[V12C16] Introductions Again

“Bringing back the dead. This is the true power of Gluttonous Zoe, as well as Theodore’s main goal… Based on my analysis, at least.”

After finishing his explanation, Cyril observed the room to see that Melissa and the other Sages seemed more convinced than surprised.

Perhaps they had some idea about the dead person Theodore Maxwell was trying to bring back.

“Thank you for the explanation, Cyril-sama,” Melissa said. “This will help us formulate our plan of action.”

“I am glad to be of assistance.”

“We plan to begin the Gluttonous Zoe retrieval operation tomorrow afternoon… But before that, there is something I would like your assistance with. Is that acceptable?”

“Please feel free to ask for anything within my power.”

Cyril nodded immediately. As this was an emergency, he intended to cooperate in any way possible.

Thule and Pikeh also straightened their backs on top of the table, apparently mimicking Cyril.

Melissa lowered her gaze and spoke in a voice tinged with regret.

“You see… The Silent Witch engaged Theodore Maxwell a few days ago, and her memories were consumed by Gluttonous Zoe.”

Cyril let out a gasp as Glenn exclaimed, “Monica lost!? But how!?”

Gluttonous Zoe was an extremely powerful artifact, so a steep price had to be paid for its usage. However, this price did not necessarily have to be paid by the contractor themselves.

There were people in the capital who lost their hair, skin, or even their age to feed the artifact.

Apparently, Monica had lost her memories of the past few years.

(Does that mean she forgot about me too…?)

Cyril’s chest stirred with anxiety, which only was only confirmed by Melissa’s further words.

“I have asked her friend Miss Lana Colette to take care of her, but given the circumstances… I believe it would be reassuring to have some gentlemen around as well.”

“Understood. I swear to protect her. Also, please allow me to assist in the operation tomorrow.”

At Cyril’s side, Glenn leaned forward against the table.

“Me too! I want to go see Monica and participate in the operation too!”

In response, Melissa put on a smile and grabbed a pen and paper.

She scribbled what was apparently a magical formula with incredible speed, then put it inside an envelope.

“In that case, I would like to ask the two of you for one more thing… Now that the shadow removal spell has been verified, could you please remove the shadow on the back of the Silent Witch’s neck? I have the formula written here.”

Glenn quickly stood up, rushed over to Melissa, and received the envelope.

Melissa curled her bright red lips and peered into Glenn’s face.

“This spell is strictly confidential, so no peeking until you use it. Okay?”

“Got it!”

“Once you’ve removed the shadow on the Silent Witch, come here tomorrow at noon. Then I’ll fill you in on the operation.”

Since Cyril was the type of person who got anxious whenever he didn’t have a schedule, he quickly organized a to-do list in his head.

First, he would visit Monica’s house to confirm her status, checking if she had really lost her memories. If she didn’t remember him, then he might have to introduce himself again.

Second, he would perform the shadow removal spell on Monica.

Third, he would take a short nap to recover mana, then begin preparing for the operation tomorrow afternoon.

(But before that…)

Cyril glanced again at the eyepatched man seated at the left table.

He wanted to confirm the man’s identity and hear his voice. Would it be okay for him to make the first approach? Just as Cyril was about to rise from his seat, the eyepatched man finally opened his mouth.

“Lady Melissa.”

The moment Cyril heard the man’s voice, his heart skipped a beat. All of his attention had been captured.

“I would like to speak to those two for a moment. May I borrow this room now that you are finished?”

The man’s voice remained cool and business-like, not even sparing a glance for Cyril. Even so, Cyril recognized it immediately. There was no way he could possible mistake his voice!

“We’ll be heading out, so feel free.”

Melissa gave an indifferent response as she stood up and left the room. The Abyss Shaman and Dragon Slayer Mage followed suit.

Only the eyepatched man, Cyril, and Glenn remained seated, with Thule and Pikeh sitting on top of the table.

Cyril wanted to speak to the man, but he had no clue had to initiate the conversation. In the midst of Cyril’s hesitation, the eyepatched man opened his mouth again.

“…Now then.”

Cyril had heard those words so many times. He unconsciously felt his spine straightening on its own.

The man turned towards Cyril and interlocked his fingers above his knees.

“It seems I must apologize for underestimating you. To think you would see through my identity.”

“…Your H…”

Cyril almost blurted out “Your Highness” again, but the eyepatched man cut him off with a cold smile.

“I’m glad you didn’t say ‘Your Highness’ during the meeting… You showed good restraint.”

Meanwhile, Glenn raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Your Highness? Huh, now that you mention it, his voice does kinda sound like the President’s…?”

“Because I am none other than the President you are thinking of, Dudley-kun. Shall I recite the recipe for the secret sauce you shared with me?”

Glenn flinched back in surprise with his eyes widened to the limit. The son of a butcher could only mumble with a quivering voice.

“The roasted rabbit loin one…?”

“The base is red wine, with a hint of distilled spirits, rabbit blood, and a sliver of butter.”

“President!! What happened to your face!?”

Though Cyril could do nothing but quiver his lips, Glenn voiced the exact question that he wanted to ask.

In response, the eyepatched man fixed his bangs before giving his answer.

“That face has been devoured by Gluttonous Zoe. This is my original face.”

Then, the man lifted the eyepatch covering his right eye, causing Cyril and Glenn to gasp.

There was a vertical scar carved deep into the flesh above the man’s right eye. It was painful to even look at.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Isaac Walker and I am the Silent Witch’s disciple.”

Cyril could not react. Or rather, he did not know how to react.

Of course, it angered him to learn that Monica and Isaac had something precious stolen from them.

However, the sheer surprise overshadowed his anger. As Cyril sat dumbfounded, Isaac reapplied his eyepatch and stood in front of Cyril.

Cyril hurriedly stood up from his chair, then Isaac immediately shook Cyril’s right hand without a smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Cyril Ashley.”

However, there seemed to be something hidden in Isaac’s right hand. Cyril heard a whisper from Isaac once he glanced at that object.

“…Give that to Thule.”

It seemed to be a hard object wrapped in paper.

Cyril opened it behind his back to ensure that Glenn did not see. The paper was a note that said “Dragon Detector Inhibitor”, and the object was a purple gem with a string attached.

As Cyril continued to wallow in confusion, Isaac had already finished shaking hands with Glenn.

“Nice to meet you again, Dudley-kun.”

“Wow… So that’s your real face.”

“Do I look intimidating to you?”

“You mean the scar? Nah, my uncle has way more scars. He’s a veteran hunter, after all.”

Glenn had easily accepted Isaac’s new appearance.

Cyril wanted to be like Glenn and join in the conversation, but he simply lacked Glenn’s flexibility. He couldn’t find the right words.

Nevertheless, Cyril mustered his courage and did his best.

“Um… Y-Your High… I mean…”

“Cyril.”

Isaac quickly interrupted the mumbling Cyril.

“The man in front of you is named Isaac Walker… Will you call me by my name?”

“Ah, um…”

Isaac’s blue eyes were cold and sharp. However, his voice remained calm and gentle, just like the ‘esteemed noble’ from his memories.

As Cyril continued stumbling over his words, Isaac softened his gaze and continued.

“Monica is currently afraid of men. Please follow Miss Colette’s instructions.”

“…Eh?”

“Protect her… please.”

Without another word, Isaac exited the room.

Suddenly, they heard a soft thud at their feet. Cyril looked down to see a black cat darting out from under the table. It was the same cat that he had seen at Monica’s house.

The cat gave a brief glance to Thule and Pikeh on top of the table, before quickly turning and following Isaac out the door.

Once the door closed, both Isaac and the cat vanished from view.

＊　＊　＊

(…He’s as stubborn as ever.)

Isaac chuckled to himself, recalling Cyril’s reaction.

Cyril’s rigid mindset prevented him from changing his ways once he decided on a course of action. This applied to interpersonal relationships as well, causing him to get stuck on first impressions.

The stark difference between the “perfect prince Felix” and the “intimidating Isaac” left him thoroughly confused.

Even if it was their first time meeting face-to-face, Isaac was still the same person on the inside, so Cyril tried to call him “Your Highness.”

(And yet he calls Monica and Elliott by their first names. How is that fair?)

Perhaps he needed to be punished the next time he said “Your Highness”. What would be appropriate? A pinch on the cheek? Or maybe the reverse, squishing his cheeks inwards? It might be amusing to braid that long hair of his, or call him “Ashley-sama” for a day.

As Isaac walked down the corridor pondering this, Nero leaped from the floor and landed on his shoulder.

“Hey, I heard that thing about roasted rabbit loin. You haven’t made me that yet.”

“That’s your takeaway?”

Isaac responded in a hushed voice, causing Nero to give a brief glance towards the conference room behind them.

“I guess the Chilly Guy had some interesting weasels with him. So those were the white dragon and the ice spirit, huh?”

“Good thing I managed to pass him the anti-detection tool.”

“You’re going to feed it to him?”

“I sincerely hope he considers wearing it.”

As the two exchanged whispers, they eventually came across Melissa leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

Isaac stopped in front of Melissa.

“I’ve given Cyril Ashley a magical tool for inhibiting dragon detection,” Isaac explained. “This way, his presence will not hinder tomorrow’s operation.”

“So your dear master told about those bumbling weasels then?” Melissa replied.

“Something like that.”

“Wow, look who’s so well trusted.”

Isaac shrugged off Melissa’s sarcastic comment and continued.

“By the way, you seem to be pulling quite a nasty trick… You have no intention of giving them a chance to participate.”

Melissa had told Glenn and Cyril that the operation would begin tomorrow afternoon. However, the actual starting time was tomorrow at dawn.

Cyril was contracted to a white dragon and a greater spirit, both powerful forces. But even with this knowledge, Melissa decided to exclude them from the operation.

“Of course. Cyril-sama is the heir to Marquis Highown. How could I include him in such a dangerous operation?”

Isaac agreed with that approach, but he found it surprising Melissa intended to exclude Glenn as well.

“What about Dudley-kun?”

“It seems like the Barrier Mage sent his disciple with the intention of supporting us, but I don’t like planning around unreliable allies… If only I could exclude you as well.”

Faced with Melissa’s piercing glare, Isaac gave a casual response.

“Feel free to use me as a bullet shield.”

“I was already planning to. You don’t need to state the obvious.”

Melissa waved back her red hair, then curled her lips into a menacing smile that revealed a glimpse of her teeth through the slight gap in her mouth.

This was a woman who smiled the brightest when angry, and right now, her entire body radiated pure unadulterated rage.

She was someone who could turn that anger into power.

“I’ll show you how a real mage fights. I’m carrying the name of House Roseberg right now, so there’s no backing down.”

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