Naturally, Shane knew nothing about all the twists and turns in Ultear's mind.
He only felt that he had slept unusually well the night before—no dreams, no disturbances, just straight through until morning.
"Haa… Sure enough, maybe I slept for too long before, and now even my body's gotten addicted to sleep?"
Yawning, Shane pushed open his door. His sleepy eyes had just drifted downward when they met a butterfly ribbon bobbing gently with someone's breathing.
Kagura stood upright in the hallway, the unsheathed cursed blade in her arms pressed close against her plain kimono. Silent and still, she looked like an exquisite Showa-era doll.
"The guild sent word. They said Lisanna has been found. Everyone is preparing a banquet and told us to come over quickly."
When the girl spoke, her voice remained as calm as usual, but a trace of unconcealable astonishment flickered in her eyes.
She had lived in Magnolia for years and knew very well how deathly quiet the entire guild had become when Lisanna first disappeared.
That was exactly why she had never expected…
This man had only been back for two days, yet he had already brought back the miracle everyone had failed to find, as if it were nothing.
Normally, since he had nothing else to do, Shane would have been perfectly happy to go to the guild, freeload on a good meal, and join the fun.
But the moment he thought of last night's absurd incident, his head started aching faintly at the mere mention of "Mira."
If he went now, who knew what that white-haired girl would get up to?
"Mm, actually, I…"
Before Shane could even come up with an excuse, the guest room door diagonally behind him gave a soft click.
"He isn't going anywhere today."
The voice was languid, like mercury rolling over velvet.
Ultear stepped out through flecks of light, her belted long dress tracing elegant curves.
Her gaze swept lightly over the two people in the hallway before finally settling on Shane's face.
"He's staying home with me today. He can't go out."
"Right, exactly. Ultear rarely comes back, so I can't just leave."
Seeing Ultear hand him an assist, Shane quickly nodded and accepted it, inwardly sighing that this woman really could tell what he was thinking at any moment.
At those words, Kagura's brows instantly twisted into a knot.
She had witnessed that confrontation between this woman and her master at the guild. Naturally, she had no fondness for this "uninvited guest" who occasionally came over and occupied the guest room.
Having personally seen this woman clash with Erza, Kagura had never liked this occasional intruder who took over the guest room.
Now, seeing the two of them echo each other, the tiny bit of admiration Kagura had just begun to develop for Shane instantly dropped back to rock bottom.
He already had an outstanding partner like Master Erza, yet he was still entangled with other women!
"I understand. I'll tell everyone."
Kagura kept her little face tense, her grip tightening slightly around the cursed blade in her arms, then brushed past the two of them and walked away.
"Pfft…"
Seeing the black-haired girl's expression, as if she had just seen something dirty, Ultear finally couldn't hold back and laughed softly against the doorframe.
"If she knew that besides me, you picked up another one outside last night, the way she looked at you would probably be even more interesting."
"Stop making sarcastic comments."
Shane shot her an annoyed glare and strode into the yard.
He crouched beside the flowerbed in the corner. The tip of his shovel dug into the damp earth, bringing up a faint grassy smell as he turned the soil.
"What about you? The Council is so busy, and you rarely come back. Aren't you going to visit Ur-senpai?"
"Mother is living far more comfortably than I am. What's there to visit?"
Ultear strolled to the window without concern, folded both hands over the sill, and watched Shane work in the dirt with great interest.
"So today we just do nothing and wait for your informant to send intelligence?"
Shane asked while carefully leveling the clumps of soil.
"Hm?"
Ultear propped her cheek on one hand, deliberately drawing out the sound.
"Didn't I already tell that little girl? Today, you're keeping me company."
Thunk!
The shovel made a dull sound in the soil.
"…I shouldn't have asked."
That teasing expression of hers was truly irritating. Shane simply lowered his head and stopped looking at her, focusing on tending the soil.
He adjusted his breathing and controlled the flow of magic in his body, peeling away the curse energy, transforming it, and then steadily guiding it through his fingertips, drop by drop, into the roots of the flowers.
The earth loosened slightly. Under the irrigation of energy, the plump flower buds trembled faintly, and a crystalline glow seemed to shine through the green veins.
It felt as if a single breeze might let him hear the soft sound of petals blooming.
"At this pace, they should fully bloom either this afternoon or tonight," Shane silently estimated.
That vigorous life force warmed his heart.
After all, perfectly completing the Trial of Innocence would reward him with two privileges. Naturally, his heart was full of anticipation.
"By the way, has Gray come to find you recently? About Deliora."
Ultear, still at the window, suddenly changed the subject.
"Gray? Deliora?"
Shane's hands paused.
Since it concerned another trial from the Book of Heroic Spirits, there was no way he had forgotten.
He thought back and answered, "Gray did say before that he had something urgent to discuss with me, but at the time I was in a hurry to confirm Lisanna's coordinates, so I didn't have time to listen. Why? Have you already found Lyon?"
"Mm, of course. The only thing missing from that old agreement now is you," Ultear said unhurriedly.
"Where would I find the time now?" Shane frowned. "Don't we still have to deal with Grimoire Heart and that key business?"
"Exactly. So you'll need to find a way to handle that impatient one."
Ultear lifted her delicate chin, signaling for him to turn around.
Almost the moment she finished speaking, footsteps sounded beyond the fence.
Shane followed the sound and was immediately speechless.
Speak of the devil, and here he was.
Outside the wooden fence, Gray and Ur were walking over in a hurry—and beside them, to Shane's current greatest headache, was that white-haired girl.
"Why are you all here? Isn't the guild celebrating?"
Shane straightened up, deliberately avoiding Mira with his eyes and putting on the look of a diligent gardener.
But Mira wasn't buying that act at all.
The girl's figure flickered, crossing into the yard like a nimble white leopard. Without another word, she closed in on him.
Her healthy left hand hooked around Shane's neck, and using her weight, she pulled down, almost hanging entirely off him.
"And you have the nerve to ask that, after hiding at home and refusing to go out?"
The two of them were so close that Mira's warm breath fell directly onto Shane's face.
"Hey, let go… I'm handling serious business!"
Shane instinctively reached up to push her away.
Although this kind of closeness had happened often in the past, the moment he remembered last night, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.
"I heard from Kagura that you stayed home to keep Ultear company. Where is she?"
But Mira not only refused to let go, she even bared that tiny, glistening canine tooth at him, her tone unfriendly.
Clearly, this girl had completely let herself go.
Shane's head felt like it was going to explode. He had thought she would at least be embarrassed for a few days. Who would have expected her to act so utterly righteous?
Helpless, he turned his head, hoping to seek help from someone, only to discover that Ultear, who had been by the window just now, had vanished.
"In any case, there has to be punishment!"
Mira announced her decision on her own.
"Your punishment is coming to my house tonight and taking care of Lisanna's dinner!"
She was still hanging around Shane's neck and issuing orders when someone knocked on her back with their knuckles, neither too lightly nor too heavily.
Mira turned her head in confusion.
At some point, Ultear had walked into the courtyard and was standing quietly half a meter behind her.
A flawless smile hung on that perfect face, but the light in her eyes was icy.
"Could I ask you… not to be so rough with him?"
Originally, Ultear had not intended to get involved in this mess, but stealing food right in front of her face and then trying to snatch away her hard-earned time alone with him?
Even if the other party was Shane's disciple, in her eyes, she was nothing more than an ill-mannered little stray cat.
"Heh, I was wondering who it was."
After seeing who it was, Mira's eyes instantly darkened, and magic faintly stirred around her body.
She had always had an awful impression of this woman who constantly put on airs. Naturally, she wasn't about to give her a friendly face now.
"Councilor, you really know how to pick the moment when Erza isn't around to come all this way."
Mira let go of Shane, puffed out her chest, and stepped forward, confronting Ultear directly like a cat with its fur standing on end.
The air in the yard seemed to be sucked dry in an instant. The two women's gazes crossed in midair, and invisible sparks prickled against the skin.
Feeling the pressure around him drop sharply, Shane's eyelids twitched violently.
His foot slid slightly, and he silently moved over to Ur and Gray, who were standing by the gate in stunned silence.
"Ahem…"
Shane cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and looked at the two of them.
"You rushed over here because there's news about Lyon?"
"Just what… is going on over there?"
Even though Shane was making eye signals so hard his eye was about to cramp, Gray still pointed at the two women in the yard with their full auras unleashed and asked with total sincerity.
"Hehe."
Ur, as someone with experience, saw through it clearly and let out a meaningful sigh.
"It looks like young Shane is even more popular than I imagined. Tia, that child… she has it hard."