfully at the thought of Lloyd’s talents having been successfully passed down.

After investigating a bit further, the three concluded that it was no surprise the woman had fallen for him. It was also worth noting that, though Mira heard as much from the Spirit King afterward, Martel was also having a hard time containing herself after learning about Henry Adams.

Now knowing a bit about his personality, they were all somewhat anxious to meet him. They didn’t have long to wait. He made his appearance just a couple minutes after they’d concluded their investigation.

“Henry Adams, at your service. Lady Alma, Lady Esmeralda, did you call for me?”

They heard a knock, and then a rather nervous-sounding voice. Considering he’d been summoned by Alma and Esmeralda, there was no blaming him for his unease.

“Thank you for coming. Please enter,” Esmeralda said.

Henry poked his head inside.

“Excuse me. What can I do for you? I am at your disposal,” he said, kneeling gracefully before Alma. Not knowing why he’d been summoned, he was uneasy, but still carried himself with a confidence that made him seem ready for anything. Just as they’d gathered from his personal records, he was an honest and true knight.

But the first thing Mira felt was surprise. Henry Adams was a veteran knight who’d won the respect of his subordinates. He’d been raised from childhood to be a knight, been blessed with the skills befitting a knight, and even secured the position of captain of a squad of knights. He was the very archetype of chivalry.

Mira had conjured a very particular image in her mind of what such a knight would look like. Though she was loath to admit it, she’d imagined a man who was handsome and could easily enchant women. But in reality, Henry looked nothing like the picture in her head.

Despite kneeling, his head was at about the same height as Mira’s, who was standing. He was an extremely tall man, towering well over six and a half feet. He was extremely buff and looked like he might be able to swing a Zweihänder with a single hand.

But in terms of looks, he was a far cry from the handsome knight one might imagine. He had the kind of face that might belong on a pirate or mercenary with a heart of gold, and exuded a strong, masculine musk about him. He truly was a great bear of a man.

For some reason, I feel like I’m on his side!

Mira had been won over, despite herself. Seeing a knight who wasn’t the type of man girls usually fell for, she was suddenly invested in his and the woman’s romance. (Though perhaps not as much as Martel).

“Would it be all right if I asked you something…?”

It was certain the woman from before had fallen for him because of who he was as a person, and not how he looked. Putting that aside, Mira asked Henry about Meimei, the girl he’d let stay at his home.

***

“This place is huge.”

It was about an hour after their meeting with Henry, and Mira was now standing in front of the Adams’s home. Despite being fairly new, it was nevertheless the residence of a knight, and the estate was quite spectacular. Beyond a large gate was a beautifully landscaped garden, with the mansion positioned majestically at its heart.

“Right this way. She ought to be watching my little sisters around now,” Henry said, having led them to the mansion.

He had both younger brothers and younger sisters, all considerably younger than him. He’d talked cheerfully about how he had two of each, all of them prone to misbehaving and causing a lot of trouble.

Mira told him that this “Meimei” who was freeloading at his home might be the girl she was looking for. She described several of Meilin’s defining characteristics, and he confirmed they were all right on the mark. Alma then said that Meimei was undoubtedly the girl they were looking for, so it was time for Mira to visit the Adams’s home, alongside Henry.

“Oh ho, so she’s babysitting? I can’t imagine…” Smiling at the thought of how well Meilin, who usually let her fists do the talking, would do at tending children, Mira began to wonder whether they had made a mistake about “Meimei’s” identity.

She’d be getting her answer very shortly. Henry headed further into the mansion from the entryway, and Mira followed him inside.

“Just as I thought, it seems they’re still at it.”

From the other side of a door came a ruckus. They could hear what sounded like enthusiastic yells, as well as something being smashed against something else. Mira wondered, concerned, why she was hearing such sounds from children being babysat as Henry opened the door. As he did, she could feel the air crackle with excitement.

“Oh ho, I see now. You really are a knightly house,” Mira said as she beheld the scene on the other side of the door.

The place where Meimei was looking after Henry’s sisters was a training hall. What she’d thought was babysitting was actually a sparring match.

Hrmm… I don’t recall seeing her in those clothes, but judging from that stance and the way she moves, there’s no way that’s not Meilin!

The floor was made of hard packed soil, and the walls and ceiling were stone. On one side was a large window that looked out over the garden. It’d been left wide open to let a fresh breeze blow inside. In the middle of the cavernous training room were five children.

As soon as Mira laid eyes on one of them, she knew she’d been right. The girl was wearing Chinese-style clothes and moved in a way that confirmed her skills. She also recognized the innocent-looking girl’s face. She was Meilin.

From the looks of it, Meilin was engaged in a four-on-one melee, but it was clear they were no match for her. She was trouncing the four children, who were armed with wooden swords, with a single hand.

And yet, the children kept rushing at her. They were clearly fiercely determined to become stronger.

Not wanting to interrupt their enthusiastic training, Mira and Henry simply watched.

“Ah, Big Bro!”

“Big Brother!”

Having been tossed aside by Meilin, two of the children had finally noticed Henry watching from the corner.

“Ah, it is big brother!”

“Welcome home!”

The other two siblings turned around and rushed over with big smiles on their faces the moment they realized that it was Henry. In the very next moment, they were both sent sailing through the air. Moving faster than they could even see, Meilin had thrown both of them without a hint of mercy.

“Carelessness like that will get you killed. Never turn your back on the enemy!” Meilin sternly cautioned as she stood above them where they lay on the ground.

“Yes, ma’am!” came their muffled response while scrambling to their feet. From the earnest way they’d answered, it seemed that they had a considerable degree of respect for her.

Shocked but not surprised, Mira smiled at how characteristically unforgiving Meilin was.

The training session naturally came to a halt. As it did, the children ran to where Henry was standing—safely this time.

“Allow me to introduce you, Miss Mira. This is Ryan, the middle brother, and this is Fabian, my youngest brother. And over here we have Cynthia, the eldest of my younger sisters, and Rosemary, my youngest sister,” Henry said, placing his hand on each of their heads in turn.

Each of the children reacted differently, with some proudly throwing out their chests and others bowing shyly. But the reaction of the middle brother, Ryan, was particularly spirited. He took a big gulp of air, as if he’d forgotten to breathe, before suddenly bolting upright with his cheeks blazing red.

This was the moment when the boy—who aspired to become a knight—first fell in love.

“Big… Big br… Eldest Brother, who’s… Who is your acquaintance?” he managed to ask Henry delicately, his voice trembling with nervousness.

Nodding, Henry said, “This is Mira. I’ve been told that she’s an adventurer even more skilled than Miss Esmeralda. She’s been looking for Miss Meimei, and so I’ve brought her here. Be on your best behavior.”

With the exception of Ryan’s, the children’s expressions changed. Up until then, they had worn very unchildlike looks of intense seriousness. Now, they went back to being curiosity-filled children.

“You’re an adventurer?! That’s awesome!”

“You’re that good? What’s your rank?!”

It didn’t matter what city or country one happened to be in—tales of the exploits of adventurers were always well received. It was precisely because of how true to life such tales were that children admired them the way they did. Children descended from a knightly house were clearly no different, as they seemed ecstatic to hear Mira was an adventurer.

However, Ryan looked conflicted, seeing as how he both looked up to and had feelings for Mira. As a man, he wasn’t quite sure how he’d feel if his first crush was a higher rank than him.

“Hrmm, well, actually…”

Being peppered with the children’s questions, and feeling their expectant eyes on her, Mira was not entirely displeased to be in the situation. She drew herself up proudly, thinking of how much more excited they’d get when she told them she was an A-rank adventurer.

But just as she was about to say this, someone suddenly interjected.

“I know who you are!” Meilin suddenly said after having stared at Mira for several moments.

A truly awful scenario suddenly popped into Mira’s head.

Being a martial arts master, she had the ability to discern someone’s identity from things such as the subtle ways in which they moved, the sound of their footsteps, and so on. Perhaps there was some unconscious habit or tic that Mira wasn’t aware of that had tipped her off that she was Danblf. Meilin might be able to announce this information to everyone.

“Wait, hold on a sec…!” Mira attempted to get Meilin to stop.

Considering that Meilin knew nothing about the situation, it was entirely possible she’d spill the beans. However, Mira’s entreaty was drowned out by Meilin’s extremely confident voice.

“You must be the Spirit Queen!”

The children grew even more excited to hear that Mira might not just be a crack adventurer, but a famous one with her very own nickname. It was almost scary how quickly word of powerful opponents reached Meilin’s ears. She already knew (almost) everything about the Spirit Queen.

After this bold proclamation, Meilin’s eyes shone even more expectantly than the children’s.

Really? That’s it?

Mira felt incredibly relieved.

When she’d gone back to the castle and taken a bath, her hair had returned to its original color. She was no longer in disguise but dressed like she usually was, in the clothes made for her by the maids. There was more than enough evidence for one to ascertain her identity.

And so, while she’d missed out on that oh-so exciting moment of revealing her identity, she’d managed to avoid a situation in which her true identity as Danblf was revealed.

Considering how different Mira now seemed, and how she hadn’t done anything particularly conspicuous, it wasn’t likely even someone as perceptive as Meilin would be able to tell who she really was.

“Hrmm… You’ve got a good eye. You’re correct. I am the Spirit Queen!” Mira cheesed it to live up to the children’s—and Meilin’s—expectations.

The second these words left her mouth, positively radiant smiles broke across the children’s faces.

“Whoa, that’s amazing!”

“Wow, it’s the Spirit Queen!”

The childrens’ faces were a mix of surprise and adoration. Seeing their childlike wonder, Mira cheerfully answered, “Pretty amazing, huh?”

However, someone had an even brighter smile on their face than Mira or the children: Meilin.

“Knew it! Finally found you!” Meilin said while ecstatically jumping up and down.

Mira let out an exasperated sigh, feeling as though she’d just dodged a bullet.

“Well, not exactly…” she pointed out, feeling a tad nostalgic. This had been a common occurrence in the past.

Upon hearing this, Meilin paused before correcting herself. “I guess you found me. Moth to the flame, sort of…”

“That’s not quite it, either.” Mira smiled mirthlessly, and Meilin began to ponder, an even more puzzled look on her face.

The puzzlement only lingered there for a moment, after which Meilin simply said, “Well, whatever!” and looked hopeful. “At any rate, I’d like to challenge you!”

Surprised it took that long.

Those were exactly the words she’d expected.

She was a prime sparring partner for Meilin, who had been traveling all over the continent in search of training partners. Considering that she was the fabled Spirit Queen, Meilin must’ve felt like she’d hit the jackpot. The positively dazzling smile that danced on her lips bore testament to this.

My assignment comes first.

She had a very unambiguous reason for finding Meilin. That was to prevent her from giving away her true identity as one of the Nine Wise Men when she participated in the tournament.

Were she to fight her now, it’d end up being a fierce battle between two of the Nine Wise Men. It could lead to unwanted attention…the kind that could get their identities discovered. So, if they were going to do battle, it’d be best to do so after Meilin had disguised herself.

“Hrmm, why not? I’ll accept your challenge!”

Well…it was also a really good excuse to test out some of the new techniques she’d been working on. Meilin was at the same level as her, making her the perfect opponent to test such things out on.

She’d also accepted because of how the children were acting after hearing Meilin’s challenge. They’d become super hyped-up to see who was stronger—their teacher, the sage Meilin, or the famed Spirit Queen. There was no backing down when the good name of evocation was on the line…or at least, that was how she justified it.

“Great! I appreciate it!” Meilin said, jumping with joy. She then quickly assumed a defensive stance, bending both knees while raising one fist and lowering the other. Finally, she said, “Now, summon whatever you’d like.”

Mira shook her head and replied, “There’s no need. A real summoner summons in the heat of battle.”

In a one-on-one fight like this, being able to summon evocations in advance gave away too much of an advantage.

Implying that she wasn’t going to show her hand, Mira added, “I don’t believe you’ll have too much time to sit back and observe.”

She knew the stance Meilin was in well. The pugnacious Meilin generally favored all-out offense. Her taking up a defensive stance meant that she was attempting to gauge how powerful Mira was. Her preferred way of training was to gauge her opponent’s strength before imposing limits on herself so she could fight on their level.

That was why when Mira was getting into position, she warned that if Meilin didn’t hurry and attack, Mira would walk away with the win.

“Might just be right about that.”

Meilin seemed to have detected that this opponent wouldn’t be like the ones she’d faced before from Mira’s stance and her aura. Smiling cheerfully, Meilin deepened her stance into offense, which she was so adept at.

“I’ll let you get us started,” Meilin said, at which Mira glanced straight at Henry. Being a warrior himself, he’d been closely watching the proceedings. With a slight nod, he stepped in between them and got into position himself.

“If you’re ready… Begin!”

And as Henry’s hand fell, the epic contest between two equally mighty comrades kicked off.

Chapter 23

ON HER SEARCH FOR MEILIN, Mira had made her way to the Empire of Nirvana. Thanks to her hard work and assistance from Queen Alma, she’d finally succeeded in finding Meilin, who was staying at a knight named Henry Adams’s mansion. And now they had just begun a match with each other in the training area inside, as if such a thing were a matter of course.

“Here I come!” Meilin said, upon Henry giving the signal. Her cheerful expression gone, Meilin had the piercing gaze of a hunter closing in on its prey. As she spoke those words, she suddenly vanished.

Henry and his siblings’ eyes widened in wonder. Mira—not looking the least bit concerned—quickly began looking for her opponent.

Just like I’d expected.

Meilin had used the Immortal Arts technique [Shrinking Earth] to appear as if she’d vanished. Because of her vast arsenal of skills, Mira was acutely aware of such techniques. The technique made deadly use of the laws of inertia to move so blindingly fast that the user couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Though powerful, it had several drawbacks…

One could only move in a straight line. Also, one could not come to a sudden halt. Therefore, if she knew when Meilin began using [Shrinking Earth] and where the technique would finish, she could deliver a strike that Meilin would be unable to avoid.

Knowing Meilin, it was likely that her first strike would be a special attack aimed straight at Mira. Wary, Mira’s ears didn’t fail to pick up the barely perceptible sound of movement.

“There!”

The noise she had picked up was a subtle sound coming from behind her and to the left. It was the sound one made when entering or exiting [Shrinking Earth]. Because Meilin was so much more proficient at using the technique, she was able to move while making much less noise than Mira before effortlessly transitioning into her next attack. And yet, Mira could still use the sound to guess her timing. Reacting instantaneously, Mira partially summoned a tower shield in between her and the sound.

Mira also knew that Meilin liked to attack from the rear, and that she liked to close the distance with her opponent using [Shrinking Earth]. Unlike the direct and straightforward persona she maintained, Meilin’s style of combat utilized everything from classic techniques to more sneaky ones. The more a person neglected to analyze their opponent thoroughly, the easier it was to hit them with such an attack.

But because Mira had known Meilin for so long, she completely saw through the attack.

The tower shield that now stood between the two of them had appeared at the perfect moment. Given that one could only charge straight forward, unable to stop, when using [Shrinking Earth], Meilin had no way of avoiding it. Mira thought Meilin must’ve collided with it—so she was surprised when the tower shield broke into pieces.

“Nice try!”

Meilin had delivered a strike, opting to smash through it rather than avoid it. Using the high-speed movement afforded to her by [Shrinking Earth], she delivered a devastating flying knee. The strike had been so powerful that it smashed the tower shield to smithereens, even though such shields could normally withstand a direct hit from a fiend.

“What the…!” Mira said, leaping back.

In parting, she simultaneously summoned multiple dark knights to surround Meilin. This didn’t even buy her a second. The moment one of her feet touched the ground, Meilin used her momentum to leap forward and kicked the dark knight in front of her flying. Turning as she followed through with the kick, she narrowly avoided a strike from one of their black swords. She pivoted to strike down the remaining dark knights.

She’s gotten quite a bit stronger than she was back then…

As far as Mira knew, there was only a limited number of attacks Meilin could use with [Shrinking Earth]. One of those few was a flying knee, but thanks to her extensive training, she could now deliver it far more cleanly than she had back in the game.

And it wasn’t just that she was more powerful. The attacks she transitioned into were also much more refined. She hadn’t just smashed the tower shield to smithereens with a single strike, she’d also wiped the floor with Mira’s dark knights.

But Mira was used to surprises when it came to Meilin. Her response was blindingly fast.

“How about this?!”

Before Meilin stopped spinning, and before she had a chance to get back into her stance, Mira made her next move. In place of the dark knights that’d been smashed, Mira surrounded Meilin with six ashen knights. While Meilin may have become stronger since they last met, so had Mira.

“Never seen that technique before!” While they were armor spirits like holy knights and dark knights, that was where their similarities ended. Visibly surprised to see the tough-looking, polished knights, Meilin laughed and said, “Making this interesting.”

Meilin’s movements were smooth and unbroken, like flowing water. Mercilessly set upon by the ashen knights, she had nowhere to go as they rushed her from all sides with their shields. She opted to sail over them and away from their attacks.

“And this!”

She moved with the speed of a wild animal, having planned to escape from that exact spot. Mira expected this and leveled the Immortal Arts technique [Refined Thrust] at Meilin, sending multiple condensed shock waves at her.

“You’ll need to do better than that!”

Her attack was followed by a loud smash—and then by all of the ashen knights launching upward. They fell back down, directly between Mira and Meilin.

So, she’s using [Grasp] now, huh?

This was the technique that earned Meilin her name as the Controlling Fist. The technique was named [Touchless Reverie] and had the effect of expanding one’s grip from arm’s length to the area visible to them. Even if something were far away, it could still be grasped. This let Meilin use close-range Immortal Arts techniques at any distance.

The move she’d just used was called [Raging Strike]. It was a powerful Immortal Arts technique that destroyed its opponents by knocking them into the air by hitting them with a powerful shock wave.

Her stricken ashen knights had been flung into the ceiling before being pummeled by Mira’s [Refined Thrust]. Then a powerful blast shook the entire training area. The ashen knights had knocked a huge hole in the ceiling and were now loudly clattering to the floor. Observing this scene before her, Mira noticed that Meilin was no longer there.

But Mira’s ears could pick up the crisp sound of her popping in and out of [Shrinking Earth].

“Twelve o’clock!”

Without skipping a single beat, Meilin was descending straight toward her among the ashen knights that were raining down around them. Having spotted Meilin’s movements, Mira leapt aside without even having a moment to think. A split second later, Meilin’s flying kick flew right through where Mira had been. It was a deadly accurate strike that would have been a direct hit had Mira been a second slower.

“Dodged that one, too?!” Meilin said, smiling happily as she cut through the air in a straight line. She used air step to kick the air and forcibly change her trajectory so that she was once more headed toward Mira.

“Whoa!”

Mira managed to wrench out of the way of Meilin’s follow-up attack, which seamlessly tracked her changing directions. And yet, this was where Mira’s trouble began…

Thanks to Meilin’s impressive footwork, she was now within close range of Mira. Mira knew a bit about fighting in close combat, but she’d learned all her fundamentals from Meilin.

The gulf between master and pupil was vast. In a close quarters fight, Mira had no chance of winning. And yet she managed to survive Meilin’s onslaught by summoning countless holy knights and partial summons.

“No matter how many I beat, they just keep coming!”

Ceaselessly beating down her holy knights, Meilin seemed excited to take on the ones that took their place. At least these were opponents she got some satisfaction in beating down.

The holy knights were working to keep Meilin away from Mira and draw her attention in different directions. Despite their stout defenses, Meilin was able to neutralize them in just a few hits. But they were successful in distracting Meilin from getting closer to Mira. By keeping her busy with partial summons, which could appear whenever and wherever, Mira was able to seal any gaps that Meilin might break through.

This didn’t last long. Having gotten used to how Mira was defending in waves, Meilin’s reactions became faster and faster.

“They aren’t even slowing her down anymore…!”

She even tried out new partial summons, including those that used spears, war hammers, and bows…but this was Meilin she was up against. She’d only just developed those techniques, and yet they were already obsolete.

Then Mira’s worst nightmare was finally realized. One of Meilin’s devastating flying knees smashed through her holy knights. She launched another jumping kick after pushing off the air, and it went straight through a partially summoned tower shield as she barreled toward Mira.

Mira just barely managed to avoid the attack by using [Mirage Step], but she couldn’t escape from Meilin’s grasp. After nimbly switching directions, Meilin finally managed to smash Mira with a sharp blow of her fist.

The blow contained more than enough power to render Mira unconscious. She knew this first-hand from the many times they’d taken each other on. Even if she were able to block a direct blow by crossing her arms, Meilin’s strikes were so powerful that it was possible they’d get through her defense and render her unable to fight.

“Those combination attacks really are something else.”

She had no doubt that Meilin’s combination attack of an overwhelming barrage of strikes would have ended the match, had this been their first encounter. But Mira knew this technique and had a plan for how to deal with it. And Mira intentionally aimed to create a situation where Meilin would use this very technique.

Mira crossed both of her arms to block Meilin’s strike. But that wasn’t all—just before the strike landed, she armored herself in a holy knight frame. Mira’s stats couldn’t compete with any of Meilin’s when it came to close combat, but she had been keeping arms evocations in her back pocket to even the playing field.

It would throw off the intuitive and accurate way Meilin handicapped herself to fight on the same level as her opponents. With some luck, Mira would give herself a slight opportunity.

Meilin’s strike was heavy and powerful, sending shock waves running through her body. But having stopped this strike, Mira grabbed hold of Meilin’s arm.

“Wow, you took that?!” Meilin said gleefully. The look on her face was unlike anything Mira had ever seen. It was awash with a mix of excitement and surprise at having been unable to knock Mira out.

“It’s possible to use evocation to do this kind of stuff too!” Mira shouted, as if on another summoning sales pitch. While still hanging on to Meilin’s arm, Mira smashed her with a haymaker that had the force of someone swinging a bat at full speed.

Were Mira in her normal state, it likely wouldn’t have amounted to much. But she was wearing a holy knight frame, which did more than simply amplify her defense. The power-assisted technique granted its wearer strength equal to that of a holy knight.

Having been hit by Mira at full strength, Meilin flew in a straight line into the wall. A deafening crash shook the room, and a bulletin board was smashed to bits before falling to the ground. The impact had been so violent that no one should be able to walk away from it.

Henry and his siblings gasped as they wondered if she was all right.

“Didn’t expect that!” came the cheerful sound of Meilin’s voice.

As if using the wall as a landing spot, she’d used both of her legs like springs to cushion herself against the vicious impact.

“Right?!” Mira laughed, completely unfazed by the fact that she’d not scratched Meilin. She never doubted that Meilin would effortlessly avoid taking damage from the strike. A strike like that wouldn’t accomplish much against a sage like her.

Then it was Mira’s turn to look surprised.

“Gonna turn things up a notch!” Meilin said, sounding fired up. She stood directly where she was without falling to the floor and began walking up the wall. Upon reaching the ceiling, she stood completely upside down. Henry and his siblings murmured as they watched Meilin completely ignore the laws of gravity.

“You’ve sure got some impressive moves,” Mira said.

She suddenly remembered that Scorpion, the elite hidden soldier with the Isuzu Alliance, had used the same technique.

Scorpion had been born in a forest to the west of Grimdart and the technique was a tradition passed down to those from Karasawa Village. However, Scorpion said that it was sometimes taught to outsiders who had the skills to use it. Mira wondered if it was the same technique Meilin was using.

“Would you mind teaching me how to do that too?”

Having thought about visiting Karasawa Village to learn the technique, Mira figured she might as well try asking.

“Nope. Promised not to teach it to anyone else,” Meilin said.

Given that response, Mira assumed that it really was the same technique that Scorpion used. Meilin must’ve shown the aptitude to learn the technique and was taught it. Not hard to imagine, considering it was her. And now she was standing upside down on the ceiling.

“You promised the village chief of Karasawa Village?”

“Whoa! That’s right!” Meilin answered proudly.

So, she was keeping the traditional technique under wraps after all. They must decide who to teach the technique to based on the person’s abilities…and whether they thought the person could keep a secret. While Meilin looked like someone who might easily be duped, she was an earnest person who resolutely kept her promises. There was no chance she’d teach it to Mira.

But then Meilin said with a fiery look in her eye, “If you can win, I’ll think about it.”

“Oh ho, I’ll hold you to it.”

Though Meilin had been sworn to silence, Mira also knew that she’d never make a comment like that unless she intended to follow through. Firstly, it made this match high stakes and gave her a reason to fight. Secondly, she thought there was no way she could lose.

But even so, she said she’d only think about it. She still gave herself wiggle room to back out at the last minute. A smart move…but a dirty trick at the same time.

As usual, it was Solomon who’d given her the idea to do this. Just because they were the Nine Wise Men didn’t mean they always won. They’d taken their share of losses over the years. In the past, Meilin had made similar bets with secret information, then lost and been forced to divulge it. After that happened a few times, Solomon taught her to add the “think about it” clause just to be safe.

In any case, today it was simply an excuse to be happy and go all out fighting.

Mira knew that Meilin still wouldn’t tell her even if she won. So for Mira, this was also an excuse to go all out testing new techniques.

As the two got into their battle stances, silence fell around them.

What would happen next? Having seen Mira and Meilin’s stout defense and blistering offense, the children stared at the two in rapt attention. Henry was also enchanted by the unexpectedly intense battle. He didn’t even seem to notice that his training hall was being destroyed in the process.

Meilin was the first to move. It seemed as if she was about to run across the ceiling when she suddenly vanished, having used [Shrinking Earth].

The next to move was Mira. She perceived a faint rushing sound, then turned and stopped one of Meilin’s jumping kicks with both of her arms.

Everything was going just as it had before. But then things heated up. After intercepting Meilin’s kick, a great arm suddenly appeared mid-air and brought down a great black sword toward Meilin, who quickly disappeared once more.

Then Meilin’s fist plowed into Mira’s back in a heavy blow.

“Hrk…!”

Not hesitating, Mira turned around to find Meilin gone. Mira was struck once more from the side. Once again, she quickly turned and found that Meilin was no longer there.

When it comes to combat like this, I really am at a disadvantage, huh…?

It was hopeless to take on Meilin in a contest involving close-quarters combat, and the fact that they were indoors made things even worse. Meilin could stand on the walls and ceiling, moving in three dimensions. That meant that it was that much harder for Mira to get her hands on the sage.

And yet, what kept Meilin from clinching the match was Mira’s holy knight frame. The summoned armor had a special feature that normal armor lacked: its defensive ability.

The very defensive barrier inherent to the holy knight itself was also bestowed upon the holy knight frame. This effect made it so that not only was her defensive strength amplified, but a certain amount of damage was completely negated. While the armor evocation was active, she could fight without having to worry about getting injured.

“That’s a lot stronger than I expected!” Meilin said with an intrigued look in her eyes. She’d just landed a powerful jump kick on Mira, only to watch the summoner stand right back up. It seemed as if Meilin was testing the capabilities of the holy knight frame, as she repeatedly hit Mira from her blind spot with strikes of varying strength.

“It’s one of my recent favorites…and not one that you’ll easily be able to damage.”

Were Mira without the holy knight frame, she would’ve lost this match ten times over. But with a nonchalant look on her face, Mira simply got up and back into her stance.

With the way Meilin was flying about in every which direction, it was nearly impossible to catch where she was. And now she was going so fast it was extremely difficult to detect any audio cues as to where she was.

The only time she was able to use her senses to detect Meilin was immediately before she was struck. The only thing Mira could do was use [Biometric Scan] to prepare for when she was about to be hit.

While it may have been incredibly sturdy, Mira figured the holy knight frame wouldn’t be able to take too many more hits before shattering. But she could do more than simply stand around getting pummeled. While she couldn’t catch sight of Meilin, Mira’s eyes continued darting around in pursuit of her. When she was finally ready, Mira used the spell.

“I’ve got one more technique to try out. How about I give it a shot and see if it’s a winner?!” Mira said, smiling brightly, as if about to try out a new toy. A mass of summoning circles appeared simultaneously, surrounding her and then spreading outward through the entire training room.

“Whoa, that’s incredible mana!” Meilin exclaimed as they appeared, sounding more excited by the possibilities than alarmed by their appearance.

Meanwhile, Henry and his siblings simply looked on in amazement from the very edge of the training room with a mix of emotions.

Then they appeared right before their very eyes.

“Hm. Looks the same as the other ones, yeah?” Meilin said, staring at what Mira had summoned. Her head was tilted and she looked slightly displeased.

Around the training room stood dozens of holy knights, all lined up. They were Mira’s standard holy knights, the exact same kind as the ones Meilin had just smashed in droves. The only thing that seemed different was how many of them there were. There were so many that they almost filled the entire training hall.

Her grin growing wider, Mira said, “We’re just getting started.”

Then she added the finishing touch…and all the holy knights she’d summoned suddenly changed form.

Holding a wall-like shield with both hands, the new holy lords were extremely specialized when it came to defense. With their defensive power, they could withstand however many strikes Meilin could throw at them.

With the number now present, the training hall was packed tight. While she could move along the walls and ceiling, Meilin couldn’t make use of her speed with so many obstacles now present. So long as she was unable to do anything about the holy lords, her mobility was severely hindered.

That wasn’t all there was to Mira’s plan… By using the Spirit King’s blessing, she imbued them with the power of a light spirit. The holy lords now shone brightly, filling the training hall with piercing light that forced anyone looking on them to close their eyes.

“Too bright!” Meilin said, shielding her eyes as if unable to bear the light.

“Right? Right?!” Mira answered, laughing, while also closing her eyes.

“So, this is an evocation too, is it? It’s an interesting ability,” Henry said.

“Big Bro, I can’t see anythiiing!”

Henry and his siblings squeezed their eyes shut as they stood before the holy knights, who were shining as brightly as the sun. The light was so blinding that no one was able to keep their eyes open… And so they were unable to see the cheap and dirty evocation technique she’d be utilizing next.

“All right, I wonder how you’ll handle this,” Mira said. She was also unable to see what her opponent was doing, but by using [Biometric Scan] she was able to pinpoint exactly where Meilin was.

Meilin could do the same, being an Immortal Arts sage. She should have known where Mira was. But there was a crucial difference between the two of them.

As the caster, Mira knew where each one of her holy lords were. Meilin did not.

“This is gonna hurt,” Meilin grumbled.

Mira and the holy lords were able to move as they pleased. Upon detecting that Meilin was approaching Mira, the holy lords would step in and block her way. Using the giant, deadly shields they wielded, they could shield bash her at will. Perhaps by using her hearing or sensing their auras, Meilin managed to evade such strikes by the skin of her teeth.

But Mira and her holy lords weren’t done. Among the dozens of holy lords, Mira had included a few that were imbued with the power of silence and were now completely muffled.

After a few seconds, the dull sound of a powerful shield smashing into something shook the air.

“Hmm?! What was that?! Where’d that come from!”

Unlike Mira—who was a glass cannon—Meilin’s training had made her incredibly tough. She could also buff herself using Immortal Arts, so her defensive power was enough to withstand a strike from a shield without taking much damage.

I went pretty hard with that one… But she didn’t even flinch before she delivered a counterattack. This kung-fu girl is terrifying.

Meilin was so tough that she wouldn’t even be bested by a close-quarters combat-class warrior. Knowing this, Mira had decided to hit her with a powerful strike, and yet even that didn’t seem to faze her much.

By forcing Meilin to shut her eyes and tricking her ears, Mira had succeeded in walloping her opponent with a devastating blow. But then Mira’s holy lord was smashed into pieces as Meilin responded with a powerful counterattack. Thanks to her training, Meilin’s reaction time was even faster and more precise than when Mira had known her before.

Beginning to feel that a win against Meilin might be tougher than she thought, Mira smiled and began thinking about what strategy she’d try out next.

“That’s a problem,” Meilin said.

Despite not being able to see, Meilin used her Immortal Arts and accurately pinpointed where Mira was before launching another attack. Meanwhile, Mira cautiously had her holy lords move so that there were always multiple holy lords to block any oncoming attacks between herself and Meilin.

Meilin was adjusting how much force she was using, as each blow seemed to be more powerful than the last.

If Meilin used her full strength, she’d be able to smash all the holy lords to pieces. The only reason she was holding back was that they were in Henry’s home.

To defeat the holy lords with their impressive toughness, she’d need to keep hitting them with powerful blows. The counterattack she’d just delivered was more than enough to defeat one, but there were so many more to absorb her blows. To destroy all of them, she’d need to unleash destructive power that would bring down half of the mansion.

And Meilin knew this well. So without using her most powerful attacks, she instead responded by using a variety of techniques that she applied in different ways. But she was perfectly happy to be moderately destructive. The training hall began to become more and more dilapidated as the match went on.

After having gone on for a while, the siege around Meilin was finally drawing to an end.

“How about this formation?!”

The shining holy lords had been using various formations. But just when Mira was about to try a new one she’d come up with, Meilin grasped their weakness and blew a hole in their ranks. The strike was so powerful that it easily blew away five holy lords.

Normally, the other holy lords would simply step up to stop her. But that’s not what happened this time. The incredibly well-aimed blow had sent the summons toppling away before they could react.

“What the…?!”

Meilin had moved so that the holy knights wouldn’t be in rows; she then flawlessly burst through the area where their defense was weakest. Perceiving that she was at a disadvantage being in a room packed with the shining holy lords, she’d responded by leaving.

Blinking in surprise for a moment, Mira then ran toward the garden.

“Not so bright out here.”

Having finished off the holy lords that’d sortied in the garden, Meilin looked toward the glowing training hall before beckoning Mira, asking her to bring it on.

“You escaped that one. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk.”

Their battlefield had switched venues. Once inside the training hall, now outside in the garden. Excited that she could now test all kinds of techniques outdoors, Mira eagerly jumped out into the garden.

Chapter 24

THE GARDEN OUTSIDE OF Henry’s mansion was large, covered in grass, and also used for training. That much was evident from the wooden dummies that stood in various places. And yet, the bushes surrounding the garden were well tended. It was like an extension of the training hall, serving as a place to enjoy the outdoors in any season.

Mira and Meilin were more concerned with testing out new techniques and training than the landscaping, so their battle only got fiercer as they got room to maneuver. After facing each other for a moment, Meilin took a step forward with an eager look on her face and said, “All right, here I come!”

Mira got into position, wary of the combination attacks Meilin could deliver once using [Shrinking Earth]. There were no longer any ceiling or walls, so Meilin now had fewer lines of attack. But it was still an expertly developed technique, and she couldn’t let her guard down for even a moment. But because Mira had seen the technique so many times, she could react without always being a step behind.

But because that was a technique Mira knew she could respond to, she ended up focusing too much on it. Meilin hadn’t only used [Shrinking Earth] with the step she’d taken, she’d used another technique in conjunction with it. In only a sliver of a moment, Mira felt a sense that something was off. And by the time she’d perceived that, something appeared beneath her.

“Wha—?!” Mira yelped. She was knocked high into the air following the ferocious-sounding roar of a powerful shock wave. Starting from where Meilin had stepped, it had snaked its way along the ground until it got to Mira’s feet and exploded.

It was a new technique that Meilin had developed herself. Mira had been slow because she didn’t even know such a thing was possible.

She had that one in her back pocket, eh…?!

[Shrinking Earth] was a powerful Immortal Arts technique that allowed her to close the distance between herself and her opponent instantaneously. But she still needed to take a step forward to use it. The more advanced the user, the more fluidly they could do so and the harder it was to detect.

Of course, Meilin was so proficient that she was a master. That she now had an additional means of attacking with this technique meant that things were now much more problematic.

Thrown over thirty feet before she’d even realized it, Mira managed to use [Air Step] to stabilize herself. But she realized that her troubles weren’t over.

Detecting a release of mana, Mira instinctively activated the summoning ability [Evacuation Order] to summon the holy lords that she’d left back in the training hall to take their place in front of her again.

She heard a powerful roar that sounded several times larger than the one that’d proceeded it. The strike that Meilin had launched was [Refined Thrust], and it exploded into the holy lords, which were in between Meilin and Mira. Striking at nearly full strength, the attack smashed two of the holy lords in half.

“That’s terrifying…” Mira said, a shiver running down her spine as she beheld Meilin’s considerable power. But Meilin kept going with follow-up attacks. Sensing an even bigger release of mana, Mira kicked herself away into the air as she let out a, “Whoooa!”

Without Mira’s agility, the twenty remaining holy lords fell from the sky as they were pulled down by gravity. But they never reached the ground.

[Secret Immortal Arts Earth: Pale Blue Moon]

An even more powerful blow shot from the ground, high into the sky.

The powerful impact gave birth to a fierce gust of wind. It ripped at the ground, rattled all the mansion’s windows, and punched a hole through the clouds floating overhead.

Having been hit by Meilin’s attack, which pierced the sky, the holy lords were launched to an altitude where they were no longer visible. They were scattered just as the clouds had been.

She’s just as powerful as I remember…

Her blood ran cold as she observed how Meilin seamlessly incorporated a secret technique into her combo. Mira lightly landed on the roof of the mansion, wary for any additional follow-up attacks. She checked where Meilin was.

She had not moved very far from where she’d been. Not only that, there was no indication that she was planning any additional attacks. She simply stood, looking up at Mira with an eager look in her eyes.

Mira remembered seeing that look. Meilin was letting her know that it was now Mira’s turn. She had just shown off one of her special techniques, and now she wanted Mira to do the same.

Some things never change.

There was no indication whatsoever that she was heading toward Mira. Meilin just remained in her stance with an excited look on her face, wondering what Mira would throw at her.

Mira smiled. She had just the thing.

When she’d been thrown in the sky, she’d already had everything ready. All she had to do now was activate the evocation spell.

“My turn!” Mira said.

Meilin’s expression brightened, and she jauntily answered, “Bring it!”

“Then, here goes!” Mira said as she activated the spell, finally ready to put it to the test. The sky overhead blackened with an almost countless number of summoning circles. There seemed to be two of each, and they looked unlike any that she’d ever used before.

The arms of the dark knights that Mira was so adept at summoning appeared from each…so many that they blotted out the sky. In the very next moment, they threw their weapons down toward the ground.

It was an evocation technique that she’d first tried out while fighting the Skull Dragon in the Ancient Underground Labyrinth. But she was now using the final version, having perfected it.

They no longer threw all their weapons at once, but at slightly different intervals. The technique had evolved so that the arms could aim accurately at the target and predict its movements. There were also arms that appeared for a longer amount of time that would fire a barrage of arrows while the swords, spears, and axes rained down from the sky.

“Ridiculous!”

Lethal weapons fell from the sky like a deadly rain. Even Meilin seemed to be taken aback. A far cry from how eager and giddy she’d just been, she now seemed panicked as she dashed about the garden, dodging the merciless hail of deadly weapons that were raining down around her.

“But you won’t beat me!”

Realizing that she wouldn’t escape by running about, Meilin composed herself under the hail of iron. Then, she quietly crossed her arms.

“Ngh… So you plan on doing that, huh?”

Seeing what Meilin was doing, Mira decided to use the time she had left to focus her aim solely on Meilin. Activating all the summoning circles that were on standby, she had the arms unleash every single weapon and arrow they had in a powerful barrage. It could’ve easily taken down even an A-rank monster.

Meilin stayed in her stance, not moving a muscle, while staring at the flurry of arms rushing headlong at her.

A split second later, countless swords, war axes, spears, and arrows arrived. They fell in force, the dull and ferocious sound of them slamming into the ground echoing across the garden.

“How was that? It was a little something I’ve been keeping up my sleeve.”

After several seconds, all the weapons disappeared. Standing where they had been embedded in the ground, Meilin looked up with a satisfied grin on her face.

“Pretty strong! Consider me surprised!”

Uncrossing her arms, Meilin did not have a single scratch on her. Not only had she withstood such an attack, but she’d come away completely uninjured. She’d used the sage ability [Immortal Arts Hard Way: Summit].

This technique allowed her to become as tough as steel, at the expense of her ability to use [Shrinking Earth] and [Air Step], or Immortal Arts Heaven…a set of ranged Immortal Arts techniques. It also buffed her Immortal Arts Earth techniques…that is, her close-range Immortal Arts techniques.

Meilin used this in addition to [Immortal Arts Earth: Ironclad] to buff her defenses. She took absolutely no damage from the barrage.

Meilin eagerly added, “Any more tricks you want to show off? I’d love to see them.”

“Hrmm, is that so? Glad to hear it. In that case, I hope this’ll meet your expectations!”

Since Meilin said Mira’s previous attack was pretty strong, there was no doubt that Mira could use it against higher level enemies.

The technique only made use of partial summoning. Despite how flashy it looked, it didn’t use much mana. Summoning a hundred of the arms burned about as much as summoning ten dark knights…about three percent of Mira’s total mana.

Meilin’s seal of approval for a conservative use of mana meant that test was a huge success.

Her spirits buoyed by this, Mira became even more enthusiastic. Jumping down from the roof and into the garden, she ran forward and stood directly in front of Meilin.

“Sure it was a good idea to come down here? I’m really strong up close…” Meilin warned, stating the obvious. With the effects of [Immortal Arts Hard Way: Summit] still active, Meilin’s combat strength was off the charts.

On the other hand, her ability to use ranged attacks was diminished. In addition to not being able to use techniques such as [Shrinking Earth] to close the distance between her and her opponent, she was unable to use any Immortal Arts Heaven techniques. It would be advantageous to fight her from afar.

Mira declined this advantage and got within striking distance, saying, “Hrmm, that’s precisely why.”

She needed Meilin to be extra powerful to test her next technique. Were it to work on Meilin, then it’d surely work on high-ranking fiends. Mira hurriedly activated her next experiment.

“This is my ace in the hole. Here goes!”

The moment she activated the technique, Mira was wrapped in light. Meilin did nothing but watch, looking excited to see what’d happen next.

The mana that swirled around her began to take shape and cover Mira’s entire body. With that, Mira had awoken an even greater power than was possible with arms evocations. By combining the power of the dark knight frame and the holy knight frame, she’d summoned an ashen knight frame. But that wasn’t all…this new technique went a step further.

Using her research, Mira had discovered that mages using other branches of magic ought to be able to use arms evocations like ashen knights. So using that evocation as a base, she went a step further and created an evocation that incorporated her own unique skill set.

It was a brand-new evocation technique that only Mira knew. She created a frame with the power of both a dark knight and a holy knight, then joined them with the power of the sacred sword Sanctia.

[Arms Evocation Conversion: Sacred Frame]

Having emerged from the light, Mira was wearing armor that gave off an empyrean glow. She stood dressed with an armored skirt about her waist, a tiara-looking helmet on her head, and a minimally sized breastplate—all of which bore testament to the armor’s emphasis on ease of movement.

At first glance, Mira looked a bit like one of the Valkyrie sisters. However, the armor had a level of decadence that was clearly on a higher level. The armor was ornate and made Mira look like a queen from Valhalla. The finishing touches were the two light swords hovering across her back.

The light swords were imbued with the special power of the sacred sword, Sanctia. Originally, she couldn’t even manifest them without masterful sword skills. Mira, who had no sword skills to speak of, hadn’t been able to use them. But by garbing herself in the frame of an armor spirit who was proficient in using a sword, she managed to work around this technicality and could now use the swords.

“So that’s what you had up your sleeve! The power’s just incredible!”

This arms evocation eclipsed all that came before it. Seeing it, Meilin understood why Mira came down to fight at close range—the summoner would have no trouble taking her on. Smiling as if Mira had exceeded her expectations, Meilin readied herself once more.

“Got something up my sleeve too!” Meilin said, sticking her right hand behind her back.

As she did, mana started flowing out of her hand before it started glowing white.

I…don’t remember seeing this one before.

Seeing this stance and technique for the first time, Mira was wary. Judging from the state Meilin was in, she had to be using a close-range technique. But from observing how she was concentrating her mana, Mira couldn’t get a good idea of what the technique aimed to do.

Well, I guess I’ll just have to go.

If she wasn’t learning anything from watching her, then there was only one way to find out. It was a technique that Meilin had been keeping in her back pocket, so Mira could only guess how powerful it was.

Mira adjusted the frame to prioritize defense and absorbed one of the light blades into her right hand. The plan was to withstand whatever attack she was hit with before unleashing her own knockout blow.

“Here I go!”

“Let’s do it!”

Briefly smiling at each other, the two flew forward. Wreathed in light, they broke into a dash and simultaneously launched their special attacks as they reached the center of the garden.

For a moment, a blinding light flooded the area, and an explosive blast ripped through the air. It only lasted a moment before a shock wave shook the air, centered where the two met.

And there stood Mira and Meilin, glaring at each other with their arms locked to block each other’s blows.

“That’s a pretty neat technique. What was that ray of light all about?”

As they rushed at each other, Meilin had raised her fist and traced a ray of light in the air. Wary, Mira concentrated power into her right hand.

“A secret. Your turn. You have a sword in your right hand…what happens if you use both?”

Meilin looked briefly at the sword floating behind Mira’s back before staring at Mira and forcing her right arm forward.

One sword had been enough for them to be on equal footing, so would using two have pushed Mira ahead? This possibility was fueling Meilin’s spirit. Unfortunately, Mira wouldn’t be able to live up to her hopes.

“The second one? If I could use it, then I definitely would’ve won. But I’m still figuring that out,” Mira said confidently, despite her shortcoming. She was still working on a special technique for her sacred frame, which she’d dubbed [Light Blade Punch]. At the moment, she was only able to use one of the swords.

“So…you’re still training too?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

There wasn’t much of a difference between studying and training.

Meilin felt a connection to Mira. Wearing a truly effervescent expression, she said, “Isn’t training awesome?!”

“Hrmm… Seems that way. Would you care to try me again? I’ve been wanting to test just what I’m capable of with only one sword,” Mira said, while slowly retracting her fist and absorbing the remaining light blade into her right hand.

She calibrated the frame balance so that it prioritized offense, just to see what she could do.

“Sounds like fun! You read my mind!” Meilin answered with a smile. Swiftly leaping backwards, she took another two or three steps back. Now further away than she’d been before, Meilin stopped and got into position as she started to concentrate mana into her right hand.

With Mira saying that she was going to use even more power, Meilin would likely be doing the same. And yet, her stance and the amount of mana she was using were unchanged. The only thing different seemed to be her distance from Mira.

Hrmm… I wonder if distance has some effect on her power.

Or so Mira assumed, having seen the way Meilin had drawn back to readjust it. It seemed that the longer a running start she had, the more power the technique would have. Because it was so simple, it seemed much easier to use.

“All right, here I come!”

“I’m ready!”

Both adopting deep stances and facing one another, the pair were finally ready to make their second charge, when a voice rang out.

“Miraaa, Meiliiin, stooop! That’s enough! That’s enough, please!”

Turning around, they saw Henry leap out of the training hall window and run over. He was frantically making his way to where they were while waving both hands.

“Any more and she’s really going to cry. Could we call it a day?” he said, smiling bitterly while glancing over toward the corner of the garden.

Following his line of sight, Mira and Meilin’s eyes fell on a single maid.

They’d been so engrossed in their duel that they’d never noticed her, and yet it looked as if she’d been there the entire time. She was wearing thick gloves and was holding a bucket and a shovel. She was obviously there to tend to the garden.

While out gardening, she’d suddenly found herself subjected to the epic battle that suddenly broke out, and had not been able to flee.

Worse: upon getting closer to check if she was all right, the stricken maid kept repeating, “My garden… My garden…”

Looking around, it was clear just how much devastation they’d caused. Thanks to their battle, Mira and Meilin had brutally turned a well-maintained garden into a wasteland.

Chapter 25

AMID THE REMAINS of the garden devastated by Mira and Meilin’s battle, one of the Adams family’s maids stood in a state of shock. Judging from how she looked, it was clear that she was the head gardener. Mira and Meilin quickly realized what they’d done.

Having come to their senses after being battle drunk, they quickly rushed over and apologized on their hands and knees.

“Jeez, I’m…really sorry.”

“S-sorry.”

Afterward, they worked hard to restore the garden to how it’d been. Following the maid’s instructions, they filled in the holes that riddled the lawn, sifted through the flowers and earth that were strewn about, and helped repair the devastated hedges and the foundation they were growing from.

While working to restore the garden, Martel offered her kind assistance because she couldn’t bear to see Mira struggle. Perhaps having grown more used to having the Spirit King’s blessing than before, there were more ways for Mira to use his power. She was able to channel Martel’s power as well.

Mira gladly accepted Martel’s offer as she tried her hand at restoring the garden.

“You can leave anything having to do with plants to me!” Mira said, brimming with confidence. She then went about resurrecting the flowers with Martel’s powers. The effect was dramatic and went far beyond what she’d expected. Endowed with Martel’s power, the turf grew back magically as Mira touched the ground. Instantly, it was thick and lush again.

And thanks to Meilin working like a mule, the garden was landscaped in no time. Not only that, it was also much more vibrant than it had been before Mira and Meilin had laid waste to it.

“Incredible… It’s so lush!”

“Right?!”

After getting the overwhelming seal of approval from the maid—named Vanessa—and getting more cocky, Mira restored all of the plant life in both the garden and around the hedges.

The hedges were resurrected and the flowers looked resplendent in full bloom. There were now several magnificent Mist Feather trees. They were spirit-cored trees characterized by the flowers that grew from them, which resembled mist-like feathers fluttering about in the breeze. The head of the Adams family—Henry’s father—had brought the seeds back from somewhere abroad. Now there was a full-grown tree towering in each corner.

It was difficult to keep them healthy, and having been quite concerned about what to do, Vanessa seized the opportunity and brought them to Mira’s attention.

“If you give them a mana potion once a month, the leaves will give off a slight glow. That will make for quite a beautiful, enchanting sight,” Mira said to her. This happened thanks to a reaction having to do with the special properties of the tree and was a not very well-known trick. Mira repeated it verbatim from Martel.

Now Vanessa began to see Mira more as a master botanist and less of a summoner who wrecked gardens.

“I’ll try it tonight!” she answered cheerfully. She then seemed to remember something before running off as she exclaimed, “Ah!”

Several moments later, she returned with three black seeds clutched in her hands. They were also courtesy of Henry’s father.

“Um, I was hoping to ask about these…”

But there was a problem. The only information she had regarding the seeds was that they were seeds of a fruit that’d been served at a party somewhere. That was all she knew. But the fruit had been very good, so he’d brought them back.

He’d never bothered to ask any more questions about what they were. The fruit had already been cut into slices when he’d got it, so he didn’t even know what it looked like or what color it was. It was a rare fruit that the host of the party saved for special occasions, so when asked about it, they simply smiled smugly without answering.

“I’ve tried planting these during different seasons and with different soil. Five times the seeds sprouted, only to wither. I don’t know what to do anymore…” Vanessa said, adding that since she couldn’t determine what type of seed it was from its shape, she’d had a hard time knowing when or how to plant it.

There were only three seeds left now. Not taking any more risks, she’d researched as much as she could but had yet to identify them. And yet, Henry’s father was looking forward to having them grow. Imploring Mira, Vanessa explained that this was a major source of stress.

“Hrmm… It must be tough being a maid, I suppose…?”

Thinking back on Lily and the maids at Alcait Castle who were a touch too libertine, Mira sympathized with the tough position Vanessa was in.

“Why don’t I take a look?” Mira said. Feeling compelled to help, she took one of the seeds and stared at it as if studying it. It looked like the kind of seed one might find on the ground just about anywhere.

“No doubt about it! That’s a loquat apple seed!” Martel answered immediately. An easy job for the primordial spirit Martel, mother of all plant life. But that wasn’t all…she informed Mira about why Vanessa had failed to grow the seeds.

“Hrmm, well, about these seeds…” Having finished listening to what Martel had to say, Mira then revealed what she’d heard as if she’d known all along.

The seed was a variety of a special fruit known as a loquat apple. And while it was called an apple, the fruit was more like a melon. But because it had thin skin like an apple, it bruised easily. For this reason, it was an incredibly difficult fruit to grow to maturity.

“But if you still want to try to grow some, then there’s one important thing to remember…”

That riddle solved, Mira let Vanessa know that growing the fruit required a considerable investment of time and energy. And while she’d told her it would be tough, the passion that burned in Vanessa’s eyes showed no signs of dimming. If anything, she jumped at the challenge.

Mira informed her about the most important thing to know when growing loquat apples. “Once the seed sprouts, do not let it get any light until it’s at least ten feet tall.”

“Don’t let it…get any light?!” Vanessa gasped, surprised.

It seemed like a reasonable question. It was only common sense that to grow delicious fruit, a seed would need to be in healthy soil and get plenty of water and light. But Mira’s—er, Martel’s—prescription contradicted that.

Loquat apples naturally grew deep inside forested areas, where no light could reach the deep hollows that were protected by divine trees. They grew from seeds that needed to be in complete darkness to grow. Newly grown sprouts were extraordinarily sensitive to light. And this was the reason why the seeds Vanessa planted had failed to grow.

“I never would’ve imagined such plants existed…” Vanessa said in astonishment, looking at the seeds.

“They’re an extremely rare variety of seeds, so there’s no way you could’ve known,” Mira said in an effort to console her.

Even Martel smiled bitterly at having created a fruit so sensitive to light.

At first, she’d created the loquat apple tree to give animals who only ate old, decaying leaves something better to eat. But due to the environment they grew in, they’d evolved to be the way they were now. She added that she watched her creations evolve as a parent might watch a child grow, and she thoroughly enjoyed doing so.

“By the way, how long will they take to grow to ten feet?”

Mira had just said that she couldn’t expose the plants to light until they were least ten feet tall…so that meant that once they were that tall, they could be exposed to light.

Martel stepped in to educate her. Once they reached that height, the epidermis of the plant would have developed enough to shield the parts of the plant that were sensitive to light.

“Around two years. But you’ll need to wait until it’s about double that size—three more years—for it to bear fruit.”

At the very soonest, it’d take five years. For the next two years, she’d need to keep them away from light. That was a tall order, particularly for someone growing them by hand in a residential environment.

“Five years… But the most crucial time, is the first two, hmm?”

It would be quite a challenging task. But rather than showing any signs of abandoning the endeavor, Vanessa looked as if she were considering how she might create a pitch-black space or how she might take care of plants in a room without any light.

“You won’t need to worry about all that,” Mira said, covering the seeds with her hand. As she did so, a pale light faintly glowed and was absorbed into the seeds.

“What did you just do?” Vanessa asked, sounding puzzled.

Mira wasted no time in answering. “I bestowed the seeds with energy. They should grow to ten feet within a week.”

This was due to Martel’s kindness, conscientiousness, and compassion for the gardener who had resolutely determined to grow the seeds. She also did so out of the maternal desire to not see any more of her children rot.

“This is a gift from…a plant spirit that I made a contract with. Make sure to treat them well.”

She wasn’t going to reveal the existence of important beings such as progenitor spirits. And yet, Mira was a summoner with connections to many great spirits. Without actually lying, she could explain it and have Vanessa readily understand what she meant.

Having heard Mira communicate Martel’s wishes, Vanessa answered with a bow of her head, “Th-thank you so much! I’ll make sure they grow into magnificent trees! Please tell the spirit that they have my thanks as well.”

“Oh my, you’re welcome,” Mira head Martel’s voice say, sounding somewhat demure yet also pleased.

The once-devastated garden had been restored and was even more incredible than it had been before. It was reborn in Vanessa’s ideal image.

All right, I managed to make up for everything!

Thanks to having restored the garden, they were able to brush the whole incident under the rug. Mira breathed a big sigh of relief. Were word to reach Solomon, she’d never live this down.

The duel with Meilin had also won her some admiration.

In exchange for being allowed to stay at the Adams’s manor free of charge, Meilin had agreed to help train the children. The kids knew just how incredibly powerful Meilin was. And now Mira had left a strong impression on the children by being able to fight Meilin on equal footing.

Having earned the respect of the siblings, Mira suddenly found herself warmly welcomed in the manor.

Their opinion seemed to be that there wasn’t any way of avoiding the ruinous state of the training hall, given that two such individuals had duked it out inside. They didn’t appear to blame the pair.

Given free rein of the estate, Mira headed to one of the rooms in the mansion with Meilin. It was a guest room where Meilin was now staying.

“Sooo… What’s up…Gramps? Here to join the tournament?” Meilin asked after flopping onto the couch. She was exhausted from their ferocious battle and subsequent landscaping duty.

Gramps… Not what you’d normally call a young girl, and yet Meilin had clearly said it.

Smiling bitterly, Mira answered, “So, you figured it out?”

“Yup. All your little habits. Where you keep your center of gravity before pushing off your feet… The way you step and the way you avert your glance. All the same as before. Just looking different doesn’t fool me,” Meilin smiled as if to say Mira would have to try harder than that.

Meilin’s reasons for deducing that Mira was Danblf were simple. She didn’t even need to see Mira use a single evocation spell. Just by watching the way she moved, Meilin had figured out that Mira was none other than Danblf.

“That’s all you needed to see? All I can say is, impressive as always.”

Taking a moment to admire how perceptive Meilin was, Mira straightened herself up and added, “So, about why I’m here…”

Then she jumped right in…

Chapter 26

“WE HAD NO WAY of contacting you, and it took a lot of work to track you down. I need to get you back to Alcait,” Mira said, explaining her mission after running through how things were in the Kingdom of Alcait and what was going on with the other Nine Wise Men.

Meilin sat with a sour expression on her face. This would really put a cramp in her training.

She hasn’t changed much either…

Meilin wore her heart on her sleeve to an absurd degree. Mira thought back on another occasion when this had been the case.

Back when they were still in the game, Meilin had almost never stayed put in Alcait. If they told her that war was about to break out, she’d hurry back quickly. But for anything else, there was no way of getting her to stay in the kingdom other than finding her and dragging her back.

After giving it some thought, Meilin’s face lit up as though she’d had a great idea. She said, “The other Wise Men are there. Should be fine, then. You don’t even need me!”

It was precisely the kind of reaction Mira expected. Her current mission was to gather the Nine Wise Men to prevent war. And Meilin hated the idea of sitting idle in the country as a symbol of deterrence.

But as a member of the Nine Wise Men, she couldn’t continue to avoid her duty given the current state of the world.

Mira steeled her resolve and fired her first shot. “It’s fine; you can refuse to come back. But, there’s just one problem…”

Mira was going to give her just enough hope…then move in to strike.

Back when the Nine Wise Men had been together, Meilin’s standard uniform—what she wore during war, adventuring, or when engaging in political activities—had been a yellow qipao-style robe and a mask in the shape of a fox. Most people weren’t aware of what she really looked like.

However, there were a lot of former players and high-ranking officials in other nations who did.

“You’re using an alias and are being careful, but…” Mira said, building a case that Meilin would understand. Meilin had been lucky that she hadn’t run into anyone who recognized her and she’d gotten away without there being any big problems. “But that won’t be the case this time. You understand that, right? The tournament that’s being hosted here is just as huge as it looks. They’ve invited people talented in martial arts from just about every nation. Somebody’s going to turn up who knows your face…”

Having clearly explained this, Mira then told her about the issue she’d discussed with Solomon. If word of Meilin’s presence began to spread, the Kingdom of Alcait would have a hard time explaining why she was being sighted all over the continent.

Others would wonder why one of the Nine Wise Men—someone with the rank of a general—was wandering around other countries during a ceasefire. They would even suspect her of spying.

Now Meilin seemed to grasp the situation. Her head down, looking rather disheartened and depressed, she murmured, “I don’t wanna cause Solomon any grief, but… I just gotta fight in this tournament…”

She must’ve really been looking forward to the tournament. Despite comprehending the situation, there was a clearly conflicted look on her resolute face.

“With that in mind, I have a suggestion.”

Seeing Meilin like this, Mira quickly seized the opportunity to unveil the plan. They just had to make sure no one got any proof that she was Meilin of the Nine Wise Men.

“To make sure of this, I’ve brought along a full disguise. If you promise to go back to Alcait, I’ll let you have it. Solomon says as long as you wear this, you can enter the tournament.”

The full disguise consisted of a specially crafted magic girl outfit that’d been made by Lily and the other maids, and hair dye. Additionally, there was an anti-photography choker that’d been developed by the technomancy engineering department. It made it so camera lenses couldn’t focus on her face.

“Okay! I promise! I really wanna fight in the tournament!”

After initial hesitancy, they’d reached a deal. Suggesting that Meilin would have to drop out of the tournament, Mira then gave her an option that’d allow her to compete. Solomon’s strategy had been able to get the rather naïve Meilin to sign on with remarkable ease.

With Meilin having said she’d happily go back, Mira answered with a triumphant smile, “In that case, I’ll leave this disguise with you.”

Having secured Meilin’s promise to return to the Kingdom of Alcait, Mira had accomplished half of her mission. All she had to do now was make sure the general public didn’t discover Meilin’s true identity.

On that note, Mira quickly began getting Meilin’s disguise ready. The first step was her hair. Using the hair dye, Mira dyed Meilin’s bluish-purple hair a garish bright red.

“Hrmm… That should do.”

Being that this was for the sake of competing in the tournament, Meilin had become uncharacteristically compliant. Having finished dyeing Meilin’s hair, Mira stood back to look at it and nodded that it would do the trick. She’d used the techniques she’d picked up the day before when Theresa had helped her dye her own. Thanks to that, the color was fairly even and not patchy.

And yet, there was a slight gradation in the color around the tips of Meilin’s hair due to Mira distributing the dye improperly. Turning lemons into lemonade, Mira suggested that it looked cooler now, like dancing flames.

“Awesome. So red!”

Running over to the mirror the moment Mira said she’d finished, Meilin was excited to see her drastically different colored hair. Furthermore, seeing how the ends were differently colored, she said, “They do look like flames. So cool!”

“Right? Right?! It’s a feature, not a bug!” Mira said, as if that’d been the plan all along.

Meilin seemed to be a fan of the hair, so Mira asked her to sit down once more and took out some conditioner for color-treated hair. With the dye now locked in, step one of Meilin’s disguise was complete.

Now they were done with hair, they could move onto her clothes. It was time for the custom-made magical girl disguise that Lily and the other maids had crafted to make its grand debut.

A few seconds after asking her to try it on to see how it fit, Meilin asked for assistance.

“Gramps… How’s this work…?”

“Hrmm… What don’t you get?”

Having turned around to allow her to get changed, Mira now realized she’d have to get involved. Turning around to assess the situation, Mira furrowed her brow.

“Whoa…” she muttered before letting out a heavy sigh, not believing what she was seeing.

When Mira had taken the outfit, she never bothered checking it out. It was for Meilin…so she hadn’t really cared. It was someone else’s business. Since Lily and the other maids had dressed her up in various outfits before, she felt like she had a handle on what they’d create.

She was mistaken.

She’d only seen the tip of the iceberg of what they were capable of. Now Mira peered into the depths…

The outfit in Meilin’s hand—the one she’d said she didn’t know how to put on—was a full-on magical girl outfit.

It was vividly colored and had a short skirt that showed quite a bit of skin, not to mention a pink skort. Each piece of Meilin’s outfit was complete with an abundance of frills, making the whole thing incredibly cute.

“Hrmm, I don’t really get it either. Hold on a second…”

Aside from just looking different than she’d imagined, there seemed to be a number of accessories. Not having any idea where to start, and not really comprehending the outfit at first glance, Mira decided that there was nothing to do. She ran to enlist Vanessa’s help.

***

“Wow, it looks incredible! You look super cute, Meilin!”

Thanks to Vanessa’s assistance, in about ten minutes, Meilin was standing in her…disguise. Mira had also managed to find a drawing of the outfit, which, in addition to Vanessa’s skills, helped them establish how it was supposed to look when finished. She’d figured that an outfit as elaborate as Meilin’s disguise ought to have a set of instructions, and sure enough, there’d been an envelope in the very bottom of the outfit bag with a technical drawing inside. With that as a guide, Vanessa clothed Meilin just as the drawing indicated, and Meilin was reborn as a kung-fu magical girl.

“Dang! I don’t even look like me!” Meilin said, sounding both happy and surprised, as she excitedly looked at her disguised self in the mirror. “I look like a pretty, innocent princess. Like one of those sailors!”

That was what Mira had been thinking, but had held back from saying.

Just from the looks of the outfit, Meilin looked like a heroine from one of those anime for young girls that were nevertheless popular with adults. The ones where the characters transform when doing battle. It was dazzling. It didn’t look like one of the outfits the characters started with, but like the powered-up form that made its appearance toward the middle of the series.

They…really took it this far…

What Meilin needed was a disguise, not a magical transformation. Mira was bearing witness to the birth of a new sailor guardian. But she knew just which criminal was responsible for this development: Lastrada.

Being a huge fan of transforming ranger-themed children’s TV shows and having a strong sense of justice, the crime-fighting Saturday morning children’s TV block was sacred to him. And shows featuring transforming princesses (who were often named after celestial bodies) were broadcast during this block. He might not admit it, but Lastrada was a fan of those shows.

When Mira had been speaking with Solomon about the whole operation to disguise Meilin, he requested help from Lastrada, since the whole premise was to create an outfit that could be used as a disguise. Lily and the other maids had spectacularly brought Lastrada’s ideal image of a female heroine to life.

They can’t be serious…

Meilin’s outfit was just supposed to be a disguise, but now it looked like a costume. Grimacing, Mira also thought that at least no one would ever realize she was Meilin.

This was because dressed in a sailor guardian-like outfit, the great warrior sage looked like a completely different person.

Coupled with her dyed hair, this made her look like a genuine sailor guardian. Regardless of how it’d been done, Mira could say that the mission to disguise Meilin had been a success.

“Why don’t you try striking a sailor guardian pose as well?”

Hearing Mira say this, Meilin answered, “That sounds like fun!”

She did just that.

Meilin herself had been a big fan of the sailor guardian genre when she was a girl, and so she not only had a pose ready, but some lines as well. Mira thought that Meilin might as well lean into that during the tournament.

Regardless of her disguise, Meilin’s strength would quickly make her stand out. But if she suddenly turned up on the stage as a sailor guardian and a justice-defending heroine, she might stand out even more. …But that might end up being a good form of camouflage.

Would anyone be able to guess that a sailor guardian was actually Meilin? The transformation was so complete that even Mira—who knew her identity full well—was doubtful that it was really Meilin.

“Um… What’s a sailor guardian?” Vanessa asked, tilting her head inquisitively and feeling a bit out of the loop as she watched Meilin’s incredibly precise pose.

Mira simply answered, “The title of a warrior of love, well known in another land.”

Mira only knew so much about sailor guardians because he’d been forced to play pretend with his little sister and watch TV with her in the real world. She would stand by that story if asked.

Having impressively transformed into a sailor guardian, and seeming quite taken with her outfit, Meilin began checking how well she could move in it. And the one doing the checking was certainly Meilin, a hardcore martial artist and one of the Nine Wise Men. Every one of her movements was fast, precise, and deadly serious. She did some light movements before fluidly transitioning into unleashing a strike that whistled as it cut through the air.

“This is really easy to move in! It’s perfect!” Meilin said, giving her assessment after completing the series. The outfit that’d been crafted by Lily’s maids seemed to have earned the stamp of approval from a martial artist like Meilin. Mira nodded and replied to the joyous Meilin that she was glad to hear it, when there came a knock at the door.

They then heard Henry’s voice say, “Mira, Meilin, what do you say to having dinner?”

With that asked, they could hear some sort of commotion coming from behind him. It seemed that he wasn’t alone.

“Dinner? I can eat!” Meilin replied, responding before anyone else could. Hearing the word, she ran full speed to open the door. And there stood not only Henry, but all his siblings as well.

The children shouted, “Now!” and set upon Meilin with wooden swords in hand. This seemed to be fairly commonplace training where they tried to ambush Meilin successfully, regardless of the time or place.

Upon unleashing the attack, the children’s swords froze mid-swing as a look of surprise and befuddlement flashed across their faces as they stared at Meilin, the sailor guardian and warrior of love.

“Huh…? Where’s Meimei?”

“Who’re you?”

They were totally thrown off by the outfit. The disguise was so complete that they didn’t realize that she was the same person.

Meilin thumped each of them atop their heads, as if to say they’d left themselves exposed. Saying with a smile, “You’ve got a ways to go.”

“What?! Is that you, Big Sis?!”

“Huh? Really?!”

The children were utterly baffled at how she moved and spoke like their Meimei, but looked completely different. Standing before the children, Meilin bragged, “Meimei is just one of my disguises; my true identity has always been that of the Warrior of Love, Sailor Guardian!”

While heroes of justice didn’t typically reveal their true identities, Meilin seemed to be in particularly high spirits. The children were excited…or rather, they were more enthralled than excited, because their faces lit up as if it all made sense. They didn’t seem to care particularly what this nickname meant, and they just chattered about how incredible she was.

“This is a secret, okay?” Meilin said, to which the children all nodded and answered, “Got it!” Then they seized the opportunity to once more rush at Meilin with their swords.

“You’re gonna have to do better than that!” Moving lithely, she evaded the blows and cleanly leg swept each and every one. She’d done so with such grace that she looked like a true sailor guardian.

“She said she’s gonna dress up like that for the tournament. …Do you think she’d be able to change the name she registered with?” Mira asked Henry as Meilin continued to play with the children. Fearing that someone might be able to connect the nickname of “Meimei” with Meilin, Mira wondered if there might be a way to change her alias to something a little less obvious.

“Uh, Warrior of Love, Sailor…Guardian, was it? Well, uh, I don’t think it should be a problem.”

It was an alias completely different from her real name. Henry assented with a blank stare.

There were most likely quite a few registered…names like that. There were people, mostly undercover members of the nobility who wanted to test their skills. They signed up with names such as “Snow White Princess” and “Midnight Prince.” There were also famous people who signed up under such aliases to not be recognized. “Warrior of Love, Sailor Guardian,” would simply be a drop in the bucket.

Once the two had been alone for several moments, taking in the sight of the transformed Meimei, Henry whispered, “She really does look totally different. Your whole reason for seeking out Meimei was to do this?”

It wasn’t a surprise that he’d picked up on that.

“Hrmm, yes. That’s right.”

Henry had been quite accommodating… So hiding just a bit of the truth, Mira explained the basic situation to him. Meilin was a person of influence, and she couldn’t do anything that’d draw too much attention to herself.

“I see… So, she’s undercover? She’s so tremendously powerful that I thought something was going on with her…”

Regardless of what the whole truth was, Henry picked up what Mira was putting down. Smiling knowingly, he said nothing else about it.

All right… Now this mission is as good as accomplished!

She’d done everything she could do. The only thing that could possibly lead someone to connect Meimei to Meilin was her use of Immortal Arts. It wouldn’t do to forbid her from using those. Sending her out to fight on a huge stage against all kinds of powerful fighters without allowing her to use her full power would be akin to torture. There wouldn’t be any point in competing.

Not being allowed to compete herself, Mira knew full well how frustrating it was to be denied that opportunity. She said nothing further.

If someone could figure out who Meilin really was by the way she looked now, then there wasn’t any way of preventing it.

Chapter 27

SITTING AROUND THE TABLE, the group enjoyed a pleasant dinner with each other. Then it was bath time. Henry and his siblings had their daily lesson after dinner, so they headed for the training hall. Being able to fulfill one’s duties—even right after a big meal—was a requirement for being a knight.

Meanwhile, Meilin was getting into it with Vanessa.

“I took a bath yesterday.”

“…But that was yesterday.” Vanessa wasn’t about to let it slide.

In addition to her usual practice session, Meilin had a ferocious battle with Mira. Vanessa said that not taking a bath after all of that was absurd, and that she absolutely could not allow a guest to go unbathed in such a state.

“Tomorrow. That should work, yeah?” Meilin said glibly. But right as she went to make her escape, a holy knight’s tower shield blocked the exit.

Surprised at the sudden obstruction, Meilin stopped in her tracks. But that hesitation proved to be her undoing as Vanessa swooped down on her. And it wasn’t just her; other maids also saw their chance and grabbed ahold of Meilin.

“How dare you! Traitor!” Meilin’s biting words hung in the air as she was dragged away toward the baths.

Watching as Meilin was taken away, Mira feigned innocence, pretending she had no idea what Meilin was talking about. But she soon got hers…

“Thank you for your assistance, Miss Mira. All right, shall we?” Vanessa said, proposing that they bathe together.

Mira tensed up. Normally, she’d happily go off to bathe with the maids…but this time, there was a problem. …Meilin.

She knew full well who Mira really was, and that she simply despised bathing with others.

The real issue bothering her was the flippant way Vanessa had asked. Mira wasn’t sure how word had gotten around that she preferred to bathe with the maids, but if someone like Kagura was there, they’d for sure shoot Mira a look that said she was a huge creep.

“No, I’ll just…”

But it was too late. Attempting to cling to the gravitas she once had, Mira showed hesitation and the look in Vanessa’s eyes changed.

“Miss Mira, could it be that you also don’t like to bathe…?”

Maids were utterly devoted to looking after their guests and couldn’t abide filthy visitors.

Sensing this sentiment, Mira vigorously shook her head and started cobbling together an excuse. “No, that’s not it. I love baths! You know, it’s just… I’m a little worried about the garden. I was a little rough with the landscaping, wasn’t I? So, I was just thinking I ought to give it a little check. I might need to fix the soil a bit, so I was just thinking I could take a bath after.”

Mentioning the garden seemed to do the trick, as Vanessa’s expression softened.

“In that case, I’ll go with you!”

Caught in her own trap. Vanessa was in charge of taking care of the garden, and now she was raring to go outside and help.

“No, you don’t need… Actually, you know what? I’m going to use a secret evocation spell, so…”

There were loads of people who used special techniques that they kept hidden. The Adams family had such techniques themselves. Despite it being a flimsy excuse, it worked, and Vanessa didn’t pursue it any further.

“I see… I understand,” she replied regretfully before heading off to the baths.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she watched her go, Mira decided to follow through and headed off toward the garden.

Doing exactly what she said she would, Mira gave the lawn a once-over and thought back on her battle with Meilin.

Hrmm, maybe I ought to have attacked then.

She reflected on the timing of her techniques, whether she ought to have switched up when she defended and when she attacked, whether the techniques she’d used had been a good choice, and so on. She tried to figure out how she could’ve done better.

The afternoon duel with Meilin had been quite educational. She’d been able to get a good look at the advantages and disadvantages of a host of new spells and techniques. With this information in mind, Mira came up with a strategy for their next battle, thought about what moves she might use, and added to these a whole host of new techniques that she wanted to try out.

And while walking around the garden thinking about all of this, she saw four figures leap out from the window of the training hall and come running over to her.

“Big Siiis!”

“Let’s take a bath together!”

Having seen Mira in the garden while training after dinner, they guessed that Mira had yet to bathe and had decided to invite her to do so.

“Come on now, no pulling. All right, I’m coming already,” Mira said as Cynthia and Rosemary grabbed her by both arms and hauled her away. Fabian, his face sparkling with youthful enthusiasm, begged Mira to tell adventure stories during their bath.

Ryan looked troubled, as if not quite sure what to do. There were few who could sense the conflict in the sensitive heart of a boy that age.

Looking a tad apologetic, Henry and his parents gave a small bow as if to ask for her help looking after the children. And so, Mira had little choice.

It seemed as if Meilin and the maids had already gotten out, as the bathhouse was empty. Thinking she ought to have thought up some excuses in case she was asked to look after the children, Mira regretfully set foot inside. But after seeing how the bathhouse was built such that it resembled a traditional hot springs inn, her spirits soared and Mira remarked, “This place is nice!”

It was the kind of tasteful and refined bathhouse that one could only find in an estate belonging to the upper class. While taking in the facilities, the sound of the children’s voices rang through the air. It was a marvelous bath…but it didn’t seem like she’d be able to relax.

I feel like I keep having to take care of kids these days…

But she nevertheless went about her duty. Once things had calmed down a bit, Mira humored Fabian and told them of the places she’d visited and stories about Danblf.

Having started to enjoy herself, Mira spoke about the adventures she’d been on and dungeons she’d tackled while still Danblf—places such as the Forest of the Devout, the Celestial Ruins, the Citadel of Scales, the Ancient Underground City, and so on.

“That’s so cool! If I become an adventurer, I’m gonna clear out a whole bunch of dungeons! Just like you!” Fabian said, detailing his future dreams.

Inspired by all kinds of adventure stories, Fabian dreamed of becoming a first-class adventurer that the whole world knew…and getting his hands on legendary treasure. He would then buy an airship and go adventuring in even more places. The boy had more dreams than he could count.

“I see. In that case, the first thing you’ve got to do is become strong enough to protect your friends and yourself.”

Children had limitless potential. Mira ruffled Fabian’s hair, and he smiled. “Yeah, I’m gonna get really strong.”

He spoke earnestly, and it was clear that he had no doubts about the future he aspired to.

Sitting in the corner, it seemed as if something else was on Ryan’s mind. His eyes wandered about the room, deliberately avoiding Mira as he seriously pondered such thoughts as, I guess I really should become strong, too.

“Um, Miss Mira, you took part in the battle against Chimera Clausen, right? Did you…happen to meet Mister Jack Grave?!” Cynthia suddenly asked as Mira wrapped up telling adventure tales. She was still quite young, and her face was filled with adoration.

None of that was for Mira. It was all for Jack Grave. She had such a look of such girlish glee on her face that it was obvious.

“Hrmm… Oh, that’s right. I have met him.”

Who exactly was Jack Grave? Remembering having heard the name, and yet not clearly remembering his face, Mira nevertheless acted as if she knew him. Judging from the way Cynthia spoke, Mira figured that he’d undoubtedly been one of the adventurers who’d taken part in the battle. Furthermore, she could also guess that he must be quite famous.

With all that in mind, Mira thought back on the battle and tried to remember who there was famous. The first person that came to mind was that sexy older sister type, Eleonora. She was quite captivating, and even now Mira could remember her vividly.

Something suddenly clicked, and Mira remembered that the person who’d been introduced to her before Eleonora was named Jack Grave.

Now that she’d remembered, there was no longer any reason to worry. Mira then proudly proclaimed, “We were aboard the same airship as we made our triumphant return.”

“That’s so amazing, Miss Mira! I can’t believe you met THE Jack Grave! And it happened on an airship! I’m so jealous!”

It seemed as if she didn’t notice that Mira didn’t recall very much about meeting him. Cynthia was simply lost in rapture after hearing Mira’s answer.

“What did he look like up close? For sure he was super cool and manly, right?!” Cynthia questioned Mira further with twinkling eyes.

She was quite taken with Jack Grave.

Mira wasn’t sure what to do, as she couldn’t remember what he looked like. In Mira’s mind, cool and manly guys were well-groomed, grizzled, and experienced older men such as Danblf. And she supposed that Aaron, who was currently working as an instructor in the Kingdom of Alcait, also qualified.

But the faint image she had of Jack Grave was that he was strong and comely, with a bashful smile and a boyish charm. He was often buffeted by girlish shrieks.

Far too young for Mira’s taste. Along with the small, tiny, infinitesimal amount of jealousy she felt, that meant she didn’t deem him as being cool and manly.

Nevertheless, Mira answered, “Hrmm, I guess. He was cool and manly. He was practically glowing.”

She knew full well that her opinion meant nothing and that this was all about Cynthia. So she gave the girl the answer she wanted.

“So you thought so too, Miss Mira?! Jack Grave, the Dragon-Severing Slash, is so dreamy! Right?!” Cynthia said excitedly, as if she’d found a kindred spirit. Then she shared her true ambition. “Someday, I’m gonna become a member of his guild.”

It didn’t seem like she’d be drifting back to reality anytime soon.

The younger sister Rosemary murmured, “I wanna join Master Cyril’s…” before casting her eyes down bashfully.

Mira wasn’t about to let that comment go unanswered, though.

“Oh ho, you like Cyril, huh? That guy is the real deal. You’ve got taste.”

Children were either outspoken or withdrawn. Having taken care of children quite often lately, Mira was able to notice the quieter children who were more soft-spoken. Coupled with the fact that Mira actually recognized his name, allowed her to have a real conversation.

Cyril was the leader of the guild Écarlate Carillon and was a person of uncommon kindness. He was also top-class when it came to his skills. Not to mention, he was a stand-up guy who had a lot of friends and filled his guild with incredible people (with the exception of Flicker).

“Yeah, Master Cyril is great,” Rosemary said, still looking down. And yet she smiled bashfully as if she had been the one being praised. Feeling glad that she’d found a like-minded fan, Rosemary began quietly singing his praises. She described why she liked him and told her favorite tales about him in such a way that it seemed like she had just as bad of a crush on Cyril as her sister did on Jack Grave.

“I think Cyril was there during the fight against Chimera Clausen. But I haven’t heard anything. Do you know anything?” Rosemary asked, having finished gushing. She was fishing for news about where Cyril had been, and what he’d been doing during the final battle.

Word had already spread far and wide about the decisive fight against Chimera Clausen from those who were there. Eleonora and Jack Grave aside, there were many tales going around about the exploits of other adventurers who’d participated in the operation.

But there were none involving Cyril, though he was rumored to have participated.

There was a reason for this. He’d operated alongside Mira and her companions. The only people who knew of their climactic battle with the senior leadership of Chimera Clausen were her, Kagura, and Cyril—only the people that were there.

Kagura was still working behind the scenes, and Cyril wasn’t the type to brag. Mira hadn’t spoken much publicly about it either. It made sense that Rosemary didn’t know a single thing about his involvement in the battle.

“Hrmm, I certainly do. As a matter of fact, we worked together!” Mira answered, causing an optimistic look to blossom on Rosemary’s face.

News of their battle with the leaders of Chimera Clausen wasn’t widely known. But this wasn’t because it was a secret, it was simply because the three who’d fought in the battle had neglected to talk about it. But now, there was finally someone who was interested. Up until then, Mira hadn’t had a chance to discuss it…but now, she could make the Cyril-adoring girl’s wish come true.

“…And so, he took on the enemy leader. Thanks to that, we were able to quickly hunt down the rest of the scum,” Mira said as she recounted the decisive battle with Chimera Clausen. They’d just assaulted their headquarters and were getting to the epic climax in which they fought the group’s senior leadership.

After this point they’d each fought individually, so she wasn’t sure how Cyril’s fight had played out. Mira just finished recounting how her own battle had gone, not forgetting to sprinkle in details about how awesome summoning was. She concluded by mentioning how she and Cyril rode Pegasus back to the base where their friends were waiting.

“That’s incredible! You’re so strong!”

“Yeah… I would’ve liked to have heard more about how you fought alongside Master Jack Grave…”

Fabian had simply been excited to hear the tale, but Cynthia was jealous. She was starved for heroic exploits of Jack Grave coming from someone who’d actually been there. Rosemary, however…

“You rode on Pegasus with Master Cyril…? You can do that…?!”

It seemed as if the girl had found her chance to get close to Cyril. Maybe she could help him… Maybe something more might happen… She was nothing if not determined. And she didn’t seem to be jealous that Mira was already close to Cyril.

She seemed to understand that there was nothing between the two friends. Perhaps it was just a woman’s intuition.

But Ryan stood dead silent and filled with angst. He wasn’t nearly as sharp when it came to things like that. Mira had said that Jack Grave was cool and manly, and she said Cyril was a stand-up guy. So he wondered what she would ever see in him as a boy who wasn’t strong enough to slay a dragon, and didn’t have the skills, popularity, or charisma to be the head of a huge guild.

Ryan swore to himself that he needed to work even harder. Then Mira told stories of the Ancient Underground City, just as Fabian had begged her to do.

Chapter 28

AFTER A HEARTY BREAKFAST the next morning, Mira accompanied Meilin to morning training with the children. It was a heated practice…but considering everything that’d happened the day before, they left the garden safe and sound.

After a nice relaxing morning, Mira thought she might head to the castle to see about the bodyguard job. Then she heard something loud coming from the entrance hall of the mansion.

“Hrmm, sounds like something exciting is going on.”

Poking her head out to investigate, she saw everyone in the mansion gathered there. Checking to see what was going on, Mira got her answer with just a quick glance.

The entrance hall was filled with loads of display racks. Henry, his siblings, and Vanessa were all looking at the various merchandise displayed there—goods being sold by a traveling salesman.

There were clothes; accessories; arms and armor; food; booze; and materials such as cloth, metal, and stone, all on display. They were evidently very high-end articles.

Cynthia and Rosemary were quite taken with the cute clothes and snacks they’d found, while Ryan and Fabian were looking curiously at the arms, armor, and magical tools. It looked almost like a small fair.

Mira took a look at the merchandise, despite having no plans to buy anything due to how expensive it all was. She said to Henry, “This is quite a scene. It’s pretty wild seeing a high-end shop pop up in the entrance hall, but I guess I ought to have expected as much in a mansion belonging to a prestigious family of knights.”

“Oh, our family isn’t particularly prestigious. The salesman just happens to be my dad’s friend, so he often stops by like this on his way back from restocking. He likes to show off what he got his hands on,” Henry said, smiling wryly. While looking fondly toward the merchant, he continued…

According to him, the merchant’s life had been saved by Henry’s father, Lloyd Adams. For this reason, he brought his goods over and offered them at their original price—a special discount—before selling them in his main shop. But he always acted like he was just there to show off his stuff, which was why everyone in the Adams’s household always gave him the reception they did—they were just going along with the merchant’s good-natured charade.

Allowance in hand, Cynthia said, “Can I have this candy, please?”

“You’re so cute that I’ll let it go for free!” the merchant responded.

While this heartwarming exchange was playing out, Mira browsed the rare magical tools that were on display. Suddenly she felt uneasy, and furrowed her brow at a particular piece of merchandise.

It simply appeared to be a small pouch. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and was shaped almost like an oval. What was inside? Whatever it was, it was wrapped in a thick cloth and tied with a tough black rope.

What is this…? I’m not sure, but it’s giving me an unpleasant feeling.

Over the past thirty years, many magical tools that she didn’t recognize had been invented, and they had many different effects as well. But of all the magical tools she’d come across, not one had given her the creeps like this one.

What on earth was it?

It’d be fastest to just ask the merchant. She started to ask when Meilin walked over, saying, “Something smells sweet!”

She’d been lured by the scent of the snacks sitting among the merchandise. But her timing couldn’t be better.

Mira waved to Meilin and said, “Over here, over here!”

From the way Meilin came running up to Mira with a big smile, she must’ve thought that she was about to get her hands on sweets.

But there weren’t any snacks near Mira…there wasn’t anything one could eat at all. Hanging her head in disappointment, Meilin said, “None of this looks delicious.”

She was unresponsive when Mira asked, “Hey, what do you think of this? …Come on, I’ll share some of my special cake with you. How does that sound?”

It was an exceptional cake that she’d set aside for a special occasion. Appeasing Meilin with this offer, Mira pointed once more to the pouch and asked Meilin for her thoughts.

“You really promise?”

Lured by the exceptional cake, Meilin perked up and looked at the pouch that Mira was pointing to.

“…Hmm, what a weird vibe. It’s something bad,” Meilin answered after looking at the pouch with a look of disgust on her face. She’d sensed the same thing that Mira had.

Suddenly—or perhaps as they might have expected—they heard a voice…

“Well now, is anything the matter?” the merchant said. He’d come over in response to what Meilin had said to check out what was going on. No merchant would have an easy time listening to a customer criticize their prized goods as being something bad.

It was just as well that he came over.

“My apologies, but I’m rather curious about this…” Mira asked him about what exactly the small pouch was.

“Oh, you mean this? You have a discerning eye. This is a monster-repelling amulet. They’ve become all the rage around Ratnatraya and are really quite effective. Despite there being other similar amulets, I’ve never heard of any of them working quite as well.”

While some of what he was saying was a sales pitch, he clearly explained what the pouch did: repel monsters. It appeared to do this quite well, as the merchant boasted that no lower-level monsters would even come close. According to what he’d heard from friends, these amulets were imbued with a blessing to repel monsters.

“They’re both trendy and extremely popular. I’m proud to have finally gotten my hands on one,” the merchant said happily.

Mira was beginning to feel more and more uneasy as she listened to him.

This is supposed to repel monsters…? It feels so sinister that I’d imagine it actually attracts them…

There were several well-known means of repelling monsters. One was a blend of several herbs that gave off a scent that monsters didn’t like and drove them away. Another used Holy or Veiled Arts to emit holy energy, which monsters hated and prevented them from getting near.

However, the amulet in front of them was clearly neither of these things. If anything, it had the aura of something that attracted monsters.

“Hmm, weird. It doesn’t do that. This is nothing good,” Meilin said, honest as ever. She’d said it in such a way that it sounded as if it might be cursed.

“Hrmm, you have a point. I feel that way as well. Whatever the case, this feels malevolent.” She’d been thinking it over carefully, but since Meilin blurted it out, there was no sense in staying quiet. Mira agreed with her assessment that it was nothing good.

“But it’s…” the merchant said, looking troubled as if he were being personally criticized. Not being able to argue seriously with the two younger girls, a befuddled look simply spread across his face. There was no doubt that he didn’t believe them.

Mira asked, “I’d like to see what’s inside this cloth. Would you be willing to unwrap it for me?”

Were she to see it unwrapped, she might be able to decipher any magical inscription that was written upon it. By getting a peek, she might be able to ascertain what it was that felt so ominous. It could be that something malevolent was sealed inside.

And while she’d clearly communicated her request, the merchant appeared to be trepidacious. He’d heard that if he were to unseal it, it’d lose its monster-repelling qualities.

“Is something the matter?” Henry said, coming over after sensing that something was up.

“Oh, Master Henry. Actually, these two seem to think that this monster-repelling amulet is something…bad.”

He’d only heard positive reviews, and the merchant communicated to Henry that he could personally bear testament to just how effective it was. The merchant seemed to think that it was incredibly hard to believe that a monster-repelling amulet, which was so very effective, could be anything like the two girls were suggesting. And why would anyone think that anyway? There weren’t any commonly used monster-repelling magical tools that weren’t holy.

Having finished listening to the merchant, Henry picked up the amulet, frowned thoughtfully as he murmured, “I see… It certainly isn’t one I’ve seen before… But if it works, then I think there probably shouldn’t be any issue…”

He must’ve trusted the merchant completely. But considering that Mira was well-acquainted with Queen Alma and Meimei was powerful beyond belief, it was hard to argue if they were in agreement with one another.

Mira was very much aware of this. After all, the ones who’d developed the original monster repellent magical tool had been researchers with the Linked Silver Towers. She understood just how they worked. Using a specially developed kind of magic, they created an area of holiness that monsters wouldn’t approach. That was the basic principle and they’d established that they bore no other effects. All other comparable products on the market worked in the same way.

“…That’s what’s so odd about it. It looks like a magical tool, and yet all I can detect is a sinister-feeling mana. That’s why I thought it so curious…”

“True. Those amulets smell funny, but feel warm. This one just feels…wrong,” Meilin said, determining that something was different, given what she knew about them.

“There might be something wrong with it. This girl is the famed Spirit Queen. And Meimei is a powerful sage who can do battle with Mira on equal footing. They’re both highly skilled mages, so they may sense something that neither of us can perceive,” Henry said, pondering aloud.

The issue was a dubious magical tool, and mages were more enlightened when it came to such things.

“Are you saying you’re friends with the Spirit Queen?!” the merchant exclaimed upon hearing Mira’s title.

The title and everything associated with it held quite a bit of weight. The Spirit Queen was said to have some sort of connection with the Spirit King, revered alongside the gods. If she said that something was off about the amulet, then it was certainly worth considering.

And yet, even given that evidence, the merchant hemmed and hawed. Who could blame him? He couldn’t jump to a quick conclusion when it came to a product as rare and precious as the amulet.

“Then how about I buy it? I’m a knight employed by the castle. I can afford it,” Henry proposed, not wishing to have the merchant stuck with a loss because of the girls’ opinions. If he paid, the monster-repelling amulet would become Henry’s property. He could unseal it and allow Mira and Meimei to look inside if that’s what he wanted to do.

But the merchant vigorously shook his head.

“No, there isn’t any need! A merchant is only as good as his reputation. If this thing really is malevolent, then I couldn’t sell it to you in good faith!” Having made up his mind with that bold proclamation, he held out the amulet to Mira. “Here, would you please check it for me?”

“Hrmm, sure. You have my thanks.”

Sensing the merchant’s pride and Henry’s trust, Mira took the amulet. What exactly was she going to find inside?

Just before breaking the seal, Mira realized that there was no way whatever was inside it was benign. She decided to move elsewhere, in case there was an emergency. She went to the training hall—it was spacious and sturdily built. If something were to happen, she figured she wouldn’t have any trouble dealing with it there.

She armored herself in her [Holy Knight Frame] and summoned several holy knights about her in such a way that they could contain any explosion. And not knowing what would happen once she opened it up, Mira had Henry and the merchant wait outside.

“Now then, let’s see what’s inside here…”

While confident that she would be able to deal with the contents, Mira nevertheless unwrapped the amulet cautiously.

“I don’t care if it’s a demon or a viper, bring it on!” Meilin said, looking on with an excited grin. She seemed to be hoping that a monster would pop out, as if that might happen.

“…Hrmm, it’s a rock.” Mira said.

“Hm… No fights inside that bag,” Meilin glumly added.

Inside the monster-repelling amulet was a stone wrapped in a cloth covered in a complicated magic inscription. And while red tinged and feeling quite light considering its size, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary stone.

And yet, it was anything but. The ominous aura they’d felt from the amulet was coming from the stone.

So it wasn’t that something malevolent was sealed inside.

She expected the ominous aura that was inside to grow once it was unsealed, but that hadn’t happened. The magic inscription that was written on the cloth wasn’t a seal at all.

Tilting her head as if slightly puzzled at the outcome, Mira began checking the cloth to try to deduce its purpose.

“What’s this?!” she suddenly gasped.

She caught sight of a magic inscription that’d been carved on the stone that she didn’t recognize. Meilin also said that she had no idea what it was either.

The Nine Wise Men were the greatest mages in the land. Impressive skills aside, they also had a tremendous amount of knowledge when it came to all things magic. Their knowledge was so deep and vast that even if it were some form of ancient magic they couldn’t use, they’d be able to at least understand what it did.

But despite using this considerable knowledge, they were unable to decipher the runes written on the cloth.

Mira thought the scribblings might very well mean nothing at all…if not for the fact that she was getting such a bad vibe from the sinister-feeling stone inside.

Then the crest of the Spirit King suddenly appeared, glowing faintly.

“I sensed some sort of ominous power and came to take a look. Miss Mira, what on earth is that?” she heard the Spirit King’s voice echoing through her mind.

Mira replied, “Well, if it isn’t the Spirit King! Good timing…” before quickly giving him a run down. Whenever she came across something she didn’t quite understand, he was a reliable guide.

“I see… And so that was inside?” the Spirit King answered as if he now understood. At the same time, he sounded even more curious than he had before.

“Do you know anything about either of these?” Mira asked, holding the cloth with the undecipherable magic runes in one hand and the stone with the sinister aura in the other.

“Hmm, I’ll start with the stone… This is rather peculiar…” he said, before quickly explaining about the stone. What he had to say was unbelievable. It was made of something that had never been seen in the human world.

Where had it existed until then? Only in the Sacred Domain or somewhere nearby.

“The name of that substance is amrute. It’s usually in liquid form and ought to evaporate immediately in a low-mana environment like the human world. But with that sinister aura… I would guess there’s some sort of secret behind why it’s in the form of a stone.”

Thanks to the Spirit King’s knowledge, they were able to deduce what the stone was, but that created even more questions.

Amrute only existed somewhere near the Sacred Domain, but was now in the human world in the form of a stone. And there was a sinister aura emanating from it?

“So someone…for some reason…modified it to be like this? Right?” Mira asked.

“That seems to be the case. And about whatever feels malevolent… I’m guessing some sinister technique was used to seal whatever the unpleasant aura is into the substance when it was made into a stone.”

So someone went out of their way to modify amrute, a substance only found in areas near the Sacred Domain, and sealed something inside it at the same time. Not knowing anything more than that, Mira asked how one went about getting their hands on amrute.

“Well now, it certainly makes me wonder how and for what purpose someone crafted something as elaborate as this… Let’s consider who might be involved in having done so,” the Spirit King continued. Perhaps it was easier to put the issue of how amrute had been procured, transformed, and sealed on hold. They should turn their attention to another piece of evidence.

“Next, we have the cloth. I have never seen the magic inscription that’s been written on it. However, that allows us to make several assumptions. The only magic that I don’t know of is the magic used by the Trinity and any magic that’s been created since the demons became dark demons.”

There were many different kinds of magic, but they were all fundamentally similar and followed certain rules. And yet, there were some differences based on each of their respective foundations.

Each of the nine schools of magic humans used had the same foundation. Spirit magic, divine magic, dragon magic, and so on all had different foundations. But the Spirit King understood how each of them worked. And yet he didn’t understand the magic used on the inscription-bearing cloth. This implied the involvement of the most infamous set of malefactors working behind the scenes.

“Hrmm… This is connected to demons, correct?” Mira said, connecting the dots.

The modification and procurement of amrute wasn’t something that could easily be done by humans. And judging from the foreboding feeling coming from the monster-repelling amulet, she could feel that it’d been made with some sort of malicious intent. That meant this was likely the work of a dark demon.

“If it’s something that’s been contrived by dark demons, then it’d be dangerous to ignore it.”

It was never good news when dark demons were involved. There must’ve also been some reason for why it was being passed off as monster-repelling amulet.

“Ah, I’m unsure of what’s sealed inside…but if these things are being bought and sold, then that may be a grave issue.”

If whoever was distributing the monster-repelling amulets was a dark demon, then it was likely that their intentions were quite malicious.

“…Um, Miss Mira. I’d recommend asking her to stop,” the Spirit King suddenly said as Mira was talking about how it’d be good to gather up all of the amulets that were floating around.

“Knock that off!” she cried as she focused her attention on what he was talking about. She needed to stop Meilin, who was focusing her mana on the amrute stone in her hand. Mira had been so focused on her conversation with the Spirit King that she’d grown silent, and Meilin had grown bored.

“This’ll be faster than waiting while you space out,” Meilin said.

The conversation with the Spirit King had been going on entirely in her mind, so to others, it must’ve looked as if she was daydreaming.

“I wasn’t spacing out…!”

Thinking that she’d get up to more mischief if Mira let Meilin be, Mira grabbed her hand. This let Meilin join the conversation, and Mira continued from where they’d left off.

At first, Meilin was rather surprised. But she was highly adaptable, and upon hearing that dark demons were somehow involved, a determined bloodlust filled her eyes.

While they hadn’t yet discussed the difference between demons and dark demons, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.

Chapter 29

AFTER THEIR CONVERSATION with the Spirit King, Mira communicated what she’d learned to Henry and the merchant.

She couldn’t turn a blind eye to the suspicious monster-repelling amulets. She’d need the merchant’s assistance.

“Amrute…? So, there’s something like that in there? But more importantly…” the merchant murmured in shock as he looked at the stone that’d been inside the amulet.

And he wasn’t alone; Henry was shocked as well.

“Did you say…demons? That’s a troubling word to hear…”

During the Defense of the Three Great Kingdoms ten years ago, the masses had been told that demons had been wiped out. But the truth was that they were still active in the shadows.

But the only ones with any knowledge of this were those in the military or who had access to state secrets. Still, it was rare to catch a glimpse of them in the shadows. A look of concern and anxiety washed across both their faces.

“…So, that’s the story. We can’t let this go unchecked. I’d like to collect all of these amulets that are going around. What do you think?”

Mira’s initial conclusion was that while people were using them as monster-repelling amulets, they were actually being distributed by demons. They couldn’t be sure what might happen with them. So before anything unfortunate happened, it’d be best to gather all of them up.

Of course, this was easier said than done.

“I think I understand. But it will be tough. There’s some already in circulation, and they do a great job of repelling monsters. With how well they work, they’re in high demand. And due to the limited supply, they’re expensive. No matter how you try to justify it, people may think you’re trying to swindle them out of their amulets to make a quick buck,” the merchant replied.

Sure enough, not many people would believe them and give up their amulets just because they were suddenly told that they were dangerous. The merchant himself was a case in point. It’d taken both the extremely trustworthy Henry and the famed Spirit Queen to finally get him to listen.

“That’s true. The harder someone works to get their hands on something, the harder it is to convince them to give it up.” Henry agreed with the merchant as well.

The merchant then continued, “If you’re a regular customer, they might be willing to hear you out…”

He groaned that they might only manage to recover a few. They were trying to reclaim monster-repelling amulets… People wouldn’t only want to hold on to them for financial reasons, but for safety reasons as well. And would anyone really believe that carrying them could lead to something even more dangerous happening?

The worst part of this plan was that they couldn’t exactly explain what was so dangerous about them.

“Hrmm… I’d like to examine it further, but I can’t exactly do that now…”

The Spirit King had said that since the amrute wasn’t in its natural state, there was no predicting what’d happen if Mira broke it to examine the contents. Something was certainly sealed inside of it…but not knowing how the seal worked, Mira couldn’t exactly check.

This sure is a tough one… But what can I do?

In the worst-case scenario, she could explain the situation to Alma and have her use her royal authority to take care of it. …Or so Mira considered when the merchant spoke up.

“Now that I’ve heard all of this, it’s not like I can just sit on my hands!” the merchant chuckled ruefully after taking a moment to think.

It would be difficult convincing anyone, and they wouldn’t easily collect all the amulets. They’d need to figure out and track down whoever it was that’d gotten their hands on one. This was going to be a real pain.

Faced with this predicament, the merchant let out a laugh, as if indicating that he wouldn’t let such a thing stop him.

“You’re a tough customer, Spirit Queen. But no excuse for it… If demons really are behind this, then I can’t be sure what kind of things might befall my beloved city,” the merchant said, having decided to focus on what he could do and not what he couldn’t. He hurriedly informed them of one of his precious suppliers.

He’d found the monster-repelling amulet at the flea market, of all places. Inside the tournament venue was a large flea market where most of the monster-repelling amulets were being sold.

“Hrmm… This is getting fishier and fishier.”

There ought to have been some sort of inspection prior to putting things up for sale, and yet these highly prized amulets were totally unregulated. Without the insight of someone like Mira and Meilin, it’d be impossible to pick up on the ominous vibe of the amulets.

Flea markets were the kind of places where sellers could sell their wares without going through middlemen like traders or vendors. To any malicious actors, it was a prime venue. And yet, this gave them another clue…

“Since you got it at the flea market, then the seller must’ve been there as well. Do you remember what they were like?”

It wasn’t likely that a booth in a flea market would have multiple staff members like a regular shop might. Especially not one selling suspicious goods like the amulets. Whoever was selling the amulets would be their prime suspect.

“Yes, they’re already quite popular, so I asked around a bit so that I might get some information,” the merchant answered as if that was obvious. However, he then struggled to find the right words, muttering, “I tried asking about the manufacturer…but…well… Huh?”

“What? Is something wrong?” Mira asked.

“No. It’s just…I got a clear look at them while I spoke to them… But, for some reason, I can’t recall their face. It feels like I must’ve seen them decades ago…” the merchant replied.

He was utterly baffled at how his memory of the recent event was so hazy. But that wasn’t all…

“So, what did you talk about with them? Did you get any information?”

A capable merchant would never neglect to question the seller a bit, and so surely he’d gotten at least a few pieces of information.

“Of course I did!” He answered Mira’s question…but then, his enthusiasm gradually began to lessen. He couldn’t remember what the person had looked like, and he couldn’t remember much of what they talked about either.

“Hrmm… I wonder if they might’ve used a spell that impaired your memory or cognition,” Mira offered as a possible explanation.

“A…spell?” the merchant said, sounding surprised, before saying that he didn’t think he’d seen the seller do anything that’d indicated they’d cast a spell. He then explained that those in his line of work usually wore multiple accessories to protect against spells. That they wouldn’t have been able to cast a spell on him easily.

“I know I said cast a spell, but there are some unique variations…”

Mira knew of fellow mages from the Tower of Demonology and the Tower of the Ethereal who had studied just such spells. One of these allowed them to cast a spell on themselves—not others—which would make their own presence rather vague, so that it was difficult for them to stick in people’s memories.

That spell was still in development thirty years ago, so spells with similar effects certainly existed. In which case, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that a magical tool with a similar effect might also exist. It might be a good idea to check with her colleagues in the Linked Silver Towers regarding these.

“…So, that’s what I mean. Judging from what happened, it’s likely they used some sort of spell. And if that’s the case, it means they’re even more shady than we imagined.”

If the seller of the monster-repelling amulets had been using a spell, then it would make sense why the merchant was having trouble recalling anything.

Furthermore, if they’d used a spell, then it seemed likely that they had secrets they were hiding. It made sense that they’d do so because they were selling something dangerous.

“No way, I can’t believe it…” There was a good chance that whoever he’d met was connected to demons, and so the merchant shuddered to think about how they were lurking in plain sight. Then he suddenly clapped his hands together as if struck by some great idea. Appearing not yet ready to throw in the towel, he opened a bag that was on his shoulder. “I have this as well!”

He then pulled out a single notebook, saying, “I can’t remember anything off the top of my head, but I write down everything I ask about in here!”

As one might expect of such a capable merchant, he seemed to have made sure to jot down all the information he got. He began quickly flipping through the pages of the notebook.

“Oh ho! Well done!”

His notes could very well be the key to them getting ahold of the seller, Mira hoped. Then, looking down at the book, the two of them stood in shock. The entry that corresponded to his meeting with the amulet’s seller was almost completely illegible. It wasn’t just that it was written quickly or poorly; it was a mass of confused scribbles. None even resembled letters.

“Is this some kind of secret code?” Mira asked.

The merchant replied, “No, I haven’t any idea.”

The spell even affected one’s writing and language faculties. The fact that the spell worked so deeply that those hit with it didn’t even realize they were under its effects meant that it was very powerful.

“The fact that they were acting this cautiously is making me think that we’d better act fast.”

“Yes… You’re right. Let us hurry.” Shocked by what’d happened to him, the merchant seemed to recognize that the situation was now even more urgent.

“There are lots of things that are fishy about all of this,” Henry said, a look of anxiety on his face after listening to Mira and the merchant’s conversation. Perhaps he felt that some malevolent entity was closing in and waiting to strike.

Mira and her companions concluded that the best course of action was to confiscate all of the monster-repelling amulets. The merchant said that he’d speak with his fellow merchants and his regular customers to stop them from being distributed from their end before rushing off.

Henry then promised that he’d report the matter to Queen Alma. In addition, he planned on getting a look at the records from the flea market to get to the bottom of who had sold the amulet.

Meanwhile, Mira would go about the town on foot since she could keenly perceive things with her eyes and other senses.

Meilin had been relegated to just watching from the sidelines. She seemed to get that with demons being involved, things could get quite dangerous. She agreed to assist Mira with locating anyone who seemed suspicious.

They would search on foot…and yet, Ratnatraya was one of the largest cities on the entire continent of Ark. Finding whoever had purchased the monster-repelling amulets would be no easy task.

Regardless, Mira and Meilin began looking around the city to prevent an emergency from breaking out. If someone had bought any from the same seller, it would be possible to track them by scent, so Mira summoned Woofson.

His efforts proved to be in vain.

“The scent is too mixed in with this unpleasant feeling; it’d be nigh impossible to track, woof…”

It seemed that the sinister aura had defeated Woofson’s nose. Mira and Meilin were forced to rely on their senses alone.

Searching for the sinister aura while keeping a careful eye on their surroundings, Mira happened to look up and chuckled with shock, “Dang…!”

Far above Mira stood the figure of Meilin. She was standing in mid-air and was looking down to survey the ground below.

She was using the Immortal Arts technique [Air Step], which Mira also made extensive use of. It was a technique that allowed her to give herself a foothold in the air, so that she could run through the sky… But Meilin wasn’t running about; she was stopped dead. It looked as if she were standing on some invisible platform in the air.

Mira ought to have expected as much of the Wise Man of the Immortal Arts. It seemed as if Meilin’s abilities had evolved quite a bit since Mira had last seen her.

And so, Mira and Meilin searched for the monster-repelling amulets in this fashion for several hours. They’d heard that the amulets were all the rage, and yet time had flown by without them finding any.

“I know this city is huge, but how can we not have found anything?!” Mira said indignantly. For something so popular, they sure had come up empty-handed.

What were they going to do? They had yet to find even a single person carrying one of the monster-repelling amulets. It was enough to make her wonder if the amulets really were still all the rage, or if others were floating around anymore. Mira began to feel slightly disgruntled.

“Ah, I see something. Over there!” Meilin said. She dashed away, saying, “Suspect found, I’ll take them into custody!”

“Wait, hold on! We aren’t taking anyone into custody!”

Their objective was to recover the monster-repelling amulets, which had been purchased by people unaware of their true nature. Approaching these people under the assumption that they were criminals would only upset them. Mira hurried off after Meilin.

The pair were in a suburb of the city, an area that was far-removed from the city center. There were relatively few buildings and not many people on the streets. They found a man in a robe, with a hood pulled down close over his eyes.

“That’s…the criminal, right?!” Mira shouted unwittingly. She’d come to calm Meilin down…but seeing the man, she could tell that something was clearly off.

“Huh? Who’re you two?!” he said, staring daggers at the pair, as if they had been quite rude. He was carrying a large leather bag.

Mira and Meilin could sense that the ominous aura spilling out was dozens of times more powerful. Mira knew that inside the leather bag were many more monster-repelling amulets. She knew that there could only be one reason for him to have so many of them. He was meaning to sell them.

The man was undoubtedly a criminal in league with the dark demons to distribute the amulets all over the city. It was the only natural conclusion.

“We’re here to execute a search! Like it or not, we’ll be seizing the contents of that bag,” Mira said.

“We’re taking you in!” Meilin added. She hadn’t been wrong when she said she was going to take someone into custody.

Mira got into position while staring at the suspicious man. The dark demons were working cleverly from behind the scenes, and they undoubtedly had countermeasures in place should such a situation befall their conspirators. They needed to wrap things up quickly.

“I see… You want these, huh? To think they’d send a pair of assassins like you after me. But I won’t be handing anything over!” the man said, turned on his heel, and bolted.

But there wasn’t a soul alive who could easily escape the likes of Mira and Meilin.

“You won’t get away!”

Dashing through the air, Meilin flew right over his head and cut off his route.

“We’ve got a few questions for you!” Mira said, cutting him off from behind. Advancing toward the man from both directions, Mira and Meilin planned to attack simultaneously, finishing things in one fell swoop.

“You know what to do, right?” Mira asked.

“Sure do!” Meilin replied.

Meilin was the Wise Man of Immortal Arts, and Mira had learned from the best. The strikes they used were so exquisitely delivered that their opponent was hurt neither too little nor too much. Thanks to how perfectly in sync they were, he never had a chance.

But just when it seemed like the battle was decided, Mira jumped back in shock at what appeared in front of her. Just as she’d been about to unleash a blow that would’ve knocked him out, a knight carrying a white heater shield suddenly stood to protect the man.

It was evocation. Quite unexpectedly, the man had used summoning to fight back, and both Mira and Meilin’s attacks were stopped by the holy knight.

“He’s…a summoner?!” Mira said, visibly perturbed. He wasn’t so defenseless after all!

Not only did the man then summon multiple holy knights, he even began to activate the summoning circle for Mark of the Rosary.

“Whoa, seems like he’s pretty strong!” Meilin said.

Unable to believe that she’d come across a summoner who had turned to crime, Mira was shaken. Meanwhile, Meilin stood with a look of excitement on her face as she waited to see what he’d do next. While knowing they were both taking on a summoner, they allowed him time to use a high-level evocation.

Having finished his incantation, the Mark of the Rosary glowed, and out of it appeared the four-legged sacred beast, Majestas Maduin. It looked utterly majestic. The four horns that sat atop its head glinted formidably like pikes and gave it a regal air.

Majestas Maduin was a bull with the bearing of a king.

Chapter 30

THE SUSPICIOUS MAN, who was carrying a leather sack full of amulets, had summoned the sacred beast, Majestas Maduin.

It was a bull that stood well over sixteen feet tall and had a commanding presence. The pedestrians around them who’d come to rubberneck quickly scattered.

“I guess I don’t have a choice. If you’re gonna come after me, then I guess I’ll have to give you all I got,” the man said, watching as the onlookers shrieked in panic. It seemed like he was done running. He then summoned additional holy knights to strengthen his defenses.

The maduin stood directly in front, flanked by rows of dark knights.

Hrmm… He’s pretty skilled for a bad guy.

The man swiftly put together a battle formation, summoning blindingly fast and using simultaneous evocation. From what she could tell, his evocations were quite tough. Just about all of his skills were high level. He was the real deal, and Mira had no doubt that other A-rank adventurers would be no match for him.

“All right, then, how about we wrap this up quickly?” Mira said.

He might have been the real deal, but… Mira was the foremost summoner in the world. Meilin was the foremost sage in the world. He didn’t likely have a chance in hell of winning.

“Let me take him!” Meilin whined, looking at the maduin.

Before taking a step back, Mira answered, “All right, all right.”

She wanted to be the one to bring down the evil-doing summoner, but Mira nevertheless gave Meilin the honors. She wouldn’t have a very easy time stopping Meilin now that she was so fired up, anyway.

“I see… This must not be your first rodeo. If I underestimate you two based on how you look, I’ll end up paying for it…” the man said as Meilin took a moment to stand directly before the maduin. He must’ve sensed how powerful she was from her aura and how she held herself.

And yet, he kept a wary eye on Mira as well, not letting his guard slip for even a second. Perhaps due to instinct or beastly intuition, the maduin seemed to be uneasy about facing down Meilin.

The man came out guns blazing. The adroitly controlled holy knights worked in perfect harmony with the maduin to make full use of its abilities. Despite being the enemy, Mira had to admit that the teamwork being employed was so exceptional that the enemy force would likely be able to take down a high-level fiend.

But unfortunately for him, his opponent was even more monstrous.

“What in the…”

The holy knights were working in sync to make full use of the maduin’s power, but Meilin destroyed them the moment they came into striking range. And though the maduin was fighting beyond what it ought to have been capable of, it stood no chance against Meilin. She beat it down like a training dummy, and it vanished without a trace.

The man was skilled, but the difference in their respective powers was too great. He must’ve been confident in his battle formation, as he was shocked to see how easily it’d been broken. Despite this, he quickly switched his strategy.

“In that case…!”

He then used spiritual evocation. Having quickly discerned what type of magic he was using, Mira realized that he was going to destroy the monster-repelling amulets and reacted immediately.

She used the Immortal Arts technique [Thrust] to blast him and send him flying, leather bag and all. But this was no ordinary opponent. Despite being injured, the man completed the spell without losing concentration.

[Spiritual Evocation: Eyes on Sunrise]

Crimson flames formed into a beam that shot out of the summoning circle. The extreme heat was so intense that it would no doubt incinerate the amrute inside the monster-repelling amulets. And if whatever had been sealed away within the amrute were unsealed here, there was no telling how much destruction would be unleashed.

Mira made her next move. She summoned a holy knight and altered it, having it take the blast head on. Flames exploded forth, and the heat from the beam whipped up a scorching gust.

“It can’t be…” Wide-eyed, the man beheld the scene after the flames had died down.

Despite having been hit with such destructive power, the holy lord stood unscathed.

“All right then, next…” Standing behind the holy lord and holding the leather bag (also unscathed), Mira glared at the man and said, “…we’re going to have to ask you a few questions.”

The man had already been seized by Meilin. Despite her petite size, she was holding the man down with a strength that belied her appearance. Mira began walking over to get some information out of him.

In addition to having so many of the rare monster-repelling amulets, he was a mage of considerable skill. He also might be able to hinder others cognitively. There was no doubt to her that he was the seller from the flea market. Mira surmised that the man might even know well where the monster-repelling amulets had come from and who it was that was producing them.

“So, are you ready? Things will go a lot easier for you if you cooperate,” Mira suggested, before letting the leather bag drop with a thud, grinning defiantly.

The man’s eyes glittered from beneath his hood, and he flashed a smile. “Hmph… I don’t have anything to say to the likes of you!”

Then his face twisted in anger. She could tell that he wasn’t just talking tough, but that his will was nigh unbreakable.

“Hrmm… I admire your determination, but given that you’ve turned to evil, this is the end of the line.”

He was a fearsome man who served demons, and yet he was also an accomplished summoner. Thinking this to be quite a shame, Mira grabbed ahold of his hood and ripped it off as she ordered, “Now, spit out everything you know about these shady monster-repelling amulets!”

Under it, she found a middle-aged man dressed like an academic. But…despite one moment looking as if he were ready to die before giving in, a look of astonishment suddenly appeared on his face. He was utterly befuddled.

“Wait, what?!”

“Hrmm…?” Had she said something strange? Thinking back on what she’d said, Mira then rephrased herself, “Now, tell me everything you know about these evil amulets!”

She hadn’t really said anything different, and yet a look of even greater confusion began to wash over the man’s face. Something wasn’t right. Sensing that something was off from how the man was reacting, Mira took a closer look at the man’s face.

As she did, the man’s information popped up into Mira’s field of vision.

His name was Jude Steiner.

What the hell…?!

Now it was Mira’s turn to look astonished, as she knew the man’s name.

He was the fifth son of one of the noble families of the Kingdom of Alcait. Due to his talents with evocation, he was accepted by the Tower. Back then he’d been a young man, and one of Danblf’s juniors. She was surprised to see that the starry-eyed youth was now a middle-aged man. More than that, she was disheartened to learn that one of her fellow summoners had been reduced to a life of evil.

As she reeled from the shock, the discussion continued forward…

“What…?! So, you two picked up on the ominous aura coming from the monster-repelling amulets and went searching for them?!”

“That’s right. They aren’t good. We can’t just let them float around,” Meilin said.

While Mira had been processing the shock of learning who the man really was, Meilin had been questioning him. After determining that there had been some sort of misunderstanding, the two then were having a calm discussion. She’d quickly learned what man was up to.

He wasn’t a merchant going around selling monster-repelling amulets. He had also detected the sinister aura within the amulets and had moved to take action just like Mira and Meilin.

No wonder we couldn’t find the amulets despite searching so hard…

The reason they hadn’t been able to come across any despite running all over the city had been because someone had already gathered them all up. He’d been at it for several days, and he’d gathered up most of the amulets that were in the city for now.

Thanks to his efforts, they now had a lot less work on their hands.

But that wasn’t what truly surprised her. That came next, when they introduced themselves to each other.

“My name is Bruce, and I’m but a humble traveling summoner.”

…Bruce?

“What did you say…?”

His real name was Jude Steiner, but going by an alias wasn’t anything particularly worth noting. Mira had an alias. Meilin was now going by Sailor Guardian.

At the end of the day, he was a mage belonging to the Tower of Evocation. That title and rank could sometimes frighten or unnecessarily intimidate others.

What got Mira’s attention was the name Bruce, as she vividly remembered hearing about a summoner named Bruce. A summoner named Layla, who she’d met in Haxthausen, had said someone had helped her make a contract with an armor spirit. There was also the person who’d written a textbook on summoning that she’d seen in a bookstore.

Both of these people had shared the name Bruce. Could the man before Mira be the summoner who’d been working so hard for the sake of summoning?

“That aside, I was really surprised at how strong you are, ladies. I’m confident in my own abilities, so I can’t believe I was so hopelessly outmatched. Are you two famous adventurers or something? I was especially freaked out when I saw that holy lord. But also super impressed. It had such an awe-inspiring presence that it reminded me of Master Danblf’s holy lord! Where on earth did you learn to use evocation like that?! Would you be willing to tell me the name of whoever taught you?!” Bruce asked.

Mira was feeling overcome with excitement that she might have located the Bruce she was thinking of, when Bruce obliviously went over to them.

As one might well expect of a mage from the Linked Silver Towers, Bruce was incredibly passionate. “Your Immortal Arts were amazing too! Your moves were enough to remind me of Miss Meilin,” he continued, laughing while looking at Meilin in awe.

Having been soundly defeated by the both of them, Bruce completely forgot about the whole matter of the monster-repelling amulets, and his interest had moved entirely onto the incredible skills he’d witnessed. He seemed to be especially interested in who’d taught Mira and Meilin.

Meilin had then begun to say, “Sure thing. I…”

But Mira had the sense to cut her off, saying, “More importantly, we’ve got work to do,” before gesturing to the leather bag full of the monster-repelling amulets.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. I got distracted. We can discuss all the little details later, but for right now, what should we do about these?”

“Bruce” was easily distracted, but it seemed that he could be guided back to the matter at hand just as easily.

As soon as he picked up the leather bag, he said, “By the way, can I ask you guys…”

He then asked Mira and Meilin—who’d planned on gathering up the amulets—what they’d planned to do with them afterwards.

“Hm… What were we going to do?”

“Hrmm… Now that you mention it, I don’t think we got that far.”

After thinking about it for a moment, Mira and Meilin answered that they hadn’t the faintest idea. The thing was, they figured the amulets were involved in some sort of scheme hatched by demons. They knew they ought to first gather up all of the amulets, and had jumped into action to do so. But now they had them…

So, what were they going to do with the amulets?

“What were you planning to do?” Mira asked. If Bruce had known about the problem before them and started gathering them, maybe he already had a plan to deal with them.

“Well first, I planned on breaking one of them open to find out what was inside,” he answered. Picking up one of the amulets, he pulled off the cloth wrapped around it. Holding the amrute aloft in his hand, he said, “I’ve never seen this substance before; it’s actually a rather interesting stone.”

Mira and Meilin had launched their attack on him just as he was heading toward the outskirts of the city to where he could safely break one of the amulets.

“Ah… Sorry about that…”

“Really sorry…” Meilin said, following Mira in apologizing for thinking he was the seller of the amulets.

“No, no, I should be the one apologizing. I thought it’d be better to destroy them than to let them fall into the wrong hands…but thanks to you protecting the bag, now we can investigate them properly,” Bruce said with a smile, apologizing for making an assumption just like Mira and Meilin had.

Remembering the spectacle, he once more began, “But wow, I couldn’t believe you protected the bag with one of those. Mira, your holy lord was terrifying! Who on earth taught you to…”

His curiosity as a mage once more threatened to run wild.

“…Let’s deal with these first!”

Bruce had known Danblf, and so before he had a chance to make the connection, Mira thrust the amrute out in front of him and began to explain what it was in an attempt to redirect his attention.

“This is amrute… And it’s said to only exist near the Sacred Domain. When it comes to substances that’ve never been seen before, one assumes they must come from the Celestial Realm. But why is it in this form? Why is it here? Those questions are both a mystery.”

Mira spoke at length, flaunting all the knowledge she’d gotten from the Spirit King. With this, Bruce’s curiosity was once more directed to the amrute.

In its natural form, amrute was a liquid that only existed in the Celestial Realm, and yet this was solid and located in their world. Furthermore, they could sense a sinister aura lurking inside of it.

Bruce began coming up with all kinds of theories as he began investigating the amrute and the cloth it was wrapped in. But Mira had already done this herself.

“And one more thing… It’s still just a theory, but we believe that demons may be involved…” Mira stated, suggesting that a lead had pointed them to the demons as a source of the problem.

He seemed to have come to the same conclusion. After listing their reasons, Bruce smiled and said, “I thought that was the most likely explanation. In that case, the monster-repelling amulets are just as dangerous as they feel…so, the issue now is to figure out what they’re trying to do by distributing them.”

“Hrmm, good point. That is the most important part,” Mira agreed.

What did they plan to do by selling the modified amrute as monster-repelling amulets? Could they just be trying to make some money, or was there some other reason? More than anything, Mira was curious as to how the amulets worked to repel monsters.

Standing before the heap of amulets, Mira and Bruce pondered how they might best investigate the trinkets. As they did, Meilin joined them in wearing a serious expression on her face. She tended to not be of much help in such situations…but there were times when she leapt to intuitive conclusions, solving problems faster and more accurately than the ones who used logic to crack the case.

“What a pain. Why don’t we just crack one open?” she concluded, having grown bored pondering the situation. She concentrated mana into her right hand, before holding it out as if asking Mira to hand one over.

“Hold on, we can’t…”

The Spirit King had said that they couldn’t know what effect that might have, and so she’d opted not to destroy it. But this time, Meilin had a point. There was no doubt that whatever was sealed inside the amrute was critical to their plan.

With that being the case, it’d be far more constructive to find out what was inside and then take things from there. At least it would stop them from just sitting around and theorizing.

“She’s right. You might as well break it open…” the Spirit King said. But concerned about the risk when doing so, the Spirit King added a warning. If they simply destroyed the amrute, there was no way to know what would happen—it was going to be inherently dangerous.

But he suggested a way they could do so more safely. Were they to return the amrute to its original form—a liquid—they could investigate what was inside of it without having to physically destroy it.

He and Martel had been doing a bit of their own research in the meantime. They’d found out how to return the substance back to a liquid once it’d been turned solid in an old text.

“Oh ho, and how exactly does one do that?!” Asking for more info on the Spirit King’s suggestion, Mira signaled to Meilin to hold off for a moment.

“Well, allow me to share…” the Spirit King began, sounding quite proud of himself. The method required several different spells and was fairly difficult…for novices. To someone like Mira—a member of the Nine Wise Men, a mage among mages—it wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

And yet, she couldn’t just do it on the fly. There was no way of safely returning it to its liquid state, because they weren’t in an environment suitable for amrute in its natural state. To turn it back into a liquid, they’d need to be where the amrute was originally found…near the Sacred Domain.

“And one more thing… I feel like that power coming from inside of that resembles a demonic aura. It might be best if you brought along someone equipped to deal with such threats… That is, someone with a holy affinity,” the Spirit King added, after finishing his explanation.

“Hrmm, I see… In that case, I’m guessing there would be perfect!”

She needed to be somewhere near the Sacred Domain, and work alongside someone with a holy affinity. Mira immediately knew where she’d be heading next.

And while Mira was discussing all of this with the Spirit King…

“Looks like she’s gotten pretty quiet… Perhaps she’s come up with some sort of idea?” Bruce said, looking toward Meilin. Mira was silent and standing still as a stone.

“Probably talking to the Spirit King.” Holding off on destroying the amrute as Mira had asked, Meilin waited like a well-behaved puppy. Correctly guessing what was going on, she told Bruce about what Mira was doing.

Hearing the words Spirit King, he pulled a face for a moment as if it must’ve been some kind of joke…and then the words Spirit King, Mira, and Spirit Queen, seemed to click. The rumors he’d heard and information he’d gathered fell into place. The look on his face morphed to one of vivid surprise and curiosity.

“The Spirit King… Are you saying that Mira can speak with the Spirit King?!” Bruce said, seizing on what Meilin had said.

The Spirit Queen was said to have a connection with the Spirit King. But it was more than a simple connection, from what Meilin had suggested. They were actually having a conversation.

“I talked to him. If you hold her hand, you can too,” Meilin answered nonchalantly.

Bruce became even more intrigued.

The Spirit King was a great being who was revered as highly as the Trinity. The only ones capable of conversing with a transcendent being were said to be those who were on a similar level of existence as the divine oracles. Those were closely guarded by the Three Great Nations.

“Talk with the Spirit King…?” Bruce gasped, suddenly faced with an incredible opportunity.

As someone from this world, he revered the Spirit King. As a humble mage and seeker of knowledge, he was both incredibly intrigued and excited.

“Her hand…? Hold her hand…?”

By holding Mira’s hand, he’d be able to speak with the Spirit King. While that would be an incredible honor, it could also be considered impudent. That gave him pause.

As a seeker of knowledge, Bruce yielded to his desire and reached for Mira’s hand. And yet, deep down, he couldn’t help but feel that a simple human ought to show the proper humility. Therefore, deeming it presumptuous to listen in on the Spirit King, Bruce pulled back his outstretched hand…

…before it began to reach out once more. Staring straight at Mira’s hand, which hung unguarded at her side, the thought of how incredible it would be to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity swirled through his head. He was filled with eager anticipation that, if all went well, he might even be able to ask the Spirit King some questions.

But just as he was about to touch her with his right hand, his left hand prevented him from doing so.

Within Bruce, his impulses and common sense were waging war. This battle went back and forth a few inches from Mira’s hand.

Regardless of the war raging in his heart, Bruce looked quite dubious as the struggle consumed him. That was because Mira’s defenseless hand hung level with the hem of her skirt. He was extending his right hand toward this very hand/skirt hem. At first glance—or at any glance, really—he looked like a middle-aged man who was wholly focused on getting a peek. There would be no saving him if someone passing through happened to witness this bizarre scene and file a report with the guards.

“All right, our next destination is Valhalla!” Mira proclaimed loudly, her eyelids popping open while Bruce continued to struggle against himself.

Valhalla fit both criteria the Spirit King had mentioned. It was near the Sacred Domain, and it was where Alfina and the Valkyrie sisters called home.

Mira had checked with the Spirit King to see whether Valhalla would work, and he confirmed that it would. More importantly, holy affinity-possessing Valkyrie sisters would be there. They wouldn’t have to worry too much about the safety side of things. Also, they ought to hurry and get a move on.

“Huh? Valhalla?!” Bruce cried in surprise, being the first one to react to the news. Mostly because Mira had suddenly moved…or perhaps not. “A top-level summoner and sage… Yes, that should do it! Mira, please! Would you be willing to take me with you?!”

From the way he said it, it sounded as if he’d always dreamed of going to Valhalla. His reason for doing so was that he’d been desperately looking for a way to make a contract with a Valkyrie. To satisfy the conditions for the contract, he needed to be able to use a high-level spell. And yet, this wasn’t quite as simple as it sounded. Unable to fulfill all the conditions necessary to make a contract, he’d ended up running around and stumbled across the monster-repelling amulets. That led him to the situation he was now in.

With his quest to secure a contract on hold, not only had two people who could help clear this requirement suddenly appeared, but they also said they were going to Valhalla.

Seizing the opportunity, Bruce pleaded, “Please, I beg you!”

“…Hrmm, sure. Why don’t you come with us?”

It would be fairly dangerous, but nothing that someone with the capabilities of a Tower mage wouldn’t be able to handle. And he’d gathered the monster-repelling amulets that they’d be bringing to Valhalla. And they’d kind of roughed him up when they mistook him for a shady dealer. Mira felt like she owed him one.

With these self-serving reasons in mind, Mira assented. Bruce had been granted his wish to go to Valhalla. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “Thank you, Mira!”

With their discussion concluded, two shadows approached them.

“What exactly are you begging for?”

“And why are you thanking her?”

Turning around, they saw two sentinel knights eyeing them suspiciously.

“Oh ho…?!” Mira said, wondering what the problem could be.

Had she done anything to arouse their suspicion, or did they want to take her into protective custody…again? As these thoughts passed through her head, Mira figured out what was going on after considering what the two sentinel knights had said.

Two young girls out with a middle-aged man was a suspicious situation.

Having no idea what was going on, Bruce panicked as one of the sentinel knights notified him that someone had reported him. Thankfully, Mira threw him a lifeline.

“Oh, there’s no need to worry. This is a good pal of ours. There’s nothing wrong…” she said, coming up with an excuse, since Bruce was still perplexed. She figured that if the purported victim said something like that, the whole problem should resolve itself. After answering a few more questions, the sentinel knights seemed satisfied and left.

It seemed she’d managed to clear up the misunderstanding for Bruce.

“Good grief… Thank you, Mira. You’re a lifesaver. There are creeps out there who take advantage of girls, huh?” Bruce said, looking relieved.

“It’s no big deal, really,” Mira answered, looking smug. She chuckled, thinking about how they’d mistaken him for a nefarious seller of amulets.

Chapter 31

TO FIND OUT WHAT really lay hidden within the monster-repelling (possibly demonic) amulets, Mira, Meilin, and Bruce took off from Nirvana and headed toward Valhalla.

Getting to Valhalla, near the Sacred Domain, was no easy task and would require them to pass through a special entrance to get in. At that moment, they were en route to the entrance closest to Nirvana while inside of Mira’s Garuda-carried wagon.

“Ah… That must be why. I don’t think it’s that bad, but I can see how most people wouldn’t consider it a good reward…” Mira said.

“Should have offered something tasty,” Meilin chimed in.

While they waited to get there, the three were chit-chatting. Bruce was in the middle of complaining how nobody offered to help him get to Valhalla. Mira clearly stated that the reward he offered was the reason for this being the case. Meilin had her own advice.

Bruce said that he’d prepared a special reward for helping him: A research paper that he’d spent years compiling.

The paper had been the fruit of all his time spent studying in the Linked Silver Towers, where the greatest mages from all over the continent congregated. It was a distillation of knowledge that any renowned mage would long to get their hands on. It contained information only a select few people were privy to, making its contents undoubtedly valuable. It was truly an exceptional reward.

Of course, this only really applied if the research paper yielded a proper spell.

In the Linked Silver Towers, there were two types of mages. The first were genuine magic nerds who focused on developing and improving spells. The others were genuine research nerds who focused single-mindedly on niche subjects they were interested in.

Occasionally, the latter stumbled upon something unexpected. But ninety-nine percent of the time, their research only ended up being of interest to themselves. And Bruce belonged to this latter set.

The research paper might not be worth the paper it was written on.

“If you offered a cash reward, then someone probably would’ve offered to help right away,” Mira said. Bruce hung his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

There was a good chance that they’d be getting back late, so Mira had dispatched First Pupil to deliver a message. He was to explain the situation to Henry and then head to the castle, where he was now undoubtedly catching up Alma and Esmeralda as they spoke. If the matter with the amulets took a while, then it might be some time until she could begin her mission protecting the oracle.

“Wow… You made a contract with a mansion spirit?! Theoretically, I thought they might exist, but to think you actually found one!”

After discussing Bruce’s plight, the conversation turned to the existence of furniture spirits. Mira told of her meeting with the mansion spirit, who’d been calling out to her. Hearing these examples, and believing that there could be other manmade spirits out there, Bruce was elated.

Her eyes glittering hopefully, Meilin said, “If there were a wooden dummy spirit, I could test out all kinds of techniques!”

“Everything you say is such an incredible surprise. It almost feels like I’m listening to Danblf, who paved the way for evocation as we know it.”

As the Wise Man of Evocation, Danblf had stood at the forefront when it came to pioneering new ways of researching evocation, using it in combat, and teaching it. And now, Mira was doing the very same thing. Bruce had been there to witness and observe Danblf back in the day, and this was giving him déjà vu.

Mira, oblivious, had gotten carried away discussing evocation as she usually did. She broke out in a cold sweat, fearing the direction in which things were going. Thinking she ought to take care not to reveal who she really was, she chose her next words carefully.

“No, no, I’m the only one who could come up with this stuff…”

“To think there are people capable of such feats…” Bruce said.

Despite being confident of his strength, it seemed that being crushed so easily by Mira and Meilin had left a lasting impression on him. As he suddenly brought up how strong Mira and Meilin were, he murmured to himself about what he ought to do to become stronger.

And then it was Meilin’s turn to go on a rant.

She spoke of how to become stronger. The best thing to do was to work hard and go off on a journey to train. She explained what she’d found particularly effective thus far—but these were all things that were effective for someone at Meilin’s level. Even someone with Mira’s considerable might would have a difficult time pulling it off. For a Tower mage like Bruce, they were completely impossible.

“Hearing you say all this stuff…I almost feel like I’m listening to Miss Meilin. It really does feel odd. Those two used to go around merrily pulling off stuff that would be impossible for the rest of us. I wonder where everyone from back then is, and what they’re doing right now…” Bruce said, staring off into the distance.

Meilin had talked about the kind of insane training that fellow Wise Men would blanch at…not to mention ordinary people. Hearing about this insane training had reminded Bruce of the past.

As this somber, bittersweet mood descended upon them, Mira flew into a panic. Meilin really was the only one who could do that kind of insane training. Before their cover was utterly blown, she deftly interrupted Meilin and distracted Bruce by saying, “…Since you brought that up, how about I teach you a few basic evocation tricks?!”

But Mira had forgotten herself. She’d figured that since she was speaking with a Tower mage, she could just teach him some tips he might already know…but instead, the knowledge she imparted left him in awe. As they traveled to their destination, Bruce was able to fully appreciate just how much more advanced Mira and Sailor Guardian were than other mages.

Time flew by as the three chatted and, before they knew it, they were drawing near their destination: Filz Isle. The island was located east of Nirvana and shaped like an oval about forty-five miles long. The entire surface was covered in dense forest, with a series of mountains running down the center. Surrounding the island was a shallow belt of reefs. It was difficult to reach, even by sea.

There were no settlements on the island, only a surveillance base atop the cliffs on the eastern part of the island that was used by Nirvana’s navy.

Mira and company had approached Filz Isle from the west and were now en route to The base of Mt. Filz, standing an impressive nine thousand eight hundred feet tall. From Mt. Filz, which towered majestically above the island, they could see a single river that looked as if it was spilling from the mountainside.

“That’s it. Let’s descend here, Miss Mira.”

“Hrmm, roger that.”

Following the ten-foot-wide river upstream, Mira brought down the wagon. Alighting from the vehicle, they saw the mouth of a dark and massive cave through which the river flowed.

Seeing this, Meilin was suddenly in high spirits. The scene in front of them looked as if it might lead to some dungeon housing a powerful boss.

Dismissing Garuda, Mira and her companions stepped into the cave.

The cave was around twenty feet high and was quite a bit wider than the river. It was cool inside, and the only sound was the echo of running water and three sets of footsteps trudging forward. Making their way forward, illuminated by Ethereal Arts, Meilin took the lead. Her shoulders sank in disappointment. “Hmm… No enemies…”

Despite this feeling like the kind of place where powerful enemies might be lurking, they didn’t see a single monster.

“When I first went to Valhalla, I went via the Grafflocke Mountain Range, but this is a lot safer. I guess I should’ve come here first,” Mira said.

“Wow, it must’ve been quite the ordeal going via Grafflocke. That place is full of monsters,” Bruce replied.

Meilin was running back and forth through the cave as the two excitedly talked about evocation, a subject they mutually loved. Mostly, they spoke of the difficulties they experienced forging contracts. Considering that Bruce would very soon be attempting to forge a contract, Mira spoke about her experience with the Valkyries.

“I heard Master Danblf also chose to enter into Valhalla through Grafflocke. I believe Miss Luminaria was there too, and that she went on quite a rampage. I must say…you’re incredible to have made it through a place like that, Miss Mira,” Bruce said, chuckling. Mira cringed, realizing she’d nearly outed herself again.

Just how much did Bruce know about Danblf’s exploits? Every time he heard a snippet of her stories, he immediately connected what he’d heard to Danblf. It didn’t matter how careful she was, he’d seize on the tiniest detail and trace it back. She was beginning to think it would be best if she didn’t mention evocation anymore.

Bruce, who had no idea what Mira was thinking, remained quite enthusiastic about the subject, given that they could both discuss it in depth.

“By the way, Miss Mira…how many Valkyries did you make a contract with?” Bruce turned to ask with an inquisitive smile, still plowing ahead without stopping as they went deeper and deeper into the cave.

Normally, one made a contract with a single Valkyrie. But, depending on how one’s trial and negotiations went, it was possible to contract with several at once. What one needed most was power and heart. Summoners who managed to forge contracts with two or more Valkyries were among the best of the best.

“Well… Good question… I have a contract with more than one.” She had a contract with seven.

Which meant Danblf had made a contract with seven as well. Given that they both had the same contracts, this was another opportunity to blow her own cover. She should have just answered, “one,” but her pride got the better of her. She settled on simply suggesting that she had multiple.

“Wow! Now I’m starting to get excited! Once I forge a contract, let’s both summon our Valkyrie!”

“Ah, no… I don’t think that—”

“Boy, I can’t wait!”

“I wonder what they’ll think of me?” he muttered to himself as he kept walking forward and fantasizing, sounding half excited and half nervous. “Aah, I can’t wait!”

Chapter 32

AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR of venturing through the cave, an empty space opened up before them. But it was only empty at first glance. Looking closer, they noticed some kind of pattern engraved into the ground.

Standing in front of them and staring at the imposing arena with glittering eyes, Meilin said, “Something big must be coming!”

Unfortunately, her wish wouldn’t be granted.

“Sorry, but this means that we won’t be encountering any monsters.”

The pattern engraved in the ground was a magic circle that signified that they were on the path to Valhalla. Valhalla was a sacred place, and none of the monsters or fiends that Meilin was hoping to encounter would get anywhere near it.

“Uuugh… I was sure of it. No luck at all…” Meilin grumbled.

In the deepest part of the cave, they came upon a significant-looking magic circle. Meilin’s shoulders dropped in disappointment at having not run into a single monster along the whole way, not even the end.

“Well, hey. There are tons of Valkyrie in Valhalla. They’re all about getting stronger, so I’m sure you’ll be able to have as many fights as you like,” Mira said in an attempt to cheer up Meilin. She couldn’t bear to see her looking so sad.

While Alfina was a bit of an exception, the Valkyrie did generally strive to improve themselves on a daily basis. Meilin would feel right at home with them. She’d have more sparring matches than she could handle.

While those were a lot of assumptions on Mira’s part, it nevertheless perked Meilin up.

“Sounds like fun!” Meilin said, her face brimming with excitement. She’d already forgotten about the amulets, which were their whole reason for going there.

“Now then, this must be the First Gate that I’ve heard about,” Bruce said, looking inquisitively at the magic circle after taking the lead while Meilin calmed down. He pulled out a dimly glowing stone. It was a guiding glowstone, which one received for vanquishing a monster known as the Twilit Fallen.

It was the key necessary to open the First Gate and gain entry into Valhalla.

Bruce laid the glowstone in the center of the ground, and something immediately occurred. The magic circle glowed faintly, and the light emanating from it began pulsing.

Before it stood Meilin, beaming with excitement, while Mira stood tall and proud.

“All right, so next is the Second Gate,” Bruce muttered apprehensively. The moment he did, the pulsing of the light grew faster, and a torrent of light gushed forth to illuminate the entire space.

The harsh white light faded, and the three saw a vast meadow stretching out before them as they opened their eyes. And yet, it didn’t appear that they’d left the cave. Looking up, they saw a wall of stone along with countless cracks and crevices. Beams of light were spilling forth, as if cutting through the darkness.

“Oh ho, so this is what this place looks like.”

There were several roads that led to Valhalla. Mira was taking the entrance from Filz Isle for the first time, and so she gasped in wonder as she beheld the scene.

The place they’d arrived at was the inside of the mountain, not far from the summit. The bright rays that spilled into the grassy meadow created islands of light that stood out in dazzling relief against the darkness of the cave.

“This looks like somewhere out of a fairytale…” Bruce said, a look of exuberance on his face as he gazed about the meadow. But only for a moment… He then cried out before running toward the center of the meadow, “Oh wow, that must be it!”

Taking a closer look, Mira saw a lake shimmering with light.

“Oh well… He’s just like me when I first saw it, huh?” Mira said, smiling about the day she’d been within reach of obtaining the Valkyrie evocation, and how she’d been equally excited.

Just beside him, she saw Meilin standing triumphantly.

“This place is beautiful! But that secret meadow I found before was even better,” Meilin said, as if she was used to seeing such things.

This was such a staggeringly beautiful place that it would’ve rendered any ordinary person awestruck.

But her reaction was to be expected. Meilin had explored countless mountains and forests on her training journeys. She’d spent untold days running through brutal natural environments where people scarcely ventured. She must’ve seen plenty of gorgeous views that rivaled or even exceeded the one that was before them.

Meilin must’ve found a secret meadow that was even more beautiful. Even in a place as incredible and idyllic as where they now stood, Meilin’s competitive nature was undiminished.

“Hrmm, is that right? I guess I’ll have to go there someday,” Mira said, thinking out loud and shrugging off Meilin’s goading.

At the end of the day, all of the secluded spots and spectacular views that Meilin had found really were so incredible that they took one’s breath away. And it’d been thirty years. Mira could only imagine how many spots she knew. Mira was genuinely excited.

Chatting, Mira and Meilin followed Bruce inside.

The lake was about three hundred and thirty feet in diameter. Inside sat an island that was covered in flowers. And thanks to the rays of light shining through, it looked like it was completely aglow.

“So, are we just about there?” Bruce asked.

“Hrmm. Just about,” Mira answered.

“We’ll be in Valhalla soon?” Meilin asked.

There was a bridge crossing over the lake and into the field of flowers, which was about three or so feet wide and had no handrails or support beams. It was like a flat board that crossed over the water, and it was a tad nerve-racking to cross.

Mira and her companions crossed over it without any hesitation as they made their way toward their destination: the field of flowers in the middle of the island.

“Gatekeeper, pray show yourself to us,” Bruce shouted toward the heavens upon stepping foot inside the field. The moment he did, something inexplicable happened. The calm surface of the lake began frothing, and the wind began whipping.

Flower petals were torn away by the raging winds, and spray from the surface of the lake flew up into the air. Then they sparkled intermittently as they danced in the air, being struck by the rays of light pouring into the cavern.

“Whoa…” Bruce gasped, seeing the incredible display before him.

The fantastic sights just kept coming. The look on Meilin’s face suggested that she was also quite impressed. But Mira wasn’t looking at this dazzling spectacle, rather at the lake itself. From the middle of the lake, a pair of spirits slowly rose out of the water—one a light spirit and the other a water spirit.

Back then, I had no idea where or when they’d appear, but to think they’d simply used misdirection…

This was all a performance on their part, occurring at whichever entrance one took. Mira had seen the same thing when taking a different entrance previously. The display above would catch your eye while they ascended from below. Mira thought back on her experience the previous time, which had very much surprised her. Now she fully understood just how they’d pulled off seemingly appearing from nowhere.

Mira locked eyes with the two spirits, who then looked away sheepishly. But they continued on unperturbed and switched their attention to Bruce and Meilin, who had fallen hook, line, and sinker for their trick.

Standing in front of Bruce, the spirits pretentiously asked in unison, “Thou hath summoned us. State thy purpose.”

“Whoa! When did you get there?!” he cried.

Meilin had a similarly shocked look on her face and said, “Was not expecting that!”

A faint and self-satisfied smile flashed across the spirits’ faces for a split second, as if they were a pair of naughty children who’d pulled off some kind of prank.

But Bruce’s astonishment only lasted a moment. Swept up in excitement, he boldly answered, “I’ve got but one reason. I summoned you so I can get to Valhalla and forge an evocation contract with a Valkyrie!”

He was much more eager to forge a contract than he was to know where the two spirits had appeared from.

The pair seemed deflated at the speed with which he’d switched gears. But, ready for that response, they answered, “Then show us proof that thou art worthy of entry.”

“Allow me to go first,” Bruce said.

Eagerly stepping forward, Bruce used [Summoning Arts: Bound Arcana] before transitioning into Mark of the Rosary.

“Come forth from the circle, seeker of darkest black.”

[Evocation: Tempest]

After activating the evocation spell, a gust swept from his summoning circle. The wind formed a cyclone in the air and smashed down to the ground. The moment it did, the cyclone dissipated, and where it landed stood a single black tiger.

Wreathed in raging winds, it sprinted forth to slaughter its foes. It was Tempest, a high-level evocation that possessed both impressive offensive power and incredible speed.

Oh ho, with eyes and teeth like that, he’s raised it quite well. It’s got a wonderful coat too. Good work.

It had been thirty years since Mira had met Bruce, or rather, Jude Steiner. She felt like a proud parent as she saw just how much he’d grown.

“Excellent. We deem thee worthy of passing through the gate,” the spirits said, having finished their assessment of Bruce while Mira was absorbed in feeling sentimental.

Bruce was deemed worthy by the spirits and allowed entry onto the path. While he had been confident, he was also anxious before the test. Now he was nothing but smiles.

“So, who shall be nex—” the spirits began to say, before glancing toward Meilin. They were struck speechless.

They were about to give Meilin her turn. But she was all ready to go…just not in the way that they were used to.

“Hurry up and let’s do this! Something wrong?” Meilin said, poised in a fighting stance. She squared off against the spirits, ready to make a move if they didn’t hurry up.

“No, no, no! Hold on. Just calm down!”

“You’ve got it all wrong! We don’t fight you! You just need to show us what you’ve got!”

When it came to fighting, it certainly seemed like the spirits were quite capable of holding their own. Perhaps their guts told them how powerful Meilin was. Trembling like leaves, they both threw up their hands and insisted they weren’t looking for trouble.

“Hm…? You don’t fight?”

“No!”

“We don’t, okay?!”

The two spirits practically shouted at Meilin, who stood before them with a quizzical look on her face. Because she’d spent so long anticipating monsters showing up with nothing to show for it, Meilin was frustrated. If she were to fight the spirits in this state, there was no telling just how much of her frustration she’d unload. As Mira might have expected, the gatekeepers of Valhalla had keenly sensed how dangerous the situation was.

Meilin kindly did as the spirits beseeched and simply demonstrated a high-level skill before being deemed worthy of entering Valhalla.

“So, I get to punch a Valkyrie now?!” Meilin added in high spirits.

“…All right. Next, we shall be testing your…strength…?”

Bruce had gone, and so had Meilin, which meant it was now Mira’s turn to prove her mettle. The two spirits appeared to stare straight through Mira as they stared straight at her. Then a look of astonishment flashed across both of their faces.

“There’s a great power within you… It’s almost as if… It resembles that of the Spirit King.”

“That would mean… But… How?”

Having detected the presence of the Spirit King’s blessing, which lay within Mira, befuddlement was replaced by astonishment on the pair’s faces. They looked at each other and began consulting.

“Could it be? Do you think she’s the real thing?”

“But I mean, right now, the Spirit King is…”

“So, are you saying it just seems like him?”

“Seems like him? There’s no one who can…”

The Spirit King had been cooped up in the Spirit Palace for far too long. For this reason, even when detecting his power, the spirits first seemed to doubt themselves.

That’ll probably be the fastest way to deal with this kind of situation.

Just barely able to hear the spirit’s voices as they spoke in hushed tones, Mira guessed what the holdup was and went into action. Quietly walking forward, she took both of the spirits by the hand.

“Lunanlied, Fontiné…it’s good to see you’re well. I’m relieved to see that you’re still doing your duties.”

Immediately after taking their hands, the Spirit King’s voice was transmitted to them via Mira. Hearing it, the expressions on their faces changed instantaneously. His words and the power they felt conveyed through Mira convinced them that he was the real Spirit King.

The light spirit, Lunanlied, exuberantly exclaimed, “Your Highness?!”

The water spirit, Fontiné, wept and cried out, “It’s him! The Spirit King’s voice!”

“Miss Mira, I heard from Miss Sailor Guardian that if someone holds your hand, they can speak with the Spirit King. Is that what you’re doing now?” Bruce asked quietly, witnessing how the gatekeeper spirits’ behavior had changed.

Mira turned toward him and told him he was correct.

“I knew it…!”

It was true—just by grabbing her hand, he could speak with the Spirit King. Seeing this with his own eyes, Bruce began, “Well then…”

He really wanted to hear the Spirit King’s voice. Or at least, he wanted to tell her he did… But seeing how absorbed Lunanlied and Fontiné were in their conversation, he stopped himself. It would be rude to butt in on a reunion between a parent and children. Those who knew of the Spirit King—individuals well-versed in history—knew that the Spirit King had vanished from the world thousands of years ago.

Once they were done, he could make his request. Managing to suppress his desire to listen to the Spirit King, Bruce patiently waited for their conversation to end.

Mira was once more acting as the conduit as she listened to the conversation and waited for them to finish.

“Thank you, Mira.”

“Thanks. I’m glad to reconnect with the Spirit King.”

As the conversation wound down, the two smiled contentedly and let go of Mira’s hands. The Spirit King and the two spirits had enjoyed an amiable discussion with each other. Despite the many years that had passed, their bond was still as strong as ever.

Mira smiled and replied, “It was nothing.”

“Um, so, back to business… Pray, show us thy…” Lunanlied said, getting back into character.

“…Do we even need to do that? She’s with the Spirit King,” Fontiné said.

The test was to confirm whether the person was worthy of entering Valhalla. If the Spirit King already deemed her worthy, was there any need?

“That’s a good point… But rules are rules. If we start allowing people in without testing them, don’t you think it’ll give us more trouble down the line?”

“Hmm, yeah, I get what you’re saying. But I still think it’s not worth going through the trouble when we already have an answer.”

The two had once more begun whispering to one another. Mira could just barely hear them, but she smiled as she placed a single Mark of the Rosary.

“Come forth from the circle, healer of purest white.”

[Evocation: Asclepius]

After saying the incantation, a snake the color of fresh snow appeared and wrapped itself around Mira’s neck and arm. Mira raised her arm and said, “So, this should do the trick, right?”

Rather than waiting around to see if she could be granted an exemption, it was far quicker to just take the test. As the spirits argued, Mira just cut to the chase.

“It seems like we inconvenienced her… What should we do?”

“There’s only one thing we can do.”

There was no issue with the test, and yet, the two now presumed that they’d offended her.

“…Excellent. We deem thee worthy of passing through the gate,” Lunanlied and Fontiné both replied, returning to their dignified personas.

Despite the slight look of embarrassment on their faces, they decided to let Mira go on through. To gloss over the whole situation, they did so quickly.

“And now, allow us to raise forth the rainbow bridge,” they said in unison.

Lunanlied then grabbed ahold of Mira’s hand, and Fontiné grabbed ahold of Bruce’s. The pair raised both their arms up high.

Mira and Bruce copied the spirits and flung up their arms. Sure enough, water from all across the lake sprayed into the air like a fountain, while droplets danced about in mid-air. In a dazzling display, rays of light streaked above their heads, creating a faint rainbow.

But that wasn’t the end of the spectacle. Slowly but surely, the outline of the rainbow became more and more distinct over the course of three minutes. During this time, the rainbow formed into a discrete object and emerged from the field of flowers.

“Whoa… Incredible,” Bruce said.

Meilin added, “That was beautiful!”

Like a set of stairs, the rainbow ascended high into the shining sky. Beyond the light sat Valhalla. Bruce finally had the way to Valhalla open before him. He was trembling, overcome with emotion.

Meilin, her eyes glittering brightly, found the rainbow staircase’s appearance a sight to behold—partly because of how much she was looking forward to Valhalla.

Meanwhile, the two spirits stood proudly in front of the pair, as if expecting applause.

They were finally able to go to Valhalla. Bruce gave his thanks to the spirits. Unable to contain his excitement, he started up the stairs and cried out, “Miss Mira! Miss Sailor Guardian! Let us be off!”

“Take care!”

“Come back any time!”

Waving back to the spirits, Mira leisurely followed Bruce, who was storming up the stairs. Nearby, Meilin jauntily rushed past her and quickly passed Bruce. Their race had begun. The two scrambled up the stairs to see who could get to Valhalla first.

While the two spirits and the Spirit King had been talking, Mira casually asked about the pair and learned that she would be unable to make a contract with them, since Lunanlied and Fontiné were specially charged with guarding the gate.

They seemed like an amiable pair, so she was disappointed to hear this. The thought lingered in her mind as Mira ascended the stairs.

The view from the rainbow stairs leading to Valhalla was unreal. Climbing past the light, it connected in mid-air above Filz Isle. With every flight of stairs she ascended, the more the ground seemed to drop away and the faster the sky seemed to close in. Going up several dozen more steps, they came to a sea of clouds extending as far as the eye could see.

It doesn’t matter how many times I come here, it always feels weird.

When they’d arrived on Filz Isle, the sky had been crystal clear, with not a cloud to be seen. The sea of clouds they were in now couldn’t possibly be above the sky of Filz Isle. It was proof that they were no longer in the place they’d been. From here on out, they were in the Sacred Domain.

Looking up and seeing the pair nimbly running up the stairs ahead of her, Mira muttered, “Those two certainly are full of energy.”

Even from how far away they were, Mira could tell they were having the time of their lives. And while they’d been racing each other, they were now stopping intermittently to enjoy taking in the incredible view.

The whole scene looked unreal, like something from a dream. Recalling her first time visiting Valhalla, Mira thought that if heaven existed, it had to look something like the scene before her.

As they went further, they saw countless floating islands above them. These islands were arranged like a spiral that continued further up into the sky.

They were the islands of Valhalla.

Afterword

THANK YOU SO MUCH for purchasing Volume 15!

So, in this volume Mira got a new outfit for the first time in a good while. We also got to see her in a new outfit on the cover! Yet again, the illustration featured on the cover was quite exceptional. I can’t thank Fuzichoco enough for using the text and everything else to bring such beautiful art to life.

On that note, shortly before volume 15 of the light novel is to be published, volume 8 of the manga, illustrated by dicca*suemitsu, will hit the shelves. It is being released alongside volume 1 of the spin-off title Mira and Her Fantastic Friends by Yu Uonuma.

And I’m even more pleased to announce that another spin-off, Mariana’s Days Long Past by Vanillabow, is currently being serialized in Comic Ride!

As I touched upon in the afterword to volume 13, the anime adaptation of She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man is in the works! Currently, the first round of key visuals and first commercial have been released (it’s the end of April as I write this).

It was always my dream from when I first started writing this series to get an anime adaptation, and now I can’t wait for it to hit the air!

And on that note, let’s meet again in the next volume!