LESSON: IV - A Flower Blooming on the Other Shore

When Melida suddenly woke up, she wondered just what time of night it was.

She was lying in a bed, covered by a thin sheet. The canopy above her was unfamiliar, yet strangely, it didn't feel uncomfortable. Lifting her head from the pillow, she slowly sat up.

Feeling a slight chill, she realized she was still wearing the single piece of sexy lingerie from earlier in the day. Wrapping the sheet around herself, she climbed out of bed. The room's furnishings quickly helped her make sense of her situation.

She was still inside the Shiksal family's main estate.

Judging by the girlish decor, this must be Salacha's room...

Parting the closed curtains slightly, she cautiously peeked outside.

The Werewolf Tribe and the reporters were no longer out on the street; in fact, there wasn't a single passerby in sight. The silence of the birds and the chirping of insects confirmed that it was indeed night.

There were no longer any corpses in front of the gates, only the widespread stains of dried blood...

Dragging the sheet behind her, Melida stepped out into the hallway.

Light was spilling from the slightly ajar door of a hall not too far down the same floor.

Melida hiked the sheet up from the floor and approached the door, muffling her footsteps.

Naturally, the voices leaking from the hall belonged to people she was familiar with...

"That's absurd... Kshana, are you saying that...?"

"It's exactly as you say, Aunt Almedia."

Through the gap in the door, Melida peeked in with her large crimson eyes darting around.

Using the lamp on the table as a dim light source, the three adults had gathered together. The one sitting on the single sofa was, needless to say, Almedia. Sitting in the chair to her right and raising a teacup with a solemn expression was Kshana. Kufa was leaning against the unlit fireplace and for a moment, Melida felt as if he glanced toward the door. She quickly shrank her shoulders.

It seemed they had remained hidden here until the Lights went out, having avoided Serge and the werewolves in the estate during the day. If she remembered correctly, they were at the point where Kshana was going to confess everything. She wondered how far the conversation had progressed while she was asleep.

Kshana traced a finger along her fine teacup and announced gravely,

"The mastermind behind this Revolution is not Serge. Originally, it was the idea of Uncle Genron and Aunt Dilita. Serge simply inherited it..."

"But Dilita and the others are Dragoon heroes! Why would they do something so ridiculous...!"

"Everything began four years ago..."

The atmosphere was far too heavy for Melida to casually intrude right after waking up. She held her breath.

Kshana gently swirled the amber liquid inside her cup.

Like turbulent waves...

"You remember, don't you? Four years ago... that nightmarish territorial defense war. We were ambushed by a Lycanthrope fleet highly skilled in navigation, and the knight guilds were forced into a bloody war of attrition with a hastily assembled force... I still dream of that raging, stormy battlefield."

"That was the battle where you members of the Shiksal family came to be called Heroes."

"Heroes."

Kshana scoffed.

It was a terribly absurd laugh, as if she were degrading her own dignity.

"Exactly. Having led that battle to victory, we came to be called 'Heroes', but at the same time, we became a 'Time-Bomb Curse' that would one day bring ruin to Flandore."

"Tell me everything."

"To begin with, Auntie, how much do you actually know about the Lycanthropes that invaded Flandore that day?"

There was no way Almedia hadn't been informed of the details.

Thus, Kufa opened his mouth almost as if to let his student, who wasn't supposed to be there, hear.

"The Ghost Fleet, the Flying Dutchman..."

The gazes of the two beautiful women in the room turned toward him. Kufa continued in his elegant voice.

"Those pirates who transformed into monsters were originally thought to be the descendants of ancient sailors. They were the symbol of terror for all who lived on the sea... For you see, in exchange for being able to overcome any rough wave, they were burdened by a curse that prevented them from ever setting foot on land. It was an eternal curse that kept them from reaching any port, and even from moving on to the afterlife after death..."

He shook his head, as if he himself had some painful memories associated with it.

"The man who led the fleet was Vanderdecken... If we trace it back, it is said that the pirates ended up suffering from that eternal curse due to his own shallow thinking as the fleet admiral. However, at some point, Vanderdecken realized something. Even if they couldn't land on the earth of the Night World, wouldn't Flandore be an exception to the curse?"

"...!"

"And so the fleet made its move to claim the land of Flandore as its own. This was the origin of the battle four years ago... However, the Wandering Curse placed on the Flying Dutchman ultimately betrayed them. Storms surged and the seas formed whirlpools; all of it worked to Flandore's advantage. As a result, they narrowly succeeded in sinking the Ghost Fleet... Of course, the death of Admiral Vanderdecken in battle likely had the biggest impact."

"The Wandering Curse...! Yes, that is exactly what I despise!"

Kshana's voice trembled with absolute hatred. Melida watched with bated breath.

Almedia stroked her chin with a finger and cast her eyes down.

"Vanderdecken was an immortal man who was rejected even by the underworld... That's right, I always thought it was strange. How exactly did you manage to strike down that immortal?"

Kshana hung her head as if drained of strength and slowly shook it.

"...In the battle between Vanderdecken and the combined forces of the Shiksal family myself, Serge, and of course Lord Genron and Lady Dilitaâ we had the upper hand. Then, that reckless pirate! Using the exact same method as when he was cursed, he forced his curse onto us."

"What do you mean?"

"Driven to the limit atop the mainmast of his flagship, he asked us this: 'Do you really intend to kill my immortal self no matter what?'"

Only Melida noticed the sharp gasp Kufa took.

Kshana bit her lip hard and wrapped her left hand around her tightly clenched right fist.

"In response, Uncle Genron answered: 'I swear to kill you even if it takes until the day of final judgment!'"

Whether that was the right thing to do or not, Kshana's downcast eyelashes told a story of bitter anguish.

"...With that oath, we were able to break through the Wandering Curse and kill Vanderdecken. But at the same time, the contradiction of 'killing an existence that was supposed to be immortal' brought a curse upon the Shiksal family that would last for all eternity..."

"What kind of curse is it?"

"The same Wandering Curse that tormented the Flying Dutchman... We of the Shiksal family are slowly being eroded by darkness simply by continuing to live. Eventually, just like Aunt Dilita, we will turn into mindless Loup-garou monsters. And even after descending into such inhuman beasts, we will not be permitted to die... It is a curse where we must continue wandering this world for eternity."

Though it was beyond her imagination, a chill ran down Melida's unprotected spine, raising goosebumps.

Unconsciously tightening her grip on the sheet, she continued to listen closely to Kshana's words.

"Uncle and Aunt were tormented by this. Because they had absolute confidence in their strength as Dragoons, they constantly worried about what would happen to the remaining people of Flandore if the Shiksal family was wiped out by the curse! There are still countless forces in the Night World on par with the Flying Dutchman. What if they invaded again? Could the knight guilds fend them off with only the Angel and La Moir families, once the stronghold of the three great knight duke families had collapsed...?"

Genron Shiksal and Dilita Shiksal came to a conclusion.

That they couldn't.

"Therefore, they made a deal with the more moderate Werewolf Tribe”"

Almedia crossed her arms heavily, trying to somehow swallow that claim.

"They thought to hand over Flandore peacefully, then. I suppose they figured that even if the human world were lost, it would be better than having the city destroyed and losing countless lives."

"Serge and I opposed it."

With a surge of emotion in her voice, Kshana asserted.

"Even if it was a hopeless battle, even if our bodies eventually turned into monsters...! We should continue to fight to protect humanity's dignity until the very end!! Serge was originally on my side as well. We swore to convince Uncle and Aunt together."

"I see!"

"But, we were wrong..."

The spirit drained from Kshana's shoulders in the blink of an eye.

She continued in a fading tone of voice that Melida had never heard before.

"Unlike me, Serge was calmly assessing 'which path was the better one.' When Uncle Genron introduced him to that man named Mad Gold, and he saw the results of his experiments firsthand, Serge's mind seemed to change. He thought 'it isn't bad'..."

"Foolish...!!"

"Regardless, Uncle and Aunt, who had been constantly venturing into the Night World to search for allies, had already reached their limits in maintaining their human forms. Handing the headship of the family over to Serge early on, they secretly transformed into Loup-garou... Serge and I had somehow managed to keep them from going berserk, but..."

Kshana looked down at the palms of her hands. It seemed her fingertips trembled slightly.

"Neither I, nor Serge, nor the subordinate knights of the Shiksal branch families including Gibson have much longer. Eventually, we'll be completely devoured by the Wandering Curse and become Loup-garou just like Aunt Dilita"

With a small groan, she suddenly clutched at her chest.

Her breathing had grown a bit ragged. She was likely experiencing symptoms akin to an attack.

"...I must stop that fool before then."

"Pardon my rudeness, but there is one thing I absolutely must ask."

Kufa interjected firmly.

Melida couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for his attitude, which remained unfazed by the heavy atmosphere. He shot a brief glance toward the door where she was hiding, and continued, his tone turning a bit more cautious.

"If the members of the Shiksal family are cursed does that mean Lady Salacha is as well?"

Melida almost cried out.

However, whether it could be called fortunate or not, Kshana lightly shook her head.

"No, among the warriors of the Shiksal family, Salacha was the only one who didn't participate in the battle four years ago. She was still too young... Therefore, she is the only one who managed to escape the Wandering Curse. To the Shiksal family on the brink of destruction, she is truly the 'Child of God'."

Perhaps recalling that hope, Kshana straightened her back, a light returning to her eyes.

"My scenario is to eliminate Serge, step down from the front stage myself, and entrust Salacha with full authority over the Shiksal family. But during the long time it takes for her to restore the Shiksal family, Flandore's military strength will inevitably plummet. The heavy responsibility placed on Salacha will also be unimaginable. Serge seems to be endlessly worried about that... No matter how many times we talked, we could never come to an understanding."

"I see."

Though Kufa stepped back at that, the next to speak up was Almedia.

She had been nodding frequently with her arms crossed, but then she furrowed her brow and said, "Oh?"

"Hold on, this is strange. Didn't you just say that they couldn't even die due to the Wandering Curse? Then what about Dilita? Not only was she able to pass away peacefully, but on the verge of her death, she reverted from a Loup-garou back to her human form!"

Behind the door, Melida's eyes widened in realization.

Now that it was mentioned, before she fell asleep, hadn't Serge muttered something while standing before his mother's corpse?

This is a lie...

That wasn't shock at finding his mother as the culprit of the Ripper incident; rather, it was astonishment that she, who was supposed to have turned into a Loup-garou, had regained her human form, wasn't it?

Melida strained her ears even more toward the exchange happening beyond the door...

"That is thanks to him."

Kshana's voice sounded somewhat proud. Almedia followed up with a suspicious question.

"Who?"

"The Ghost Captain, Blood La Moir..."

Melida was struck by yet another surprise.

She recalled the expedition to the Tir na Fall Great Trench last summer. The mysterious inverted castle of Ginnunga. Her cousin Elise and Salacha, who had been taken captive. And the Queen of Death, Lacy, who had lived for three hundred years in order to revive her beloved daughter through alchemy.

The one who had continued waiting for that lonely queen, even reducing himself to a ghost, was her twin brother, the so-called Captain Phantom, Blood La Moir.

"When I briefly surrendered my body to him, I made a certain deal."

Along with Kshana's voice, the scene from that time vividly resurfaced in Melida's mind.

That's right, during the audience with the queen, Blood had made a proposal to Kshana, hadn't he?

"Lady, you're the only one. Let's make a deal."

And now, the contents of that deal were about to be revealed from Kshana's own mouth.

"It was a role only he, the Ghost Captain, could fulfill... The fate of the Shiksal family members who turn into Loup-garou cannot be changed. However, their souls will be able to reach the other shore after death without wandering... guided by none other than Captain Blood."

"My word...!"

"Seeing that Aunt Dilita was able to peacefully meet her end like that"

Softly, the presence of Kshana breaking into a smile could be felt.

"It seems the captain is properly fulfilling his end of the promise. With this, I have no more worries... I will kill Serge, and together, we will bury this widespread curse in the world of the dead."

Hearing the sound of someone standing up from their seat, Melida hastily jumped back from the door.

Just as she hid herself around the corner of the hallway. 

The hall door opened.

"Wait, Kshana! Where are you going?"

The first to emerge was Kshana, with Almedia's voice trying to hold her back.

"I have no intention of relying on anyone else's strength. I will clear this disgrace with my own hands."

"Don't go running off on your own! Where are Gibson and the subordinate knights!?"

"At the Shiksal branch family's hideout there's no need to worry."

Saying her farewells, Kshana strode toward the entrance without allowing any room for argument.

Almedia and Kufa, who had come out after her, exchanged looks.

Almedia shook her head, looking utterly exhausted.

"...I'll go and inform Fergus of the situation. We need to arrange a meeting for tomorrow."

Leaving those words behind, she walked off toward the back of the estate, in the opposite direction of Kshana.

Kufa was the only one left behind.

He looked to the right of the hallway, then to the left, and eventually turned his steps in one direction.

Toward the entrance...

Chasing after her tutor's back, Melida dashed from shadow to shadow, making sure not to fall behind.

Walking briskly with his long legs, Kufa caught up to Kshana just as they stepped out of the entrance into the front courtyard. Melida peeked out from the shadow of the open door to watch their exchange.

"Lady Kshana, do you truly intend to kill Lord Serge?"

Kshana turned back to him, framed against the well-maintained hedges.

"Naturally. I do intend to."

"It's impossible. You cannot kill him."

"Oh?"

Kshana turned her entire body around to face him.

Melida could feel the static electricity crackling in the air.

"Then are you saying you can kill him?"

"I will kill him, without mercy."

"..."

That was the entirety of their exchange.

Kshana didn't say another word in return and spun on her heel. She opened the unattended gates with practiced ease, avoided the bloodstains on the ground, and disappeared beyond the smog.

With a sigh that seemed to escape his back, Kufa turned around to head back inside.

As he closed the front door, Melida greeted him in the entryway.

"Sensei..."

"My Lady."

The two of them absentmindedly sat down on a long bench in the hallway.

What should she say to him...?

Before Melida had time to hesitate, Kufa turned his entire body to face her.

"My Lady. It's been bothering me since I laid you down in bed during the day, but"

"Yes? Kyaah!?"

He shamelessly flipped open the front of her sheet.

She was still wearing that overly daring lingerie that a fourteen-year-old little lady should absolutely never wear. Her tutor inspected her from top to bottom, as if to express how deplorable it was.

"What is the meaning of this? This shameless outfit."

"Hau! T-T-This is, well, it seems to be a tradition for bridal showers...!"

"Good grief... You truly are a helpless lady."

Muttering that, Kufa simply wrapped his arms around Melida.

"Se... Sensei?"

Hugging was that the right word? Regardless, he was pressing his full weight against her. Resting his head on her delicate shoulder, he pulled her waist in so tightly she felt she might snap. There was nothing indecent about the hand stroking her thigh; rather, it felt as though he was simply finding solace in the smoothness of her bare skin.

He spoke in a sleepy voice.

"You're so warm, My Lady."

Melida gathered the sheet that had been flipped open and wrapped it around herself again, pulling Kufa's back into it as well. She hugged the motionless young man's back and gently stroked the hair on the back of his head.

Wasn't there something clever she could say? Couldn't she comfort him with her actions...?

There had never been a time she felt more resentful of her position as his immature student than right now.

For example, what would Rosetti Pricket, an equal partner to him, do? Or if it were her cousin Elise, who possessed such bold initiative, would she be able to cheer him up?

All Melida could think to do was quietly stay by his side and continue stroking his head until his tightly frozen heart could thaw...

† † † 

The night before the wedding.

In other words, the night before the decisive battle for those preparing to fight. The tension in the Celesteteles Triumphal Arch District, the neighbor to the Holy King District, was reaching its peak. Responding to the call, about two thousand warriors had made their way to the forest just barely enough to face an all-out clash with the Werewolf Tribe.

The results from the Child of Prophecy's pirate radio broadcasts over the past few days were particularly significant...

When five hundred reinforcements stepped forward at the very last moment after learning of her struggles, a massive cheer erupted, shaking the wrought iron structures of the Triumphal Arch District to their core!

...And yet, what about myself?

That girl who is younger than me is working so hard, but I...

Rosetti Pricket's thoughts invariably sank into negativity.

They were in the female officers' quarters. Right now, she was in the first-floor lobby, which connected to the male officers' quarters via a connecting corridor. Whether she stayed in her room, went out into the city, or met her comrades, she felt uncomfortable.

She blamed the uniform she wasn't used to wearing.

It was the pure white knight uniform of the Crest Legion, which she had only worn a handful of times.

The symbol of aspiration for all warriors belonging to a cavalry guild...

When she first received this uniform, she was supposed to be filled with hope, but why, oh why, did this "pure white" feel so heavy now? It felt too stiff, as if it was stiffening her spine. Perhaps because it wasn't broken in yet, it was hard to raise her shoulders or rotate her arms.

With things like this, would she even be able to fight properly tomorrow?

As a member of the Crest Legion, would she be able to show a fight that wouldn't bring shame upon the warriors around her?

"Rose-sensei."

She snapped her head up.

Perhaps because she hadn't returned to her room for so long, her student had come from the women's quarters to fetch her. And Rosetti was taken aback. Elise Angel was clad in the St. Friedeswiede Girls' Academy's battle dress, a Paladin's longsword resting on her hip.

It was a complete battle setup. Rosetti reflexively stood up from the sofa.

"W-What's the matter? Lady Elise. Why are you dressed like that...!"

"Someone from the guild I met at the dormitory told me, 'Please get ready for battle.'"

"You don't need to do that, Lady Elise!"

Grabbing her student's slender shoulders, she peered into her sorrowful eyes.

Behind those eyes like ice crystals, Rosetti saw a swaying emotion.

"...But Lida, Kufa-sensei... and Sala and Mule must be fighting too."

"Leave it to me! Whether it's werewolves or whatever, I'll send all the bad guys flying. I'll show you how cool your teacher can be!"

A whistle echoed sharply.

When the two of them turned around, a group was emerging from the corridor to the men's dormitory.

They were wearing the same pure white knight uniform as Rosetti.

"Did you hear that, everyone? It seems the Career Marquis is playing the part of a tutor."

"Isn't she much better suited for that than the Crest Legion?"

As one of them twisted his lips in a sneer, the others quickly followed suit.

"After all, in a one-on-one, see, there's no chance of accidentally attacking her!"

"I feel so bad for Grena..."

"Stop it, you guys."

The shortest, and youngest, of the young men admonished his comrades.

That caused the others to fall silent. The young man was seemingly the most skilled among the Crest Legion, meaning he was highly respected by many and held a lot of sway.

He glared at Rosetti intently.

"Your reinstatement is temporary."

Elise sensitively noticed Rosetti's shoulders tremble and looked up at her.

She wore a face full of mixed emotions, the face of a tutor that she definitely didn't want to show.

The young man Rosetti's senior in the Crest Legion continued coldly.

"The battle will be brutal. We don't need allies who will just drag us down."

"Yes..."

"You will always follow my instructions. When there are no orders, stay on standby at the rear of the unit."

One of them laughed mockingly.

"Oh, wouldn't it be better to have her in the front? For us, that is"

"Shut up. Let's go."

Tapping the man's chest sharply with his index finger, the young man started walking again.

Showering them with blatant sneers, the knights passed by them...

The last one, a large man, patted Rosetti on the shoulder.

It was Galeo, the knight who had escorted Elise all the way to the Triumphal Arch District.

"Well, don't tense up so much."

He waved his hand languidly.

"Nobody's expecting much from you anyway."

Spitting venom with his usual seemingly malice-free attitude...

He walked away with his comrades. As they exited the lobby, their laughter echoed.

"Rose-sensei..."

At her student's voice, Rosetti bit her lower lip, unable to answer.

She tried to come up with an excuse, but couldn't help feeling utterly helpless.

It's so frustrating...

If it were Kufa, he would never let his student feel uneasy. He would never show such a pathetic display. Or if it were that senior she respected so much, she would undoubtedly act resolute even among these skilled male knights.

But she had failed to reach that point...

Of the three knights, including Galeo, who had come to the Cardinals School District to pick them up, Arden was gravely injured, and the remaining one stood against a pack of wolves to let everyone escape...

And now, she was wearing this white uniform in her stead.

She was terrified that they were thinking, If only she were here instead of you.

"Grena-senpai...”"

The words that slipped out of her mouth wouldn't reach the person in question, of course.

But they reached the one person she didn't want to hear from them.

Only Elise heard the tearful voice of her tutor.

† † †

Are these faint marks on her cheeks from tears?

Serge Shiksal quietly pulled his hand back from the coffin. The solemn box was filled to the brim with flowers, and the body of a single woman lay there, looking as if she were asleep.

It was his mother, Dilita Shiksal.

The fact that she was framed as the culprit of the Ripper Incident was a trivial matter now.

What was more surprising was that she, who should have completely turned into a Loup-garou long ago, was found in this healthy state. It was the beautiful form of his mother that he thought he could only see in photographs as Serge went to touch her cheek one more time, he stopped himself.

He shook his head.

"It seems we have no choice but to accept it."

A voice echoed coldly.

They were in a room in the Clock Tower, the landmark of the Holy King District. He had firmly taken his mother's body and hidden it here. Would he be able to bury her in an appropriate place when the time came?

Before that, would he be able to give Salacha time to say goodbye, even just once?

How much would she grieve...?

"Tomorrow is finally the wedding, huh."

He closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them.

He turned his face to the other side.

"I'm glad I could talk with you all."

The interior of the Clock Tower was a museum, and Serge wasn't the only one inside.

There was one, two figures wrapped in robes, hiding their faces with hoods pulled low...

No, another one appeared. From the darkness beyond, footsteps approached timidly. That person was neither wearing a robe nor hiding his face.

An ordinary man wearing a slightly outdated suit...

Blossom Pricket, the "former" Marquis. Three sets of eyes pierced him. He pretended not to notice the two hooded figures and turned to face Serge, who wore a gentle expression.

"S-Serge Shiksal, Your Excellency..."

"Hello. It's been a while, Blossom-san. How is the air of the outside world after several months?"

He was a criminal. Despite being the adoptive father of the Career Marquis  Rosetti Pricket, he had joined hands with Lycanthropes and selfishly turned an entire city into an experimental test site. Just how many people had fallen victim to him... Last spring, his plot was finally exposed, and Blossom was arrested along with the subjugation of the Lycanthropes he was sent to prison.

Perhaps due to his long confinement, Blossom's cheeks were somewhat hollow.

"I-I've heard rumors about you even in prison... You're quite flashy! To think you'd come up with something as unprecedented as allying with the Lycanthropes...!"

"Fufu, there are various circumstances involved."

"A-And, why was I released?"

His sentence spanned decades.

He was told that his sentence was significantly reduced due to the instigation by the Lycanthropes, but Blossom never dreamed he would be able to see the outside world again in less than a year.

As if it didn't matter, Serge laughed cheerfully.

"Suddenly, I found myself in need of another collaborator. A villainous collaborator."

"V-Villainous?"

"That's right. A person who can kill a large number of unrelated people without hesitation"

A chill ran down Blossom's spine, feeling as though his heart had been sliced open by the knife of his words.

You're perfect for the job, aren't you? Serge showed an innocent smile.

"Blossom-san, you deceived me for a long time, didn't you? Even though I asked you to find out if there was a way to return a Loup-garou back to a human, a way to break that kind of curse... you and that Lycanthrope named Naqua just bled me dry of research funds and spent all your time on experiments for your own sake..."

"T-That's..."

"It's fine, I won't hold it against you now."

He flashed an understanding smile.

If you associated with him enough, you would know what that smile meant.

Gauging his expression, Blossom squeezed out his voice.

"W-What do you want me to do...?"

"It's nothing difficult. You won't even have to get your hands dirty directly."

He continued nonchalantly, playing with his hands.

"Tomorrow, at the time I specify, I want you to go to the Rainbow Oil Supply Workshop Flamel Line Central Bureau and open the pressure valves to their maximum. That's your only job."

"I-If I do that, what will happen...?"

"A major accident will occur"

Serge smirked, like a child confessing a prank.

"The pushback from the Torch Knights of the Torch Knight Guild was more than I expected. I figured I'd throw in a little surprise."

He shifted his gaze slightly, looking at the wall on the opposite side.

Two robed figures were standing there, seemingly melting into the darkness, and just now, one of them shifted slightly. Serge returned his gaze to Blossom, putting emotion into his voice.

"You wouldn't possibly refuse, would you?"

"W-Well..."

"You, a liar and a murderer."

The verbal whip seemed to crush him. The middle-aged man hunched his back.

Eventually, he answered in that pathetic posture.

"I-I will accept..."

"Oh, I thought you would say that! Did you hear that, Fizz?"

Blossom jumped in surprise. A "fifth person" had appeared behind him before he knew it.

It was Lady Freesia, who would be marrying none other than Serge Shiksal tomorrow. She wasn't wearing a dress, but her familiar combat uniform for cold regions.

She seemed completely sober, her gaze sharp.

She held her hand over her shadow, and wolves began pouring out of it one after another. The two robed figures remained unfazed, but Blossom shrieked with every wolf that appeared, jumping around in panic.

After all, those wolves surrounded Blossom, bearing their fangs ferociously.

The adorable demeanor they had shown Melida during the day was nowhere to be found.

Freesia's childhood friends, all seven of them mobilized, blocked Blossom's escape route.

Serge said without a shred of malice.

"They are your escorts. It's going to get noisy tomorrow... so you'll be safe as long as you follow them."

"That is... incredibly... reassuring...!"

In reality, they were "watchdogs".

If Blossom tried to abandon the plan at a crucial moment tomorrow, the wolves would deliver punishment in place of the absent Serge. With their claws and fangs, absolute weapons...

At any rate, having subdued Blossom, Serge seemed fully prepared.

He sang in a good mood.

"The year the green dragon dons the crown"

Blossom frowned.

It was a poem he had heard leaking in from the outside world time and time again, even while he was in prison.

"A noble hunting tribe will visit the city of lights. The king of the city will pledge friendship to them, and the hunting tribe will bring a great harvest to the city. The anger of the armies will soon be appeased by fine wine. The city of lights will be reborn as the city of the moon, and the people will rejoice and sing the song of rebirth"

It was a prophetic poem said to document future events.

But the second half of the poem shouldn't be very amusing for Serge...

Yet, why was it?

Serge spun the words with genuine lightness.

"However, that song will not be heard until the end. For light will appear with a new day. The light will lead warriors in white robes, lighting bonfires in the city of the moon. The armies trapped in intoxication will also regain their swords. Soon, the force of the fire will burn away the throne, and the sun born at the peak of the city will awaken the fools. ...The green dragon, its wings torn off, lies fallen on the ground!"

He threw his arms open dramatically.

The two robed figures, as expected, didn't move an inch.

Blossom was beginning to realize the true nature of the discomfort he felt towards Serge.

He looked satisfied.

He was smiling.

"A light in human form. A golden brilliance that arrives with the dawn. The name of that child of God is—"

At that point, he slowly lowered his eyelids, ending his solo concert.

But the look on his face at that moment appeared truly peaceful to Blossom's eyes.

—As if to say the time that was meant to come had finally arrived.