"Your brother?"
Before Cyril had the time to respond, Cedric stepped closer, his face concerned.
"What happened? Can you tell us?"
As if waiting precisely for this moment, Emily lowered her head and slowly nodded.
"I and my brother were separated when I was about 13. One day I just wake up and he's gone."
She sighed, her gaze distant.
"I've searched for him tirelessly and yet haven't found a single clue..."
She raised her head, sending Cyril a hopeful look. "Until now."
"Uh huh."
"I'll help you too!" Cedric suddenly exclaimed, his face solemn.
"It's family! Of course you want to find your missing sibling!"
From the side, Anna looked at Cedric with silent concern before her eyes moved away, their meaning unclear.
"Thank you."
Emily smiled lightly, her face becoming momentarily brighter, before she continued staring at Cyril, who remained silent for now.
You did propose to find Jack before.
"Yes, I think that's an even better idea now."
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, somewhat surprised.
Really?
Rhamn patted her chest, her face pretending to be solemn.
"Of course!" Though a malicious smile quickly emerged.
"I can predict there will be some interesting drama there, hehe."
...Seems that way.
The butterfly on his shoulder twitched her antennae in boredom.
Sorry, Morpho, we are about done here.
Cyril finally nodded.
"When I have the time, I'll help."
Emily's eyes turned excited, and a wide smile spread on her face.
"It won't be on this weekend, I'm busy. Some other time."
Emily's smile twitched lightly, but she still bowed, her voice solemn.
"Of course! When you feel best!"
Cedric walked up to Cyril, reaching his arms in a hug.
Cyril only glared at him, and he froze midway before laughing.
"Hahaha! Let me join you when the time comes, Cyril! I must know what happens there!"
Without answering him, Cyril walked away.
The rest briefly looked at each other and followed after him.
Regina disappeared at some point, leaving without a trace.
"Can you tell me more about the day he disappeared, Emily?" asked Cedric with concern.
Emily hesitated, twisting the hem of her sleeve with a complicated expression.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer."
"No, it's okay. It all began-"
"Can this wait?" Cyril's cold voice interrupted them.
Emily's words got stuck in her throat. She stared at him with the corners of her eyes glistening and slowly nodded.
Cedric awkwardly scratched his hair and pretended nothing happened.
I am also curious. It's just that it would be better to listen in a suitable atmosphere.
Cyril looked towards the sky. The illusory sun was already setting, plunging the forest into even darker colors.
The feeling of being watched only intensified with time.
Morpho flew in the air, her insect eyes peering into the woods, trying to get a glimpse of something that shouldn't be there.
"Hello, Morpho."
"...!"
Suddenly, Anna's cautious voice spooked the red butterfly.
Morpho almost chopped at her with a wing but stopped herself at the last second.
Anna breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously stretched her arm out.
"Do you mind...?"
She asked with hope, showing the insect her palm.
Morpho immediately used a wing to bat the offered hand away.
She landed back on Cyril's shoulder and twitched her antennae in annoyance.
Anna lowered her arm, in her eyes disappointment.
"Morpho is not that cheap!"
Like Tigris?
"...That's not what I meant!"
Cyril gently brushed the butterfly's wings, on his face a subtle smile.
...
On the way Anna would occasionally stop in front of some random objects, fiddling in the air with something.
Emily would do the same at different places without any apparent reason.
After it happened for the sixth time, Cyril finally couldn't handle his curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
Emily lowered her arms, her voice almost a whisper.
"I was... just solving a puzzle, participating in the lesson?"
Puzzle?
Cedric quickly stepped forward, eager to explain.
But then he glanced at Anna and reined himself in.
Ignoring him, Anna opened her mouth.
"It's the main exercise of the lesson. All over the forest are hidden magic circles unique to each student. We were told we would be graded on how many we solve... aside from battling you.
"Sometimes there are even rare items as a reward after we solve them."
Huh.
Cedric cut in after all with a joking expression.
"By the way! We have a similar thing, try injecting mana into your disc."
Cyril blankly stared at the disc in his hands.
He quickly injected mana into it.
Sure enough, a half-completed magic circle appeared before his eyes.
I can't believe I never tried it...
"Better late than never..." Rhamn mumbled, her cheek dyeing a soft red.
"We were too focused on battles! That's what really matters after all!"
Emily involuntarily let out a chuckle at the sight of Cyril staring into nothing with a blank face.
Cyril immediately glared at her.
She froze and looked away, pretending to observe the forest.
Cyril sighed and began fiddling with the circle as he walked.
It's nothing hard, at least.
He and Rhamn quickly added the missing patterns to the circle, making mana flow in a way that seemed correct.
In just mere moments, the puzzle was solved, and the disc shone brightly.
"Already!?" Cedric's eye twitched.
Anna widened her eyes and quietly clapped, genuinely impressed.
While Emily's expression became solidified with her jaw open.
Soon her face darkened a few levels.
"Way faster than me... it was also probably harder than mine... How could there be such differences between people...?"
She quietly mumbled to herself.
Cyril gave her a sidelong glance, helpless. Her despairing voice was quite distracting.
Trying to ignore it, he focused on the crystal.
"...!"
As he held onto it, the mana in the air gathered around him, allowing him to absorb it faster.
It increases my mana regeneration!
At first excited, he began feeling somewhat perplexed.
If I had this earlier, I could've avoided that scene...
"At least it was fun."
Was it?
Cyril gave Rhamn a look, to which she innocently nodded.
"Yes."
"..."
He sighed internally and resumed walking, ignoring the questions from Cedric about the puzzle.
...
After walking for a while longer in silence, Cyril suddenly slowed down.
"What's wrong?"
Cedric sneaked closer and whispered as he looked around, the others slowed down as well.
"Someone's ahead."
As they passed a few trees, a group of students became visible.
Cyril lowered his body, staying out of sight.
Cedric soon joined him at the side, crouching.
In a moment Anna came closer and silently activated a spell.
Suddenly the plants around them swayed as if under a gust of wind, and the branches of trees leaned just a little lower, hiding them better.
"...?"
Cyril gave her a look, to which Anna nodded, holding back a smile.
Impressive spell. They don't teach it here…
Emily hid behind a bush at the side, having hidden quicker than most.
"Feels weird to hide... I am on their team..." She mumbled.
Cyril and the rest quietly focused on the group in front of them.
It was a small gathering of students from different classes.
They took deep gulps of air, recovering their breath as sweat trickled down their heads.
"So yes, now we know which area to avoid. That was good."
A student with blond hair and green eyes optimistically talked to the other tired souls.
One of them pointed their finger at him with an angry face.
"Edmund, your leadership is a joke! You said you could convince Myra and Thorne! But-"
"Without me you would've been eliminated countless times already! Have you heard of others who survived them both?"
Edmund crossed his arms and straightened his back, his green eyes staring without faltering at the dissident.
Under his gaze that lacked any doubt, the student seemed to hesitate and finally swallow the rest of his words.
Edmund nodded with satisfaction.
"I understand everyone is anxious, but don't worry. We've done well so far, I am sure the professors can see that. Now let's go find Cedric at the waterfall, his duel should be about to end. We might be able to play a role then."
Cedric, hiding near Cyril, had a helpless expression.
Rhamn stood in the open, hands on her hips.
"Hehe, let's go out now. I wonder what their reactions will be now?"
Yes. I want to ask Edmund something.
Cyril walked out without any worries.
As the students noticed a noise, they looked over, and soon their faces were covered in shock, as if finding a ghost.
"I'll never get tired of this reaction~"