NoveLight ™
How many days had passed since then?
The leave I had taken from the Holy Palace for the debutante ball was nearing its end.
Until then, I intended to make the most of my time outside, and of course, that meant searching for Magi.
Dressed in a simple outfit for going out, I left the mansion. However, there was one place I needed to stop by first.
"Oraeboni (Brother)."
With a bright smile, I approached Meteor. He was leaning against the large golden chain tree in the garden, reading a newspaper.
Meteor, too, was enjoying a short vacation before returning to the Holy Palace.
The Pluto family had originally planned to host a ball to welcome him home, but he had firmly refused, and the plan was scrapped.
Had my arrival interrupted his peace?
A slight frown marred Meteor’s otherwise flawless brow.
"It feels so strange when someone calls me that."
"You should get used to it! Honestly, it’s still a bit awkward for me too."
"If it’s awkward for you too, wouldn’t it be better to just call me by my name like before?"
Meteor returned his gaze to the newspaper. I shuffled closer and crouched down beside him.
Being so near to him, I noticed he had a faintly pleasant scent.
"What are you reading?"
"...I’m checking how many people have died and where. The Magi distribution map changes every day."
"I see."
I already knew what he was referring to.
The Holy Palace printed maps in newspapers that marked the locations where Magi had appeared. Two full pages of the newspaper were dedicated to a map of the empire.
Since the Magi began appearing six years ago, the map had been steadily filling up.
The northern regions, in particular, were so densely marked that there was barely any empty space.
As I stared at the map, a thought crossed my mind, and I spoke.
"...It really feels like a miracle that we’re alive and meeting again after six years. I heard you got caught up in high-tier Magi eleven times."
"Well, didn’t you say you’d been to the Demon Realm nine times?"
Finally, Meteor raised his head to look at me.
I smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, but thanks to that, I improved a lot! There were moments I thought I’d die, but there were plenty of small-fry demons too. How about you? I’ve always been curious."
Because his training had been classified, hardly anyone knew what Meteor had gone through.
We only heard about it when he returned from the Demon Realm. Any encounter with high-tier Magi required a report to the Holy Palace.
What kind of place had Meteor visited in the Demon Realm?
Had it been as harrowing as I imagined?
What sort of demons had he encountered? How had he survived?
Had he… perhaps met the Demon King?
These thoughts, a mix of curiosity and concern, swirled in my mind as I waited for Meteor’s answer.
"...All Demon Realms are pretty much the same."
His response was surprisingly curt.
I widened my eyes, and he folded the newspaper.
How could all Demon Realms be the same?
Every demon I’d met there was a maniac whose mind seemed twisted beyond reason.
Was it that he didn’t want to talk about it or found it bothersome? If so, I wouldn’t press further.
As Meteor stood, I rose as well.
He began walking, speaking as he went.
"I’m going back to my room. You should head inside too."
"Already?"
"Yeah. I need to rest."
"Wow! We haven’t seen each other in so long, and you’re already leaving? I have so many things I want to talk about!"
"I’ve never had a younger sister to hang out with before, so I doubt I’d be much fun."
His tone was indifferent.
Was I the only one happy to see him after six years?
I followed him, speaking up as I tried to keep pace.
"Actually, I came to ask you something. I’m planning to go to the city. Want to come with me? A new weapons shop just opened, and we could search for Magi while we’re at it."
"..."
Meteor abruptly stopped in his tracks. I barely managed to stop a step behind him.
For a moment, I thought he might snap at me to stop bothering him. But before I could worry too much—
Meteor turned and started walking again.
"Alright. If it’s for something like that, I’ll come along."
"..."
Of course, he’d agree. He’s addicted to training.
No way would Meteor pass up a chance to visit a weapons shop and hunt for Magi!
Feeling a bit happier, I caught up to him.
The weather was perfect, the sunlight warm without being harsh, and the air fresh and inviting.
Together, Meteor and I rode a carriage to the bustling city center. I unfolded the advertisement I had prepared in advance.
**[☆ Grand Opening of Ciel Weapons Shop ☆
Featuring innovative weapons invented by the dashing owner Cyrillote, integrating divine power synchronization!
Owner Cyrillote’s Background:
"..."
The owner seemed a bit odd.
When I first saw this flyer, I’d been taken aback.
The name "Cyrillote"?
Could it be the Cyrillote I knew from the orphanage?
Before returning to the Holy Palace, I felt compelled to visit this Ciel Weapons Shop at least once.
If this Cyrillote turned out to be the boy I’d known, I couldn’t just pretend not to notice.
"Isn’t it that one?"
While we wandered the busy streets searching, Meteor pointed toward a shop.
As I took a look, I doubted my eyes.
Could this really be a weapons shop?
The exterior was flamboyant, decorated with colorful garlands above the entrance and floral designs and balloons covering the walls.
It looked more like a toy shop than a place selling weapons.
Staring hard at the sign, I read it again.
[Ciel Weapons Shop.]
There was no doubt—it was a weapons shop.
"Hmm. This is a surprisingly cheerful place for a weapons shop. Let’s go in."
"Alright."
Meteor responded coolly.
As we pushed open the door, a wooden puppet mounted on the doorframe began dancing, accompanied by music.
Startled, I glanced back at the door.
"Wow. That’s amazing. Do they really have things like this?"
Was that another invention by the shop owner?
My curiosity about the shop grew. More than anything, I wanted to know if the owner was who I thought it was.
"I knew the customers would like it."
"!"
A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned away from the puppet.
Standing there was a boy with strikingly blue hair—bluer than the sky—and pitch-black eyes like polished obsidian.
He seemed about fifteen or sixteen, close to my age.
The moment I saw his face, a name naturally came to mind.
Cyrillote.
The boy’s features overlapped with the Cyrillote I had known in the orphanage, now grown up.
Cyrillote stared back at me, his eyes widening in recognition.
"Crescent?"
"...Cyrill? You remember me?"
I thought he might have forgotten, given how young we had been.
Of course, I wasn’t limited by the memory of an eight-year-old, but he had truly been a child then.
Cyrillote broke into a wide grin, his mouth stretching from ear to ear.
"Of course. How could I forget the most beautiful girl from Eva Orphanage?"
"You’re just as sly as ever."
I replied curtly, though a faint smile tugged at my lips.
But calling me beautiful? During the tutorial, maybe. But the last time we’d met, I was eight.
Who calls an eight-year-old beautiful?
Then again, I’d been told I was pretty even as a child.
"How could I forget you, Crescent? You left for the Pluto family’s sponsorship, and later, we heard you even gained divine power. The orphanage was buzzing about it for days."
"Ah? I see."
Come to think of it, I hadn’t realized how much of a sensation I must have been.
Being the first girl in 150 years to possess divine power had made headlines across the empire.
It must have been even more shocking at Eva Orphanage.
Cyrillote spoke again.
"I always thought that if I ever came to the north, I might see you again. But to think you remembered me—it’s an honor."
"Why didn’t you write me a letter, then?"
If I’d known he was in the north, I might have visited sooner.
But then, we had spent so many years apart without any contact.
As I mulled over this, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"You two know each other?"
Meteor cast a sharp glance at Cyrillote, his eyes narrowing slightly.