— — — — — —
La Folia bit her lip, the taste as dull as wax.
The mission had gone off without a hitch, perfectly executed. Yet there wasn't a trace of happiness on her face.
Ryo hadn't made things difficult for her the way she'd expected, and that alone made her uneasy. It was hard not to suspect there was a trap hidden somewhere.
A vampire's craving for a spirit medium's blood was far stronger than most people could imagine.
And as far as La Folia knew, every familiar of a Primogenitor corresponded to a spirit medium consort. Ryo's entourage of favored women clearly hadn't reached the number twelve.
Under those circumstances, how could she possibly believe it when he said he would let Kanon go?
Even if she told her grandmother this, her grandmother wouldn't believe it.
Her grandmother's bottom line had always been simple: allow her aunt to visit family for one week each year, ensure she wasn't abused, and make sure none of Aldegyr Kingdom's technological secrets were leaked.
Truth be told, her grandmother had probably already prepared herself for Kanon becoming Ryo's woman.
And yet now, Ryo was showing every sign of simply letting her go.
That was what made it terrifying.
Ryo watched La Folia's conflicted expression and chuckled. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't want Kanon to go back with you?"
"Your Excellency jokes," La Folia replied smoothly, her elegant smile returning. "As a member of the royal family, my aunt is, of course, more than welcome in Aldegyr."
She couldn't read Ryo's true intentions at all, but regardless, she had to bring Kanon back.
Leaving royal blood in the Dawn Empire was dangerous.
Especially when Ryo claimed he "didn't care" about Kanon.
If some lowlife thug or savage beastman laid a hand on her, Aldegyr's reputation would be in tatters.
La Folia pressed her lips together, then smiled again. "Still, before anything else, we should consider my aunt's wishes, as well as her guardian's opinion."
She needed time. Time to figure out what Ryo was really after.
The gaze of the Fourth Primogenitor was far too unsettling.
Being watched herself was one thing. But Aldegyr couldn't afford any turmoil right now.
"Oh?" Ryo glanced at her with obvious amusement.
He could guess her concerns easily enough. But what did they have to do with him?
The only things Aldegyr possessed that interested him were information on spirit mediums and faux angels.
The latter could be handled by Touka Fujisaka. As for a spirit medium, he could take one when he actually needed one.
With that in mind, he said calmly, "Then go ahead and discuss it among yourselves."
He turned and walked toward the door. Sayaka immediately followed at his side, while Natsuki gave him a slightly surprised look before joining them.
Before long, the three of them had left the abbey.
At the same time, one of the gemstones set into a statue inside the abbey quietly vanished.
For Ryo, taking a gemstone without alerting anyone was effortless.
He had even replaced it with a fake gem bomb, neatly set back into place, waiting to give those in the know a nasty little surprise.
"..."
La Folia watched them leave, her eyes fixed on the open doors. Only after Ryo was truly gone did she freeze.
He left?
The Fourth Primogenitor just… left?
No conditions? No demands? He really let me take royal blood away just like that?
She stared at the doorway in a daze before finally snapping back to herself.
At that moment, Kensei Kanase frowned and asked, "What did you trade Kanon for?"
"Nothing," La Folia said, shaking her head. "Absolutely nothing. You heard it yourself, Mr. Kensei. He didn't seem to care about Kanon at all."
Kensei gave her a very peculiar look.
The look clearly said, 'Do you think I'm an idiot?'
No under-the-table deal with the Fourth Primogenitor, and he'd let Kanon go that easily?
Did she think a royal court magician like him didn't understand how tempting Aldegyr's royal blood was to vampires?
"If Your Highness continues to be evasive," Kensei said coolly, "I won't give up my claim to Kanon's guardianship."
He glanced at Kanon beside him and fell silent for a moment. "No matter what, she's my sister's daughter."
Kanon looked up at him in shock.
Her adoptive father was actually her uncle?
The revelation left her reeling.
"You're overstating things," La Folia said awkwardly, forcing herself to respond. "Regardless, Aunt Kanon is still of royal blood."
She made the promise despite her discomfort.
Kensei only frowned more deeply and said nothing.
La Folia felt so frustrated, yet she still forced a smile. "In any case, let's find somewhere to talk first."
She turned to Kanon. "I can explain everything properly to you there."
Kanon hesitated, then nodded. "All right."
...
.
"Wow. A miracle," Natsuki said teasingly as they walked along the stone paths of the exhibition park. "You actually let a cute little girl like that go."
She shot Ryo a playful look. "What, were you worried about me being there? If that's the case, I don't mind if you go back to the abbey right now."
"Cut it out," Ryo said, rolling his eyes. "What did La Folia bribe you with?"
"The latest production line for magic guns," Natsuki replied casually. "That's basically the best thing Aldegyr can offer. Most of their other tech needs royal blood to even activate."
She waved the magic gun she'd received as a bribe.
The finely crafted handgun, engraved with elegant cloud patterns, was clearly a royal Aldegyr model.
Given such a high-end collector's piece, Natsuki had accepted the 'authorized bribe' without the slightest guilt.
"At least she has some manners," Ryo said.
He took the gun, examined it, and smiled. "Not bad. A high-grade piece that can host a spirit. The tech is solid. If used properly, it's probably worth a low six-digit gift."
He handed it back. It was obviously a lady's gun, useless to him and not something he could show off. No reason to keep it.
"And that's enough to satisfy you?" Natsuki asked, genuinely surprised. "You're really not tempted by Aldegyr's spirit mediums?"
"I am, a little," Ryo admitted readily. "A stable, inheritable bloodline that can host higher life-forms. In Little Garden, it could be used as a vessel for three-digit god descent; it's excellent."
"Then why…" Natsuki trailed off, puzzled.
Ryo rolled his eyes again. "The faith Pantheons are the ones drooling over vessels that can summon three-digit power. What's the rush?"
Natsuki finally got it, her expression turning sly. "So this is playing hard to get?"
"Smart."
"And besides," Ryo added with a grin, "there's someone more important than Aldegyr to deal with right now."
He raised his hand and opened his palm.
Resting there was a round red gemstone.
"What's that?" Natsuki asked.
Ryo smiled. "Nina Adelard, the last great alchemist of this world. And the Wiseman's spirit blood."
.
.
.