Chapter 383

As I stood there staring blankly at the sky, two more gunshots rang out. Switching my artifact to the general channel, I spoke quickly.

“Guys. Who fired just now?”

— [What’ll you give me if I answer?]

It was Elias. For some reason, he sounded completely out of breath. I pursed my lips and shook my head.

“Nothing.”

— [Mmmmmm~]

“Eli. Be serious. Was it you?”

— [Noooo.]

He let out another strained groan. I had no idea what he was doing that had him sounding like he was exerting himself so much. Was my artifact malfunctioning? Probably not. Frowning, I took it off, checked it over, then put it back on.

— [Luka, save me. Please! It’s the place Julia mentioned!]

— [Haha, Elias. What’s wrong? We’ll be heading back soon.]

“What are you even doing?”

— [Hurry!]

Warping would be a pain. It wasn’t just the mana cost, either…

Still, if he was asking for help, I had to go. The day was gradually getting hotter, so I shrugged off my jacket to save what little stamina I could. After suffering through the morning heat, I’d changed into my hunting clothes—a short-sleeved shirt—which had at least let the heat I’d built up from running around dissipate a little. Feeling the breeze against my skin, I slammed my staff into the ground.

Bang— Thud—!

My head rang. A rock scraped across my forearm as I hit the ground, tearing open my skin, but that was the least of my concerns. I jumped to my feet and immediately wondered if I was seeing things.

“Now that’s a sight.”

“Right? My legs were starting to go numb, so I figured this was the better option.”

Zähringen was literally pinning Elias to the ground. Elias flailed the arm Zähringen was holding, unleashing bursts of mana as he struggled. Granted, that had been the plan—to stop him from escaping—but I’d assumed it’d only last a moment. I hadn’t expected them to still be like this.

“You two are friends, right? You didn’t secretly have a falling-out I never heard about?”

“Of course we’re friends. That’s why I’m treating him like this.”

Treating him like this… Yeah. I get it. He reminded me of someone. I pressed a hand to my forehead, let out a dry laugh, then turned back and asked quietly, “Just to make sure I’m not imagining things—what exactly do you mean by ‘like this’? Though for the record, I hope I’m wrong.”

“Ah, it means I can’t bear to watch another friend of mine shatter the happiness of my other friend, so I’m helping him exercise some self-restraint.”

“That’s… oddly specific. Very you.”

“Thanks, Lukas.”

I dropped down beside the sweating Elias and brushed his bangs back from his forehead.

“You should train more, Eli.”

“I’m already good enough!”

Elias shot me a not you too look, so I hurriedly waved both hands.

“I know. That’s why you’re in Eszett.”

“Ooh~”

His eyes lit up—but in a completely different way than I’d intended. It was probably because I’d lumped myself in with Eszett. One careless remark, and I’d handed him fresh ammunition to tease me with. I shouldn’t have indulged his whining.

“More importantly, Luka, get him off me! My thigh’s gone numb!”

“It’s entertaining. Why would I?”

Elias could get out if he really wanted to. He’d just have to injure both himself and Zähringen in the process. As I watched with a grin, Elias ground his teeth and glared at Zähringen.

“Then at least move your leg.”

“If I do, you’ll kick me.”

“You’re way too calculating!”

“I know.”

Elias let out a defeated sigh and turned his head the other way.

“Only these ants are happy to see me now…”

“Write a poem about it. I’ll have it published all across Baden.”

“Quit mocking me!”

Listening to their bickering, I tapped the ground with the staff resting across my knees to get their attention.

“Anyway. Who fired those last shots? There were several of them.”

“Hmm.”

“Out of the six of us, only you and Leo were carrying rifles.”

I pointed at Zähringen, then toward the area where Leo had been lying in wait.

“And Eli’s still getting flattened by Julia.”

“Flattened? I’m doing just fine. Julia’s just that crazy about me. What am I supposed to do? He won’t even play with me!”

“That’s harsh, Elias. Isn’t this me playing with you?”

“It doesn’t count if I’m not having fun! If you wanted to play with me, you should’ve come to Meppen with me. You and Leo both turned me down, so I had to go to the Königsberg restricted zone by myself. I’ll never forget your generosity as long as I live.”

“Oh, you mean the place where you broke your leg? It’s healed completely now, right?”

Zähringen shifted the knee pressing down on Elias’s thigh lower, toward his shin. Elias swallowed hard, his eyes going wide.

“Of course, Julia. There’s no need to test that.”

I let out a dry laugh at their banter and quietly closed my eyes. My thoughts were finally falling into place. Let’s think.

“After tossing him into the pit, Narke would’ve come after me…”

“…….”

That narrowed it down. Leo, Narke, and Ismailov. Those were the only ones who’d been free to move around. And if gunshots had come from two different places…

“…Ah.”

My eyes snapped open as I bit the inside of my lip.

Elias stared at me with wide eyes before breaking into a grin, having figured out what I’d realized. Even Zähringen’s lips curled ever so slightly.

“Oooh~?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Hehe— Ack!”

Elias clapped a hand over his mouth and jumped. I let out a weary sigh after lightly flicking him on the lips.

“Keep it down.”

“Hey, I still haven’t named my, uh… what was it? The prize for the bet~ You can’t treat me like this yet, Luka.”

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

“Hmm. Fair enough. I’m getting nervous.”

“If you win, I’ll drink with you for as long as you want.”

Drinking with Elias was never really a burden. Honestly, with Elias, even polishing off a whole crate and passing out would probably be fun. The headache afterward was another matter. Whistling cheerfully, Elias thoroughly ruffled the back of my hair.

“Aw, thanks.”

“…….”

“Not that it matters, my whole setup got thrown off during the hunt anyway~”

“Then you’ll have to fix it before dinner.”

“We’re eating by ourselves anyway~ Why bother?”

He answered while completely messing up my hair. I peeled his hand away and asked, “Did all the seniors head back to Brandenburg? I saw two of them around lunchtime.”

“Yeah. Everyone except the representatives. They have to protect you.”

“Hmm…”

They should just leave already.

I wasn’t talking about Senior Albertina Hohenzollern—I meant Mecklenburg. Watching him act like he’d finally found something to hold over me just because of Ismailov’s heartbeat was almost laughable. What was he so pleased with?

While I was wondering that, Elias announced that he’d come up with a new plan to get back at Julia.

“The more I think about it, the more I feel like I need to treat Julia differently.”

“I’d love to hear what that entails.”

Zähringen chuckled. He had been gathering up the pheasants we’d caught with magic and trailing behind us. By the time the conversation wound down, we’d already reached Amalienburg.

“So.”

The moment I spotted everyone, I smiled.

“Who fired those last shots? The two of you, step forward.”

“What happened to your arm?”

Leo pointed at my forearm. I tapped the scrape and raised my voice.

“I fell and scraped it. Now, which two of you was it?”

Leo crooked a finger. I snapped my fingers as if to say, I knew it, then looked over the others, and my eyes widened.

Someone I hadn’t expected raised a hand. Folding my arms, I looked back and forth between Narke, who wore a knowing smile, and Ismailov, who stood there blankly, before asking, “Sir Ismailov. Did you know how to use a gun?”

“No. But I watched Lord Hohenzollern shoot and copied him.”

“Hmm. That’s not exactly something you can learn just by watching. So, how’d it turn out?”

“…….”

Ismailov stayed silent, while Narke simply smiled and looked away. I counted the pheasants caught inside the mana net Narke had gathered, snapped my fingers once more, and smiled.

“So it’s a draw?”

“Ghk.”

A strange choking sound came from beside me.

The moment I let the question hang, Leo—who had been expressionless until then—let out an incredulous laugh. Zähringen, my teammate, grinned and held out his hand. I slapped it in a high five before turning to Elias, who was clutching his head.

“I’ll drink with you.”

“Aaaagh!”

“Seriously. Pick the day.”

“Thanks… No, wait! I really am good at hunting! I’m really good at shooting! I trained hard in Old Human military drills~!”

Narke walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

“I know. All four pheasants our team got were yours. Without you, we would’ve barely managed a single point.”

“Waaah…”

“What the hell are you doing?”

Leo’s face darkened. Looking utterly disturbed, he glanced up and down at Elias, who had buried his face in Narke’s shoulder. Zähringen and I were so dumbfounded we could only laugh. Ridiculous as it was… it was also exactly like Elias.

Narke alone laughed heartily, patting Elias on the shoulder. If anyone from Class 1 at the Imperial Second Academy had seen this, they would’ve been horrified. To them, Elias was nothing more than a delinquent.

I walked over to Ismailov, who had been quietly observing us.

“Congratulations.”

“Why are you congratulating me? A draw is not a good outcome, is it?”

“So that’s what you’ve been taught. You don’t have to spend your life thinking exactly the way you were told.”

There wasn’t a trace of malice in his question, so I answered with a smile.

“Your team earned four points because you were the one who gathered the pheasants. Without your ability, it wouldn’t have been a draw—we would’ve won by a landslide.”

“I see.”

Ismailov accepted my joke with complete seriousness. Feeling oddly awkward, I gave his shoulder a light pat.

“But in practical terms, I’d say this round was your victory, Sir Ismailov. This was your first time hunting, wasn’t it? I’m glad you were able to put your ability to good use and achieve such a great result.”

Ismailov blinked several times in quick succession. While he was still reacting, I took one of the pheasants Zähringen was carrying.

“Now then, Sir Ismailov. Earlier, when I detonated the cartridge, I told you, ‘They won’t seriously endanger your life, but be careful.’ You asked how a hunting cartridge could possibly be harmless.”

“Yes.”

I poured a surge of mana into the pheasant I was holding with both hands.

Poof.

The pheasant vanished without a trace, replaced by a flurry of crimson flower petals. I handed him the flower woven from its bones and continued.

“These pheasants aren’t real animals. They’re recreation built by layering dozens of magic formulas together. Since they’re made entirely of mana, there’s no need for a metal cartridge. All it takes is enough mana to stop their movements. That’s why I said it wasn’t dangerous. I imagine you figured that out halfway through the hunt.”

“I did, but seeing it for myself is still fascinating.”

Ismailov said, turning the flower over.

“I see. I was equally surprised to learn that you possess the ability to summon animals simply by humming a song. I’m glad we’re gradually getting to know one another.”

Though we can’t afford to take things that slowly.

The most important part of that exchange, which had started with his question about the cartridges, was this. The mice and rabbits he summoned were real animals. The pheasants weren’t. So how were the pheasants drawn in? I swallowed the question and turned back to my friends.

“Anyway, it’s a draw. So what happens to the bet?”

“Each side grants the other one request.”

Elias puffed out his cheeks and answered with an exaggerated sulk.

“Both sides? What’s the point of that?”

“Think of it like a holiday. We all exchange gifts.”

“Well then, everyone. What do you think?”

“Do whatever you want. Just decide and tell me.”

Leo immediately turned away, faithfully sticking to the agreement not to act friendly in front of Ismailov. Still, he didn’t seem particularly upset—we hadn’t exactly lost, after all. I tried my best to ignore Narke’s gentle smile before looking around at everyone else with one of my own.

Just then, Ismailov quietly murmured beside me.

“It was fun.”

“I wanted to go hunting too…”

Ulrike muttered with a haggard look as he sat at the dinner table with us, already on his third glass of wine.

“Every time I heard a gunshot, I thought I was going to lose it wanting to run over there. Well… I stopped hearing them near the end.”

We were having dinner with everyone staying at the palace. Everyone except Leo. He’d said he didn’t have time to eat because he was investigating Ismailov’s myth. I absentmindedly kept fiddling with the communication artifact connected to him.

‘Hm.’

The longer I went without hearing from him, the more restless I became. It wasn’t Leo I was waiting on—I was waiting for Abraham’s reply. I’d sent him a letter this morning, and although it hadn’t even been twelve hours yet, I’d already run out of patience.

‘If he knew all of this and deliberately made our team a seven-person team… and if our theory is correct, then I need to go there immediately.’

Of course, getting in would be another matter. Diplomatic affairs had the place locked down. Even if I went as Nikolaus, entry still depended on the Crown Prince’s approval. Even so, I had to at least try.

‘I need to see it for myself.’

I jabbed my fork into the peas beside my meat, biting the inside of my lip. Beside me, Ulrike muttered under his breath.

“This pheasant tastes good… Feels like I’m eating what you guys hunted.”

“It seems Lord Kleist has quite an active personality.”

Mecklenburg, seated at the head of the table, smiled pleasantly as he spoke. Startled, Ulrike quickly covered his mouth and blinked.

“You don’t have to hold back. It’s only us here.”

Only then did Ulrike let out a breath and smile.

Give me a break with the nice-guy act… Every time he puts on that face, I’m reminded of when he handed me ointment after the disciplinary training.

“So you went pheasant hunting. It must have been fun.”

Folding his hands together, Mecklenburg tilted his head and looked directly at me. My friends’ eyes—and Albertina Hohenzollern’s as well—followed his gaze.

Why is he asking me? Because the captain isn’t here, so he’s asking the vice-captain? Or…

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. Giving up, I returned his smile.

“I wanted to give Sir Ismailov a chance to experience something new. You should join us next time too, Senior.”

“No. It would only make everyone uncomfortable if I did.”

Mecklenburg set his fork down entirely and took a sip of wine, waiting for my response. Ulrike, perhaps sensing I needed to answer carefully here, stared at me with barely concealed tension.

“…Uncomfortable?”

I took a drink of water and smiled.

“Not at all. I’m not sure what gave you that impression. Are we the ones who make you uncomfortable, Senior?”

“Of course not.”

“Or… is it me?”

“…….”

Ah, I was right. For the briefest moment, Mecklenburg’s smile froze. I raised an eyebrow and smiled wider.

“I’m joking. It was such a ridiculous question that I suppose it caught you off guard.”

“…Haha. Indeed.”

He forced out an awkward laugh while silently cursing me with his eyes.

“Where would a senior have any reason to be walking on eggshells around a junior? We all have the deepest respect for our seniors in the Imperial Mage Association. If you were willing to join us, we’d be the grateful ones.”

Respect. At that word, Mecklenburg deliberately narrowed the space between his brows. There was no mistaking why.

“Especially Senior Mecklenburg, who seems to take such a keen interest in what we’re doing—”

“Not particularly.”

“—and since we’re always honored by your interest, I hope you’ll feel free to join us whenever you’d like.”

As we cut each other off, Albertina Hohenzollern tilted his head with the faintest smile, probably wondering when we’d become so close. I had practically invited the misunderstanding myself, yet somehow still found it absurd enough to let out a quiet laugh as I looked away.

“Thank you for the invitation.”

Though his smile remained gracious, the words sounded as though they had been forced through clenched teeth. He merely tipped his wineglass, while his eyes betrayed a flicker of irritation.

After dinner, I caught up to Mecklenburg as he was leaving the dining hall.

“Is it because I’m Nikolaus? Or because I look like my brother?”

“…….”

“I’ve always thought this was a little unfair. You can’t exactly blame me for something I never got to choose. Besides, with this hair color, aren’t I the opposite of my brother?”

I gave him an easy smile. Mecklenburg studied me for a long moment, his gaze lingering on my face so intensely it was almost uncomfortable. Soon, he looked away.

“…Then tell me what Adrian Askanien did to make you hide your mana all these years. I can’t help you unless I know.”

“Well, that’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d remember what I said in the hospital.”

“How could I forget? That’s the very reason you’re living as Nikolaus—”

“I’m just glad you care about me more than I thought, Senior. In any case, this isn’t the time to discuss it.”

“What was that just now? I care about who?”

“I said this isn’t the time for that. What did you say Sir Ismailov did to the vitriol?”

Mecklenburg paused for a moment, looking at me as if to ask why I was suddenly bringing that up.

“I said he placed his hand on the Rampager, and the vitriol disappeared.”

“‘Disappeared,’ you say. Why did you choose that word? Where did it disappear to?”

“…Because it literally vanished before my eyes. What else would I call it?”

I simply stared at him. Mecklenburg waved a dismissive hand.

“I know word choice matters, but that’s just the first word that came to mind. Call it stripped away, evaporated, nullified—it doesn’t matter. The point is, it stopped functioning.”

“Hmm. Understood.”

Smiling, I turned to leave.

“I was only asking just in case. I’ll be going now.”

“What was that about?” Mecklenburg called after me, but I pretended not to hear.

“Next time, let’s all go hunting together.”

I said it firmly as I looked around at my Eszett friends gathered around the round table. Ismailov wasn’t here. Neither was Leo, for that matter. He was still making the rounds of intelligence bureaus across the country, following up on the investigation. I glanced at Heike, who sat there with his usual blank expression, and raised a brow.

“And let’s bring a camera.”

At the mention of bringing a camera to go hunting, Heike looked at me. Tilting my head toward him, I said gently, “The magnolias are blooming. They really are. Let’s take a picture under them tomorrow before they’re gone.”

“…Tomorrow? Sure.”

His voice lifted ever so slightly. Ulrike, who had gotten much closer to Heike in the meantime, immediately brightened. Lightly pounding the table with his fist, he said excitedly, “Then when the cherry blossoms bloom, we’ll take pictures under those too! Let’s go hunting again tomorrow, and then again when they bloom!”

“You really do love hunting, don’t you, Ulrike? Though we did leave you behind…”

Zähringen chuckled to himself. Feeling a little guilty for some reason, I steered the conversation back on track.

“I’m all for it. The roses will bloom in May too, so that’ll make for some great photos. We already have the group picture we took when Eszett was founded back in February. Why don’t we make an album and add one group photo every month?”

At that, Heike quietly looked around at everyone’s faces. Watching other people’s reactions like that was a surprisingly big gesture for him. He must have really liked the idea.

Elias let out a string of whistles. Zähringen and Narke only smiled, but they didn’t seem opposed to it either. Heike nodded seriously.

“Just thinking about it sounds nice.”

“Didn’t know you had that in you, Heike.”

“Heike actually talks a lot when you get to know him.”

Looking oddly proud, Ulrike patted Heike on the back.

“I know. Now then… the reason I called everyone here today is Pleroma.”

I picked up the papers I’d brought with me. The mood around the table immediately turned serious. It was time to tell all of Eszett what Leo, Elias, Narke, and I had pieced together before dawn.

“We heard about Ismailov’s childhood early yesterday morning.”

“How was it?”

“It’s… deeply Christian.”

My friends exchanged puzzled looks. Ulrike cautiously asked, “Even though they’re a heretical cult?”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m not sure where to begin explaining this. First of all… Mikhail Ismailov is Pleroma’s Messiah.”

“…Huh?”

“…The Messiah?”

Ulrike and Zähringen spoke at the same time. Heike’s eyes widened. I nodded.

“More accurately, he’s someone who’s about to become their Messiah. Pleroma believes Ismailov is the figure foretold in their prophecy, and before long, they’re planning to turn him into a god.”

“But how do you even turn a person into a god…?! Like Jesus? I still don’t get it.”

“Exactly. I don’t understand their logic either. They probably believe he’s manifested in human flesh, but that his true nature is divine.”

I let out a dry chuckle before shaking my head.

“Pleroma wants to make Ismailov a complete god, so they’re trying to uncover—or perhaps cultivate—his divinity. That’s why they sent him here. At least, that’s my hypothesis. And Ismailov believes the fabricated memories Pleroma implanted in him—his fake childhood, written as a myth—are his real memories.”

“How do you know they’re fake…?”

“Leo investigated the locations we’d heard from him, working with the Prussian Intelligence Bureau. There wasn’t a single child living in that church during the period Ismailov described. Yet Ismailov insists he was taken in by a church near the Russian border and lived there until he was old enough to remember.”

“…….”

Zähringen slowly nodded.

“Go on. So you’re saying those fake memories are a prophecy, right?”

“Right. Elias, Narke, Leo, and I analyzed them together. But let me make one thing clear first—everything from here on is only a hypothesis. We don’t have proof.”

I looked each of my friends in the eye. They answered with silent nods.

“Pleroma sent Ismailov here to recruit us. Their myth can’t be fulfilled unless they have the seven of us.”

“…What?”

“…Hmm. I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean.”

“More precisely, that’s the most likely explanation. Or, if not specifically us, then they need seven people from all over the world to bring over to their side.”

“…….”

Ulrike’s expression darkened. Tilting his head, he drew in a sharp breath, bit his lip, and frowned harder the longer he thought about it, unable to make sense of what I’d just said.

“I mean… we’re just the 101st Unit. If we were, say, the Association’s 51st Unit, maybe. But are we really that important…?”

“Exactly. That’s what I’ve been saying. …Even Elias can’t make sense of it.”

I wasn’t about to tell them everything that had happened during the negotiations, but the fact that they had singled me out as the person to look after Ismailov was what gave our hypothesis real weight.

Zähringen lightly tapped the table.

“Then this is what matters. If Ismailov does something here and acquires divinity, he’ll become the Messiah they’re talking about. He’ll probably gain more power—or some kind of distinct transcendent benefit.”

“Right.”

“So, in the end, we have to stop that prophecy from coming true. Whether we’re actually the targets or not isn’t the important part.”

“…….”

There was a reason Zähringen was so close with Elias and Leo besides simply being the same age. Looking him in the eye, I answered.

“Exactly. That’s why I wanted to tell you. If we don’t stop it now, then sooner or later the day will come when Ismailov’s myth is complete. And from this moment on, I’m going to do everything I can to prevent that. I’m telling you this because not just Eszett, but everyone, is in danger.”

My gaze passed over Elias and Narke before settling on the others.

“We can’t tell the public everything. Not yet. If we want to save more people, we can’t afford to. But at the very least, I wanted you to know the truth.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friends.”

“…….”

Meeting each of their eyes again, I spoke with deliberate clarity.

“It may seem like there’s nowhere to run, but if you truly wanted to, you could. You could disappear into some rural village beyond Pleroma’s reach, or flee overseas. So listen carefully. This is your last chance. There’s a good chance Ismailov is the final piece of the plan Pleroma has spent the last thirteen years preparing.”

A heavy silence settled over the room. The tension was so sharp it made every breath feel tight.

Heike slowly blinked as he met my eyes. Zähringen nodded to himself while staring at the table. Then he clasped his hands together and spoke.

“I’m not running. I’m with you.”

“Lukas.”

Ulrike spoke, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

“How are we supposed to run away? What, leave you behind, resign, and flee overseas?”

“No. I’m saying I want to give you the choice. I believe the Empire is putting all of you in danger. If you’d already lived as much of your lives as those older generations have, I wouldn’t be saying any of this. But you haven’t. I wanted to give you the choice this country never did.”

Zähringen smiled at that. Ulrike gave a faint smile as well before shaking his head firmly.

“My childhood is here. All my friends—including you—are here. Everything I’ve ever loved is here. What would I gain by leaving this country? Why do you think we’re nobles? The power we’ve been given exists for times like this—for us to stand and fight, even if it costs us our lives.”

Zähringen nodded.

“I feel the same. But let’s not start by assuming we’ll die, Luise.”

“…Right. We won’t know until we see it through.”

As always, Heike spoke in a quiet voice, his eyes half-lidded.

“I never thought I’d have friends. I always assumed I’d spend my whole life alone. But… now I have all of you.”

I had never imagined I’d hear something like that from Heike. I stared at him in surprise. The others were just as stunned, all of them looking at him with their mouths slightly open. Looking around at us, Heike continued.

“I’m not running this time either. Not before I’ve seen this through. No matter what happens to me.”

Smiling softly, he looked at all of us.

“So… we’ll see this through together, right?”

“Oh.”

At midnight, I tilted my head as Leo barged into my room.

“What is it? I was just about to head out again.”

“Where?”

“To Elias and Narke. Then, once we’re done talking, I’m going back to Ismailov.”

“Why?”

“I need to go over what I learned during today’s hunt.”

“I see. In that case, get back inside.”

Ignoring my reply completely, Leo shoved me back into the room.

“What the hell? This guy.”

“I brought something. Just hear me out first.”

I sat down on the sofa and nodded. Leo dropped into the seat across from me and spoke quietly.

“First, nothing’s arrived in the mailbox. You’d be better off going there yourself. And…”

“And?”

“If it’s you, you’ve probably already thought of at least one way to get information on Ismailov. You’re the kind of person who considers every possibility. You just don’t necessarily say them out loud.”

What was he getting at all of a sudden? I studied his face for a moment before answering.

“Well… if I voiced every idea that came to mind, twenty-four hours wouldn’t be enough. Besides, I have to decide whether a hypothesis is actually worth pursuing.”

“And sometimes you don’t say anything because it’s… difficult to bring up.”

Leo murmured the words without taking his eyes off the floor. I let out a dry laugh and shook my head.

“If it’s really important, just say it. I don’t want something important slipping through the cracks just because it’s awkward.”

“Is that so. Maybe I shouldn’t have done this. Honestly… even now, part of me wants to send it back.”

Send what back? More importantly, Leo wasn’t the type to drag things out like this. Without a word, he looked at me, then pointed at my forearm.

“How’s the scrape on your arm?”

“Still there. I’m letting it heal naturally. So what’s your point?”

Leo reached into his bag and pulled out a small vial. A crimson liquid sloshed inside.

“It’s Ismailov’s blood.”

“…….”

“Want to drink it?”