Chapter 254

Chapter 254 - The Blue-Haired Santa

Cos’s ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍eyes checked the nearest window.

However, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the glass forming that window was hard and thick enough not to shake even at this altitude.

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was not impossible to break, but if she did break it, it would cause a great commotion.

‘We ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍should aim for a vent, not a window.’

A ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍window meant the existence of some kind of room, and if so, there would also be a vent.

That ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍said, the vent would not be large enough to push a person’s body through, so she had to use another method.

—I will use Wind Body, the 7th Circle Wind Body, and enter through that vent.

—...It is a good method, but is this not your first attempt?

—No. I tried it before.

The Wind Dragon let out a sigh of relief.

—That is fortunate, then.

—I failed, but I gained a feel for it back then.

“...?”

There was a face right beside her that seemed to ask what kind of nonsense that was, but Cos paid it no mind and opened her Core.

She unfolded it cautiously and stealthily enough that the Millesdusk aboard the Black Ship would not notice.

Even if not for Millesdusk, this magic had to be handled very carefully. All the more so at such a high altitude.

—...Cos. You must truly be fully prepared. Wind Body is magic that turns your entire body into a single stream of wind. If your mind wavers while using Wind Body at this altitude...

—I will mix into the natural wind, and my existence itself will completely vanish.

—Then not even a corpse will remain. Is this truly something you must deliver even while using such a method?

First Daughter Cos nodded without hesitation.

—The blood kin of the East gave me a difficult problem that even Lord Ventus could not give me. It was incredibly fun, and every moment I spent facing that difficult problem made my heart race.

—Are you saying you are going to gift that pain to him too?

—I do not know why everyone calls it pain. It was only fun for me.

—Hoo, right. I had forgotten for a moment that even compared to other Dragons, your mind is a little twisted.

Cos let go of the gap in the deck she had been holding.

[Wind Attribute - Pure Magic]

[Wind Body]

Her body began to disappear from her fingertips. However, the Wind Dragon could still clearly feel Cos’s presence.

Her body, transforming into wind, became a favorable breeze with a definite will, and her entire body became as such.

Ventus, who had been watching the human called a genius even among Dragons, soon found himself staring into empty air.

His green pupils slowly moved, following something.

Here at high altitude, a wind with its own will flowed on its own and reached its destination.

‘She succeeded.’

Ventus, who had watched the sight until the end, let out his second sigh of relief. But then irritation abruptly surged up inside him.

‘A blood kin of the East gave her a difficult problem that even I could not give her?’

That blood kin, that human, what in the world was he? What kind of person was he, that he could command a Fire Dragon as his subordinate?

To make that fireball lizard, who would be second to none in having a foul temper, swear loyalty to him.

‘Did he make a contract with a demon? I heard Eastern sorcerers used to do such things in the past.’

It was the moment the pitch-black ship, which had already looked dangerous, felt like some demonic realm.

‘Damn it. I really cannot let her go alone.’

A magical genius had shown talent in the Wind Attribute and never stopped training it.

That was a great spectacle and story in his boring Dragon life. It was also something he could boast about to other Dragons.

‘I cannot leave her to die in a place like this.’

WHOOOOSH—!

Like Cos, Ventus became a gale through Wind Body and passed through the vent.

And when he arrived in a certain room,

“Why did you follow me? I am leaving now.”

“A-already?”

“Did you think I would sleep here or something?”

He ran into Cos as she walked back toward the vent. She looked full of thoughts of leaving, as though she had no lingering attachment to this place now.

Because of that, Ventus was the one who stammered.

“W-would it not be a little regrettable to just leave?”

“Why are you trying to relieve the boredom of your life here? You will be fighting the Fire Dragon soon anyway.”

“N-no, that is not what I mean. I am saying it would be good to break something big since we came all this way.”

“Hmm.”

Cos looked around the room. She did not know whose room it was, but it smelled like a forest.

She could see not only all kinds of glass bottles, but also a pitch-black cauldron. There were many other unusual objects as well, but one thing caught her eye.

It was the black substance boiling and bubbling inside the cauldron.

“This...”

Cos approached the cauldron and stared intently at it.

It was extremely similar to something she had stared at and performed all sorts of experiments on over the past several months. However, it was absolutely not the same.

“Could it be...?”

She grabbed a random glass bottle from the table and poured the liquid into it. Then she could tell even more clearly.

“...2nd process Dark Elixir.”

“This? This is that 2nd process or whatever?”

At Cos’s murmur, the Wind Dragon approached as well.

“Yes. It feels similar to the 1st process, but the purity is far higher.”

“It was clearly boiling just a moment ago, yet I can feel coldness from it.”

“That means Yin energy has been concentrated to a high density.”

It was an unexpected harvest. She had come to deliver a difficult problem, but instead harvested a new one.

“Let us return now. I could not be more satisfied.”

“Hmm. I would feel much better if we put a hole in this ship.”

“Can the two of us defeat the entire Millesdusk main force here?”

“Mm... Probably not?”

“Then simply leaving is the wise choice. Unlike you, Lord Ventus, I do not have the confidence to survive after putting a hole in the ship.”

The Wind Dragon followed Cos as she turned around.

“That is because you chose defense over speed in the Wind Attribute, I told you. Let us raise your wind speed from now on.”

“Let us return.”

Without hesitation, Cos slipped out through the vent she had first entered.

At her own base, quite some distance away from the scouting unit’s base, she now had something to do.

***

“My lord. Are you truly certain it is all right not to inform the other blood kin?”

“It is fine.”

Youngest Son sat in his chair inside his room, looking at a certain object placed on the table.

The Forest Witch had found it in a corridor near her room and given it to the Head Maid, and it had come to Youngest Son.

A regular icosahedron cube.

At a glance, the material did not seem ordinary, and its craftsmanship was meticulous and excellent. It was skill he had seen very recently as well.

And there was someone with such skill aboard this ship too.

“Dante! Did you call me?”

Josephine, who had finished modifying the power source and had been resting without any work to do, came running at once.

“Do you have something else for me to—”

Josephine’s words suddenly stopped. It happened the moment her blue eyes met a certain object on the table.

Youngest Son’s blood-red eyes also indicated it with a glance.

“I called you because of this. Do you know what it is?”

“...How do you have that, Dante?”

“It was placed near the Forest Witch’s room, and she gave it to the Head Maid.”

“…….”

Josephine’s face stiffened. The reason was soon explained by her own mouth.

“Dante. I made that cube.”

“I thought so. It looks quite old, yet it still seems sturdy. It did not look like something Wisdom made.”

“Y-yes. Thank you. But if not for Wisdom, it would never have been made.”

“Why?”

“That cube is...”

Josephine mumbled for a moment, then mentioned the person tied to the object.

“It is something I was made to create in celebration of First Daughter Cos of Wisdom’s tenth birthday.”

Silence formed in Youngest Son’s room. The Head Maid’s expression became rather serious, and Josephine’s had already been so since earlier.

“Once that cube is completed, the message stored inside it is supposed to come out. I wrote a short ‘Happy Birthday,’ but that is probably not what is inside now.”

“I see.”

Youngest Son, the only one smiling in the room, lifted the cube.

“First Daughter of Wisdom left a gift behind.”

“Should I solve it for you? Since I am the one who made it, I also know how to solve it.”

“I also know how to solve a cube. And doing it myself is more fun.”

“Th-that is true, but...”

Josephine approached and looked here and there at the cube, then gasped.

“Hiiik... First Daughter really went all out.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is the most difficult form that cube can have. She twisted it so that it would take far more time and effort. This will not do.”

She took out a hammer and chisel from her Spatial Artifact.

“Give it to me. Even if I dismantle it, the message should remain intact.”

“It is fine. I will consider it something to pass the time with.”

Youngest Son looked over the cube with a smile.

CLICK—

The thing that had not turned by hand rotated once when he sent mana into it and turned it. For a cube, the output required was strong.

Josephine awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

“That is... Wisdom forced me to make First Daughter’s birthday gift. It felt so unpleasant that I deliberately made it that way.”

“It is fine. First Daughter must have found it amusing instead.”

“H-how did you know?”

“I thought she would. Seeing as she had gone through the trouble of entering the Black Ship and left only a cube behind, I can roughly tell what sort of personality she has.”

Josephine’s shoulders trembled.

“At times, she looks like an idiot, but when it comes to talent for magic, there was no one who could compare to her. It is probably still the same now.”

She must have boarded the Black Ship with that talent and left the cube in plain sight.

The Head Maid, who had looked more serious than usual for a while, spoke.

“I will inspect the entire Black Ship. We do not know what foolish thing that woman called First Daughter may have done.”

“She probably did not.”

“She would not have done anything foolish.”

The two of them denied the Head Maid’s words at the same time. That was because both of them knew First Daughter Cos well.

Josephine had heard about her endlessly while she belonged to the family, and the player had also been her many times.

Youngest Son, who was the latter, continued speaking.

“Head Maid, you do not need to worry about this any further. More importantly, please prepare for tomorrow’s meeting.”

“...Understood.”

As a former Intelligence Department agent, the Head Maid was sensitive to infiltrations, but she nodded for now.

That was because her trust in her superior was greater than her sensitivity.

“Then I will go now.”

“Yes. And since you are here, I will tell you. At tomorrow’s meeting, you and the other two must attend as well.”

“U-us three?”

“I have already prepared seats, so all you need to do is come and sit.”

Will our heads be cut off the moment we sit down? That question rose to the tip of her throat, but she did not say it.

Youngest Son spoke faster than she could.

“My brothers and sisters will not lay a hand on you as long as I am there. They all know that you are inside my fence.”

“O-okay. I will tell the other two.”

“It is at ten in the morning. Then I will see you tomorrow.”

“Mm. See you tomorrow.”

Josephine left Youngest Son’s room with her heart full and heavy.

CLACK—

The Head Maid, who had been watching her back until the door closed, asked Youngest Son,

“Do you truly think the other blood kin will stay still?”

“If I convince them of their importance.”

“Then it seems you will have to start explaining even before the morning greetings.”

“That is probably what will happen.”

Youngest Son laughed softly as he answered and continued rotating the cube. From the looks of it, he could complete it before tomorrow’s meeting.

At that sight, the Head Maid sighed faintly.

“Are you treating sleep lightly again today?”

“That is because I value something else. Going a few days without sleep does not matter much.”

“Other people worry. The Fire Dragon is also very worried about that.”

Through his connection with the Bloodstone, Kairos could also understand Youngest Son’s condition to some extent, like the Butler and the Magic Sword.

“It is fine. I know my body best. Besides, First Daughter of Wisdom is speaking to me.”

Click. Click.

The cube rotated according to the flow of mana.

“It would be rude to go to sleep with a conversation partner in front of me.”

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