“Then, just as magic is classified by attribute, can we say that the magical power coming from the cores of these monsters differs from individual to individual?”

“I believe so. Of course, it was just a guess without any basis. But surely, isn’t it interesting?”

It was somehow confusing to hear her judging fun in such a deflated voice, but it was definitely an intriguing topic. Jade also found it both startling and quite interesting.

The man with a bushy brown beard rubbed his chin and grinned.

“You know, if we continue this research, we might be able to get more useful results than we think. I mean, isn’t the easiest way to suppress fire attribute magic with water attribute magic?”

“That’s right. If the magical power of these monsters itself can be distinguished, then there will be easier options for cutting it off.”

“I heard that the new subjugation force formed by His Majesty has already reached the Milburn territory? It might be a good idea to contact them. Aren’t there plenty of monsters there?”

Rigel nodded and said,

“I will contact them.”

“In the meantime, we need to organize the hypothesis a bit more. Two bodies aren’t enough!”

At that moment, a woman wearing glasses lightly raised her hand, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Oakley. Is the reason you made that conjecture simply because the aspects shown at the time of death were different?”

“Yes, that’s right. But it’s also thanks to the ruins we saw on the island of Belkis. I think these things were something that lived on this land in the past instead of humans. Abandoned by god.”

Oakley made a tremendous statement with a gloomy face. The surroundings became unbearably chilly to handle.

Thanks to that, when the chief chamberlain came in and asked to wrap up today’s research at this point, all the magicians dispersed with dumbfounded faces without anyone objecting.

Jade was the same.

‘Have you never thought about why monsters prefer magicians as their prey?’

Yes. It was a question she had always been curious about. Magicians are stronger than ordinary people, so it would make more sense for them not to target them. However, monsters would quickly notice even a single magician hidden among people and rush towards them…

What if those monsters coveted the god’s spirit bestowed upon magicians?

“So, it’s finally the coming-of-age ceremony?”

Jade came to her senses with a start. Before she knew it, she had almost passed through the long corridor and was standing on the stairs leading to the garden.

Rigel’s blue eyes, still gazing at her, were waiting for an answer.

“Ah, right. Yeah. It’s finally the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“And have you resolved the issue with your fiancé?”

Jade was perplexed by the quiet question. No matter how long she had been scolding Rigel, now that she knew his feelings, she couldn’t remain calm.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you the exact situation. Where did you hear it from?”

“There are channels here and there. Have you decided?”

When she hesitated, Rigel shook his head.

“You said you wouldn’t care.”

“It was my own feelings, so I can deal with it on my own. Hurry up.”

“…I haven’t decided yet.”

But she had a change of heart. Of course, this wasn’t something to easily talk about right now, so she held her words.

“I see. Well… it’s good that it worked out.”

Rigel, with much calmer eyes than before, greeted her and glanced at Axel, who was blocking Jade’s back.

“You might not know, but the market ahead is quite a sight. Especially at night, the lanterns with lazulite are like a painting. Then, please give me the invitation next time we meet or send it to the Hias townhouse.”

Then he left with quiet footsteps. Jade quietly watched his tall back that had suddenly grown, though still skinny. Axel approached beside her.

Looking up, he had an indifferent face as always.

“Did… did you see Rigel often? How did he seem?”

Axel answered her sloppy question that left out all the important details with little sincerity.

“I saw him often, but I wasn’t very interested.”

Then he looked at the ceiling once and lowered his face again, and a crooked smile had already returned.

“So, you have time now, right?”

Jade nodded as if mesmerized.

As Jade had thought while going to the royal castle, the capital city of Siena in the Kingdom of El Cion had always been renowned for its complexity.

Even the area around the royal castle walls was bustling with buildings, so it was perfect for first-time visitors to lose their minds.

Fortunately, a regular pattern of sections was formed along the long-stretched roads from ancient times, so even if it took a long time, one could eventually find their destination.

The capital site itself was large, and with so many people living in it, many goods were also needed. Thanks to this, most of the roads spreading out from the royal castle led to shopping streets, and the streets were full of vitality.

The weather was so nice that even as it was getting dark, only a refreshingly cool breeze blew.

Jade and Axel left through the east gate and headed to where the shopping street stretched out.

There, as Rigel had said, lanterns hanging on strings were illuminating the darkness, and the light spread over a wide range as if high-quality lazulite magic stones, which were hard to obtain, were inside.

The crimson hue hanging in the sky was shining as beautifully as stars, captivating everyone’s gaze.

Everyone was walking while looking up and exclaiming in admiration, not looking at the ground.

Walking with her head tilted upwards in the same way, Jade looked serene for a moment, but in fact, she was extremely nervous.

How nervous was she? She forgot how to walk, which she had taken for granted for over twenty years, and was creaking as she stretched her left arm and left leg at the same time. Fortunately, she could at least hide her expression by pulling the hood she had bought earlier deeply.

The reason was obvious. It was the handsome man walking calmly beside her.

Glancing furtively, the shadows created by the darkening sky and the gradually brightening lanterns fell on his face, making the contours of his features even more distinct. Thanks to this, people coming from the opposite direction, people walking in the same direction, and people chatting in front of stores were all looking at him.

Jade, who was wearing a hood in case someone recognized her, muttered suspiciously.

“Maybe you should have worn the hood, not me…?”

When she mumbled to look at people’s gazes, Axel raised an eyebrow crookedly and snorted.

Then an unexpected effect occurred: the people who were stealing glances at him quickly turned their heads and started minding their own business!

Axel was not only handsome but also exuded a dangerous feeling. Was it because of the deep lines of his features, solid jawline, strangely bright-looking eyes, and large body combined?

Anyway, perhaps because of that, when he made such a crooked face, it made people want to avert their gaze. In fact, Jade had also thought he looked mean on several days in the Atanase Forest.

Of course, now he looked the cutest and most adorable in the world, so Jade lost her rhythm again and creaked as she stretched her right arm and right leg at the same time.

But she couldn’t help feeling awkward. This situation itself was so unfamiliar that it was driving her crazy!

It had been a long time since she acknowledged that she liked him, and that fact was already an obvious proposition in her world. Jade liked Axel.

Imagining forming a pair with him was very easy, and in fact, she had never been as satisfied as when they actually became a pair. To the point where she thought she could achieve the pair relationship she had dreamed of while looking at her mother and father.

However, she hadn’t been able to think for long that they could be connected. She had chosen the path to unhappiness by suppressing hope and giving up.

It was only a few weeks ago that she finally discovered the other possibility she had been turning away from.

Even so, she had never thought that she would walk the streets of Siena like this, mingling with people. Kissing him seemed more natural and less awkward.

The reason was unknown. Was it because walking together was such an everyday thing?

It seemed like something only officially recognized lovers would do. Well, as for kissing, they could just hide and do it without anyone knowing.

Oh, somehow the flow of thoughts seemed quite radical…?

Jade tried to focus on the beauty of the lanterns hanging in the sky again with an embarrassed face.

“Should I wear a robe too?”

But while Jade was lost in thought and silent, Axel seemed to have interpreted her reaction a bit differently. He must have felt that he had interfered with her intention to avoid people’s eyes.

Jade lightly shook her head.

“Why bother? If you’re trying to hide your face, it’s already too late. Your face and physique have already been recognized by everyone in this neighborhood. They’ll all tag along to see a glimpse of your smile.”

“What’s the point of seeing my smile?”

“It brightens their eyes. It doesn’t cost money, but the effect is tremendous. I’m saying this now, but when I first saw your face, I thought that if you had such a face, you should go out and brighten the world.”

Recalling her shabby appearance when they first met, Axel just let out a short laugh. To think she had the presence of mind to have such thoughts.

Pointing to the lanterns, Jade said,

“Aren’t those really spectacular? Should we introduce something like this to our territory? I was already thinking that we need to work hard because the number of tourists to the neighboring Miller territory has been increasing these days.”

“Sounds good. But it seems like the price would be enormous.”

“That’s true. But definitely, there’s no better spectacle at night than this. A tourist attraction that is beautiful both day and night would be popular with anyone….”

Axel looked down at Jade, who was wrapped in a white lump like a robe, with curious eyes. Her face was not visible, but her sparkling eyes were easy to imagine.

Jade Brown, seen in the forest, and Heir Jade Broen, seen outside, were similar yet different.

It wasn’t that the expressions or movements she made were different. She still reacted passionately whenever she saw something interesting, had rich facial expressions, knew how to smile brightly, and considered it natural to protect the weak.

However, unlike in the Atanase Forest, where she ran around lightly without any responsibility, she sometimes showed aspects as the territory’s heir like this. She also showed glimpses of her decisiveness as a decision-maker when leading the subjugation force.

That was another side of Jade. The same foundation, but an unfamiliar part.

He had thought that facing such parts might be disconcerting. The Jade of the Atanase Forest and the Jade outside would be different, so the difference might quickly cool his feelings.

But that wasn’t the case. The fact that there was still a lot left to learn about her was rather delightful. Because it meant that to know you perfectly, I had to be with you even longer.