Chapter 176

A silence cut in like a blade. Julien's head snapped around and his eyes went wide on Lloyd.

"You… what are you—"

The fragments came out clipped, breath catching between them in sharp little slants. Lloyd softened the corners of his eyes at Julien's stammered question.

"From what I hear, in some places people pour hot spices into strong liquor and drink it down to shake off body aches. That what you're doing?"

"……"

No answer came right away. Lloyd stood his ground and met Julien's stare head-on.

The hollowed-out look was the same as before. But this time, wariness and suspicion flickered behind it.

Doesn't seem like body aches are the only reason he's sick.

Lloyd held Julien's gaze and smiled again. He'd confirmed there was something twisting in the back of Julien's mind.

But that was enough for now. Julien was someone on good terms with Mikhail.

He had no intention of digging in until Julien got upset and a scene broke out.

"If it works, let me know later. Body aches—anyone could come down with them anytime, right?"

Lloyd added the line with a perfectly straight face. Julien pushed his rising breath back down into his chest and changed the subject. He didn't seem to want to clash any further either.

"Speaking of, you said you had something to tell me. What was it?"

"Ah, right. Yeah."

At the question, Lloyd clapped his palms together as if he'd just remembered.

Then, with his thumb tilted back, he pointed beyond the campus grounds.

"That wandering merchant who comes around the school sometimes. Was wondering if you knew when he'd be by next."

"Why him, all of a sudden?"

At Julien's puzzled question, Lloyd let out a small sound and rummaged in his inner pocket. He had one cover story ready.

"Wanted to find a part to fit this. And nobody knows that merchant's schedule like you do. Right?"

Lloyd held out his hand. Resting on his palm was a runestone.

Something he'd been given as a gift from Mikhail a long time back.

Julien stared at the softly glowing runestone, then slowly shook his head.

"I don't know. Haven't run into him lately."

"Ah, shame."

Lloyd clicked his tongue with feigned regret, slid the runestone back into his pocket, and gave Julien's shoulder a light pat.

"I was actually going to ask how you've been holding up and maybe grab a meal while I had the excuse. But looking at you, I'm thinking it's better not to drag this out."

"……"

"Get some rest. You really don't look good."

Lloyd withdrew his hand from Julien's shoulder, turned away, and walked four or five paces forward.

"……"

His steps stopped soon enough. Lloyd let out a breath and turned his head back. Julien was standing right where he'd been, eyes still on him. Like a hedgehog with its spines up.

Friend really doesn't know how to hide what he's feeling.

Lloyd took the look in stride, then rolled his eyes coolly and gave a small shrug.

"Still—don't drink too much. It'll be bad for you."

---

Four days had passed since he'd set out for the Iseuk Mountain Range. Mikhail arrived back at the academy.

Whinny—.

Mikhail stepped down in front of the main gate. The first thing that caught his eye was the campus stretching out before him.

The familiar view felt like an old friend after a long absence.

It pulled the afternoon sun down over itself like a hat and sent the voices of students at their leisure back to him like a greeting.

Thump.

Through it all, the mana pulsing at his fingertips was unusually vivid.

His tired body seemed to be picking up on the grown mana more sharply than usual.

【…The form of [Origin Mana: Abyss] changes from [Bonding] to [Restoration].】

Mikhail recalled the lines that had appeared in front of him, curled his fingertips, and started moving.

In that moment, new text inscribed itself before his eyes.

【Stat Change Notification】

Mana Quality: B → B+ (one grade up)

Mikhail left the message behind and walked into the campus mail room.

He paid ten times the rate of ordinary mail and bought express postage bound for the North.

The message he had to get to Joseph. He wanted to pull forward the time it would arrive. He needed to make room.

Ding.

Once he'd paid, a special letter sheet and stamp were placed in his hand.

Mikhail left the mail room and headed for the dormitory. He pulled open the closed door to his room.

Creak.

"Hey, you two. I'm back."

Mikhail called out cheerfully as he stepped inside. At once, paws came pattering across the floorboards, and the brother and sister leapt up into his arms with whining little cries.

"It's been a while. Did you watch the place for me?"

"Grrn. Grrrrr."

Whatever had them so worked up, the crying noises kept pouring out of them without a break. Mikhail cradled the two of them and tried to soothe them, then finally set down his bag and dropped to sit on the floor.

"All right. Let's say hi first. What've you been up to?"

"Yip! Yip yip! Grrrr…."

The two of them started bouncing in place the moment he finished asking. They butted their heads against his forearm too.

Every one of these moves was a complete mystery.

Mikhail watched them and tilted his head.

"Did you run out of snacks?"

The pair shook their heads vigorously, as if the very idea was absurd, but Mikhail pretended not to see and tugged them in close, tucking them firmly into his arms.

"?"

"All right. All right, I get it. Just hang on…."

Right now, more than anything, he wanted to rest a little. As his body listed sideways and his eyelids slowly sank, a warm weight kept pooling steadily in both his arms.

"How about we rest for just ten minutes, then talk…."

He didn't remember the end of that sentence ever properly closing.

---

How much time had passed? Mikhail had drifted out cold when a sound digging at his ear pulled him awake.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock.

"—Mikhail. You in there? Mikhail."

It was Lloyd's voice from beyond the door.

Mikhail blinked sleep-heavy eyes and pushed his rumpled body upright, swaying for a second.

Sleeping curled up on the hard floor had taken its toll. His body was stiff as if someone had slapped plaster all over him.

"Coming."

Mikhail tossed back a rough answer to Lloyd and dragged his creaking body to the door, barely managing to get it open.

Click.

The sunlight spilling through the gap was dazzlingly bright.

But the air hadn't warmed yet, brushing past his cheek with a cool edge.

The full sweep of early morning poured down on every sense. Lloyd, standing at the door alongside it, let out a snort.

"What's all this. Your hair, your face—what happened? Don't tell me you got into it with the little ones first thing in the morning."

"……"

"So, who won?"

Mikhail faced Lloyd, whose eyes were lit up with interest, glanced sideways at his own sticking-up hair, then straightened his hunched shoulders and answered in a cracked voice.

"Quit the nonsense and come in."

Mikhail toed the rug aside, dragged a chair over, and pushed it in front of Lloyd.

Lloyd sat down without bothering to refuse.

He took a bottle of juice from Mikhail, dug into his coat, and held out a letter.

"Here. The one you asked me to hold."

"Thanks."

As Mikhail set a chair across from him, sat down, and took the envelope, Lloyd was already downing the juice and picking up the thread.

"You asked me to receive it, so I figured it'd show up a day or two after you left. But it only came in yesterday."

Mikhail's shoulder gave a small twitch.

"…Really?"

"Probably some anomaly cropped up along the route and blocked the way. There's been a lot of that lately."

Mikhail nodded slowly. Lloyd was right, really. Unexpected things happening was no longer anything to be surprised about….

"And there was one more thing you asked me to do."

Lloyd's voice cut into his thoughts.

Mikhail lifted his eyes from the envelope and spoke the name that came to mind.

"Right. Did you keep an eye on Julien?"

"Mm, I did. The thing is…."

Lloyd let his words trail off. He worked the tip of his chin as if sorting through his thoughts, then folded his arms and looked at Mikhail.

"Something felt pretty off about Julien."

"Off how?"

"His behavior. The way he was talking. Every bit of it had this sense of him hiding something. Made me want to figure out what was actually going—"

"Lloyd."

A flat voice cut him off. Mikhail looked at Lloyd—whose eyebrows had ticked up—and continued.

"From there on, it's between Leventia and me."

A stretch of silence settled between them.

Lloyd said nothing more. He just opened and closed his eyelids slowly, tilted his head, and asked.

"A matter between great mage houses. That's your call on this, then?"

"Yeah."

Mikhail answered without hesitation. Lloyd let out a small sound between his lips and nodded.

"Got it. I want us to stay how we are. So I'll pass along everything I noticed, like you asked."

When Mikhail nodded, Lloyd rolled his eyes as if collecting the memory and tapped his knee with a finger.

"Julien. His color, his overall state—pretty rough. He said himself it was a bad case of body aches that had him out of it."

Lloyd paused a moment, then went on.

"But for someone in that shape, he seemed unusually on edge about something. And everything he'd bought to put in his mouth was strong liquor—massive amounts of it."

"……"

"Body aches and hard liquor… any healer worth their salt would've keeled over on the spot."

Lloyd let out a snort and shrugged. Mikhail took the whole picture in, then nodded.

"I see. Thanks for letting me know."

"Don't mention it."

Lloyd brushed it off easily, set the empty juice bottle on a nearby table, and stood from the chair. He looked ready to head out.

"Mikhail."

Mikhail was just getting up himself.

Lloyd's voice settled like folding wings, and a tone even drier than before followed.

"Picking up from what we were talking about earlier. About you."

Mikhail met Lloyd's eyes and nodded. He was listening—go on.

Lloyd set a brief breath in place and continued.

"Your results from the last suppression campaign were pretty solid. You left a good impression on a lot of people with that. But honestly, it's like clearing one small hill."

"……"

"The name of the great mage of the North has a lot of enemies. Plenty of people want to see Senit fall."

Lloyd paused, then said:

"And you won't be free of any of that."

Mikhail answered with a nod instead of words.

What Lloyd had just delivered was his own quiet warning about the topic at hand. The message: think twice before you set up a standoff with Leventia.

Mikhail blinked slowly and answered.

"I know."

"All right. Glad to hear it, then."

The tone coming back had shifted to something brighter.

Lloyd flashed a grin and headed for the door. Just before stepping fully out, he paused at the threshold and waved big at Mikhail.

"See you next time. Anything else I can help with, just say."

"Yeah."

Mikhail returned the goodbye by waving at Lloyd as he disappeared down the corridor.

When the receding footsteps could no longer be heard, he slowly lowered his hand.

Under air gone still in an instant.

In the empty room, Mikhail stood alone, turning the conversation over in his mind.

A name with a lot of enemies, plenty wanting to see it fall, huh….

He'd resolved to preserve the Senit name. Maybe because all this stood against that goal, none of it sat well with him.

But on the other hand, the way to break through the pressure was clear enough.

The main storyline anomalies that would only grow more violent from here.

Purely in terms of utility, that was actually a double-edged sword.

The achievements he'd build pushing through hard situations would become real prestige—real strength to draw on….

"……"

Mikhail clenched his pulsing fingertips, then turned to move.

For now, he had to take what he'd just heard about Julien and think it through….

"Yip."

That was when it happened. Han and Ul yipped softly and tugged at the cuff of his trousers.