The tension in the garden didn't dissipate; it merely shifted as the silver box was opened. The moonlight caught the surface of two scrolls nestled within, radiating a soft, rhythmic golden pulse that seemed to beat in time with the ambient mana of the Wisteria tree.
Hayatobi reached out, his fingers hovering over the scrolls before he finally lifted them. His eyes widened behind his stoic mask.
"This? These are... Legendary grade."
In this world, skill scrolls were the currency of power. a Golden scroll? That was a legacy-defining treasure, containing skills that could level cities or save empires. Giving up two was a staggering act of diplomacy—or desperation.
"Why are you giving us these?" Hayatobi asked, his voice dropping to a suspicious growl as he looked up at Nadia.
"What? I want to apologize for what happened between our students," Nadia said, her smile never wavering, though her green eyes remained sharp as glass.
"And as for your questions: the Devil Cult messed with our dungeon as well. The catalyst they used—the object that warped the reality of that realm—originated from within the Sword Empire's borders. I am taking responsibility. Consider this a gesture to ensure our empires remain focused on the cult rather than each other."
Hayatobi scanned the scrolls with his energy, a golden haze shimmering around his palms. "Just need to be safe," he muttered.
Beside him, Mirabella was doing the exact same thing, though her method was invisible. The System's interface flickered in her vision, running a deep-scan on the items.
{System Notification}
{Item Detected: Legendary Skill Scrolls (2).}
{Status: Safe / Not Safe.}
{Note: High compatibility with Host's current class.}
{Effects: Loading in Five minutes.]
'They are safe, I think.' Mirabella thought, giving a nearly imperceptible nod to her master.
"Ok, we will take these," Hayatobi said, stowing the box in his spatial storage. He stood up, his tall frame casting a long shadow over the tea table:
"As for the Devil Cult, we will leave the cleanup in your territory to you... though I heard they have a member who managed to halt your expedition in the past. Someone formidable."
"Yes," Nadia sighed, the playfulness leaving her voice for a moment. "The Eagle message from our scouts said it was a singular entity... but both a male and a female."
"Huh?" Hayatobi's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What does that even mean?"
"I am just as lost as you are," Nadia admitted, rubbing her temples. "But that is the report. One body, two genders. A walking contradiction of biology and mana."
Mirabella kept her face perfectly blank, though internally she smirked. 'Oh well, it seems my little disguise worked perfectly. They'll be looking for a chimera or a shapeshifter while I'm standing right here. I really am too smart for my own good.'
"Before we take our leave," Hayatobi said. "My student here has a question for you." He gestured toward Mirabella.
Nadia's gaze shifted. "Oh! I'm guessing she's the one who took down a Lv500 enemy." She looked Mirabella up and down, her eyes lingering on the blue-haired girl's calm demeanor.
'This little girl defeated a Realm Boss? Not possible,' Nadia thought skeptically. 'Even as a Sun family heir... that Crystal Emperor must have been severely weakened by the seals after centuries of imprisonment. We'll see her true colors during the Glory Flag competition.'
"What questions do you have, child?" Nadia asked aloud.
"I want to know what you did to Jessica!" Mirabella's voice was like a whip-crack, cutting through the serene atmosphere of the garden. "Why can't she remember her friends? Why is she like... this?"
Nadia looked over her shoulder at Jessica, who stood as motionless as a statue, her third eye—the Mythical Eye—glowing faintly.
"Nothing," Nadia answered calmly.
"What do you mean by 'nothing'?! At least tell the truth!" Mirabella snapped, her spirit energy flaring for a brief second, causing the nearby lavender petals to swirl.
"Listen." Nadia's voice lost its warmth. She turned back to Mirabella with a stern frown that reminded everyone she was a Master Teacher first and a socialite second.
"Just because you are Hayatobi's student, I will let your attitude slide—once."
She took a deliberate sip of her tea before continuing. "We found her like this one month ago. She was discarded on the border of our empire. She was injured, horribly burnt—even her hair was gone. I don't know who she was to you, or who she was before... but I saw her will. Even with blood loss that would have killed a dragon, she was still clawing at the earth, refusing to die."
Nadia placed her cup down with a deliberate clink.
"Jessica reminded me of myself in the old days... a survivor with nowhere to go. So I took her in. When she finally woke up, she remembered nothing—no name, no home, no friends. She only had a singular, burning urge: to get stronger, no matter the pain."
Nadia fixed her green eyes on Mirabella. "Her words... I remember them clearly. She looked me in the eye and said: 'I don't care if I die, I just want to be the strongest. Even if I die in the process, I want a way—any way—to get stronger'."
Mirabella felt a cold chill that had nothing to do with the night air. She was speechless, her mind racing back to the lady she once knew.
"What did you expect me to do?" Nadia poured herself another cup. "I helped her. The process was agonizing—implanting the Mythical Eye and ingraining the forbidden powers of the Sword Family into a body that wasn't born for it... most would have crumbled. But she survived. She became exactly what she asked to be: one of the strongest."
Nadia smiled, a thin, sharp expression. "That's what happened to her. I'm sure she was a very close friend to you—"
"—We aren't close," Mirabella cut her off, her voice sounding forced even to her own ears.
"Oh?" Nadia raised an arched eyebrow. "Then who is she to you?"
'This girl is truly strange,' Nadia thought, watching the conflict behind Mirabella's eyes. 'If they aren't close, why the anger? Why the search? Is she a relative? A rival?' She waited, her smile returning as she prepared to listen to whatever lie or truth Mirabella would offer next.