''Whew...''

''You look beaming, Aurora. Did something good happen?''

Faced with this question from Chloe, who has just finished her bath after a training session, I truthfully nod. For your information, I declined her offer to bathe with her.

''The Sword of Nihility. It's so good.'' I reply.

''What about it is good?'' Chloe raises an eyebrow. ''That's too vague.''

''The looks, the feel, and the performance.''

First of all, the white trail left behind when swinging the sword is mesmerizing yet deadly—precisely what I want. Wielding it truly brings me a sense of omnipotence that I never got, even from burning my entire mana reserve.

And, of course, the performance is unmatched.

Although I can't even manifest the aura of nothingness yet, I have realized that I'm on the right path to becoming one of the strongest. Even Kyomu commented on my aptitude for the art.

''That's good. It's a shame that I can't learn it.''

''Mhm.''

For some reason, Kyomu shot a glance at Chloe and decided that she wasn't suitable for this art. He said something along the lines of her not being 'stable' enough. I guess it has something to do with her mismatched body and soul.

''Well? I'm much better than a certain someone, at least.'' Chloe scoffs.

While Nydia is busy experiencing the life of an exposed undercover celebrity, Sierra is probably somewhere pulling her hair out right now. Even if Nydia ultimately proves to be unthreatening, this brief moment of interruption can birth an opportunity for the prince to act instead. Her well-crafted plan of taking the lead while he travels abroad will collapse in an instant.

''Watching drama is fun, but we shouldn't let down our guard.''

Perhaps being mindful of our past failure, Chloe adds. I have a feeling this is more for herself rather than for us. She is correct, however.

I need to organize the next conquest sooner or later.

In the corner of my vision, I see Chloe throw the damp towel aside with a stuffy face.

''It's a bit warmer now.'' She comments.

''It is February,'' I reply.

''I guess you're right.''

At some point, the winter's snow that I have somewhat enjoyed vanishes. For what I should be realizing right away... it certainly seems that we've been too busy to notice.

----------------------------------------

''Hah...''

On a clear night, when the moon hangs high, an annoyed Sierra and I sit on the rooftop of her mansion. Befitting an imperial princess, she has many of these residences.

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Sierra has been skipping school as of late in favor of handling political affairs, and merely a few moments earlier, we completed the first act of our cooperation. It roughly goes like this:

Scene one: Villain appears in the bustling town.

Scene two: Silaerob appears.

Scene three: Villain complains about the current regime and poses the question of who would be a better ruler.

Scene four: Silaerob says something indicating her support for Sierra and defeats the villain.

Of course, the media will pick this up and report on it as soon as tomorrow. Although it goes quite smoothly, I can't imagine Sierra is having a good time.

''Can you believe it? Those idiots would just abandon the ship and jump onto a raft instead.''

''...''

Sierra, the usually cold, composed, and menacing princess, is whining like a child in front of me. I suppose she really does not have a good time right now.

Even with the people on her side, the scale cannot be wholly tilted. To ascend the throne, one needs the support of both the nobles, the common folks, and the one holding the crown.

Out of those three, the nobles' support is probably the most crucial. Their opinion holds so much weight that it sometimes can overthrow the crown's decision.

Because Kaiser, the current emperor, ascended the throne in a rather 'underground' manner, he has not been able to sway some stubborn nobles yet. Those nobles are the die-hard supporters of the late crown prince, and upon hearing the news that his child is alive... they must be overjoyed.

By this time, most of high society must already be aware of Nydia's identity, and some of them even sent gifts to her as early as yesterday.

''Whew... sorry for going on a tangent.''

''I don't mind.''

After staring at me blankly for a moment, Sierra's silvery-white eyes narrow slightly. It's a bit unsettling because they can blend in with the sclera sometimes.

''You're unexpectedly amicable, aren't you?''

With a hint of playfulness, Sierra weaves her hands together and smiles at me. This is also a bit unsettling since I know she usually doesn't act like this. I suppose it is a persona she created to 'get along' with other people.

''You can drop the act.''

So, I tell her directly. There is no need for her to do it in front of me.

''...How sharp.''

In an instant, any and all emotions stuck on her face disappear, leaving behind an infinitely cold gaze and a pair of upset brows. Even if I have not interacted with her all that much, I know her original personality is rather distant.

''Just so you know, my intentions are real,'' Sierra adds as she draws a set of jigsaw puzzles out of nowhere. ''The rant was also real.''

''I know.''

''...''

''...''

Like how Sierra is typically, she instantly gets absorbed into the puzzle world, completely forgetting everything else. Sitting here doing nothing is a waste, but there is still time before my swordsmanship class starts...

Shall I humor this princess a bit?

''Do you love puzzles?''

Sierra's tired eyes perk up.

''Yes. I do love puzzles. But... I love anything that lets me use my brain.''

''How about a quiz?''

''...What is your intention?''

''Entertainment. Keeping our relationship strictly professional is... rather bland, don't you say?''

''Hah. Sure. Go ahead.''

Somehow, the mere concept of playing a quiz with me gets her excited. I suppose she is simply that hungry for riddles. Looking at her eyes, I set aside my other thoughts and gaze at the starry sky for a moment.

''The story goes like this—there was a girl named Ra. She had a special condition in which she would unconsciously wander at nights when the moon was the brightest. One such night, Ra unexpectedly fell into the rabbit hole, which led her to another world. During her adventure, she met a quirky skeleton with a deep voice, a friendly ghost with a transparent body, a big wolf with smooth fur, and a tall gentleman whose face could not be meaningfully described. Illuminated by the moonlight, the five set out to defeat the ancient evil... but unfortunately, Ra was assassinated the night before the final battle.''

''...''

''Coincidentally, the night when she was murdered, the moon also hung high and bright in the sky.''

Holding a random pawn made out of ice before the moonlight, I give it a brief pause.

''My question is... who was the one responsible for Ra's death?''

Unexpectedly, Sierra seems to take my story quite seriously, seeing her rub her chin like that.

Hm...

Well, I hope it can entertain her for a while, at least.