After all the day's classes were over, Knox and Simon headed to the campus café.
"This is my first time here," Simon said, glancing around curiously.
Knox's eyes immediately lit up.
"Desserts! I can't wait!"
Knox grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open. A small bell rang above his head as they stepped inside.
The café was far more crowded than he had expected.
Students filled every table, both large and small, their voices overlapping in lively chatter. Those seated near the walls were deep in study, flipping through textbooks with one hand, jotting down notes with the other, and sipping coffee through straws without breaking focus.
It was almost impressive how they managed to concentrate despite the constant noise and movement around them.
"…Amazing. And they say it's even more crowded during exam season?" Simon muttered.
"Simon, what are you waiting for? Here, here!" Knox called out, already waving his hand from a small empty table he had secured.
Simon sighed and walked over, taking the seat across from him.
Just as Simon settled in and glanced around—
Murmur. Murmur. Murmur.
The atmosphere shifted.
From the café's entrance—the same one Knox and Simon had used—walked in a girl with jet-black hair flowing down her back like liquid darkness.
"Wow…"
"It's her, right?"
From the moment she stepped inside, it was clear she was different from the other students.
Her steps were graceful and measured. Her red eyes seemed distant, almost otherworldly, and her expression was cold and unreadable.
The aura surrounding her was overwhelming, enough to make people hesitate before even thinking of approaching her.
Yet today, if one looked closely, there was something slightly different.
Her expressionless face held the faintest trace of impatience—no, perhaps anticipation. As if she were waiting for something. Expecting something.
Her clothes were neater than usual, meticulously arranged without a single crease out of place. And there was a subtle fragrance in the air—refined and expensive. Anyone knowledgeable about luxury goods would recognize that a single bottle of such perfume could easily cover a year's tuition.
She was Lorain Archbold.
The only daughter born in three hundred years to Nefthis, the Witch of Death who ruled half the world.
With such a figure entering the café, the entire place buzzed as students craned their necks to get a better look.
Then, noticing the murmurs around her, Lorain's face turned completely cold once more. She sighed softly and lifted her eyelids.
"Are you here for a show?"
That single sentence was enough.
Within moments, the students nearest to her scattered like smoke. Even those sitting farther away lowered their heads, unable to meet her gaze.
With the crowd clearing almost miraculously, Lorain walked forward, the sound of her footsteps echoing lightly across the café floor.
Then, as Lorain looked around as if searching for someone, a voice suddenly called out to her.
"Lorain! Here!"
The moment she heard it, her cold expression melted.
It was as if winter had suddenly turned into spring.
The students who witnessed the change widened their eyes in disbelief.
Where did the cold girl from a second ago disappear to?
They followed the source of the voice and saw two handsome boys sitting at a table.
Of course, they were Knox and Simon.
But because it was Knox who had waved and called her name, most of the attention shifted toward him.
"Huh?"
"That white hair… isn't that Knox Aznable?!"
"Kyaaa! It's Knox Aznable!"
A new wave of murmurs spread across the café — this time because of Knox.
Lorain saw him waving. Her smile deepened, blooming like a flower under sunlight.
But suddenly—
"Hey, hey! Let's go over there! Let's ask for his signature!"
The blooming smile froze. In an instant, it vanished. Her expression dropped below freezing point.
Lorain slowly turned her head toward the girl who had just suggested asking for Knox's signature.
The café fell silent.
Then, almost miraculously, everyone resumed their activities as if nothing had happened.
Except for one person.
The girl who had been stared at. She was trembling.
After confirming that her "warning" had been delivered, Lorain looked away with a soft "hmph."
Then her expression softened again.
She waved lightly.
"Knox! I'm here!" she called cheerfully.
And she hurried toward their table.
Meanwhile, Simon swallowed hard. A strange tension gripped him.
Why… why does she feel so unfamiliar?
They had gone shopping together. Eaten meals together. He thought they were friends.
Yet now, seeing her in her Kizen uniform again, she felt distant.
Lorain reached the table.
But the moment she noticed Simon sitting beside Knox, her expression froze slightly.
"L-Long time no see. Haha…" Simon said awkwardly.
"..."
For a moment, she didn't respond.
Simon began wondering if he had done something wrong.
Then Lorain let out a soft sigh — the kind that sounded like, Right… why am I not surprised?
The corners of her eyes curved gently, and a familiar smile appeared.
"Hello, Simon."
It was the smile he remembered.
Then she turned back to Knox, her tone bright again.
"Knox! I heard the desserts here are delicious. The coffee isn't bad either."
She noticed the cup already in his hand.
"Hehe, looks like I didn't need to tell you about the coffee~"
Knox smiled lazily. "Hehe, of course. Not a single day without coffee. Here, your coffee~."
Then the two of them picked up their drinks and headed toward the café's third floor.
Simon blinked.
Wait… wasn't I the one who asked for this meeting?
Yet somehow, he felt like he had already been forgotten.
He followed behind them.
The café owner, visibly nervous, personally handled their order. When Lorain requested a quiet place, he immediately opened the usually restricted third floor.
Thanks to that, the three of them were seated at a spacious outdoor window spot. A cool breeze drifted in, making the atmosphere surprisingly pleasant.
"Now that I think about it," Lorain said casually, "this is the first time since Langerstine that the three of us are hanging out together, huh?"
Lorain, sitting across from him, brushed back her dark hair.
Simon nodded stiffly.
Knox looked at her and smiled.
"By the way, Lorain. I already told you before, but I'll say it again. You really look good in the uniform. As expected of you~."
Somewhere in the universe, an imaginary sound effect echoed:
DOKI!
Lorain felt as if an arrow had flown straight into her heart.
Her face flushed instantly.
"Eh… ah… thank you. Knox, you also… look very good. Handsome and… cool."
Knox chuckled softly.
"Hehe, thank you, Lorain."
He took another sip of coffee.
"By the way, I heard there's a new photobooth in Rochester. Since we're free later, how about we go there and take pictures together in our uniforms? Let's add another photo to our memory album."
Another arrow struck.
If this were Skyrim, she would say, "I took an arrow in my heart." Cough cough. Although it was a little different, the essence was still the same.
Anyway, Lorain's face turned even redder.
For a moment, she imagined it — standing next to Knox, both of them wearing their school uniforms, taking pictures together. Then adding that photo to the album already filled with their memories. (Ignoring some certain loli-baba photos that were also inside.)
Her flushed face gradually cooled down a little after imagining it.
"Emm… sure! Let's go later! Promise, okay~?"
Knox smiled gently. "Of course. You've known me since we were little. When have I ever broken a promise to you?"
Her smile widened again, softer and warmer this time.
Meanwhile, the third wheel named Simon quietly sipped his coffee.
For some reason, it tasted completely bland.
"Hehe, alright then. How about we talk about something important first?"
Lowering her gaze slightly, Lorain crossed her legs with elegant composure.
"What's the reason you wanted to meet?" she asked.
The air shifted. That aura returned. The distant, untouchable presence.
At least, to Simon.
For Knox, nothing felt different.
Knox, still acting as if he knew nothing, tilted his head lightly.
"Well… to be honest, I also don't know."
Then he turned his head and looked at Simon.
Lorain, who had just heard what Knox said, also shifted her gaze toward Simon.
Meanwhile, Simon felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It reminded him of the first time he had stood before Knox and Lorain.
Back then, he had felt small.
Now—
He felt like a fawn being stared at by a lion and a lioness.
Simon swallowed.
It was time to get to the point.
He glanced around once more to ensure no one was nearby, then spoke in a solemn voice.
"…There's a traitor inside Kizen."
Lorain's expression instantly turned colder.
Knox, still playing along, leaned forward slightly and also turned serious.
Simon began recounting everything calmly.
How he had been chased by the wardens and lost his way in the Forbidden Forest. How he had stumbled upon a shrine. How he had seen a priest praying before a cross.
He omitted Pier's involvement.
But he did mention something else.
"There was someone else there. I suspect he was the Eighth Legion Commander… the Shadow Monarch, Jin. He helped me escape while fighting the priest."
"..."
Lorain listened intently.
But when Simon mentioned the Eighth Legion Commander—Jin—her expression froze for just a fraction of a second.
She slowly turned her gaze toward Knox.
Knox's face remained serious.
But who was Lorain?
She was Knox's closest person! (Self-proclaimed, at least.)
How could she not notice he was acting?
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him.
Her gaze clearly said:
Explain this to me in detail later.
Knox caught the look.
And without missing a beat, his eyes answered back:
Sure~
Too bad Simon noticed none of it.
"Lorain. Knox. It might sound hard to believe, but I—"
"I believe you," Lorain said immediately.
Knox nodded. "I believe you too."
Simon felt a slight relief in his chest.
Lorain straightened slightly. "More importantly, that cross you saw. Can you describe its appearance in detail?"
"…Uh. From what I remember, there was a woman carved onto the largest cross in the center. A naked woman entwined in vines."
"That confirms it," Knox said calmly.
Lorain nodded in agreement.
Her crimson eyes gleamed faintly.
"That is Goddess Dave. The one and only deity worshipped by the priests of Efnel."
The Holy Academy, "Efnel", stood under the direct authority of the Pope.
It was the polar opposite of Kizen, which trained necromancers. Efnel trained priests.
Within the Holy College, it held influence and recognition rivaling that of Kizen. The Saintesses, considered the highest combat power, were exclusively chosen from among the female students of Efnel, monopolizing all authority.
Kizen and Efnel.
Efnel and Kizen.
Which side was stronger? Which school had the better students?
These were age-old topics of debate across the entire continent.
"…How dare they," Lorain said coldly.
Crack!
The glass Lorain was holding shattered in her grip, and coffee spilled everywhere.
"A damn priest dares sneak into Kizen?"
Her expression was filled with genuine rage. Even though Simon knew the bloodlust pouring from her wasn't aimed at him, he couldn't help but feel tense.
Then, suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped the hand that had just crushed the glass.
Lorain looked down.
Only then did she notice that Knox's hand was gently covering hers.
Her cold expression instantly softened, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.
"Lorain, calm down," Knox said.
Hearing Knox's reassuring voice, Lorain slowly exhaled and felt herself calming.
"…Thank you, Knox," she said with a soft smile.
Then she turned to Simon.
"…Simon."
"Yeah."
"Is there anyone else who knows about this?"
"Just me and Camibarez, the one who went into the Forbidden Forest with me. Now, adding you and Knox. That's it."
She nodded. "Thank you for reporting this. I'll tell my mom right away."
Simon had a reason for keeping this matter secret.
Because even Kizen professors could be suspects in this incident. Only Nefthis should know, so the investigation could unfold from multiple directions. And he also felt Knox needed to know this as well. Considering Knox's relationship with Nefthis and Lorain, and his strength and experience as a bounty hunter, Simon believed Knox could surely help track the priest.
Then Knox and Lorain looked at each other.
Both of them nodded.
"Let's go, Simon!" Knox and Lorain said in unison.
They shot up from their seats.
"Huh? Where?" Simon asked.
"The Restricted Forest, of course. There might be some clue left at the place you saw the priest," Lorain said.
Knox added, "We should go there as fast as we can. Although there's a high chance the traces have already been erased, at least with that we can confirm whether the culprit returned to the crime scene."
Simon's eyes widened.
"…Right now?"
*****
Dudududududu!
Late in the evening, Simon rode a Skeletal Horse for the first time in his life.
They said one skeletal horse cost as much as a house, and for good reason. It was not only faster than a regular horse, but also tireless and surprisingly smooth to ride.
"You're better at this than I thought. Have you ridden before?" Lorain asked from beside him.
She looked cool riding her skeletal horse—
But her cool aura right now was somewhat blocked by the current scene.
Because Lorain wasn't riding alone.
Knox was riding together with her.
More precisely, Knox was in front controlling the horse, while Lorain hugged his back from behind.
Although her face remained cool, her smile betrayed her aura. It was wide. Very wide. She was even grinning slightly.
"...Just a bit, back in my hometown," Simon replied in a somewhat speechless tone.
In truth, it had little to do with riding skills. Simon and the skeletal horse were simply a perfect match.
Most of all, the skeletal horse listened to Simon well. If he so much as reached out his hand, it would nuzzle against him affectionately.
"This way, Knox, Lorain."
"Yeah."
"Alright."
Since he had traveled this path once before, it wasn't difficult to find the way. They leaped over the valley he had crossed with Camibarez and rode deeper into the forest.
"It's around here."
"Thanks for guiding us. Let's walk from here," Lorain said.
The three dismounted from their skeletal horses. When Lorain opened a subspace in midair, the horses galloped into it and vanished.
Simon smacked his lips.
I wanted to ride a little more.
Noticing the way Simon looked at the horses—especially the disappointment when they disappeared into Lorain's subspace—Knox smiled helplessly.
"Simon… even stupid Cindy could read your mind from your current expression."
Simon flinched and coughed.
Lorain smiled teasingly at Knox.
"Oh~ how mean of you, calling your friend 'stupid.' What do you think will happen if I tell Cindy about this?"
Knox's mouth twitched slightly. Luckily, she didn't say, 'You don't want Cindy to know this, right?'
He sighed, then raised both hands.
"Please, have mercy on me, officer."
Lorain smiled brightly.
"Hm~ I think five desserts of your cooking will do."
Knox smiled back.
"Yes, ma'am. Your wish is my command."
Noticing the sweet banter between Knox and Lorain, Simon could only shake his head, wondering if asking these two for help had been a mistake.
As if sensing they had arrived near the location, Knox's expression turned serious.
Lorain immediately noticed and became serious as well.
The three walked in silence, suppressing their presence as they entered the Restricted Forest. Simon realized the path was much clearer than when he had first come here with Kamibarez.
They soon arrived at the spot where he had seen the priest.
"This is the place?" Lorain asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Hm, looks like my guess was correct," Knox said.
The three began searching carefully.
"…All the traces are gone," Simon muttered.
This was definitely where he had seen the priest. But the altar, the decorations, the cross—even the ground where Pier and the priest had fought, followed by the Eighth Legion Commander, Jin, who replaced Pier to fight the priest—everything had been cleaned up without a trace.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Simon felt as though he were haunted by a ghost.
"What do you think, Knox, Lorain?"
Lorain knelt and swept her palm across the grass.
Soon, she shook her head. "It's strangely clean. Not a single trace."
"But it's too clean," Knox added.
"…Ugh."
"But that just confirms Knox's guess. They erased the evidence."
She stood up and crossed her arms.
"Simon, based on your story, that person is highly skilled. In combat ability, yes—but even more so in how perfectly they covered up such a wide area. And the most shocking part? Despite claiming to serve a god, they implanted a Core in their body and infiltrated Kizen. To them, the Core is a power that denies holiness."
"But if they activate the Core, they can't use the priest's holiness, right?" Simon asked.
Lorain nodded. "I don't fully understand the theory either, but according to their logic, Darkness is the power of a cursed demon, while Holiness comes from faith in God. The two powers conflict."
She turned her back. "This is serious. Let's return to Kizen. I need to report to my mother immediately."
"I agree. We should hurry," Knox said.
Noticing Knox was still acting, Lorain rolled her eyes at him.
Then Simon hesitated.
"But… guys, I have a question. The traces… do you think the priest erased them? Or maybe the one who erased them was the Eighth Legion Comman—"
"Stop. Simon."
Lorain cut him off. Her voice turned cold.
Simon flinched.
"I don't know about the priest. But it was absolutely not Jin who erased the traces. That's impossible. There is no way Jin would do that."
She said it firmly, as if defending someone precious.
Simon noticed that. The way she defended the Eighth Legion Commander felt… personal.
He had a feeling that if he asked further, something dangerous would happen.
He swallowed his question.
"…Right. I apologize."
Lorain's expression softened again.
"Alright. Let's go back."
She looked at Knox with a smile, as if saying, Hehe, praise me.
Knox noticed and smiled helplessly.
"Thank you. Let's go."
Meanwhile, Simon felt confused about their behavior. But he chose to stay silent.
He had a feeling that if he spoke again, he would be forced to witness another unbearably sweet moment between the two of them.
————————————
Character Voicelines · Photobooth Owner: About Today's Customers
Photobooth Owner: Today, a sweet young pair came into this photobooth. Judging from their uniforms, they looked like students from Kizen.
Photobooth Owner: Both of them were incredibly handsome and beautiful! Honestly, I was a little envious of that girl. But when I accidentally mistook them for a couple, the girl's face immediately lit up with the widest smile, as if flowers had bloomed all at once.
Photobooth Owner: After that, she bought every photo package, every photo frame, and even asked to print each photo more than a dozen times! What an enthusiastic girl…
Photobooth Owner:Sigh. Luckily, I have staff to help me… By the way, where are they?
Then the photobooth owner noticed a strange sight. Her staff members were lying on the floor, completely fainted. One of them weakly murmured—
Staff: "Sweet… too sweet…" (✖﹏✖)
Photobooth Owner: ...… (￣□￣;)