By Zephyria 
Two years ago, the year I had my Debutante. There was a deployment of over a hundred Imperial Knights. Their belongings were used as mediums for Aventa Bump.
However, I hadn’t heard of anyone disappearing from Sierren last year. Instead, over eighty mercenaries disappeared from Owen in two separate incidents.
This year, over a hundred people vanished during the new year festival, and now, as summer begins to wane…
Hugh Benson and Marianne fell into thought with their food untouched.
As the uneaten dishes grew cold, Tedros and Elvin returned. Their pale faces told me how arduous their day had been. The moment she entered the room, she offered an apology before any greeting.
“…I couldn’t find any special traces from the families I met with today. I’m sorry. Among the nobles currently staying in Bardiol, there’s no one who would meet separately with the First Prince… Owen isn’t a country with the capacity to interfere with Sierren’s next successor…”
Tedros, who usually had a bright, cheerful smile, had become serious in his tone and respectful in his demeanor, given the gravity of the situation. There was no need for lengthy explanations. Cutting off her attempt to say more, he asked,
“You know about the annex of the Diamant mansion?”
“…Yes? Yes. The one you reported on recently…”
“Are there many such annexes in Owen?”
Tedros didn’t answer immediately. I knew he was contemplating to articulate his thoughts more clearly, so we all watched his lips in silence. After about a minute, his answer came.
“…Yes, there are. Specifically, annexes with seven rooms are Semora-Gula, meaning spaces to worship gods. They are usually kept empty and lent to clerics when there’s a need to receive a Divine Revelation. A decent mansion typically has one to over five Semora-Gula.”
“There are six gods, so why seven rooms?”
“In Owen.”
Hugh Benson couldn’t suppress a rising sigh and ran his hands through his hair.
“Because they also worship the Ninth God. It’s natural for there to be seven living gods. Damn it, what is this? I should have known something was wrong when they were laying mercenaries in the Semora-Gula, you crazy…”
There it is.
There was no proof. It was just a feeling.
Somewhere among the noble mansions of Owen, Rubel would be. I would get my child back, even if I had to tear everything down. I already knew how to break Magic Formulas with a sword. What did it matter if there was a great commotion? After it was over, I would kneel before the Emperor of Sierren and beg forgiveness, saying it was to save your son.
With that resolve, I flung open the door and moved to leave, but Elvin blocked my path with his body. His sharp jawline seemed to brush against the top of my head.
Marianne, letting out a sigh against my back, asked in a withered voice,
“…Teddy. How many mansions in Bardiol have Semora-Gula?”
“…Four hundred and eighty-two.”
“482?”
“…Yes.”
I bit my lip hard. I couldn’t stand the rage. Gasping for breath, I lowered my head, and Elvin patted my shoulder a couple of times. This was no time to show weakness. I raised my head, my eyes bloodshot.
“…Then.”
My voice trembled, the rising anger difficult to suppress. All I could do was refrain from emitting Murderous Intent.
“Where should we start checking?”
❖ ❖ ❖
There was no distinction between night and day.
Because Semora-Gula were spaces for worshipping gods, those who hadn’t undergone special Purification rituals were forbidden from approaching them. However, the shrines still needed cleaning. I announced that we would focus on the mansions that hadn’t been checked yet, excluding those already confirmed by Tedros’s informants.
The informants could inspect the interiors by disguising themselves as servants, maids, or laborers delivering food or letters, entrusting themselves to the mansion’s staff. However, since our appearances didn’t match and we didn’t have much time, we had to find another method.
Once again, Marianne and Elvin paired up with me and Hugh.
Marianne decided to check mansions with magical defenses weak enough for her to infiltrate. Naturally, she took charge of the mansions in Sector 7 and parts of Sector 8. Hugh Benson and I decided to hide near those entering and leaving, timing our entry to inspect the mansions.
But easier said than done, it took at least an hour to thoroughly search just one mansion.
Because of those magical barriers, there was no way to quietly enter a mansion. Every time we couldn’t enter the gates due to a lack of people coming and going, the urge to reveal my title and identity and demand my child be returned surged within me.
But I couldn’t act recklessly. What if the kidnappers, startled, harmed Ruben?
Before leaving one mansion and entering the next, I stroked the bead of my graduation token.
[This is good!]
I heard the voice of the young Ranunculus chattering,
[Sing… I’ll play the song first.]
And the voice of a nervous Ruben taking a shallow breath.
How many times did this repeat? At some point, a faint clump of Mana appeared at the edge of my vision. It disappeared when I blinked, and reappeared when I looked away. It looked like dust, or sometimes like fog.
Am I going mad? Or perhaps I’m seeing illusions from using Artifacts too much. But without hearing Ruben’s voice, it was difficult to keep my mind straight, so I couldn’t bear to stop. I rubbed the gem of the Artifact once more. And then I caressed it again.
Then I felt a little more energized. Ruben would be alive. He would be waiting for me. Wasn’t that always the case? Ruben always…
Just as I was about to be consumed by the surging Inner Demon again, something blue suddenly stuck to the back of my hand. The piece of Mana that had been at the edge of my vision coalesced and pounced.
[Hello!]
…What is this now?
The overwhelming anger subsided slightly at the surreal sight.
It was less than a foot tall, translucent, and its insides were visible. It looked like a small girl with a pair of dragonfly wings on her back, her skirt billowing down to her knees, fluttering. Every time it flapped its wings, I felt an itch in my ears as if I could hear a soft rustling sound.
As I, startled, couldn’t respond in time, it tapped my hand with its small hand, fitting its size, and greeted me again.
[Hello, handsome groom! Are you looking for your bride?]
“…Huh.”
A large breath escaped my lips involuntarily.
Whether it was because my plea was heard or it was naturally capable, it spoke in a strange way. It wasn’t quite Sound Transmission, feeling more ticklish, nor Divine Speech, having a greater resonance.
I suppressed the urge to grab the creature chattering in a girl’s voice. Knowing my desperate state, as if I were drowning and grasping for a straw, I asked again in the most gentle tone possible.
[How did you know that?]
[I am the wind! I saw everything. You were crying your eyes out after losing your bride! I know it all.]
…When did I cry? But that wasn’t important.
[Is my child, is my child here?]
[No! But I came to find out where they are.]
Only I was in a hurry; the creature remained nonchalant throughout. It smiled brightly and fluttered gently.
I felt eyes on me and looked at Hugh Benson. Hugh watched with narrowed eyes, then shook his head and gestured towards the creature on my hand again. It meant he couldn’t hear but could see. Then, he silently mouthed what the creature in front of me was.
‘Spirit.’
…A Spirit? The one that liked pretty things?
Suppressing my desire to lean on it for reassurance, I asked the Spirit again.
[Can you guide me to where my child is?]
[Yes! But if I help the groom, the groom must help me too. Otherwise…]
[Yes, anything. I will help with anything. So, hurry.]
[Great! A promise?]
[Yes.]
[Really, anything?]
[Yes.]
I had no room to haggle. Then, the child smiled and rested its forehead on my hand.
Pong. Three concentric circles, like pebbles thrown into a stream, spread from the point of contact with the Spirit. A cool Mana sensation seeped into the mark, resembling a brand. Hugh Benson clicked his tongue briefly.
The strange energy, neither Magic nor Aura, didn’t leave my hand. The Spirit, letting out a delighted giggle, shot upwards and spun around three times in place. Like a willow leaf falling from a tall tree. Then it shouted loudly.
[Let’s go! This way.]
It was in a completely different direction from where we intended to go.
Without me needing to explain anything further, Hugh Benson nodded and immediately fell in behind me. The Spirit led the way, and I followed. As I chased after the short fairy, it felt like I was dreaming.
We didn’t bother to scold it for heading only on paths not meant for people. If it was faster that way, my body’s hardship was a hundred times better. Both Hugh and I were skilled in movement techniques, so we followed without difficulty.
We ran on drainpipes atop rounded roofs and leaped over the fences of other people’s houses. The Spirit, confirming we were following well, whistled excitedly. Its high singing voice buzzed in my ears like the sound of a gayageum.
Occasionally, we wasted time because the Spirit insisted on a path that was impossible for humans to traverse. Still, I couldn’t get angry. Not knowing when this Spirit’s whims would end, I had to treat it as kindly as possible.
After a long while, we arrived at a quiet street.
Hugh Benson, sensing my pent-up emotions, glanced around the street and murmured softly,
“Ninth Street, Number 27? We came quickly.”
“…Quickly?”
“To get here while avoiding people’s eyes, we would have had to take a long detour. There would have been a couple of gates too. This is pretty fast.”
[That’s right! I’m smart.]
“…Yes.”
After all, that’s… That’s right. Surprisingly, we hadn’t encountered a single person while following the Spirit’s guidance. To inform Hugh Benson of our conversation, I deliberately opened my mouth and asked the Spirit again.
“So, where is the child?”
[Over there!]
But where was “over there”?
If I had more composure, I would have been amazed and delighted. But I had no room for such feelings and just wanted to urge it on. As I hurried it along, the Spirit fluttered up again.