"Wein!"
The voice grew closer, and within an audible range, the raspy tone became increasingly clear as the distance shrank—until finally, it arrived.
Right in front of the two of them, a Peregrine Falcon darted at a speed of over three hundred kilometers per hour, its beak slicing through the air as it approached.
As the distance shortened, it spread its wings, and suddenly, sparks of lightning began to appear from every part of its body, slowly spreading until it was entirely cloaked in electricity.
Once fully enveloped in crackling lightning, the form of the Peregrine Falcon transformed into an annoying black crow. At that moment, Wein realized who had come.
"Raise your arm. I want to land," the bird croaked harshly as it closed in, but Wein rejected the idea. In an extraordinary landing attempt, the crow still tried to persevere.
Its second attempt was directed at Loraine. "Lovely lady, please lift your arm like a branch of wood—"
Wein stepped in, pulling Loraine's arm and moving her behind him to shield her from the crow. He raised his voice. "Don't touch her, naughty crow."
"This is important!"
"Land on the front railing and sip that coffee before speaking." Wein pulled his hand from his pocket and shoved the revolver deep into it.
Loraine was surely surprised, but slowly, she peeked out from behind Wein's broad frame, glancing down to see where her hand rested on his shoulder.
"Was he the one speaking that night?" Her voice was soft, brushing gently against his ear, which made it sound even softer. The crow tried to look at the black coffee.
Wein glanced slightly over his shoulder before speaking. "You're right. He's annoying."
A small laugh came from behind Wein Arcveil, increasingly audible if one listened closely. Loraine covered her mouth with her palm as she giggled.
The crow slowly circled, inspecting the cup before lifting its beak. "This coffee is just like me—black, and I'm black!"
"Ahahaha!" Loraine giggled at the joke, a light tease from the crow meant to make her feel at ease in Wein's eyes.
How much have I left behind? Persephone gazed at the sky, attempting to recall the first time she followed Wein.
'Probably a lot. I don't know.'
Eh? What are we talking about again?
'Who knows? Maybe about what the crow is drinking?'
Wein, who was speaking with Persephone, looked toward the sky as if she were up there, even though Persephone was the queen of the underworld.
What? No, I meant your storyline. I'm surprised a talking crow actually appeared.
'Oh, I thought you meant something else…' He put on his usual smug face toward Persephone, clearly mocking her with his expression.
Footsteps echoed as someone stepped onto a new floor or something similar, the sound bouncing from their shoes. Wein stepped closer to the bird and asked,
"What brings you here?"
"Oh, right…" His voice muffled as he spoke from inside the cup, lifting his head with a beak full of coffee before continuing. "A mysterious fog has reached several major cities in CyFil and Sperum."
"Wait, there's more…" the crow added. "I conducted surveillance on some of the people you deemed suspicious, and none of them showed any abnormal behavior."
"Did I already give you a target named 'Lucas Lordmurt'?"
"Wait, don't tell me you plan to go up against the top-ranked person aside from the prince and princess?"
Being referred to as the first in rank after the children of the king and queen was a privilege granted to the Lordmurt family's children because they donated massive amounts to the school and held 49% of its shares.
However, the prince and princess felt they didn't deserve that privilege—except for a few from the Arcveil family, such as Sister Elaina, myself, and my younger sister, Elena.
That's because the Arcveil family was engaged in international trade, unlike the Lordmurts, who merely flattered others.
The Arcveil family was renowned for holding international shares, some located in CyFil and Dwarvest, and they were among the top donors to the kingdom.
As the kingdom's largest donor, this created awkwardness and tension when the king and queen realized their caste stood slightly below the Arcveil family.
Still, they continued to accept it, even though the Arcveils always considered themselves socially superior.
This also affected Teressa, the princess, who felt extremely awkward around Wein Arcveil and treated him with great respect.
"Of course, I won't go half-hearted in investing either."
"Yeah, whatever—you're rich enough for this. But remember, your opponent isn't just anybody, especially if you're alone."
The crow commented, and soon after, Loraine confidently stepped out from behind and looked straight at the crow.
"I'll help him…" she declared, though uncertainly, before her gaze shifted, and her hand reached out to grasp the other.
The crow smiled, though its beak couldn't widen. It gave a small teasing look before flying to a higher perch.
"You two are a perfect match. I hope you stay together." At first, it intended to perch on the wood, but it continued flying and transformed into an owl.
Flying off, the owl's silent wings stirred the red moon, turning the sky an even deeper crimson.
Wein watched the reddening night sky and looked toward Loraine before speaking. "It's getting late. Let's head inside."
"Oh, you're right… and it's getting colder too." She nodded and followed Wein Arcveil through the door into the top-floor lobby.
They descended the stairs to the floor where the women's dormitory was located to escort Loraine. In the silence, only the sound of footsteps echoed calmly between them.
Loraine walked ahead, displaying more confidence than usual. She was truly different this time in front of Wein Arcveil.
Normally gentle and dependent on Wein's leadership, this time she was more self-assured than ever before.
Wein walked behind with equal confidence, but his steps were relaxed and slow, allowing him to observe several of Loraine's gestures earlier.
To ease the tension, Loraine tried to find a topic, and it quickly came to her mind. Reflexively, she opened her mouth.
"Where did your pet go?" She was referring to the bird that could shapeshift, and she quickly slowed her pace.
"Oh… that damned crow probably went to report this to Duchess Chintya Badveil." Not long after receiving information from the crow on the first day, he realized it was a messenger from Duchess Chintya Badveil.
"Oh right, are you sure your opinion will be accepted by Duchess Chintya?" she asked again, now matching Wein's pace.
Wein was no longer worried about it. Duchess Chintya Badveil had been granted social status and certain rights to support the Arcveil noble family, but full control rested with the family's only son.
That's why Elaina Arcveil didn't get political authority and instead chose to become a Gladius. Wein, being the only male child, held full political power, aided by Duchess Chintya.
"The family's control, finances, and everything within it belong to me—or more precisely, the highest authority lies with me."
"Really?" Her eyes widened as she looked at Wein with genuine surprise. "You hold that much power at only sixteen?"
She pulled her hand behind her head and scratched it. "I actually assumed that position fully when I was fifteen," said Wein.
"That's quite remarkable." Loraine stopped in front of her door, staring blankly before slowly breaking into a smile.
Time had passed unnoticed until they arrived at Loraine's door. Wein felt something different this time.
A feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time surfaced—sadness from the realization that the moment they shared was coming to an end.
"Goodbye—no, good night, Wein Arcveil." That soft voice rang in his ears in a different way, snapping him back to reality. He smiled.