?????°???°?????

  The first thing I felt was the smell.

  Medicine. Herbs. Something slightly bitter burning at the back of my nose.

  I opened my eyes with difficulty.

  The ceiling above me was too white. Too simple. Thin cracks ran along the wooden beams, and the distant sound of footsteps and muffled voices came from somewhere beyond the wall.

  “…Huh?”

  I sat up in bed.

  “Hey, hey, hey, take it easy.”

  The voice came from my right.

  I slowly turned my head… and froze.

  Someone was sitting beside the bed.

  A girl.

  She looked to be about sixteen years old, but there was something about her that didn’t quite fit that idea. Her long hair fell freely past her shoulders, lilac with soft pink tones.

  Then her eyes caught my attention.

  Pink-lilac, deep… and strangely dull. They didn’t reflect the light of the room. It was like staring at a closed window, present, yet separated from the world by something impossible to cross.

  Then I saw it above her head.

  A crown of energy. Crystallized fragments of mana drifted from it, floating behind her head like shards of glass frozen in space, vibrating softly with each of her breaths.

  Only then did I understand.

  “Merlin?”

  She blinked.

  Once. Twice.

  Then she smiled so widely it almost looked awkward.

  “So you recognized me. I’m glad you woke up.”

  My brain stalled.

  My eyes jumped from her to the bed, to my hands… then back to her.

  “…Why are you… not a ball?”

  The girl frowned.

  “That’s the first thing you thought?! And for your information, I was a sphere, not a ball!”

  “No! I mean— yes! I mean— you were a sphere!”

  She crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks slightly.

  “I’m still me, you know?”

  “You didn’t have arms! You’re even talking!”

  “Victor!”

  She stood up all at once, and I was absolutely sure I was still dreaming.

  “I evolved!”

  “…Like a Digimon?”

  “Huh?”

  She lowered her arms in defeat.

  “Anyway. You slept for a few days. Two, to be exact.”

  My head slowly sank back into the pillow.

  Two days.

  “All that?”

  “You’re lucky. Your mana was almost completely depleted. The soldiers found you and Serena on the way back. You were both exhausted and passed out before arriving.”

  I scratched the back of my neck. At least everything was fine now.

  “I thought you weren't coming back anymore,” Merlin added, her voice quieter now.

  I turned my face toward her.

  She wasn’t smiling anymore.

  “I talked to you for hours. The healers said you were fine, but… I didn’t know.”

  My chest tightened slightly.

  “Sorry for worrying you.”

  She stared at me for a few seconds, as if judging whether that was enough.

  Then she sighed.

  “Idiot.”

  And smiled again.

  “But… I’m glad you woke up.”

  We stayed silent for a few moments.

  It was strange.

  Merlin had always been with me, but now she occupied space. Cast a shadow on the floor. Breathed.

  “So…” I said slowly. “Are you human now?”

  “No,” she answered immediately. “I’m a spirit. Just… with a form.”

  “Huh.”

  I looked back at the ceiling.

  “You look… different. No, not that much.”

  She tilted her head.

  “I mean, your color palette is the same.”

  “Hey!”

  She laughed.

  And so did I.

  °??──────??°

  I left the medical wing and saw many people running through the corridors. Everyone looked busy. Merlin walked beside me.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I didn’t feel anything anymore, my body was healed, and my mana reserves were high enough.

  “You walk pretty fast for someone who passed out for two days.”

  The voice came from behind me.

  I turned and found Sentil leaning against a column, arms crossed, his expression far too tired for someone his age. His armor was gone, replaced by simple clothes, but his posture was the same: straight, alert, always ready.

  “Oh. Sentil, are you okay?”

  He gave a half-smile.

  “For now.”

  We walked side by side for a few meters before he spoke again.

  “The council finished not long ago.”

  That made me slow down without realizing it.

  “Really? What did they say about all this?”

  “Well, no one was executed or imprisoned for long. Regarding the protests.”

  Then he continued, explaining everything with visible fatigue.

  The so-called “protesters” had been interrogated. Most were released under surveillance. The council reached a consensus: there had been manipulation involved. Inflamed speeches, cultivated fear, false promises.

  The hooded man.

  That name, or rather, the lack of one, hung like a shadow. He had fled before he could be captured, leaving behind only broken trails and unanswered questions.

  In the end, the leaders were imprisoned, but all were considered victims.

  “I guess that’s it, then. It’s better than starting a witch hunt. Everyone’s already suffered enough.”

  “Yes. As for the other culprits, only the bodies of Orion and Honda were found. After the fight against Merlin, Telos disappeared.”

  “Hm. Why did that happen?”

  Merlin stepped forward to answer.

  “The difference between Telos, Honda and Orion was the location of their cores. Telos and Orion likely separated their monster cores from their hearts, even though the infection still occurred.” She raised a finger. “Telos stored his human heart inside the artifact he used. When it was destroyed, only the core remained—more monster than human—so he disappeared. Orion was the opposite.”

  “And Honda had nothing like that, so his core and heart were in the same place, which made him die faster.”

  I more or less understood.

  “Orion said he got that power from someone, probably from the hooded ones he was working with. He also had a strange collar that disabled mana use. He used it on Serena. It came from the same place.”

  Sentil clenched his fists.

  “Yes. Serena told me. It’s a type of technology I’ve never heard of. The most technologically advanced kingdoms would be Valoria and Eldoria. Maybe we could find something, but… an investigation right now isn’t feasible.”

  “Valoria and Eldoria?”

  “Oh, right, you wouldn’t know. Valoria has a friendly relationship with Cirgo. Viola’s group was sent by them to support us.” Sentil touched his chin. “They’re also sending aid to rebuild the third district. But… there’s a chance someone from there is involved with this technology.”

  “And what about Eldoria?”

  Sentil blinked.

  “Oh, we don’t have much of a relationship with them. It’s the elven kingdom. Cirgo was once an elven colony, centuries ago. We don’t have ties anymore, so I think it’s unlikely they’re involved.”

  Merlin looked at me.

  “We’re part of the group now too. So we’ll be heading to Valoria soon. Viola is still recovering from the last fight, we’ll stay at her place there.”

  I froze. I had completely forgotten.

  “Right… I was forced to join her group…”

  ‘I actually wanted to join, but I need to keep denying it!’

  I sighed.

  “Well, since we’re going there, I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Thank you.”

  He walked ahead, ready to go down the stairs.

  He stopped without turning back.

  “My father spoke with me and Serena.”

  I was surprised. He really was a man who kept his promises.

  “You’re free now. So feel free to stay and…” He glanced over his shoulder. “Thank you very much.”

  I scratched my head.

  “Yeah.”

  He left to do what he needed to do.

  °??──────??°

  I walked through the corridors with Merlin at my side, watching the flow of people. Some soldiers carried boxes, others discussed reconstruction routes, and there were at least three apprentices who were clearly lost.

  “This castle turned into an anthill,” I muttered.

  “Technically, anthills work very well,” Merlin replied. “Maybe we should copy the model.”

  We stopped in front of a door I didn’t recognize.

  “Serena’s new room,” Merlin said. “The old one… well, you know.”

  I knocked twice, without much ceremony, and pushed the door open.

  Serena was sitting at the table, a book open so close to her face that I had the impression she intended to pierce the pages out of sheer will. Her tongue slightly sticking out showed maximum concentration.

  She was… reading.

  For real.

  When she noticed us, she startled slightly, almost dropping the book.

  “Victor!”

  “Hey,” I said. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You’re way too quiet,” she complained, but then smiled. “Look.”

  She raised the book like a trophy.

  “I can recognize almost all the letters now.”

  “Almost?” Merlin asked, tilting her head.

  “Some still blend together,” Serena admitted. “But I’m getting the hang of it.”

  The light from the window hit her eyes directly. It was still strange to see that without the constant sense of danger around her, but… a good kind of strange.

  “This room is different,” I commented, looking around.

  “It’s smaller,” Serena replied. “But it’s brighter. And there isn’t a hole in my window, which I already consider an improvement.”

  Fair point.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  She thought for a moment.

  “Yes. [Ice Rose] is calm now. After that blow to Orion, it hasn’t spoken to me again, but I feel like we’ve finally come to an agreement.”

  “I’m glad. It’s a new beginning for you, isn’t it?”

  She smiled.

  “Yes. I want to study so I can help the kingdom in the future. I want to make up for the trouble I caused.”

  “Well, I think studying is already a way of fighting. You’ve started well, the winter is gone, there’s no more snow. I think that’s worth celebrating.”

  “Speaking of that, we’ll have a celebration event once the renovations are finished. You’ll stay until then, right?"

  I scratched my neck.

  “I think so.” I looked at Merlin.

  “Yes, we will. When Valoria’s aid arrives, we’ll help too. We’ll leave together with them, so we’ll be staying here for a while.”

  I nodded with my arms crossed.

  Merlin crossed her arms as well.

  “I never learned to read like this,” she commented. “My information just… appears.”

  Serena’s eyes widened.

  “That’s cheating.”

  “It is.”

  They stared at each other for a second… and burst out laughing.

  I leaned against the wall, watching the two of them. It was strange how everything felt almost normal now. Not perfect. Just… functional.

  Serena looked at me and smiled.

  “Victor, thank you very much for saving me.”

  I looked away, not really knowing what to say.

  “…Yeah…”

  Merlin’s emojis returned, a face that clearly meant trouble.

  “You really don’t know how to take a ‘thank-you’, huh?”

  “Shut up!”

  They laughed again.

  When we left the room, Merlin stretched her arms like someone who had just woken up.

  “So,” she said. “Next stop?”

  “I think it’s Viola’s turn now.”

  Then I froze. I remembered Hogan’s sword.

  ‘Did they find it? I’d feel terrible if I lost it… I need to go see him later.’

  °??──────??°

  I entered the hotel room in the first district almost without making a sound. It was still strange to call it a hotel, but it worked.

  Viola was lying across the sofa, wearing clothes far too simple for someone I had only ever seen in armor. A light shirt, comfortable pants, bare feet resting on the arm of the couch. She looked… relaxed. Or trying to look relaxed.

  Logy was sitting near the window, leaning back in his chair, staring at nothing, exhaustion stamped across his face. Don stood near the wall, hands folded in front of him, posture calm.

  Viola turned her head when she saw me.

  “Victor… tell them I’m fine…”

  I looked at Don and then at Logy.

  “She spent a lot of mana,” Don explained. “We told her to rest, but she’s already full of energy.”

  “Then you’re staying right there,” I said without thinking.

  “Ahh…”

  She looked away and muttered, almost sulking:

  “But fighting is what I do… without it, I feel useless…”

  It was strange seeing her like that.

  Don and Logy weren’t wearing their armor. Don had short black hair and a slightly square face, his calm expression unchanged. Logy… well, Logy just looked tired.

  “It’s the first time I’ve seen all of you without your armor,” I commented.

  The orange-haired girl suddenly stood up.

  “That’s right! Let me tell you something! I went to space!”

  I stared at her.

  “Huh?”

  “I lost my armor while I was hitting asteroids and stuff…” She gestured excitedly. “Then I blew up the universe.”

  “Hmmm…”

  I slowly turned my face toward Logy.

  “Did they hit her really hard?”

  “Very hard.”

  Viola flopped back onto the sofa.

  “It’s true… Merlin, tell them.”

  Merlin tilted her head slightly, thoughtful.

  “Ah… I communicated with you at that moment, but I wasn’t seeing what you were seeing. So… I don’t know.”

  Viola turned to the side, her back to us, clearly irritated.

  Merlin and I stepped closer and, without thinking, we started patting her head.

  “Hey!”

  Viola turned around quickly and started trying to push our hands away.

  Don let out a small smile.

  “You’ve gotten stronger, Victor.”

  I looked at him while Viola squeezed my hand way too hard.

  “What do you mean?”

  He sighed, as if organizing his thoughts.

  “When we first met, you were very restrained. Your mana feels different now… it even resembles Viola’s a bit.”

  I made a face.

  “Ehh?”

  Viola pulled Merlin and me into a hug with her absurd strength.

  “Take that!”

  “She only acts like this because she knows she doesn’t need to prove anything anymore. I think you look a bit like that.”

  "She seemed quite determined to prove something just now— Ow! Ow! Ow!"

  Logy lifted his head slightly.

  “Well… I guess we’re all a team now.”

  Don nodded.

  “Welcome, Victor. Merlin.”

  We nodded back.

  “Thank you.”

  There was still a lot to do.

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