The Signal Flare

Eisel sat still for a long time, her face flushed bright red, before she finally managed to pick herself up. Soon after, Zeto rose ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the ground and thoroughly dusted off his coat.

"That was a close call."

"..."

Eisel still couldn't bring herself to lift her head. Meanwhile, Sierra was clinging to Zeto's shoulder, glaring intensely at Eisel.

'A thoroughly calculated move... She is indeed no ordinary girl.'

Sierra believed that even if Zeto had been fooled, she herself could never be deceived. Zeto, however, hadn't really been fooled; he merely harbored a small doubt.

'Why didn't she catch it?'

He was simply wondering why Eisel hadn't grabbed the Mustere when she had the chance.

Eventually, Eisel, her head still lowered, was the first to speak.

"I realized at the very last second that I shouldn't kill it... I'm sorry."

"...That can happen. Shall we try a different approach, then?"

Zeto let it slide without much thought.

Meanwhile, watching them secretly from the other side of the forest, Yuri and Lucia...

"Y-Y-Yuri! Fire! Fire! The whole forest is going to burn down at this rate...!"

Lucia's voice was urgent as she flailed her arms in a frantic panic.

Embers were crackling and sparking around Yuri, who was staring blankly at Zeto and Eisel. It was an unconscious reaction. While magic was not typically easily influenced by emotions, Yuri had been born with a natural talent for fire magic and had grown up consuming fire-related elixirs like the 'Salamander's Tail', raising her affinity to the absolute limit. Because of this, her fire magic was highly susceptible to her emotional state.

In particular, anger served as excellent kindling.

Indeed, Yuri was currently extremely angry. It was an emotion she hadn't felt in quite some time. The 'anger' she had naturally forgotten after meeting Zeto and spending time with him was now blazing furiously within her.

She had to endure it. She couldn't show such an ugly display of anger in front of Zeto. Besides, she had no real justification to begin with. It was likely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just a coincidence. It was just that the man who was her closest 'friend' was tangled up on the ground with a girl who, just last night, had been reading a book titled '101 Ways to Captivate a Man'...

'...Was it really a coincidence?'

Yuri suddenly recalled the words of her father, Geras.

'Love, you see. If you miss the right moment, it becomes quite a painful endeavor.'

At the time, Geras had been asking about Eisel, and Yuri hadn't understood why he had said such a thing.

'So you would be perfectly fine even if Miss Eisel and Lord Zeto whispered sweet nothings right in front of you?'

But now, she felt like she finally understood.

She was not fine at all. For some reason, a surge of wrath was boiling up inside her.

After confirming that Zeto and Eisel had stood up, Yuri took a deep, slow breath.

"...Phew."

Ash-colored smoke escaped her lips, as if she were extinguishing the flames of her anger.

Yuri was confused. Did she truly like Zeto? Or was this just a selfish sense of possessiveness? It felt vastly different from the fairy-tale love she had read about since childhood; she could feel that it was deeply, profoundly twisted.

That was why she was so terribly confused.

"Squeak!"

The Mustere, now perched atop Zeto's head, let out a cute cry, seemingly in high spirits.

"To catch it so easily..."

Eisel said, looking up at the Mustere. A faint trace of regret lingered in her voice.

"...I heard that Musteres are very fond of honey," Zeto replied, feeding a piece of honeycomb dripping with honey to the creature on his head. This was knowledge he had acquired from playing a 'Beast Tamer' class in the game.

Though there had been a few twists and turns, Eisel and Zeto had successfully captured the Mustere.

As a bonus, Zeto had also figured out how to adjust the waves of his Ki Sense. Gathering his Ki and sending out a massive wave allowed him to perceive far away, but there was a delay in the returning information, and the details weren't very precise. Conversely, emitting a narrower wave allowed him to perceive his immediate surroundings in extreme detail.

The maximum range of the wave was quite broad. Zeto figured that if he invested skill points into it, he would be able to receive even more detailed information over an even wider area.

Next, Zeto's vision captured Eisel, who was staring at the Mustere with wide, sparkling eyes. He offered the honeycomb in his hand to her.

"Would you like to feed it, Miss Eisel?"

Confirming that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the honeycomb had been handed over to Eisel, the Mustere quickly hopped down from Zeto's head and into Eisel's arms. Finding the creature clinging to her incredibly adorable, Eisel parted her lips slightly and focused entirely on it. She was surprisingly weak to cute things.

Her hand trembled slightly as she offered the piece of honeycomb. Soon, the Mustere squeaked and happily nibbled on it.

Zeto smiled, finding both the excited Mustere and the cautious Eisel quite endearing.

Once they returned to Edward, their class would end early. Those who hadn't caught a Mustere yet would still have to wander the forest, though.

As they were heading back to Edward with the Mustere, Eisel suddenly grabbed Zeto's arm.

"Since class ended early... would you like to have lunch together?" Eisel asked, tilting her head slightly. The Mustere sitting on her head tilted its head in unison with her.

Zeto pondered for a moment.

'I was planning to go learn a skill...'

But a single meal wouldn't take long. He had plenty of time.

'Will we be eating Harold's curry?'

Although Harold's spicy curry was still a bit much for him, he realized he hadn't spent much time with Eisel lately.

Just as he was about to answer her, Zeto suddenly turned his head slightly backward. Through his Ki Sense, he had detected the presence of people approaching them at a rapid pace.

Eisel turned her head as well, sensing them shortly after.

Before long, the figures approached Zeto and Eisel. Among them, a blue-haired girl spoke while panting heavily.

"Um... Y-Yuri... please, slow... down..."

It was Yuri and Lucia.

"Ah... Oh... Mr. Zeto, Miss Eisel!"

Lucia's eyes went wide upon spotting them. She waved brightly, her exhaustion seemingly vanishing in an instant. Unlike the cheerful Lucia, Yuri, who stood beside her, wore an utterly indifferent expression.

'Finally caught up.'

While Lucia was simply glad to have run into Zeto and Eisel by chance, this was an entirely intentional approach on Yuri's part.

"...What a coincidence, meeting here. We just caught ours and were on our way back, too."

As Yuri spoke, she held a Mustere by the scruff of its neck. After confirming that Zeto and Eisel had caught theirs, Yuri had desperately captured one herself before chasing after them.

"Squeak..."

The Mustere held in Yuri's grasp let out a depressing whimper.

"Hiss!"

Sensing the plight of its fellow creature, the Mustere on Eisel's head bared its teeth and hissed.

"...Indeed. Quite a coincidence," Eisel replied, her face turning cold.

'Why is she interfering?'

Eisel barely managed to hold back a click of her tongue.

Ignoring Eisel's response, Yuri stepped right up to Zeto and linked her arm with his. It was a firm lock, as if declaring she wouldn't let him go this time. Driven by her rushing emotions, Yuri unconsciously pressed her chest against Zeto's arm.

"Zeto. Let's eat lunch together after class."

Although she was asking Zeto, Yuri's eyes were fixed in a sharp glare on Eisel, who stood beside him.

Immediately, Eisel grabbed Zeto's other arm, linking hers as well.

"Hmm... Zeto already promised to eat with me."

Eisel glared back at Yuri.

'Get lost and stop bothering us,' her eyes clearly said.

"That was when you two were alone... but since we ran into each other like this... shouldn't we ask Zeto again?" Yuri asked in a low voice, ignoring Eisel's silent warning.

"..."

Zeto was left utterly speechless.

With Sierra joining the fray inside his head, the situation had devolved into utter chaos. Amidst the sudden madness, Zeto barely managed to catch Lucia's tiny, hesitant voice murmuring from a short distance away.

"U-Um... I'm hungry too..."

"Haha... Then why don't the four of us eat together?"

Zeto offered them the brightest smile he could muster. For him, this was the safest and best possible choice.

"I-I'd love that...!!"

Lucia's face brightened up instantly.

A woman dressed in a spotless white gown stepped into a room filled with a foul, pungent stench.

Waiting inside was Ecklin, the Vice-Commander of the Silver Wing Knights, who immediately spoke up.

"...Saintess."

Bernice offered her a gentle smile.

"Ecklin, I hope I am not late?"

"I kept it alive, just as you ordered."

As Ecklin spoke, dark blood—characteristic of demons—could be seen splattered across various parts of her silver armor.

"...Thank you for your hard work."

At Bernice's words, Ecklin bowed her head.

The knights had received intelligence regarding a warlock who cast curses in exchange for money. Upon investigation, it was revealed to be the work of a demon. Demons ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that specialized in curses were relatively rare; most of them focused on magic utilizing Magi or close-quarters combat through physical enhancement. Bernice had personally ordered them to keep the demon alive for a brief interrogation.

Guided by Ecklin, Bernice stepped further into the room.

"Gasp... Pant... Cough...!"

Slumped against a wall with both of its arms severed, the demon was gasping for breath, spitting out a disgusting black liquid.

"...I would like to speak with it alone for a moment."

Bernice turned her head and said. At her request, Ecklin and the other knights immediately vacated the room.

Bernice approached the demon and knelt down to match its eye level. She stared intently at the creature.

The demon knew exactly who this pure white woman was, and what a 'Saintess' represented to its kind. As it met Bernice's left eye, which seemed as though it could draw in one's very soul, an overwhelming wave of terror washed over the demon.

As the demon's life flashed before its eyes, Bernice tilted her head and asked a question.

"I hear you deal in curses."

"......"

The demon barely managed to nod. It had no desire to answer, but the divine power radiating faintly from her was inflicting a pain so intense it felt as though its skin was being incinerated.

"Then... do you happen to know of a curse engraved upon the heart?"

"..."

When the demon remained silent once more, Bernice increased the intensity of her divine power. Demons were often like this. They were actually much easier to interrogate when they maintained a human guise.

"Aaaargh!!!"

The demon shrieked in agonizing pain.

"Your answer?"

Bernice asked coldly, temporarily withdrawing her divine power.

Trembling violently, the demon finally opened its mouth.

After some time had passed, Bernice walked out of the room.

"...Could you retrieve the horn?"

At her calm voice, a young knight who had only recently joined the order stepped into the room. The demon had been burned to the point where its original form was barely recognizable, with smoke still rising from its charred remains. Holding her nose against the horrific stench, the young knight retrieved the horn.

Leaning against the wall, Ecklin asked Bernice as she walked out with a serene expression.

"How did it go?"

"Well... we did manage to get something out of it," Bernice replied with a bright smile.

She had obtained the answer she wanted, but the mystery had not been resolved.

Stepping outside, Bernice tapped her lips gently, lost in thought.

'To think there is only one curse that can be engraved upon the heart... Is it even a curse in the first place?'