— — — — — —
The next day, just before dawn
After one final read-through, Leticia set down her quill, leaned back in her chair, and stretched with a quiet sigh.
"Finally done..."
If she hadn't dealt with the higher-ups countless times before, she never would've finished this report so quickly.
The work was painstaking, especially since it had to be written in Unified Script—a form of writing infused with power. Just the entry requirements for writing it were at a four-digit level, which made it a serious headache.
Luckily, Leticia had once been the leader of the Little Garden Knights, and she still held the title of Overall Floor Master. Without that experience and authority, this report wouldn't have been possible.
She stood, gazing at the slow-rising sun outside the window, and let out a soft breath.
"From here on... we'll just have to play it safe."
Right then, the door creaked open. Black Rabbit stepped in, carrying breakfast on a tray.
"Finished working overtime already?"
"Mhm. Perfect timing, Black Rabbit—just put the tea on the desk."
Leticia nodded, then asked casually,
"How's the Leader doing?"
The moment she mentioned Ryo, Black Rabbit's ears twitched, and her expression soured.
"Playing with his familiars. I mean, really—at a time like this, he's not even a little worried."
"That's actually a good thing," Leticia said with a small smile.
If the leader wasn't stressed, it made the rest of them feel more secure.
As for the "playing with familiars" part, Leticia let it slide. That was something Black Rabbit could get jealous over—but she herself had no interest in competing for the title of leader's wife.
After placing the sandwiches and tea on the side table, Black Rabbit hesitated, then asked,
"Lady Leticia... should we maybe prepare a backup plan?"
"..." Leticia tilted her head, then her expression turned serious.
"You mean a seed?"
"Yes." Black Rabbit nodded, her tone firm.
A seed was a contingency—preparations made ahead of time so a community could rebuild in case of destruction.
"In Little Garden, most communities have one," Black Rabbit said, emphasizing each word.
Leticia walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked toward the morning sun.
"You're worried the Leader's actions might bring misfortune on us?"
"How could I not be?"
Black Rabbit's ears drooped slightly. She let out a sigh.
Leticia chuckled. "Relax. He's just greedy, that's all."
Leticia smiled, walked to her desk, and pulled a rolled parchment from the drawer. Without opening it, she tossed it to Black Rabbit.
Black Rabbit caught it, looking puzzled.
"Go on, open it," Leticia said with a faint smile.
Black Rabbit unrolled it—and froze.
"The Safety Plan? This is—"
"The Leader arranged it two days ago."
Leticia sipped her tea before continuing,
"If an emergency happens, the dimensional coordinates he's set will eject every child and all our heritage from Little Garden, sending them to the Demon Slayer world."
"I don't know why it's called that, but according to the records, nothing there can threaten us. As far as seed preservation goes, it's the best option right now."
"He... even prepared this already?"
Black Rabbit stared at the parchment, stunned.
A seed plan completed days ago. Escape spells secretly embedded into the community's reserve members. Influence already arranged in the outside world they'd be sent to.
All done in just a few days—fast enough to leave her speechless.
When had Ryo become this capable?
Only now did she realize... the man she'd watched grow stronger right under her nose was already standing among the people she used to look up to.
Lord Canaria... is this the kind of successor you saw in him?
Her eyes stung unexpectedly, the kind of ache that came from being happy.
Seeing this, Leticia sighed softly.
"This is the leader you chose. You could at least trust him a little."
She knew Black Rabbit's fears wouldn't go away overnight.
As a child, her homeland had been destroyed in the Final Trial.
In her teens, the community that took her in—Arcadia—was also wiped out.
It wasn't hard to guess that Black Rabbit saw herself as a jinx. That sort of scar wasn't something anyone else could heal.
But maybe it didn't need to be healed.
Looking at the pride slowly forming on Black Rabbit's face, Leticia smirked.
"And if you don't make a move soon, someone else might snatch the position of leader's wife."
She knew exactly what kind of man Ryo Yagami was. If Black Rabbit kept hesitating, she might as well expect grass to be pulled right from above her head.
"Lady Leticia!" Black Rabbit's face flushed bright red.
"Honestly, I don't know what you're hesitating for."
"It's not me." Black Rabbit pouted. "But a real man shouldn't get too obsessed with... those things."
"Oh?"
Leticia's eyes lit up in mock realization.
"Well, you are a moon rabbit—just touching your skin can make a man collapse into a sage-like daze. Worrying about that is fair."
She muttered under her breath, "No wonder the higher-ups say moon rabbits are gifts from the gods... makes sense now."
"Lady Leticia! You never used to talk like this!"
Her hair even changed color out of embarrassment, shifting from sky blue to cherry pink.
"Side effect of working under Shiroyasha, I suppose," Leticia said with a laugh.
She quickly finished her breakfast, picked up another scroll, and stood.
"Black Rabbit, you'll probably have to handle all the Harvest Festival arrangements. Make it look good so the Leader doesn't have to shoulder everything alone."
"I understand." Black Rabbit's expression turned serious.
The Sun Authority was critical, but the Harvest Festival—and the rank promotion it offered—was just as important for their future.
Even if Ryo succeeded in the Sun Authority legacies, losing the title of regional ruler wasn't an option.
So the festival had to happen—and it had to be done openly, without cutting corners.
"I'm counting on you and the kids for this," Leticia said with a sigh before rolling up the parchment and heading for the door.
The moment she stepped out, she spotted Ryo leaning casually against a window, arms crossed, eyes closed in thought.
"Preparations done?" he asked.
"Yes, Leader." Leticia straightened up and smiled.
He smirked, stepped into the hallway, and said with utter confidence—
"Then next... it's my turn."
.
.
.