"You look unusually solemn today. Did something happen?"
Mia asked, tilting her head.
Leca forced a smile. His heart was heavy, but he didn't want Mia to know.
"What I'm about to teach you today is very important. You'll need to focus closely and follow along carefully."
"Heeey, what is it?"
Mia's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Especially after their last battle with Jakiel, she had been painfully aware of her own lack of ability.
"It's the mind-transfer message spell."
"Waaah, telepathy! I've always wanted to learn that!"
Mia's face lit up with delight.
"Next, I should learn teleportation. Maybe I'll master that too while I'm at it?"
Leca shook his head.
"Just learning the mind-transfer spell takes time. We'll save that one for later…"
But who knew when "later" might be?
An ominous energy still loomed in the air, unchanged even after Jakiel's fall.
Leca looked up at the white clouds drifting across the blue sky.
If only I could spend peaceful days like this with Lady Mia forever…
No. What am I thinking? Lady Mia is destined to become queen—
Julius's wife…
Julius's wife.
Suddenly, something inside Leca's mind felt like it shattered with a sharp crack.
He staggered, startled by the thought.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Mia asked, concerned. Leca quickly composed himself.
"It's nothing. Let's begin."
He stood beside Mia.
"The mind-transfer spell, like teleportation, is a high-level technique that requires considerable mana."
"At least my mana's back to normal."
Breaking the mirror had restored Mia, Leca, and the salamander's strength and mana to what it had been before.
"Even among the Sibareth royal family, not everyone can use it. Only knights, high-ranking mages, ministers, and professors at the academy are typically able to. Though spirits and fairies can use it instinctively without needing to learn."
"What about receiving messages?"
"The recipient also needs to know the spell."
"Ah, so that means I definitely need to learn it."
"First, close your eyes and focus your breathing on your lower abdomen.
Then, in your mind, recite Epladihi Laiovisa while picturing the person you want to send the message to."
"Okay. I'm doing it."
"Then think of what you want to send. If even the slightest stray thought slips in, it won't work—so be careful."
"Wow, this is hard. As soon as I try not to think about anything… I can't stop thinking about everything."
"That's why this spell is usually only used in emergencies. In critical moments, people tend to perform better than usual."
Mia closed her eyes and followed the instructions. Then she tried sending a message to Leca.
"Leca, are you there?"
"…Nothing came through."
"Dang it. Okay, I'll try again."
Mia gave it her all. Even when she was sure it had worked, the message never seemed to go through.
"This is so weird. I followed every step. I even cleared my mind. Why isn't it working?"
"With any spell, it's hard to succeed at first. There's no need to rush."
"Maybe I'm too nervous with you standing right next to me. Could you… maybe go for a walk?"
"Of course. I'll stroll nearby and await your message, Lady Mia."
Leca left her side and walked to the fairy garden he liked. The scent of hyacinths wafted through the air, but he barely noticed.
His mind was a storm of worries.
He still hadn't told Mia about the medical examination. Once the results came in, he would surely be expelled from the palace.
If His Majesty recovered, he might protect him… but the king still hadn't regained consciousness.
Julius now wielded near-complete authority. Especially with Jakiel gone.
Leca had no regrets about leaving the palace. He had served here for over twenty years—it would be nice to finally live freely.
But… how could he leave Lady Mia here alone?
…Mithys had not contacted him since. Perhaps word of what happened had reached her too. Maybe she no longer dared to reach out.
Leca made up his mind. He would ask Lady Mia directly what she intended.
And if she was firm in her resolve…
Then he would follow her will. No matter what.
At that moment—A sweet, faint voice echoed in his mind. It was choppy, like a broken transmission.
—Le…ca, I'm hun…gry. Really…
Leca smiled. He rushed back to Mia's side. She looked absolutely exhausted.
"Impressive. You finally did it."
"Ughhh, I thought it was going to kill me."
"Let's head to the dining hall. Oh—one thing to note."
"Hmm?"
"Mind-transfer magic doesn't work if the recipient is asleep. So if you don't get a reply, please keep that in mind."
"Ah, makes sense."
Like a phone call—people can't answer when they're asleep.
"You know, I feel like I could eat ten bowls today. Hehehe!"
Mia beamed, bouncing with joy. And Leca's heart grew heavy again.
"Godfather… how could you leave me and take such a long journey alone…"
Shamanaz, veiled in black, dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.
A gloomy heap of earth was poured over a coffin filled only with bones.
At that moment, rain began to fall, lightly at first, adding to the already somber atmosphere of the funeral.
Present at Jakiel's funeral were the ministers of the twelve bloodlines, Julius, the court mage Roland, his goddaughter Shamanaz, and several high-ranking royals and nobles.
At first, none of them believed Jakiel was truly dead.
They assumed he had gone missing, or vanished into hiding somewhere.
But while cleaning up the charred remains of Jakiel's villa, workers discovered a heap of bones.
Upon examination, they were found to belong to Jakiel—and his sister, who had died long ago.
Julius had ordered that the two be buried together.
Thus, the current joint funeral was being held.
Julius looked at Shamanaz and gave a faint, bitter smile.
So, you do still have tears in you… despite having helped kill over a hundred girls without hesitation.
A priest of the God of Light, Ahura Mazda, stepped forward to offer the eulogy.
But his voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of the heavy rain.
"To you who once stood in the glory of greatness—
May all memories of darkness fade, and may your soul find peace in a place of rest…
May the evil god Angra Mainyu never claim your spirit."
At those words, Shamanaz sobbed louder.
But Julius couldn't find it within himself to feel sympathy.
That wailing, Shaminy… it surely includes fear for your own fate, doesn't it?
Back in her room after the funeral, Shamanaz collapsed onto her bed. When a maid came to help her change, she waved her away.
"Bring Laila."
Laila rushed in, her face etched with worry.
"My lady, your complexion is terribly pale…Surely you haven't gone this long without eating?"
"Would you be able to eat in a time like this?"
"…That's true. You must be grieving terribly."
"I'm in shock. That human wench… Laila, she's far more ruthless and terrifying than I thought."
As she gently helped remove Shamanaz's black dress, Laila spoke softly.
"We don't know what really happened, my lady. It could have been an accident."
"Even if it was an accident, it means someone managed to corner a grand mage like my godfather. That's no small thing! And of course, it must have been Leca who did it!"
"Of course. And Leca's father is a royal court mage in Naizman. He must've helped."
"Exactly! That's what's frightening—She's gained a powerful ally like Leca.
And Jules… he's completely obsessed with her now. With my godfather gone, the only one who was ever truly on my side…What am I supposed to do, Laila?"
Laila dressed her in soft nightclothes. Then she fetched warm water, washed her feet, and gently massaged them.
"You're speaking so extremely because you're in shock. For now, please rest and calm your heart. Then you can think about everything again."
Shamanaz closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Laila's hands on her feet were as soothing as always.
But she couldn't simply enjoy the sensation. Her mind would not stop racing, thought after thought chasing each other in endless loops.
Suddenly, she sat upright. Her violet eyes shimmered with unease.
"The villa burned down… surely they couldn't have found any evidence tying me to it?"
"She only brought that poison recipe and the list of the dead girls, right?"
"Yes, that's true…The only additional thing they discovered was bone fragments…"
Shamanaz bit her nails, visibly restless. Laila watched her with pity.
"There's no reason for anything to come back to you now. His Grace even said he wasn't going to investigate any further. And the ones who were against Jakiel—they've started turning against her instead. So really, this might work out in our favor—"
Laila suddenly stopped speaking. Something was dripping from above.
A clear, violet liquid was flowing.
The amethyst embedded in Shamanaz's forehead was endlessly shedding a luminous purple stream.
"All of this… all this suffering…just for Jules. I chased after him, clinging to nothing but that one desire—And now I've lost everything. Jules. My godfather.
And maybe… even my life."