"...That's strange, I was sure it was you, but you also look familiar in some other way."

Christine furrowed her brow, carefully examining Maxime, who was barely clinging to life. His sharp features, black hair, and eyes stood out clearly, even with his face smeared in blood and something else's filth.

"Maybe not..."

She continued to scrutinize him before shaking her head. Just as Maxime began to think he should ask for some healing, Christine placed her hand over his chest. The familiar warmth of her golden magic began to radiate from her palm.

"First of all, thank you for saving me. I didn’t even get the chance to thank you properly. I don’t know what possessed you to come all this way and get hurt like this for me..."

Christine’s face flushed with embarrassment as she realized she hadn’t expressed her gratitude sooner. Despite her embarrassment, the healing magic from her hand continued to soothe Maxime’s battered body.

"Thank you so much. As Christine Watson, a mage, I swear on my mana that I will never forget this debt."

Maxime didn’t have the strength to respond and could only nod slightly. As the tension in his body faded, the intense pain he’d been holding at bay started to surge. He could feel every injury: the gaping wounds from the tentacles that had pierced him, the internal damage from overusing his mana, the broken bones scattered across his body, and most notably, his utterly ruined right arm.

"My God... What in the world happened to your right arm?" Christine’s expression darkened as she examined his arm. Even a light touch from her hand sent waves of excruciating pain through him, so intense he nearly wanted to scream. Christine sighed as she watched Maxime grimace in pain.

"Well, at least you can still feel the pain. That means there’s hope for recovery. If you couldn’t feel it, we’d have to amputate."

Christine spoke casually, though her words were unnervingly grim. She gently applied her healing magic to his right arm. Maxime could feel the warm, golden magic gradually working its way through his arm, lessening the agony bit by bit.

For a while, Christine continued her healing. During this time, she also used a cleaning spell to wipe the grime from Maxime’s face. She eyed him carefully, as though searching for something, but eventually gave up, a little disappointed when she didn’t find the face she was looking for. As Maxime regained some strength, he let out a shallow breath.

"Thank you."

Christine’s expression changed briefly, surprised at hearing his voice, before quickly returning to normal.

"No, no. I should be the one thanking you a hundred times over... But, am I really alive?"

She spoke with a tinge of uncertainty, her hand resting on her chest as though recalling the vivid memory of her last moments. Maxime, still struggling, nodded.

"Yes, you’re alive. You were kidnapped and imprisoned in the underground dungeon beneath the Mage Tower, where dark mages were secretly conducting their experiments."

"The Mage Tower's underground...?"

Christine’s face stiffened. She glanced around and bit her lip. Maxime watched her carefully before she lowered her voice, looking more serious.

"Who sent you here?"

The abruptness and suspicion of her question caught Maxime off guard. He blinked in surprise before answering.

"By the order of His Majesty, the King."

Christine’s confusion only deepened at Maxime’s response, her expression growing more perplexed as she tried to piece things together.

"His Majesty...? How could he know about this place? Those old fools put so much effort into hiding it…"

Christine pondered to herself, muttering quietly. Then, with a mix of caution and curiosity, she asked Maxime another question, her face full of skepticism.

"Who exactly are you?"

For a brief moment, Maxime debated telling her the truth—that he was, in fact, Maxime Apart, disguised as the fictitious Arsen Bern through the use of a special concoction. But…

'Not yet.'

He couldn’t reveal everything now. His injuries clouded his judgment, and this wasn’t the right moment to share the truth. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"I am Arsen Bern, a member of the First Royal Guard, serving His Majesty."

Maxime’s firm declaration made Christine nod, though she seemed slightly skeptical.

"How did His Majesty learn about this place? And even if he knew, why would he go so far as to send the Royal Guard just to rescue me...?"

Maxime sighed quietly.

"His Majesty hasn’t entirely given up his grasp on the royal power. He still has his own plans and sources of information. Rescuing you was part of uncovering the hidden agenda behind the Mage Tower’s dark experiments."

Christine’s eyes widened at the mention of "sources of information." Of course, Maxime was the only person aware of the full situation.

"Sources...? Then... do you happen to know someone named Maxime Apart? He’s tall, has brown hair, and looks like someone who wouldn’t even harm a bug..."

Wouldn't harm a bug, huh? Maxime couldn’t help but smirk inwardly at that description. When this disguise wore off, he’d definitely need to check a mirror. He shrugged and replied with a feigned ignorance.

"I wouldn’t know. I only follow His Majesty’s orders. I’m not privy to the identities or intentions of his informants."

Sorry, Christine. Maxime silently apologized while maintaining his facade. Christine’s expression fell slightly, and she looked down, a bit crestfallen. Maxime had to stifle a chuckle at how dejected she appeared. Christine finished her healing, removing her hand from Maxime’s body, and began scanning their surroundings cautiously.

"...We should get out of here first. Do you know the way?"

Maxime nodded.

"Yes. I’ll lead the way."

Maxime used the scabbard of his sword to support himself as he stood. At that moment, a powerful presence emanated from the direction of the laboratory. Maxime grimaced, and Christine gathered her mana, preparing for a fight. Sensing the familiarity of the approaching aura, Maxime reached out to stop her.

"Wait..."

"What is it?" Christine asked, still on edge. They could hear footsteps ascending the stairs. Maxime, recognizing the familiar red hair peeking through the doorway, sighed in relief.

"Deputy Commander Aaron."

Aaron, looking slightly tense, relaxed when he saw Maxime, alive and well, standing before him.

"Arsen, you’re alive. Thank goodness."

"And her...?"

"She’s safe. She’s resting in a separate room. You don’t need to worry about her for now."

Aaron turned his attention to the disheveled Christine standing beside Maxime. He could feel the ebb and flow of her considerable mana and narrowed his eyes in approval. She was an impressive mage, and Aaron couldn't help but be impressed as he looked back at Maxime.

"So, is this the old comrade you risked your life to rescue? Even with that messed-up arm of yours, you managed to pull her out of this hellish dungeon. You’re quite something."

Crack.

"Hm?"

The air seemed to freeze, as if it had made an audible sound. Aaron turned to Maxime, who was glaring at him with a look of deep frustration. Aaron’s confused gaze followed Maxime’s to Christine, who was standing there with an oddly fixed expression, mumbling to herself. Aaron took a step back instinctively, wondering what he had said wrong.

"An old comrade...? He risked his life to rescue me...?"

Christine’s voice was eerily calm, yet chilling. Maxime, awkwardly smiling, turned to face her, fully expecting an outburst of both words and blows. However, when he saw Christine’s face, he couldn’t help but lose his smile entirely.

"Senior?"

Her green eyes, brimming with tears, glistened as if they might spill at the slightest touch. Her tear-streaked eyes made Maxime freeze, rooted in place.

"Senior, is it really you? I don’t know why you look like that, but... it’s you, right?"

Her hands clung to his clothes as if pleading for him not to deny it. How could he possibly say no to her like this? Maxime sighed and nodded.

"Christine."

Hearing her name spoken in that familiar voice and tone, Christine’s tears finally fell. She lowered her head, quietly weeping.

"You’re alive, Senior... I’m so relieved... really..."

Maxime stood there, unsure whether he should try to comfort her.

Thump.

Maxime felt Christine step closer, burying herself into his chest as she sobbed. Unable to ignore her any longer, Maxime gently wrapped his arm around her back, holding her as she cried. His wounds ached, but Maxime didn’t flinch, supporting Christine as she let her emotions pour out.

"It’s okay... It’s okay..."

Christine repeated the words over and over again, her head resting against him. Maxime, still awkwardly trying to comfort her, softly stroked her hair until her tears finally subsided.

For a while, only the sound of Christine’s quiet sobs echoed in the chamber. Maxime stayed by her side, continuing to gently caress her hair until she had cried herself dry.

As the silence stretched on, broken only by Christine’s occasional sniffles, Maxime heard someone clear their throat. He looked up to see Aaron, looking as if he had eaten something bitter, attempting to break the silence.

"...Well, this emotional reunion is all well and good, but shouldn’t we focus on getting out of here?"

Maxime smiled weakly and nodded in agreement.

 

The investigation of the Mage Tower concluded with a highly successful outcome. The investigation team, directly appointed by the king, uncovered nearly all of the dark secrets the Mage Tower had been hiding: research into black magic, experiments involving synthetic monsters, curses, and even human trafficking. Many of the Mage Tower’s most prominent professors were arrested, including some whose names were known to the public, shocking citizens across the kingdom.

"My goodness, even that professor?"

"I can’t believe they were conducting experiments like that."

However, the most shocking discovery for the citizens was that a massive underground dungeon full of criminal activity had been hidden directly beneath the Mage Tower’s plaza.

"They built the entire plaza just to hide that underground lab?"

"Yeah, they covered it all up with thick layers to conceal the dungeon underneath."

The royal palace's official statements quickly spread through the capital, amplified by adventurers eager to gossip. People passing by the Mage Tower now threw suspicious looks its way. What was once a bustling plaza full of weekend strollers was now eerily deserted.

"That’s how things turned out," Christine said three days later, standing by Maxime’s hospital bed. While Christine had recovered quickly after being freed from captivity, Maxime wasn’t so lucky. His body was a complete wreck. Despite Christine’s emergency healing, the military doctor insisted Maxime stay hospitalized for at least two weeks. As a result, he now lay in bed, his entire body wrapped in bandages, sulking.

"I wouldn’t want to go near the place for a while either," Christine said, chuckling.

After her release, the first thing Christine had done was visit Maxime. He, still disguised with Arsen Bern’s black hair and eyes, listened to her recount the current state of affairs in the capital.

"Ultimately, the Mage Tower is being shut down for the time being. The mages protested fiercely, but with most of the powerful professors arrested and the overwhelming evidence of their crimes, their resistance didn’t last long."

Christine sighed as she finished her report.

"Count Benning distanced himself from the whole affair, too. He could have fought to protect the Mage Tower, but he decided not to take that risk."

"It wasn’t about risk," Maxime interrupted, shaking his head.

"Not about risk?" Christine frowned.

"There are too many mages unaccounted for. There’s a record of a large group being sent out on expeditions, and several prominent professors resigned abruptly. The royal investigation may have captured many mages, but they didn’t catch the real key players."

Christine’s expression darkened.

"Benning absorbed them all, didn’t he?"

"And their research records. Everything."

What had started as a partnership between Benning and the Mage Tower now left the Tower’s core power effectively under Benning’s control. The incident had inadvertently increased Benning’s standing as a single, unified force.

"And the royal family...?"

"They couldn’t stop it. Still, with the Mage Tower gone, they no longer have to deal with both Benning and the Tower at once."

"But now Benning’s power has grown too strong."

Christine spoke in a dejected voice. Maxime watched her in silence. When she noticed his gaze, she cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, how does this look?"

Christine gestured to her new uniform, a luxurious red outfit with the royal lily crest shining on her chest. She had been appointed as a member of the First Royal Guard. When the king found out that Arsen Bern was, in fact, Maxime Apart, he had merely sighed and chosen to let it slide, telling Aaron to keep quiet about it.

‘There was no helping the situation. Just make sure everyone involved keeps their mouths shut.’

Christine, clearly excited, twirled slightly, showing off her new uniform. Her eyes sparkled as she eagerly awaited Maxime’s response.

"You look good in bright colors," Maxime said honestly. Indeed, the red uniform of the royal guard suited Christine far better than the black one worn by the Crow knights.

"Tell me more."

Christine grinned mischievously, clearly unsatisfied with Maxime’s simple answer. Despite everything, she hadn’t changed one bit.

"...I thought red might be a bit much, but it’s a refined color, so it really suits you."

"Not that kind of thing," Christine leaned in, pouting slightly.

Maxime furrowed his brow in frustration before delivering the response she was clearly looking for.

"Alright, fine. You look beautiful. So beautiful that I can hardly bear to look at you."

Christine burst into laughter, lightly smacking Maxime in response.

"Why do you always have to say things like that, you jerk?"

Maxime chuckled as he gently pushed her hand away. Then, meeting her eyes, he added more sincerely.

"No, really. You’re beautiful, Christine."

He could almost hear the whoosh of flames igniting. Christine quickly stepped back, her face turning bright red as she awkwardly tried to hide her embarrassment. Maxime laughed at her swift change in demeanor. Christine, flustered and clearly annoyed, took a seat on the hospital room chair.

"By the way, your magic… you can use it just fine now?"

Maxime asked, noticing that Christine had used her magic without any issue earlier. She tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean by that? Did you think I couldn’t use magic?"

"No, I just thought…"

Maxime hesitated, recalling the time they had spent together in the no-man’s land during the rainstorm. He thought back to the mysterious power she had used to suppress the curse, leaving behind a scar. Although the two of them rarely talked about it, Maxime finally decided to broach the subject. Christine sighed, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"That spell was created using the pure essence of my mana. I gave it to you fully aware that I might never be able to use magic again."

"Christine…"

Seeing Maxime’s apologetic expression, Christine quickly shook her head.

"Don’t be sorry. At the time, I thought I was going to die anyway. Stopping the curse from destroying you was the least I could do. I didn’t expect it to work so well."

Christine held up her hand, summoning a glowing orb of mana.

"...I think the idiots at the Mage Tower must have pumped a ridiculous amount of mana into me during their experiments. Somehow, the damage that should have been irreversible has been restored."

Seeing Christine smiling, Maxime felt reassured and nodded.

"Thank you."

Christine smiled back at him warmly.

"Me too."

Despite her smile, a sudden chill crept over Maxime.

"By the way, Senior."

"Uh, yeah?"

Christine took a step closer, her smile still lingering, but her tone had shifted slightly. Maxime’s smile wavered.

"When Deputy Commander Aaron mentioned that 'safe place,' who exactly was he talking about?"

Maxime gulped, unsure why he suddenly felt the need to break out in a cold sweat.

...Had Christine always had such a good memory?