Published: February 1, 2026
Like a solitary murmur, a glossy voice quietly fell into the silence.
"I see, huh."
Inside the library, where the clamor outside could not reach, Arim nodded several times beneath the cloth.
Then, he quietly looked at Rizel sitting in the chair before him. The person who had just now revealed the truth behind the unprecedented magic circle that had attacked the royal palace was apparently someone who had been imprisoned until very recently for causing the commotion.
The faint smile that hinted they would do as they pleased in their own country was cold somehow, yet invisible to anyone’s eyes.
"We have to find out where the underground passage leaked from, too, right?"
Apart from Arim, only the king, his younger brother just below him, and the captain of the royal palace guard for generations knew about this. Because of its high confidentiality, people only visited once a year for inspections, and there had never been any abnormalities.
Thinking that Rizel must have investigated thoroughly, Arim turned his gaze toward the library door.
"Does he... know anything?"
"I wonder. If he was involved in the exchange right in front of him, he might remember."
Beyond the library door, Quattro waited for Rizel to come out.
Arim had already heard everything about Quattro's true identity. Naturally, since he couldn’t be allowed to stand before the royal family as the cause of the commotion, he was kept outside under guard and was probably dazed under the watchful eyes of the soldiers.
By the way, the guards were not there to monitor Quattro specifically. They were soldiers assigned to protect each member of the royal family during the royal palace incident.
"He is—"
Suddenly, Arim slipped one arm out through a gap in the cloth.
His hand rested on the book on the desk and then slid down onto the desk itself. Without any intention, the golden decoration on his wrist made a clinking sound.
"He is, your teacher?"
The long, dark fingers gently tapped the desk as if to check something.
Rizel didn’t look at the hand at all. Looking at Arim through the cloth, he smiled reassuringly.
"I’ve already told him to behave until I come to pick him up."
"Heh, heh."
In an expressionless voice, yet seeming amused, Arim laughed. Although he hadn’t received a clear answer, it was enough.
Given the country’s position, they certainly couldn't overlook Quattro, who was a conspirator. But with Rizel, if he wanted to, he could easily cover up the fact of being an accomplice.
Arim thought it meant he was to be judged, but Rizel explicitly said he would go to pick him up. That probably meant they would lend him as an important witness.
"From what I heard, he wasn’t involved in this by his own will."
After all, he was a slave. Arim accepted this without surprise, which was unusual.
"After some detention, he'll be released—something like that? If he cooperates with information, at least."
"I’ll tell him later. But I don’t think he knows much."
"That’s fine."
Arim nodded, satisfied as long as the name of the culprit who led the followers was mentioned.
After all, that was the name that probably wouldn’t come up among the followers. But if they could grasp that, they could negotiate strongly against Sars.
Remembering his brother who hid behind the guise of a diplomat and played around, Arim stood up.
"Then, I’ll report to the king (that guy)."
Originally, Arim had been holed up in the library to investigate the magic circle that had appeared briefly overhead. No one had seen it, and it had been so fleeting that no one remembered the details, yet he was tasked with investigating it.
He had intended to deduce its identity from the effects it caused, but thanks to Rizel, he had a lead. The next step was to deal with the demonic birds affected and showing abnormalities.
"Ah, then—"
"Teacher, stay just as you are."
Just as Rizel was about to stand up, Arim interrupted with his sweet, calm voice.
Seeing the unfamiliar sight of Rizel wearing the jacket of the person standing next to him, Arim had no intention of asking why, as he immediately understood.