“...So you saw it too? Hmm, this is becoming far more complicated than I expected. Was there anything else out of the ordinary about the floating projection?” I asked Elysia as I finished reciting my thoughts.

“No, I don’t remember anything else about it.”

“I see. Okay, now that you’ve been forward with me about this, I’ll reciprocate. I… have the ability to summon the Terminal or ‘Floating Projection’ as you call it, at will and use it. Though I wonder if you can see it now or not… Here, let me pull it up.”

I tapped the symbol on my hand, and as usual, the terminal unfurled before me—glowing text flickering faintly in the air.

“That’s it! That’s what I saw!” Elysia’s voice was certain, her eyes locked onto the floating display.

“…I see.”

She can see it too?

That didn’t make sense. No one else had ever been able to see it before—not even when I had pulled it up right in front of her in the past. So what changed? What made her able to see it now?

I ran through the possibilities in my mind, trying to pinpoint a factor I hadn’t accounted for. When I checked her code before, it was Orange—a rarity that had already thrown me off. Maybe anomalies were more common than Nanik let on if I kept running into them at this rate.

Still, that didn’t explain this.

I narrowed my eyes and decided to check again. If something had shifted in her Reality Code, maybe I’d finally get some answers.

My breath hitched as my Developer’s Eye activated.

The code in front of me was no longer its distinct orange hue. Instead, it had shifted—a deep bluish-purple, so close to natural blue that it could almost pass as ordinary. But it wasn’t.

It had changed.

And now she could see the terminal.

My mind raced. The only significant event between then and now was the Luminastra mansion incident. That was also when Elysia first claimed to have seen the terminal.

What does this mean?

Is the terminal some kind of failsafe? A force that manifests to protect anomalies when they’re at the brink of death? If so, that would contradict my own experience. It first appeared for me when I wasn’t in any immediate danger.

So what’s the missing piece?

I clenched my fist, the flickering glow of the terminal reflecting off my fingers. This likely wasn’t just a coincidence. There was a secret here—I just hadn’t figured it out yet.

“I don’t think we have enough evidence to draw any solid conclusions right now, but we should—”

The door slammed open.

“You have to get that conniving woman out of here!”

Farthington’s voice rang through the room, his usual composure replaced with outright exasperation.

I blinked. “What are you blabbering about?”

“Outside! That insufferable woman, Seraphina Caliber, is standing right outside the house as we speak! Get Emilia to shoo her away or something!”

“Wooooow,” I drawled, crossing my arms. “Look at this. The great Farthington, terrified of a noblewoman he met at a banquet.”

“For your information, I am not afraid!” He huffed, straightening his collar. “I simply wish to avoid the hassle of dealing with her dreadful personality.”

“…Have you ever looked in a mirror?”

“I have. In fact, I do so every other hour.”

I stared at him.

Elysia stifled a giggle.

“Right. Whatever. Let me go see what this is about,” I muttered, pushing past him.

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

I stepped outside, the crisp Ardenian air refreshing against my skin. Standing just beyond the threshold was Seraphina Caliber. She was dressed in a tailored white suit with red accents and silver flourishes—a rare sight in a monarchy like this. The outfit accentuated her sharp green eyes, and her hazel hair was elegantly styled in a bun.

“Ah, someone to greet me~” she mused, her tone lilting with amusement.

I crossed my arms. “Greetings. What brings you to this humble house, my lady?”

“I only wish to have a brief conversation with Lady Luminastra.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m sorry, but she’s not here at the moment.”

Seraphina sighed, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, pardon me, but she is here. I can sense the mana emissions leaking from this house. Surely Farthington mentioned this to you? I did warn him last night.”

My eyes narrowed. “Mana emissions?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

She gave a knowing smile, tilting her head slightly. “Ah, so he neglected to mention that detail… How careless.” Her voice took on a silkier edge. “If you value your freedom, I would strongly suggest you leave with me tonight. Otherwise…” She reached into her coat and pulled out a neatly folded newspaper, holding it between two fingers. “In an hour or so, this house will be surrounded and stormed by the King’s men. I trust you’d rather avoid that inconvenience?”

I snatched the paper from her hand and unfolded it. The bolded headline immediately caught my attention:

“LUMINASTRA ESTATE ATTACKED—IS CLEFTON INVADING ARDEN?”

The article painted a grim picture. The official statement claimed that Clefton had staged an unprovoked attack on the Luminastra estate and that its execution had been swift. But between the lines, the message was clear: the country was preparing for war. Troop movements were increasing along the border, and cities were reinforcing their defenses. The entire kingdom was being primed for conflict, and the people were already being fed the justification for it.

I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening on the paper. So this was how the king operated. Frame his own assassinations as acts of treason, then use them to fuel further bloodshed.

Seraphina crossed her arms. “You see, this war the king is stirring up? It doesn’t benefit me in the slightest. It disrupts trade, breeds instability, and worst of all—” She exhaled dramatically, placing a hand on her hip. “—it makes my life significantly more tedious. I like peace, you see. A nice, lasting peace.”

I glanced up from the paper, watching her carefully. “And you think dragging us into this is the way to get that?”

“I think you misunderstand.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “I don’t need you to fight a war. I need you to stop one.”

At some point in the conversation, Elysia stepped out of the home and listened with widened eyes.

She turned to Elysia, her gaze sharpening. “Your name still carries weight, Lady Luminastra. If you were to publicly testify that your family was assassinated by the king’s men, rather than slain by Clefton forces, the entire narrative changes. The rebellion forming in this country? They’re struggling to gain the people’s support. But if a reputable noble—one with a tragic story, no less—were to expose the truth, then the people would rally behind them.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. She wasn’t wrong. If the rebellion had public support, they wouldn’t be just another faction fighting a losing war—they’d become a real threat to the king’s rule.

But there was still one problem.

I narrowed my eyes. “And what’s stopping you from turning us over to the king yourself?”

Seraphina placed a hand on her chest, feigning offense. “Oh, please. If I wanted you dead, I would’ve let the royal guard handle it. I have no love for the king, and I have even less patience for his endless conquests. All I want is to stop this foolish war before it inconveniences me any further.”

I let out a slow breath. She had no reason to lie about the king’s men coming. If she could find us, others could have too. And if this newspaper was anything to go by, the kingdom was already on the verge of being consumed by war.

Elysia’s testimony could tip the scales.

I met Seraphina’s gaze again. “And if we refuse?”

She shrugged. “Then you’ll have to deal with the king’s men when they arrive. But between us, I think my option is far less of a headache.”

Damn it. She had us cornered.

I turned to Elysia, waiting for her answer.

Elysia bit her lip, probably contemplating her next move. After a moment, she said, “I’ll go with you.” She turned to me and continued, “But this only involves me. The rest of you should leave like you were planning.”

“Hold on there, young lady. You should hear what I have to say before sending us off.” Nanik said as he stepped off of the porch. “We will be staying here in Arden to help.”

Elysia blinked in surprise, while Seraphina raised an amused eyebrow at Nanik’s declaration. Meanwhile, I could only gape at him in utter disbelief.

“What do you mean we’re staying here? That wasn’t the plan!” I snapped, throwing up my hands. “We were supposed to get out before this place became a war zone! What in the world changed your mind?”

Nanik, ever infuriating, simply smiled, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. “Now, now, Tokei. You make it sound like I’ve lost my mind.”

“That’s because you have!”

He chuckled, but there was something unreadable in his expression. “Think about it rationally. If we leave Elysia behind, who’s to say she won’t get captured or silenced before she can make her testimony? Staying here gives us more control over the situation.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Something wasn’t adding up. Nanik was never the type to take unnecessary risks unless there was something to gain. And given that he never did anything without some underlying reason, there had to be something more to this.

Seraphina hummed, looking mildly entertained. “Well, well, what a selfless declaration. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Elysia, on the other hand, looked conflicted. “I… I don’t want to drag all of you into this.”

I exhaled sharply. “You’re not, Elysia. Nanik is dragging us into it.” I shot him a glare. “And for what? Because you suddenly developed a bleeding heart?”

“Something like that,” he replied, completely unbothered by my accusations.

I didn’t believe him for a second.

Otome and Farthington were now also at the door, likely having followed Nanik when he came out.

Otome crossed her arms, glancing between Nanik and me. “So, let me get this straight. We’re staying in Arden? The same Arden that’s about to be crawling with the king’s men?”

“Yes,” Nanik confirmed smoothly.

“And you think this is a good idea?”

“I know it’s a good idea.”

Otome let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Great. Just making sure I heard correctly before we commit to what is probably a terrible decision.”

Farthington, who had been silent up until now, adjusted his suit and regarded Nanik carefully. “Your confidence is almost concerning.”

“Oh, you wound me,” Nanik replied, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense. “I assure you, I have only our best interests at heart.”

I scoffed. Yeah, right. There was no way Nanik was doing this purely out of kindness. He was up to something, and I’d bet my last Mira that it had nothing to do with just ‘helping’ Elysia.

Still, what choice did we have? If he had already decided, then convincing him otherwise would be like trying to argue with a brick wall.

Seraphina let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Well, I must say, this is turning out to be more amusing than I expected.” She turned to Elysia, her expression unreadable. “I’ll arrange for safe passage to Caliber Fortress. I suggest you all be ready to leave soon.”

With that, she stepped off the porch and disappeared into the night, leaving us with the weight of Nanik’s unexpected decision hanging over our heads.

I turned back to him, jabbing a finger at his chest. “This isn’t over. I will figure out what you’re up to.”

He merely grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

Damn it. He was definitely hiding something.

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End of Volume 1.