"All right, since I'm buying space gear, do you have it ready, or will you customize it?" asked Élodie as she walked with her two friends toward the entrance of Séraphine's agency.
"I have a batch ready, but if you pay extra, I can customize one for you in whatever style and shape you want. The enchantment is flexible, so we don't have to stick to a specific appearance," replied Francisca, looking into the distance.
Several dozen meters away, across the street, a clown was performing a show for a small crowd of adults and children. The man seemed quite skilled because he was juggling various irregular objects instead of typical balls.
Although this could be considered a common scene, Francisca couldn't help but narrow her eyes. However, she didn't do anything drastic because she felt it was unnecessary. After all, it was just a curious clown, nothing more.
"I'd like a bracelet! So I can have my objects at my quick disposal." Although she was also curious about the clown's juggling act, she focused on what mattered and only paid a few seconds of attention to it.
"At least you wouldn't have to walk around with that huge hammer on your shoulder anymore. If we have to deal with a case, stealth is sometimes vital. Well, it's not like you're inconspicuous with that heavy weapon," Séraphine commented. However, unlike her two companions, she didn't miss the clown's act.
Her instinct told her that this man was more than he appeared to be. However, in Blume, a coastal city of considerable importance in Shattercrown, there were too many 'special' people, so focusing on just one of them was a waste of time.
Blume was a melting pot of diversity, attracting people from all over the world. It was common to see people from the Savage Continent chatting with people from the Eastern Continent while shopping at a stall set up by someone from the Iron Continent.
Non-human creatures swarmed the streets in perfect harmony, without any hint of strangeness. Yes, many people were more than they appeared to be. However, Séraphine trusted her instincts; after all, she was a witch.
As a precaution, she memorized the clown's appearance. Perhaps because of the long eye contact, the man sensed something and turned his gaze toward Séraphine. They looked into each other's eyes.
At that moment, the world seemed to stand still. Séraphine's pupils flashed as if she were about to activate her visual ability, but she refrained. Why scrutinize someone who hadn't done anything to her or asked for it?
It would only offend them if they sensed it. After all, her Deep Vision was truly intrusive. Even a normal person would feel uncomfortable being exposed to it. She simply looked away as she got closer to her detective agency.
However, the clown just looked at her with a completely serious expression, without the smile characteristic of his profession. His eyes were a strange shade of gray, as if he had glaucoma, yet he could see perfectly well.
He stopped looking at the witch and began inflating a balloon since a little girl had asked him to make a dog with it. After all, he was a clown.
It was just something that happened on the street, something people usually forgot about quickly, something that didn't interrupt anyone's rhythm, much less theirs, as they had things to do.
Thus, this event remained just another curiosity of the day. The girls entered Séraphine's establishment. For Francisca, it was her first time there, so she was curious about the layout.
"It's nicely decorated. Minimalist. Not my style, but I feel comfortable here," said the redhead after seeing how simple yet welcoming the agency's lobby was.
"It has that touch of some hotels and office buildings, right?" That's what I thought when I first came here!" commented Élodie before approaching the reception desk, which was unoccupied at that moment.
"I don't like crowded, complicated places. I prefer to keep everything clear. Why would I fill the lobby with unnecessary things? All you need are a few comfortable seats to make waiting more pleasant and pots of plants and flowers for decoration, along with the reception desk.
I've seen places that put fountains, statues, paintings, and all sorts of other weird, unnecessary things in their lobbies. I have to admit... I copied the design from my dad's building." When Séraphine talked about her father, she pursed her lips in annoyance.
"Right, your last name is Rohan. How did someone with that last name end up in Blume as a detective and supernatural consultant?" asked Francisca. She sat down on one of the soft pieces of furniture in the lobby and crossed her legs as she waited for a response from the brunette.
"That's what I've been wondering. Aren't they a super-rich family from the capital city? They say they were part of the nobility when it existed. Doesn't that mean we should call you 'Lady' and make exaggerated gestures when talking to you?" Élodie said with a laugh and made exaggerated gestures, acting as if she were being polite to a noble.
Then she sat down next to Francisca and settled Sasha on her head. The fairy seemed to enjoy watching the humans talk, so she remained silent, making little sparks jump from her fingers.
"Hmm, you're not the first to ask me that kind of question. Even that bastard Howard Stone asked me that, if you remember. The answer is actually quite simple.
I want to stand on my own two feet! My parents are very rich and influential. For that reason, anything I achieve while living with them would be 'because I'm a Rohan' and not because of my own abilities.
I want to be known for my abilities, not the diamond-encrusted silver spoon I was born with," Séraphine replied, exuding both exasperation and determination.
"That sounds good, but I saw how you pursed your lips when you talked about your father. Do you get along with them?" asked Élodie, who had been paying attention to the brunette and had noticed that small facial expression.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. I don't doubt your motives, but it seems like there's something else going on here. Did they try to marry you off to someone you didn't want to marry, and did you run away here to avoid it?" Francisca joked and laughed at this question, but she soon fell silent when she saw the cold look in the witch's eyes.
"They didn't try to marry me off to anyone. A guy wanted me to marry his son to supposedly build a better relationship between our families, though. However, my parents don't depend on those kinds of alliances to prosper.
My complaint with them is that I grew up practically alone. They were very little involved in my life. My guardian was a spiritual nana, and along with my magic teacher, they were the only two important figures who saw me grow up." Séraphine said as she sat down between Élodie and Francisca.
"That's sad. What kind of parents would miss out on their daughter's upbringing?" Sasha murmured. She didn't understand complicated human societies very well, so this situation was truly unbelievable to her.
"Although I'm annoyed with them for that, I can understand them. They're not just influential people with a lot of money, you know? My mother is an alchemist who works on important projects for the military.
My father is a warrior, businessman, and military contractor. Some of the weapons or equipment you used were probably created by one of my father's companies." Séraphine looked at Élodie as she finished speaking, making the blonde think.
"Wow! But I still agree with Sasha. No matter how busy someone is, they should make time for their children. My father was often away, but he always played with my dolls when I asked him to," recalled Élodie, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Do you think you're doing well?" Francisca asked Séraphine. The witch looked at her hands before putting her arms around her two companions' necks and pulling them close.
"Well, I have two girls in my arms. Isn't that doing well? Jokes aside, yes, I'm doing well," she said, seeing the expressions on the two women's faces at her joke. The witch had to respond sincerely.
"I'm well known in Blume, one of the most important cities in the country. I earn a lot of money. I can buy all the model ships I want. Isn't that doing well?" Séraphine murmured with a big smile on her face.
"Of course I've done well!" she concluded. For some reason, she felt that her parents would be proud of her if they knew about her situation.
Even though she had spent very little time with them, they had shown her that they cared about her. They always sent her letters, and although she was still upset with them for spending so little time with her while she was growing up, she didn't hate them. She truly loved them.
Not because they were her parents, but because they never neglected her. Her mother summoned the Spiritual Nanny, her father introduced her to Lady Osmond, and they protected her from the darker side of high society.
They weren't the best parents, but they tried hard to provide for their daughter, and that's what really matters. Wanting to share more about them, she began to recount the few moments she had shared with them that she cherished deeply.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
Today was the first day that the trio of women and fairies was going to start performing tasks. Séraphine chose one of the simplest pending cases, which she could handle with relative ease. That was why she had postponed it until now.
The group was in the witch's office, each doing something different. While Séraphine worked, she noticed that Élodie was looking curiously at a skull on her bookshelf. She had noticed it the other day but hadn't paid much attention to it until now.
In contrast, Sasha acted directly, sticking the upper half of her body into one of the skull's empty eye sockets. However, she soon got bored and flew away, landing on Francisca's head.
The redhead was holding the prototype of the Dragon's Eye that she had given to Séraphine as a distraction, so Séraphine wouldn't be interested in the casino she ran. She believed that, to be friends with the witch, she shouldn't let her touch gambling.
"Did this thing work for you?" the alchemist asked, touching the metal casing of the alchemical work with her index fingernail. Séraphine, who had her head down while sitting behind her desk reading a folder she had taken out of her filing cabinet, looked up before answering.
"Oh? Yes! I even transcribed the results it gave me. Interestingly, though, something like this can explore even superficial details of the soul and mind. However, I don't trust those numbers.
I'm no expert, but I'd say the capabilities of the human body can't be measured by rigid statistics. Still, it's a useful reference, though not something to take too seriously," Séraphine commented on her conclusions after using the device. The redhead nodded.
"You're right about that. Of course, if I were to create a more detailed, technical version, it would be the perfect tool for doctors or anyone interested in a clearer reference of their condition. However, clinging to the statistics it provides would be a mistake.
I created it with the idea that 'people are treasures too' in mind, which is why I named it the Dragon's Eye. I'm interested in your results. Can you show them to me?" Francisca asked. The witch opened one of the drawers in her desk, took out a folded sheet of paper stored inside, and handed it to the redhead.
"Oh? Can you tell me what you're talking about?" Drawn in by the conversation between the two women, Élodie stood behind the redhead and read the piece of paper, which caught her attention.
"From what I understand, the alchemical device in Francisca's hands can scan your data and display it as written on the sheet." Sasha may have been a fairy who didn't know much about human society, but she wasn't foolish, or she wouldn't have survived this long.
From what she had heard of the conversation between the two women and the clear example in the redhead's hands, she could quickly guess the true purpose of the machine, which did indeed look like an enlarged eye.
It wasn't that difficult to understand, but since she had been lost in her thoughts, she was confused when she came to her senses, which is why she asked that question.
An expression of surprise blossomed on the warrior's face as she carefully read Séraphine's test results, taking an interest in some particularly striking points.
According to these statistics, Séraphine's perception was quite high and seemed to be approaching the two-point milestone, which, in this context, seemed significant.
And Séraphine was cursed! She never thought an ability could also be considered a curse, something that should be achieved through practice or as a result of certain circumstances.
She knew Séraphine had a special visual ability. After all, Séraphine wasn't blind or absent-minded. She could see the unnatural gleam in Séraphine's eyes when she used her ability, and she could feel a strange sensation coming from her when she entered that state. It was as if the mere act of looking at her was momentous.
"Hey, Séraphine, do you really have a curse?" Élodie asked quietly. When she finished, the room was filled with a deathly silence.
Without looking up, Séraphine simply activated her Deep Vision. The layers of reality lost meaning before her gaze, and her green eyes emitted an attractive yet sinister emerald glow.