“Ahh~”

“Hey, don’t just grab it with your hands. Use the fork properly, okay?”

Micah gently scolded the boy in her lap, then found herself letting out a rather unladylike yawn as she sat cross-legged at Aurelia’s floor table, trying to shake off the last remnants of her sleep while eating the breakfast that had been delivered by the servants earlier. Meanwhile, random thoughts were running through her head to help pass the time.

For example, she hadn’t really thought about it the first time, but it was extremely interesting that Aurelia even owned a table like this. It was like a chabudai, though hers was made of expensive-looking glass and lacquered wood which gave it a much fancier appearance. And while it didn't really fit the image of a western noble girl to be sitting on the floor, the soft cushions arranged beneath it made it extremely comfortable and nice, once again suggesting that Aurelia didn’t care much for social stigmas.

Despite all of the extravagant décor that screamed wealth and status, her whole room had a homey, comfortable feel to it that made Micah feel slightly nostalgic. But that wasn’t all. With the tea room from before that had a tatami-like floor, Micah began to wonder if there was maybe a culture in Magi that utilized architecture that was similar to what she was familiar with in her home of Japan.

There was also that person, Shimo of the Five Legendary Heroes, who Micah recalled had a distinctly Asian face and even carried something that looked like a katana. If there really was a culture like that out there somewhere, Micah wanted to try and research it someday if she had the time. Maybe Aurelia would even tell her about it if she asked.

Speaking of Aurelia though, she was currently getting dressed in front of a mirror next to her closet after having finished her breakfast with haste. Micah, who was already fully dressed since a while ago, watched idly as she donned a red coat over her white shirt and black pleated skirt — a precaution against the weather which had grown chillier with the approach of fall. They were likely going to spend a majority of today outdoors, so even Micah had worn an extra layer to help keep warm during that time. It was at times like these that she really appreciated having her scarf, even if it was kind of a pain to wear year-round.

“Ahh, ahhh. Nn?”

“Fufu, well aren’t you a little gentleman? Thank you for the offer, but that’s okay. I’m plenty full, so don’t worry about me and just eat your fill.”

“Ahh~!”

Micah gave the boy’s head a stroke as thanks for trying to share with her, then turned back to see Aurelia buttoning up her coat from the bottom. Seeing as how she was almost ready, Micah decided to speak up, if only to help pass the time as the boy in her lap continued to make short, but messy work of the meal laid in front of him. “So uh, how’re you feeling?”

“...Do you want the nice answer or the honest one?” Aurelia responded sharply, making Micah wince. That may not have been the best opener…

Regardless, Aurelia sighed and continued. “It’s… tough. I don’t know whether I should be hoping for the best or preparing for the worst. At any moment he could drop dead, and I just… well… I’m ready to do whatever I can, I guess.”

“Hey, that’s a pretty good attitude to have, all things considered,” Micah offered along with the best reassuring smile she could manage. “And don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you every step of the way. With everyone working together like this, we’re bound to find something even on the first day.” She clenched her fist determinedly. “We’ll definitely save your dad, one way or another.”

“Haa, I can tell lots of people are going to be making that same empty promise to me… but thank you. Just knowing that everyone’s doing their best is enough though. Really.” Aurelia offered the slightest of smiles to show her sincerity, and Micah was once again reminded of just how mature this girl was for someone her age.

She supposed it must come with the territory considering her position and status, but it was almost unfair how little of a real childhood Aurelia had gotten to have. Based on everything Micah knew about her both since the banquet and after their reunion the other day, it felt like she was almost always dealing with some strange drama or peril, and rarely ever had a moment of calm before the next one.

It was practically a miracle that she could still smile at this point considering all she’d been through, though Micah supposed she wasn’t one to really talk in that regard. Still, couldn’t this kid just get a break for once? Just like how Micah regretted missing out on so many important childhood moments, she wanted Aurelia to be able to enjoy her youth a bit more, even if the girl herself felt as though she needed to grow up as fast as possible.

It was hard to avoid sighing from the depressing thoughts that had welled up, so Micah just offered a shrug and dropped the matter. “Well… if you say so.”

“Ahh~ Nom nom nom.”

“Wha— ow! Hey, that’s not food, that’s my hair! Ow ow ow ow! Out, spit it out!” Micah was caught off guard by how the boy had randomly leaned back to begin gnawing on her hair, and it took some goading to get him to finally release her. “Geez, you went at it like your life depended on it… Is my hair really that tasty or something…?” she muttered, massaging her now-damp sidelock between two fingers while recalling that last time this had happened to her. The boy seemed oblivious to her concern though, and instead showed a bright smile as if he’d done something worth praise, then happily returned to his plate.

“......”

As she worked on the upper buttons of her coat, Aurelia watched the exchange from the side, wordlessly. A few minutes of silence came and went, until finally she opened her mouth. “By the way… about that kid.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“You said you found him last night, right? But… where exactly did he come from?”

“Heck if I know… Honestly, I was hoping you’d be the one to fill me in on that,” Micah replied, sighing. “I mean, he looks just like you, so I figured he must be a Brightwind.”

“True…” Aurelia muttered, staring with interest at the boy’s red hair. Feeling her stare, he paused his eating to look up at her curiously, blue peering into blue. She continued to hold the boy’s gaze for a few more moments before a sigh of her own escaped her lips. “...Honestly, it’s hard to say. He’s definitely a Brightwind, but it’s not like I can intimately recount every member of my family to identify him beyond that. For one thing, it’s not like they all live in this one mansion, and even those that do aren’t exactly close to me. I probably have tons of cousins, in-laws and extended family all over the place, so there’s no way I’d know them all.”

“But what about your family here? Do you know if there are any kids this young living in the mansion?”

“Yeah, of course there are,” Aurelia answered as she finished up with her coat and dropped onto her bed to slide on the black, thigh-high socks she laid out earlier. “There’s plenty of them, but again I can’t recall anyone specific. And anyway, it wouldn’t be odd for someone to get left behind with how sudden the departure for Zaoth was.”

“Oh, okay…” Micah let that thought simmer for a bit. The longer she did though, the more she realized how strange it was. “Wait, isn’t that kind of weird? They even took the younger kids with them?”

“Well, yes, but not in the way you’re imagining. Not all of the family went to Zaoth’s forest region. Most of them are simply staying in nearby cities, hosting memorials and charity events and things like that, while the rest assist with the relief efforts directly. It’s basically more akin to a vacation than anything else, but it’s good for my family’s image to make that kind of show of support.”

“Ohh, so something like, ‘The Brightwinds are so committed to helping out, the entire family traveled to Zaoth!’ basically.”

“Mhm.” Aurelia nodded, then reached over to snag her boots and begin lacing them up on her feet. “My grandfather was the one who made the decision. Everyone else just did as he told them to, which included taking the children along. Though in hindsight it was probably a wise thing to do, considering last night’s… events.” She grimaced a bit, then quickly brushed the matter aside as she came to a stand and strapped her sheathed rapier to her waist, her attire complete. “In any case, he’s probably one of my younger cousins that got left behind like me. No point in making a big deal out of it, since there’ll be plenty of servants here to take care of him while we’re gone.”

“Yeah, uh… a-about that.”

“Huh?”

Figuring it was about time she explained, Micah stood up as well. The boy, now displaced from her lap, quickly shoveled the rest of the food into his mouth and followed suit, clinging tightly to her waist.

Micah rested her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to separate him, but he only pressed himself harder into her side. “Y-You see, I don’t really get it but… for some reason he’s completely attached to me. Not only that, but he seems to be super scared of everyone in this mansion.”

“What? What are you talking abou—” Aurelia started as she walked over to them, only for the boy to tense up and slink around Micah, peeking out warily from behind her. With the expected response having come, Micah just let out a sigh.

“It’s been like this since I saw him last night. At first I thought it was just Abi— er, the intruder that was scaring him, but he actually freaked out more when we heard the servants getting closer. I have no idea why, but he really doesn’t want anyone but me coming near him. You saw it too; he hid when they brought breakfast to us, and even waited until you were done eating before coming to the table.”

“Well it’s certainly strange,” Aurelia admitted, brows furrowed, “but we don’t have time to worry about that now. Just leave him here in my room for the time being. I’ll have someone bring him lunch and dinner and check on him a few times, but otherwise he can just do whatever he wants.”

“That’s… probably for the best,” Micah replied, not entirely sure how she felt about the matter. Still, it wasn’t as if they could just bring him along. Not that the two of them were ones to really talk, but he was just a child — a normal child, that is. If worse came to worst and they ended up in a fight, it’d be too much of a burden to have to worry about him. “No, you’re right. We really should get a move on.”

The boy was still holding onto her, so she knelt down to his eye level and held his shoulders firmly. “Listen, Big Sis Aurelia and I have to go now. We’ve got some important stuff to do, so wait for us to get back okay? Someone will come bring you food in a little bit, but they won’t come near you at all. Just stay in this room and you’ll be safe.”

She rubbed his arm for good measure, hoping to leave it at that. But when she stood up to leave, he clamped onto her arm, holding her in place.

“Ahh!! Ahh!!!”

“Yeah, figured as much…” Micah muttered, not surprised by the boy’s reaction considering his behavior the previous night. She tried in vain to wiggle her arm free as she continued talking him down. “Hey, come on. I really do have to go, and it’s too dangerous for you to come with me. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can, so can you just do this for me? Please?”

She asked him in as sincere a voice as she could muster. His head, pressed hard against her elbow, shook rapidly from side to side. So that was that.

Micah glanced at Aurelia, and it was hard to miss the impatience in her expression. She obviously wanted to get going immediately, and frankly, Micah did too. Last time she’d managed to pacify the boy by hiding him in a place he wouldn’t be found temporarily — in one of the laundry rooms, underneath a pile of clothes inside of a hamper. But the servants had likely already gotten to it while handling their morning chores, so that wasn’t an option anymore.

After racking her brain for a bit, Micah eventually decided that the only way to solve this matter peacefully was to deceive him. Again, she knelt down to his level. “...Okay, fine. I won’t go. But since we’re here, why don’t we play a game or something? Like hide and seek! Do you know how to play hide and seek?”

“...eeg?” The boy looked at her inquisitively, and made a noise that almost sounded like an actual word. Micah found herself just a bit charmed by it, even though she still had no clue why he wouldn’t (or couldn’t) speak normally.

“Yup, that’s right. Hide and seek. You hide somewhere, and then after I count to one hundred I’ll try and find you. You can hide anywhere you want, but the number one rule of the game is that you can’t come out until I find you, or until you hear me say ‘I give up’. Does that make sense?”

A couple of seconds passed where it seemed like he wouldn’t buy Micah’s obvious bullshit… but in the next moment, he nodded his head.

“Great! Then, I’ll close my eyes now, okay? And just to make sure I won’t cheat, Big Sis Aurelia won’t look either. Isn’t that right?”

“...Seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously.” Micah faced her, smiling wide.

“Haa…” Aurelia’s sigh was almost palpable as she lowered her head, showing her displeasure with a hand on her hip, and let her eyes fall shut. Micah too reached up to cover her face, but at the same time stealthily activated [God’s Blessing]. There was no point in playing fair when the goal was just to deceive him, so to be on the safe side she wanted to know where exactly he would choose to hide. With her enhanced sense of hearing at this close of a range, she’d be able to detect his footsteps even if he crept away as quiet as a mouse.

Which is why when several seconds went by without so much as a shuffle to be heard, Micah couldn’t help but find it odd. Carefully, she peeked one eye open to check on him, only for both to shoot open in disbelief.

The boy was gone.

“H-Huh? What?!” She let out a shocked voice, rising to stand while throwing her head this way and that in a panic. Aurelia opened her eyes in response to the commotion, and after realizing the situation and joining the search briefly, the two shared a confused look.

A few awkward seconds passed before Micah spoke. “I… I guess he’s got a knack for stealth or something,” Micah said as she awkwardly scratched her head.

“So it would seem,” Aurelia responded neutrally. She crossed her arms at the elbows, and Micah immediately knew what she was going to say next. “Well, it just means he’s hidden somewhere safe for the time being. Let’s get going.”

“Eh? Are you sure we should just leave without confirming—”

“Micah,” the redhead interrupted. Her face made it clear that what little patience she’d managed to spare for this distraction had been effectively exhausted. Her tone was firm, almost hostile, as she continued. “We’re going. Now.”

Though there was still a measure of worry in her heart for just how and where the boy had disappeared, Micah decided to relent. After all, she was right; they had wasted enough time already. “...Yeah, sure. Sorry, you’re right. We shouldn’t waste any more time.”

“Right… Thank you.” Aurelia’s posture seemed to relax a bit once Micah agreed and made her way over. Still, as they piled out of the bedroom door, Micah spared one last glance back at the empty room behind them.

How… can someone just vanish like that? I know Brightwinds tend to be powerful mages, but he’s so young… Is he really just a normal kid?

Micah idly scratched at her neck, finding it a bit itchy beneath her scarf, and pondered on the matter for just a moment longer before turning to follow Aurelia.

-----

On their way to Lennart’s bedroom, the two girls witnessed an incredible bustle of activity throughout the mansion’s halls. The servants were more or less partaking in their usual duties, but now men and women in green uniforms accompanied them, and also stood guard at several other locations keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

Some of them took notice of the pair, but other than a few lingering gazes and stark greetings they didn’t try to strike up a conversation. Considering the state Aurelia was in last night, it only made sense, Micah supposed…

Regardless, they arrived with no issues, only to see that the situation hadn’t changed much since they’d last been there. Though his body was surrounded by an odd aura of fire that somehow wasn’t burning anything around him — the aforementioned [Flame Cloak], she assumed — the man still looked to be in great pain, and several field doctor-looking soldiers surrounded him, monitoring his condition. The female soldier from before was also there, pressing both of her ungloved hands onto his chest with a mix of strain and concentration knitting her brows.

Commander Reed was at the far end of the room, talking with another group of soldiers. He spotted the two girls making their way over, and wrapped up his discussion by issuing them orders. “You have your assignments. The northern and southernmost districts. Take one or two others with you and dig up what you can.”

“Yes sir!”
“Yes sir!”
“Yes sir!”

The soldiers saluted and made for the door, and Reed turned his attention to Micah and Aurelia. “You’re a little later than expected.”

“Sorry, we got caught up with a… thing,” Micah explained, then flinched when Aurelia shot her a glare. “Er, it doesn’t really matter. We’re here now, so how’ve things been going?”

The older man let out a disgruntled sigh. “Not great. The good news is we managed to get a better understanding of how long Lord Lennart might have. With the help of Lieutenant Anka as well as our people helping to siphon him mana, he can keep his [Flame Cloak] going for a while, and it seems like the working estimate is that he could last up to a week if we’re lucky.”

“R-Really? A week?!” Aurelia blurted out in surprise. The hope she'd been trying to suppress seemed to surface all at once at the news, leaving her legs visibly trembling. Micah was also glad to hear that they had much more time than expected, but Reed’s somber stare tempered their mood just as fast.

“Unfortunately, it’s just an estimate. They still don’t know anything about the poison itself, and the truth is he could still succumb unexpectedly tomorrow, or even an hour from now. But they’re pretty confident he can last at least another couple of days. It’s hopeful news, but I just want you to be prepared in case… well, in case the worst should come to pass.”

The two girls nodded, and Aurelia responded for the both of them. Her voice was shaking, but firm. “I… I understand. Thank you, Commander Reed.”

“Of course.” The veteran soldier offered her a sympathetic nod, and said nothing more. Meanwhile, Micah’s mind was working to consider this new information.

So in other words, that gives us anywhere between two and seven days to find and bring back an antidote. The odds are pretty low… but it’s worth a shot at least.

Also, though it was minor, it seemed that the female soldier’s name was Anka. Micah glanced over to see her still hovering over Lennart with palms firmly pressed against his chest. Beads of sweat were trailing down the sides of her face, and she looked to be struggling to keep her composure, presumably amidst the great pain she was enduring on Lennart’s behalf as a result of her Ability.

And she was supposed to stay like that for a week? Micah couldn’t even begin to imagine how much of a burden that must be on her. In order to keep her efforts from going to waste, they needed to do their part too.

The conversation had gone quiet, so after a few more moments Reed cleared his throat and continued. “Moving on to the current state of the investigation, I’m afraid that’s where the bad news comes in. I’ve had people scouring the city since last night, but nothing’s turned up yet. We have a few scattered leads to follow, but without anything even remotely concrete to latch onto, there’s no guarantee we can find that girl on such short notice.”

“Oh…” Micah watched Aurelia deflate a bit at the news, then compose herself with a sigh after a moment. “Well, anything is better than a cold trail. What leads do you have? Micah and I can investigate as much as possible before the day’s end.”

“We’re already looking into everything ourselves, but some leads will take more time than others to get results on. Having more boots on the ground will certainly speed things up, if only a little bit. But first, there’s something I wanted to hear your thoughts on.” As he spoke, he removed something from his pocket and held it up for them to see.

“Huh? That's…!” Micah perked up immediately at the familiar object, but Aurelia merely looked on in bewilderment at the playing card in his hand — and at the single word childishly-scribbled on one side.

“...Gotcha?”

“Do you recognize it? We recovered this and others like it from one of the upstairs hallways,” Reed explained. Micah nodded her confirmation.

“Yeah, the intruder had it. I think they’re something like throwable projectiles. She used three of them against me the first time we crossed paths.”

“I see,” Reed muttered. He put a hand to his chin in thought as he examined the card back and forth. “We figured as much, considering the edges were sharpened deliberately as far as we could tell. So they were meant to act as blades… But why opt for something so asinine? Throwing knives would be far easier to get ahold of than weaponized playing cards.”

“...”

Micah stared intently at him, but indecision kept her silent. Due to her briefings with Circe prior to the mission, she already knew some basic information about that group and their proclivities, but did that mean it was okay to tell them? It would certainly speed up the investigation, but it’d be a huge problem if they started to wonder where she got the information from.

“Now that you mention it, her attire was also odd,” Aurelia suddenly added. “She was dressed like a magician’s assistant, the sort you would see at a circus or theater performance. If she was planning to sneak in here, then why wear something so gaudy and eye-catching? Actually, come to think of it, why was she even here in the first place? She didn’t seem to have taken anything, and if she wanted to kill my father and me there were plenty of more efficient ways to go about it.”

I’m not so sure about that last part, but they’re so close to the answer… Wouldn’t it be fine to just… nudge them a bit? Ugh… damn it, Circe’s definitely gonna get on my case for this…

“Um… hey,” Micah spoke. Both of them turned to her as she rubbed the back of her neck and averted her gaze to the side. “H-Have either of you… heard of something called the ‘Mystic Menagerie’?”

“Eh? Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?” Aurelia asked, eyeing her skeptically.

“Look, I know it sounds kind of random, but just humor me for a bit. Does the name ring any bells at all?”

“The Mystic Menagerie…?” she echoed. “No, I don’t recognize it, but I also feel like I might have heard a name like that somewhere before…”

“It’s the name of a criminal organization based out of Westra, I think,” Reed answered for her, cutting her contemplation short. “I don’t know much about them myself since my jurisdiction is Norith, but I know they exist. What about them?”

Trying to choose her words carefully, Micah continued. “Oh, well uh… So, you both know how I’m from Halloway, right? Which is in Westra. Well y’see, I’ve kinda… heard some stuff about them while I was living there. You know, rumors and stuff.”

She paused to gauge their reactions, but all she got were expectant gazes waiting for her to go on.

“R-Right. So, one of the things I heard is that the group's founding members used to be part of this traveling circus a long time ago. Local, so you probably wouldn’t have heard of it.”

I mean, even Circe hadn’t heard of it until she started investigating them directly. It’s possible the nuns might have heard a thing or two about it, but from what she told me it doesn’t seem like they ever went to Halloway. A tiny town like that only gets the really obscure dudes like Elmar, I guess.

Micah shook away the tangent in her mind and continued. “Anyway, that circus apparently disbanded around a decade ago, and some of the staff went on to form that organization, the Mystic Menagerie. It sounded like there weren’t a whole lot of crimes that could be tied to them beyond speculation, but they’ve been wreaking some serious havoc under the rada— er, the noses of the Westran officials over the last several years. I don’t know too much about it beyond that, but their crimes were reportedly based around circus gimmicks and party gags… or so the rumors went.”

That part was true, mostly. Aside from some sparse dossiers and a basic history of suspected crimes that Circe pulled together on short notice, Micah didn’t know much about that group or their capabilities. But to her, it was a necessary step to put these two onto the Mengerie’s trail so they didn’t waste time following unrelated threads.

“I see… The Mystic Menagerie,” Reed repeated thoughtfully. “And you suspect they’re the ones behind all of this?”

Yup, because they are.

“Well I mean… who else would use something as dumb as a weaponized playing card? It has to be, right?”

“Not necessarily,” Aurelia countered. “Isn’t that group based in Westra? Why would they suddenly pop up here out of nowhere? They’d have to compete with other pre-established gangs and organizations for little gain compared to what they’re likely receiving in their home turf. After hearing all of this, it sounds more likely to be a copycat than anything else.”

Reed nodded in agreement. “That’s true. It’s worth considering the possibility that they’re the genuine article, but we can’t dismiss the alternatives either. It just means we have to broaden our horizons a bit more with this investigation.”

“Haa… It’s a pain in the butt for sure, but there’s no other choice. If we don’t cover every base, we’re likely to miss something important.”

…

…

…Well shit.

This freaking girl. These freaking two wannabe Sherlocks with their… sound deductions! Micah had to bite back a groan at the idea that she’d failed to narrow their search, but took solace in the fact that she’d at least brought it to their attention. The evidence would line up in her favor soon enough, as she knew it for a fact that this was the work of the real Mystic Menagerie.

“In any case, I suppose you’ll want your assignment now,” Reed said, moving the conversation forward. Aurelia nodded and turned to him impatiently.

“Right. What is there left to investigate? Micah and I can take on whatever you’ve got.”

“Well, like I said before there’s not much. But this new information about the card and the Mystic Menagerie has me curious about something,” the man replied, once again eyeing the playing card in his hand. “Copycat or not, this sort of equipment isn’t something you can come across at your local blacksmith. They must have either crafted it themselves, or had it custom-made. Still, these cards, the arm blade the intruder used, and the poison as well have me wondering if maybe someone around here might know something about it. If there’s a weapon maker or someone similar out there who specializes in this sort of thing, we might be able to get lucky and find someone in town who can point us to them.”

Huh… That’s not a bad lead, actually. Since those guys really did move here to Norith, you have to wonder how they’re manufacturing all their gear still. The dossiers didn’t show anyone who had that kind of expertise in the group itself, and Circe didn’t notice any new businesses starting up recently, so there’s a good chance they’re sourcing it locally; maybe even here in Regalia. If that’s true, then investigating local weaponsmiths and apothecaries wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Micah nodded her agreement, and decided to voice some of her thoughts to keep the angle of their enemy being the real Mystic Menagerie fresh in their minds. “Or maybe they’re forcing a local business to help them. If it’s the real group, that is.”

Aurelia still looked a bit skeptical herself, but her impatience seemed to get the better of her as she accepted the playing card from Reed without a fuss. “Fine, we’ll look into it. I’m not sure if there really is a business here in Regalia that would fall to a bribe or intimidation or something without anyone noticing, but it’s better than sitting around tossing theories all day. C’mon Micah.”

“Ah, sure. Right behind you.”

“Hold on. I know you’re confident in your abilities, but take some backup with you first,” Reed said, then gestured for a soldier to join the two of them. He was kind of a burly guy… tall too. But he seemed nice enough, and even flashed the two girls a mirthful, toothy grin that Micah felt was a bit out of place considering everyone else’s more serious expressions. “Sorry, this is all I can spare at the moment, but Corporal Burgundy is one of my best, and he has a solid head on his shoulders. He can be rather… facetious, but I’d ask you not to hold it against him. He’s reliable, and should be able to protect you if anything were to happen. Right, Corporal?”

“Yes, Commander, sir!!” The large man answered with a boisterous shout. His muscled arms crossed behind his back as he stood up straight, and though he seemed to be somewhere in his late twenties to thirties, he presented himself with the enthusiasm of someone who still had the zeal of youth in their bones. “It’s an honor to be chosen to accompany Lady Aurelia during her investigation! I hereby swear, that every ounce of strength in this body of mine will go into ensuring her safety, no matter what! Any villain that would dare to do her harm will meet the judgment of my fist!”

“Fist…?” Micah muttered, confused. Her eyes found the sword strapped to his hip, looking utterly out of place on his brawny build. If he intended to use his fists to fight, then why even carry one around?

Aurelia looked stupefied as well, and even Commander Reed seemed somewhat exasperated by the man’s behavior. Burgundy himself looked none the wiser, and simply beamed their way proudly. In the end no one bothered to question it further, and Commander Reed spoke next to close out the conversation.

“Normally this sort of task would be left up to your bodyguards, but they’re still missing. With all of them having been stationed outside to patrol the estate grounds prior to the break-in, we’ve had to entertain the idea that they were dealt with beforehand to create an opening for the intruder to sneak in. Locating them is of course a priority, but until we know for sure that they’re in imminent danger, I can’t have their rescue come before this whole antidote matter.”

“Yes, I understand,” Aurelia replied. “We’ll also keep an eye out during our investigation. If the two of us hear of anything relating to them, we’ll inform you as soon as possible.”

“I’d appreciate it, thank you. I’ve also arranged for you to have transportation around the city. I know you’ll be troubled if people recognize you walking around, so use it to get around swiftly and discreetly. If anything happens, contact me immediately. Got it?”

“We will. Thank you, Commander. Not just for this but… well, nevermind. We’ll be off now.”

Aurelia lowered her head to him respectfully, then turned to head out the room, leaving Micah to give a quick farewell of her own before hurrying after her. Burgundy thumped a spirited fist to his chest in salute, then made to follow the two girls, still acting like some sort of overzealous guard dog.

Waiting in the hallway just outside the room was one of the servants, who approached them with a sealed envelope in hand and addressed Aurelia with a courteous bow.

“Lady Aurelia, a letter arrived for you earlier this morning. I’d meant to deliver it once you were dressed, but thought it prudent to wait until you finished speaking with the Commander.”

“Who is it from? My grandfather?”

“No, the signature is that of the Rembrandt family. Specifically, their son—”

“Burn it. No, just throw it away. No, ugh, just— get rid of it,” she replied, not even attempting to hide the disgust in her voice as she brushed past and continued walking. “I don’t have the time or the patience for more of his nonsense right now.”

“Um, ma’am I really think you should read— W-Wait, you should at least know that he’s—!”

“Don’t care,” she rebutted, waving the servant off dismissively. “If it’s that important, drop it off in my room. I’ll read whatever crap he has to say later. Anyway, can you check in on the boy that was there when you guys brought breakfast to us? Just from time to time is alright.”

“Um, I… Y-Yes ma’am. I’ll, I’ll get right on that.”

“Thank you. Now hurry up, we’ve wasted enough time as it is. Corporal Burgundy, you too, come on.”

Micah shared a puzzled look with Burgundy, her only companion in not knowing what the hell all of that was about. Still, with the redhead making more and more distance from the troubled-looking servant, they quickly caught up and fell into pace with her.

As they made their way downstairs and into the main hall, Micah’s curiosity got the better of her. “Uh, so hey… about what just happened…”

“Micah, please,” Aurelia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Now is not the time to get into this.”

“I know, I get it,” Micah said, raising her hands defensively. It was probably better not to push it, but this particular topic was a bit too juicy for her to let go of easily. “But, that whole thing with the letter and the Rembrandt family… That was about Marco Rembrandt, right? As in, the scion of the second most well-known family in the Circle?”

“Ughh…” Aurelia’s only response was to let out an exasperated groan. Micah took her lack of denial as confirmation and continued on.

“You know Marco Rembrandt? No, wait, of course you would. But HOW do you know him? Are you guys like, childhood friends or somethi—”

“No!” Aurelia snapped, stopping short in the middle of the main hall and turning to face Micah with an icy gaze. “Absolutely not! Marco is just an arrogant twerp who keeps bothering me with immature antics and unwanted advances. He thinks that just because we’re the same age and from noble families of similar standing that I’ll agree to marry him once we’re old enough to do so. But no matter how many times I reject him and make it clear I’m not interested, he still insists on pursuing me to the point of stalking. Figures he’d be one of the first to hear about last night’s incident, that nosy little brat…”

“Uh…”

Micah blinked, unsure of what to say to such vitriol. Aurelia seemed to realize this and catch herself, clearing her throat as she resumed walking. She led the way out the front doors of the mansion and into the front courtyard, beelining for the gate.

“Anyway, he’s sooooo annoying. He sends me letters all the time and shows up here acting like we’re friends, all while spouting stupid nonsense like how he’s the only man worthy of me and that we should rule all of Magi together. Can you believe the nerve?! Honestly, he’s more like a pest than a child of nobility, but his family is pretty influential. Especially here in Regalia, the Rembrandts are considered second only to the Brightwinds, which means I can’t exactly ignore him either. Still, I’d prefer to have as little contact as possible with him and his delusions if I can help it. I swear, if he wasn’t a nobleman I’d have already—”

By now the redhead had unlocked and pulled open the front gates herself, evidently not willing to wait for whatever automatic process had granted Micah entry previously. But as the trio stepped onto the sidewalk amidst her surprisingly heated tirade, it was to find an unexpected sight awaiting them.

Wait… THIS is the transportation he was talking about?!

A car — the same kind of car that Micah had seen while with Circe the previous year — was parked on the road just beyond the gate, and standing beside it were two very distinct figures. The first, a lanky, bespectacled man in a white lab coat, was fumbling around with some device on top of the car’s hood, looking displeased.

Micah recalled seeing the outfit last year as well, worn by the two scientist-looking men that were test driving the car and writing on a clipboard. Based on what Circe had told her, those men were affiliated, either through blood or employment, with the Thorncroft family, the primary source of mana crystal technology R&D worldwide. This guy was probably the same, but with how exclusive that group was with their tech, it was amazing that Commander Reed managed to get their assistance with this.

As for the other person…

“Oh? That’s quite an interesting entourage you have. Where are those annoying butlers you always have hovering around you?”

It was a boy who looked to be around their age, with short blonde hair that was halfway between styled and messy, giving him a somewhat rebellious look. Despite that, he was very clearly a noble, if his immaculately fair skin and expensive-looking clothes were anything to go buy. They weren’t even that fancy in and of themselves — just an open black jacket laid over a striking purple turtleneck sweater that matched his equally-captivating eyes, and a pair of shorts that showed he didn’t mind the cool weather too much.

While Micah and Burgundy studied the boy with interest, Aurelia bristled at the sight of him, a clear contrast to his confident, carefree demeanor. “Marco…”

“Hey,” he greeted, holding a hand up in a casual wave that accompanied the light smirk on his face. “You sure kept me waiting. I don’t mind if it’s for your sake, but I expect better punctuality than this from my fiancèe.”

“What are you doing here, Marco?” she asked coldly. “Make it quick. If you haven’t noticed, we're in a hurry here.”

“You sure must be, since it doesn’t seem like you read the letter I sent earlier. Well, that’s fine. I’m here to see you, of course. It’d be cruel of me not to show my face and offer my condolences after what happened last night. Plus it’s been a while since we’ve met face to face, so I was planning on visiting anyway.”

The boy — the very subject of their conversation, Marco Rembrandt — walked right up to Aurelia and boldly took her hand in his. Their difference in height became apparent as Aurelia glared down at him warily, but he seemed unperturbed as he brought her knuckles to his lips.

“I’ve missed you these last weeks. How are you holding up?” he asked, still keeping hold of her. “I heard about your—”

“I’m fine,” Aurelia snapped, roughly tugging her hand away. “How many times do I have to tell you not to act so familiar with me? We aren’t engaged.”

“Not yet, maybe. But it’s guaranteed to happen sooner or later. After all, who could possibly be better suited to make you their wife other than me? I’m one of Magi’s most eligible bachelors, or at least I will be in just a few years. Our families have known each other for a long time too, and both have seats on the Norith council. It’s practically a foregone conclusion, don’t you agree?” His smirk grew wider, and he leaned forward almost mockingly with his hands in his pockets, questioning Aurelia directly.

“That’s not for you to decide. My grandfather will be the one who chooses my future husband, and you’re far from the only candidate,” she retorted, then abruptly brushed past him towards the car. Hesitantly, Micah and Burgundy followed. “Now if that’s the only business you have with me, we’ll be taking our leave. Unlike you, I don’t have time to waste on pointless chit chat.”

Marco didn’t seem bothered by her curtness in the slightest, and merely angled his head to aim a calculated smile at her retreating back. “Don’t be so stubborn. You and I both know it’s the destiny of people like us — like me — to rule over this worthless cesspool of a society. You can play nice with these commoners all you like for now, but one day you’ll come to understand that your rightful place is at my side, standing far above the ignorant dogs who think they know better.”

“Goodbye, Marco,” Aurelia spat, barely concealing her anger beneath clenched fists.

“Hahaha, of course. You’re going out to look for the culprit, right? Good luck with your search.” Laughing, he turned to take hold of the mansion’s gate. “I’ll go and acquaint myself with the details, then join in the hunt myself. If I happen to come across whoever was responsible for this, for daring to mess with my woman…” He brought his free hand up to his face as an excited, sadistic grin suddenly sprouted beneath his palm. “They’ll wish they were dead when I’m through with them. Every last one.”

Leaving behind those chilling words along with his unsettling expression, Marco Rembrandt made his exit, eventually disappearing inside the mansion. A heavy silence was left in the wake of his absence, so despite not necessarily knowing what to say, Micah decided to speak first.

“Well… that was… something,” Micah offered. At the time, she figured Aurelia would’ve wanted to deal with the guy herself and stayed silent, but considering how pissed off the redhead looked, she wondered if it would’ve been better to interject earlier.

“I’m sorry about him,” Aurelia sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose again. She seemed to be working the anger out of her system, but she still had a deep frown on her face when she dropped her hand back down. “And I apologize for not keeping my composure better. I forgot my manners and failed to introduce you like I should have.”

“Ah, d-don’t worry about it. He didn’t seem all that interested in us anyway.” Micah shrugged. “Besides, we really are in a rush, so I can’t really complain about you ending the conversation early.”

“Yes, you’re right…” Aurelia's response was oddly subdued, and Micah wondered if she was still fuming a bit on the inside. With the conversation having trailed off, she turned to glance at the estate, her thoughts wandering back to the odd exchange between Aurelia and Marco Rembrandt.

The scion of one of the most powerful families in the Circle, both in terms of wealth and political influence. They weren’t quite as focused on their reputation as Heroes like the Brightwinds were, but there were still some pretty impressive and noteworthy mages who carried the Rembrandt name. Aurelia had apparently known him for quite some time, which made sense considering they were around the same age, lived in the same city, and had similar social standing.

That said, it was also pretty apparent that they didn’t get along too well, so Micah could understand why she’d never brought him up before. Marco seemed… difficult to deal with, to say the least. He was actually more in line with what Micah had initially assumed the nobles of this world to be like, and that made her realize that Aurelia was probably a rare exception rather than the norm. She’d have to keep that in mind when dealing with nobles in the future.

But man, that kid sure was a piece of work. His attention was pretty much entirely on Aurelia from start to finish. He barely even looked at Burgundy and me, let alone bothered to make any sort of introduction. If that’s the kind of treatment I should be expecting from most nobles, I can’t say I’m all that excited to meet more of them.

The way he spoke to her though... I really hope he's just playing at something, and doesn't actually have some weird, psychopathic crush on her. He seemed so relaxed, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all. And that look on his face at the end… He’s definitely not a normal guy, that’s for sure.

“So that was the Rembrandt family’s scion, eh?” Burgundy spoke up for the first time in a while, aiming his gaze at the mansion’s entrance as if he was trying to sear the image of the boy’s retreating form into his mind. His tone was still just as light as before, but his face was set in a steadfast smile that seemed uncharacteristically serious. “Marco… For someone so small, he has quite the presence.”

“A-Ahh… yeah. He sure does,” Micah offered.

“His attitude is also rather interesting. He’s completely at ease at all times, and even walks around without any servants or bodyguards. To be that confident in his own abilities, he must be extremely talented.”

“S-Sure…” Or he could just be a conceited asshole.

“If fate should allow it… I would very much like to cross fists with him someday.”

“Uh… okay.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. It seemed highly unlikely that “fate” or whatever would come up with a reason for him to end up fighting a child, but Burgundy didn’t seem like the type to listen to that sort of logic. So instead she just went along with it, a bead of sweat fell from her cheek as she listened to the burly soldier’s staunch declaration.

Th-This guy… His eyes are even sparkling too. Is he some kind of battle junkie or something? And why is he so obsessed with fists???

She decided to leave… whatever that was alone, and turned her attention back to Aurelia, who’d already walked forward and started speaking to the scientist guy, clearly long past the entire situation.

“I sincerely apologize for involving the Thorncrofts in my family’s troubles. You must be extremely busy with your own work, but I’m making a nuisance of myself by having you drive me around on such short notice. I couldn’t be more ashamed… but thank you very much for your help,” she said, nodding her head respectfully. The guy seemed a bit nervous, which Micah supposed was to be expected considering who he was talking to, but he ultimately composed himself and nodded in return.

“No, it’s not a problem. The Thorncroft family is being compensated for this favor, and it’ll give us valuable data as well, so there’s no inconvenience. Just think of me as your personal chauffeur during the period of your investigation. Now then, where to first?”

-----

About seven hours later, the trio were sitting inside of the car, driving away from yet another bust of a lead. All of the businesses they’d visited so far checked out as legitimate and didn’t recognize the weaponized playing card, let alone offer any relevant information. Having Aurelia in their group did draw some attention to them, but not nearly as much as the car itself did. The windows were tinted and they were near-constantly on the move, so Aurelia was rarely spotted in the first place — and when she was, they were able to make a quick exit before a crowd could form.

Commander Reed seriously outdid himself by making this request. Really, the car was proving to be much more of an asset than Micah had expected. Not only was it good for staying discreet (ironic considering it actually made them stand out so much, but still kept them concealed within), it made getting around much easier than if they’d used a horse-drawn carriage, and because of that they were able to tackle a sizable number of blacksmiths, weapons shops and apothecaries in and around the immediate vicinity of the Brightwind estate.

Still, there were many more places to get to, and despite searching for nearly the entire day, they had found basically nothing for their efforts so far. What’s more, Regalia was a big city, and since they were including both smaller businesses and recent startups in their search, there simply wasn’t enough time to grill every single one of them in detail to smoke out any liars if they wanted to get through it all in under a week.

Regardless, Micah and Aurelia both agreed that it was better to do a broad sweep of everything first, then narrow it down to the most suspicious ones later and reinvestigate them. This method guaranteed they’d visit as many locations as possible at least once, hopefully increasing the odds that they discover something early.

So far, they’d gone to over a dozen places, and with the day dragging on, Aurelia decided (with no small amount of convincing on Micah’s part) that they would try only a couple more before returning to the mansion for an update. That would conclude the first day of their investigation.

“Haa~ I know I said it before, but man, riding in this thing sure is different from riding on a horse or a coach. It doesn’t even jump half as much!” Micah exclaimed, happy to finally be experiencing a taste of her previous life. It wasn’t exactly considered a luxury to be able to ride in a car back on Earth, but with how much punishment her butt had taken courtesy of the many trips and missions she’d been forced on by Circe, she couldn’t help but think that she’d been taking it for granted before.

“I agree! It’s very comfortable and fast. If I had a choice, I would travel around in one of these all day every day instead of by coach. I just wish there was a bit more space, or I could adjust the seat better…”

Micah glanced over at poor Burgundy in front of her, who was practically on the verge of falling off his seat due to the uncomfortable posture he was forced into. Despite the constant creaking of his bones, he was still maintaining his wide smile, seemingly content with everything else the vehicle provided aside from its cramped conditions.

“I-I’m sure they’ll get there someday, Corporal. Just bear with it for now,” she replied, reaching forward to pat him on the shoulder. These cars didn’t seem to be made for people of his size, but she knew from experience that eventually there’d be things like trucks and vans that’d fit him perfectly. Hell, if technology continued to progress in this way using mana crystals, it was likely that cars even more advanced than that of Earth’s would become commonplace eventually. Circe did say that the Thorncrofts were already in the process of developing airships, so who knows what else could be possible?

“How much longer?” Aurelia abruptly asked, cutting through the mood. Micah turned to the side to see the girl staring out at the rolling scenery beyond the window, with one hand supporting her head as she rested her cheek in her palm. She looked tired, and Micah could tell that the stress and frustration of gaining no useful information today had worn her down considerably.

“Erm, the next place is a few blocks away. It’s another weapons shop,” the man replied, taking a moment to check the map and adjust a few dials on the dashboard before turning his attention back to the wheel. “By the way, how is the comfort level? Does anyone need more air or heating? What about a drink?”

“I’m fine, thank you!” answered the not-at-all-fine-looking Burgundy. Micah was quick to follow.

“Yeah, same. For what it’s worth, I think this thing is awesome, and it works perfectly too. Hopefully the trial period finishes soon so we can get more of these bad boys on the streets.”

“Well, that’s definitely the plan. And honestly, it’s part of why we agreed to lend one of our prototypes to help with your investigation. Having the chance to gain this sort of feedback from real consumers like you will be invaluable towards expediting our development process. If any of you feel any problems at all with the service or functionality, please report it immediately — even if it only seems minor.”

“Sure I understand, but really I think you guys are nailing it.”

Compared to early cars on Earth, this thing was like a dream come true. Things like safety, fuel efficiency, durability and so many other issues that had to be ironed out with time already seemed to have been addressed, and would only improve more and more as time went on. They even prioritized occupant comfort by having mana crystals power almost every aspect of the car’s functionality, from the motor, to internal heating, air conditioning, and even a dispenser that could produce a cup of water with the pull of a tap.

“I’m telling you, you’ve really got something going here. What do you think, Aurelia?”

No response came. Micah turned to see the girl still staring out the window listlessly. Her body was lax, and her eyes were glazed over, looking lost in thought.

Moments passed, until the girl realized the conversation had halted and perked up. “Huh? Oh, sorry, what did you say?”

“A-Ah, no… It’s nothing.” Micah waved her off awkwardly, figuring that Aurelia had a lot more on her mind than gushing about some fancy car. “Anyway, how you holding up?”

She placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder, urging her to say whatever was on her mind. Aurelia looked hesitant, and several times did she open her mouth only to shut it again without a word. In the end though, she eventually started to speak, quietly.

“I’m just… a bit overwhelmed, is all. I’ve been trying to sort out everything we know so far, maybe find something useful that we might have overlooked. But the more I try to think, the harder it is to focus. I keep worrying about all the time we’re wasting, wondering if Commander Reed and the others will be able to keep my father stable for as long as he said. Not to mention all of the unanswered questions. Who was that girl? What was she after? Was poisoning my father just a coincidence, or her actual objective? If so, then why would she want to do that? Is this really the work of the… Mystic Menagerie or whatever? What would they have against my family that would make them do all of this? None of this makes any sense, and I just— I wish there was more I could do.”

She brought a hand up to her forehead, looking very troubled. Her other had balled into a fist on her lap, gripping at the fabric of her skirt in a way that betrayed how distraught she was.

“My head is a mess right now. I feel so powerless and pathetic… My father could die at any moment, and here I am struggling to keep my thoughts in order. What if he dies because of me? Because I couldn’t stay focused, because I didn’t do enough, because I couldn’t pay more attention and actually find something that could have saved him? What if…” Her voice cracked, and her hand clenched over her face as she leaned forward, lowering her head. "What if I can’t save him? What if it ends up being my fault that we fail…?”

The whole car was silent following Aurelia’s confession, with the only sounds to be heard were the soft hum of the engine and Aurelia's quiet sniffling. Micah could see both Burgundy and the scientist fidgeting awkwardly out of the corner of her eye, obviously unsure of what to do. The situation was so unexpected in their eyes, and even Micah had to admit that she’d forgotten just how young Aurelia was.

She was mature for her age, yes, but she was still just a twelve-year-old girl who was currently being forced to deal with the slow, agonizing loss of her father. With all of the responsibility that came with being a noble, let alone the heiress to the most prominent family in the entire world on her shoulders, she recognized that she had both the duty and capability to participate in the investigation, and with that came the unbearable pressure of failure.

But no matter how capable she was, she was still a child, and the fear and stress were starting to get to her. She wasn't used to having to think or make decisions with these sorts of stakes behind them. Every dead lead they followed must have felt like an act of betrayal, an abandonment of the last hope of saving her father, and the reality that they might never find the culprit and the antidote in time was creeping up and eating away at her mentally. She was tired and distracted and mad at herself for being both, and her emotions were in complete disarray as a result.

The sight of her reminded Micah of the many, many sleepless nights she’d spent worrying over Yuu early on after her reincarnation. Even after she’d left Halloway, she continued to be plagued by occasional nightmares and doubts about if she would ever see him again. The uncertainty of it all was just as stressful as the pressure she felt, and the fear that every day [God's Blessing] wasn't rising was wasted had tormented her greatly.

She couldn't even really say she'd gotten over those fears yet, and she was almost thirty years old mentally. She couldn't begin to imagine what it was like to process those sorts of emotions at such a young age, along with carrying such a tremendous burden of responsibility too. The fact that Aurelia was only just now starting to crack under all of the pressure and anxiety spoke volumes about how strong a person she was.

Micah had never spoken to anyone about her fears. Not even Circe. She never had the courage to admit that her determination to reunite with her brother was nothing more than desperation — a front to hide the terror that came with the prospect of possibly never seeing him again. In truth, she was terrified of God and of the idea that it was simply impossible to reach the level of power needed to challenge a multiversal being like him.

This whole time she’d been intentionally ignoring the very real likelihood that it wasn’t even possible to meet God a second time, or that Yuu had lived and stayed behind on Earth— or worse, reincarnated to a totally different dimension than she was in. If any of those possibilities were the truth, then Micah’s entire journey, all of what she'd done to get this far and everything that came after would be for nothing. And she knew she couldn’t take that.

So she buried those feelings and doubts that had been festering inside of her ever since she first came to this world, and chose to believe in the idea that things would work out as long as she kept pushing on, despite knowing it was little more than blind optimism. It was all she could do to keep herself going all this time.

It was almost laughably ironic. She hated cowards more than anything else, but she herself was too scared to acknowledge her own fears. She couldn’t even find the nerve to tell anyone else about her past life or about Yuu, despite telling herself that she would start opening up more to people. As far as cowards went, she herself was one of the biggest cowards she knew. A hypocrite through and through.

But, as she watched Aurelia fight to keep her emotions in check after having laid bare those same insecurities that Micah was too afraid to, she couldn’t help but see it in a different way.

Was this what it meant to trust someone? Was it about not only letting them past your walls, but also exposing them to your vulnerabilities; to the parts of yourself you were ashamed of? Was that what friendship was really about?

Was this what Ellie had meant back then?

“I know how much it hurts to be betrayed. I know it’s scary just to imagine having to go through that pain again. But nothing’s ever gonna change if you just keep running from it! I promise, if you just take that first step and stay true to yourself, you will find people that trust you, and that you can trust in return.”

Was this proof that Aurelia trusted her? That she viewed Micah as a friend who she could bear her weaknesses to? Then what did it mean for Micah, who, even now, still couldn’t bring herself to do the same?

“If it’s something really bad, you shouldn’t keep it all bottled up. You’ll feel better if you talk about it, and the best way to deal with worries is to share them with people you trust.”

Perhaps it was still too early for her to take Ellie’s advice to heart… but for now at least, she could try and be that kind of person for Aurelia. It was the least the girl deserved considering all she had to deal with.

With that in mind, Micah reached out and placed a hand on top of Aurelia’s head on instinct, rubbing it gently. Aurelia glanced up at her, surprised, and Micah showed her a smile that was far beyond what any child could produce.

“You’re a good kid, Aurelia. And it’s true you don’t deserve any of what's happened to you. But you’ve shown me time and time again how strong you are, so I know you can overcome this. You’re so young, and yet you’ve accomplished so much and become such an amazing person for the sake of your family and this world. You have more courage than even someone twice your age. I know you can do this.”

Aurelia seemed surprised, blinking at Micah a few times before turning her gaze down to her lap where her hands were clenched together tightly. Several long moments passed in silence before she steadily shut her eyes, leaning into Micah’s touch. After she took a deep breath, Micah could see the girl visibly deflate, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her breathing evened out, and she released a deep sigh before looking up again, giving Micah a quiet, grateful smile from beneath her hand.

“Thank you. I’m okay now,” she said. She faced forward and nodded to herself, her composure returning. “It’s… It’s only the first day. Everyone is working hard for my father’s sake, and I’ll only be a hindrance to them if I lose my cool. Nothing’s been decided yet. We have more places to check, and there’s a chance someone else might have already found something too. Either way, I won't let myself become useless. Not now.”

“Attagirl!” Micah grinned, patting Aurelia's head a bit more before pulling away. “And don’t forget, you’re not in this alone. Plenty of people are ready and willing to support you.”

Aurelia nodded again and straightened herself out, turning to face the two men up front that had been playing ignorant for the last few minutes. “Of course. I apologize for showing the two of you such a shameful display.” She lowered her head to them, but both the scientist and Burgundy were quick to respond.

“Ahh, d-don’t worry about it. It’s understandable considering the present circumstances. For what it’s worth, I’m under obligation only to record feedback on the motor carriage. Anything outside of that is irrelevant, so as far as I’m concerned this conversation never happened.”

“Agreed. My job is simply to protect the young miss from danger. These fists have no business meddling with matters of a maiden’s heart.”

“...Thank you. Both of you.” A soft smile came over Aurelia, who bowed her head again in gratitude. The good mood lasted for a while after that, until she suddenly turned back towards Micah with a curious look on her face. “By the way… Have you always been this good at reassuring people? You were way more mature than usual just then. Almost like a different person entirely.”

“Hrrg…!”

Ignorant to the way Micah’s shoulders hitched, she reached up to touch the spot where Micah’s hand had been. “And that whole patting my head thing too. I can’t believe you had the nerve to go and treat me like some little kid when my birthday’s literally a month earlier than yours. You have this weird habit of trying to act like you’re not also a kid sometimes. It’s kind of annoying, honestly.”

“Gah…!”

I didn’t even realize I was doing that…! Oh crap, I totally acted like an adult just then, didn’t I?! I-It’s not my fault though, it was like… maternal instincts or whatever! I just did it without thinking! Ah, god I really am an idiot!

Luckily, Aurelia seemed so caught up with musing on Micah’s earlier odd behavior that she didn’t notice her reactions just now. In the end, she waved off the girl’s suspicions and assured her she was imagining things, and the journey continued peacefully.

They rode in silence for a few more moments until they came upon their destination — a fairly small two-story building that hardly seemed like it could house much more than essentials, let alone a lineup of weapons. Compared to the large and ostentatious buildings that neighbored it, it seemed rather unimpressive. On top of that, it had a rustic feel to it, like it was simply someone’s home and not a public establishment at all, but the wide sign in the shape of a sword hanging out over the front confirmed that it was indeed what they were looking for. The name of the business — Aha’i Arms — was etched into a plaque just under it.

Aha’i…?

Oddly enough, the strange word wasn’t autotranslated by [God’s Blessing], meaning it must have been the name of something. In fact, Micah thought she might even have recognized the word from somewhere, but had little time to muse on it as the car came to a stop and the other two piled out, leaving the scientist behind to wait for them like usual. It was hard to know what to expect, considering how unassuming the place looked compared to the other shops they’d visited. There weren’t even any customers around, despite the fact that it was clearly open.

Aurelia took the lead in approaching the door, and when the trio piled inside, Micah couldn’t help but gawk at how little room there was. Racks and racks of daggers and other weapons littered the space between them and the wooden counter at the far end, where a dinky-looking register sat, waiting for anyone to come along and pilfer it like a sample stand at a flea market. If they could even navigate the maze of goods to get that far without giving up, that is.

There was no one at the front desk even though it was still business hours, and there wasn’t even a chime to signal their arrival, leaving Micah baffled at the sheer lack of security on display. It wasn’t as if she was expecting to see armed guards or anything like that, but even the most recent startups they’d gone to had invested in a bell at the very least.

And with how cramped it was on top of everything else, it was no wonder why no one was bothering to come here. Whoever owned the place didn’t exactly seem to have great business sense. At least there was a separate counter near the corner that housed some tea supplies, showing they cared at least a little bit about customer satisfaction. Due to all of the stuff though, there wasn’t much of a way to maneuver around to it, and there sure wasn’t any room to enjoy the tea sitting down, so the gesture really just came across as smarmy.

“C’mon, let’s see if we can get someone to talk to us,” Aurelia said, stepping forward to begin wading her way into the abundance of weapons. Micah followed after her, and Burgundy, significantly hampered by his size, trailed them at a slower pace. A set of stairs led to the second floor, but even with the racket they made shuffling around, no one came down to greet them.

On their way to the register though, Micah couldn’t help but notice some of the weapons on display as they passed by. Many of them were recognizable, but very much unlike what Micah was used to seeing in Magi. Rather than steel, silver or even gold, most of it was made from organic materials like wood, bone, leather and stone, though the quality was surprisingly good from what she could tell.

What’s more, the weapons here seemed less suited for combat and more for hunting or gathering, with spears, knives, axes and clubs being the most prominent. There were things like bows and swords too, but they looked extremely primitive in comparison to the standard even in her hometown of Westra. Micah reached out and scooped up something that caught her eye — a ceremonial dagger of some sort that was littered with markings and symbols. A string of writing was etched into the handle, which Micah unconsciously read aloud.

“Let the will of the seas and forests be yours. So shall the hunt become a dance with nature, and the prey become one with you…”

“Oh? You read well! You speak Ahalma, yes?”

“GYAHHH?!?!”

Micah practically jumped out of her skin, spinning around to find a girl leaning over her with a smile on her face. She was younger, probably a year or two below Aurelia, and dressed in white sleeveless robes that had red accents along some of the edges. Red tufts from some kind of necklace hung low from her posture, and other accessories like bracelets and sashes peeked out from under her sleeves and hems. Her outfit overall felt like a stylized take on religious garb, as if the girl herself was some sort of junior priestess.

But perhaps the most striking thing about her was...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hiya! {Do you like it?} You are wanting buy, maybe?”

B-Brown skin…?

She wasn’t the first dark-skinned person Micah had ever seen in this world, but she certainly looked distinct from Zaheer's near-black pigment. Hers was a much softer, more vibrant brown — like that of cocoa or caramel. Her eyes, big and full of curiosity, were also a light shade of brown, and her long hair, draped to one side as she angled her head, fell into a darker shade of the same color. It was hard to tell due to her posture, but it likely ran down to her waist or lower back.

All in all she was quite pretty, but her skin tone stood out compared to the fair skin of Magi’s usual denizens. Her clothing and accessories were different too, and even her pronunciation was kind of weird for the most part. In other words she was…

“A foreigner?”

“Hm? Fore-ner?”

“W-What happened?! Micah?!” Aurelia’s shouting broke the odd moment, and both of them turned to see her shoving through racks with Burgundy on her heels. She seemed just as confused as Micah upon spotting the girl. “Y-You are…”

“{Hello~!} Aha’i Arms, welcome! You are also wanting buy, hm?” she replied in a chipper tone, but quickly noticed the rapier on her hip. “Oh, or maybe fix? Good fix, yes! Come come come, I fix for you!”

Aurelia looked a tad overwhelmed by the girl’s enthusiasm, and tried to respond. “U-Um, I’m sorry but we don’t have time for— w-wait, do you even have experience with weapons like these?”

“Hm? Ah, I fix, yes!” The girl smiled, apparently not having fully understood the question, and snagged Aurelia’s arm on her way to the counter. “Come come, follow me follow~”

“Wah, h-hey, s-slow down! I can walk on my own!” Ignoring the redhead’s protests, the girl led them over to the counter and slipped around behind it after swiping the rapier. “Hey! Don’t just—”

“Hm, hm-hm, hm~” Her complaints continued to fall on deaf ears as the girl began humming while running her fingers along the rapier in what looked to be an inspection. “Mmm, mm-mm… Mm! Hm, this is good, good. Very good steel, yes! Very, how to say… shiny! You are lucky~! No need for fix.”

“I-I already knew that, you’re the one who started messing with it on your own…” Aurelia grumbled, looking more and more put out by the situation as the girl kept moving at her own pace. “More importantly, where can we find the owner? We need them to answer a few questions—”

“That will be forty gold, please.”

“...Hah?”

The girl showed a businesslike smile as she pointed towards the rapier. “Inspection fee, yes? No fix, so price low, good deal! Forty gold please~”

“Y-You could buy a house for that price! And why the heck should I pay you for looking at my sword and telling me what I already knew?! I didn’t even ask you to!”

Oh boy…

Micah could tell from the look on the girl's face that she wasn't going to listen to any of Aurelia’s arguments, and the redhead herself was struggling to keep her composure once again, but for entirely different reasons than before.

This might take a while…

-----

“Ohh! You are Brightwind Lady! Aha’i Arms, welcome~” After taking some time to explain who they were, the girl’s attitude… didn’t change all that much. She seemed to at least drop the forty gold thing once Aurelia introduced herself, yet Micah couldn’t help but wonder how many suckers she’d swindled with that approach in the past for her to try it so effortlessly with them.

“You’re lucky I don’t have you arrested for that little stunt, but we have more important matters to attend to,” Aurelia grumbled. She sighed and shook her head in exasperation before continuing, likely still coming down from that whole fiasco. “Anyway, just who the heck are you?”

“Are… you? Are you… You? Me? Ah!” The girl clapped her hands together after having presumably deciphered Aurelia’s question, then pointed to herself with both hands. “Name is Shani! Sha-ni! I am Ahalma’i, yes! {Nice to meet you!}”

“Ahalma’i… I see. So the ‘Aha’i’ in ‘Aha’i Arms’ is derived from that word. In other words, you really are from that island,” Aurelia mused, brows raised.

“Oh, that’s right! I thought I recognized the name from somewhere.” Micah put a hand to her chin in thought, recalling some of the material she’d studied regarding Magi’s culture, history, and geography. “A long, long time ago there used to be a race of humans who occupied Zaoth and lived in harmony with the rivers and forests there. But when the Magians, who used to live solely in Norith, began to expand into other territories in search of resources, those people were devastated by their superior military power, and had no choice but to flee in search of a new home. Now they live on an island off the coast of Eastra, and call themselves Ahalma’i, the People of Water.”

“And the island itself is called Makalma’i, the Land of Water,” Aurelia finished, sighing a bit as she crossed her arms. “It’s honestly sickening to hear about what my ancestors did in the past. No wonder we don’t see many Ahalma’i here on the mainland these days. The law to end their segregation was passed ages ago, but they probably still hold something of a grudge,” she sighed. “Besides, the only reason they passed that law was because demons showed up and became a problem, and they wanted as much help as they could get with them. Shameless idiots…”

She turned her gaze on the shopkeep, Shani, who tilted her head in curiosity after having presumably missed most of the conversation. “Anyway, she doesn’t seem too bothered by it, for whatever it’s worth. Let’s just get on with our business and leave.”

“Y-Yeah…” Micah hesitantly voiced her agreement, feeling a little awkward now that she was aware of the socio-political implications at work here. Still, Shani seemed quite friendly and sociable with them despite the apparent language barrier hindering most of what she said. There did seem to be some words and sentences that were crystal clear, which she could only attribute to [God’s Blessing] translating anything she said in Ahalma, her native tongue.

“So… Shani,” Aurelia began. “We’re here to investigate a break-in that took place last night. The intruder used some unique weapons, and we wanted the opinion of local weaponsmiths regarding their make, along with some of the other weapons and tools they had in their possession.”

“E-Eh? Eh? S-Sorry… repeat please?” Shani's eyes fluttered as she tried to follow Aurelia, looking somewhat dumbfounded. The redhead let out another long sigh.

“Haa… Do you know what this is?”

She held up the playing card for the girl to see. Immediately, Shani’s brown eyes went wide.

“Ohh! I know it! Funny card-knife, yes? Make it here!”

“W-What?! Really?!” Both Aurelia and Micah leaned forward with interest after hearing that. 

“Mhm, yes yes! Customer come in, tell me make! Pay good, very much gold! Good profit day, yes~”

“S-So you’re saying you made this?!” Aurelia asked.

“Me? No no, I don’t make. I sell. Papa makes!”

“Papa…?”

“Yes! How to say… Da-dee? Fa-dur?”

“You mean your father? He’s the weaponsmith here?” Micah clarified, prompting the girl to nod rapidly.

“Yes, yes! Papa make funny card-knifes for customer!”

I guess it makes sense that she works here with her dad. I mean it was kind of unbelievable that she was running this place by herself to begin with. But, this is a surprisingly huge lead to get on the first day!

“Okay, so what did the customer look like? Actually, where is your… papa?” she asked, sweeping her gaze around. Come to think of it, it was strange that he hadn’t appeared yet.

“Hm? Papa not here. Go out on business in Eastra… this long.” She held up three fingers.

“Weeks?”

Her brown hair tossed as she shook her head. “Months.”

“M-Months?!” Micah repeated, eyes wide. “He’s been gone for three months?!”

“Mhm! Good business! Leave me in charge! Say rule is: Everything sale, but no new order! So I sell a lot! Very much money, yes!” She looked quite proud of herself as she recounted the tale with hands on her hips.

Sh-She’s so young though… Was she really left to run a business all by herself for months…? I can’t believe it…

“Look, that— I don’t care about that!” Aurelia cut in, slamming her fists against the counter as she leaned forward insistently. “Tell me about the customer who ordered this card! What did they look like? Was it a man or a woman? Tall? Short? How old? What were they wearing? Any distinguishing features or marks? What about a record of the purchase? Tell me!”

The redhead had snapped, the prospect of identifying the culprit this easily sparking her to bombard Shani with questions. The poor girl had her brows furrowed, and the effort to respond seemed to be straining her already limited comprehension.

“U-Um… He w-was… man. Tall? No. Not short, no. Not very much old… um…”

“And? What else?”

“Can’t… Can’t remember, sorry…”

“Try harder! If I don’t find them, my father will—!” Aurelia looked on the verge of explosion, so Micah hurriedly interjected.

“Okay, okay! Let’s just take a second and calm down… There’s no use trying to force it out of her, right? We still have plenty of time to find these people.” She gave Aurelia an sympathetic glance before turning back towards Shani, who was watching with wide eyes and a hint of fear. It was clear she had no idea why they were suddenly angry. “Sorry, Shani. Aurelia just… had some bad stuff happen to her recently. She’s not mad at you, I promise.”

“O-Oh… okay.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask if I could buy this knife,” Micah continued, handing over the dagger she’d been looking at previously plus its sheathe. “It looks kind of neat, so I thought I might as well hang onto it. How much is it?”

“Um… Four gold and fifty silver please.”

S-So it’s as expensive as four-hundred and fifty loaves of bread, huh… Somehow, I doubt that.

“...Alright, sure.” Micah had more than enough pocket money anyway from her rarely-used allowance, so she pulled a pouch out from inside her jacket and handed over five gold coins.

Shani's eyes immediately lit up when she saw the gold, and she eagerly plucked it out of Micah’s palm to place them in the register before returning Micah's change and handing her the dagger. “Thank you for shopping~”

“I should be thanking you. This thing’s pretty cool,” she replied, taking a couple of test swings with a smile on her face. It wasn’t the sharpest, but the etching was interesting, and she liked the look of it. “By the way, what’s it called? The knife. You have a name for it in Ahalma, right?”

“Hm? Oh, yes of course! In Ahalma, we say, ‘Corico’. Name of first Ahalma’i hunter, yes? Strong name!”

“‘Corico’, huh…” Micah repeated under her breath, examining the blade again. “I see.” Satisfied, she sheathed the weapon and stuck it through her belt, strapping it in place. “Alright, well we still have some more questions, so—"

“You’re under arrest.”

Three sets of eyes turned to Aurelia, who glared at Shani with ice cold fury. The room fell silent for a few moments as everyone seemed to be processing what she’d said.

“Eh?” Shani herself was the one to speak first. The shopkeep seemed none the wiser to the sudden tension in the air. “Sorry, um… Repeat please?”

“Corporal Burgundy, take her into custody. That’s an order.”

“Whoa, hey, Aurelia—” Micah stepped up to her friend with hands raised. “I get what you’re going for, but don’t you think this is a little—”

“She helped supply weapons to the terrorists that tried to kill us. As far as I’m concerned that makes her an accessory to attempted murder. There’s a good chance she knows more than she’s letting on, too. In any case, she’s involved, and that’s more than enough to bring her in for questioning. Do it, Corporal.”

“I'm sorry, little one,” the hulking man responded in a remorseful tone before stepping up to snatch one of her tiny wrists in his hand. “Orders are orders.”

“Huh? Huh???” Shani looked absolutely confused by the turn of events, and seemed to shrink in Burgundy's grasp as he dragged her out from behind the counter and forced her arms behind her back. Before Micah even realized what was happening, the girl was being escorted away with no chance to resist or defend herself.

It… wasn’t the worst move in the world, but it was obvious Aurelia was letting her emotions cloud her judgment. She exercised what was essentially an abuse of power to get her way, disregarding due process using authority she technically didn’t have as she wasn’t even on the Norith council to begin with.

Ignoring the ethics of it all, interrogating Shani would probably reveal a clue or something that could help the investigation. That much was certain. Micah just hoped the redhead wouldn’t take things too far in her desperation to gain a solid lead.

Ulgh, I have a bad feeling about this… No matter how you look at it, it’s too hasty. Time limit or not, if we make a wrong move these guys could slip away forever. Aurelia, you need to calm down and think these things through…!

Haa… Well, I guess the only thing I can do for now is wait and see what happens. Hopefully I’m just overthinking it. It’d be nice if we could resolve this whole thing right here and now…

While suppressing the worry and dread in her heart, Micah scratched at her neck and hesitantly followed after the three as they piled out of the shop, leaving the once-cluttered space feeling more empty than ever before.