Chapter 2: Where the Road Takes Us

The journey in search of Keith had begun. Trailing Keith’s scent (well, more like his memories, I suppose. One cannot see smells, after all), the carriage advanced steadily in the direction Ugly Bear had pointed out.

To keep things simple, our group was advancing in the direction indicated by the bear, and that was that. As for whether this bear truly knew where it was going... well, all we could do now was place our hopes in it.

The carriage we were in was somewhat large. We had chosen a model usually used by merchants and the common folk. Six people could fit inside easily, and we only had five. Sora was acting as the coachman, so he wasn’t even in the carriage at all.

Shortly after we set off, Maria had a question for Larna — something about magic, I guess. This conversation went on for a while and still showed no signs of ending. Maybe because Maria asked her question first and felt some sort of obligation to keep the conversation going, she continued listening to Larna’s passionate explanation with a serious expression on her face.

It seemed like Jeord, who was sitting in the row of seats in front of me, hadn’t been in a good mood since we’d left. He was quieter than usual, and though he had a smile on his face when he engaged in casual conversation, it was fainter than usual.

As for me, while I had originally been listening to Larna, the conversation’s contents were a little beyond me, and I soon started dozing off.

“Katarina, we’re at the first town.”

Larna’s voice shook me awake from my sleep. I opened my eyes and peered outside the window. As she said, we were now in a large town. We’d already arrived at the first town in this direction while I was asleep.

With Larna’s prompting, I finally got off the carriage, and the hum of the town soon filled my ears. Although this was the closest town from where we had set off, the carriage had traveled for a good half a day. This was the first time I had been to this place. I could feel a small spring of excitement well up from within me.

First, we’d have to make some inquiries about Keith’s whereabouts in this town.

“This town is big, and a large group would only attract attention. We’ll split into three smaller groups: Katarina and me, Jeord and Maria, and Sora,” Larna suggested.

But Jeord immediately protested. “If possible, I would very much like to go with Katarina...”

Larna, however, dismissed him almost immediately. “This arrangement is set in stone,” she said, and that was that.

Well, I didn’t really mind. Anyone was fine, as long as I was with someone. I’d just get lost on my own, after all, so it would be better for me to have at least one other person with me.

So I ended up sticking with Larna. As we made our rounds around town, I realized that this place wasn’t too different from the area I lived in, probably because they were still reasonably close to each other. Even so, I had never been here before, and couldn’t help but ogle my surroundings.

Seeing this, Larna chuckled slightly with a hint of exasperation on the side. “You’re almost like some village girl seeing a real town for the first time.”

Looking kind of like tourists, the two of us went around town and asked for information on Keith. But we didn’t find anything. Honestly, I thought Keith was very handsome, putting aside my perspective as his sister. I’d set off on this journey thinking that he’d be easy to find — a few questions, and that’d be it. The fact that we still found no trace of him was disheartening.

Seeing my mood drop, Larna turned to me. “But we’ve only just started, Katarina. We still have a ways to go, right? Come now, don’t make that face,” she reassured me. “Also, the location Alexander was pointing at still seems somewhat far away,” she added, pointing to the bear on her shoulder.

As I turned to look at the bear, it gave me that look again — that “harumph,” like it was making fun of me! As I expected, this bear was... unbearable.

Noticing my reaction, Larna turned to look at the bear, only for it to return to its usual, unremarkable expression. What an irritating thing!

My annoyance soon faded though. As we turned the corner, a shop with tasty-looking foods on display came into view, and with that, my irritation vanished with a poof.

“Wow! These look delicious!” I found myself plastered onto the shop window before I knew it — the normal effect of spotting food. After all, I did really, really love snacking. In fact, that over there... I’ve never seen anything like it before. I wonder what it tastes like?

As I continued staring at the shop display, I felt myself slowly getting hungry. Soon, my stomach erupted into low-pitched, audible growls. What can I say? I suppose my body is honest about its desires.

I heard laughter from behind me. I turned and came face to face with Larna, who seemed to think that this was all quite hilarious. She probably heard my stomach rumblings. Quite clearly, too.

Larna kept laughing for a while, before finally she said, “Well, there’s still some time before we gather up again. Want to buy some food and have a bite on the way back?”

Of course! “Yes!” I replied happily.

I entered a sweets shop with Larna and bought all kinds of stuff for myself, including the unfamiliar treat I saw before. I felt guilty about only feeding myself though, so I ended up getting some of the shopkeeper’s recommendations for everyone else too. Larna herself didn’t seem hungry, so I just bought plenty for us all to have in the future.

After that, we were finally able to rest on a bench in the town plaza, and I quickly opened up the bag of snacks in my hands.

“Delicious...!”

I wasted no time, quickly stuffing my face with my recent purchases. As the different delicious tastes spread through me, I noticed Larna laughing to herself in that fashion again.

“What’s wrong?” Huh? My stomach isn’t rumbling anymore, is it?

“Ah, sorry. I couldn’t help myself, Katarina. Seeing your myriad of expressions, I just end up laughing.”

“I... see.” Is she praising me? Hmm. I’m not sure.

“It just means that I have a ball when I’m with you. I finally understand how they feel now. I suppose you are an irreplaceable person to them in many ways...”

“...Them who?” I wonder what she’s talking about? I thought I’d ask just to be sure, but Larna merely smiled vaguely and stayed silent, not answering me.

“It’s very much like how magic is to me.” That was her only response.

“How magic is to you, Lady Larna...?”

“Yes, magic itself was what brought color to my world, you see,” Larna said, her calm expression suggesting a hint of nostalgia. Then she continued, “I was very tired with the world from a young age. I was very skilled and could do most things with ease. I didn’t view anything as fun or enjoyable. I was an insufferable child, you know? One that always felt a pervading sense of boredom. I wasn’t very cute at all.”

I felt like I had heard of someone else like this before. Someone who was lonely because they were blessed with perfection — someone with no hobbies or interests.

“However... someone came along. They gifted me with a large collection of books on magic. This person was quite a strange one. They were not books that children could read, much less understand. In fact, even adults had a hard time understanding these tomes.”

Hmm, giving books on magic to a child... If I had been given something like that, those books would have immediately gone to their graves in the depths of my bookshelves.

Naturally, Larna was different. “I tried reading the books a little, and was immediately hooked. At first, I thought they were interesting, which made me want to read through all of them at once. There were so many of them though, so I only finished reading them on the second, hmm, perhaps third day. When I was finally done, I was enamored with this little thing called magic. Fortunately, I was born with magical aptitude myself, and was able to test certain things out. That only made me more interested, of course.”

I see. And this was how Larna became the magic otaku she is today. I nodded as I continued listening.

“Come to think of it, you’re only the second person I’ve told this to, Katarina,” Larna said.

“Eh? Is that so?” I had assumed that this was something that could simply be told to anyone.

“Well, no one wants to listen to things like this. The only ones who have listened were you, Katarina... and my partner.”

“Buddy...?”

“That’s right. My fiancé.”

“Your fiancé?!” I was surprised. To think that Larna, who was only interested in magic, would have a fiancé! Well, I did hear from Raphael that Larna is a noble of somewhat high standing... so I suppose this is possible to a certain extent.

“Wh-Who is he?” Curious, I posed the question to Larna, only for her to answer me with a single phrase:

“A weirdo.”

Ah, I suppose she’s gotten his character type down...

I see... but Larna’s fiancé, huh? It could be a little scary, but I was curious enough to want to see him at least once. Fiancé... hmm. Come to think of it...

“Ah! I remember now!”

“Wh-What is it, all of a sudden?” Larna seemed taken aback at my sudden outburst.

“Ah, sorry Lady Larna. Speaking about your childhood reminded me of someone. I felt like I’d heard something similar before, and now I finally remember.”

“Oh? And who would that be?”

“Ah, yes. It’s Prince Jeord. He’s capable of anything, and has no dreams or aspirations at all... at least, that’s what I heard.” I didn’t hear that directly from him, of course. This was all from me reading the scenario of Fortune Lover in my previous life.

“I see. So Prince Jeord was the same way? Then I suppose he has safely managed to find something that allows him to dream as well.”

“...? Well no, not quite... I don’t think Prince Jeord has found anything like that just yet.”

After all, Jeord was supposed to meet with Maria, fall in love, and all that. Unfortunately, that never happened, and that was why I thought that Jeord had yet to find this thing that allowed him to have dreams and aspirations.

“...I suppose this really is unrequited.”

“?”

Larna sighed deeply, though I didn’t know why. “Anyway, finding something that inspires you to dream is a wonderful thing. Just one thing, and suddenly color and beauty floods your vision. You start to see things differently. Everything becomes more enjoyable, and you find yourself becoming happier and happier, like I am now,” Larna said before smiling at me like a mischievous kid.

Then she added, “All right, it’s almost that time. We should return to the carriage.” So we made our way back, with me holding a bag of snacks in one hand.

Upon seeing me return with the bag, Jeord turned to me and said, “I hope you are not only eating sweets and nothing else, Katarina...” And with that, my amount of souvenir snacks was reduced.

As for Jeord’s share, he offered it to Maria, who was very pleased. “Wow, this looks delicious!” she exclaimed.

No one in our party had any leads with regard to Keith, so we soon piled into the carriage, and were once again on our way.

As I cheerfully ate the snacks I’d bought, I got lost in conversation, and before long we were at the next town. We were pretty far from the academy grounds, and this town was much bigger than the last.

“Wow! It’s so big! I exclaimed, peering out of the carriage window.

“It is. It’s the largest town in the region, in fact,” Larna replied. “In any case, it’s already late in the day. Perhaps we should rest here tonight.”

It was decided that we would be spending the night in this town. As we got out of the carriage and walked into the town’s streets, we were greeted with a busy sight. Not quite as busy as the areas around the royal castle, but busy nonetheless. There were several times the number of people compared to the previous town, and many more shops too. From what I was told, Larna and Sora had been here before, but this was the first time for the other members of our party.

It was a day of firsts for me. I had never been to the town we were previously in either. Still, it had been relatively close to where I grew up, and so it featured similar sights, shops, and such. This town, though, was completely different.

The atmosphere was different, and there were many objects I had never seen before on sale. My eyes shifted from one storefront to the other, peering at the seemingly endless array of items that were on display.

Before I knew it, my flitting eyes had settled on a certain object. “Wah! This is cool! It looks so nice! I want one!”

“Katarina. I should remind you that we are not here on a leisure trip,” Jeord said, appropriately reprimanding me for my overly tourist-like mentality.

“Ugh... that’s right...”

“But... hmm. If it does catch your fancy, perhaps I will purchase one for you. Which one of these items is it?”

“Eh?! Really?!” Our crown prince is truly generous!

I was the daughter of a duke, yes, but whenever I wanted to buy things my parents would always say “It would be unbecoming of you to spend needlessly, Katarina,” and decrease my allowance. So I had no choice but to be somewhat strict with the things I bought. Honestly, most of my funds went to saplings, seeds, or fertilizers, so I was usually short on money that I could freely spend. In fact, I’d already spent most of my allowance on treats at the previous town. With that in mind, I had to be more conservative with my funds from here on out. In that case... it made sense to take Jeord up on his offer!

Without wasting any more time, I enthusiastically pointed out a certain item to Jeord. “This one right here, Prince Jeord!”

“Eh?! Th-This is...” Jeord seemed to physically pull away from the storefront. After a while, he asked, “Do tell, Katarina, what exactly is this?”

“I have no idea. It looks cool though, doesn’t it? Look at it!” I replied.

The object that had caught my eye, and that I was now holding in my hand, was a round tool about the size of my palm. I guess you could assume it was a pocket mirror at first glance, but it didn’t have a mirror of any kind. It seemed like a decorative item with a circular depression that contained an ornamental object. I had no idea what the strange disc was for. It looked like some kind of secret, stealthy magical tool, like that Ugly Bear.

Whatever it was, I thought it was really cool. I almost felt like I could shout “COME FORTH!” and summon a mythical beast of some sort on command. The way it looked stoked the flames of my otaku soul from my past life and made me want this object very badly. With that in mind, I tried my hardest to express to Jeord its innate coolness and explain why I wanted it.

But Jeord only responded with a vague, “I... see.” Then he continued, “In any case, we should really ask the shopkeep what this... item is used for.” This was his sensible response, and so we did just that.

“Ah, good sir. This is a decorative item. An ornament of sorts,” the old shopkeeper replied.

“Just an ornament? Did some famous craftsman in the region create it?” Jeord asked.

The shopkeep seemed a little unsettled by the question. “Unfortunately, good sir, I have no idea who made the item in question. It came into my possession from the inventory of other shops. No one wanted to purchase it! It has been sitting in my store for quite a time too, and few have shown interest in it. I was just about to let it go as well, if I may say so...”

Apparently, this strange disc didn’t sell no matter where it went — it would always be left behind in a shop’s inventory, and ended up being passed on from one shop to the other. This man had received it from another shopkeep he was friends with for that exact reason.

As a result, it was on sale for a cheap price. Although Jeord had so generously offered to purchase the disc for me, I was relieved that it didn’t cost very much.

“Is this price... really all right?” Jeord asked again and again.

The shopkeep, however, merely responded with, “Yes, good sir, this will do,” without fail.

“Thank you very much, Prince Jeord,” I said, happily thanking Jeord as I tucked the strange ornamental disc away in my pocket.

“But... such a cheap item, Katarina? Would it not have been more fitting if you chose something more expensive?” he said.

“Nah! After all, you’ve been buying all kinds of saplings and seeds and things for me all this time! Those are expensive, so I feel bad!”

“You should hardly be bothered by those gifts, Katarina. You are my fiancée after all, are you not?”

“Eh, but that...” I was Jeord’s fiancée, yes. But that was temporary, wasn’t it? Surely Jeord would find someone he actually liked sometime later. Hmm... why do I feel like I’ve forgotten something important, ever since I found out that Keith ran away from home?

As I stood lost in thought, Jeord extended a hand, stroking my hair. For some reason, my heartbeat became audibly louder.

“Say, Katarina... perhaps you have forgotten. Perhaps your mind is filled with thoughts of Keith. But as I had said before...”

“Ah, yes. Just when I thought I had not seen the two of you for a bit. But here you are, whiling away the time.” That voice came from Sora, who had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Jeord’s hand. With it gone from my hair, I quickly forgot all about the thing I thought I would recall.

“...Sora. Did you do that on purpose?” Jeord said, turning to Sora with a grave, hostile expression. He had been smiling up until just now, but now Jeord’s mood took an immediate turn for the worse for some reason.

But... why? He was all happy and smiling until a moment ago!

“Yes. I have been tasked with it, after all,” Sora answered.

“Tasked, you say...?” Jeord’s expression of surprise did nothing to Sora’s unwavering smile.

“Yes. A request from Lady Mary Hunt through the Ministry, you see. To ‘ensure Lady Katarina Claes’s safety.’ And so there you have it.”

“And... does that include getting in my way?”

“Yes. If anything, that would be the core of the request in question, Prince Jeord.”

“...” Jeord’s expression darkened even further, but he did not speak.

Although there were sections of the conversation I didn’t understand, it would seem like Mary had put in a formal request with the Magical Ministry to ensure my safety during this search. I felt happy — it wasn’t exactly a dangerous trip, and yet my friends cared enough about me to do something like that. I really was blessed with gentle and caring friends.

“Well then. We have found a place to rest for the night. Let us make our way there. Lady Larna and Lady Maria are waiting for us.”

We started following Sora, but Jeord kept mumbling to himself. Something like, “To think that she would go this far...” and, “I’ve been outdone...”

Hmm, I don’t know what that could be about. Did something happen?

Apparently, Sora was the one who had recommended this inn to us. He really was dependable.

There were two rooms — Larna, Maria, and I shared one, while Jeord and Sora shared the other. “We do apologize that we could not provide individual rooms... there’s a bit of a room shortage tonight, you see,” said the staff at the inn.

Honestly, I was happy. This reminded me of the school trips I had in my previous life. I always slept alone in my room normally, so maybe that was why I felt a surge of excitement as I entered the room.

“Could I have this bed over here?” I asked hesitantly. The others agreed, and I immediately dove onto it. I wouldn’t be able to do anything like this under normal circumstances, since Anne would get upset at me. But the excitement of feeling like I was on a school trip made me forget about that.

Maria seemed surprised upon witnessing my bed-dive, but Larna smiled and said, “Seems like you’re having fun!” The bear, which was standing next to her, however... gave me that snort again, complete with a mocking expression. I really couldn’t bring myself to like this bear.

With our room planning done, we headed toward the dining area for a meal. Dishes I had never seen before were laid out before me, and soon I was happily having my meal with everyone else. In my excitement...

“Ah, this looks delicious too! That over there as well! Ah... but this one...!”

...It seemed that I had a little too much to eat. Although Jeord did give me a somewhat half-hearted warning of “Katarina. Eating too much will give you a stomachache, yes?”, my excitement stopped me from heeding his advice.

If Keith were here, he would say, “Surely you have had enough to eat, Big Sister.” And with that, he would confiscate the dishes laid out before me... But Keith wasn’t here now. As a result, my stomach was terribly full when we finally returned to our rooms, to the point where it was a little difficult to move around.

Jeord gave me his usual exasperated expression, since he’d warned me before. But the bear shot me an ice-cold stare, as if it were saying “Hmph. You fool.”

I guess I should be more careful next time. Although I somehow managed to return to my room, it was difficult to stay standing — all I could do was lie down on my bed and wait for my stomach to finish digesting my dinner.

Honestly, I should have been engaging in an enjoyable girl-talk session with Maria right now... but my stomach hurt far too much. I couldn’t possibly talk in this state. Ah, how sad.

As I lay there with my hands on my uncomfortably full belly, Larna suddenly spoke up. “I have some matters to attend to, and so I’ll be stepping out for a while.” And with that, she was gone. Night-time sightseeing tours, perhaps...?

Although I hugged my belly and complained for a while, I eventually fell asleep. When I opened my eyes again, the room was already dark, lit only by the faint light of the oil lamp in the room. Larna was still out, it would seem. Even Maria was resting in her bed.

Maria had already changed into her sleep clothes, a loose nightgown. In the lamp’s dim glow, her golden-blonde hair seemed wispier than usual. She somehow looked different — she was exuding an air of sensuality that I couldn’t explain.

Before I knew it, I was entranced by the sight of her. It didn’t take Maria long to notice my gaze, and she soon turned around to face me.

“I see you are awake, Lady Katarina? Is your stomach feeling better?” Maria asked, with the expression of an angel.

I blushed in spite of myself. “Yes, I’m fine! Totally! No issues whatsoever!” I replied, almost bolting out of bed as I did so.

“I’m relieved,” Maria replied with a faint smile.

As I stared at her smiling face, I became increasingly convinced of the fact that Maria was the most charming woman in the world. I had felt that way about her lovable nature when I first met her at the academy. I was surprised then. But being so close to Maria now... I felt the pull of her charm increasing.

At first, I’d thought that this was a given for the protagonist for an otome game. Of course she would be born with the best specs, I thought... but that wasn’t quite it. Maria worked hard for what she had. She wasn’t born with everything just because she was the protagonist. When I had noticed that, I saw her in a renewed light — she was even more amazing than before.

She was gentle, considerate, caring and hardworking... I really did like her. If I were a man, I would take Maria as my bride without question. With that in mind... how did the game end with that friendship ending, of all things? It was a mystery even to me. How could it be that no one showed any interest in her, as impressive and amazing as she was? Given her nature, a reverse harem ending wouldn’t come across as strange to me at all.

Were the men around me really so blind to Maria’s splendor? Or was it because they didn’t know how to approach her, and were just hanging back as a result? If that were the case, I’d be happy to discuss it with them and even provide advice. Although I had zero experience with love in my previous life, I had read many manga and played many otome games. Combined with all the romance novels I had read in this life, I was sure that I had plenty of valuable advice to offer.

Though no one ever approached me with regard to love — not in my previous life, and not in my current one either. Even if I asked direct questions during our girl-talk sessions, all my friends would say, “We like you, Lady Katarina.” With that, they would deflect the question. I suppose I really wasn’t destined to experience love in the third dimension.

But today, of all days, was a sleepover! I made up my mind. Today would be the day I had a serious, no-holds-barred girl-talk session with Maria! All right, let’s do this, Katarina Claes!

“Um, Maria... eh? Maria, what are you doing?” Just as I had steeled my resolve and prepared myself for the long-awaited girl-talk... I turned to Maria, only to find her busy at work.

“Ah, yes... just some touch-ups for this little one here...” Maria pointed at the Ugly Bear, which was currently sprawled out across her knees. It would seem that she had been busy giving the bear a good clean. It was grinning widely, as if it were enjoying itself. The more Maria cleaned it up, the more its expression became one of utter satisfaction.

“It’s really cute, isn’t it?” Maria said, continuously stroking the bear’s surface, almost lovingly. Although the bear’s face was ugly, the way it behaved (around others, at least) was somewhat cute. Apparently Maria was absolutely taken with the thing.

The bear seemed incredibly pleased as Maria continued stroking it as it laid on her knees, curling up against her hand this way and that. It was acting cute. I found this really annoying, for some reason... And then, the bear’s eyes and mine met.

“Heh. Envious, aren’t you?” the bear’s expression seemed to say.

...Oh, yes. Very annoying. What was with this thing anyway, ever since the first time it met me?! It was cute and lovable to everyone else! Why did it act this way toward me and only me? The difference was way too stark!

I glared at the bear with all my might. But Maria seemed to misunderstand my intense stare.

“Ah, I suppose you’d like to touch it as well, Lady Katarina. Here you go,” she said, offering the bear to me.

No, Maria. I do not want this thing. Although I was happy that she was being so considerate, I could not see this bear as cute — not in the slightest. But I couldn’t say that to Maria, not with her arms outstretched and that smile on her face. I accepted the bear, for now.

Once it was at an angle where Maria couldn’t see its face, the bear shot me an indignant glare. Hmph. You lousy bear. Even I don’t want to be doing this. But the bear decided to play along, and was now sitting quietly on my knee.

Maria left for the washroom a while later. As soon as she was out of sight, the bear leapt off me, before frantically brushing its behind with its stubby arms, as if it had been sitting on something foul.

This thing’s attitude is the worst. Not to be defeated, I also rapidly brushed off where the bear had been sitting with my hand. With that, the bear regarded me with an expression of pity, before seemingly sighing as it slumped its arms.

“Wh-What is it with you?! What’s with your attitude?!” I shouted in spite of myself. The bear, however, merely intensified its condescending gaze. It seemed very different from the lovable, cute plush toy that had been wriggling on Maria’s knees earlier.

The bear and I then entered into a staring match — although I was the only one really staring. The bear merely looked in my general direction with that irritating, condescending gaze. This went on for a while, until Maria finally returned to the room.

Seeing that the bear had distanced itself from me and was now on my bed, she asked innocently, “Hmm? Lady Katarina, are you already done with the bear?”

“Yes, I’ve had quite enough.”

And with that, the bear returned to Maria. “Well then, perhaps I should hug this little one to sleep tonight...” Maria hugged it tight, and the bear responded with a happy, pleased expression.

The speed it changed its attitude was frightening... to think that it had been looking down on me mere moments ago! It didn’t seem like anything but some cute mascot character right now. It’s really good at that innocent front, huh... what are you, a cat? No... it was a bear. A lousy bear.

In the end, Maria slipped into bed while hugging the bear. I changed into my pajamas too and burrowed back into my bed.

“Heehee...”

“What is it, Maria?” A while after I had gotten into bed, Maria’s adorable laughter crept into my ears.

“I’m just happy, Lady Katarina...” she replied.

“Happy?” Why? Is it the bear? Is it because she went to bed hugging it? Why does Maria like that lousy bear so much?! That terrible, innocence-feigning, rotten-on-the-inside bear...

“Yes. I had no friends ever since my magic manifested itself, so I’ve never slept in the same room as someone else before, except for family. So I’m just... happy.”

Ah, so it’s that? I found my intense dislike for the bear burning hot in my chest before I had even heard her out.

“...Ah. My apologies... I should not be saying such inconsiderate things during this tenuous time, with Master Keith missing...” Maria said apologetically.

“I think it’s fun too,” I admitted, and that was enough for Maria to start laughing softly again. I was happy that Maria and I felt the same way.

“Hey, this doesn’t have to be the only time! We should go on a trip again together. Next time we’ll invite Mary and Sophia too.”

Maria immediately responded with a “yes.” But after a while, she spoke up again. “...Lady Katarina. I... before I met you at the academy, I always got into bed at night feeling incredibly lonely. But.. things are really fun now. I cannot help but be happy.”

Although Maria had made many friends and was enjoying her life now, she had a hard time before she entered the academy, considering her social standing and everything. It was a really good thing that she was happy now. All’s well that ends well.

“And so... the fact that I can be like this right now... it’s all thanks to you, Lady Katarina.”

“!” Eh? Thanks to me? But why? Is she sleep-talking? Is she already half-asleep after slipping into her sheets? “Wh-What are you talking about, Maria? How could that be? You are where you are because of your own hard work! I didn’t do anything!” I responded in a panic to Maria’s sleep-talk.

In the dimly lit room, Maria’s cheeks seemed slightly reddened. For some reason, her eyes seemed to be glistening too. Hm? It is because she yawned? What about her red cheeks, though?

“...Lady Katarina. Please... stay by my side forever,” Maria said, staring straight at me with her soft, glistening eyes. It was almost like a confession of love — I felt my own cheeks getting hot.

“...Yes. Of course,” I replied, my voice slightly quivering. Maria’s charm was impressive indeed. If I continued talking with her like this while looking deep into her eyes, I had a feeling that I would really set foot into a forbidden world.

I laid back down and closed my eyes. As soon as I did so, the excitement of the day and the tiredness I had been holding at bay hit me all at once, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep. In the end, I had no idea when Larna finally returned.

On another note, it was only when I awoke the next morning that I realized that I had forgotten about my plan for a girl-talk session.

★★★★★★

I, Larna Smith, also known as Susanna Randall, had made my way up to the roof of a building a little removed from the inn we were staying over at tonight.

The roof of this building was easily the tallest point in the surrounding areas. Of course, I got permission from the homeowner to go up here. While I could climb up regardless of permissions, behavior like that could cause issues down the road.

The reason I was currently in such a tall place to begin with was because of the nature of the magical tool I was about to use. I withdrew it from my bag and held it up to the sky. It didn’t take long before it started vibrating. “Good.” This meant that it was working correctly.

I turned to it and started to speak. “Hello? This is Larna Smith. Are you receiving, Raphael Wolt?”

“Ah, yes. I hear you clearly, Lady Larna.” The somewhat displeased voice of my subordinate rang out from the tool.

“A success, I see.” I grinned. This tool allowed us to speak over long distances. I had tested it and re-crafted it many times, and at long last, it was functional. Since the tool utilized Wing Magic, there were a few conditions that limited its use. Namely, I had to be outside and at a relatively high spot, which could be a challenge.

With more improvements, I may be able to put this tool into production... I suppose I’ll have to make more modifications when I return.

“Lady Larna? Lady Larna, can you hear me?”

Just as I was about to sink deeper into my thoughts, Raphael’s displeased voice dragged me back to reality.

“Ah, my apologies. I hear you, Raphael. Well? What of it? The situation back home.”

“Don’t ‘what of it’ me, Lady Larna... You can’t just suddenly declare that you’d like to leave on a trip and push all your work to me. Please give me a break...”

Ah, the pathetic voice of my subordinate. “But it won’t be a problem for you, will it? Weren’t you the top of your class back at the academy?” I said.

“But that...” He stopped short, seemingly embarrassed.

This wasn’t just some excuse that I came up with; it was a true fact. Because of a certain incident last year, Raphael was in the protective custody of the Ministry. But due to the circumstances, not many in the Ministry were interested in taking him under their wing.

But I was interested in his yet-undiscovered potential, so I took him in. Since then, I’ve realized that he is a very capable person and that his abilities are quite useful. He is truly a valuable employee. So... it’s totally fine to leave all my work at the Ministry to him, for now.

So I changed the subject, instead asking about a request I’d made. “Has there been any progress with regard to the investigation?”

Raphael eventually answered, albeit with a barely audible sigh. “...Yes. I have... managed some progress.”

“As expected. Well then, what are we looking at?”

At my question, Raphael’s voice took on a more serious tone. “Yes... well. Although Duke Claes himself has made quite a few moves, it would seem that there has yet to be any significant breakthroughs. No progress has been made by those in the Duke’s employ... nor the Ministry at this point, really.”

“I see. But to pull such a fast one on Duke Claes... This is no ordinary enemy. And what about the rumors that there was a Wielder of Darkness involved? Have we heard anything else?”

“That would be a more definitive thing to answer, Lady Larna. After all, there was an eyewitness who saw the magic itself being cast, so...”

“I see. So that much has been confirmed...”

It was a few weeks ago that rumors of another Wielder of Darkness had started to make the rounds. Honestly I was quite irritated at the news, since it meant that classified information had been leaked again. And then...

“Well then, are there any links between this Wielder of Darkness, and the disappearance of Keith Claes?”

“On that, we still do not know.”

“I see...” When those two reports had landed on my desk, I couldn’t help but feel that the two incidents were connected somehow. The sudden disappearance of Katarina’s adopted brother, Keith, and the emergence of yet another Wielder of Darkness. They had to be connected. It was with this hunch that I had Raphael investigate.

“Ah, right. Do send a request under my name to Prince Jeffery. I would like him to issue some investigative warrants and the like.”

“Prince... Jeffery, Lady Larna?” Raphael asked, confused.

“Yes. He owes me a few favors, you see, and I’m calling them in. Also, if the prince refuses to cooperate, then let him know that he won’t be receiving a certain magical tool. Tell him that.”

“...Right. Of course.” Although Raphael seemed somewhat hesitant, he soon agreed without asking too many questions. For a while there was silence, and then he spoke once more. “If I may... how is Katarina doing?” he asked, the worry evident in his voice. Come to think of it, he was one of the many people who had a deep affection for Katarina Claes.

“Should I tell you not to worry, or should I let you worry regardless? Katarina seems to think that Keith’s disappearance is the result of him running away from home. She also believes that all she has to do is find him, apologize, and he’ll come back. After coming to terms with the situation in that way, she cheered up again, and now she’s acting just like usual.”

“Is that so... It is good that Katarina is doing well, then.”

“Maria seems to believe in the runaway theory too. We should fear the pure souls of those girls. Sora and Prince Jeord, however... the two of them have surely already noticed that something is wrong, though neither has said anything directly.”

“I see... However, if it would seem like someone is close to telling her outright... would an explanation not be better, then?”

“I suppose. If that happens, then I’ll make sure everything is explained. But everything until now has played out like I thought it would. I’ll be investigating on my end, so make sure you look into what we discussed as well.”

“I understand.”

“I’m counting on you, top-class Raphael.” As I moved to end the conversation, I felt like I heard a sigh and “Really...” from the other end. Despite his reluctance, I knew he would conduct his investigations responsibly.

With that, I started making my way back to the inn. Katarina was there, sleeping soundly while believing that all Keith had done was run away from home. She would never think that he may have been kidnapped, or that his kidnapper may be a Wielder of Darkness. That would never occur to her, not in her wildest dreams. She probably didn’t realize that the real reason why Maria and Sora, Wielders of Light and Darkness, were coming with us was because of this danger. Looking at the pure and kind Katarina, I, too, almost believed that Keith had run away from home.

Even Duke Claes and Madam Claes were in on this — they desperately announced their search for Keith, so as not to alarm Katarina with the possibility that he may have been kidnapped.

“...Please be safe, Keith Claes... for the sake of your pure and innocent sister,” I said to no one in particular as I looked up at the night sky, slowly retracing my steps to the inn.

★★★★★★

My awakening at the inn was really nice. Normally Anne would be hissing at me right now, something like “What time do you intend to sleep until, young miss?!” But this time, it was Maria’s voice that woke me up.

“Lady Katarina... if you do not wake up soon, we will really be late.”

Waking up to her gentle voice was very different. But we were pressed for time, so I had to wake up and get ready as fast as possible. With Maria’s help, I made it in time.

I didn’t know when Larna had come back from wherever she went, but she was already fully dressed when I awoke, and was elegantly drinking some black tea as she waited. Jeord was the same, maybe because he was a prince. He was already dressed, groomed, and waiting for me in a tidy outfit. The two of them greeted me with kind smiles, disregarding the fact that I’d come so late.

The only one who didn’t seem happy to see me was Ugly Bear, which was currently sitting next to Larna. It looked up at me and shot a glance that seemed to say “Hmph. You useless bum.” Not to be outdone, I returned the look with a mental insult of “Oh look, it’s Bratty Bear.”

Sora wasn’t here, and I assumed he’d overslept even more than I did — only to find out that he had set off into town earlier, apparently to gather more information on Keith. He was really good at what he did!

Unfortunately, he hadn’t found out anything important, and so it was time to keep going. Since we still hadn’t found any information about Keith, I started to wonder if the bear was even leading us in the right direction. But Larna strongly insisted that it was accurate, so I had no choice but to believe her.

And so we all piled into the carriage again and set off for the next town. Ugly Bear, having become smitten with Maria yesterday, was sitting on her knees again and was currently being patted on the head. Although it normally had a cute and lovable expression, it would always scowl mockingly at me whenever our eyes met. This thing was really rude. There was no other way to put it.

Although our journey was pretty uneventful, I could feel my dislike of the bear intensifying, and vice versa. I knew it was childish to get upset at a stuffed toy... but that bear’s attitude! Ugh! I couldn’t do anything about the way it was acting, so of course I’d hate it.

The carriage rolled along, and not much happened. Although we asked about Keith at every place our carriage stopped, we didn’t have any results. So we kept going, and before long, the sun had set.

It had now been two days since we’d set off. As the last of the sun’s rays faded, we reached yet another town and decided to stop there for the night. It was rural and small compared to the one we’d stopped at the day before — there was no marketplace of any kind and the roads weren’t paved. In fact, weeds were growing freely in every direction.

The carriage was parked at a location that was somewhat far from the inn, so we had to walk a bit to get there. If we were in a bigger town, we would have been flanked by shops of all kinds right now. But now there was nothing but weeds and shrubbery around us, so I just looked at the grass as we went. My eyes soon found a nostalgic sight.

“Ah, this seed!” I exclaimed, stopping in my tracks.

Maria, who had been walking next to me, asked inquisitively, “What is that, Lady Katarina?”

I held up a stickseed and showed it to Maria. I hadn’t seen one in a long time. “It’s a kind of seed that sticks to you if you brush against it! Haven’t you seen one before?” I asked.

“No, this is the first time I’ve seen one,” Maria replied.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I had seen stickseed plants in this life. Maybe this plant didn’t grow in the region we lived in. In my previous life, tons of these seeds ended up stuck to my clothing every time I romped around the mountains, and my mom would always get angry at me. Ah, how nostalgic.

I gave Maria a demonstration, sticking a seed to my blouse. “You see? It sticks really well, right?”

“Oh! You’re right!” Maria replied, her lovely face painted with surprise. “Whatever is it called?”

Although I almost blurted out “stickseed” in response, I stopped myself. After all, stickseed was what we called it... I didn’t know the plant’s scientific name. What was it called, actually...?

“Ah... Hmm. Sorry, I have absolutely no idea.” Considering that I had made such a fuss about the plant in the first place, it was a little pathetic that I didn’t even know its name.

“Ah, I see... I wonder what it is called, hmm?” Maria responded. Being the angel she was, she would never ridicule someone for something like this.

However... Ugly Bear, which had been riding on Maria’s shoulders all this time after getting so familiar with her yesterday, evidently did not share her sentiment. “So you don’t even know what the thing is called? Then don’t bring it up, you hopeless fool.” That was what the bear’s face seemed to be saying. Considering how bad our relationship was, I found it mysterious that I was understanding more and more of what that bear was thinking. It annoyed me.

That damn bear! As I tightened my grip around the stickseed in my hands, an idea suddenly leapt into my mind. Heh... just you watch, bear... I thought as a villainous smile crept onto my face.

When we reached the inn, we all tucked into our meals. Although the rural cooking had a delicious, rustic taste to it, I learned from my experiences yesterday and stopped myself from overeating.

We went to our rooms after we ate, and Larna left once again. I’d assumed she had been doing some night-time sightseeing yesterday; apparently, she had some Ministry-related work to take care of. She really was such a busy person.

So Maria and I went to our room and started talking about the towns we’d seen today, things that had happened back at the academy, and other silly things. After a while, Maria left to go to the washroom.

This was the chance I’d been waiting for. I slowly withdrew the stickseeds I had brought in my bag. Then, without warning, I threw them all at that annoying Ugly Bear as it sat haughtily on Maria’s bed. As expected, the bear was now covered from head to toe in the spiky seeds.

Hahaha! How’s that, you arrogant bear! Do you fear me now? Do you fear me?! You’re nothing but a plush toy! This is what you get for messing with Katarina Claes, villainess extraordinaire. Upon affirming that my plan was a resounding success, I raised a hand to my lips, before bursting out in my trademark villainess laugh.

As for the bear... it had no idea what hit it. For a while it seemed stunned, but it soon grasped the situation. It tried to remove the stickseeds with its stubby arms, all the while glaring daggers at me. But it didn’t have much luck. I continued treating it to a rendition of my best villainess laugh up until Maria’s return.

When she saw the stickseed-riddled bear, Maria looked surprised. “Whatever has happened to the bear, Lady Katarina?” she asked.

“Oh, it... tripped and fell onto some stickseeds,” I replied.

The pure and innocent Maria immediately believed my words. My conscience hurt a little, yes, but it was impossible to tell her that I was simply serving Ugly Bear its just desserts.

In the end, the bear finally rid itself of the stickseeds with the gentle Maria’s assistance. After that, the bear continued to glare at me when she wasn’t looking. But justice had been served!

I was elated as I lay down to sleep. As I slipped under the sheets, I thought about how fond I was of stickseeds, and how I had given that bear its comeuppance with them today. I’ll tell Keith all about it, I thought.

I would always tell Keith about everything that had happened that day between dinner and bedtime. In fact, ever since he’d come to live with our family, we had never been apart. Not like this.

Ah... I really want to see Keith again soon.

I’ll make sure to apologize, so please come back and listen, Keith. I have so, so many things to tell you...

★★★★★★

I was in a warm, sunny spot under the biggest tree at Claes Manor. I had fallen asleep immediately after lying down, tired out by all the fishing and dashing about.

Although I had fallen asleep in such a comfortable place, the dreams I had were of days long gone. Back when I was trapped in a narrow, dark place... When I was subjected to violence. That was what I remembered.

Now, things were different. My family loved and cherished me. I was happy now — impossibly happy, more so than I could have ever imagined. Each and every day was blissful. And yet, dreams of the past would haunt me occasionally, like they did now. It was as if the nightmares were telling me that my life now was nothing but a lie. That I was still cowering, shivering in that tiny room, all alone...

However, I was soon roused from those dreams. As I opened my eyes, I could see a girl standing over me with a worried expression. “Keith... are you okay?” Backlit by the glittering rays of the sun, that girl seemed to be a goddess, like the ones I had read about in books.

“...I’m okay, Big Sister. I just had a scary dream.”

“Oh... you were talking and tossing, so I was worried. A scary dream, huh... I guess I should have woken you even earlier! I’m sorry, Keith!”

“It’s all right... I apologize for worrying you,” I replied.

“Hmm. But see, next time it’ll be different! If it ever seems like you’re having another scary dream, I’ll wake you up right away, Keith!”

With that, Katarina puffed her chest out, as if to say “Ha! Leave it all to me!”

I opened my eyes... and Katarina was not there.

Ah... it was a dream. A dream of the past. A nostalgic, happy dream.

I often used to have nightmares about the past when I first moved to Claes Manor. Whenever I had those dreams, Katarina, who was very into playing the part of an elder sister back then, would always take care of me.

“I’ll wake you, Keith! I’ll hold your hand,” she’d say. The girl I liked was saying things like “I’ll hold your hand until you fall asleep!” and “I’ll go to sleep with you tonight!” I was glad, but at the same time felt somewhat pathetic. It was a complicated series of emotions.

Eventually, I stopped having those nightmares. The days I spent with Katarina were so vibrant and refreshing. Full of bliss and joy. It didn’t take me long at all to forget all about those dreams. In fact, it has been quite a while since I had recalled anything like this... was it due to the situation I was currently in? Wherein I am bound, my arms and legs restrained in a lightless room.

My mother, the very same woman who had discarded me before, had called out to me. Before I knew it, I was handed over to men I had never seen before and dragged here against my will. Shortly after, I had my first reunion in years with my older brother, who was born to a different mother. He, Thomas, had been hitting me ever since. I suppose such a situation would indeed make me recall those dreams from so long ago. After all, I was currently being treated in a way that my old self was used to.

...Just how much time has passed? My family... Katarina is surely worried. That loving, warm, and gentle family I had come to first know at the age of eight... and the person I loved. My thoughts floated toward those people — people who had given me everything I could possibly want, and their magnanimity, their generosity. All this time, I had only received. I had yet to repay their kindness.

Although I was restrained and made to lie here, simple food was given to me at certain times. I couldn’t tell if it was breakfast or dinner, though. So... I supposed that I wasn’t going to die anytime soon. As for what would happen from here on out, as for what Thomas would do to me... I had no idea. But I could not simply die in a place like this. I still had many things to do. I still had to repay those who had been kind to me... and I wanted to be by Katarina’s side.

That was why I did what I could to eat the crude food I was given... struggling like a restrained dog. All so that I would survive. The dark room and cold bed brought forth memories of the abuse I had endured in my childhood... but I could dispel them by thinking of Katarina. Her smile, as bright as the sun. Her warm hands, reaching out to me. Merely recalling them filled me with strength.

Although Thomas would pay me many visits, and proceed to exact acts of violence against me while I was powerless to fight back... I simply thought of Katarina, and passed the time. I would surely break free of this place and return to her side.

Those thoughts were what kept me going — thoughts of Katarina were the source of my strength.

It was slightly after Thomas had paid me yet another visit to hurl verbal abuse at me that the only door to the room opened again. I simply assumed that he had come back. Other than the wordless, sullen man who would bring me my food, Thomas was the only person who entered this room. As for the woman I had seen when I’d first awoken, I hadn’t seen her since.

However, the one who entered the room now was the woman in question. She had that same innocent smile on her face as she entered. She stood before me, lowering herself to my height.

“How are you doing?” she asked, in a tone like she was talking about something inconsequential, like the weather.

I didn’t know what this woman wanted, so I held my tongue and stared at her silently in response.

“Well, if you can look so focused, I suppose you’re doing relatively well, huh?” She laughed.

Just like when I had first seen her, I felt like something about this woman was off. Although her appearance suggested that we weren’t too far apart in terms of age, she was strangely childlike. There was also an aura of danger about her that I couldn’t quite figure out. I found myself fearing her more than Thomas, even though the latter would always commit acts of violence against me. I held my peace, observing her.

She merely laughed at my response. “Haha. So you’ve been trapped here for a few days, bound, and continuously beaten... normally you’d become a little crazy, hm? As expected of the heir to the Claes family. Or is it simply because you got used to this during your childhood?”

From those words alone, it became clear to me that this woman knew about my past, and about everything I had done up until this point. “...What is your goal?” I asked.

“Haha! That, you see... I’d like you to... fall.”

“...Fall? What... does that mean?”

“Oh, it means what it means, of course. I would like you to fall from your current position. From being the lofty heir of a Duke... all the way to the bottom. From your rarefied heights, to the abyss, you see.”

“Height... to the abyss?” I had merely assumed that they had kidnapped me for a ransom of coin. I could not understand the words that spouted forth from her lips, and could only look on in surprise.

The woman merely laughed at me again. “Such was the wish that Thomas has made of me, you see. But then...” The woman pulled a troubled face as she continued. It was all fake, of course. “Thomas can’t wait any longer, hm? He can’t stand those straightforward eyes of yours! That unflinching gaze no matter how much pain he subjects you to.” A smile crept across her features once more. “So... Keith Claes. I have decided that you shall become a guinea pig for my experiments.”

“...Guinea... pig?” I felt a shiver travel down my spine. It was an unsettling phrase.

“Yes, a guinea pig for my experiments in the Dark Arts, you see. It’s an experiment I have always wanted to try, but it requires an experimental subject with quite a strong will, you know? Even so, a single experiment is all it takes to break them, so I was in quite the bind... until Thomas said that he’d like to break you. What a serendipitous event, I thought, and so...”

“Experiment in the Dark Arts...? Break...?” Those words were said so innocently, as if the woman didn’t harbor any malice. What she said didn’t feel real. I could only stare blankly at her.

“I say break, but your body will remain as it is, you see. The only thing that we’ll be breaking is your heart! That pretty body of yours will stay in one good piece. So don’t you worry about it one bit,” the woman said, smiling as she did so. “Well then... I suppose we might as well start soon, hm?”

At her words I finally moved my head, willing myself out of my stunned silence. It’ll be dangerous if I remain here, I thought. I tried my best to move... but my body wouldn’t budge.

In fact, I couldn’t even make a sound — no words escaped my throat. I could only open my mouth and gape. I couldn’t even close my eyes. All I could do was look at this woman before me, who was now chanting some sort of spell.

Before long, my field of vision was engulfed by darkness... before a heavier, denser darkness fell onto my entire being altogether.

“Fight and resist lots, okay? After all, that’s how you get stronger creations...” The woman’s innocent voice echoed sonorously in the darkness.

I screamed wordlessly, silently, the name of the person I loved most in the world.

Katarina...!

★★★★★★

“!”

As I heard what sounded like a cry of agony, I flew out of my bed.

Sunlight was already flooding in through the windows. For an instant, I panicked. This was a strange place that I didn’t recognize! But I quickly recognized it as the inn we had stopped at for the night yesterday. In the other beds of the room, Maria and Larna were both still asleep.

I felt like I’d had a terrifying dream. I wiped away beads of sweat from my forehead. I felt like I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I left the room.

Although it was still very early in the morning, the people who lived in this town were already up and about. I could hear their voices from outside the inn. The rural sights that greeted me as I looked out of a window reminded me of my home in my previous life.

As the nostalgia washed over me, I decided to step outside for a little bit, still dressed in my pajamas. The smell of the sun and the fields tickled my nose. I felt myself finally calming down a little, despite the terrifying dream I’d had. I stood for a while, looking out at the scenery.

“Katarina?” A voice called out to me from behind.

I turned around and saw that it was Jeord. The normally impeccably-dressed prince seemed like he wasn’t entirely ready for the day — he looked a bit unkempt. But despite this, he exuded a unique, seductive aura. As expected of Prince Jeord.

“Good morning.” Although I was dressed in my pajamas, I did my best to offer Jeord an elegant greeting... only for him to respond with a surprised expression.

“Katarina... what happened to your head?” he replied.

“Eh?” What happened to my head? Jeord smiled tensely as he slowly, hesitantly reached out to my head.

“These are stuck in your hair...” Jeord said, holding out something in his hand.

I peered at the object, only to find that it was none other than one of the stickseeds I’d found yesterday. Eh?! Stickseed? I ran my hands through my hair in a panic, only to find that the prickly seeds were indeed scattered all over my head.

Why would something like this...? I thought I remembered all of the seeds I’d found yesterday being stuck onto the bear. And then the bear was trying desperately to remove them...

“...Ah!” That’s right... what happened to the stickseeds that got stuck on that Ugly Bear, then? Come to think of it, Maria did offer to throw the seeds away, only for the bear to respond with a gesture that seemed to suggest, “Oh, I’ll do it myself.” But I didn’t remember seeing the bear toss the seeds away.

In other words... the stickseeds in my hair were most likely... the work of that Ugly Bear!! Ugh! Just when I served it its just desserts, and it returned the favor!?

I’ve been had! The bear strikes back! I’ve been too careless! I stomped the ground savagely in my rage. Jeord merely stood still, regarding me with a vague gaze as I clenched my teeth, stomping my foot at odd intervals.

My anger subsided after a while, and Jeord began to remove the stickseeds from my hair. I had tried to remove them myself, of course, but I couldn’t see where the seeds were and I was never good at this sort of thing, so I couldn’t quite get them off at all.

Jeord, on the other hand, always had an eye for detail and was quite dexterous with his fingers. His smooth, long fingers weaved through my hair, and soon all the seeds were gone. “There you go, Katarina. I have removed every last one,” Jeord said, before patting me several times on the head.

“Thank you very much,” I said, blushing for reasons unknown even to myself.

“You are most welcome, Katarina. On another note... whatever are you doing out here, at this time of the day?”

“Ah, yes. Well... I had a terrifying dream and woke up...”

“A terrifying dream, you say?”

“Yes. I don’t really remember it very well... but it was really unsettling.” Just recalling what little I could remember of the dream sent shivers down my spine. I folded my arms, holding myself reflexively.

Jeord’s expression clouded as he saw this. “...As I thought. Of course you would be worried in some capacity.”

“?”

“While he is a most troublesome opponent in my eyes, he is an important member of your family to you, no doubt. Originally, I had planned to be a little more aggressive in my approach during this trip... but I suppose I should restrain myself.”

“?” I didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Upon witnessing my confusion, Jeord smiled at me, looking somewhat lonely. “And then there is that, too... you had finally noticed, and then you went and forgot all about it, it would seem. And so, Katarina... I suppose this is enough, for now.”

Jeord suddenly reached out to me, pulling me in with both his arms. Before I knew it, he was hugging me tight. It was very surprising and sudden, yes, but I felt my shivering eventually cease as I was held in his strong, warm arms.

Ah, I see. He’s trying to comfort me. He really is a gentle person at heart. In fact, I was surrounded by gentle and kind people. I really was blessed.

For a while, I remained in Jeord’s embrace... only to be suddenly removed from it. Hmm? From what I could see, Jeord hadn’t let go of me intentionally. I guess someone had pulled me away.

“Ah, good morning, Prince Jeord, Lady Katarina,” said Sora, who was now suddenly standing next to me.

“...Sora. Surely you could overlook something like this, no?” Larna said, a somewhat pained expression on her face as she did so.

Sora merely grinned as he offered a response. “Merely doing my job.”

“I feel like there is more to that, perhaps,” Jeord said as his gaze swept over Sora.

But Sora’s smile didn’t falter as he said, “Nothing of the sort, Prince Jeord.”

As usual, I had no idea what the two of them were going on about. But soon my shivers had gone away, and now... I was hungry.

Upon hearing the loud rumbling of my stomach, the two of them smiled wryly, and I headed back to my room.

When I came back, I changed my clothes and then headed for the dining area. I sat down for my breakfast, and after having my fill, promptly looked into the matter at hand — finding the culprit who had put the stickseeds in my hair. As expected, it was none other than Ugly Bear.

The bear had an excuse for this, claiming that it had accidentally spilled the seeds on me after gathering them into a pile. That was a lie, of course. For the record, the bear couldn’t speak; it just gestured to explain the chain of events.

No one else knew about the bear’s true nature, so they all believed it! As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t just declare, “It’s a lie, a complete lie! It’s obvious that the bear did it on purpose!” After all, I had put the seeds on the bear with a similar lie to begin with.

In the end, the bear and I suffered equally. I was not happy at all about the situation, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it now.

And so we all got in the carriage, bear included, and set off again. This was the third day of our journey. Larna soon pointed out that we would reach the kingdom’s rural borders soon. If we kept going like this, we might end up entering the neighboring country’s territory.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected Keith to travel this far. It was surprising that he’d come all this way. Was Ugly Bear really right? Were we really following in his footsteps?

In this life, I had never set foot outside the kingdom where I was born, though it’s not like I had in my previous life either. Japan was an island, after all. Anyway, the kingdom I’d been reincarnated into was large and developed, so I’d always stayed within its borders. Jeord and Alan were a different story. They had been on many diplomatic trips abroad, though usually the other kingdoms would come to us, given that our land was the largest.

If we kept our pace, I would soon be on my first cross-country trip of this life. Although they were foreign kingdoms, people there spoke the same language and had a similar culture, so it wouldn’t be that different. And unlike in my previous life, we didn’t need a passport or any documents like that. Even so, going abroad was still something new, and I was excited at the prospect. I wonder what these foreign lands are like?

At a town some distance before the kingdom’s last settlement on its borders, Sora decided to go out on his own again to gather information.

“I’d like to go too!” I said in response. Up until now, I had been paired with Larna. From our previous conversation, it sounded like Sora’s way of life was like a spy’s, the kind of thing you’d see in the movies. I wanted to see it in action at least once.

But when I made my declaration, Jeord immediately said, “I shall accompany you, Katarina.”

I see... Jeord wants to observe Sora’s professional techniques up close as well, huh?

But Sora was quick to refuse. “In that case, Prince Jeord, please conduct your search in the opposite direction, if you would.”

Only for Jeord to respond, “In that case, I shall accompany Katarina. Surely you alone would be sufficient to conduct a search in said direction.”

“But you see, I am more used to places such as this, and as such, Lady Katarina would be more safe with me.”

“Is that so? I, however, cannot help but feel that you yourself carry a sense of danger.”

“Surely you jest, Prince Jeord. I am at least more of a gentleman than you are.”

“I am thoroughly surprised that you would make such a claim. After all, I have already heard from Katarina the... specifics, of your actions during that incident.”

Larna, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere between those two, soon intervened in their conversation (which I didn’t understand at all). “I’m not exactly clear on what you two are talking about, but it’s a waste of time to stand around talking. As Sora says, he is more used to places like this, so Katarina should stay with him on this excursion.” And with that, Larna sealed the deal, without waiting for input from anyone in particular.

Jeord seemed displeased about this right until the end. “You really do understand, yes? I am Katarina’s rightful fiancé,” he said to Sora. Then he turned to me. “Do be careful from here on out, Katarina,” he said, and then repeated it several times.

It was all a little too much for me. “I get it, I understand! I won’t get in the way of his questioning, or his work! I won’t become lost either!” I said, puffing out my chest as I did so. Jeord, for some reason, merely responded with a faraway gaze. I wonder why?

And so Sora and I set off for the small town in hope of finding some information on Keith. Maybe it was because we were a lot closer to the border, but the general feel of the town we were in was very different from the last one. Since it was so small, there weren’t many shops. But there were all kinds of plants that I’d never seen before. My eyes wandered over the foreign elements of the architecture of the buildings around us. I was ogling at my surroundings without even realizing it.

When he noticed this, a mild smile flitted across Sora’s face. “Is all this new to you?”

“Yes, everything is new to me! Each of the towns we’ve been to up until now has had something new, and this one has all kinds of things I’ve never seen before. After all, I’ve never been outside the capital before, so a trip like this is really different for me.”

“Come to think of it, you did mention somethin’ like that.” Sora started laughing softly.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Ah, well see, I just never thought we’d actually go on a trip like this, you know?” Sora had reverted back to his normal way of speaking.

Now that he mentioned it, I remembered listening to Sora’s stories about his experiences abroad during that time I spent with him. And now it had become a reality, and so soon!

“We live in different worlds, I thought. Thought we could never be together like this, heh.” Just like he had said back then! And I responded the same way I had before.

“What are you talking about? We’re here in the very same world, you and I.”

“Yeah. Here we are, taking a trip like this together after all. And this is thanks to you, too." Sora withdrew a familiar-looking object from his pocket. It was the blue gemstone brooch that I had given him before.

“Wow! You held on to it all this time...” It was just a souvenir I’d bought during the school festival, and the brooch wasn’t worth very much, of course. But it made me happy that he was holding on to it like that.

“Of course I did. It’s a special stone, right? The color of your eyes and mine. I’ll treasure it forever.” Sora smiled at me — an innocent smile, like the one I saw back then. Compared to the refined smile he’d had plastered on his face during this whole trip, this suited him much better.

“Haha, you see Sora, this smile suits you a lot better than that polite one you’ve had on your face all this time!” I said.

Sora froze in response, smile and all, and then suddenly took me into his arms.

“?” Huh? What’s this all of a sudden? A hug? Hmm. Come to think of it, something similar happened before.

Hmm... could it be? Sora is foreign, after all. Is this some sort of foreign greeting?

Sora merely smiled at me again as I stood, rooted to the ground. His smile was a little more reserved this time, though. “You really are something, huh? How do you have such a knack for reeling in the guys, left and right...”

Reeling in? Hmm? Reeling in... fish? How did we end up talking about fishing?

“...And you really don’t have your guard up at all. It’s no wonder Prince Jeord is so worried about you.” With that, Sora released me from his hug. “Honestly, I’d like to keep whiling the time away with you like this... but it would be a pain if Prince Jeord found us, huh. Shall we go on with our questioning then, my lady?”

“Ah... okay.” I didn’t really understand how this conversation had turned out this way, but I suppose he’d meant it as a greeting, right? And what was all that about dumplings, again? Well... I guess everything’s fine.

After that, we headed into the town, wandering about and searching for any information on the whereabouts of Keith.

Although we did make several rounds through the town, no information was to be found here either, as expected.

“Hmm... If there really is nothing here either, we might really enter foreign territories during our search...” I said, with just a little of my excitement showing.

“Aren’t you having a little too much fun?” Sora replied, shooting me a surprised look.

Ugh... I’ve been found out! I decided to tell Sora up-front about my excitement about entering a foreign land.

But when he heard what I had to say, Sora’s expression changed; he seemed troubled. “But... it’s not all fun and games, you know.”

“Why? After all, you told me so many interesting things when I was listening to your stories back then, right?” Back during the kidnapping incident, I had heard all kinds of stories from Sora about his adventures in foreign lands. As I had never been abroad before, I was swept up in it all. It made me want to take a little trip myself.

"It is true that foreign lands have all sorts of things this kingdom doesn’t. Interesting things. But on the flip side, there’s a lot of dangers too.”

“Dangers...?” I couldn’t imagine what kind of dangers he was talking about.

“Well ya see, the kingdom you were born in — the Kingdom of Sorcié — is known for its peace and order. There’s a lot more crime in other lands.”

“Eh? Really?” The area where I’d lived in my previous life was known for its peace and quiet too. It was a rural part of the country. Did we have any crime there? Hm... Tanuki stealing from gardens, maybe?

The Kingdom of Sorcié, where I’d been reincarnated, was that way too. I was lovingly raised in Claes Manor, and usually had servants with me when I went to towns outside the capital. So I had never come into contact with any devious crimes. Maybe that was why I never really thought much about safety.

When I said as much to Sora, he looked even more surprised. “Huh? But I used the Dark Arts on you, ya know? And I kidnapped you. That’s a crime, right?” He started muttering under his breath to himself, but then regained his usual composure. “Well... I suppose we can chalk this up to your perceptions being completely out of whack...”

Huh? What’s this about my perception, now?

“...Anyway, the surrounding lands can’t hold a candle to Sorcié when it comes to things like law and order. Especially Le Sable, the nation we’re closest to. It’s known as a lawless hell-hole. Certain things are outlawed on the surface, but the slave trade is huge there.”

“...Slave trade...” Since I was raised in a peaceful environment, those were words I had only heard in books. It was a lot to take in, and for a while, I fell silent.

Sora seemed even more troubled. “It happens in all the other countries. In fact, it’s very normal in the place I was born.”

“...” Born and raised in peace, I had only heard the interesting tales about foreign lands, so I always thought they’d be interesting to visit. I guess I don’t know anything... I felt ashamed. “...I wanted to rush in head-first without thinking... I feel like an idiot,” I said, hanging my head.

“You really are honest, huh. But that’s fine, see. If there’s something you don’t know, then all you have to do is to learn about it, right?”

“Learn if there’s something I don’t know... Yes. Yes, you’re right.” All I had to do was keep an open mind, and I’d learn about all these things that I’d never experienced before. Acting on that idea immediately, I decided to ask Sora about the nation of Le Sable, and also about Noir, the town that we were going to next.

“As I mentioned, Le Sable is infamous for being lawless. So criminals are really common there. I’ve heard the slave trade is huge there, and is a lot bigger than anywhere else nearby. Noir is a town that sits on Sorcié and Le Sable’s border. Even though it’s in Sorcié, Noir has a bad reputation when it comes to safety.”

“Is... that so...” Even here, there was a place like that... I now felt a little afraid to go in that direction.

Hmm? Eh? But then... “...Would Keith really be in a place as dangerous as that? If he was going to run away to another country, wouldn’t it make sense to choose a safer place...?” I didn’t even have to think to know that Keith, who had such a good head on his shoulders, would never choose to run away to such a dangerous place.

“Guess that’s true, yeah...” Sora muttered, once again with that troubled expression.

Is Keith really beyond this point? Does the bear really know what it’s doing? I really want to find him soon. Is he really in such a dangerous place? And if he is, is he safe? What if something’s happened to him? The shivers that had run down my spine before were suddenly back in full force. I felt a deep sense of unease.

After we were done questioning the locals, I returned to the carriage with Sora. Jeord immediately leapt out to greet us. “Did he do anything to you? Are you all right?”

Again with the strange questions... And why’s he staring at my neck? Hmm? What?

In the end, there was no useful information to be found in this small town at all. With that in mind we set off once more, for the border town of Noir.

The sun was already setting by the time we arrived at Noir. Sora said that it wasn’t a safe place at all, but this wasn’t obvious at first glance. It seemed to me like a normal, busy town. But when I looked closer, I noticed that there were people around who gave me a bad vibe.

Apparently not just Sora knew this town well, but Larna and Jeord too. There was no unnecessary sight-seeing here — our group immediately went to an inn after we’d done some information-gathering. I made sure to do my part here, sticking with everyone else instead of wandering away aimlessly. I didn’t stare at any storefronts either.

As our group continued our quiet advance, Maria suddenly came to a stop. Hm? Is there a store she’s interested in? A quick look at her face, and I could tell from her grave expression that this wasn’t the case. Everyone else noticed too, and soon the entire group stopped. For a while, she just stayed like that, not moving a single step.

Worried, I finally called out to her. “Maria... Maria! What’s wrong?”

She gasped and suddenly turned to face me. “Ah, Lady Katarina... I just... for a moment there, I thought I saw...”

“Hmm? What did you see?”

“...Um... That is...” I waited for her to go on, and while hesitant, she eventually kept speaking. “I thought I saw someone over there... who was being dominated by the Dark Arts. But why would that be?” she whispered quietly. “Surely it must have been my imagination.” She laughed haltingly.

As Maria said, after the previous events involving Dark Magic, there was a strict crackdown on it. Other than Sora, there really shouldn’t have been anyone capable of using it around these parts. Even Sora wasn’t allowed to use his magic without express permission of the Ministry. It was more than strange for Maria to feel the presence of Dark Magic here, so I could believe that it may have been just her imagination.

But Larna’s expression completely changed when she heard this. “Where did you see it, Maria? An approximation is fine.”

“Ah... no. It was just my imagi—”

“Whatever it may be, I want to know. Tell me.” Larna’s voice took on a severe tone — it was really intimidating, honestly.

Maria replied, somewhat stutteringly. “It was... the person who passed us just now. I couldn’t see them clearly... they had a black hood on. I couldn’t see their face. They walked past us and in that direction...”

“How intense was it? The Dark Arts presence.”

“...Um. It was a bit like a wispy mist around that person’s body. It wasn’t strongly attached to them... but I felt a fear that... I have never felt until now...” Maria finished, her face pale.

A slight smile returned to Larna’s face. “Thank you for telling us, Maria,” she said, before quickly ushering us toward the inn we were stopping at today. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on. But Larna’s strict expression made it feel like there was no room for negotiation. Our group quietly headed toward the inn in question. So we went straight for the inn.

The inn that we were stopping at today came highly recommended by Sora. Larna had looked into it too, and found that it was the safest place this town had to offer.

Although everyone wanted an explanation for Larna’s reaction from earlier, she immediately left as soon as we checked in, saying that she had “matters to attend to.”

Not sure what else to do, we all went to our rooms for the night. As before, our group was split into two rooms: one for the ladies, and another for the men. Larna had taken the bear with her as she left, so Maria and I found ourselves seated at a table in the room by ourselves.

Up until now, we had been talking eagerly about the new sights and sounds we came across each day. We had a lot to talk about normally, but the mood was different now. Few words were exchanged between us as we sipped our tea. Even the delicious treats in front of us that were apparently Noir’s specialty were left mostly untouched. Normally I would have eaten nearly everything, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to now.

Maria in particular didn’t seem to be feeling well. She hadn’t touched the treats. I tried to get her to eat something, but all she would say was “Perhaps later...”

“Maria? Are you okay?” I asked eventually. The color hadn’t returned to her face, even after all this time.

“Yes... I’m all right,” she replied in a weak, quavering voice that suggested that the opposite was true. Maybe she was still in shock from sensing the presence of Dark Magic. Even I couldn’t help but feel an oppressive sense of fear just hearing that phrase.

I’d felt terrified when I first learned about the concept of Dark Magic. And yet I’d run into it not once, but twice since then. It was supposedly a huge national secret, according to Raphael and Jeord. I also remembered that someone who was strong in magic who gained the power of Dark Magic could easily crush someone’s heart. It was really a terrifying thing.

Maria seemed badly shaken. The color of her face was abnormally pale. After all, she had experienced Dark Magic twice herself as well, and she had seen it both times. Since it could only be perceived by Wielders of Light, I had no idea what it looked like. It’s possible that it looked horrifying.

Even so, I had never seen Maria this terrified before. I wonder what happened? What did she see? “Maria, why are you so afraid? Did you really see something that terrifying?” I asked, deciding to be straightforward about it. Maria hesitated for a few moments, not replying. “Isn’t it better to talk about what’s scaring you? You might feel a little better,” I said.

“Perhaps you are right,” she replied, trying her best to smile. She began to describe her experience. “How should I put this... It was different. Different than the Dark Magic I’ve seen up until now. It was disgusting, abnormal, horrifying, terrifying... I cannot quite get it out of my head,” she said, shivering.

It really must have been awful. I couldn’t stand to watch her sit there feeling that way. Before I knew it I’d moved close to Maria, and was soon holding her tight.

“!” Maria’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“It’ll be easier to calm down like this, right?” I said, giving her my warmest smile.

“...Yes, Lady Katarina,” she whispered shyly.

When we were children, Keith would often bolt up in his sleep, his face pale from nightmares. I would always hold him like this, and soon color would return to his face. After that, I had even held Keith’s hand when we went to sleep together.

Of course, I stopped doing that as we grew older, but I still remember those times as if it were yesterday. Since I was the youngest in my family in my previous life, I was really happy to have my little brother rely on me like that. It made me feel like a true big sister. Of course, then Keith became good at everything and perfectly able to take care of himself shortly after that...

There was Dark Magic in this town. Not just any Dark Magic, but powers strong enough to terrify Maria. Someone in this town was capable of that. And then... there was the possibility that Keith was even farther away.

As I held the shivering, terrified Maria, memories of my brother crying as a child floated through my mind. Hey, Keith... You’re okay, right? You’re not... crying somewhere, right?

★★★★★★

I, Larna Smith, with my magical tool Alexander in tow, once again found myself standing on the roof of the tallest building in this town in order to contact my subordinate, Raphael. This building was unfortunately home to some unpleasant-looking men; criminals, probably.

“Please let me use your roof for a little while,” I had asked politely. But they weren’t the kind of people who could be reasoned with. Without any other choice, I used some magic to encourage the louts to exit the premises. As a result, the building was now completely deserted and quiet, perfect for receiving transmissions.

I raised the transmitter to the night sky once more, and called out to my employee. “This is Larna Smith. Can you hear me, Raphael?”

“Yes. This is Raphael Wolt. I hear you loud and clear.”

Upon confirming that Raphael could hear me, I explained what Maria had witnessed earlier. It would seem that there was someone in this town who could use the Dark Arts.

Raphael spoke up after I finished my explanation. “Actually, we received some new information on our end too, and I was planning on reporting it to you today.” He continued, somewhat stiffly, “With regard to the information obtained from Prince Jeffery... the individual who was seen making contact with Keith Claes on the day of his disappearance has been identified.”

“Is that so? Well then, who is it?”

“Well, it appears to be Keith’s biological mother.”

“His actual mother? The ex-prostitute, right?”

“Yes, the very same. It would seem that his birth mother approached him as he was walking out of the downtown district. There was a witness who happened to see the whole thing. His description of Keith matched his appearance, and his mother was... somewhat memorable, so...”

“Are you telling me that Keith left with his mother, then?”

“No, it seems that his mother’s role was simply to lure him into a trap, in exchange for a sum of coin. Someone paid her to entrap her son.” Raphael’s voice became more severe as the conversation went on. I supposed he was angry at how Keith’s birth mother had so easily handed her son over to strangers in exchange for gold. After all, Raphael’s mother loved him dearly, from the bottom of her heart. Maybe he couldn’t bring himself to believe that mothers such as Keith’s could even exist in this world.

I, however, knew that parents like that did exist. After all, I was born into noble society. There were many parents in this world who treated their children as nothing more than objects.

“Well then, did we find this person whom Keith was handed over to?”

“The mother apparently has no memory of the incident.”

“No memory? Isn’t she just lying?”

“Yes, that was what I thought too, at first. But after some questioning, it became apparent that she really does not remember. As I continued to question Keith’s mother, I observed her, and she displayed signs that Dark Magic had been cast on her. And that was...”

“...I see. As I thought — a Wielder of Darkness is involved in this entire chain of events...” I said, sighing.

“That would appear to be the case, Lady Larna,” he replied, a hard edge to his voice.

“In that case, the person Maria spotted just now has a high possibility of being involved with Keith’s disappearance. In any case, I’ll use Alexander and attempt to pinpoint his exact location. It might even be possible that Keith may be in this very town.”

“Please do be careful. If we receive any new information on our end, I will be sure to contact you.”

“I understand. I’m counting on you, top-class Raphael.” Immediately after terminating the transmission, I tasked Alexander with the job.

Now that it had come to this, it was no longer possible to hide these events from Katarina and the rest. If Keith’s location could be pinpointed, I’d have to tell them everything. I really don’t want to worry Katarina, but... this is too serious now. Steeling my resolve, I began walking in the direction Alexander had pointed out.

★★★★★★

I was worried when Larna didn’t return until late into the night, but she eventually came back just as the day was about to end. Her expression was impossibly grave.

Without wasting any time, Larna gathered everyone into our room. “There is something I must tell all of you,” she said, looking more serious than I’d ever seen her. “We went out to search for the runaway Keith... but it turns out, he did not run away from home.”

“!” I swallowed hard. Keith... didn’t run away? What happened then?

“From the beginning, the Ministry was tasked with an official request from Duke Claes to investigate the matter. The result of that investigation has now revealed that Keith’s disappearance was in fact... a kidnapping.”

“A kidnapping!!” I stood up, shouting in surprise. So Keith didn’t run away from home... He was kidnapped?!

“Yes. Keith Claes has been kidnapped.”

Larna’s words hit me like a waterfall. It was as if I’d been plunged into a sea of ice-cold water. I had never been this shocked and terrified in my life.

From what we were told, Keith had met with his birth mother, who he hadn’t seen for many years, on the day he’d disappeared. He was led somewhere, and then handed over to someone else.

They had just found out about the most shocking development yet: Keith’s mother had been a victim of the Dark Arts. She couldn’t remember who had asked her to lure him into a trap, and she couldn’t remember who she handed him over to, either.

The truth was a little too much for me. All I could do was gape wordlessly as Larna continued her explanation. I had thought, all the way until now, that Keith had run away from home because of the trouble I’d caused him. I thought that all we needed to do was find him, I would apologize, and he’d come right back home. But a kidnapping? Dark Magic? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

Jeord, who had been standing next to me all this time, was the first to speak. He also looked very grave. “In the end, were we able to verify the identity of the individual who used that Dark Magic in the first place?” Unlike me, Jeord was always on top of things. He already seemed to understand the entire situation.

“...No, not yet. The enemy has been eluding us. We haven’t been left a trace,” Larna said, her expression twisting in vexation.

The cogs in my head finally started grinding into gear. In other words, Keith had been kidnapped, but we still didn’t know who the culprit was.

“Then where is Keith now? Do we not know anything?” I asked.

Larna paused, falling silent for a while as she seemed to be thinking. Then she spoke with measured, heavy words. “...No. It’s not that we don’t know anything. There is at least a place that I have my eye on. I think he may be there.”

“E-Eh?! Where is it? Where is he?” I leaned forward.

“After everyone settled down here, I used Alexander a little more to look into his whereabouts,” Larna explained. “You all remember how Maria mentioned that she’d seen someone who was being influenced by Dark Magic, right? This incident also has ties to a Wielder of Darkness. Although the existence of Dark Magic has been kept under wraps, it’s a given that there’s been some leaks here and there. It may be wishful thinking, but the fact that a magical tool brought us here to find Keith and that we crossed paths with someone being controlled by Dark Magic doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”

Then she continued, “Also, Maria can only see traces of Dark Magic that have been performed recently. So it’s logical to conclude that Keith is somewhere in this town. So with that in mind, I conducted my search.”

“Well... did you find him?”

“Yes, actually. Alexander pointed out, relatively clearly, a certain mansion in the area.”

Upon hearing those words, I immediately stood up from my chair once more. “Please tell me where it is. I’ll go! I’ll go right now!” I’ll come save you right away, Keith!

Jeord’s hands went to my shoulders, and soon I was gently but firmly seated back in my chair. “At this time of night? It is too dangerous. In any case, you would do well to calm down before deciding what to do.” He grabbed a nearby sweet and quickly deposited it into my mouth.

As I started chewing in response, Jeord, who had been standing next to me this entire time, turned toward Larna. “I understand your words well, Lady Larna. I do apologize for saying this, but this is the first time that magical tool of yours has been used in the field, yes? Have there been any other, more concrete reports that would affirm the accuracy of this information? That this is indeed the place?” he asked bluntly.

The bear, sitting next to Larna, looked displeased. But Larna’s expression didn’t falter. “It is as you say. This tool is merely at the prototyping stage. It would be difficult to say with absolute certainty that Keith Claes is in this mansion with the aid of this tool alone. However, we may be able to confirm whether there is a presence of Dark Magic in or around the mansion. Since we know that Dark Magic was involved in the kidnapping, it would solidify our lead if we discovered that there were signs of it around the mansion.”

“The presence of Dark Magic... Do you mean to have Maria appraise this mansion?”

“Exactly. Though we won’t only be using Maria’s skills, but Sora’s as well. We should be able to glean some knowledge through both their sets of eyes.”

“...Lady Larna. Did you know of this all along? Was that why you had these two specific people accompany us?”

“Ha. You give me too much credit, Prince Jeord. I merely had the two of them with me just in case.”

Nom nom nom. As Larna and Jeord had yet another difficult to understand, yet seemingly meaningful conversation, I finally finished the snack Jeord had stuffed into my mouth. But I was listening while I was chewing! Maria and Sora would look at the manor where Keith might be, and then we’d know how to proceed from there.

“Okay then, let’s go right now,” I said, standing up again.

But Larna quickly stopped me. “We should wait for daybreak. The mansion is somewhat far from the town of Noir. It’s practically on the outskirts.”

And so Larna convinced me to wait, and we soon returned to our rooms for some rest. Honestly though, even though I knew I should, I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep. After all, Keith had been kidnapped... possibly by a Wielder of Darkness. I had no idea what kind of danger he might be in.

All I could think about was Keith. Even after I curled up in bed, I couldn’t fall asleep. This was the first time that had ever happened; even when I myself was kidnapped, I had fallen asleep easily.

Eventually the tiredness from the day of travel caught up with me, and I found myself drifting away. And then, I had a dream.

A boy was hugging his knees and crying. With his flaxen hair, he looked exactly like Keith when he had been little. He was crying with such sorrow, it was too sad to watch. I tried my best, everything I could, to comfort him. But it was like he couldn’t hear a single word I said. I would try to reach out and hug him, but I couldn’t touch him, even if I reached out.

There was nothing I could do. All I could do was stand and watch as the boy continued to cry.

As the sun rose, and I woke from my shallow sleep and realized that my cheeks were wet. It must have been because of that terrible dream.

Under normal circumstances, I would forget about dreams like that right away... but I resolved to engrave that dream into my memory, so that I would never forget.

I had realized that the boy in my dream was Keith... and my heart ached.