Long Time No See

"So, we probably won't be seeing each other again. Not unless you're ridiculously unlucky, Second Lieutenant."

Should she have told the werewolf who was running his mouth like he knew everything about her to shut it?

Maybe so.

But Ashlyn—Ashlyn who, according to Federin, was "unnecessarily serious"—knew that Sergeant Billef's words were more or less right.

"If I tell my military school friends I ran into the Fenrir Detachment, none of them will believe me. And if I add that I went on leave with a werewolf noncom from there and had dinner together… they might just decide I'm full of it."

"Maybe that was a mistake after all."

Ashlyn let out a long sigh.

Of course Sergeant Billef wasn't the sort to hang meaning on every word or take offense the way high-society young masters and ladies did. Still, from his position the remark could easily have rubbed him the wrong way.

I talked about him too much like he was just gossip fodder.

That was my fault. It was rude.

Once she admitted it, a slight regret began to creep in after the fact. But only a very "slight" one. Just as the sergeant had said, once the Fenrir Detachment left Kran the two of them would have no reason to meet again.

So whether Sergeant Billef had been offended by Ashlyn's words or the other way around, in the long run it meant absolutely nothing.

Truly nothing at all.

Fortunately the remaining two days were free for them to spend as they pleased. At the thought of completely forgetting both the Kran trenches and Sergeant Billef and enjoying some time to herself, Ashlyn's mood lifted again.

Well, for the next two days I'll just go sightseeing at the ruins in the old town.

Once she had settled her thoughts, sleep gradually overtook her.

What woke Ashlyn from her light doze was neither an alarm clock nor morning sunlight filtering through the curtains. At three in the morning, with darkness still thick all around, the door to the hotel room where Ashlyn was staying rattled violently.

"Ugh."

"Second Lieutenant Wintercrown! Second Lieutenant Wintercrown!"

At the title "Second Lieutenant," Ashlyn's eyes snapped open. Beyond the hotel door that was rattling fiercely, an unfamiliar voice called for her urgently.

"Second Lieutenant Wintercrown!"

What is it?

Before she could even collect herself, Ashlyn sprang from the bed like a coil. Without even thinking of dressing properly she threw a robe over her nightclothes and opened the door. Through the crack appeared the deathly pale face of a boy bellhop.

"What on earth…"

"Y-you… you're a Magic Corps officer, right?"

"Yes."

"Th-there's something strange in the hotel lobby…"

"Has a magic beast appeared or something?"

"I don't know… You need to come see for yourself."

Looking at the boy's trembling face, it would be better to see it herself than ask more questions. Ashlyn gave a shallow nod and said,

"I don't know what's going on, but lead the way for now."

Following the boy down the dimly lit stairs, the moment they reached the lobby a shocking sight greeted Ashlyn.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

She shoved her fingers into her hair, already mussed from the pillow.

"Arthur, what the hell are you doing here?"

The lobby was a complete wreck, as if a wyvern had rampaged through it. Sofas, chandeliers—everything was smashed, fragments scattered everywhere.

And right in the middle sat a man in black clothes.

The entire staff, including the hotel manager, stood several paces away from the man, each holding something, on guard. A few of the staff brightened at the sight of Ashlyn, who had come in her nightclothes.

"Second Lieutenant Wintercrown!"

"A mage! We're saved!"

"Please catch that guy!"

But Ashlyn had no time to look at the staff's faces. Her gaze had been fixed on the intruder from the start.

It was a terribly familiar face. Familiar to the point of being tiresome.

"Arthur Wintercrown."

She called his name, and only then did the figure slowly move. The man who had been sitting with his legs stretched straight out in front of him like a cat slowly stood up. After meticulously brushing the dust from his coat collar, he turned his head sluggishly toward Ashlyn while still slightly hunched.

"Sister."

It was a clear, cheerful voice completely at odds with the mess he had just made.

"Long time no see."

Arthur Wintercrown, Ashlyn's younger brother. His black hair was messy and uncombed, his skin pale. His blue eyes, without glasses, were unnaturally large. Only a month had passed, yet he seemed to have grown taller again. He stood in a hunched posture like a newborn fawn.

Arthur was smiling. A rare sight, maybe once a month if that.

Of course, to Ashlyn it was only a sight that made her blood boil.

"How can you say 'long time no see' right now?"

Anger surged to the top of her head, then a question arose. Why was this guy, who should be at the Magic Academy by now, here? And after making such a mess, no less.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying? What are you doing coming here? No—how did you even get here in the first place?"

Arthur shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly.

"I used teleport magic. The second one went pretty successfully, too."

"What?"

"Hmm, but just like a moment ago, there were shockwaves around this time as well… I'll need to minimize that part."

"Hey."

Arthur pulled a notebook from the inner pocket of his black coat and buried his head in it, scribbling something continuously. Ashlyn stared blankly at the sight.

"You teleported?"

"Yeah. I'm going back to the academy soon, so don't worry."

"How the hell are you going back?"

"…If I tweak this part of the circuit a bit more, going back should be easier."

Watching Arthur mutter to himself, Ashlyn thought,

That guy is a real lunatic.

Seeing his left hand fidgeting as if he were about to cast magic again, it was clear he was about to do something insane. Ashlyn spat a vicious curse at her younger brother and dashed toward him. She was ready to use binding magic if necessary. Stepmother or not, she was going to thrash him thoroughly.

"I asked what you were thinking, Arthur Wintercrown!"

The moment Ashlyn got right up close to Arthur, her body gave a sudden shudder. Because the instant Arthur raised the index finger of his left hand, her body locked up.

"Sister. I'm thinking right now, aren't I?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Arthur casually muttered an incantation as if it were nothing.

"…You little…"

The magic he cast was the very binding magic Ashlyn had been about to use. The casting was so fast that Ashlyn was left flustered.

And besides, that guy…

Hadn't he just said he came here using teleport magic?

Teleport magic. Ashlyn recalled the conversation she had had with the driver while heading to the Kran trenches.

"I thought all mages just teleported everywhere."

"Ah. It's possible, but it's inefficient in a lot of ways. After a long-distance teleport you can't do anything for three days, so it's better to just take the train."

That was true. Teleport magic—especially long-distance teleport magic from Istar all the way to Paros—was nearly impossible to use twice in one day. Arthur looked blandly at his sister's face, which was steeped in shock.

"Actually, I went to the Kran trenches or whatever a bit ago just to see your face once, but you weren't there."

"……"

"Some major or whatever said you'd be here, so I teleported again and came."

"That's impossible…"

"Ah. Teleport magic? I can do it. I optimized the Magic Circuit."

Arthur said nonchalantly.

Ashlyn recalled the words she had spoken to Sergeant Billef a few hours earlier at the movie theater.

"For simple magic maybe, but for attack magic that strong, you have to consider it almost impossible. Magic circuits have their limits, after all."

A chill ran down her spine. She already knew Arthur was an outstanding mage, but she hadn't realized it was to this degree.

Really, his skill is at this level?

Meanwhile, Arthur seemed genuinely unable to understand Ashlyn's stunned reaction. The bewildered-looking man tilted his head and said,

"By the way, was the war fun? When I went and looked, it seemed pretty boring."

"It's not something you do for fun. It's to protect Istar."

"I don't get it. Why is a mage butting into a war of bugs considered honorable?"

Bugs. To Arthur, people who couldn't use magic were truly nothing more than such insignificant beings. Not that he particularly respected other mages either.

Social skills? That guy's personality itself is rotten. It's because Janet spoiled him rotten that he turned out this way.

Ashlyn ground her molars and said in a low voice,

"It's just you who doesn't understand. Everyone else gets it."

Arthur spoke in an even more nonchalant tone.

"Anyway, that's enough. Come back to the mansion. If you roll around with bugs in a mud pit like this, you'll get dirty too, Sister."

"Shut up."

"You can't refute it, can you?"

It was while the siblings were exchanging this warm conversation that, without any warning, something massive suddenly leaped in from behind and swallowed Arthur whole. At the same time, the binding magic restraining Ashlyn snapped.

"Arthur!"

Ashlyn screamed.