"You just said you remember passing by here last night, but you don't remember actually walking this road?"
"That's right!"
"Sssp—" The members of the Mage's Association taking notes sharply drew in their breath. They were all dressed in identical black overcoats, elegant garments stitched with gold thread.
Their windcaps were pulled so low that their eyes were hidden, making it impossible to see their faces. They looked like some kind of religious group from who-knows-where.
They were now standing on the avenue beside the D-works orphanage, questioning passersby and patrol officers from the previous night.
Listening to the exchanges nearby, Kimberly pinched the bridge of her nose in resignation.
After watching the Night Party battle last night and returning to her dorm, she'd found a note on her desk. It detailed the orphanage's address and the location of the children.
It was signed by the Machine City's 'Good Neighbor Puppet-man'.
Divine Works—that was the full name of D-works, meaning 'God's Miracles'.
After thoroughly investigating the orphanage, they'd discovered a freezer underground, filled with numerous glass containers.
Inside those containers, neatly arranged, were hands, feet, and small, delicate, immature—children's remains.
Combined with the children from the orphanage, D-works was officially wanted by the Mage's Association for violating taboos.
"Quite the extraordinary home visit," Kimberly let out a bitter laugh, sighing as she glanced around.
The roar of a car engine sounded as the silver-haired siblings gradually faded into the distance.
"Just letting them go like that?"
"I was watching his performance at the Night Party from the stands last night, and his sister was in the audience too."
Kimberly waved a hand dismissively and turned back into the orphanage. "Let's focus on tracking down Bronson's whereabouts first."
On some tattered clothing in a corner of the courtyard, they found bloodstains belonging to Bronson, the director of D-works.
But that alone wasn't enough to confirm his death, so the Mage's Association issued a warrant for his arrest anyway.
"I told you! I remember passing by here last night, but I don't remember actually walking this road."
The passerby gestured animatedly as he described it. "It was like... like getting lost, yeah! Just like being lost!"
The Mage's Association member in the uniform black overcoat glanced back at the avenue—which had only one possible path—and sighed helplessly before asking another question.
"Do you remember what time it was roughly?"
"Uh... I think it was around the time a beam of light streaked across the sky above Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart."
"That's quite late."
Their conversation continued under the morning sun. Seemingly disturbed by the noise, a bird in a roadside tree fluttered its wings a couple of times.
--+--
My condition last night... was a bit messed up.
Alice rubbed her temples, looking at Charlotte seated across from her. "You said... you're leaving for a while?"
"Mhm." Charlotte stroked Sigmund's wing—the one he'd lost last night.
Thanks to the repairs by Alice and Shouko, Sigmund's injuries had been fixed; he could even perform aerial stunts now.
"Charlotte spent half the night thinking about how to say goodbye, even if it's only for a short while."
"Wha—! You—! Stu—! It's not like that at all!" Charlotte grabbed Sigmund and gently pinched his wing. "Be careful, or I'll swap your noon chicken for eggshells!"
"A lot has really happened lately. I never imagined I'd be reunited with Henri again. After everything that happened, I never thought I'd have days like this."
As she spoke, a bright smile—one she'd rarely let anyone see—spread across her face.
"But last night..." The smile quickly faded. "I never thought... Sigmund would leave me... Something like that..."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Charlotte quickly wiped them away. "So I'm going to search for spirits."
"Any progress?"
Alice glanced at the Rozen Maidens playing nearby and asked softly.
It's good that she's not waiting until after truly losing something to regret it...
"Mr. Rutherford suggested I go home for a bit."
"Home?"
"Mhm. Back to the Belew family mansion."
"Need any help?"
"No." Charlotte crossed her arms, returning to her usual demeanor. "It is my original home, after all."
"But... um..." She then became somewhat fidgety, her eyes sneaking a glance toward the Rozen Maidens as she asked in a low voice, "It's just... could you help me open the door? The absence qualification Sigmund got from his injury isn't for very long."
"You could be more straightforward when asking for help," Sigmund said with a wise shake of his tail.
"You shut up! I'll really feed you eggshells at noon, you know!"
Charlotte's embarrassed shout filled the room with a cheerful atmosphere.
Shinku chuckled softly, hopping down from her seat and walking over to the mirror. "Leaving now?"
"Mhm." Charlotte immediately stood up, picked up her luggage, and headed toward the mirror.
The mirror's surface rippled, and the two golden-haired girls vanished from the room.
--+--
"Hey... why are you here."
Raishin crossed his arms, glancing sideways at Loki.
"Got a problem with that?"
Loki glared back, equally defiant.
Tonight was the fourth night of the Night Party—the night Frey was scheduled to fight, according to the order.
Alice and Charlotte were absent due to their injuries.
Unusually, Loki was standing not far from Raishin, with his petite knight standing behind him.
He then said, "I lost to that guy once. I need to settle that score."
Loki shot a look toward Yomi in the corner of the spectator stands, then shifted his gaze to Frey, who was walking onto the battlefield.
His and Frey's hearts had been adjusted by Shouko. While not completely fixed to be like a normal person's, at least they wouldn't act up like before.
"It's about to start," Loki said.
"Didn't need you to tell me."
"...I'm a humble and tolerant person, but I still want to kill an insolent Easterner who doesn't know his place."
"Shut up, idiot!"
"You shut up, you Eastern idiot!"
Frey, watching the two bicker, slowly walked onto the battlefield. Hinaichigo from the stands was waving at her.
"You two get along really well, don't you?" she said with a smile.
"Who gets along with this idiot?!" x2
Alice, sitting in the spectator stands, smiled at the scene. "What are those two even doing?"
"Who knows," Alice said softly, as Komurasaki happily swung her legs beside her.
Hinaichigo was gleefully watching Raishin and Loki scuffle in the arena, while Kanaria swayed her head from side to side beside her.
"You actually agreed to come out?" Alice said, surprised, as Shin offered cups of tea to the ladies.
"Babysitting."
Shinku went with Charlotte; Souseiseki and Suiseiseki returned to the mansion in the evening; and as for Kirakishou and Suigintou...
Alice had no choice but to take charge herself, bringing Kanaria and Hinaichigo to watch the match.
"But what about you? Is it okay for 'Alice' to appear here like this?" Alice asked quietly in return.
"Because it's all over now." Alice stretched. "Otherwise, the frail 'Alice' usually wouldn't appear in public."
"Frail?"
"Mhm. After all, I'm still a student. Handling coursework for both Cedric and Alice... is utterly exhausting." Even while complaining, Alice kept a smile on her face.
"What about Germany?"
"That..." Alice tapped her lips, replying cheerfully, "They were so angry. They even had to compensate with a puppet."
Alice lightly tapped her fingers. "So they're next?"
"Mhm. None of the students in between are anything special." Alice wagged her finger and continued, "Speaking of which, Germany has already issued an order to recall two puppets."
"Two?"
Alice pointed at Shin beside her, then toward Sophia on the battlefield.
"So," she immediately scooted closer to Alice again.
"Help me, Miss Alice."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.