In the dead of night, Nigel suddenly opened her eyes.

Yenika, who had been happily chattering about how the journey with Nigel was worth the difficult task, had fallen fast asleep.

Nigel carefully covered Yenika with her disheveled blanket and rummaged through her luggage bag.

‘It’s good I brought this just in case.’

In Nigel’s hand was Swindle’s invisibility magic tool.

Nigel skillfully manipulated the magic tool. Soon, the green light emitted from the tool instantly concealed Nigel’s form.

Since the magic tool only made the body invisible and did not hide one’s presence, Nigel quietly slipped out the door.

Thanks to Roneh’s stern order to go to sleep immediately unless they wanted to die by her hand, the dormitory of her peers was pitch black without a single light leaking out.

And on the opposite side, Nigel slightly furrowed her brow as she looked at the brightly lit professors’ quarters.

Having heard the holy knights’ shift change times from Noah earlier, there were no variables that could stop Nigel.

However, this entire plan was perfect only under the premise that Roneh would stay obediently inside her quarters.

‘Surely she wouldn’t go through the trouble of standing guard at night in a place crawling with holy knights.’

Nigel finished organizing her thoughts and quietly walked in front of the professors’ quarters.

As she passed by Heres and Roneh’s room and was passing in front of Cledian’s room, she heard Cledian’s scolding to get off immediately and Roneh’s hearty laughter saying what’s the problem.

‘Phew…’

Nigel swallowed a sigh of relief.

Though she felt sorry for Cledian, Nigel hoped that since Roneh had barged into Cledian’s room, she would not come out until dawn.

Crunch. Perhaps because she had been on guard all along, as soon as her tension eased, Nigel accidentally stepped on a pine cone.

It was a simple mistake, but in front of Roneh, whose senses were sharper than most animals, it had a different meaning.

Fearing that even the smallest breath might escape, Nigel covered her mouth with both hands.

Creak, at the same time, the door opened.

“…I just heard something.”

Roneh’s low voice, sounding as if searching for prey, was terrifying. Nigel froze in place, praying for Roneh to quickly go back inside.

At that moment, Cledian’s voice faintly echoed through the open door.

“Roneh, why don’t you go back to your room since you’re already out?”

“Dian, why are you being so cold~”

Roneh chuckled and went back inside.

‘Thank you, Professor Cledian.’

Nigel bowed her head towards Cledian’s quarters in gratitude and quickly left the temple.

Meanwhile, Noah and Allen, risking Roneh’s wrath, stopped in front of Nigel’s quarters.

The reason was that Allen had readily agreed to Noah’s suggestion to stand guard in front of Nigel’s quarters in case anything happened, finding it interesting.

“Nigel… are you there?”

Allen whispered, lightly knocking on the door. Fearing Nigel might wake up, Noah quickly rushed over and pulled Allen away from the door.

“Why. You said you sorted out your feelings when you were with me, so it’s okay to talk to Nigel now.”

“Well, that’s…”

Noah trailed off at Allen’s teasing.

“Does someone who’s sorted out their feelings stand guard out of worry for a friend? You should deceive what needs deceiving.”

“Allen, you knew everything?”

“Yeah, that you were rejected by Nigel and are anxious because you can’t do anything for her. And that you’re childishly jealous of Yenika too.”

Noah frowned, hit right on the mark by Allen’s cruel confirmation shot.

“Really, if you’re not going to use that handsome face, why don’t you give it to me?”

“I’m only going to use my face for Nigel.”

“Ugh, being honest is better than pretending to have sorted out your feelings. Fine, have it your way.”

Allen sighed and approached the window.

“Let’s see~ Is Nigel, whom Noah Beselion likes, sleeping well? I hope Nigel knows that Noah is jealous of Yenika~”

“Allen!”

As Allen pressed his face close to the window and looked around, Noah scolded him in a small voice.

Allen turned his head and snickered.

“Haha! Noah, your face is completely red.”

“Allen…”

“See, who told you to pretend you sorted out your feelings throughout the trip?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Noah pointed his finger forward.

“What, what’s wrong?”

Allen turned his head following Noah’s finger, still grinning.

“Uh, uwaah!”

Yenika, wearing a white one-piece nightgown with lace at the hem, was plastered to the window with a pale face.

As the startled Allen was about to let out another shriek, Noah quickly covered Allen’s mouth and entered Nigel’s quarters.

“I’m sorry, Yenika, Nigel. Excuse us for a moment…”

Thud, a delicate hand resting on Noah’s arm cut off his words.

“Nigel has disappeared.”

Yenika murmured, looking at the empty bed.

“What?”

“Maybe she… went for a short walk?”

Yenika shook her head weakly at the two’s questions.

“Who would go for a walk for over an hour? Besides, Nigel never left her quarters once she entered, saying she couldn’t risk getting penalty points throughout the trip.”

Noah and Allen exchanged glances at Yenika’s words.

They were worried that perhaps Nigel had been discovered by the high priest, or that she was coming back too late out of fear of Roneh’s wrath.

“…Don’t worry too much. I have an idea where Nigel might have gone.”

Allen and Noah blinked at Yenika’s calm voice.

“Where on earth…”

As Yenika stretched her hand upwards, the two turned their heads following her hand.

“…The mountain?”

“The Mountain of Fragments. After Nigel returned from meeting the chief priest, she kept staring at the Mountain of Fragments.”

Yenika, who had always been cheerful when with Nigel, now showed not a trace of a smile.

“Then, shall we go?”

Noah and Allen nodded at the naturally flowing authority.

At the foot of the Mountain of Fragments.

Nigel blinked, looking at the mountain filled with trees.

The moonlight was particularly bright tonight, so the mountain climb didn’t seem too difficult.

Nigel clenched her fist tightly and took a step into the mountain, steeling her resolve.

“Passing traveler there, would you perhaps need a map of the Mountain of Fragments?”

At the sudden cheerful voice of a woman, Nigel looked around.

“Ah, over here, over here!”

Only after the woman called out five times did Nigel approach her.

The woman flung open the door of a small stand with a tiny window. Her silhouette could be seen waving happily under the moonlight.

“Welcome, customer. Don’t you need the latest map of the Mountain of Fragments? It’s the version revised just this year.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Good, very good.”

The woman, smelling money, turned on the stand’s light fully with a merry hum and pulled out a large bundle.

“…Oh? That uniform is from Sienna Academy, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Might your name be…”

“Nigel, Nigel Ars.”

“Ah~ So you’re a friend of the young master!”

“By young master, you mean…?”

Come to think of it, the familiar-looking nameplate on her chest read ‘Jane’.

“Is this perhaps the Evans Company?”

“Yes, it’s the Evans Company branch at the Mountain of Fragments, present anywhere be it mountains, seas, or remote areas!”

Jane placed the heavy bundle in Nigel’s hands with a trained smile.

“Please take it, Miss Nigel.”

“But I haven’t paid yet.”

“Actually, an official notice went around the company. We were told to treat the young master’s friends with utmost hospitality for a juicy bonus… I mean, to treat them with utmost hospitality.”

Nigel finally accepted the bundle at Jane’s awkward smile and gesture urging her to take it quickly.

There was no time to think now. Nigel began climbing the mountain with the bundle on her head.

And a step behind, the young master of the Evans Company visited the Evans Company’s Mountain of Fragments branch.

“Oh my! Goodness gracious! Isn’t this Young Master Allen?”

Jane rushed out without even putting on her shoes properly and welcomed Allen warmly.

Behind Allen were none other than a young viscount and a princess, but in front of her future boss who would ensure her retirement, even an emperor wouldn’t matter unless he came himself.

Allen, who didn’t dislike flattery, smiled gently and probed Jane.

“Ah, is business going well these days?”

“Yes, of course. Thanks to the rumor that you can meet dead people, there’s been a constant stream of visitors. Just now, your friend also went up…”

Before Jane could finish speaking, the three people began climbing the mountain with fierce momentum.

Noah, who was leading the climb, turned back upon hearing rough breathing.

“…We seem to have climbed quite a bit, should we rest for a moment?”

Although they were breathing heavily, Allen and Yenika did not stop walking.

Seeing the strong determination of the two to not stop until they found Nigel, Noah silently faced forward and walked.

As they climbed the mountain for a while, Yenika suddenly raised a question.

“But… isn’t this strange? This tree that splits into three branches, I think I’ve seen it before.”

“I’m not the only one who felt that way. I’ve seen these wildflowers at least three times too.”

“It feels like we’re going in circles.”

“…I wonder if Nigel is alright?”

Worry bloomed on the faces of the three at Yenika’s question. They weren’t sure if they could find Nigel, who had a poor sense of direction.

At that moment, something hard and round fell on Allen’s head. Allen let out a shriek and grabbed the object that had attacked his head.

“…It’s an egg.”

Simultaneously, the three looked up.