I nodded. "Yeah. I’d like to meet this Lady Mafalina too."

"You can come if you insist, but…" Eunice hesitated.

"What? Is it unsafe there?" I frowned.

She slipped the quest card back into her pocket. "Not that. It’s just… too far. My body wouldn’t handle the strain."

"Don’t underestimate me," I muttered.

*But she’s right,* I admitted inwardly. As a Mage, I lacked a Knight’s endurance. Walking halfway across Bluewater City might leave me collapsed mid-route.

Still—I had magic. And I truly wanted to meet Mafalina.

"Eunice," I said firmly. "Trust me. I’ll make it."

"Trust… you?" Her gaze flickered away, avoiding mine.

"...I trust you."

The black-haired boy turned sharply. "Let’s go."

I fell in step beside her, stealing a glance at her profile. Her expression remained calm.

*She trusted me so easily.*

We walked side by side along the wide, ancient street. Our pace was steady, but tiny waves churned in my chest.

*Doesn’t this feel like… a couple strolling together?*

*Couple…*

*Truth is, we’re siblings.*

*Crueler truth—we’re only bound by this cursed body swap.*

My mood darkened.

Mafalina’s address lay deep in the city’s outskirts. To conserve stamina, I secretly cast *Gale of Levity*—a second-tier spell boosting speed and agility. With it, my stamina multiplied.

My steps grew feather-light, as if carried by invisible winds. I consciously slowed my pace to seem normal.

*This is magic’s gift.*

Silence stretched. Eunice stayed quiet, lost in thought. I had no topic to break the monotony. We just walked—step after mechanical step.

*Gale of Levity* lasted ten minutes. I recast it rhythmically, counting the spells like clock ticks.

*We should’ve taken a carriage.*

Modern transport back home was effortless. But here, human history spanned barely a millennium—split between the Church’s divine rule and the Empire’s iron grip. The Church now commanded nine holy kingdoms. Their ambition? To crush Avaria, the last imperial stronghold, and drown the world in godly light.

*But do gods even exist?*

*That’s not magic.*

*If they did… they’d just be overpowered Mages.*

We reached Bluewater City’s edge—a shabby district of squat houses. Poverty clung to the cracked streets, a stark contrast to the gleaming center.

*Is this where Mafalina lives?*

Her grandfather owned a lavish estate. She chose this anonymity.

*Not poverty. Hiding.*

Following the card’s directions, we wove through narrow alleys until stopping before the most isolated cottage. Other doors stayed shut—residents avoided this labyrinthine zone.

*She really didn’t want to be found.*

My fourteenth *Gale of Levity* was fading. What a trek.

"You actually kept up," Eunice said, tucking away the card. "Magic?"

"Just a basic second-tier support spell."

"Apprentices who’ve trained for years wouldn’t call it ‘basic’." She headed toward the cottage.

*I’ve grown numb to my own talent,* I realized.

Eunice knocked. The old wooden door creaked open halfway. A woman in plain clothes peered out—brown hair tangled, dark circles under sharp, sleepless eyes.

"I am Aranthien," Eunice said. "Are you Lady Mafalina?"

"I am." Suspicion edged her voice. "What do you want?"

"We’ve come to fulfill your guild commission."

"Commission?" Her eyes lit up. She swung the door wide. "Come in."

Inside, sunlight streamed through dusty windows. Mafalina’s urgency warred with caution. "I must see the box first. Then I’ll pay."

"Understood. We expect your honesty." Eunice handed over the small wooden chest I’d found in the basement.

Mafalina’s gaze locked onto it. She snatched it the moment Eunice let go, clutching it like it might sprout wings and flee. After a tense inspection, she smiled gratefully.

"This is my grandfather’s. Thank you. Wait here—I’ll fetch your payment."

She placed the chest aside and vanished into a back room. Returning quickly, she held a coin purse and a rough-hewn wooden box.

"Five hundred gold coins, as promised."

Eunice checked the purse and pocketed it. The real prize was the box.

Mafalina handed it to her. "You guessed right. This is a first-tier Blessed Weapon—*Viper’s Fang*."

Eunice opened it. Inside lay a dagger in a black leather sheath. Its hilt was carved from dark, unknown material, capped with a snarling serpent’s head.

"Little sister, hold this." Eunice passed the box to me.

*Huh?*

I took it silently. She must have a reason.

"If there’s nothing else," Eunice said, "we’ll take our leave. Pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant cooperation."

As we turned to leave, Mafalina called out.

"Lord Aranthien—I foresee future collaborations." She pressed a card into Eunice’s hand. "Find me at this address. I’m relocating soon. Later, I’ll post a new commission: seeking a Radiant Tier swordsman. I’ll contact you privately if you’re interested."

Eunice didn’t refuse. "If the payment suits my needs… I’ll consider it."

Mafalina’s smile turned confident. "Oh, it will. A third-tier Blessed Weapon—*Nocturne’s Lament*."

"*Nocturne’s Lament*? What’s that?"

"Another dagger. Triple-blessed: Armor-Piercing, Swiftness, and Blinding. Victims struck by it lose sight temporarily—as if plunged into eternal night. It slices steel armor like cloth. A wooden shield? Paper." She paused meaningfully. "Third-tier Blessed Weapons gain a powerful skill. *Nocturne’s Lament* has *Light’s Eclipse*—it vanishes for three seconds."

Eunice absorbed this. "Is that all?"

Mafalina stiffened. "What more could you want? This weapon’s worth over three thousand gold!"

"It’s rare," Eunice said flatly. "But useless to me. I’d just sell it."

"Then what *do* you want?"

"Arcane Conduits."

Mafalina froze. Her shock hardened into icy wariness.

"Selling Arcane Conduits violates imperial law! Are you mad? Or do you crave a pyre and a stake?"