Jade glanced down at her own clothes without realizing it and was startled. Wait, why did she layer these colors together? She quickly pulled her hood tightly closed with her hand.

“Each role is necessary. I feel much better after resting. Thank you for your concern.”

“I am acquainted with the knight who was injured yesterday. I wanted to express my gratitude separately. Thank you very much.”

“It was simply my duty, that’s all.”

Suddenly, in response to Jade’s gentle tone, Axel flashed an openly mocking smile. Jade signaled with her eyes for him to go away for now.

But pretending not to understand, he suddenly spoke loudly.

“That’s right, Lady Jade worked hard yesterday. But from what I hear, she’s quite capable in theory as well?”

“…Me?”

It was truly the first time she had heard such a thing. If anything, Jade’s theoretical knowledge was lacking compared to her innate abilities.

Theory is something completed gradually through effort and time, but her life had been far too busy. She had barely managed to buy and read newly published magic books whenever she had a spare moment.

“Yes. I heard you’re very thorough.”

“Where on earth did you hear such a thing…? There’s absolutely no way-”

“We’ll be loading the monster we caught yesterday onto a wagon. We need to show the results to the people of the Kingdom of Jissen. Instead of riding a horse, I’d like you to ride next to it and analyze it as we go. I’m asking you.”

Axel passed by without even waiting for her agreement. Jade followed his retreating figure with a bewildered gaze, but with his long strides, he had already gone far.

What’s this, leaving in the middle of an argument? So is it Axel or Sir Leon? If the answer is Axel when we’re alone and Sir Leon in front of others, I’ll stomp on your foot.

Jade snorted and grumbled.

“He leaves without even waiting for an answer. Do you treat Grace like this too?”

Grace Tanner blinked slowly.

Looking back and forth between the distant black figure and the pouting magician with puffed lips, Grace quietly asked.

“You two said you weren’t acquainted, right?”

“Huh? Well, uh, that’s right.”

Jade mumbled a response, and Grace observed her reaction before nodding.

“You might not know. Yes, that’s right. He’s like that with most people.”

Seeing the knight respond as if she knew everything about him, Jade felt a bit embarrassed.

Despite the three months spent in Athanase Forest focused solely on each other, she felt she knew very little about him.

Right, Lady Grace’s words must be correct.

“I see. Well, I should go prepare to ride my horse again.”

“Yes.”

Grace’s voice sounded merely firm, lacking its usual gentle tone. Feeling a subtle distance, Jade quickly returned to her tent to prepare for departure.

Thinking about it later, Axel’s suggestion was quite good. Because instead of bouncing on horseback, she could sit in a somewhat more comfortable carriage.

The wagon was very large and sturdy. Well, it remained intact even after loading the monster’s corpse and several people on top.

Jade stretched out her stiff arms and legs.

“That commander really doesn’t know anything. Why don’t you just lie down?”

Rigel flashed a look refusing help, but Jade shook her head firmly.

“I’m not the type who can just lounge around.”

“Perhaps… you should… try relaxing.”

“What are you saying? It’s a misunderstanding, I tell you. I’m not like that.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Rigel began carefully analyzing the monster’s body, cutting into it. The massive body had shriveled up like a dried-out tree as water burst out, so it fit sufficiently on the large wagon.

“What are you looking for?”

“The core.”

Jade watched his delicate hand movements with an interested expression.

For the first time in a very long time, since meeting Rigel, spending time close to him felt alright.

“Ah, I’ve heard. It’s a new research finding these days, right? That all monsters have a core.”

“That’s correct. It was from a paper published by an anonymous magician. Though it was quite controversial.”

“Why on earth would they be anonymous? If it were me, I’d be boasting about it everywhere. It’s such an amazing discovery.”

Research on monsters had made no progress for a very long time.

These creatures didn’t seem to fit into the natural cycle created by God at all. It was unclear how they were born or how they died. Due to their dangerous nature, it was difficult to experiment on and observe living specimens.

But according to what a magician recently revealed, there is something that can be called a ‘core’ inside every monster’s body, and mana reactions were detected from this core until the monster died.

The academic world was in an uproar. So what the anonymous magician discovered was…

“These things use mana as a power source, like magicians.”

“Moreover, these monsters don’t even use spells. They just naturally use the mana spread throughout the world. Just considering that stage…”

“It’s more efficient than magicians who offer spells to God.”

For the first time in a very long time, Jade felt a bit motivated about theory and began searching for the core. She clung to what looked like an arm, injecting mana to check for reactions.

“Isn’t the core usually in a place like this? Somewhere good for defense?”

The place Jade pointed to was already split open with a scar, surrounded by something like hard stones blocking it.

“Don’t just point randomly like that.”

“It’s not random, you know? I got some kind of feeling.”

Rigel snorted at Jade’s words.

They could only advance a fingernail’s length at a time. It wasn’t arduous, but it was boring. A yawn came involuntarily.

“Yaaawn.”

Without even raising his head, Rigel said firmly.

“Be thorough.”

“Do you… do this kind of work in your room every day?”

“It’s natural for things to be tedious until results come out. But I like that time. Better than following the subjugation squad around.”

Saying that, Rigel continued moving his hands without rest.

It was surprising, unlike his usual appearance of seeming like a younger sibling, always grumbling despite his elegant speech. Jade glanced curiously at the young man with a boyish face.

Well, he is fairly famous in the magical academic world. He consistently researches water attribute magic too. Maybe I should dip my toes into research once everything is settled?

As she was interestedly stealing glances at the pale magician’s face, someone approached the wagon.

Startled by a dark figure looming nearby, Jade turned her gaze. She saw a familiar muscular horse.

“Have you found anything?”

Somehow the voice was as harsh as ice. The owner of that voice was the man who had fled earlier without deciding whether he was Axel or Sir Leon, and was now looking down at Jade and Rigel.

She tried to meet his gaze with half-open eyes, but he was brazenly avoiding her again.

His ash-gray eyes, lightened by the sun, were subtly skirting around Jade. He seemed to be looking at the sunlight patterns around her shoulders.

Or perhaps at the occasional brushing of Jade and Rigel’s shoulders as they sat very close together.

Instead of Jade, who was holding back sharp words, Rigel opened his mouth.

“Nothing in particular yet. I actually had something I wanted to ask you, so this is perfect timing.”

Rigel pointed to the long gash left on the monster’s body as he spoke.

“Sir Leon, did you feel anything different when you made this wound? Like something getting in the way or the monster’s reaction feeling different?”

Axel had struck the monster three times. The first time he pierced it using a strange light, the second time he stabbed it with a spear, and the third time he slashed it lengthwise.

The wound Rigel was pointing to now was from the third strike.

“The monster’s reaction was different.”

“How was it different?”

The man rubbed his firm jaw with his leather-gloved hand, deep in thought.

“Well… I’m not sure, but it felt like it suddenly stopped. Before that, there was constant movement, whether convulsions or something else. Even small vibrations.”

Then he glared briefly at Jade.

“So I was in a hurry, worried someone might get hurt.”

Jade gave him a look that said “What do you want me to do?” I had my reasons for rushing out too.

Unaware of the tension between Jade and Axel, Rigel was looking at the split area with a troubled expression.

“I think the core might have been here.”

“The core?”

After a brief explanation, Rigel frowned.

“But they said the core doesn’t break easily… Since it endures and circulates highly concentrated mana. How did it shatter? You don’t have a Pair, do you, sir?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then it wasn’t a clash of mana, so why…”

The blue-eyed magician was still thoroughly searching here and there, completely absorbed.

Axel confirmed that Rigel’s attention was elsewhere and brought his horse closer. Ignoring Jade’s glare, he leaned down and whispered gruffly.

“Stop clinging so close. Your shoulders are practically touching. Aren’t you aware of how others might see this? What if someone misunderstands?”

Then he swiftly left again.

What? Me? What should I be aware of? Are people jealous of our research and misunderstanding?

Jade stared blankly in the direction Axel had gone with a completely bewildered expression, but he had already moved far away and did not approach her again.

What’s wrong with him? But somehow this nagging feels familiar…?

She decided to call Axel “Big Grump” and Rigel “Little Grump” from now on. Their speech was different, but their actions were similar.