[Was it a lie that Yuriella collapsed?]

Aeri shouted at the Tower Master while wiping tears with the back of her hand.

[Damn Tower Master! Aeri almost had a heart attack!]

“Sorry. Shock therapy is most effective when everyone is unaware.”

Ricarion apologized with an unapologetic face.

Aeri flew to Nero.

[Nero. How much do you remember? Do you remember everything?]

Nero tilted his small head back and forth.

[Now that everything’s been revealed, be honest, Flama!]

− Meow.

[What? You have to speak, speak! Don’t tell me you’re still Nero?]

− Meow…

Nero hung his head weakly.

“Seeing the change in Nero, it’s clear that Cassandra approached Flama and tried to undo the spell. I think the time Nero was exposed to Flama’s energy was too short.”

Ricarion gently stroked Nero’s disheartened head and let out a faint sigh.

“Nero. Nod your head to my questions. Once for yes. Twice for no. Meow if you’re not sure. Got it?”

Nero looked up at the Tower Master with his bright eyes.

“Nero. Have Flama’s memories been fully restored?”

Nero shook his head twice. That means no.

“Then, did you find out that Yuriella is Solas when you went to the imperial palace this time?”

Nero nodded once in affirmation. His rush towards Yuriella at Collina Rosa must have been an unconscious attraction.

“What about Flama’s powers? Has any of it been recovered? Even a tiny bit.”

Nero shook his head twice and limply drooped his tail.

[Wow. Tower Master, how did you think of such a method? Amazing!]

“Isn’t it common sense? I’m more amazed that you find this amazing.”

[Hmm. Strange. I’m complimenting you but why do I feel bad?]

Popo was about to tell him that it wasn’t a compliment but an outright insult, but stopped himself.

He didn’t want to see his pitiful master, who couldn’t even confess to the woman he likes despite drinking “Blissful Night” by the chestful, wither like a wind-stricken radish in the face of Aeri’s strong winds as he grew old as a lonely bachelor.

[I’m also amazed by the Tower Master. Your head is so smart, so why can’t you even touch the fingertips of the woman you like? It’s something the owner of the cold ice sword can do, so why can’t the owner of the earth sword that holds the warm energy of the land?]

Popo clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that although Aeri can’t understand the bones of others’ words, she’s really good at cutting remarks.

[Popo was also very sad. Saying that he raised you wrong. What’s the use of being handsome and healthy? You’re useless for anything.]

Popo slowly hid his head inside his shell.

Thanks to the brief exposure to Flama’s energy, Nero, who had regained the ability to understand speech, laughed while held in the Tower Master’s arms, his back heaving.

The Tower Master coolly glared at the cat and the small spirits, then calmly continued questioning Nero.

“Nero. Should I tell Yuriella that Flama’s soul resides within you?”

Nero vigorously shook his head.

“Got it. I’ll keep it a secret until you feel like revealing it to your owner.”

− Meow.

Nero licked the back of Ricarion’s hand and gently rubbed the top of his head against his forearm.

[Ahem. Nero. It’s proper to mark your territory on your owner later.]

As Popo primly warned Nero, who was marking his territory on his owner even from inside the shell, Aeri clicked her tongue.

[Stingy Popo. We are the great holy swords that protect the Yustera continent. Don’t be petty by distinguishing between my owner and your owner, and think of the continent’s peace first.] [Really? Can you say the same thing after Nero fully regains his memories? If you have the magnanimity to put the continent’s peace first even if your owner is taken away, I will sincerely praise you.]

Popo grumbled inside his shell.

[Hmph! Aeri is not stingy. Aeri doesn’t act petty like Popo.]

Just then, the door opened and Yuriella entered briskly.

“Were you all here?”

Nero jumped out of the Tower Master’s arms and ran to Yuriella. Yuriella picked up the bouncing happy Nero.

“Your Highness, you’re here.”

Ricarion also smiled brightly as if his face lit up upon seeing Yuriella.

“I was curious if Aeri and Popo found anything at the palace yesterday.”

[Ah, we didn’t find anything. It’s a, a dud. A dud.]

Aeri stuttered while glaring at Nero purring in Yuriella’s arms.

[Yes. I, I also fa, failed to find anything. It’s a dud indeed.]

Yuriella slightly frowned at the answer of the two spirits clumsy at lying.

“Are you two hiding something from me? Why are you stuttering?”

“Please understand. They must be embarrassed that Nero went all the way to the Golden Hall in a moment of carelessness and hurt Your Highness.”

The Tower Master defended the two spirits with a beaming smile.

“It’s not about me getting hurt. Aeri! Popo! What were you thinking bringing small and weak Nero to the palace? Reflect, both of you!”

“Don’t scold them too much. They must already be quite ashamed to return empty-handed. They must be reflecting on how they were more useless than a winter’s flyswatter.”

“If you two hadn’t taken Nero in the first place, you could have focused on the mission. Cassandra is risking her life imprisoned in the imperial palace, do you have any thoughts or not? Why did you take Nero?”

At Yuriella’s rebuke, the two spirits’ mouths puckered out.

There was a special purpose in bringing Nero, and there was the achievement that Nero, exposed to Flama’s energy, could now understand speech and react…

The spirits, who couldn’t answer truthfully despite having mouths, just sighed deeply.

“Please understand and forgive them, Your Highness. Those guys may be short on thoughts but have a lot of affection, so they must have made such a mistake. They must have felt sorry to leave the cat, who doesn’t know gratitude and scratches its owner, alone at home, calling it a friend.”

Aeri, who was tilting her head, flew to Popo’s shell and whispered.

[Popo. The Tower Master is defending us but why do I feel bad again?]

Popo was about to tell her that her owner wasn’t just defending the two spirits and Nero, but striking three birds with one stone by mixing in metaphors, but kept his mouth shut.

He thought it would be better for his child’s mental health to at least throw a fit rather than being discouraged.

“Tower Master. Can you get Cassandra out of the imperial palace? I can’t help but worry. I’ve seen nobles come out as corpses from that prison in just three days.”

“Your Highness. Do you know that the Ice Dragon has a weakness?”

“Pardon?”

When the Tower Master suddenly mentioned the Ice Dragon, the spirit of the holy sword Iello, Yuriella tilted her head.

“The Ice Dragon has a weakness? I heard it has the largest and most powerful incarnation among the spirits of the holy swords. Isn’t its body bigger than the imperial palace’s Blanc Casa?”

At Yuriella’s casually thrown remark, the eyes of Aeri, Popo inside the shell, and even Nero purring in her arms narrowed.

“What exactly is the Ice Dragon’s weakness?”

“The place without ice scales is the Ice Dragon’s weakness.”

“The place without ice scales?”

Hmm. While Yuriella was lost in thought, Aeri raised her hand first and shouted the answer.

[Butthole! Butthole! There won’t be any ice scales on the butthole!]

Aeri, whose only relationship with the Ice Dragon was a few fleeting encounters through the passing wind, shrugged confidently.

[Aeri, please, that mouth of yours! The Ice Dragon’s weakness is its eyes, eyes!]

Popo popped his head out of the shell and yelled at Aeri as if it was shameful to be the same spirit of a holy sword.

[Eyes?]

“Eyes?”

Yuriella’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes. The Ice Dragon’s weakness is its eyes. Even though its entire body is covered in ice scales said to be stronger than diamonds, its eyes are exposed defenseless. They say if the eyes are pierced, the Ice Dragon’s heart will also burst.”

“If the eyes are pierced, the heart bursts?”

“There’s a saying that eyes are the window to the soul. The Ice Dragon’s real weakness is actually its heart. Its feelings. That’s probably the reason why the Ice Dragon hasn’t revealed itself to the world until now.”

“Who would dare to pierce the Ice Dragon’s eyes and burst its heart.”

Yuriella smiled brightly.

And she thought she’d like to see the Ice Dragon before she died. Imagining the Grand Duke riding an Ice Dragon bigger than Blanc Casa, wielding the holy sword Iello and cutting down demons, the corners of her mouth lifted without realizing it.

Yuriella’s smiling face filled the Tower Master’s deep violet eyes.

“When you hold someone in your eyes, you hold them in your heart. Once engraved in the heart, the feelings grow and grow, eventually the owner of the heart changes, and it becomes a fatal weakness. It’s the same for people. You can no longer be the owner of your own heart.”

“Ah. The owner of the heart.”

Yuriella nodded. But she didn’t seem to fully understand his words.

“Cassandra’s weapon is not black magic. The desires engraved in the hearts of the Empress Dowager and the Holy Maiden candidate will be the weakness Cassandra exploits. It will be the safety net that prevents them from laying hands on Cassandra.”

“The desires engraved in the hearts of the Empress Dowager and Carina?”

Yuriella repeated Ricarion’s words and had a pensive expression.

Ricarion gently gazed at the upright eyes of the woman who had become the owner of his heart.

Even though her gaze that never turned towards him should be resentful. Why does it feel so good just looking at her?

“Don’t worry about Cassandra. If it becomes dangerous, I will immediately get her out of the imperial palace.”

Even if it puts me in danger.

I hope I can continue making such choices. Because the moment my duty and responsibility shatter my heart, I may become the person who endangers you…

*

A carriage with nine round star patterns symbolizing the Grand Temple stopped in front of the residence of Viscount Novato Spinola.

First, High Priest Grato Comboni squeezed his bulky body out of the tight carriage door and stepped down with difficulty. Assisted by him, Holy Maiden candidate Carina Pioni, dressed in a pristine priestly robe, followed out of the carriage.

Viscount Spinola greeted them with his aide.

The viscount’s coat hung on him like someone else’s, perhaps from the heartache over his grandson who had fallen into a coma.

“What brings you to this humble place?”

High Priest Comboni blinked his crimson eyes and thrust out his round belly like a snowman.

“Rejoice, Viscount. Our Grand Temple has decided to accommodate and treat all the coma patients. Your grandson will be our first patient!”

Carina, who was standing behind the High Priest, stepped forward and politely bowed with her knees gracefully bent.

“We should have paid attention earlier. I am ashamed to visit you only now.”

Carina held the viscount’s hands tightly.

As she burst with pristine holy power filled with comforting energy, the viscount’s complexion, exhausted from fatigue, returned and his eyes regained light and vitality.

“We will do our best to treat him.”

“I am truly grateful for the Grand Temple’s kindness−.”

“I will be the one receiving the gratitude, Viscount.”

A resonant voice interjected. Frost nimbly jumped off the black horse Mars and approached the viscount.

“Greetings to Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

Frost nodded at the viscount’s greeting and glanced at Carina.

“The coma patients of the capital will be cared for by our Grand Ducal House. We have arranged the necessary facilities and recruited the best doctors and healing mages, so the Grand Temple can step back.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, blue veins popped on Carina’s forehead.

Carina’s eyes sparked like a fox whose delicious prey was snatched away.

“I am sorry, but we have already received permission from Her Majesty the Empress Dowager−.”

“I said I will cover all the expenses. If you’re not trying to hide something, there’s no reason for the imperial family to refuse, is there?”

The Grand Duke countered leisurely with his arms crossed. Seeing Carina bring up the Empress Dowager, he was satisfied that the black mage was manipulating the Holy Maiden candidate well according to his scheme.

“Viscount. Bring your grandson.”

Viscount Spinola smiled and shook his head.

“You’re not giving me a chance to speak at all. I appreciate the kindness of the North and the Grand Temple, but my grandson will go neither to the facility arranged by the Grand Duke nor to the Grand Temple.”

Soon, the front door of the residence opened wide and the mages of the Magic Tower walked out in a group.

“The Magic Tower has agreed to take responsibility and cure my grandson.”

As the mages stopped, Ricarion, who was standing behind them, revealed himself. In the arms of the Tower Master was the viscount’s young grandson, fast asleep.

“Tower Master. Please wake up my grandson.”

The viscount bowed to Ricarion with tearful eyes.

Frost fiercely glared at Ricarion, who revealed his true appearance in the capital for the first time.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“His Majesty has identified the black mage Cassandra Cavesa as the main culprit of the coma, right? Isn’t our Magic Tower the expert in undoing black magic? Moreover.”

At the Tower Master’s signal, a mage standing next to him approached Frost and respectfully handed him the document he was holding.

“Isn’t the will of the patients’ families most important? We have already received consent from each and every one of them without exception, so the Grand Temple and the Grand Duke should step aside.”