"That's not something difficult!"
Tiel held back the words she wanted to say—'Your Majesty, there are unresolved issues in your void space!'—as she grabbed Ian's arm.
Ian Dross tilted his head as though avoiding Tiel's gaze, opening his mouth.
"Isn't it just a matter of going in and getting out without being caught?"
"It's not as easy as it sounds…!"
"Don't worry, Tiel. Nothing you're worried about will happen."
Ferdie smiled gently. Though it seemed like he had something to rely on, Tiel had no idea what it was that he believed in to make such a confident statement.
"What if we get caught?"
If they got caught, they would have to prepare for war, but with the Crown Prince involved, it was unlikely that Nestian and Asterian would go to war.
However, that was hardly the real problem. The problem was that they were dealing with Nestian! A Nestian who had severed all connections with other families!
Did they really intend to send the fiancé and brothers into such dangerous territory without knowing what could happen inside? Tiel looked at Olivia as if begging her to say something to stop them.
Olivia, who had been seriously looking at Ferdie, Ludian, and Ian, fiddled with the necklace hanging around her neck and spoke.
"I get why you called me! You want me to put my powers into this, right? For when you're trying to escape?"
"Exactly, Olivia."
"I knew it. But my powers won't be enough for all three of you. There are three of you, right? Are you going to leave one of you behind while escaping?"
"Think before you speak, Olivia."
"Yeah, maybe you should start thinking before speaking."
Ferdie and Ludian's harsh criticisms poured out. Olivia narrowed her eyes and spoke sharply.
"I was joking! Ahhh, now I don't even want to help anymore. I was going to help because it's for dear Tiel…"
Tiel once again had to hold back the words she wanted to say—'If you want to help me, please talk some sense into my brothers!'
"Anyway!"
Olivia opened her mouth. Everyone looked at her. She pulled on the necklace with a sharp motion and took it off.
Thud.
The necklace broke. But Olivia didn't care, placing the necklace pendant on her palm and speaking confidently.
"Watch closely, I'm going to show you how to use the Wolfgang power!"
"Already?"
"It's better to do it in advance!"
With a triumphant shout, Olivia clenched the pendant in her hand and closed her eyes tightly.
Then,
Kugugugugung—!
A massive roar filled the room, and a vortex appeared in the parlor! Plates, cups, tea coasters, photo frames, and decorations flew in all directions.
"Hey! Olivia! Are you insane?!"
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Ferdie and Ludian instinctively surrounded Tiel protectively while angrily shouting at Olivia.
Ian Dross opened his void space, attempting to move Tiel inside, but realizing his void space was unstable, he lowered his hand.
Meanwhile, Olivia seemed unconcerned about the Asterian estate being partially destroyed and simply smiled to herself.
After a moment, the vortex died down. Olivia's hair, once neatly arranged, was now blown all over the place by the wind.
"Did you see it?"
Olivia asked, her eyes sparkling.
"What exactly?"
Ferdie replied in a voice full of disbelief.
"Wolfgang's power calls the wind to your feet. The vortex just now happened because this room is small. If you use it in a larger space, the wind created at your feet will guide you to escape."
Olivia continued.
"Or you can use it differently. The method is simple. You just have to break the pendant. Once you break it and throw it at your target, a vortex will form there."
"...You could have told us that later, verbally."
"This is way more fun!"
Tiel gave up on trying to understand her beloved cousin.
Olivia threw the broken pendant onto the mess of a table and flopped down onto the couch.
"Anyway, as I said, my powers alone can't handle all three of you. I'll have to ask my father…"
"Then I'll ask my uncle."
Ferdie said. Olivia gave him a look that seemed to ask, 'Why ask him? Can't I do it?'
Ferdie, clearly irritated, said with a frown.
"Nothing ever gets done when it's left to you. Look at this mess. Grandpa would want to hang you upside down if he saw this..."
"Grandpa has wanted to hang me since I was seven, but he's never succeeded."
"That's something to be proud of…"
Ferdie, Ludian, Olivia, Ian Dross, and Tiel had all grown into adults, no longer resembling the children they once were, but their conversations were still just like they had been when they were young.
Tiel, although worried about the situation, liked the way her brothers and cousin spoke to each other casually, just like they used to when they were children. She listened quietly, sitting still.
If Ferdie decided on something, there was no way Tiel could stop him.
That was just the kind of person Ferdie was. Her eldest brother was someone who couldn't rest until he did what he wanted.
And if that thing involved Tiel, there was no way he would back down. Ferdie would go to Nestian, even if Tiel tried to stop him.
At this point, it was better not to try and stop them. Instead, Tiel decided to focus on making the 'light orb' that Ferdie had asked her to make.
It was a time for focus and decision-making.
After that, Ferdie, Ludian, Olivia, and Ian Dross continued to discuss their plans to secretly enter Nestian.
In the ruined parlor, their expressions were serious as they spoke.
However, their conversation was cut short when Alpheus, having heard that Olivia and Ian Dross had arrived, suddenly opened the parlor door.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Everyone stared at Alpheus in silence. Alpheus, forgetting to formally greet Ian Dross, stood with his mouth agape, looking at the ruined parlor.
In just three seconds, Alpheus realized who had caused the mess in the parlor and yelled.
"Olivia!! How old are you, and you're still doing this!?"
Considering that Olivia was in her late twenties, it made sense why Alpheus was shouting.
But Olivia seemed unfazed, scratching her cheek in a lazy gesture, exactly like when she was a child.
***
"Come °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° here."
At the call of a man dressed in white, a young man obediently approached him.
The man looked into the young man's eyes.
The young man's eyes were clouded, unfocused, as though they had never held any light, consumed instead by an endless darkness.
Just looking at them was uncomfortable. His eyes, his expression, were unpleasant. But the man seemed undisturbed, observing the young man's condition.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong with him, the man smiled as though satisfied.
"Stable. As expected, you're different from your sister. You will be my masterpiece, my one and only."
The man's words made the young man lower his head. It seemed like he was either expressing gratitude or perhaps just avoiding eye contact.
The young man's face, as he lowered his head, briefly looked like the face of a young boy, but there was no one here who would notice that subtle change.
"Sit here and wait for him. I have someone to meet."
At the man's words, the young man nodded obediently, appearing as though any rebelliousness had been quelled.
He did not react to any words, nor did he seem disturbed by anything.
The man in white left the room, leaving the young man alone in the dim room.
Left alone, the young man stared blankly at the wall for a moment before clasping his hands and using his abilities.
His use of abilities looked very much like Tiel's, but there was one key difference...
Sssss—
The gathering force wasn't light, but darkness. From within the darkness, a black, snake-like shadow gathered, creeping up through his palms.
It was the same power that had attacked Tiel.