19

Naya couldn’t help but wonder if there was some mistake—but Leon and Ruri didn’t seem to have mistaken anyone. This was… quite a coincidence.

“So the benefactor who taught you swordsmanship is her?” Aile patted Leon’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Hey—an S-rank bounty bandit is your master? This is… I don’t even know what to say. So Ruri was abused by Leon’s master for the past ten years!”

“…” Leon didn’t know how to face Ruri. Would she think he was just like his teacher? Jumping from one fire pit to another!?

Ruri stared at Leon expressionlessly. She had always been a girl who kept her emotions hidden.

“I can’t understand that my master is such a person.”

“How long has it been since you last saw your master?” Aile asked.

“Three years.”

“Ruri knew your master ten years ago. How many faces does this person have?”

In a fit of anger, Leon tore down the wanted poster—it listed no bounty. More a warning than a bounty notice.

“I’ll find her and ask her myself.”

He maintained a grave expression throughout, his master’s poster clenched tightly in his hand.

Afterward, they returned to their home in Dawn City—

Finally, it was time to ask about the Light Fragment. Aile and Ruri sat facing each other across a table. Aile noticed Ruri seemed uneasy.

“You don’t need to be nervous. I just have a few questions.”

“Ruri is just not used to it. Usually, when answering, she’s either kneeling or hanging.”

Aile grew even angrier. She’d thought Rothschild was the pervert, but the real culprit was Leon’s master? Her strong sense of justice couldn’t tolerate this!

“Don’t worry, Aio will get justice for you. Are you really the last Sorcerer as the Angelic Faith claims?”

“Ruri does know a kind of magic. If knowing magic makes one a Sorcerer, then yes.”

“Can I see your magic?”

“Of course.” Ruri murmured softly, and the book appeared out of thin air above her palm!

“Did I hear wrong? You just said ‘open,’ and the book appeared!?”

“Indeed, no incantations are needed.”

“This is a magic book, right?” Aile said with slight surprise. “What magic is recorded in it?”

“Nothing. It’s completely blank.” Ruri replied calmly.

Aile leaned in for a closer look. The pages were indeed blank… and she couldn’t touch it. It seemed illusory, belonging only to Ruri.

If magic only conjured a book for display—unreadable and unwritable—it was rather disappointing.

“Have you heard of the Light Fragment? It’s the part of the Book of Light that recorded Aio himself, stolen by a Sorcerer a century ago. Most has been recovered by the order, but the final fragment is still missing.”

“Ruri hasn’t heard of the Light Fragment,” she replied—Aile was about to be disappointed again.

Ruri hesitated. “Actually, Sorcerers understand certain laws better than mortals. Perhaps what you call gods. Sorry, that’s all Ruri knows.”

“Oh? So you mean even Sorcerers acknowledge that gods truly exist?”

Ruri didn’t answer. Perhaps she didn’t know either.

“Well, it seems the only way to find the Light Fragment is to clear Eilant.”

…

Late that night—

Everyone was asleep. Naya, having bathed and changed into her nightgown, looked at her childish face in the mirror—still looking like she’d never grow up…

She was bothered by being teased as a jinx by acquaintances that day… She’d sworn not to be looked down on because of her appearance, yet it kept happening again and again—

“I’m Aio’s Priestess. If only I could be like Aile…”

Suddenly, the door was knocked on—Naya startled. As soon as she opened it, Leon rushed in.

“You’re not asleep yet?”

“No… Leon, neither are you?” Naya looked flustered. She had no idea why he’d rushed into her room so late. Her mind went blank.

“Get dressed and come with me right now!”

“What? Where to?”

“To find my master.” Leon said, carrying his sword on his shoulder. “I don’t want to involve Aile and Ruri in matters concerning my master. I’ll—handle it personally.”

To be continued.